"Oh, I've already used it," Li Peiyu quickly exclaimed.

"I don't mind," Gu Yan said nonchalantly.

She minded! Li Peiyu hurriedly snatched the chopsticks, wiped them clean with a tissue, and then handed the other side to Gu Yan, saying, "Use this side."

"Li Peiyu, do you mind?" Gu Yan's eyes were sharp.

"No, I'm afraid I might infect you," Li Peiyu quickly explained.

"Is appendicitis contagious?" Gu Yan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I still have a bit of a cough. Cough cough... I caught a chill from the wind on the rooftop last night," Li Peiyu said, sounding quite convincing. Then, feeling guilty, she crawled back into bed.

Gu Yan nodded, believing Li Peiyu's lies.

After Gu Yan finished eating, the nurse came in and cleaned up the mess.

Gu Yan sat quietly at the foot of the bed. After a while, he asked softly, "Are you scared of the surgery tomorrow?"

"I'm not afraid, it's just a minimally invasive procedure," Li Peiyu replied, trying to sound casual.

"I'll be with you for the surgery tomorrow," Gu Yan said with doting eyes.

"But isn't tomorrow the basketball finals?"

"The final is in the afternoon, and the surgery is in the morning, so it won't affect anything."

"Okay," Li Peiyu replied, but she felt a little disappointed. She thought that if Gu Yan came to keep her company, Lu Yuzhi probably wouldn't come. But she couldn't just tell Gu Yan not to come tomorrow, after all, he was so devoted, and if she played him for a fool, she would be struck by lightning.

“I’ll stay with you tonight too,” Gu Yan continued.

"No," Li Peiyu hurriedly refused.

"Don't refuse me, Li Peiyu." Gu Yan's tone left no room for argument.

"No, I really can't sleep with you watching over me. How can I have the surgery tomorrow if I don't sleep well? It will affect the outcome of the surgery," Li Peiyu explained anxiously.

"Why can't you sleep when I'm here? I don't snore, and besides, we've slept in the same bed before, and you always sleep soundly."

Gu Yan's words could easily lead to misunderstandings.

"I was tired and drunk, that's why I fell asleep," Li Peiyu quickly explained.

"Li Peiyu, what are you worried about? I wouldn't go so far as to force myself on you the night before your surgery!"

"No, no. It really does affect my sleep," Li Peiyu insisted.

"Aren't you scared sleeping here all by yourself?"

"What's there to be afraid of?"

"Li Peiyu, this is a hospital, not a hotel. Who knows which bed in a hospital has been used to kill someone?" Gu Yan said, deliberately trying to scare her.

Upon hearing this, Li Peiyu felt a chill run down her spine and involuntarily glanced at the bed she was sleeping on.

"Do you want me to leave?" Gu Yan asked deliberately.

"No, don't go," Li Peiyu said hurriedly, still somewhat frightened.

Gu Yan revealed a wicked smile. This mere young woman dared to challenge him; she was still too naive.

Gu Yan pulled out the leather chair at the head of the bed, turning it into a small bed for a patient. Just as he was about to lie down, there was a knock on the door.

Gu Yan went to open the door, and it was the Dean.

The hospital director was visibly taken aback when he saw Young Master Gu there. Looking at the pulled-out cot, he wondered if Young Master Gu was staying with the patient tonight. The stepmother and adopted son seemed to get along quite well. However, they were about the same age, so there was no generation gap. Besides, young people are open-minded; it's normal for them to get along.

"I've come to check on you," the head doctor said kindly. "Miss Li, is it still in pain?"

Li Peiyu smiled and replied, "It doesn't hurt anymore."

"You two are getting along really well," the dean said, looking at them with a meaningful tone.

Gu Yan was a little confused. "That's good."

“We are alumni and often attend classes together,” Li Peiyu quickly added.

The dean nodded. Gu Yan was, after all, an adopted son, and had no right to interfere with his father's affairs.

Li Peiyu was extremely flustered, fearing that the dean would expose her affair with Lu Yuzhi.

Gu Yan is currently infatuated with her. If he finds out the truth, I wonder if he can resist.

"Alright, Ms. Li, please get some rest and get yourself ready for tomorrow's surgery," the hospital director said gently, his eyes full of concern. "With Dr. Liu performing the surgery, there will definitely be no problems."

"Yes, Dean." Li Peiyu nodded obediently, with a polite smile on her face.

The dean said, "I won't disturb your rest any longer."

"Take care, Dean," Li Peiyu said, watching the dean turn and walk out of the ward before finally letting out a sigh of relief.

"Liu Yidao removed your appendix?" Gu Yan found it unbelievable.

"Hmm." How could she possibly fool him? Li Peiyu's mind raced, and she quickly came up with an idea. "Your dad knows I'm your classmate, so he specially asked Dr. Liu to perform the surgery on me."

"oh."

Li Peiyu pursed her lips, feeling extremely guilty. Gu Yan was too naive; he was easily fooled.

Lu Yuzhi sat in the study of the villa, his mood at its lowest point. In this study, it seemed as if the scent of his kiss with Li Peiyu still lingered, and he remembered each frame of that scene with exceptional clarity.

I really want to see her, but Gu Yan must be at the hospital with her, and he'll definitely be there for surgery tomorrow, so I can't show up.

He once thought Li Peiyu was a ray of light in his dark life, but in the end, it belonged to someone else. And his life would continue to be dark.

The next day, after Li Peiyu was wheeled out of the operating room, Gu Yan took over and wheeled Li Peiyu back to the ward.

Unexpectedly, his father was in the hospital room.

“Dad,” Gu Yan said, a look of surprise on his face.

"I came to the hospital for a meeting today, and I thought I'd drop by to see you all. How did the surgery go?" Lu Yuzhi's voice came calmly.

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