The car smoothly drove away from the city where she had stayed for four years. Xu Chun looked at the luxurious and comfortable furnishings in the car with curiosity, thinking about what the driver had just said, "Mr. Xia said you are afraid of heights and don't like flying, so he asked me to drive to pick you up." She was excited again. It turned out that all the efforts and planning were worth it. Xia Xuan had such a wealthy and loving family.
Xia Xuan sat there blankly, her hand almost crushing her phone in her palm. She watched the rushing grass and trees, just like the scene on the train—swift yet filled with endless novelty and exhilaration. Without further hesitation, Xia Xuan dialed the number again, once, twice, three times… the persistent ringing, the persistent person, but even more persistent were those who wouldn't answer the phone.
"Xuan, who are you calling?" Xu Chun, her beautiful eyes sparkling, moved from the oversized chair opposite Xia Xuan to her side. Xia Xuan glanced at her coldly and said indifferently, "Go over there." Xu Chun lowered her head and bit her lip. Xia Xuan was still the same. In front of outsiders, she was incredibly kind to her, but in private, she was always aloof and unapproachable.
"Xuan, don't be like this." Xu Chun mustered up her courage and looked up at Xia Xuan. "I've already gone with you, and I'm all yours from now on. You can't keep rejecting me like this."
"Where did Xiao Qiqi go?" Xia Xuan turned her head and looked into Xu Chun's eyes, her dark eyes carrying the pressure of a mountain. "Don't lie to me again. Remember, I'm taking you away as compensation for that night and... As for the future, that depends on your performance."
"Xia Xuan, what do you mean by that?" Xu Chun tugged at Xia Xuan's sleeve. "You know perfectly well how much I love you."
Xia Xuan pried her hands away, frowning. "I'm asking you now, where did Xiao Qiqi go?"
Xu Chun bit her lip, "She went on a date, how would I know!"
Xia Xuan straightened her back. "You're not allowed to talk about her like that anymore. I don't like it, understand?" Xia Xuan looked at Xu Chun calmly. "Remember, this is the first thing you need to overcome when you follow me. Never say anything that I don't want to hear, especially anything about Xiao Qiqi."
A bitter expression gradually crept onto Xu Chun's fair face. "...So what should I say?"
"Then don't blame me for being impolite." Xia Xuan sneered. Xu Chun was taken aback. "Xia Xuan, are you still the prince-like Xia Xuan?"
Xia Xuan smiled faintly, her cold eyes holding a color Xu Chun couldn't understand. "Was Xiao Qiqi in the dormitory when you left?" Xia Xuan's sharp, no-longer-gentle demeanor made Xu Chun take a step back.
"...She went to the hospital." Xu Chun finally smiled gently, her smile as beautiful as a flower. "You don't know yet, do you? Xiao Qiqi had a miscarriage yesterday afternoon, and then got drunk last night, which caused her to have a high fever."
Xia Xuan jumped up, hitting her head on the car roof without even feeling the pain. "...You, what nonsense are you talking about?"
“She was still conscious when I left, saying she would have a friend pick her up and take her to the hospital. I guess she’s probably in the hospital now, but the people with her are surnamed Li, Chen, or Zhang, but definitely not Xia.” Xu Chun smiled smugly, and seeing Xia Xuan’s suddenly furious expression, she felt like she was finally releasing the pent-up frustration she had been holding in for weeks. “Xia Xuan, do you like hearing that?” Xu Chun suddenly had a desperate urge to take drastic measures; perhaps it was time to use this drastic remedy.
"Zhou Ping, turn around!" Xia Xuan lowered the soundproof window and roared at the driver, Zhou Ping. Zhou Ping slammed on the brakes and the car stopped on the side of the road. Zhou Ping turned around and said, "Young Master, what's wrong? Master said we need to make it to the party tonight."
"Turn around!" Xia Xuan clenched her fists and coldly ordered. So that's how it was. That day, her face was pale, she was sweating profusely, and at the school gate, he questioned her so coldly. In the end, she said nothing and just walked away. So the memory was so clear. Her pale face and weak appearance last night were etched into her heart. She remembered how many drinks she had and how many bites of food she had eaten; even the burning heat between her fingertips felt like it was still searing her fingertips… Xia Xuan covered her face, grabbing her hair. So that's how it was! How could she have ruined herself like this? How could she have been so heartless?
Xia Xuan's senses dwindled to almost nothing; she was ill. A fragile, lifeless porcelain doll, drained of her life force—a situation she herself had created. Yes, regardless of when the child was conceived, regardless of what she had done, those beautiful, indelible memories remained forever in his heart. But what had he done? He wanted to see her one last time before leaving, so he proposed a dinner gathering between the two dormitories, intending only to catch a glimpse of her from afar, to see her eating, her carefree drinking, her careful selection of food, her casual smiles. But what had it turned into? Murder, cruelty, revenge? That's why she coldly said, "Xia Xuan, I don't owe you anything." Miscarriage, drunkenness, high fever. Xia Xuan felt like she was going insane, pounding on the glass, urging Zhou Ping to hurry back.
Xu Chun crossed her arms and looked at Xia Xuan's dejected despair. She hesitated for a moment. What if this wasn't the final tear, but instead led to reconciliation? Xu Chun could only close her eyes and wait for the final verdict, hoping that her judgment would not be wrong.
When she left the dormitory, Xiao Qiqi was still unconscious, her body burning hot. Xu Chun was genuinely worried; a miscarriage was very harmful to a woman's body, and Xiao Qiqi was also drunk and seemed to have a fever. One wrong move and it could be a lifelong regret. She paced anxiously around the dormitory a few times, finally remembering the access manual she had seen from the gatekeeper the night before. So she calmly picked up her suitcase and left the dormitory, telling the gatekeeper that her roommate was sick and she had to catch a train and couldn't take care of her, so she asked the gatekeeper to call her roommate's boyfriend to take her to the hospital.
36. Hospital
After taking Xiao Qiqi home last night, Chen Yuanxing went to an internet cafe and played games all night. He only returned to his dormitory this morning, yawning, intending to get a good night's sleep before heading home in the evening.
The moment his head hit the pillow, his phone started ringing incessantly. Cursing, Chen Yuanxing pressed the answer button, only to be startled awake by a loud, heavy, aunt-like voice. He quickly held the phone away from his ear, vaguely hearing the other end shout something about illness and girlfriends. He shook his head, about to hang up, when the voice on the other end became calmer. Now he heard clearly, "...Classmate, come quick! Your girlfriend is really sick. I just went to see her; she's burning up with fever... Ugh, you young people..."
"Wait, stop!" Chen Yuanxing sat up, frowning. "Auntie, you've dialed the wrong number, haven't you?"
"What? Wrong number? How could it be wrong? Chen Yuanxing, 13XX," he recited a string of numbers. "Classmate, I remember clearly, you just took your drunk girlfriend back to 402 last night. It's only been one night, do you think my memory is really that bad?"
"Last night, drunk, girlfriend?" Chen Yuanxing finally remembered, wasn't that the senior sister? He patiently said, "Auntie, that senior sister isn't my girlfriend..."
"Stop nagging!" Chen Yuanxing roared again, but then dodged away. "If you don't take your girlfriend to the hospital soon, she could die. I can't do anything about it, I'm already being kind by notifying you. What are you babbling about!" Then he slammed the phone down.
Chen Yuanxing was bewildered. When did his senior sister become his girlfriend? Wait, wait, what did that auntie say? Sick, and it's going to be fatal? Chen Yuanxing pondered. His senior sister seemed off last night; a drunk person wouldn't be so hot. Could she have a fever? Drunk, fever, sick—what does that have to do with me? Chen Yuanxing slumped back onto his pillow, but his sleepiness had been swept away by her shrewish outburst. He couldn't relax. Annoyed, he got up, cursed under his breath, and threw on his clothes. Damn it, nothing good ever came of running into that senior sister. Even when she was sick, he, a stranger, had to clean up her mess?
Chen Yuanxing sullenly rode his bicycle into the A University campus like the wind. From answering the phone to Building No. 8, it was only ten minutes. Chen Yuanxing looked at his watch and sighed, "Even when I, the young master Chen, went on a date with a pretty girl, I didn't run this fast."
As soon as I entered the lobby of Building 7, the auntie with the corner of her eye waved her hand and said, "No need to register, hurry up and take him to the hospital. He looks like he has a really high fever."
Chen Yuanxing pouted, skipped into the stairwell, took several steps at a time, and rushed to the 4th floor at a speed of 100 meters. When he reached the door, he clutched his chest in frustration and gasped for breath. Anyone would go crazy if they encountered a senior sister like Xiao Qiqi.
"Hey, senior sister, wake up!" Chen Yuanxing patted Xiao Qiqi's face, but quickly withdrew his hand as if it were on fire. Looking at his palm, he exclaimed, "No way? You could use this to forge iron!" Seeing Xiao Qiqi's heavy breathing, almost panting, her face flushed a purplish-red, and a row of clear blisters on her lips, Chen Yuanxing was horrified by her appearance. He didn't care about anything else, pulled her off the upper bunk, carried her on his back, and strode downstairs. It was truly a matter of life and death; it seemed he couldn't be so frivolous.
He rushed out of the campus as fast as he could, hailed a taxi, and took Xiao Qiqi to the nearest hospital. The doctor, upon seeing Xiao Qiqi, pulled open her eyes and found them bloodshot; he immediately rushed her into the emergency room. Only after watching Xiao Qiqi being wheeled into the emergency room did Chen Yuanxing remember leaning against the wall, panting and wiping away sweat. He'd never run that fast even during the school sports meet; that woman had really ruined him.
"Who is a family member of a patient in the emergency room?" A female doctor in a white coat called out from afar. Chen Yuanxing was stunned for a moment before realizing that she was calling him. He moved his weak legs over and carefully put on a smile. "Doctor, is there anything I can help you with?"
The doctor's face was always cold and indifferent. "Go register and pay."
Chen Yuanxing's eyes widened. Pay money? Why should he? He hadn't even gotten a good look at Xiao Qiqi! Cough cough, he had a good look at her face, but he was really unfamiliar with her!
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up, your girlfriend is quite ill and will definitely need to be hospitalized. You need to pay a 3,000 yuan deposit first. If you don't have that much money with you, you should at least pay the emergency room fee first, and then go get the money to pay the hospitalization fee." The young doctor was not very old, but when he saw Chen Yuanxing, such a sunny and handsome boy, he couldn't help but remind him.
"What? I have to be hospitalized and pay a deposit?" Chen Yuanxing finally realized what was happening, jumped up, his eyes darting around. Seeing the doctor's smiling face, he lowered his voice and said with a forced smile, "Miss, I don't know that lady at all. I just helped take her to the hospital when she fainted. So, you see... can I leave now?"
The young doctor immediately panicked. Unclaimed patients are the hospital's biggest headache. The girl in front of her had already been wheeled into the emergency room. She couldn't let this person, who might be closest to her, leave. If she couldn't find someone to pay the bill, she would be in trouble. So she grabbed Chen Yuanxing, "That won't do. You can't leave. Who will pay the emergency room fee if you leave?"
The young doctor's face flushed red, and her voice rose. Several patients waiting for their numbers to be called leaned over to look. Seeing this, Chen Yuanxing knew he was in a bind. He frantically rummaged through his wallet, finding only a few hundred yuan and a plane ticket. "Nurse, let go!"
The young doctor shook his head firmly, "No, I can't let you go."
Chen Yuanxing sighed, "If you don't let go, how am I supposed to register?" The young doctor finally understood what he meant, and then let go with a smile, but she was a little more cautious. "The registration office is over there, I'll take you there."
Chen Yuanxing gritted his teeth and followed behind the petite doctor, grinning, "Doctor sister, you're not afraid I'll run away, are you?"
The young doctor turned his head and smiled slightly, "Oh, I don't think you're reliable. You might just run away."
Chen Yuanxing shook his head and started to talk back, "Doctor, look how honest I am, why would I run away?"
The young doctor scoffed, "Then who was it that wanted to run away just now? His girlfriend is in such a state, and he still won't take responsibility."
Chen Yuanxing sighed again, "She really isn't my girlfriend! Look, it's snowing outside! I'm innocent!"
The young doctor glared at him, "Tch! Who would believe you college students..."
"What's wrong with college students?"
The young doctor ignored him and pointed to a window, saying, "There, for emergency registration."
"Eighty yuan for an emergency room visit? That's outrageous!" Chen Yuanxing thought angrily, clutching his empty wallet. The young doctor followed him closely back to the front of the emergency room. From afar, they saw a doctor come out, taking off his gloves, and calling out, "Yuyao, quickly get the patient's family in the emergency room to pay the surgery fee. This patient needs surgery immediately."
Chen Yuanxing jumped over in a panic, "What? Surgery? Why do you need surgery? She only has a fever."
The doctor looked Chen Yuanxing up and down with a meaningful gaze until Chen Yuanxing felt a chill run down his spine, then sneered, "Young man, you're so careless and cause trouble, yet you still act so self-righteous, really..." He shook his head again and again.
Chen Yuanxing was completely bewildered by his serious head-shaking. "Hey, uncle, can you explain yourself clearly? What exactly is going on?"
"She really has no fear of death." The doctor shook his head again. "Your girlfriend had an incomplete abortion and alcohol poisoning, which led to a high fever, inflammation, and complications. She's going to suffer a lot. If you had brought her here any later, there would have been no way to save her. Now it's all up to fate."
Chen Yuanxing stared blankly at the doctor, his eyes twitching in disbelief: "Miscarriage? Poisoning? High fever? Fate?"
"It depends on the outcome of the surgery, but she'll probably be infertile in the future." The doctor didn't say anything more and went into his office to prepare for the surgery. He turned back and poked his head out: "Young man, prepare plenty of money; she'll probably have to stay in the hospital for a while."
"Come on, what are you standing there for? Let's pay." The young doctor, Yu Yao, looked grim again. Chen Yuanxing, jolted awake from his nightmare, looked at Yu Yao understandingly. "Doctor, you're such a good person." Yu Yao was dumbfounded, not understanding what this seemingly sunny and handsome boy was saying. Had he been frightened by Dr. Yu's words? She pouted and muttered, "Scared? If you're scared, don't do that kind of thing!"
Chen Yuanxing plopped down on a chair in the aisle, his mind a jumbled mess, unable to process what was happening. After a while, he jumped up again and rushed towards the operating room. Yu Yao, with her sharp eyes, grabbed him. "Hey, what are you doing?"
"Couldn't you at least ask that damn woman for her home phone number?"
Yu Yao released her grip with disgust: "Aren't you her boyfriend? After something like this happened to her, you still have the mood to act up here? She was unconscious, with such a high fever, and it's been all night. It's lucky she was saved, and you're still acting like this!"
Chen Yuanxing listened to Yu Yao's ridicule with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. He sat back down in his chair, angrily cursing Xiao Qiqi, that damned woman, and then cursing the bastard man who had disappeared after causing the trouble. After a long while, he had no choice but to take out his phone.
Yu Yao had been secretly observing her, thinking to herself, "The teachers are right. Hospitals are truly fascinating worlds; you find all sorts of people there. This young man looks respectable, but he's no good either." Meanwhile, her ears wouldn't let go of Chen Yuanxing's phone call.
"Dad, hurry up and send me the money right now!" Chen Yuanxing scratched his head, looking at the white ceiling with distress. "Your son is dying, what are you dawdling about?"
"Huh? What? You come here? No, no need, really no need. I just twisted my ankle. There are a few classmates here."
"Sigh, it's not that light, anyway... it'll cost some money, how much..." Chen Yuanxing turned to look at Yu Yao, "Hey, how much does it cost?"
Yu Yao was startled. Looking around, she realized that he was indeed asking her. "Well, I, I don't know either. I can only find out the medical expenses after I have the bill. But the hospital deposit is 3,000 yuan, and the surgery fee is about 2,000 yuan."
Chen Yuanxing nodded, "Is five thousand enough?" Yu Yao quickly shook her head, "It's definitely not enough. Dr. Yu just said that she needs to stay in the hospital for a long time, which will cost several thousand more."
Chen Yuanxing gritted his teeth, "Dad, did you hear that? It takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone. At least give me some pocket money to make some soup! Besides medical expenses and hospital fees, I also need to rent a place for my classmate who's taking care of me. The school dorms aren't open during holidays..." He was about to continue his rant when his father's mention of "twenty thousand" almost brought him to tears. He quickly added, "Dad, you absolutely must have your secretary transfer the money right now, immediately! And whatever you do, don't let Mom know." His father's next sentence nearly made him faint. "Son, you're not messing around outside and expecting your old man to pay for your messes, are you?"
He put away his phone, glaring angrily at the red light on the operating room screen. "Xiao Qiqi, you'd better pay me back at least double the amount."
"Hey, sign here." Yu Yao handed him a folder, but Chen Yuanxing backed away. "Why me again? Let her sign it herself!" Yu Yao gave him a disdainful look, and Chen Yuanxing angrily signed his name on the family member's section. He turned to leave, but Yu Yao called out again, "Hey, you haven't paid the surgery fee yet, where are you going?"
"Can't I withdraw money?" Chen Yuanxing kicked the wall angrily. What bad luck! Every time he ran into Xiao Qiqi, nothing good came of it. Even this "blood rain from the sky" thing had to happen to him? How could such a beautiful and refined girl have so many tricks up her sleeve? Hmm, perhaps she has her reasons. She'd been crying every time he'd seen her. Sigh, she must be another naive girl who'd been emotionally deceived. Chen Yuanxing was always cheerful, and as he thought about it, he started to feel sorry for Xiao Qiqi. Thinking about it that way, she was pitiful too. Sigh, even a beggar on the street would be willing to lend a hand, let alone a poor, abandoned girl he'd only met a few times.
Thirty-seven, Farewell
When Xia Xuan rushed into dormitory building number 7, it was already afternoon, and the scorching sun was baking the world. The auntie at the gate finally understood that the person Xia Xuan was looking for had gone to the dormitory, and she said knowingly, "You mean the girl in 402? Her boyfriend took her to the hospital this morning. Oh my, she had a terrible fever. It was terrifying to see."
Xia Xuan supported Qiang, suppressing the deep sorrow in her heart, "Do you...do you know which hospital she went to?"
The aunt shook her head and said, "It should be the Third Branch of the People's Hospital nearby, since it's the closest. Her boyfriend was really worried; he almost tripped and fell on the flat ground outside the door."
Xia Xuanqiang ignored the aunt's repeated mentions of "boyfriend" and ran towards the Third Branch Hospital. Xu Chun, however, remained seated in the car the entire time, not uttering a single word, watching Xia Xuanqiang run away and then return.
"Zhou Ping, go to the Third Branch Hospital up ahead." The car sped across the road, turned into the alley on the left, and arrived at the Third Branch Hospital in a few minutes.
Xia Xuan pushed open the car door and rushed into the hospital. Xu Chun got out of the car, hesitated for a moment, and finally followed her in.
Xia Xuan rushed into the emergency room and grabbed Yu Yao, asking, "Miss, was a girl named Xiao Qiqi brought to the emergency room this morning? She had a high fever, and her hair..."
Looking at this handsome man with a different style from Chen Yuanxing, Yu Yao sighed inwardly. He was elegant and refined, and although his face was full of anxiety, he could not hide his demeanor. That girl was really lucky. How come two such outstanding boys were vying for her attention?
"Doctor, you don't know?" Xia Xuan let go of Yu Yao's hand and walked towards the doctor's office.
"Sigh, wait a minute," Yu Yao muttered, "I didn't say I didn't know."
Xia Xuan finally breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes lighting up. "How is she? Where is she now?"
Yu Yao clapped the medical record in his hand, "The surgery was performed this morning and was quite successful. The fever has subsided somewhat, but he is still unconscious. He is currently hospitalized."
"That ward?" Xia Xuan's heart nearly jumped out of her chest.
Yu Yao looked at the anxious young man in front of her strangely. "Wasn't she sent by her boyfriend? And who are you?"
Xia Xuan frowned, looking at the irrelevant young doctor with dissatisfaction. However, her eyes caught sight of the medical record in the doctor's hand. She snatched it and quickly skimmed through the doctor's hasty postoperative summary, only grasping a few words: "Fever, alcohol poisoning, inflammation, fallopian tube injury and obstruction, leading to infertility, with a very low chance of cure."
With a "thud," the medical record fell to the ground. Yu Yao said angrily, "What are you doing? This is the patient's medical record; you can't just show it to anyone." She angrily picked up the record, but Xia Xuan's arm moved faster, pointing to the last line where a family member had signed. "Who is this?"
Yu Yao was startled by his cold gaze and withdrew her outstretched hand. "That girl's boyfriend."
"Boyfriend?" Xia Xuan's tone rose, strangely cold as she looked at Yu Yao, her gaze piercing the interstellar sky like a sharp sword.
Yu Yao felt a suffocating pressure and hurriedly nodded, "Yes, yes, I already paid all the emergency room fees, surgery fees, and hospital deposit this morning. I even got a good scolding from Dr. Yu. But his temper... isn't as bad as yours. When Dr. Yu scolds him, he listens obediently, unlike you who glares at people like that, it's quite frightening." Yu Yao finished speaking nervously, only then realizing she had rambled on too much. Why was she telling her all this? Perhaps, perhaps she had already formed a grudge against these two men. The guy named Chen Yuanxing, though glib and seemingly easygoing, now had this one who, while handsome, had a truly intimidating aura. What if she angered him one day? Would he kill her with just a look?
"Which ward?" The voice, barely audible, made Yu Yao snatch the medical record and jump away. "Inpatient Department, Room 511."
Xia Xuan's figure quickly disappeared at the end of the stairs. Xu Chun followed not far behind him, having overheard Yu Yao's entire conversation. Her tense heart relaxed a little; perhaps the situation wasn't so bad.
Xia Xuan slowed her pace and walked gently to room 511. It was a private room, and the door was not closed tightly. Xia Xuan pushed the door open and was greeted by an extremely harmonious scene.
The person on the hospital bed remained frail and weak, pale and lifeless. The flush on her face still lingered, but her complexion was pure white. Her head slumped to one side, and her hand, so white that the faint blue veins on the back of her hand were visible, dripped slowly from the tube into her pale skin. The other hand rested gently in a larger one. The boy, sleeping on his side, had wheat-colored skin that shone with healthy vitality in the sunlight streaming through the window. His long, arched eyebrows spread out like distant mountains, and his occasional trembling eyelashes glided across the water like birds, gentle yet full of charm. His straight nose accentuated the strength of his face, and a mischievous smile played on his lips, as if he were still playfully arguing in his sleep.