After finishing his porridge, Chen Yuanxing finally answered, "You're the one who's childish. You cry at the drop of a hat. I'm scared of you. I cry every time I see you."
Xiao Qiqi knew that she had only met him a few times, and each time he had helped her a great deal, while also causing him bad luck each time. She felt a little guilty, so she said softly, "Thank you. I shouldn't have scolded you just now."
Chen Yuanxing seemed completely unconcerned and took another bowl of salty porridge. He picked up the spoon he had used earlier and was about to feed Xiao Qiqi when Xiao Qiqi frowned and said, "I can do it myself."
"Are you sure you can manage?" Chen Yuanxing refused to give her the spoon, insisting on feeding her. Xiao Qiqi was afraid of his feeding methods, and besides, she felt she had regained some strength after recovering that morning. She thought she could eat by herself as long as she didn't have to hold the bowl, so she said, "Fine, I'm afraid of your feeding skills, okay?" Chen Yuanxing didn't seem to mind and handed her the spoon. "Hehe, it's even better if you don't need me to serve you." Xiao Qiqi didn't take it. "It's so dirty, don't you have a spoon?" Chen Yuanxing looked at the spoon in his hand: "It's very clean." Xiao Qiqi glared at him helplessly, and he pouted and stuck out his tongue helplessly: "I only brought back one spoon."
Helpless, Xiao Qiqi pointed to her bundle by the wall and said, "I have a rice bowl and rice spoon there, find them for me."
Chen Yuanxing, feeling guilty, placed the bowl of porridge on the table, not daring to look at Xiao Qiqi. He couldn't very well not look for her either; he clearly remembered that when he threw the lunchbox and spoon with "A University" written on them, it hit the cement floor with a pleasant "clang." Pretending to frantically search, he turned around earnestly: "Senior sister, no, you must be mistaken."
Xiao Qiqi turned her head to look at her big bag. "No way, I remember putting it in myself." She frowned. "Huh, why is my bag so loose?" She remembered stuffing it full when she packed her things.
Chen Yuanxing involuntarily moved his long legs to block the large bag: "Ah, no, this bag is so full and heavy, I almost collapsed from exhaustion when I carried it out." Indeed, he carried it down from the fourth floor, and he was really exhausted.
Xiao Qiqi shook her head again, "You bring your bag over, I'll find it myself." She had packed and mailed most of her things to Ruan Mei, but there were still a lot of small daily necessities. She would have to live independently in BeiX, and she couldn't buy everything, so she decided to bring everything with her.
Chen Yuanxing remained unmoved, while Xiao Qiqi stubbornly persisted. Their eyes locked, and Chen Yuanxing, feeling guilty, quickly gave in, dragging Xiao Qiqi's bag and tossing it onto the bedside. Xiao Qiqi bent down and rummaged through her bag. The small bag containing her ID, wallet, and other belongings was still there, nothing was missing, but what about the rest? The large teddy bear hadn't been packed; Chen Yuanxing had taken it to the hospital. Clothes, shoes, food container, cosmetics, daily necessities, trinkets, CDs, disks, and DVDs—most of them were gone. Wait, what about the books, the diary, the photo album, the letters? Xiao Qiqi slowly raised her head.
Chen Yuanxing was staring intently at her when he was startled by her unusually large, bright, and clear eyes. He took a step back, stammering, "...Um, that, ah, I...I didn't mean to."
"Where are my things?" Xiao Qiqi was surprisingly calm, coldly looking at Chen Yuanxing. Her eyes were clearer than water. Chen Yuanxing scratched his head in a flustered manner. His scalp tingled, but he refused to admit defeat: "They were all junk, so heavy, I threw them all away."
"Throw it all away?" Xiao Qiqi shook her head. "Clothes, shoes, cosmetics, books? Diaries, photo albums, letters?"
Chen Yuanxing puffed out his chest, straightened his back, and said confidently, "Yes, I threw them away. Those clothes and shoes were so ugly, even pigs wouldn't wear them! Young girls have such good skin, why would they need cosmetics? So I threw them away too. As for those trinkets, you can buy them anywhere, why bother bringing them all the way here? Books, you're not going to get a PhD, why keep your university books? Especially those novels and magazines, they're all pirated, why bring them?" He couldn't be guilty, he had to stay calm. At this moment, Chen Yuanxing especially remembered his parents' consistent teachings: always be confident, that's how you gain the upper hand.
"What about my diary, photo album, and letters?"
“Of course I lost them too.” Chen Yuanxing even started to laugh smugly, his beautiful phoenix eyes filled with an unfathomable darkness. “You’re in this state, so obviously you don’t have any good memories from your college years. What’s the point of keeping those things? They’ll only leave you with sadness.”
Xiao Qiqi was already furious and her spirit was broken. Seeing Chen Yuanxing's self-righteous and smug look, the anger she had been suppressing for so long made her unusually clear-headed. "I'm asking you, who are you to me?"
Chen Yuanxing was taken aback and looked at Xiao Qiqi with surprise. She didn't seem to be jumping up in anger, so he honestly replied, "To be honest, we're not even friends."
Xiao Qiqi nodded: "That's right. You're not even my friend, so what right do you have to touch my things? And what right do you have to deal with my bag?"
Chen Yuanxing then understood what Xiao Qiqi meant, "Hey, you think I like touching your things? It's just that your downstairs aunt keeps calling me no matter what."
"You can ignore it!" Xiao Qiqi coldly interrupted Chen Yuanxing. "I didn't ask you to take my things, nor did I authorize you to touch them. What right do you have to throw my things away?"
Chen Yuanxing frowned: "Hey, what exactly do you mean? If you're angry, just say so. Why beat around the bush like this? I just thought the bag was too heavy and hard to carry, and since there wasn't anything important in it, I threw it away. Look, your important documents and wallet are all still here!"
Xiao Qiqi grabbed a pillow with all her might and threw it at Chen Yuanxing: "You bastard!" She finally exploded, "Get out of here! Who do you think you are? Touching my things and controlling my life? You think that just because you carried me to the hospital, I should worship you and let you do whatever you want? You think you can just throw away my diary, photo album, and other things? I had an abortion and I'm not a good person, so what? Does that make me despicable and have no self-respect? Does that mean I should be exposed to the sunlight and mocked and manipulated by you?" She became more and more agitated as she spoke.
Chen Yuanxing's expression changed several times as he listened. "...Senior sister, please don't get so agitated, okay? You know that's not what I meant."
"You didn't mean that? Then what did you mean? You're just like them, smiling and being nice to me on the surface, but deep down you despise and mock me, right?" Xiao Qiqi leaned against the cold edge of the bed, her fingers trembling slightly. Her cold, mocking eyes gleamed with a chilling light, her frenzied anger mixed with confusion. "Who do you think you are? You think you can interfere in my life and boss me around? You think you can trample on my self-respect just because you think I'm lowly? Get out of here, I never want to see you again."
Chen Yuanxing's expression was also unpleasant as he listened to Xiao Qiqi's increasingly absurd words. "Senior sister, what do you mean by that? Am I trampling on your self-esteem by staying by your side and being good to you?"
"Yes, it's trampling! Who knows what you're up to?" Xiao Qiqi was now rambling incoherently, completely unaware of what she was saying. "You think just because I'm shameless, I can give alms to you? You think I can take advantage of you?"
"Fine!" Chen Yuanxing couldn't take it anymore and sneered twice: "You are noble, pure and virtuous, self-respecting and strong. Someone like me, who harbors a filthy heart, doesn't deserve to be here. Then I'll leave, I'll leave, okay?" He pushed open the door with a "bang" and left like a gust of wind.
Xiao Qiqi stared at the door that had been slammed shut, then slumped weakly onto the covers, clenching her fists, refusing to let a single tear fall. Had she made a mistake again? She had made a mistake again!
With a loud thud, the door was kicked open again, and Chen Yuanxing rushed in like a whirlwind. He grabbed his backpack from the table, pulled out two black leather notebooks, several photo albums, and a stack of letters, and threw them onto Xiao Qiqi's lap. He snarled through gritted teeth, "Here, take it all! What good stuff? Who cares! Don't worry, I'm not so despicable as to pry into other people's privacy. Go ahead and look for your hair or nail marks!" With that, he slung his bag over his shoulder and strode away without even looking at Xiao Qiqi.
Xiao Qiqi looked at the thing that had fallen onto her lap, and then she dazedly raised her head, only to see Chen Yuanxing's straight back, as straight as a mountain. She opened her mouth, but in the end, she didn't call out.
Chen Yuanxing stormed out of the hospital, his anger still simmering. He punched a few times in frustration against a roadside sycamore tree to vent his frustration. Remembering what Da Xiong had said before leaving—that the school dorms would be letting everyone leave earlier this year—it seemed he'd have to take his luggage to Kuang Shan's place. So, he reluctantly called Kuang Shan and told him he wanted to stay at his place. Kuang Shan, pleased with his performance in front of Yu Yao that day, readily agreed. Everyone at K University knew Chen Yuanxing was a popular figure, a heartthrob among women; maybe he could get some tips on how to woo girls from him. Kuang Shan, however, was scheming, never imagining that even Chen Yuanxing had his moments of being rejected by women, and was now banging his head against a wall in frustration.
When Chen Yuanxing returned to the dormitory, he found that his game console was also gone. He could only kick the hard bed of the lower bunkmate, Da Xiong, twice in anger, before reluctantly climbing to his upper bunk and taking a long nap. When he woke up, it was already dark. He then packed two pieces of clothing, his computer, and other belongings and left the dormitory.
When Chen Yuanxing arrived at Kuang Shan's place, Kuang Shan had already prepared several side dishes and bought beer, waiting for him. Seeing Kuang Shan's smiling eyes, Chen Yuanxing couldn't help but tease, "You got a taste of success today, Third Brother?" Third Brother was a well-known madman at K University, someone who wasn't interested in anything except experiments and scholarships. During holidays, he would rent a place to stay in the school lab to help his professor with experiments. But he had only one flaw, unknown to anyone outside his dorm: a medical fetish. It was said he had suffered trauma in this area during middle school, so he would lose all interest in female medical students.
Kuang Shan proudly raised his head, "That's right, is there anything in this world that I, Kuang Shan, can't handle?" Madmen are inevitably proud, and the same goes for women.
Chen Yuanxing, however, was not in the mood for jokes as usual. He lazily drank his beer, sighed, and Kuang Shan poured him another glass. Kuang Shan rubbed his hands together shyly, "Um, young master, I have something to discuss with you." Love and romance are important, but material things are fundamental. Kuang Shan decided to talk about material things first before discussing spiritual matters.
Chen Yuanxing glanced at Kuang Shan, "What's wrong? Why are you being so indecisive!" Kuang Shan continued to chuckle, "Young Master, you know that the scholarship for next semester can only be collected after the semester starts. This semester, cough cough, it's all over now, um... I..."
Unlike usual, Chen Yuanxing didn't readily pull out his wallet before Kuang Shan finished speaking. Instead, he jumped up, slapped his forehead, and exclaimed, "That's right! I can't possibly turn down money!" Grabbing his bag, he waved to Kuang Shan, "Brother Kuang, thank you so much for today. I won't drink tonight, I'll come find you tomorrow if I'm free." Without waiting for Kuang Shan's hesitant raised arm, he slammed the door shut and ran off.
VII. Debt Collection
After Chen Yuanxing left, Xiao Qiqi didn't open her diary and photo album for a long time. They showed no signs of being disturbed; she was always very careless, so there were no hair or fingerprints. The diary was filled with familiar black writing, which Xiao Qiqi found jarring. She dared not look at the photo album; it was filled with raw memories, letters—letters from several years ago with Jiang Yilan, and… Xia Xuanxian's doodles by the lake, each word a permanent source of pain in her heart, just like the diary and photo album. Xiao Qiqi forced back her grief and stuffed them all into her bag. Her eyes fell on the bowl of now-cold porridge. After a moment's thought, she reached out and struggled to pick it up, taking the spoon Chen Yuanxing had used on the rim…it wasn't actually that dirty.
The slightly bland asparagus and taro porridge was smooth and refreshing. Xiao Qiqi couldn't help but shed a tear after taking a bite. She thought back to every encounter with Chen Yuanxing: the first time, she lied to him about meeting him online, deliberately causing him to be called "crazy" by Xu Chun; the second time, she wiped his snotty nose and insisted he carry her back to the dormitory; the third time, he drove her to find Xia Xuan, and after they argued, she was exhausted, and he waited to take her back to school; the fourth time, she cried outside the school, and he comforted her and kissed her, a kiss so pure and innocent; the fifth time, she was drunk after her abortion, and he carried her back to the dormitory, getting scolded by the downstairs aunt; the sixth time… it was indescribable.
It turned out that she had always owed him. Yet she still cursed him and misunderstood him. Xiao Qiqi couldn't tell if she felt regret or sadness; she only felt her heart filled with tears, which she couldn't help but let fall.
Hospital life is always the same, day and night, nothing but black and white. Xiao Qiqi lay on the bed, feeling a mix of emotions, numbly lost in thought, perhaps only sleep could relieve all these troubles.
She opened her eyes to darkness again. The back of her hand was bruised, but the dripping seemed endless, constantly seeping into every nerve in her body, whether her eyes were open or closed. She touched her stomach with the hand that had been bandaged; it was still a little bloated and painful, but it was so flat, the skin still so smooth. However, it could no longer bear the weight of pregnancy and childbirth. It would always be like this for the rest of her life—flat, smooth, and beautiful.
She struggled to her feet, held onto the back of the chair to remove the IV drip, grabbed some sanitary napkins and tissues, and slowly moved out. She no longer had the right to cry, nor the right to ask for help. Would this be how her life would be from now on? She would have to rely on herself, enduring a lonely and miserable old age, without any companions or support.
A long arm took the IV drip from her hand. Xiao Qiqi looked up in surprise at the boy who had casually tossed his backpack aside. "...You, didn't you leave?"
Chen Yuanxing raised his chin, snorting arrogantly through his nostrils. Xiao Qiqi, seeing him, couldn't contain her joy, a smile creeping onto her lips. It was the first time Chen Yuanxing had seen her smile so knowingly, a gentle smile, quietly blooming like a lily. A thought stirred within him, and the barrage of sarcastic and venting words he had planned to unleash were reduced to a single sentence: "I'll help you." He naturally put his arm around Xiao Qiqi's waist, but couldn't help frowning. Her waist was so slender, barely a handful. Then, he felt a pang of annoyance; it wasn't the first time he'd held her, so why was he now concerned about whether her waist was thick or thin?
Xiao Qiqi glanced at his face, her expression shifting with a hint of annoyance. Knowing his awkwardness, she couldn't help but reach out and gently tug at his arm. "I'm sorry, thank you." Her voice was soft but sincere, and Chen Yuanxing heard it clearly. His anger subsided somewhat, but he still felt humiliated. "I didn't come back to take care of you. I was afraid you'd run away. Who would pay for my taxi fare, emergency room fees, surgery fees, medical expenses, hospitalization fees, airfare, and compensation for my lost youth?"
Xiao Qiqi was initially bewildered by his long list of fees; how could she have forgotten something so important? But when she heard him add "compensation for lost youth," she couldn't help but chuckle. Then she sighed inwardly; this must be a hefty sum. "Thank you, I...I'll pay you back," she said, her voice still soft but firm. Chen Yuanxing, unwilling to back down, retorted sarcastically, "Who knows if you'll pay me back? You've already graduated, and you're just going to leave like that. Who am I supposed to ask? So, from today onwards, I'm going to keep an eye on you. When you leave, where you go, where you live, where you work, your home address, your phone number, your ID number, the phone numbers of your family, friends, and classmates—give me everything!"
Xiao Qiqi sensed a hint of venting in his tone and knew he was aggrieved, so she didn't argue, only humming in response: "It's all yours." Before she knew it, they were at the bathroom door. Seeing Chen Yuanxing hesitate, Xiao Qiqi said, "Give me the IV drip; I can manage myself."
Chen Yuanxing, still worried about her weakness from the previous night, sat down in the restroom. "Let me help you in and hang up the bottle for you," he said. Then he called out, "Is anyone in the women's restroom? I'm going in!" After a few unanswered calls, Chen Yuanxing turned around and made a face. "See? I'll sneak in while no one's around! When we were kids, sneaking into the women's restroom was a big hero!" Xiao Qiqi laughed when she saw him being cheeky again; he really knew how to comfort himself.
Xiao Qiqi's limbs were still weak, but she could barely take care of herself. She groped her way out of the toilet, covered in sweat. Chen Yuanxing was humming a tune as he washed his hands. His youthful face in the mirror was carefree and cheerful. When he saw Xiao Qiqi come out, he naturally took the IV drip and put his arm around her waist. "Senior sister, are you alright?" Xiao Qiqi looked down and hummed in response.
Xiao Qiqi walked very slowly on her way back, her forehead covered in cold sweat. Seeing that she was really uncomfortable, Chen Yuanxing said, "Never mind, I'll carry you." Without waiting for Xiao Qiqi's reply, he swept her up in his long arm and said, "Sigh, it's not the first time you've taken advantage of me, so it doesn't matter if you do it again." Xiao Qiqi had initially felt some gratitude towards him, but hearing his witty remarks, she snorted and ignored him.
Chen Yuanxing put Xiao Qiqi back on the bed, hung up the IV drip, and looked at the blood flowing back into the tube. The bright red blood seeped up the tube in thin streams, making it look very red. "Oh, senior sister, I didn't expect your blood to be red too."
"You think my blood is black when it's not red?" Xiao Qiqi was really at a loss with Chen Yuanxing's nagging and shamelessness. Although she knew she owed him a lot, she couldn't help but retort.
Chen Yuanxing nodded seriously, sat down in a chair, crossed his legs, and said, "You said you deliberately made a scene by crying and making a fuss, wasn't it just to get rid of me and then run away?"
When Xiao Qiqi heard him mention what happened at noon, she couldn't help but lower her head and admit defeat. No matter what he said, she had indeed acted impulsively and said some very hurtful things. So she said sincerely, "I was too impulsive at noon and said some hurtful things to you, please don't take it to heart. However, you did throw my things away, so it's understandable that I was angry, right?"
Chen Yuanxing raised an eyebrow. "So, does Senior Sister mean we're evenly matched, and neither of us owes the other anything?"
"No, I owe you." Xiao Qiqi saw Chen Yuanxing force a smile, but her thoughts drifted away like a lifeless dream. "You saved me and helped me a lot. But don't worry, I won't run away, I will definitely repay you." Chen Yuanxing kept staring at her, not missing a single expression. Seeing that resolute and bitter look on her face again, he couldn't help but feel annoyed. "Stubborn fool!"
Xiao Qiqi asked, puzzled, "What?" Chen Yuanxing repeated, "I said you're stubborn and out of your mind, torturing yourself like this for some random man. Look at the look on your face!"
Xiao Qiqi frowned: "Why are you criticizing me again? My affairs are none of your business. I will repay the money I owe you and the favors I've done for you. Please stop talking about my personal matters and minding your own business in the future!"
Chen Yuanxing jumped up, about to speak, but seeing her pale face and the suppressed bitterness between her brows, he barely managed to suppress his emotions. "Forget it, forget it, who cares about you! As long as you still remember the money and favors you owe me, that's enough. As for the things I threw away, just deduct them from the money you owe, so you won't always think I committed some heinous crime." After saying that, he didn't even look at Xiao Qiqi and turned to leave.
Seeing his anger, Xiao Qiqi realized she had gone too far and quickly asked, "Where are you going?" Chen Yuanxing turned to look at her irritably, "Can't I even go talk to a pretty, smiling nurse?" Knowing his quick wit and soft heart, Xiao Qiqi leaned back on the pillow, hugging her large teddy bear, lost in thought. Chen Yuanxing stood outside the door for a while, watching her through the glass as she squinted, motionless against the white bed. Her thin face appeared especially pale and small against the teddy bear's fluffy body. He stared at her for a long time, then suddenly lost the urge to chat with the nurse. After standing there for a while, he finally pushed open the door to the ward, sullenly lay down on another bed, and put on his MP3 player to listen to music.
Having gone through all this, Xiao Qiqi had slowly regained her composure after a day of reflection. Always stubborn, she refused to admit defeat or turn back after such an ordeal, so she suppressed her despair and pain, becoming somewhat lifeless and silent. It seemed as if in just one night, she had transformed from a lively, youthful girl into a woman in a state of utter emptiness, everything just a step away, just like love—a step away, yet forever.
No matter how unwilling Xiao Qiqi was, she stayed in the hospital for three more days and underwent a full-body check-up before Dr. Yu finally gave her a discharge slip and a bunch of instructions, which made Xiao Qiqi even more silent.
"You definitely won't be able to have children in the future, and there will be some complications and sequelae that will only become apparent later. You should stay in the hospital for a while longer so the hospital can continue to monitor your inflammation and uterine recovery. You absolutely cannot drink alcohol anymore. The test results suggest you might be allergic to alcohol in the future, and we can't know what the consequences of an allergy will be right now. In short, try to avoid drinking alcohol, overexertion, getting angry, and catching a cold. You must take the medication prescribed by the hospital, and for at least a month, you must avoid cold water, getting chilled, getting angry, eating spicy food, and having sexual intercourse. You also need to pay close attention to her diet, and try to make sure she drinks plenty of soup, because a woman's body is greatly depleted after a miscarriage, and if she doesn't replenish her strength, her health might collapse in the future."
Dr. Yu's words were all directed at Chen Yuanxing, and his earnest tone made Chen Yuanxing nod with each sentence, as if all the mistakes were truly his own. Xiao Qiqi stood aside, only looking down at her toes, but her feelings of guilt and gratitude towards Chen Yuanxing grew even stronger.
After completing the discharge procedures and settling the bills, Chen Yuanxing, carrying Xiao Qiqi's large bag on his shoulder, his own small bag in one hand, and a pile of medicine in the other, huffed and puffed as he led Xiao Qiqi out of the hospital gate. Looking back at the snow-white world where she had stayed for five days, a sense of unreality lingered. Had she so easily squandered the most precious and valuable right of her life here?
Seeing Xiao Qiqi's desolate yet composed expression again, Chen Yuanxing quickly laughed it off: "That Doctor Yu is really scary. I didn't know men could be so long-winded when they get old. Do you think I'll become that awful when I get old?"
Xiao Qiqi knew he was deliberately trying to tease her, so she forced herself to continue, "You're even worse than him now." She turned away from the hospital and hurried out. She was still very weak; after a few quick steps, her heart was pounding and her vision was blurry. Afraid that Chen Yuanxing would see, she suppressed her discomfort and slowed her pace. Chen Yuanxing wasn't a perceptive person to begin with, so he didn't notice her discomfort. He just strode on, asking, "Where are you going now?"
"Bei X." Xiao Qiqi barely kept up with Chen Yuanxing's pace. "Sister Chen called and urged us to report for duty as soon as possible."
Chen Yuanxing stopped and said in surprise, "No way, Senior Sister, you should go home and rest for a while. Didn't you hear Doctor Yu say that you have to not move anything for a month?"
Xiao Qiqi walked towards the bus stop, and Chen Yuanxing followed. Only then did Xiao Qiqi say, "I'm not going home. I'm going to work in BeiX."
"You mean you want to leave now?"
"Okay, let's part ways after you drop me off at the train station. Thank you so much for everything these past few days." Xiao Qiqi looked sincerely at the tall, cheerful boy in front of her. He had a healthy physique, bright eyes, and a cheerful smile. Although his mouth was a bit mean, he was actually very kind and righteous at heart.
Chen Yuanxing looked at Xiao Qiqi, finally gritted his teeth resignedly, waved for a taxi, and muttered softly, "I owe you!"
Xiao Qiqi didn't hear his mutterings, but saw him calling a taxi, so she quickly said, "There's a bus stop right ahead, we can just take the bus to the station."
Chen Yuanxing tossed his bag to his feet and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Don't worry, senior sister, I won't ask you for the money."
Xiao Qiqi got a little angry when he started being sarcastic again. She bent down, picked up her bag which wasn't very heavy anymore, and said sullenly, "Then I'll walk by myself."
"Hey, hey!" Chen Yuanxing grabbed her hand, frowning. "Why is such a nice girl always so awkward? Don't you know it's really unlikable?"
When Xiao Qiqi heard him mention "like," she felt the embers in her heart start to ignite again. She glared at him coldly and said, "I didn't ask you to like me! It's none of your business."
Chen Yuanxing was speechless, looking helplessly at Xiao Qiqi. "I'm begging you, senior sister, please? This is exhausting in this heat! You might not be hot, but I am. Besides, the doctor said you can't overexert yourself." He then grabbed the bag from Xiao Qiqi's hand and headed towards the taxi that had just stopped. "Let's go, sister!"
Xiao Qiqi also felt the heat was unbearable. She was covered in layers of sweat that almost covered her eyes. She had spent a few days with Chen Yuanxing and knew his personality. He seemed easygoing but sometimes had an unusually spoiled attitude. He could endure anger but not hardship. Seeing that he threw his bag into the trunk of the taxi, she had no choice but to follow him and get into the taxi.
Chen Yuanxing had Xiao Qiqi sit in the waiting room. They'd waited at the station for ages but still couldn't buy tickets. It was peak summer vacation time for students, and even if they did buy tickets, they wouldn't have seats. It was a train ride of over ten hours, and even if he wasn't going back, Chen Yuanxing absolutely refused to stand. But he was worried about Xiao Qiqi's stubbornness; she'd definitely insist on going no matter what, and her body couldn't handle it. After thinking for a while, he plunged into the bustling crowd in the ticket hall and, after half a day, luckily managed to buy two expensive sleeper tickets from a scalper.
Chen Yuanxing turned back to Xiao Qiqi excitedly, holding up the ticket and showing off, saying, "Look, I finally managed to buy this." Xiao Qiqi's face darkened as soon as she saw the words "sleeper berth." "A hard seat would have been fine, why did you have to buy a sleeper berth?"
Chen Yuanxing sat down in the empty seat next to Xiao Qiqi and fanned himself with his hand: "Can I not charge you?"
Xiao Qiqi snatched the ticket and said coldly, "No, thank you, I'll pay you back as soon as possible." She then took out a notebook from her bag, wrote something, and handed it to Chen Yuanxing: "My home address, my parents' names, my ID number, my temporary address in Beijing—it's all here. Don't worry, I won't run away."
Chen Yuanxing's waving hand froze in mid-air as he stared intently at Xiao Qiqi. Seeing her righteous and resolute expression, her clear-cut innocence like a Japanese soldier drawing a line, he couldn't help but feel annoyed. He'd never experienced more frustration in his twenty-odd years of life than in these past few days. Even with his good temper, he couldn't bring himself to back down. He snatched the paper from Xiao Qiqi's hand and stuffed it into his pocket, then haphazardly pulled out a bunch of medical bills and tossed them into her hand. "Here you go! Pay the medical bills first. As for the rest, we'll settle that later." He stood up, grabbed his bag, and left, adding angrily, "Goodbye, Senior Sister." After taking two steps, he changed his tune, saying, "No, Senior Sister, it's best we never see each other again."
8. Heading North
As Xiao Qiqi watched Chen Yuanxing's figure disappear into the crowd, she bit her lip. It wasn't that she was naive or cold-hearted; she had already borne too much of Chen Yuanxing's affection, and she felt almost suffocated. A boy like that was always the center of attention, a source of joy, but being with him was a waste, even a defilement. She didn't deserve his kindness, did she? Once the damage formed in her heart, it was like a thick layer of ice in the Arctic, unlikely to ever be broken.
Xiao Qiqi dragged her luggage, walking step by step towards the platform. Light, cheerful laughter passed by. A couple, hand in hand, ran happily towards the platform, their joy and happiness so natural. Xiao Qiqi couldn't help but stop, staring blankly at their cheerful backs. Suddenly, her hand loosened, and the bag slipped from her grasp. Wearing a pink T-shirt and loose shorts, her soft, slightly long hair swayed slightly in the breeze. Chen Yuanxing didn't turn around, saying irritably, "What are you daydreaming about? Aren't you leaving?" Xiao Qiqi was surprised, but quickly followed. "You...you didn't leave?"
"Of course I'm leaving." Chen Yuanxing waved another train ticket in front of her. "I'm just unlucky. My ticket is with yours. Hey, don't think I'm helping you out. I'm a man, after all. I'll give food to any stray cat or dog I see on the street. Besides, we've met a few times before."
Xiao Qiqi still hesitated, "Are you going to Beijing too?" Chen Yuanxing's strides were very long, and Xiao Qiqi had to catch up after a few steps. She was already a little out of breath from walking so fast. Hearing her rapid breathing, Chen Yuanxing had no choice but to slow down and said helplessly, "Senior sister, it's summer vacation now. What else would I do if I didn't go home? Don't think I'm trying to please you. If it weren't for the money you owe me, I wouldn't bother with you." Xiao Qiqi was relieved. Yes, it was just money she owed him.
Chen Yuanxing bought one middle berth and one lower berth in the sleeper car. After putting away his luggage, he plopped down next to Xiao Qiqi, still looking sullen. Xiao Qiqi knew he was still angry, so she didn't say anything. She watched as he pulled a large stack of receipts from his bag and pockets. "Senior sister, take a good look. I'm going to settle the bill with you now. Don't say I'm lying to you." When he mentioned settling the bill, Xiao Qiqi quickly straightened up and nodded seriously. Chen Yuanxing quickly flipped through the receipts, stuffing them into Xiao Qiqi's hand one by one. Finally, he clapped his hands together. "That's all. These, plus the medical expenses, total 10378.53."
"How come there are so many?" Xiao Qiqi looked at the pile of receipts in her hand in surprise, and then took out a pile of hospital documents that Chen Yuanxing had given her in the waiting room. "You think you can just look at them once and that's it?"
Chen Yuanxing lay down on the berth and said casually, "Not a penny off. If you don't believe me, take a calculator and do the math." Seeing Xiao Qiqi's furrowed brows and troubled expression, he finally felt a little better and gave a wicked smile, "Senior sister, the compensation for lost youth and the caregiver's fee haven't been calculated yet."