ra was cruising down the road towards the old hospital, checking the rearview mirror every now and then. Sure enough, a familiar car was trailing her. The license te gave it away-it was Simon''s. That guy just couldn''t take a hint.


    With a sigh, ra floored the gas pedal, pushing her car to its limits. Simon backed off a bit, keeping a cautious distance.


    When ra finally arrived, she couldn''t help but notice how run-down the hospital looked. If it were nighttime, the ce would definitely give off haunted house vibes. When she stepped out of her car, her eyesnded on an elderly man sweeping therge courtyard. Despite the ce''s shabby exterior, it was spotlessly clean, as if someone made sure to keep the dust at bay every day.


    Curious, ra hurried over to the old man. "Sir, the ground''s already spotless. Why don''t you take a break?"


    The old man paused, his snow-white hair ruffling in the breeze. A light of recognition brightened his eyes. "ra, is that you? What brings you here?"


    ra blinked in surprise. He knew her? "Yeah, it''s me."


    He set down his broom and untied his apron. "It''s been a year since youst came by. How''ve you been?"


    Smothering her surprise, ra gave a warm smile. "I''ve been doing well."


    The old man had a certain charm to him. The hospital grounds, despite their state of disrepair, were dotted with flowers, and in the middle of the openwn sat a stone table surrounded by a few stone benches.


    ra followed him and took a seat on one of the benches. "Please, sit down. I''ll get some tea," he said, heading inside.


    ra jumped up. "Let me help you.''


    "It''s okay. Just rx."


    As she sat back down, she caught sight of Simon sneaking around, trying to be inconspicuous. Her mood soured a bit-she hoped he wouldn''t mess things up for her. To her relief, Simon just parked himself on a nearby bench, keeping his mouth shut for now.


    ra figured it was best not to provoke him. With Simon, the more you pushed, the more he''d push back.


    The old man returned with tea, unfazed by Simon''s presence.


    Simon politely said, "Sorry to intrude. Please, go on with your chat."


    Pouring ra a cup, the old man asked, "Here to see Hugh again? He''s still the same. Without your support all these years, he wouldn''t have made it. This ce is set for redevelopment with a hefty government offer, but I promised you I''d stick by Hugh."


    ra felt a question bubbling up-who exactly was Hugh? But asking would give away that she didn''t know.


    She sipped her tea, contemting, while the old man continued, "ra, you''re a good soul. It''s just a pity Hugh hasn''t had better luck. If he ever wakes up, I''m sure he''d be something special."


    Simon, who had been quietly simmering, was on edge. Who was this Hugh? And why were there parts of ra''s life he was clueless about? He almost blurted out his questions but stopped cold at ra''s warning nce, leaving him to fume silently.


    ra turned to the old man. "Thank you, Sir. Could you take me to see Hugh?"


    Calix, the director, gave her a grateful nod. "Of course. Let''s go. He hasn''t met his guardian angel yet. Who knows if he ever will."


    Guided by Calix, ra trailed behind him through a long, neglected but spotless corridor, stopping at the door of a well-kept patient room. Inside, she was surprised to find top-notch medical equipment-stuff you''d expect in a big city hospital.


    Calix busied himself with checking the machines, letting out a weary sigh as he did.