A Graduation Gift

Squinting slightly, Rufus turned to gaze upon Cassandra, lying on the sickbed with a strange flush covering her cheek.

Suddenly standing up with his tall and strong figure, Rufus responded in his deep and velvet voice, "Yes, she's my wife."

Upon hearing this, the doctor's expression turned colder, and displeased with the man's lack of care for his own spouse.

"What are you doing? Do you have any idea how long she stayed in the wind and snow? Why didn't you stop her? She's barely wearing enough clothes for the weather! Even if you quarreled with her, you should, at the very least, pay attention to her health. She's too weak with a low blood pressure. It's so cold outside that she can't stand it at all."

Being the rather strong and intimidating figure he was, Rufus had never been blamed and chastised by others, much less a woman, in such a harsh tone. Faced with the blame the doctor placed on him, though, he was not angry at all.

In the doctor's eyes, Cassandra and Rufus were merely a young and carefree couple, making it easy to put the blame on him.

"When will she wake up?"

Without commenting on her scolding, Rufus didn't say anymore as he just wanted to know of Cassandra's physical state.

With a roll of her eyes, the doctor tapped the case folder to show him.

"Look at this case! The diagnoses and treatments are all recorded online now. Looking at her hospital admission records, she's been hospitalized with a fever so often in the past six months. She gets sick so easily. And now, seeing you, her husband…I'm curious about how you take care of her. Her physical condition is poor. When she gets discharged and return home, you need to nurse her body very carefully. I can't emphasize enough how you need to pay attention to her physical state. You need to be vigilant in taking care of your wife's health. After all, she's so weak that the wind could practically blow her over," the doctor explained reproachfully.

In the midst of the little sermon, a nurse came in and went to the doctor in a hurry.

"Doctor, the patient in bed 27 on the 7th floor vomited again. The doctor on duty is asking you to have a look!"

Upon hearing the news, the doctor quickly signed the current diagnosis and hung it on the bedside table. Even as she turned away and followed the nurse out, her grumble could be heard from far away.

"There is no need for the patient in bed 27 to hurt himself. Even if his family doesn't come to see him, he should know enough to take good care of himself. I've tried to persuade him a number of times, but he kept refusing my advice. Goodness! I wonder what's going on in the heads of young people now..."

After she left, Rufus simply stood next to Cassandra wearing a gloomy expression as he looked at her, who was passed-out with her eyes closed shut. Faced with such a situation, Rufus had no idea how to make her regain consciousness as soon as possible, so he only stared at her with a worried expression.

Standing beside her sickbed, Rufus thought about how little attention he had paid to Cassandra, since she'd been to the hospital so often. A trace of remorse sparked in his heart.

Although she was in a coma, Cassandra slept uneasily.

Her body shook from time to time - her face twisting into a frown and the sweat trickling down her forehead, as if she was being plagued by a nightmare.

All the while, Rufus held her hands, bringing them up to cup his face so that he could warm them up. Still, her hands remained icy cold.

"Cassandra, I'm here. Don't be afraid. I will always be with you." His deep voice was soothing.

Regardless of Rufus' words of comfort, Cassandra still suffered the nightmare.

Having stayed up late to take care of her, Rufus's eyes had already turned red. By midnight, her fever turned even more severe than earlier. Being worried about her condition, Rufus abruptly grabbed the arm of a nurse passing by.

"Where is the doctor? She's been passed out for such a long time, why hasn't she woken up yet?"

Unsurprisingly, a flush crept into the nurse's face as she looked at the handsome man who grabbed her.

"I'll find the doctor for you," she whispered.

away. After a short while, she came back with a doctor, who

to 39.5 degrees. It's not easy to bring down a high fever like this. It wouldn't be that big of a deal if you had a fever it, but she's not as strong as most people. Looking at her weak condition, I guess she pays little attention to her own nourishment. She's so thin too and can't afford to lose any more weight. If she

a word in, Rufus simply kept his mouth

frowned and

to bring his ear closer to

it, Mother!

Mother…don't leave me…

Rufus, my heart hurts…"

back and forth under the quilt as she suffered from her own subconscious.

doctor checked her hands and feet before releasing a sigh of

fever is almost gone," she then said to Rufus, "She should wake up soon. She's lucky because you sent her to the hospital in

attention in the future, alright? Don't treat yourself like this! Every time you get ill, you won't only

gratitude over and over, Rufus

Cassandra, he found that she had finally

sat on the chair beside the sickbed. His eyes sparked

is dreaming about

closes to her. Why would she have a nightmare about her?

eyes faded at the

himself, 'I always want to bring her hope but keep failing. What have I done that would

what do I

Rufus's profile. When she came to her senses, she could see that he was fast asleep, and bent over the

seemed as if it was carefully sculpted by a

Rufus was in a deep sleep, and at this

couldn't help reaching her hand out to touch his beautiful face. Midway, though,

that his eyes began flickering, she put her hand down completely

all too aware of her movements. If he had opened his eyes, he could have easily interrupted what she was

opened his eyes and deliberately lifted the lid off the food box

delicious smell of food filled the ward as soon as

said, deliberately raising his voice

he took a spoonful and slurped the congee loudly. It was satisfying

wondered, 'Because of staying in the snowfield for so long, she suffered from a high fever all night. Hadn't eaten anything since yesterday noon, so she's definitely

he wondered how long the stubborn woman would resist the delicious

one spoonful of porridge right above her nose, letting the aroma fill her senses before eating it himself.

so soothing for my throat.

flickered as if it took her everything to

asleep and can't enjoy such delicious food.

opened her eyes and sat up. Without a word, she stole the tin and spoon from Rufus's hands and scooped a

realizing it, Cassandra released sighs of contentment as she ate. She thought, 'How

head to look at Rufus sheepishly, as she had almost forgotten he was sitting there in her rush to finish the porridge. Unexpectedly, she met his eye, realizing he had been staring at her with such

After a little while, she felt much

immediately prevented her from doing so. Fixing his deep eyes on hers to force them to meet his, he made her freeze in her actions. When

I've already asked for a leave on your behalf." His tone was firm as he

she still refused to listen to him and started trying to get up again. Her attempts were fruitless as Rufus would just press her back down on the