Ning Jing's breath hitched. The person she had yearned for for so many years was now so close, and every cell in her body didn't know how to function.
As if afraid Ning Jing would pull away, Ning Chen held her tightly.
For a moment, the turmoil hidden deep within their hearts began to surface.
But this silent, imperceptible shift did not escape everyone's gaze.
"Old Ning, am I seeing things correctly?" Ning Father and Ning Mother, who had rushed to the hospital, caught their son embracing their precious Ning Jing.
"When did this brat develop feelings like this for our darling?" Ning Mother wiped her eyes, staring in disbelief at the two in front of her.
Ning Father had already recovered from his initial shock and was now frowning at the two embracing figures.
"You brat, let go of her."
In a matter of seconds, Ning Father had thought through many things, and his conclusion was that the immediate priority was to pull Ning Chen off Ning Jing.
"Brother, let go." Ning Jing saw Ning Father approaching with an imposing demeanor to scold Ning Chen and quickly placed her hands on Ning Chen's shoulders, pushing him away.
"Ning Jing, can you forgive me?" Ning Chen's voice was hoarse, and he didn't loosen his grip on Ning Jing at all, despite Ning Father's angry shouts.
Ning Chen, who had been silent for so long, chose this moment to beg for Ning Jing's forgiveness, a clear tactic of using his own suffering.
Ning Chen never feared Ning Father's punishment, but he couldn't bear Ning Jing's unforgiveness.
It meant that his hidden, long-held crush would never receive a response.
Ning Jing once again turned her gaze to Ning Father. Seeing him approaching, she instinctively and quickly affirmed Ning Chen's question.
"Forgive, I forgive you, Brother." Even if Ning Chen hadn't said a word, Ning Jing knew she couldn't deceive her own heart, even if she wanted to blame him.
Hearing Ning Jing say she forgave him, Ning Chen relaxed slightly.
However, upon hearing Ning Jing's subsequent, natural address, Ning Chen's eyes betrayed a clear hint of disappointment, hidden from Ning Jing's sight.
"Brother, hurry and let go of me."
Seeing Ning Father was just a stone's throw away and Ning Chen still hadn't released her, Ning Jing increased the force of her push.
His fingers, which had been on Ning Jing, squeezed her reluctantly. Finally, after several struggles, Ning Chen released Ning Jing.
He was reluctant, but Ning Jing had already forgiven him, and he couldn't indulge himself further, lest it backfire.
With a *slap*, Ning Father struck Ning Chen across the face.
Half of Ning Chen's face instantly turned red, and a few drops of blood even trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Seeing the bright red mark, Ning Jing's heart clenched.
As Ning Father raised his fist to strike Ning Chen again, Ning Jing immediately stepped in front of Ning Chen.
"Dad, Brother knows he shouldn't have hit someone. He was just feeling sad and guilty just now."
"Just feeling sad and guilty?"
Ning Chen looked at the figure shielding him and gave a self-deprecating laugh, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Xiao Jing, you don't need to say more. Move aside quickly. I must teach this disrespectful brat a lesson today."
"Dad, Brother is already very upset." Ning Jing stood firmly in front of Ning Chen, afraid that Ning Father would somehow bypass her and hit Ning Chen if she wasn't careful.
Ning Father looked at Ning Jing, who was stubbornly blocking Ning Chen, and let out a soft sigh. He then slowly lowered his raised fist.
"Just sad?"
Ning Father shook his head inwardly.
An embrace between a man and a woman to express harmony and camaraderie was one thing.
But the way this brat held her, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones, and the look of longing in the young girl's eyes…
Who in their right mind would mistake that hug for mere sadness and self-reproach!
Besides, when in the Ning family did they ever express sadness and self-reproach with hugs instead of money?
The more Ning Father thought about it, the more his mustache bristled.
Yet, seeing Ning Father's comical display, no one present could muster a laugh.
Ning Mother, who had been lost in thought, finally came to her senses and quickly stepped forward to pull Ning Father back.
Before Ning Mother could say anything, the doctor who had been examining Young Master Wang in the ward suddenly emerged.
"Who is the patient's family?"
His calm voice reached everyone's ears. Ning Jing was the first to react.
"Doctor, what's the patient's condition? The patient's family is still on their way. I'm her friend, you can tell me."
"A friend is fine. There is no immediate danger to life. The patient currently has a mild concussion. We don't know yet if other external injuries have affected the nerves; we'll know after the patient wakes up."
The doctor glanced at the medical record and stated plainly.
"When will he wake up?" Ning Jing immediately pressed.
"That's uncertain for now, but if tonight's monitoring data is stable, he should wake up soon."
Hearing the doctor's words, Ning Jing felt a slight sense of relief. Meanwhile, Ning Father's gaze towards Ning Chen was sharp enough to cut.
After the doctor left, Ning Father, avoiding Ning Jing's eyes, moved to strike Ning Chen's face again.
Fortunately, Ning Jing reacted quickly and threw herself onto Ning Chen, forcing him to stagger back a few steps and evade Ning Father's assault.
Ning Mother, realizing what was happening, quickly pulled Ning Father away.
Once they were gone, Ning Jing moved away from Ning Chen.
Both were silent.
After a while, it was Ning Jing who finally reached out and gently tugged at Ning Chen's sleeve.
"Brother, I know you must have your reasons. Everything will be alright."
Ning Jing lowered her head, her gaze fixed on the wrinkles in Ning Chen's suit, caused by his sudden movements.
She had actually intended to hold Ning Chen's hand just now, but as she was about to touch it, she suddenly faltered.
Before faltering, she thought that Ning Chen was so dejected right now, perhaps holding his hand would make him feel a little better and wouldn't lead him to overthink things.
In her moment of hesitation, Ning Jing suddenly felt it was too obvious.
It felt as if one more glance at that hand with its defined knuckles would reveal her long-hidden crush. Sudan Fiction Network.
As for Ning Chen's hug just now, it wasn't due to sadness or guilt, nor was it due to low spirits.
She dared not entertain this possibility.
Once this thought surfaced, Ning Jing would find herself overcome with an extreme craving for it, born from this sudden, impossible wish.
But if this extreme craving showed even the slightest hint of being unattainable, Ning Jing would feel suffocated by the pain of unrequited love.
She didn't want to look at Ning Chen with such clear and painful eyes.
She preferred to bury that intense emotion deep in her heart, tricking herself into believing that her feelings for Ning Chen were merely akin to those of siblings.