“Did the lump you found a while ago change?”

After returning to the nurses’ duty room, the pleasure in her chest gradually faded, but Steven Foster was still filled with worry. She hurried to the changing room, and when she pressed her hands to her chest, she was shocked to find that the lump that had grown there some time ago had completely disappeared without a trace.

……

Just as Steven Foster left the ward, Ryan Bennett finally regained consciousness, because when Steven Foster retreated, Ryan Bennett noticed that the scene that had left his mouth dry had vanished.

At the same time, the cool sensation that had flowed out with Ryan Bennett’s gaze just now returned to his eyes, but it seemed much weaker, making his eyes sting a little, as if his nose had been punched and his tear glands had been struck. Tears streamed uncontrollably down his face, and his vision instantly blurred, so Ryan Bennett didn’t notice that Steven Foster had already left the ward.

“Was it a hallucination? But why did it feel so real, even clearer than those Japanese AVs on the boss’s computer. Hmm, and much bigger than those.”

Ryan Bennett blinked hard and reached up to rub his eyes. He wanted to see who was in the ward so he could match them to the scene he’d just witnessed.

“Xiao Zhuang, don’t move. It’s normal for your eyes to water after not seeing sunlight for a long time. Don’t rub your eyes now—use a sterilized cotton ball to wipe them. Huh, where’s Xiao Song? Wait, I’ll go get some gauze.”

Ryan Bennett’s raised hand was stopped by his attending physician. After blinking a few more times, the stinging in his eyes gradually faded, and his vision slowly cleared. He saw his mother’s tear-streaked face and the worried look on Uncle David’s face. Only then did Ryan Bennett fully snap out of the lingering, romantic scene from before. He also noticed that the cool sensation in his eyes seemed to have diminished a lot, leaving only a thin layer clinging to the area around his eye sockets.

“Xiao Rui, how do you feel? Can you see? Does it still hurt?”

Ryan Bennett’s mother had been watching his eyes closely—the sight of him crying just now had really frightened her.

“I’m fine, Mom. My eyes don’t hurt, and I can see clearly. Maybe the light just irritated them a bit. Don’t worry. Uncle David, Manager Harris, thank you both for all your help during this time.”

Ryan Bennett spoke to Uncle David and Manager Harris from the investment company, who were standing nearby. During his hospital stay, the reason everything went so smoothly was because Uncle David and Manager Harris had communicated with the hospital multiple times. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to stay in a high-level ward, and his mother wouldn’t have been allowed to stay with him. According to hospital rules, family members weren’t allowed to stay overnight in the ward, and applying for a companion required paying a hefty fee—even for one’s own relatives.

“Xiao Zhuang, don’t say that. You dared to stand up to evil forces and upheld your professional ethics—these are things we should all learn from. What we did was just to help a hero like you recover as soon as possible. It’s nothing. Now that I see you’re okay, I’m relieved. I’ll go report to the leadership. Once you’ve fully recovered, we’ll have you give a talk about your heroic deeds.”

After a few more words of comfort, Manager Harris left. The doctor soon returned and asked in detail about Ryan Bennett’s eyes. Ryan Bennett only mentioned that he felt a bit of stinging when he first opened his eyes, but it was fine afterward. As for that romantic scene, he naturally left it out—this wasn’t the time to dwell on it. Ryan Bennett decided he’d think about whether it was a hallucination or something real when he had time.

“Xiao Zhuang, the New Year is coming up. The company has decided to give you two months of paid leave so you can go home for the holiday. Resting at home is better than staying in Zhonghai. After the New Year, take another month to recover before coming back to work. The head office will temporarily handle financial matters, so don’t worry. Your mother has been worried sick about you during this time, so when you get home, you’d better be good to her!”

Uncle David told Ryan Bennett about the company’s decision. With the New Year approaching and Ryan Bennett’s eye and head injuries needing rest, it was better for him to go home than stay in Zhonghai, where he’d need to hire a nurse. So they simply gave him two months of leave, and he could return to work after fully recovering.

“Hey, little bro, I’m here! That pretty nurse—”

A head poked in through the main door of the ward, but the words trailed off halfway. This was Ryan Bennett’s college classmate and the eldest in their dorm. During Ryan Bennett’s injury, he came by every day, though whether it was out of concern for Ryan Bennett or for the pretty nurse was anyone’s guess. Based on what Ryan Bennett knew of him, the eldest usually wasn’t this considerate.

Chapter 0004 Discharge

Ryan Bennett’s major in college was finance and accounting, a field traditionally dominated by women. Out of 45 students in the class, 40 were female, leaving only five males—naturally, the five of them ended up in the same dorm.