The blind boss's nanny

He wasn't sure.

The change was too subtle, too vague, as fragile as a spider's web in a storm compared to his past darkness.

It might be true.

It's also possible... that it's just a psychological projection of his extreme longing for light, a cruel joke his brain played on him.

Lu Tingzhao lowered his hand and sat silently in the light.

Lin Xiaoman quickly returned with warm water and gently placed the glass in his hand.

"The temperature is just right."

Lu Tingzhao took the water and slowly drank a sip. The warm water slid down his throat, slightly calming the turbulent waves churning within him.

"Xiaoman" (Grain Buds).

He suddenly spoke.

"Um?"

"today……"

He paused.

"Is the weather really that nice?"

"Really!"

Lin Xiaoman nodded vigorously. Although she knew he couldn't see, she still smiled at him habitually, her voice filled with a joyful mood infected by the sunshine.

"This is wonderful! I feel like going outside to soak up some sun!"

Lu Tingzhao looked in the direction from which her voice came. In that halo of light, there seemed to be a softer change in brightness corresponding to the position of her face.

"Um."

He ultimately responded with a very soft voice and handed the water glass back to her.

"It's very good."

Lin Xiaoman: "Chairman, spring is coming soon."

Every day that followed, Lu Tingzhao felt his vision slowly but surely recovering.

The change was almost impossible to catch, yet it brought him surprise...or rather, shock at some unexpected moment.

On the first day, his perception of sunlight was more stable. He could clearly sense the location and size of the window... it was a rectangular patch of light that was brighter than other places and had blurred edges.

When Lin Xiaoman walks past the window, the light dims briefly before brightening again.

The next day, he began to be able to distinguish the texture of different light sources. The morning light was a clear, cool white, the afternoon sun was a warm orange, and the warm yellow halo of the bedside lamp at night was like a ball of light with soft edges.

He could even see how the ball of light went out instantly when Lin Xiaoman turned off the table lamp, and darkness enveloped him again... But this time, the darkness was no longer so absolute, with a faint blue hue of moonlight shining through the window.

On this day, Codonopsis pilosula came for an inspection as usual.

After a series of complex tests, Dang Shen's expression turned somewhat grave. He gestured for his assistants to leave first, then closed the door to the examination room.

"Mr. Lu,"

The language used in Codonopsis pilosula carries a professional tone.

"I need to speak with you privately about the recent examination data."

Lu Tingzhao's heart tightened, but his face remained expressionless:

"Please speak."

"Your optic nerve activity data... has been fluctuating very unusually recently."

Codonopsis pulled up a graph on the tablet, and even though he knew Lu Tingzhao couldn't see it, he still habitually pointed to the undulating lines.

"Look, here, and here... In the absence of any strong external stimulus, the spontaneous potentials of neurons showed a clear and regular increase. This is very rare in previous cases."

Lu Tingzhao listened quietly without interrupting.

Codonopsis pilosula paused for a moment, seemingly considering his words:

"There is a hypothesis... still in the theoretical exploration stage, that might explain this phenomenon. We call it the 'neural dormancy hypothesis'."

"Simply put, after severe trauma, some nerves may enter a state of 'protective dormancy'... much like an animal hibernating, reducing all metabolic activity to avoid further damage in harsh environments. This dormant state can last for months or even years."

"And under the combined effect of continuous and appropriate external stimulation and its own repair mechanisms,..."

Dang Shen paused, his tone becoming extremely cautious.

"These dormant neurons... could potentially be 'awakened'."

The examination room was silent, with only the faint hum of the instruments.

Lu Tingzhao slowly opened his mouth:

"Does Dr. Dang mean... that my eyes might suddenly recover?"

"It's only a theoretical possibility."

Dang Shen immediately emphasized, his tone regaining that of a doctor—objective and calm.

"The probability is extremely low, so low that there are almost no conclusive clinical records in the existing literature. Moreover, even if it does occur, it is likely to be only a partial and temporary recovery."

He looked at Lu Tingzhao, his gaze earnest:

"I'm telling you this not to give you unrealistic hope, but to prepare you mentally. In case... I mean in case, during treatment, or at any time, you feel any unusual changes in your vision, even if it's just a fleeting glimpse of light, a blurry patch of color, or any phenomenon you can't understand—"

The voice of Codonopsis pilosula became louder:

"Please don't panic, and don't try to handle it yourself. Contact me immediately, or any professional doctor you trust. This is very important, Mr. Lu. Sudden neurological arousal can be accompanied by severe headache, dizziness, or even temporary loss of consciousness. We need to assess and treat it as soon as possible."

Lu Tingzhao remained silent for a long time.

Nerve dormancy...awakening...

Therefore, those light spots, color patches, and increasingly clear outlines... are not illusions, nor are they psychological effects.

Rather, his optic nerves are slowly awakening from their long hibernation.

"I see."

Finally, Lu Tingzhao calmly nodded.

"I will contact you if anything seems amiss."

His tone was so calm that it surprised Dang Shen. But then she thought about it again, and realized that Mr. Lu was always calm and composed, so perhaps he was just hiding his emotions very well.

"it is good."

Codonopsis put away the tablet.

"Then, the arrangements in the US will remain the same. Dr. Howard's team is ready; they will use more sophisticated equipment to conduct a comprehensive neural mapping and assessment of you. Perhaps... we can find a more effective way to catalyze this 'awakening' process."

After the inspection concluded and Dang Shen left, Lu Tingzhao sat alone in the inspection room.

Sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting stripes of light in his eyes... He could now see the blurry shadows and variations in brightness.

He slowly raised his hand and held it up to his eyes.

This time, he no longer just perceived a blurry shadow.

He could see the outline of a hand... a shape that was darker than the background, with blurred edges, and five forks...

Although all the details are missing, it still feels like looking through a thick fog.

But it was shaped like a "hand".

It was his own hand.