9. Sharing a bed

◎What, you don't want to sleep with me?◎

It was already dark when Xue Lu came out of the tenement building. In the dim light of the street lamp, he glanced at the address sign on the wall—No. 76, Xingfu Road.

He and Song Qinggui walked in silence. Song Qinggui found a bench, sat down, and used his mobile phone to call a taxi.

Song Qinggui suddenly remembered that, because she was eager to see the stars, she had arranged for the airport's same-city courier to deliver her and Xu Du's luggage to the hotel after getting off the plane. A hotel in Cangcheng… Xue Lu probably wouldn't be used to it.

She said, "We don't have any high-end hotels here, just regular chain hotels. The one we booked is already considered pretty good in Cangcheng. Let's just make do for two nights."

“I’m not that delicate,” Xue Lu said.

More than these trivial matters, he wanted to hear Song Qinggui say something else, such as who that woman was, what their relationship was, and whether her dating only rich men in the past few years was related to this woman, etc., but Song Qinggui said nothing.

Noticing Xue Lu's gaze, Song Qinggui looked at him, his eyes showing obvious fatigue.

"Did I scare you?" Song Qinggui asked.

“Not quite,” Xue Lu replied. “I’m just very surprised. You…”

Just then, a car horn sounded; the car that Song Qinggui had called had arrived.

“Rules of conduct.” Lawyer Xue walked with her toward the taxi, but did not want to end the conversation.

After the two settled into the back seat, Song Qinggui spoke up: "I'm tired today and want some peace and quiet, and I also want to get a good night's sleep. How about tomorrow? Tomorrow I'll take you to one of our islands. You can ask me anything then."

"Okay." Xue Lu did not insist.

Half an hour later, the two arrived at the chain hotel, collected their luggage, and checked in. The receptionist apologized to Song Qinggui: "Ms. Song, the twin room you booked is unavailable. We'll upgrade you to a business king room and include breakfast for both of you for two days. Is that alright?"

Song Qinggui looked annoyed, but was more tired: "I booked the room yesterday. If there weren't any available, why did your app show that there were rooms available? And shouldn't you have contacted me beforehand to explain?"

The young receptionist, who seemed to have only recently started working, blushed and said, "Ms. Song, I'm so sorry, it was our hotel's mistake. Is there anything else you need? We..."

“Okay.” Xue Lu interrupted the girl, “A double room is fine, which floor is it on?”

The young girl felt as if she had been granted a pardon and thanked Xue Lu repeatedly.

Song Qinggui got into the elevator with a dark expression: "Heh, you're so understanding, letting me play all the bad guys."

Xue Lu smiled and said, "What, you don't want to sleep with me?"

That was an ambiguous statement, and Song Qinggui rolled his eyes: "I'm a restless sleeper, you'll behave if I kick you off the bed."

Xue Lu's smile deepened: "I've never been kicked off the bed before, this is quite a novelty."

The environment of the hotel in the county town was indeed a bit poor. Even though it was the best room type that the front desk had mentioned, the furnishings were still very simple. Song Qinggui took out toiletries and pajamas: "I'm going to take a shower."

"Are you hungry? Do you want to eat?" Xue Lu asked.

"I'm not eating," Song Qinggui replied. "If you're hungry, you can order takeout or go for a walk downstairs. The fish ball soup and rice noodle soup here are quite good, and the plum wine is also delicious. You can try it."

Song Qinggui took a nice hot shower, and when she came out of the bathroom, she found that Xue Lu hadn't changed her clothes and was still sitting in the same position as before she took the shower.

Xue Lu stood up: "You should get some rest. I'm going out to get something to eat. I just asked the front desk, and they have spare room keys, so you don't need to wait for me."

"Hmm." Song Qinggui had no suspicions: "It's getting late, come back soon. You look too rich and noble, it's not safe for you."

Song Qinggui rarely gave Xue Lu such instructions, and he felt pleased, so he couldn't help but tease him: "Worried about me?"

Song Qinggui said seriously, "If anything happens to you in Cangcheng, I will not be able to explain it to your Xue family."

Xue Lu smiled to himself, thinking to himself, "Song Qinggui really has a stubborn tongue."

As soon as he stepped out of the hotel, Xue Lu's smile vanished, and he hailed a taxi.

“No. 76, Xingfu Road,” said Lawyer Xue.

The taxi started moving immediately.

...

At nine o'clock in the evening, there was a knock on the door. Meng Yuxing opened the door and looked surprised. She did not expect that the man would return, and that he was alone.

Although Song Qinggui remained tight-lipped, Meng Yuxing knew the identity of the man in front of her. He was Song Qinggui's husband and one of the richest men in Lancheng, perhaps even the wealthiest.

Meng Yuxing was somewhat flustered and at a loss.

Xue Lu said, "Don't be nervous. I'm just here to ask you some questions. You're related to Qing Gui, so we're family."

Meng Yuxing nodded awkwardly and led Xue Lu inside.

This time, Xue Lu removed the dirty clothes from the sofa and sat down. At this moment, a shirtless man who had just finished showering came out of the bathroom. He was around forty years old, tall and thin, but had a good appearance, though his face had a strong roguish air about him.

The man frowned as he looked at Xue Lu, who returned his gaze with an open and honest expression.

Meng Yuxing forced a smile and introduced the two: "Feng Zhe, this is Qinggui's husband."

After saying that, she turned to Lawyer Xue and said, "This is my boyfriend."

"Hello." Xue Lu softened his tone first: "I am Xue Lu, Qing Gui's husband."

"Husband?" The man tossed the towel he was using to dry his hair aside. "More like a sugar daddy."

After saying that, he sat down next to Meng Yuxing, put his arm around her shoulder, and said frivolously, "Look, it's our Qinggui who's really capable, able to sell himself for a high price. You, on the other hand, can only spend your whole life with someone like me."

"Feng Zhe, speak properly!" Meng Yuxing spat at the man, then looked at Xue Lu apologetically: "Um... Xue... Xue Lu, right? Don't mind him, my boyfriend doesn't speak nicely, but he didn't mean any harm."

Xue Lu didn't care whether Feng Zhe had malicious intent or not. He could tolerate it for Song Qinggui's sake. Moreover, the person he came to talk to today was Meng Yuxing.

Xue Lu turned her gaze to Meng Yuxing, who looked very uneasy.

Xue Lu did his best to appear gentle: "Qing Gui is the kind of person who only reports good news and not bad news. She doesn't talk to me much about your family matters. I came here to find out more."

“Mm,” Meng Yuxing replied.

Xue Lu: "Um... I didn't mean to offend you..."

"I know." Meng Yuxing sensed Xue Lu's caution and interrupted him: "I know you mean no harm. You can just ask me whatever you want."

"Okay." Xue Lu breathed a sigh of relief: "What...what illness do you have?"

Meng Yuxing had anticipated this question, so he didn't hesitate much: "Uremia."

Lawyer Xue: "When was it discovered?"

Meng Yuxing: "About nine years ago, I was always nauseous and vomiting, and I felt weak all over. I thought it was just gastroenteritis, but it just wouldn't get better, so I went to the hospital for a checkup, and that's when they found out..."

Although Xue Lu studied medicine and did not work on the front line of clinical practice after graduation, he could roughly deduce from the conversation between Song Qinggui and Meng Yuxing today that he asked this question to verify it further.

Peritoneal dialysis is a treatment for uremia, administered two to three times a week. In first-tier cities like Lancheng, hospitals with advanced medical technology can charge between 600 and 1,000 yuan per dialysis session. In county towns like Cangcheng, the cost may be slightly lower, but not by much.

Over nine years, peritoneal dialysis alone has become a huge expense, not to mention other costs such as examinations, hospitalization, and treatment for complications. And judging from Meng Yuxing's appearance, he doesn't seem to have medical insurance…

Nine years ago, Song Qinggui was just a sophomore in college.

Thinking of this, Xue Lu felt a pang of pain in her heart. If Song Qinggui was treating Meng Yuxing, then she... really needed money.

"You can go to Lancheng, to the hospital I run. The medical resources in big cities are much better than here, and it's easier to find kidney donors," Xue Lu suggested, deliberately avoiding the issue of money.

Meng Yuxing's eyes reddened, and she shook her head firmly: "No...no, I...I already owe Qinggui enough. If it weren't for her, I would have died long ago. I can't live in a big city like this...Qinggui would be under even more pressure then, and I can't be any more of a burden to her..."

"So, can you work here?" Lawyer Xue asked a more practical question.

Meng Yuxing forced a smile: "Yes, I can. When I'm in a good mood, I can work at the courier station downstairs and earn some money. Besides, there's no housing pressure here. This apartment belongs to my boyfriend... As you can see, this building is too old and dilapidated. It can't be sold and won't fetch much money, but living here saves us some rent..."

Xue Lu then turned to look at Feng Zhe. He had heard Song Qinggui say that this man was a gambler: "What about you? Do you have a proper job?"

The man's fierce expression suddenly intensified, and Meng Yuxing explained, "He does have one. He works as a cashier at the billiard hall. He's also in poor health and can't do any heavy work."

Xue Lu frowned, staring at Feng Zhe: "What illness do you have?"

He was clearly no longer as polite as when he spoke to Meng Yuxing.

Feng Zhe tightened his jaw muscles and remained silent. It was Meng Yuxing who spoke: "Ankylosing spondylitis, the pain can be unbearable."

Xue Lu's heart sank again. Ankylosing spondylitis is known as the "cancer that doesn't kill," as it cannot be completely cured and prevents prolonged physical labor.

Xue Lu sighed inwardly. He took out a business card and a credit card from his pocket and handed them to Meng Yuxing. He had prepared them in advance.

“I’ll have someone handle the credit card authorization; you can use it for treatment at various hospitals. I’ll keep the bills, and you can pay them back slowly once you’re cured and able to.” Xue Lu said sincerely, “Also, I hope you’ll consider my suggestion. I can cover your accommodation and daily expenses in Lancheng. If you change your mind, please contact me anytime.”

“I can’t…” Meng Yuxing refused.

Xue Lu insisted on putting the card in her hand: "I'm not doing this for you, but for Qinggui. I want her to be happy. If you live well, she will be happier."

Upon hearing this, Meng Yuxing's eyes welled up with tears before she finally grasped the card.

Before he could even grasp it, Feng Zhe snatched it away and threw it back at Xue Lu: "Who wants your filthy money?! You two are truly birds of a feather, thinking that just because we give you a few coins we'll be grateful and bow down to you? Let me tell you, we don't need to! Go back and tell Song Qinggui that I'll pay her back the money I owe her sooner or later! Don't try to put on airs in front of me!"

"Feng Zhe, what are you doing?!" Meng Yuxing pulled the emotionally distraught Feng Zhe back.

Xue Lu was not angry. He picked up the bank card from his body, stood up to face the two of them, and handed the card back to Meng Yuxing, but his eyes were always fixed on Feng Zhe.

"Do you know what the most pitiful thing about a person is?" Xue Lu asked in a deep voice.

Feng Zhe remained silent, his neck stiff.

Xue Lu said calmly, "It's just a person who has no family background, no ability, no ambition, no self-control, but still wants to have dignity."

The veins on Feng Zhe's neck bulged with anger.

Xue Lu approached him, his gaze sharp and intimidating: "Stop gambling, or I have a better place for you than this dilapidated house, such as... a mental hospital or a prison."

...

It was already 11 p.m. when I got back to the hotel, and the lights were off.

After Xue Lu quietly washed up, he came to the bedside. The semi-transparent curtains let in some moonlight, and he could see Song Qinggui's appearance.

She didn't have a bad sleeping posture as she claimed; on the contrary, she slept very quietly, even cautiously.

The air conditioner was set to 25°C. A small section of the thin blanket was spread out, which was supposed to only cover her stomach, but she was now curled up, hiding her entire body under the blanket, leaving only her head and toes sticking out. She looked like a cat that hunted its prey during the day and slaughtered its prey, but was left all alone at night.

Xue Lu pursed his lips, lay down on the bed, and gently hugged her from behind.

Song Qinggui was fast asleep, only letting out a soft moan before drifting off to sleep again.

Xue Lu gently leaned closer to her, kissed her ear, and then closed his eyes.