Chapter 28 Chapter 28 If he doesn't think taking care of her is a burden...

Lin Qianyuan stayed alone in the bedroom for a long time. Her will told her that she could stay alone for a while longer, but her stomach told her not to.

Habits are a terrible thing. After a few days of eating regularly, I can no longer skip meals.

Lin Qianyuan touched the doorknob, debating whether to open it and leave. Remembering what she had said in the hallway, she immediately withdrew her hand and returned, deciding to bury her face in the quilt once more to calm down.

Pei Lanqing was standing outside her bedroom door at this time, he was also thinking and struggling.

She couldn't hear him knocking. Send a message? But her phone was in the hallway. He couldn't just rush into a girl's room, so he went downstairs and returned with freshly baked sweet potatoes.

Lin Qianyuan, with her head buried in the quilt, had no idea that the source of the fragrance was so close to her. She was successfully tempted, so she crawled out of the quilt, followed the smell to the door, hesitated for a moment, and opened the door.

There was no one outside the door, only a plate of sweet potatoes lying on the ground, perfectly warm. Lin Qianyuan took a bite, and the sweetness made her forget her embarrassment. She carried the plate downstairs.

Pei Lanqing saw her and tacitly said nothing, turning around to serve the dishes.

He made braised fish, scrambled eggs with tomatoes and boiled vegetables today.

Lin Qianyuan frowned every time she saw it. She felt that he did it on purpose, but she had no evidence, so she could only put the braised fish into her bowl.

The fish was riddled with bones except in the middle, and Lin Qianyuan clumsily picked them out with her hands. She didn't often eat fish; Song Wenci always said fish and shrimp were unsightly and told Wu Ma not to cook them.

Seeing that she was obsessed with that dish, Pei Lanqing sighed inwardly, but said nothing and stood up to get disposable gloves.

Lin Qianyuan only saw him suddenly stand up, not knowing what he was going to do. When she saw what he was holding, she was filled with surprise. She didn't even know she had this at home.

Lin Qianyuan bit her chopsticks and watched him pick up a piece of fish and put it into a clean plate. She lowered her head and carefully picked out the fish bones.

Lin Qianyuan withdrew his gaze and ate his meal in silence.

She wasn't very good at picking, so if she wore gloves like him, wouldn't it be even more difficult?

She was thinking about this and that, and the fish meat that she had been staring at just now suddenly appeared in her bowl. Lin Qianyuan looked along the piece of meat. Pei Lanqing smiled generously, said nothing, and just continued to clean up.

Since he couldn't type, she didn't say much, but her eyes and brows couldn't help revealing her joy.

Lin Qianyuan restrained himself and cleared his throat. He was in such a good mood that he felt the vegetables tasted like meat, and he ate several mouthfuls in a row.

After dinner, she went on to eat roasted sweet potatoes, and the sweet smell of sweet potatoes continued to permeate the small building.

Just when the bag of sweet potatoes was about to be finished, Lin Qianyuan's cold was completely healed, Pei Lanqing started school, and Wu Ma also returned from a trip to Yunnan with a lot of luggage.

【Miss, please try this.】

Mother Wu brought a lot of souvenirs. After all, it was her first time traveling in her life, and she couldn't help but buy whatever others recommended, mainly food.

Lin Qianyuan had to go to the hospital for a checkup that day and had no appetite. "No."

Wu Ma put the food in the dining room and when she opened the refrigerator, she noticed a lot more food in it. She subconsciously returned to the living room and stared at Lin Qianyuan carefully.

Lin Qianyuan was confused by her gaze.

Wu Ma smiled and wrote with a pen: "Young Miss, you look much better." She paused for a few seconds, then couldn't help but look at her again, her smile deepening. "You look a little fatter, too."

Lin Qianyuan looked down at herself and frowned when she said that, "No."

She said after the rebuttal.

Wu Ma shut up at the right time and said no more.

Lin Qianyuan transferred a sum of money to her and said, "You should find a way to get Teacher Pei to accept this money."

Wu Ma untied the phone and temporarily accepted it. She also secretly calculated that Lin Qianyuan was paying according to her daily salary, which was equivalent to Pei Lanqing taking care of her for a few days.

On top of that, there was an extra 1,000 yuan. Wu Ma didn't ask any more questions. To be on the safe side, she typed: "What should I do if Teacher Pei doesn't accept it?"

Lin Qianyuan didn't get enough rest last night, so he wasn't in the mood to do anything. He said wearily, "Then find a reason he can't refuse."

Uncle Chen had already arrived at the door of the small building. Lin Qianyuan got into the car and rested with his eyes closed.

It was still the Ji family’s private hospital. Lin Qianyuan put on a mask, walked in, and pressed the elevator button.

Not long after, the elevator door opened and a gentle woman in cheongsam walked out. She was holding a baby in her arms. Between her smiles and frowns, Lin Qianyuan almost thought he saw Song Wenci.

The woman was followed by a nanny. The three of them walked out of the elevator. Lin Qianyuan went in. When the elevator door closed, she suddenly smiled.

Lin Qianyuan remembered that this woman was Song Wenci's substitute, and that child was her biological sister.

Lin Qianyuan suddenly felt nauseous in his empty stomach. He leaned against the wall, took a few seconds to relax, and started playing with his mobile phone.

In fact, she just switched between the open and locked screens. She didn't play games and there were not many people on the chat software. After switching back and forth a few times, the elevator arrived.

After completing all the examinations as usual, the attending physician looked at the images and told her that she could prepare for surgery.

He explained to her: "The pressure from the hematoma in your brain hasn't eased, but its volume hasn't shown any signs of shrinking further, meaning it's unlikely to resorb naturally. Currently, the hematoma's calcification is stable and meets surgical criteria, allowing for complete removal."

Chronic hematoma surgery is not an emergency surgery, so he was not in a hurry to have Lin Qianyuan hospitalized. Knowing Lin Qianyuan's identity and background, the attending physician deliberately avoided the word "parents" and said that he would discuss with his family before deciding when to hospitalize him in the near future.

After all, she has just reached adulthood and is still considered a child, so it is recommended that her family members accompany her.

Family members?

Lin Qianyuan hid a hint of ridicule behind her mask, but it disappeared in an instant. She nodded and said, "Okay."

Lin Qianyuan returned to the small building, and before evening, the person he was looking for came to him.

Mrs. Lin: [When do you plan to have the surgery?]

Lin Qianyuan couldn't understand her. She obviously didn't like him, so why did she have to pretend?

It seems that someone at home or outside has indeed threatened her position. Unable to guess whether it is Lin Jihui or Lin Fusheng's new lover, Lin Qianyuan simply doesn't guess.

She just wanted to laugh. Madam Lin extended an olive branch to her because of internal and external troubles, but did that make her a good person?

But since it was for her own health, there was no need for her to be angry with her now. She had already owed the hospital this favor, and she would repay it.

Lin Qianyuan: [You decide.]

Mrs. Lin: [How about next Monday?] She has a gathering of wealthy ladies this weekend.

Lin Qianyuan touched his ears and said, "Okay."

Mrs. Lin: [I'll pick you up when the time comes.]

This sentence did not require a reply. Lin Qianyuan simply put down his phone and briefly explained a few words to Wu Ma.

Wu Ma understood the meaning of her words and asked excitedly: "Young lady, will you be able to hear sounds in the future?"

Lin Qianyuan lowered his eyes, "If nothing unexpected happens, it is."

Upon hearing this, Wu Ma anxiously wrote with a pen: [Is the probability of success of the operation high?] After writing it, she crossed it out, thinking that no operation is without risks.

Wu Ma flipped the page back and wrote again: [What would you like to eat? I'll make you some extra food over the next few days. You must eat more and stay healthy.]

Lin Qianyuan suddenly raised her head and looked at her, "I want to eat fish." After a few seconds, she lowered her head, "Forget it, Teacher Pei is not here."

"Just like before, just do whatever you want."

Wu Ma listened to these words with an indescribable expression. Seeing Lin Qianyuan about to go upstairs, she walked around to her and said, "Miss, Teacher Pei didn't accept all the money."

Mother Wu took out her cell phone and returned the remaining money.

Lin Qianyuan didn't accept it, "Why?"

Wu Ma didn't know how to summarize the matter in a few words. Seeing this, Lin Qianyuan sat back down, leaning back on the sofa tiredly, and said in a flat tone, "Don't worry, just recall it slowly."

"..." Wu Ma had a sudden inspiration, organizing her words in an instant. "Teacher Pei initially said I didn't need to pay for those days, but you insisted I find a way to get him to accept it. So I repeatedly stressed on the phone that I'd feel really bad if he didn't. He couldn't refuse me, so in the end he only accepted half of the grocery money."

As she was talking, Aunt Wu took out the chat history and showed her the payment screenshot sent by Pei Lanqing.

Lin Qianyuan took a quick glance and knew without even looking that he wouldn't charge her a cent more. She couldn't help but ask, "Why wouldn't he?"

Lin Qianyuan's thoughts were simple. After all, their friendship was short-lived, shallow, and extremely fragile. Constantly making things difficult for the other person wouldn't last long, but she only had money; nothing else could offer her equal return.

Aunt Wu shook her head. Lin Qianyuan didn't expect her to say anything, so she lay back on the sofa and said, "I'll sleep here tonight." After that, she closed her eyes and prepared to rest.

Mother Wu waited silently for a few seconds, then turned off the lights and returned to the backyard.

After a few minutes, Lin Qianyuan opened her eyes, turned sideways, and stared blankly at a spot. After a long while, she opened the chat box with Pei Lanqing and asked, "Teacher Pei, are you asleep?"

It's only nine o'clock now, and Pei Lanqing is still in the library. [Not yet.]

Lin Qianyuan: [Then what are you doing? ]

Pei Lanqing told the truth.

Lin Qianyuan couldn't help but scroll through the chat history. When they weren't seeing each other, he'd almost always reply like this every time she asked him. When they were together, he'd mostly be reading, mostly professional books, and occasionally he'd be seen looking up literature on his phone.

Lin Qianyuan had asked about it in detail before, and Pei Lanqing had explained it to her, but she had been looking at him for so long at that time that her mind was inevitably distracted, and she only vaguely remembered terms like "guaranteed admission to graduate school" and "mentor".

She knew Pei Lanqing had excellent grades. When Liang Siyu was helping her investigate him, he exclaimed, "Wow, the city's top scorer in science? This guy is a nerd."

Taking another look at the area, Liang Siyu was even more impressed. "Let me look through the interview records. Wow, the school teacher said that he has always been the top student in the grade since he was a child. He can be called a genius student."

Now it seems that his good grades are not only due to his talent, but also because he is down-to-earth. He reads books very late and works no less hard than others.

Lin Qianyuan was speechless for a moment, feeling somewhat ashamed. "Did I disturb you?"

Pei Lanqing found it amusing, but remained silent. "Isn't it a little late to say this?"

Lin Qianyuan couldn't be provoked; she would get irritated the moment she got provoked, so she withdrew her previous post and typed on the keyboard in frustration, "Excuse me for interrupting you."

Pei Lanqing seemed to be able to see her expression through the screen, but he just smiled and stopped provoking her.

Lin Qianyuan typed hesitantly, then deleted it, then typed again. After a long while, he confirmed, "Are you still here?"

Pei Lanqing: [Yes, I'm here.]

Lin Qianyuan saw this reply and scratched her hair. Never mind, she didn't ask anymore. She couldn't bring herself to ask. "I'm asleep."

After nearly twenty minutes of tossing and turning, he finally said this. Lin Qianyuan felt like he was just being bored and making fun of others, but Pei Lanqing didn't mind at all. The message he sent showed no sign of temper at all. [Go to sleep.]

Just like when he sat next to her and slept with her before.

Pei Lanqing exited the chat box and picked up the pen again, but he couldn't read the file in front of him at all.

He could probably guess why she was looking for him, and Pei Lanqing breathed a sigh of relief for no reason. Fortunately, she didn't ask, otherwise how would he respond?

Wu Ma was most likely contacting him under her instructions. When he heard this, his first reaction was, is this considered labor payment? What if he didn't consider taking care of her as labor?

Reason told him that he should follow her wishes, cut off their relationship cleanly, and settle the matter with money.

Their relationship originally started with a money transaction, otherwise he would not have known her or become friends with her.

He just lost his mind.

The library's closing bell suddenly rang, the heating turned off, the lights went out one by one, and the surroundings gradually darkened.

Pei Lanqing calmed down and began to pack up the books in front of him.

The temperature in the imperial capital has risen recently. In the early spring, the osmanthus tree in the front yard of the small building has shed its yellowish color and is secretly sprouting new buds.

On Saturday, Pei Lanqing came as usual to help Lin Qianyuan with his homework. It was Wu Ma who opened the door, but unlike before, this time Wu Ma looked at him with a complicated look.

Pei Lanqing still greeted her politely.

Wu Ma responded with a forced smile. After hesitating for a long time, she stopped Pei Lanqing before he went upstairs, "Teacher Pei, you..."

Pei Lanqing smiled gently and waited for her patiently.

Wu Ma suddenly relaxed and finished her story in one breath: "How do you cook?"

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The author has something to say: Wu Ma: I feel like I’m going to lose my job!!!