Chapter 39: Sick
Sick…
A fever, and a stomach problem.
Su Yu sighed in relief. Thank goodness, nothing serious… that’s good.
“Is it serious?”
“Do you like her?”
Xu Dan didn’t answer Su Yu’s question. She looked up at him, her brows furrowed, her gaze like a sharp blade trying to dissect him.
“We were just high school classmates. I didn’t even know she came to Qingchuan University, did I?” Su Yu met her sharp gaze and answered calmly.
“Then you should go see her this afternoon.” Xu Dan’s attitude suddenly changed, the scrutinizing look gone. She handed Su Yu a note. “The law school has a mobilization meeting tonight. It’ll be too late… we probably won’t be able to get out. Although Qian Ge can handle being alone in the hospital, I’m not so sure. This is the address.”
“Me?”
“Aren’t you her classmate? You should know what she’s like. Alone… she’ll be scared.”
Su Yu took the note and glanced at it, crumpling it in his hand.
“Okay, I’ll go.”
“Tell Qian Ge we said hi. We’ll pick her up when she’s discharged. Sorry to trouble you.”
Xia Qian Ge’s roommates left, their backs to him, their chattering voices accidentally reaching his ears, probably some gossip.
…
A taxi stopped at the entrance. Su Yu paid and got out. He looked up and saw the tall sign of the hospital, the municipal hospital, not far from the university.
The walk from the intersection to the hospital entrance wasn’t long, but Su Yu walked it for a long time, hesitant, as if two voices were fighting in his mind.
Xia Qian Ge was his only high school classmate at this university. It was only right for him to visit her while she was sick in the hospital, especially since he was asked to.
But… he could be cold-blooded, pretend he didn’t know, let Xia Qian Ge be discharged, and let her roommates complain about him, calling him a selfish bastard, completely breaking her heart, severing their high school friendship, never to see each other again. That wouldn’t be so bad.
He was thinking, but his body kept moving. By the time he came to his senses, he was standing in front of her hospital room. The hospital was quiet, the monotonous colors depressing. The long corridor was almost empty, except for a few busy nurses rushing about.
In his previous life, Xia Qian Ge had hated hospitals, saying she couldn’t stand the smell. She would only reluctantly go when he got angry.
Su Yu looked through the thin window of the door and saw Xia Qian Ge on the hospital bed. She was sitting up, her body huddled under the white blanket, only her head sticking out, staring at the fading evening glow outside.
Her face was frighteningly pale, her lips slightly chapped, a deep exhaustion etched in her eyes. She sat alone in the room, looking very helpless.
Su Yu had never understood why such a frail and gentle girl would become such a strong person in the future, so mad… so obsessive.
But now she was very fragile, like a soft dandelion, scattered by a gentle breeze, never to be found again.
He watched, his heart clenching, his veined hand reaching for the doorknob.
“Click.”
The door opened, attracting the girl’s attention. She looked at the boy standing at the door, holding a few takeout boxes, his features delicate and refined. Her mouth fell slightly open in surprise.
“You… why are you here?”
“Your roommates aren’t free tonight. They asked me to come and see you, said they were worried you would be scared alone in the hospital.”
Su Yu laid everything out clearly, without a hint of emotion. He was Xia Qian Ge’s only classmate in this strange city, so he had come to see her.
“It’s nothing serious. I’ll be discharged tomorrow.”
Xia Qian Ge lowered her eyes and smiled faintly, but her sickly complexion made her look pitiful.
“You shouldn’t have participated in the military training. Don’t you know your own body?”
“I’m a bit weak, but it’s just military training, everyone does it. The fever was probably from the air conditioning, I didn’t cover myself properly. Cough cough…”
Xia Qian Ge shook her head, speaking softly, but then she coughed a few times, her voice hoarse and trembling.
Su Yu’s heart tightened. He stared at the girl’s hand. Fortunately, it was clean, no blood…
In his previous life, when she was at her sickest, she had coughed up blood, the bright red blood staining her palm, gleaming in the lamplight, a terrifying sight.
“What about your stomach problem? It will get serious later, you’ll cough up blood.” Su Yu frowned, momentarily losing control and speaking without thinking. “Why do you always have to be first, always have to push yourself so hard? You’ve already surpassed everyone. You don’t have to force yourself. Can’t you… can’t you look back at the people behind you?”
“Su Yu, you…”
Xia Qian Ge covered her mouth, seemingly startled, a fleeting look of panic in her eyes, making her look like a fragile, helpless doll.
“I’m sorry, I said too much.” Su Yu came to his senses and shook his head, making excuses. “I just don’t want to see you always sick. Your family isn’t well-off, so you should take better care of yourself.”
He set up the small table on her bed and placed the porridge he had brought on it, opening the lid. The hot vegetable porridge steamed, the pleasant aroma filling the air, whetting her appetite.
“Have some porridge. You… you must be hungry. Here’s a spoon. Be careful, it’s hot.”
“Oh, thanks.”
Xia Qian Ge’s lips curved into a subtle smile, a faint amusement in her dark eyes. She obediently picked up the spoon and took a small sip of the white porridge with green vegetables.
For a moment, the quiet room was filled with the sound of her slurping the porridge. Outside, the night fell, the neon lights of Qingchuan twinkling, creating a peaceful atmosphere.
But Su Yu’s phone, in his pocket, suddenly rang. He frowned and answered, immediately hearing Gu Chuan’s loud voice.
“Hey? Mr. Su, after the military training, we were planning on going out for a big meal, but you disappeared.”
Su Yu lowered his voice and replied, “I can’t make it today, I’m not free.”
“Are you kidding me? I even invited Luo Xiaoxiao, and there are many other girls…”
Su Yu immediately muted the call and glanced at Xia Qian Ge. She was still eating her porridge, seemingly very hungry, not noticing the commotion.
“I’m going to take this call outside. If you’re still hungry, let me know.”
Xia Qian Ge didn’t speak, just nodded slightly. Su Yu then walked out of the room with his phone.
The harsh sound of the closing door echoed in the room for a moment, then it was quiet again. A dark gaze looked out the door into the night, then quickly retracted.
A moment later, the only sound in the room was the soft slurping of porridge.
