At the Hospital

Zhi Xun’s POV

Three hours had passed since the handsome stranger from the library had left, and now I know that he is also my saviour. My mind has been at a state of unrest. Thanks to the nurse who kept me company, I was able to have some rest. She was even kind enough to lend me her mobile phone.

However, after I woke up, the memory of his goodbye kiss has been plaguing me. I felt guilty.

“He kissed me… What should I do? Have I been unfaithful to Herman?” I asked myself continuously.

Despite having a boyfriend, I cannot forget the charm of his smile and the allure of his eyes. Herman had never touched me like that, even no matter how close we got to a kiss. Every moment with Herman had been so predictable. So cliche. I presumed he would marry me after we finish university and everything will just go as planned. The faculty couple. Everyone anticipated wedding bells after our graduation.

Yet, I feel torn between this stranger who has been on my mind repeatedly since our first meeting and this boyfriend who I have a platonic relationship with. If this is sin, then I am the worst sinner in the university.

I still can’t remember what happened, and I hope that Herman didn’t do anything to betray me while I was unconscious in the hospital. I’ve been calling to ask him if he knew anything, but he hung up on me a few times. He even turned off his phone when I called him for the twenty-fifth time today.

I don’t even know the stranger’s name. Perhaps I will call him ‘Saviour’ for now.

What if he is my destiny and the reason I have been dreaming about him as a ‘winged man’?

Or is this all psychological?

……………………………………………………..

Carrine smiled as she comforted Zhi Xun.

“Miss Huo, the man has come and taken a few glimpses of you while you were asleep earlier,” the nurse said with an understanding ‘I know, I’ve been there’ look. “Do you really not know him?”

Zhi Xun shrugged.

“I’ve met him once,” she answered truthfully. “I don’t even know his name.”

Knowing her place, Carrine did not press on for more details. “There was a package sent to the hospital. Could you sign for it? The courier man will come by later to pick it up.”

Thinking that the package contained her missing items that were salvaged from the fire, Zhi Xun quickly accepted. She read the first few sentences of the form she received and assumed it to be one of those courier forms that she would often acknowledge on behalf of her richer roommates when they ordered clothes online. Without thinking further, she excitedly scrawled her signature on the paper and handed it the nurse. Upon opening the package, an unsigned note written in neat handwriting fell into her lap. It read:

"Dear Miss Huo,

I apologize that I accidentally damaged your smartphone and laptop while rescuing you from the fire. Here is a replacement phone with my sincerest wishes. If you have backed up your phone contacts to Gmail or some other online service, you should be able to retrieve them by signing in to your account.

Your laptop is currently being repaired, and you should receive it by tomorrow.

P.S. Should you need anything, I've saved my number into the phone as 'Remember Me'."

Zhi Xun was not bothered by the loss of her phone contacts as she had only a few contacts, and she knew her aunt, uncle, and her roommates' contact numbers by heart. What she was concerned about was her laptop as she was used to updating her blog every day, and comments from her followers meant a lot to her. If she missed a day of updating, she feared that she would lose her blog’s power ranking as a regularly updated blog and her followers might forsake her blog to follow other blogs instead.

Perhaps she could blog with the phone, she thought. She opened the box and was astonished to realize it was the latest Asterix smartphone model. It must have cost 'Saviour' a lot of money. She had been using her old mobile phone for about three years now. She had received it as a gift from one of her housemates when the rich girl got a new mobile phone. The phone had been used for two years by its former owner when she had received it.

Should she return it? She considered, in her mind. But if it was compensation, it shouldn’t matter, she told herself. Employed people like him, compared to a poor university student like her, could afford more than just a smartphone. One month of their earnings could bring home about three to four such smartphones. On the other hand, it wasn’t his fault that the smartphone was damaged, but rather, the fire.

As she was contemplating whether to return the smartphone or not, the smartphone rang abruptly, with the name ‘Remember Me’ flashing brightly on its screen. She quickly answered it, in fear that the loud ringing might disrupt a patient in the next room.

"Miss Huo, I'm just calling because I've been informed that you have received the package."

"Yes, I have. But my original phone wasn't that expensive, it was a gift. I can't accept this. It's too expensive."

"Just take it as compensation."

"I can't. It's too costly. Furthermore, it wasn’t your fault. I'll have to return it to you."

"You have to accept it. You already agreed to, didn't you?"

"When did I-" she began, and then she remembered the form she had signed. Sneaky fellow!

"Fine, I'll accept the cellphone. Is that all that I signed up for?"

"My boyfriend services."

"What..you.." she started to panic and stammer.

"No, that wasn't real. I was just making fun of you," he said. He didn't even laugh, he said everything in the same, cold, nonchalant voice.

"You!" she wanted to shout, but she reminded herself that she was in the hospital. "Fine. I'll be the bigger person and let you off for now."

"I already told you to be careful." He was right. She had been negligent. He could have used the form to his advantage, and get her into a bigger mess, but fortunately for her, he had not.

"I have to go, Miss Huo. I have another incoming call right now, but I’ll call you soon. Remember, you will be mine someday." The phone call disconnected, leaving silence in the room as Zhi Xun faced Carrine.

It was the first time she had ever felt so confused by a man’s words.