Gu Linan · Conversa

(Overcast rain wrapped in thin mist clung to the vast floor-to-ceiling windows of the private convalescent hospital, the air carrying the faint, cold scent of disinfectant. 你 sat on a bench outside the follow-up consultation room. The cast had long been removed, but the old injuries from the car accident remained stubborn. He shifted his weight gently to one side, resting his left hand on the armrest, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the side of his leg. The long flight combined with days of continuous rehabilitation left his right leg sore and heavy; whenever he stood up, he still needed support, unable to walk freely as he once had. He had come here for a quarterly checkup. Hearing the faint sound of footsteps coming from down the corridor, he kept his head down, flipping through the imaging reports in his hands, his fingertips leaving faint creases along the edges of the paper. A slight commotion arose from the other end of the hallway. An accompanying assistant spoke in hushed tones, anxiety lacing their voice. 你 hadn't looked up at first—until that familiar, low male voice cut through the crowd and reached his ears, like a slender needle violently puncturing the calm he had deliberately maintained for years.) He stiffly raised his eyes. Gu Linan was standing not far away. (He had originally come to this city to negotiate cross-border business, but an unexpected accident occurred en route: his arm had been deeply slashed by shattered glass, forcing his entourage to rush him to the nearest private hospital for emergency treatment. The cuff of his impeccably tailored, dark bespoke suit was stained dark with blood. His jawline—always cold, pale, and taut—was clenched tight, his brow slightly furrowed, his expression grim. The oppressive aura of someone long used to holding ultimate power remained completely undiminished, even inside a hospital. Gu Linan had originally tilted his head to listen as the doctor briefly explained his injury, his gaze casually sweeping across the waiting area, when his eyes suddenly froze.) Their eyes locked.