After I Married the Comatose CEO - Chapter 17

Xie Qiu raised his hand to hold the large hand, asking unclearly, “Husband, why are you pinching my face?”

He wanted to pull He Siyan’s hand away, but the grip was quite firm. He didn’t dare use too much force, so they were stuck in a standoff for a moment.

Fortunately, after a while, the man’s long fingers slowly opened and then dropped down.

Xie Qiu rubbed his cheek and asked tentatively, “Husband, are you asleep again?”

The man on the bed looked calm, as if the person who just played that prank was someone else entirely.

Xie Qiu was sure he couldn’t hear him anymore, so he whispered a complaint: “Husband, is your desire for revenge really that strong?”

He started to think back on everything he had said to his husband lately and if he had done anything inappropriate.

Thinking it over, besides the “forcing himself on him” act just now, there didn’t seem to be anything else that would make the man unhappy, right?

“Husband, I didn’t actually do anything to you. It was all so you could wake up sooner,” Xie Qiu muttered while tucking in the corners of the blanket. “You won’t blame me, right?”

He Siyan’s eyes remained tightly closed with no reaction.

“Okay, I knew you wouldn’t blame me.” Xie Qiu took the silence as agreement and smiled as he said goodnight. “Goodnight, husband. Have sweet dreams tonight, too.”

He was just about to leave the room when he heard someone push the door open from the outside.

Xie Qiu turned around and saw the person entering. “Second Young Master.”

He Jingchen glanced at him, his gaze falling on the bed. “How is my brother now?”

“He should be in a sleep state,” Xie Qiu said in a soft voice, walking toward the door. “Let’s talk outside.”

He Jingchen understood and stepped back a couple of times to give him space.

Xie Qiu closed the door behind him. “Did Mom tell you everything?”

“Yes, Mother said Brother has regained some consciousness.” He Jingchen paused slightly. “She also said Brother only has a clear reaction to your voice right now.”

Xie Qiu nodded. “That seems to be the situation for now.”

He Jingchen looked at him and said in a low voice, “Thank you.”

Xie Qiu froze for a moment. “Thank me for what?”

He Jingchen looked away, an unnatural expression on his young, handsome face. “Mother said it was you who woke Brother up.”

“Oh, so you’re thanking me for that,” Xie Qiu smiled. “No need to thank me. My husband’s improvement certainly isn’t just because of me.”

In fact, he was also surprised. According to the original book, He Siyan wasn’t supposed to reach a minimally conscious state this quickly.

Although he didn’t know exactly which part helped, he wasn’t so arrogant as to take all the credit for himself. Compared to the doctors and caregivers, the things he did during this time were just small matters.

He Jingchen didn’t seem to expect him to say that, and his eyes showed surprise.

“Even though Dr. Chen said moving out of the minimally conscious state is a long battle, at least there is hope now,” Xie Qiu comforted him. “Second Young Master, you don’t need to worry too much.”

He Jingchen stared at him for a few seconds and suddenly said, “You don’t have to call me ‘Second Young Master’.”

Xie Qiu couldn’t help but remember when he first arrived at the He house; the two of them had a conversation about this topic, but they never reached a conclusion.

So he asked humbly, “Then how should I address you?”

Jingchen He replied with no expression, “Just call me by my name.”

Qiu Xie followed his lead and said, “Okay, Jingchen He.”

To be honest, since coming to this world, the thing he struggled with most was calling everyone “Young Master” or “Madam.” Some people even called him the “Elder Young Madam…”

It was much better to just use names. Using names felt much friendlier.

“I’m going back to my room now,” Jingchen He reminded him before leaving. “If there is any change in my brother’s condition, let me know immediately.”

Qiu Xie agreed and watched him disappear around the corner before going back to his own room to sleep.

The next morning, Qiu Xie got up and went to check on his comatose husband as usual.

When he entered the room, he found Wanrong Su sitting by the bed, whispering softly.

“Mom,” Qiu Xie called out. “Good morning.”

“Oh, Xiao Qiu, you’re up.” Wanrong Su smiled the moment she saw him. “What a good child, coming to see Siyan as soon as you wake up.”

“I’m used to it.” Qiu Xie walked over. “Mom, were you talking to my husband?”

“Yes, I was talking to Siyan.” Wanrong Su looked back at the bed, her voice full of disappointment. “It’s just… Siyan still won’t respond to me.”

“Don’t forget, Dr. Chen said last night that people in a coma still have sleep cycles. Maybe he is just asleep.” Qiu Xie reached out and gently shook the man’s hand. “Husband, are you awake?”

A few seconds later, Siyan He’s fingers moved slightly as a response.

“Siyan is awake!” Wanrong Su quickly held both of their hands. “Siyan, can you hear your mother’s voice?”

Under Su Wanrong’s hopeful gaze, Siyan He’s fingers moved again.

“He moved! Siyan’s hand moved!” Wanrong Su was almost crying with joy. “Xiao Qiu, did you see that? Siyan responded to me!”

“I saw it.” Qiu Xie was moved by her emotion, and his eyes grew a bit wet. “This is just the beginning. It will get better every day.”

After Wanrong Su calmed down, the two of them left the room and went downstairs.

While eating breakfast, Wanrong Su said, “Xiao Qiu, I want to discuss something with you.”

Qiu Xie put down his fork. “Please, go ahead.”

“Regarding Siyan regaining some consciousness, I hope only a few of us know for now,” Wanrong Su explained gently. “The Old Master’s birthday banquet is in a few days. I don’t want any trouble before Siyan officially wakes up. Do you understand what I mean?”

“I understand,” Qiu Xie replied obediently. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone else about my husband’s condition.”

“Good child.” The smile on Su Wanrong’s face grew more satisfied. “From today on, just spend time with Siyan when you are free. You don’t need to worry about anything else.”

Qiu Xie agreed, “Okay.”

Old Master He’s birthday was this Friday. As the new week began, everyone in the He family became very busy.

Qiu Xie took on his special task and continued to stay with his husband every day after school.

However, since he knew his husband had some consciousness and could sometimes hear him, he became much more careful.

After all, he couldn’t tell for sure if Siyan He was asleep or how much he could actually hear.

“Husband, I’ll tell you a story I made up today,” Qiu Xie said on a whim as he sat in the chair by the bed. “I think you’re bored of fairy tales, so let’s try something new.”

He put down the book of fairy tales, organized his thoughts, and began to tell the story: “Once, there was a little boy who didn’t know who his parents were. His earliest memory was living in an orphanage. The head of the orphanage first met him in late autumn, when golden leaves covered the yard. So, she named the boy ‘Qiu’ (Autumn).”

“Even though the orphanage was poor, Xiao Qiu was lucky. He met a director who loved the children with all her heart, a pretty older sister who loved telling him bedtime stories, and friends he played with. He never felt pitiful. He thought he would grow up happy like that until one day, the pretty sister died of heart disease and left him forever.”

Qiu Xie took a deep breath and continued, “That was the first time Xiao Qiu learned about death. He cried loudly, but the director told him that death isn’t the end of life—being forgotten is. As long as someone remembers her, she will live in their memories forever.”

Qiu Xie stopped and gave a sad smile. “But why are the memories of them in Xiao Qiu’s head getting blurrier and blurrier?”

He was afraid he would forget completely one day, so he chose to tell this story to the man lying in bed tonight.

Even if the man couldn’t hear, or couldn’t understand the information, it didn’t matter.

When the story ended, Qiu Xie fell into a long silence until he saw the large, pale hand on the bed lift up.

“Husband?” He instinctively reached out to catch the man’s hand. “Are you awake?”

Siyan He held his hand back, slowly closing his fingers as if passing something through his warm palm.

Qiu Xie was stunned and asked hesitantly, “Husband… are you comforting me?”

The man couldn’t answer him, but he held his hand tightly.

“Husband, sometimes I’m actually a bit jealous of you.” Qiu Xie leaned forward and rested his face on the back of the man’s hand. “There are so many people here who love you—your mom, your brother, your grandfather, and probably many others.”

The large hand under his face suddenly turned over and cupped his cheek.

Qiu Xie didn’t mind and rubbed his cheek against the warm palm. “So, wake up soon. Only by waking up can you protect everything you want to protect.”

At that moment, the man tightened his fingers and pinched the soft cheek again.

“Husband!” Qiu Xie cried out. “If you pinch my face again, I’m really going to be angry!”

Those words were said, but his tone didn’t sound threatening at all.

Xie Qiu’s eyes darted around, and he boldly puckered his lips, planting a kiss right on the palm covering his face.

There was a loud “mwah” sound, so loud that he even blushed himself.

As expected, the man withdrew his hand as if he had been struck by lightning.

“Scared now?” Xie Qiu ignored his red face, lifted his chin, and threatened, “If you don’t want me to kiss you, then don’t pinch my face anymore.”

He Siyan’s hand, resting on the bedsheet, slowly clenched into a fist, as if issuing a silent protest.

After all, he was still afraid that his husband might take revenge once he woke up, so Xie Qiu didn’t dare tease him further. Holding back a smile, he comforted him, “Husband, don’t be angry. How about I play a song for you?”

The man on the bed remained motionless, but his clenched fist slowly relaxed.

Xie Qiu opened his phone, picked a song from his playlist, and hit play.

When the song ended, he turned off his phone and prepared to stand up. “Husband, it’s time for you to sleep.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the man’s fingers, which had just settled down, began to move again.

Xie Qiu held the hand and asked in confusion, “Husband, do you want to keep listening to music?”

He Siyan couldn’t answer him, but the hand holding his began to pull with force.

Xie Qiu was caught off guard and was pulled down unexpectedly, falling right on top of the man.

He panicked for two seconds, propping himself up on the sheets to lift his face, only to find his line of sight directed straight at a certain startling curve.

Xie Qiu: “!”

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