Now, the class really does have an even number of students.

During the hospital examination, Fu Tianlei's creatine kinase level reached 458, indicating viral myocarditis. He was admitted to the hospital on the same day he went there. The doctor said that his condition may not look much different from that of a normal person, but the pain can be excruciating, so it cannot be taken lightly.

The homeroom teacher was so frightened that she quickly contacted Fu Tianlei's parents. After waiting for a long time, Fu Tianlei's parents finally came. Fu Tianlei's parents were both business people and their family was quite well-off. They took a plane back to Weicheng overnight.

Finally, the doctor advised Fu Tianlei to stay in the hospital temporarily until he felt better, at which point he could return home to recuperate, requiring absolute bed rest. As for the recovery period, he could recover within a month if things went smoothly, but if it was slower, it was hard to say.

The doctor had barely finished speaking when Fu Tianlei's mother burst into tears. "Doctor, my son is only nineteen! He's just started university! How could this happen..."

The doctor, with an expression of being used to such cases, adjusted his glasses and continued to explain, "Myocarditis varies from person to person, so don't be too nervous. If you, as parents, panic, then the child will be even more at a loss. As long as you follow the doctor's instructions carefully, there is a high chance that he will recover to a normal state."

Hearing this, Mrs. Fu finally came to her senses, wiped away her tears, and managed to compose herself. "Yes, yes, thank you, doctor, thank you, doctor..."

Mr. Fu found Teacher Qin and thanked him profusely. He had just heard from the doctor that if he hadn't been taken to the hospital in time, something could have happened.

Teacher Qin dared not take credit, and pointed to Qin You standing to the side, "It was Qin You who noticed it first, and it was he who first sent someone to the hospital."

Fu's mother turned to Qin You, her eyes reddening again, "Classmate, thank you so much. If it weren't for you, Tianlei..."

Qin You smiled reassuringly, "It's nothing, it's just my duty. Don't worry too much, Tianlei will get better."

Fu's parents managed a forced smile; that was all they could hope for.

...

After settling things with the Fu family, Teacher Qin took Qin You and left the hospital. It was almost 11:30 p.m., and it was pitch black outside with very dim streetlights.

Qin You remembered something and asked his teacher, Qin, who was standing next to him, "Teacher, will Fu Tianlei... take a leave of absence from school?"

Teacher Qin thought for a while before nodding and saying, "Very likely."

Qin You thought about Fu Tianlei's appearance before leaving and felt a pang of emotion. Even if he used his "Myriad Faces" technique, he might not be able to cure myocarditis. Although he could save Fu Tianlei's life, it was practically impossible for him to fully recover and return to a normal life. He could only try to make Fu Tianlei's life as close to that of a normal person as possible.

The teacher and student returned to the car in silence for a while. Only then did Teacher Qin ask Qin You, "Oh, by the way, I heard your family studies traditional Chinese medicine?"

“Uh…” Qin You hesitated for a second, “I guess so, it’s from a family background.”

Teacher Qin chuckled, perhaps out of curiosity, "Family tradition, huh? That's good, very practical."

Qin You didn't respond, and the car fell silent again until, after a while, Teacher Qin spoke up again—

"The teacher should thank you. If you hadn't been so quick-witted, who knows what kind of accident might have happened..."

Ultimately, Teacher Qin was also frightened. In just the past two days, he had witnessed two students get injured. The former was somewhat due to the student's own actions, while the latter was a result of his inadequate care. If he had noticed Fu Tianlei's fever and cold earlier, perhaps the outcome would have been different...

Qin You shook his head. "There's no need for thanks. I just did what I should do."

"Hmm, very good," Teacher Qin didn't say much more. He preferred action to words. "Alright, it's getting late. Let's hurry back to school, or we won't be able to get in..."

...

The next day, everyone knew that Fu Tianlei was sick and hospitalized. It's no wonder they were gossiping; the commotion the night before was so great that by the end, everyone who knew the details knew.

However, unlike Fang Zhe, Fu Tianlei's illness does not require him to repeat the course. If nothing unexpected happens, he can basically be exempted from physical education classes in the future.

"Holy crap, really?! It's really possible to skip the course? My brother said college sports are really tough..." Fang Zhe's words even carried a hint of envy. To put it bluntly, since it hadn't happened to him, he only saw the advantages and not the disadvantages.

Qin You glanced at him and said, "Don't tell Fu Tianlei what you're saying. He's annoyed with you."

Fang Zhe nodded hurriedly, "Of course, I'm just saying that, I won't tell anyone else but you."

"Okay, that's all for now. I'm going to the playground. What do you want for lunch? I'll bring it back for you."

"Ahhh, I love you! I'm not a picky eater, I'll eat whatever you eat! You're super easy to feed!"

Qin You looked at him with utter disdain, shook his head, and left the dormitory.

On the other side, Xu Qian's brother Hua had just finished breakfast, a simple bowl of noodles with soybean paste. He had kneaded the noodles the day before and prepared the soybean paste in advance and put it in the refrigerator. All he had to do the next morning was fry an egg, blanch some noodles and vegetables, and that would be it. It was perfect for weekday efficiency.

Xu Qian's job today is to go to Guangyi to shoot a music video. He's already listened to the demo, and well... it's a rather eerie song. Judging from the lyrics, it seems to be a story about lovers separated by death, set in modern times (similar to the Republican era). The script for the music video that Guangyi sent even includes a scene of a ghost marriage...

Xu Qian seriously doubted whether anyone would actually listen to such a song. In any case, the song didn't give him a pleasant feeling; it was gloomy and full of ghostly energy. Maybe it was because he was getting old and couldn't understand the trends of modern youth.

But when it comes to work, he, as the contractor, simply follows the client's requirements.

After breakfast, Xu Qian and his assistant Yan Lang drove to the filming location rented by Guangyi. The trunk was full of instant noodles and some snacks. The filming location was quite far from where they were staying, in a well-known small village in Weicheng. It had a lot of buildings from different eras, which could be described as ancient residences. Considering the background of the song, it was truly authentic.

Guangyi plans to shoot this music video for 2-3 days. During these days, they will stay in the village, where the conditions are obviously not as good as in the city, especially in terms of food. That's why Yan Lang prepared a lot of food in advance and put it in the trunk for emergencies.

Yan Lang drove for nearly an hour, and Xu Qian slept in the car for an hour before they finally arrived at the filming location—Xiamei Village.

Just like its name suggests, this small village is full of plum trees. Unfortunately, it is summer now, and it is still a long way from the plum blossoms. There are only a few green trees that are not yet plum blossoms, so they will not have the chance to feast their eyes on them.

Yan Lang stopped his car, and several work vehicles were already parked next to it, all bearing the logo of Guangyi Company. This showed how much Guangyi Company valued this singer, having allocated so many personnel.

In comparison, Xu Qian's arrival seemed rather 'shabby', but that's understandable. He doesn't have a big company like Guangyi backing him up, so he'd better just stay a nobody.

Led by a staff member from Guangyi, the two first went to the place where they would be staying for the time being. It was slightly better than they had expected. It was a residential building with four or five floors. Although the space on the first floor was not large, it looked clean enough.

Yan Lang was left to handle the luggage, while Xu Qian and another staff member went to the filming location, an old house behind the residential buildings. Compared to other places, this old house was quite eye-catching, exuding a strong sense of history from the inside out. It was clearly the residence of someone of status. It was a mystery how Guangyi and the others managed to rent the house.

However, none of this has anything to do with Xu Qian.

Entering through the hanging flower gate in front of the gate, the first thing you see is a small lotus pond. The pond is obviously well-maintained, not only is it not messy, but there are also a few lotus flowers blooming. Further ahead, there is a screen wall, the upper half of which is curved, corresponding to the hanging pillars outside the gate.

As the two went deeper inside, the voices grew closer. Xu Qian vaguely heard a few words: "Can we still film in this state?" and "This might cause an accident." Thinking that something might have happened inside, he took the initiative to ask the staff member next to him. However, the staff member seemed to know nothing about it either, and was even more confused than him.

"Let's go in and take a look." Xu Qian went in first, and the staff member followed him in.

A large crowd had gathered in front of them, as if something extraordinary had happened. Everyone crowded around, and just as Xu Qian was about to join in, someone spoke up—it was a man in his thirties, of medium build, neither fat nor thin, with glasses perched on his nose, the kind of face you'd forget after seeing it once.

"What are you all doing here? Are you all just sitting around doing nothing? Are you bored?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd scattered like birds and beasts, quickly making way for Xu Qian, who then saw clearly what they were surrounding—

It was a stone lion, a stone lion stained with blood and tears.

Xu Qian was taken aback at first, then he remembered the lotus pond outside. He vaguely remembered that stone lions and water were incompatible, and people usually wouldn't place the two so close together; and then there was this stone lion with blood and tears, the stone lion bleeding... foreshadowing disaster.

"Go about your own business and don't crowd around here—" the man who had spoken earlier said again, this time with a louder and more stern tone.

Xu Qian listened carefully to the conversations of the people around him and guessed that this person was the person in charge of this project. He heard that Guangyi and the others had only arrived at the site yesterday. He wondered if they had finished scouting the location. Now that this incident had happened, given the common superstitious practices in the entertainment industry, the work probably wouldn't be completed smoothly... Xu Qian sighed inwardly and looked around the house. The originally antique house seemed to have become somewhat gloomy because of the blood stone lion, vaguely revealing an unusual atmosphere.

He turned to leave, but suddenly a loud clap of thunder echoed through the clear, cloudless sky. As the thunder subsided, dark clouds covered the sky at an unusual speed, plunging the entire sky into darkness.

Within seconds, a torrential downpour began, soaking everything outside the eaves.

Then, a footprint appeared in the corridor...

Author's Note: The second update will be this afternoon. I've been incredibly busy these past two days (being a designer means having to work on Saturdays and Sundays, it's tough~).

***