From Villain to Virtual Sweetheart: The Fake Heir's Grand Scheme(BL)-Chapter 650: What She Asked of Him

Inside the hospital room, the world felt smaller, quieter, as if the noise of the corridor had been shut out along with the door. The steady hum of medical equipment filled the air, blending with the faint rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor beside the bed. Pale morning light filtered through the half-drawn curtains, washing everything in a muted glow that made the room feel suspended in time.

Zhou Ruyan lay propped up against a stack of pillows, her thin body slightly sunken into the mattress. The nasal oxygen line rested beneath her nose, the clear tube curving gently over her cheeks and disappearing behind her ears. Her chest rose and fell with a faint wheeze, each breath just a little too careful, too measured. Still, her eyes, though ringed with fatigue, were bright as they rested on the young man sitting beside her.

Micah held her hand in both of his.

His fingers were warm, slightly trembling, his grip careful as if he were afraid she might break. His silver hair fell forward as he leaned closer, and even though he was trying to smile, the worry in his eyes was impossible to hide.

Zhou Ruyan watched him quietly, her gaze soft but thoughtful.

Micah had always been like this, too impulsive, too quick to act on emotion, too soft when it came to the people he cared about. He would throw himself into things without thinking of the cost, and when someone got hurt, he would blame himself even if it had never truly been his fault. He wore his heart on his sleeve, and the world was not always kind to people like that.

She wasn’t worried about Darcy.

From the first time she had met the boy, she had seen it clearly, the calm, observant mind behind those quiet eyes. Darcy thought before he moved. He weighed people, measured situations, and understood the darker sides of human nature in a way that only someone who had seen hardship could. Growing up without comfort, without protection, had forced him to learn caution. That kind of awareness would keep him safe.

But Micah...

Micah still believed in people too easily.

Having Clyde Du Pont beside him might, in some ways, be a good thing. Clyde was sharp, controlled, someone who understood power and danger. He could shield Micah from things Micah didn’t even know to fear.

And yet, Zhou Ruyan couldn’t stop worrying.

Micah shifted in his seat, thumb gently rubbing the back of her hand as if he could soothe her just by touch. He forced a brighter tone into his voice.

"Grandma," he said, trying to sound casual, "why don’t you go through with the surgery? Don’t you want to see your grandchildren get married? Have a little baby running around?"

Zhou Ruyan’s lips curved, and a flicker of mischief lit up her tired eyes. "Sweetheart," she said, her voice thin but playful, "didn’t school teach you about protection? You’re not planning on a shotgun wedding, are you?"

Micah froze. Then his face turned bright red in an instant, colour flooding from his neck all the way to his ears like a boiled pig head. He almost dropped her hand.

"Grandma!" he yelped, flustered. "Please! Stop teasing me!"

A soft chuckle escaped her, though it dissolved into a faint cough that made her shoulders tremble. Micah immediately leaned forward, alarmed, one hand hovering near her arm.

"I’m fine," she murmured once her breathing settled. "I just... didn’t want your last memory of me to be a gloomy old woman lying here like this." Her gaze softened. "And mostly, I didn’t want to see you cry."

Micah’s smile faltered. His eyes dropped to their joined hands, and he bit his lower lip, the playful mood slipping for a moment. He didn’t want to talk about the heavy thing hanging in the air between them... the unspoken truth that time was running short. Just like her, he wanted this to be light, warm, something he could hold onto later without pain crushing his chest.

He swallowed hard and forced himself to smile again.

"So... you’re okay with Clyde now?" he asked, trying to sound proud. "Isn’t he a great catch? Last night so many people were trying to hit on him. If I hadn’t been there, fending them off, who knows what they might’ve tried to get their hands on him." He puffed up a little, clearly boasting.

Zhou Ruyan gave him a long look. "Just because I didn’t give him the cold shoulder," she said slowly, "doesn’t mean I’m pleased. He still has a long way to go before he becomes my ideal grandson-in-law."

Micah huffed dramatically, leaning back a bit. "Why is everyone against him? Grandpa, Mum, even Willow! Only Darcy is on my side!"

One of Zhou Ruyan’s brows lifted. "Darcy? Really? I thought he’d be the last to approve."

Micah waved his free hand dismissively. "He doesn’t like Clyde exactly. They’re always bickering and at each other’s throats. But he never badmouths him. And he doesn’t try to interfere with my relationship."

"Good," she said, nodding faintly. "That’s how a caring brother should act."

"Yeah..." Micah’s voice dropped. His gaze drifted away, and the brightness in his expression dimmed. A shadow crossed his face, guilt tightening his features.

"But I wasn’t a good older brother," he whispered.

Zhou Ruyan watched him carefully now, her expression turning serious. "Stop blaming yourself," she said gently. "The switch wasn’t your fault. No one blames you for that."

"I know," Micah said softly, head lowered. He stared at their hands, at the way his fingers curled around hers. "But that’s not what I mean. I hurt him... even if I didn’t mean to. I’m scared of what will happen when he finds out the truth."

Zhou Ruyan frowned slightly. "Everyone makes mistakes," she said, her voice patient but firm. She tapped his hand lightly with her fingers. "What matters is admitting you were wrong, being sincere when you apologise, and asking for forgiveness properly. And you have to understand that sometimes it takes time. Pain doesn’t disappear just because you said sorry."

She paused to catch her breath, chest rising unevenly.

"You can’t think a few words will erase everything. Responsibility doesn’t end with an apology. You stay, you make up for it, you show through your actions that you regret what you did. Do you understand?"

Micah nodded. His silver hair fell forward, hiding his eyes, but his throat worked as he swallowed back emotion. He couldn’t tell her everything. He couldn’t explain that his mistakes weren’t just from this life, that the suffering had stretched across lifetimes he barely dared to think about. He couldn’t tell his grandmother that his foolishness had made Darcy miserable for eternity. Micah knew it was the system’s fault, but he still felt responsible.

Those four scumbags were not cruel in his first life. Yeah, they were focused on him, obsessed even. But the way they treated Darcy was wrong. No it was inhumane.

If Darcy ever remembered the past like Clyde did, the fragile bond between them would shatter.

Zhou Ruyan sighed softly, watching him. "I wanted to ask you to take care of your grandpa after I’m gone," she said quietly. "But with how you are...alas." She gave a faint, fond shake of her head. "That stubborn old man only softens when it comes to you. Your parents, your aunts... they all tiptoe around him like they’re walking on eggshells. He needs someone bold. Someone who can break through his walls."

She squeezed his fingers weakly.

"Micah... you’re the only one in this family who dares to say no to him."

Micah blinked, startled. "Wait! When have I ever done that? I’m the one most scared of Grandpa!"

Zhou Ruyan took a slow breath, adjusting slightly against the pillows. The oxygen tube shifted with the movement. Her lips were faintly bluish, and the skin on her neck looked thin and delicate. Even sitting upright took effort.

"What are you talking about?" she said, voice breathy. "You escaped the successor training so easily."

Micah stared. "Huh? That was Dad convincing him!"

"That was your father’s ego talking," she replied. "If Jacob could do something, he would have done it first for himself! Haven’t you heard the physician heal thyself? That’s exactly how your father is. He’s always done whatever Albert told him to...how could he stand up against him?" she sighed exasperated. "...Your grandpa was afraid that if he pushed you too hard, you’d lose your spark. Lose yourself."

Micah’s mouth formed a small "O."

"Oh..."

She smiled faintly. "Micah, I am counting on you. Perhaps you can not see from where you are standing, but you are the backbone of this family. You are like glue that holds everyone together. Especially now that Darcy has come back. If you are not there, the Ramsy family will fall apart."

Her gaze was warm, filled with quiet certainty.

"Your liveliness, your mischief, your kindness.... everything about you is precious. Those things matter more than you think. I believe Darcy will forgive you, whatever it is you did. So please... stay with them, watch over them. Don’t pull away."

Her eyes held his, full of love and trust.

Micah’s vision blurred. His chest tightened, and he had to swallow twice before he could make a sound.

"Mmm..." he managed, nodding, afraid that if he spoke, his voice would break.