“And… the results?”
“Stable! Totally stable. Doctor said rest up, drink plenty of water—even that it’s so mild, no real need for follow-ups.”
“Then… uh, hold on. But you’ve got… a ton of reports there. That file bag’s huge.”
“They’re… they’re not as many as they look, really! It’s just a registration form! Even if there are fewer documents here, they’ll still give you an archival envelope. You pay a fee and you can pick one up.”
“……”
This hospital really knew how to splurge—plenty of pulp resources to go around.
Su Yuqiu hadn’t lied about the severity of the condition.
Because that’s exactly what the doctor had said.
Yeah… they’d always said that.
The doctors all agreed—it wasn’t even a real disease.
Su Yuqiu made it sound so casual.
But even Ye Zhibai, who wasn’t as sharp-eyed as the perceptive Ye Zhiyun, sensed something off.
Mild asthma that didn’t even need follow-ups…?
Then why was she breaking out in cold sweat while talking!?
If you’re this frail, it’s got to be more than just asthma!
For starters, your kidneys, spleen, and lungs might not be up to snuff.
Tang Yuzhu had been quietly observing everything from the side.
The flickering pity in her eyes was all directed at her own daughter.
How could any mother look away when she saw the sweat beading on Yuqiu’s forehead?
“Yuqiu…”
“Yeah? What’s up, Mom?”
“Is this Miss Ye a friend you trust?”
“Of course she is! Mom, what are you talking about? Yezi’s definitely my best friend… Uh… no, wait, that’s not right! It just feels kinda embarrassing to say out loud? Pretend I didn’t say it! Yeah… but I trust her, absolutely trust her!”
Ye Zhibai had noticed at the last Comic-Con that Little Qiu sometimes got like this—her personality twisting up in awkward knots.
Still, Ye Zhibai was curious why Aunt Tang was asking this out of the blue.
All three pairs of eyes turned to Tang Yuzhu.
Tang Yuzhu glanced at her daughter with an extremely restrained look, tinged with apology.
Then her gaze hardened with resolve as she stared straight at Ye Zhibai.
“Miss Ye, thank you for not minding being friends with Yuqiu. But as her friend… there are some things I have to tell you as her mother. If you truly see her as a friend, then I hope you’ll listen carefully.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
Oh, I get it.
This is that thing where you meet your friend’s parents, and they give you the standard spiel: be safe when you’re out, steer clear of lakes and water, don’t talk to strangers…
But no.
After a brief pause, Tang Yuzhu dropped a bombshell.
“I hope that when you and Yuqiu go out… you’ll look after her a bit. Don’t scare her suddenly, don’t take her on rides or anything that could get her emotions spiking wildly. When you’re walking, match her pace and slow down so she doesn’t have to rush, and also…”
“Mom?”
Tang Yuzhu’s words suddenly tumbled out faster.
It was as if she was afraid she wouldn’t finish.
“And also, remind her to take her medicine—this kid sometimes forgets. She doesn’t go out much, so once she’s out the door, she gets even more careless. For the sake of being friends, you have to watch her closely. Because those meds aren’t for some cough or asthma at all, they’re for…”
“Mom!”
“Huh?”
Snapping out of her hurried ramble, Tang Yuzhu looked down again—and her heart shattered into pieces.
Yuqiu’s lips were trembling nonstop.
Tears brimmed in her eyes, locked on her mother.
That so-called “shout” earlier hadn’t carried even a hint of anger.
On the contrary, it was a plea—a desperate request.
Don’t finish that sentence.
Mom… why are you
suddenly saying all this?
I just wanted to be normal friends with Yezi… the most ordinary kind.
She’s not some Eldest Miss.
I’m not some patient.
Just Yezi and Little Qiu.
Is that really so hard?
Why tell the whole world I’m sick?
Little Qiu didn’t want to be a patient… she really didn’t.
But could an arrow shot ever turn back?
No.
Ye Zhibai took a step forward, encouraging Tang Yuzhu to hold firm.
“Auntie, please finish what you were saying.”
“I… no… maybe I shouldn’t…”
“Auntie.”
Ye Zhibai first glanced at the wavering Little Qiu.
She met Ye Zhibai’s eyes for just a moment—whether to hide her tears or not, she then dropped her head and turned away, biting her lip.
Sorry, Little Qiu.
Some things, I might have to hear first before you explain.
Ye Zhibai turned back to Tang Yuzhu, who was shaking just as much as Little Qiu.
“Auntie, you have to finish. You were right from the start. Uh… I don’t know how to put it, but basically, you need to say it—that’s the right thing.”
If Big Sis can’t explain, Yun’er will fill in the gaps.
“Big Sis is right. Though I hate to say it… you and Miss Su will definitely have more chances to go out together. From what you’re saying, Miss Su has some condition she’s keeping hidden, right? In that case, please don’t hold back. What if something happens down the line because of incomplete information, and we can’t take proper care, harming Miss Su’s health? We’d regret it too late. No one wants to see that, right?”
“Yes… I know all that, and that’s exactly why… sigh…!”
Yuqiu.
If you’re mad, you can yell at Mom all you want when we get home.
But right now, as your mother, I have to put your health first.
Tang Yuzhu’s voice was feeble, her grip on the envelope shaky.
She tilted her head slightly toward the endless sky.
That unknown chaos stretched beyond sight.
The city’s lights couldn’t pierce the heavens at all.
“Yeah… my Yuqiu has some hereditary condition. It’s hard to explain in a sentence or two—no clear root cause. She just gets heart pains now and then, coughs, and some other discomforts.”
“Is it serious…?”
“Not serious.” Tang Yuzhu said it without much conviction. “Not serious, but it makes her suffer… And if there’s some severe external trigger, it could lead to really bad consequences…”
“You mean…?”
“Kid.” Tang Yuzhu’s bitter smile toward Ye Zhibai was truly pallid. “Some things… a mother can’t bring herself to say. Don’t ask any more. Instead of dwelling on useless worries, we should all believe that won’t happen. The doctors said… no problem, then there won’t be, right?”
Plop.
A sound from Little Qiu’s direction—a dropped item—drew Ye Zhibai’s attention.
The archival envelope had slipped from her hand, hitting the ground.
The clasp wasn’t
fastened.
The documents inside scattered across the pavement.
Ye Zhibai caught a glimpse, and her heart clenched.
—Comprehensive Blood Biochemistry Test Report.
—CT Scan Report.
—Chest X-ray Report.
—Routine Hemoglobin Test Report.
A jumble of stark medical printouts lay strewn about. Su Yuqiu, too distraught to wipe her tears, let out a startled cry and crouched down, her petite frame gathering them up frantically.
She clutched them tight to her chest, heedless of the disarray, with no mind to sort them.
That vacant look in her eyes… as if Little Qiu herself knew it was pointless.
Thick clouds drifted in with the wind.
Gradually blotting out the already dim moonlight.
The weather report had said it.
Tonight: clear turning cloudy.
Su Yuqiu’s mind buzzed, the world around her fading as emotions surged.
She never imagined this chance encounter tonight would turn out like this.
“Cough, cough cough…”
A light cough that couldn’t dispel the gathering clouds.
Her chest felt stuffy, aching faintly.
Su Yuqiu kept her head down, afraid to look up.
She was starting not to want to hear her mother’s calls clearly anymore.
But soon…
The wind rushing toward her suddenly stopped.
Huh?
Someone had stepped in front.
Naturally blocking the breeze.
When Su Yuqiu slowly raised her head, her cherry-colored bangs parting, her vision and hearing steadying…
Replacing the moonlight was a face more radiant than the moon itself.
It didn’t glow, but it held a warmth the moon lacked.
The discomfort in her body faded rapidly.
Because she heard that voice—flat yet brimming with endless nuance.
“Can you stand? Um… no need. Like this, we can talk.”
Their foreheads level, eye to eye.
Not because Su Yuqiu had stood.
But because Ye Zhibai, taking the test reports from Su Yuqiu’s hands, had crouched down to her level.
At least this way, they could face each other.
