Chapter 12 Sanatorium

Chapter Summary: Aunt Yu Jing will always love you.

The steaming hot oden was still bubbling, and the rice balls had been specially heated in a microwave.

Fu Xianyin, biting into a fish ball, said the same thing for who knows how many times: "Thank you, class monitor."

Gu Linzhao took a sip of mango pomelo sago and said, "Eat up, I'll buy you more if you're not full."

Fu Xianyin: ...

Gu Linzhao bought a total of three rice balls and three boxes of oden.

Fu Xianyin even suspected that he had ordered one of every kind of oden at the convenience store.

She hadn't eaten all day, but she shouldn't be that hungry.

Fu Xianyin was eating, while Gu Linzhao across from her was playing on his phone, occasionally glancing up to see how she was eating before looking down again.

Neither of them spoke, but the atmosphere was not awkward.

Almost as he swallowed the last bite of the rice ball, Gu Linzhao looked up at her and asked, "Finished eating?"

Fu Xianyin nodded.

Gu Linzhao pushed the phone's chat interface right in front of Fu Xianyin's eyes and said, "Cheng Zhaozhao is looking for you."

Fu Xianyin looked down at the chat history.

16:48 PM

Cheng Zhaozhao:

[The cultural performance will have a rehearsal next Wednesday.]

17:16 PM

Gu Linzhao:

OK.

20:07

Cheng Zhaozhao:

[Yinyin hasn't replied to my message. We need to wear formal attire for rehearsal. You two should go check out renting one tomorrow.]

[Remember to tell her too.]

20:14

Gu Linzhao:

OK.

Fu Xianyin quickly checked her phone.

She had always set her WeChat to not send system message notifications when WeChat was not open, but when she opened WeChat, her phone started ringing a series of notifications.

Fu Xianyin opened Cheng Zhaozhao's chat box first.

Cheng Zhaozhao:

[Yinyin, how's your homework going?]

[This is so hard! Why is it so hard?!]

[crying.jpg]

[By the way, don't forget the rehearsal for the cultural performance next Wednesday.]

[Waaaaah, I really, really, really don't want to do my homework.]

[You still need to wear a formal dress for rehearsals! Bao, you and Gu Linzhao should find some time to rent one, or I can go with you tomorrow!]

[Oh, I forgot, you won't be in Beichuan tomorrow.]

[By the way, Lin Anxu told me that Gu Linzhao is also in Linlan. You two can go see him tomorrow.]

[However, if you rent in Linlan, you still have to go back to Linlan to exchange it, which is quite a hassle.]

Fu Xianyin quickly replied:

[Sorry, I didn't check my phone this afternoon]

[Puppy crying.jpg]

Cheng Zhaozhao replied instantly:

[It's okay, Yinyin! It's good that you saw this!]

Fu Xianyin:

[Yes, I saw it.]

[I ran into Gu Linzhao in Linlan. I'll sort out the dress in the next couple of days!]

Cheng Zhaozhao:

[Yay!]

[Tell me what's wrong.]

Fu Xianyin:

[Uh-huh. ]

After replying to Cheng Zhaozhao's message, Fu Xuanyin scrolled down and found that Fu Yeyang had also sent her a message, inviting her to dinner the next day.

Fu Xianyin didn't say she was in Linlan, only that she had something to do tomorrow and would make an appointment another time.

After replying to the message, Fu Xianyin looked up and found that Gu Linzhao had already put the rice ball and oden packaging bags into plastic bags.

He tied the plastic bag shut and asked, "Are you free tomorrow afternoon about the dress?"

He then added, "If you rent in Linlan, you can mail it back to return it. If you don't rent it tomorrow, you'll probably have to ask for leave from evening self-study on Monday or Tuesday to rent it. Or you can buy it if you want."

Fu Xianyin: "Buy it."

Renting and then having to return it is such a hassle.

She glanced at the time; it wasn't even 8:30 yet, and several shopping malls in Linlan City were still open. She looked out the window; the raindrops, which had been as big as beans, had thinned considerably, and now only a light drizzle remained.

She said, "How about we go buy it now?"

Gu Linzhao: "Okay, let's go."

It wasn't until she got in the car that Fu Xianyin belatedly realized how Gu Linzhao had so naturally gone with her to buy a dress.

And surprisingly, she didn't refuse; in fact, she even seemed a little...

Habit?

She had only known Gu Linzhao for less than a week, so why would she use that word?

Has her Chinese language skills deteriorated? Sure enough, after not studying for so long, not only can she not solve science problems, but her Chinese vocabulary and sentence structure are also problematic.

She turned to look out the window, a strange feeling welling up inside her.

Linlan is not as bustling as Beichuan, but at night, the lights gradually come on on both sides of the wide Lan River, and the interlocking buildings stand side by side. The brilliant lights illuminate the dark and calm Lan River, echoing the bridges that span the river.

This is a view that cannot be seen in Beichuan.

This is also the scenery that Fu Xianyin has been watching for more than ten years.

The car drove across the bridge and slowly stopped on the other side of the river. Fu Xianyin thanked the driver, got out of the car, and pulled her suitcase into the mall.

She walked up to the elevator with practiced ease, with Gu Linzhao following beside her, watching as Fu Xianyin pressed the button for the third floor with a clear purpose.

Ding-dong

The elevator doors opened, and Fu Xianyin had only taken two steps when she heard a familiar voice beside her:

"Lin Zhao?"

Fu Xianyin turned around and saw Gu Linzhao's aunt carrying bags full of bags, smiling as she walked towards them:

"I came to buy something for your aunt. Didn't you say you were going to the river? Why did you come here?"

Gu Linzhao: "I ran into her by the river. We have a performance at the arts festival next week, so I came with her to buy a dress."

Fu Xianyin obediently said, "Hello, Auntie."

Hello, hello.

Zou Yuqin smiled as she looked at the little girl in front of her.

After yesterday's mental exercise, Zou Yuqin liked Fu Xianyin more and more. She smiled and said, "Auntie just saw a few shops that would suit you. Let's go take a look."

Fu Xianyin smiled sweetly and nodded: "Okay, thank you, Auntie."

It must be said that Zou Yuqin has a very good eye, and her aesthetic sense is even very similar to that of Fu Xianyin.

Fu Xianyin liked all the dresses that Cheng Zhaozhao had chosen for her. Fu Xianyin took out her phone, took pictures, and sent them to Cheng Zhaozhao.

Fu Xianyin:

[I'm picking out a dress, which of these three do you think looks best?]

Cheng Zhaozhao replied instantly:

[OMG! Yinyin, you're so beautiful!]

[Waaaaah, they all look so good! It's my loss that I can't see you wear these three dresses in person.]

[I'm sorry, baby, you're too beautiful, I can't find anything to criticize.]

Fu Xianyin smiled as she read Cheng Zhaozhao's messages.

She scrolled through the photos and quickly made a decision: "Then I'll take the white one."

Zou Yuqin nodded, "Okay, I actually like this one too. It makes people look more noble."

Fu Xianyin paid the bill decisively, picked up the packed bag, and Zou Yuqin took her hand. The two walked out together.

Zou Yuqin kept talking the whole way.

They asked her how she was doing in Beichuan, whether she was adapting to school, and if she had encountered any difficulties.

Even when the car arrived at Jingyuan Hotel, Zou Yuqin still wanted to take Fu Xianyin up there.

Fu Xianyin quickly said, "No need, Auntie, I can go up by myself. It's getting late, you should all go back and rest too."

Zou Yuqin rolled down the car window and said, "Okay, you should get some rest when you get back. See you at the airport tomorrow."

After walking a few steps, Fu Xianyin's phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket.

She initially thought it was Cheng Zhaozhao and planned to go upstairs before returning. However, when she arrived at the hotel, opened her phone, and checked WeChat, she discovered it was Gu Linzhao.

Gu Linzhao:

[Sorry, my aunt is just very outgoing.]

He was referring to the fact that he kept nagging Fu Xianyin along the way.

Fu Xianyin:

[It's okay, Auntie likes me a lot, and I like Auntie a lot too.]

Generally speaking, elders usually like me quite a bit.

She sent another playful cat emoji.

Gu Linzhao looked at the kitten sticking out its tongue and smiled.

Fu Xianyin was telling the truth.

Although Zou Yuqin kept rambling on, she asked very tactful questions. She didn't ask about Fu Xianyin's family, or why she, a native of Linlan, was staying in a hotel alone in Linlan. She didn't even ask how Gu Linzhao had met her by chance by the river.

Every question ultimately focused on Fu Xianyin, something Fu Xianyin could sense.

Therefore, although she was somewhat unaccustomed to it, she did not dislike it.

Enveloped in the soft bed, Fu Xianyin suddenly thought in a daze that Gu Linzhao's elders were also so kind, so it was no wonder that Gu Linzhao was also so kind.

The next day, early morning.

Fu Xianyin set her alarm for 8 o'clock. After washing up, she took a taxi to the vegetable market to buy some fresh fruit, then went to a roadside flower shop to buy a bouquet of flowers, and then went straight to the sanatorium.

The sanatorium was located in a relatively remote part of Linlan City. As the tall buildings around her gradually receded into the distance, Fu Xianyin opened the car window a crack and smelled the scent of grass mixed with soil.

As the car slowed down, the narrow road gradually widened, and Fu Xianyin saw the familiar gate appear before her, suddenly speaking up:

"Master, you can stop here."

The driver was taken aback: "Young lady, you're carrying quite a lot of things. The map shows there are still several hundred meters to go. How about I take you there?"

Fu Xianyin shook her head and insisted, "No need, Master. I can walk over here."

The master couldn't persuade her otherwise, so he had no choice but to stop there.

Fu Xianyin carried flowers in her left hand and a bunch of fruit in her right, walking towards the sanatorium.

"This child."

The driver watched Fu Xianyin's retreating figure, muttered something, and then turned around and drove away.

She had walked this road countless times.

She started walking because she wanted to atone for her sins, but even more so because she couldn't get over it in her heart. At such a young age, she insisted that the driver stop the car at the entrance of the sanatorium, and then walked this long road.

Later, as Fu Xianyin grew older, what used to be a long road was actually only a few hundred meters long.

She still maintained the habit of walking over, even though she was always carrying a lot of things.

Registration is required for visiting a sanatorium. Fu Xianyin put the fruit on the ground, clenched her fingers which were white from being squeezed by the heavy objects, and said to the staff, "My name is Fu Xianyin, and I am visiting Lin Yujing at Chunjiang Residence."

She wrote down her name and handed over her ID card.

The staff member made a phone call and then said, "Come with me."

Fu Xianyin picked up the fruit and got into the car with the staff.

This is a private sanatorium where everyone lives alone in their own room with a courtyard. Doctors help them with their health checkups, and dedicated staff take care of their daily needs.

The sanatorium was very large. After driving for nearly 10 minutes, Fu Xianyin looked at the three characters "Chunjiangju" and the smiling woman at the entrance, took a deep breath, thanked the staff, and got out of the car with flowers and fruit in her arms.

"Yinyin."

A gentle breeze ruffled Lin Yujing's long hair. She gathered her shawl around her neck and was about to take the heavy object from Fu Xianyin's hands.

"Aunt Yujing, please take this."

Fu Xianyin handed the flowers to Lin Yujing, and followed Lin Yujing across the courtyard and into the house.

The room was clean and tidy. Fu Xianyin placed the fruits that needed washing in the sink and put oranges and bananas in the fruit basket on the coffee table.

After doing all this, she helped Lin Yujing sit down by the window, then moved a small stool to sit next to her and asked:

"How is Aunt Yujing feeling today?"

"I'm fine today, Yinyin."

As she spoke, she shook a bracelet on her wrist: "My sister-in-law and her family just came by. This is a bracelet she bought for me. What do you think? Isn't it pretty?"

"yes."

Fu Xianyin nodded: "It looks great, and it suits you very well."

Lin Yujing laughed even more heartily upon hearing this.

"Aunt Yujing, I've transferred to Beichuan to study."

As Fu Xianyin spoke, she peeled an apple. Lin Yujing muttered thoughtfully, "Beichuan, such a familiar place. How is it there? Has anyone bullied you, Yinyin?"

Fu Xianyin peeled the apple into a bowl: "Beichuan is where Aunt Yujing grew up. It's a very nice place. No one bullied me. All the people I met were very kind."

Lin Yujing belatedly exclaimed, "Oh, so this is where I grew up. My memory is getting worse and worse."

"No, Aunt Yujing has the best memory." Fu Xianyin used a toothpick to pick up a piece of apple and fed it to Lin Yujing.

She said, "However, I may not be able to visit Aunt Yujing as often in the future."

Lin Yujing's expression visibly lowered slightly, but she quickly smiled gently again: "Then Xianyin must take good care of herself, in..."

"Beichuan."

Fu Xianyin gently reminded him.

Lin Yujing: "This is where I grew up. Is Xianyin going to study here? My sister-in-law is also from Beichuan. Tell her to take good care of Xianyin for me in Beichuan."

Fu Xianyin's eyes reddened, and she bit her lower lip to suppress the sob that was about to escape her throat: "No need, Aunt Yujing, I'm doing very well in Beichuan."

"Is someone bullying you?"

"No, everyone I've met has been very kind."

"The people of Beichuan are very kind. Xianyin, please take good care of yourself in Beichuan."

"If you're unhappy, come find Aunt Yujing. Aunt Yujing will always love you."