The following afternoon, the sun streamed through the grand hallway’s windows as Lingzhi strolled back to her room, her footsteps echoing softly. Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared at the end of the corridor—Julian, seated in his sleek black wheelchair, flanked by two towering bodyguards.
“You two, wait here,” Julian instructed in a calm yet authoritative tone. “I’d like to speak with Miss Lingzhi alone.”
“Understood, Sir,” the bodyguards replied in perfect unison, standing like statues at either side of the hallway.
Lingzhi paused, watching as Julian approached. The quiet hum of his wheelchair filled the space as he closed the distance between them.
“Hello, Sir Julian,” she greeted with a warm smile, her voice gentle but respectful.
“Good afternoon,” Julian returned the smile, his tone equally warm. “No need to be so formal. Just call me Julian.”
Lingzhi blinked in mild surprise but quickly regained her composure. “In that case, you can do the same. Just call me Lingzhi. My friends call me Zhi for short.”
“Zhi it is,” Julian said, as if testing the nickname on his tongue. “If it’s not too much trouble, could we have a conversation?”
“Of course. I’m not busy,” Lingzhi replied, tilting her head slightly. “Is it something private? If so, we can go to my room so no one overhears us.”
“That would be perfect,” Julian agreed with a small nod. “Besides, my bodyguards will keep watch outside.”
With a soft smile, Lingzhi led him toward her room. She opened the door and stepped aside. “Come in.”
Julian gave her a grateful nod as he rolled into the room, the atmosphere shifting as their conversation began—a conversation that would change more than either of them anticipated.
“About what Alex told you regarding his family—”
“I’m sorry to interrupt you... I know it’s rude, but I need to say this.”
Lingzhi took a deep breath, her eyes filled with sincerity. “The truth is, I only fully realized the situation with his family when he told me that he no longer has a mom and dad. I had heard about a boy who was in a coma for a month from the news, but I never connected the dots until yesterday.”
Julian’s gaze darkened slightly. “Right… Did he force you to let him call you ‘Mom’?”
“What?! N-No!” Lingzhi’s eyes widened, shaking her head in protest. “He didn’t force me. I just—”
Julian cut her off, his voice calm yet firm. “Do you pity him?”
