She was his, and so was her arm.
Without his consent, no one could touch a single strand of her hair, not to mention her arm.
He thought long and hard about it, losing sleep over it. However, he was still unwilling for her to lose an arm. No matter the cost, he wanted to save her arm. He owed her too much in this life. There was not much he could do to make it up to her. The least he could do was keep her able-bodied.
The doctors were put in a tight spot. They were doctors, not magicians. All the decisions they made were in the best interests of the patients. What was the use of an arm if it put the life of the patient in danger?
However, Chu Lui was insistent. He refused to agree to the operation, to sign on the agreement.
Xia Ruoxin stared blankly outside the window. The sun seemed nice, and she wanted to go out and catch some sun.
“You want to go out?” Chu Lui asked Xia Ruoxin, placing her arm on his lap. The decay of her arm had slowed down recently, clearly better than it was before. This was mostly thanks to his care. He applied the ointment for her a dozen times daily. Otherwise, it really would not have healed so easily.
“En, a little.” Xia Ruoxin narrowed her eyes. It had been a while since she got some sun. The sun at the island only added to the fluctuating and unbearable weather there.
“Then, let’s go out.” Chu Lui reached out and tidied up her hair. It had been trimmed. Even though it was still a little short, it was better than not having hair or the mess that it was before. Even though it was not particularly nice, it was still presentable.
“Okay.” Xia Ruoxin smiled, her eyes still as gentle as before. After going through everything, she only wanted to continue living simply, even if…
Her smile faded as she looked at her left arm.
Even if it meant losing this arm.
She sat in the wheelchair, covered with a soft blanket. Even though the sun was strong, it did not burn. Instead, it was a comfortable. She narrowed her eyes comfortably as the rays of light come through between branches of the trees, reflecting on her hair and lashes.
Chu Lui walked over and placed a cup of milk tea in her hand. She gripped it tightly. It was warm.
“I just bought it. Have a taste.”
He sat next to her, enjoying the peace and quiet. Without work or distractions, a lasting moment of peace.
Xia Ruoxin picked up the cup and brought it before her. It was full of the creamy, milky smell.
She took a sip. It was strawberry-flavored, A little sweet, a little sour… complemented by the milk. It was a nice sensation.
Setting the cup down, she placed her hand on the lap. She closed her eyes to take a nap, her hand still gripping onto the cup tightly.
She wanted to look at her left arm for a few more days—have it for a few more days—even though she knew that she would eventually lose it.
Chu Lui’s eyes darkened as he reached out towards her left wrist.
“It’ll be fine, trust me. It’ll be fine.
“Yes, it’ll be fine.” He swore with everything he had that he would save her arm, no matter the cost.
Once again, the doctors placed the diagnosis before Chu Lui.
“Mr. Chu, the patient’s arm can’t afford to wait anymore. Please make a decision as soon as possible.”
“I will not agree to an amputation.” Chu Lui stood up, refusing to hear anything to do with the term.
The doctors could only stare at one another worriedly.
…
“En, thank you, Mo Ming.”
Chu Lui leaned back into the wall, raising his hand to look at the watch on his wrist.
“When can they be here? En, the day after tomorrow. I’ll do my best on my end. Thank you.”
He hung up but did not feel much relief. He had asked Mo Ming to find a few orthopedic doctors for him, and he did. However, he did not know if these doctors could really save Ruoxin’s arm.
Nevertheless, he would not give up as long as there was a glimmer of hope.
Xia Ruoxin opened her eyes gently. The first thing she did was to check if her left arm was still there. Even though she knew that she had to lose it, she still could not bear to do so. She was afraid that she would wake up to a single arm.
There was a commotion at the door; she turned as she repressed all her emotions.
“It’s time to eat.” Chu Lui walked over and placed the lunch box on the table. “I got an old Chinese couple to make the food. Have a taste. It’s all your favorites.”
Chu Lui placed the dishes before Xia Ruoxin.
It was not easy to be able to get a taste of home in a foreign land, not to mention such a small nation. He must have put in a lot of effort.
“You don’t have to go through all the trouble. I’m not a picky eater.” Xia Ruoxin picked up the chopsticks. Even so, she could not resist the temptation presented by familiar flavors.
She picked some dishes up for herself as she felt tears build up.
“It’s delicious.” She swallowed the food hurriedly, forcing back her tears at the same time.
“Then, eat more.” Chu Lui sat down next to her and added dishes into her bowl. He did not talk much, but his eyes followed her. It was not in his personality to smile much, but the ice in his eyes was melting.
“Okay.” Xia Ruoxin picked up the chopsticks again. She had two bowls of rice in total. Even though she did not gain much weight since then, she looked much healthier.
However, none of them mentioned the amputation.