Chapter 32 She had no choice but to continue unbuttoning his clothes until all of them were unbuttoned.
After an unknown amount of time, Tong Zhongyuan felt the feeling of exhaustion, of not even being able to lift a finger, gradually fade away. His eyelids were still heavy, and he opened them slightly. The ward was quiet and dark, with only the light of the vital monitor on, beeping regularly. He tried to lift his fingers and felt something furry. He tried to turn his head to the side. Qin Tian had fallen asleep beside him, and he touched her hair. The green light of the vital monitor reflected on her face. She frowned, and there were traces of tears on her cheeks.
He wasn't completely unconscious, he was just too tired to open his eyes. He knew it was Qin Tian who carried him to the car. He heard her panic when she begged for a doctor, and her tears when she learned he would be fine.
He clearly couldn't remember much about his childhood, but on a night like this, the memories flashed through his mind page by page, as clear as if it happened yesterday.
He was three months older than Qin Tian, yet she kept calling him Tong Zhongyuan. He'd tricked Qin Tian out of the academy, and she'd gotten lost, fallen, and started crying. He'd carried her back. She'd wrapped her arms around his neck, completely unmoved by his anger, whispering the words he'd longed to hear: "Brother Zhongyuan."
He remembered her smile, her tears, her temper. His heart was damaged, so it felt bitter and painful, and he felt an indescribable fear. It was like Harry Potter standing at King's Station for the first time, afraid and timid, afraid of the magnificent magical world that was about to open its wings to him.
Qin Yizhang stroked her hair with his fingers. "I'm sorry I scared you. I won't let you cry again."
At daybreak, Qin Tian woke up. She glanced at the vital signs monitor. Although she didn't understand, at least it was green. His condition shouldn't have worsened. She leaned in to look at his face. The white mist produced by his breathing sprayed regularly into the respirator. He seemed calmer than yesterday.
Before the doctor's rounds, Tong Zhongyuan was still sound asleep. The nurse told him not to worry, saying he needed to rest. The head doctor from the International Department came to check on him, took all his reports, and carefully examined them for a long time. He assured her, "As long as he recovers well and rests, there won't be any sequelae. Another blood test tomorrow. If the numbers continue to drop, you can go home."
She asked if they could take a plane or a train. He looked at her with the expression of an ignorant child and asked, "What do you think?"
Finally, he told me to come back two weeks after discharge for a blood test and an electrocardiogram. He also told me to avoid stimulating foods, caffeinated beverages, and alcohol for a year.
When she returned from the director's office, Tong Zhongyuan had already woken up. He lay on the hospital bed, staring intently at her until her face appeared right above him.
"You're awake." She said it in affirmation, with touching joy in her voice.
He still looked at her silently, and he raised his hand and pointed at the respirator. She knew what he meant, he wanted to take it off.
"No." She shook her head. "You have to wear it. Just hold on a little longer. The doctor said if your blood test results improve tomorrow, you can be discharged."
She had come in such a hurry yesterday that she didn't bring anything. She had nothing but a towel and a washbasin. And Tong Zhongyuan's clothes. He was sweating so much that his shirt kept getting wet and then dry. Someone like him who couldn't stand even snail noodles would definitely not be able to stand the sour smell on his body.
"I'm going to buy some groceries nearby. I'll be back soon," she told him. "Just ring the bell if you need anything, okay?"
His gaze followed her intently until she disappeared outside the ward. After she left, he didn't know what to do but stare blankly out the window, even though there wasn't much to see. Time passed so slowly. She'd said she'd be back soon, but he felt like he'd been waiting for ages.
The door rang, and he looked over. It wasn't her, it was the nurse. Seeing his gaze, the nurse smiled and said, "It wasn't your girlfriend. Are you disappointed? When she left, she told me she was going to buy something and asked me to keep an eye on you."
The nurse came over and took off his ventilator, saying, "The doctor said his vital signs are stable, so he doesn't need to wear it anymore. Now you can talk to your girlfriend when she comes back."
He said "thank you" and then realized how hoarse his voice was.
"You're welcome~" the nurse smiled and began to prepare the IV drip for today.
Qin Tian came back and saw Tong Zhongyuan had taken off the ventilator. He panicked and rushed to the bed. The nurse said, "I took it off for him."
Qin Tian breathed a sigh of relief. As the nurse hung the new medicine on the bed, Qin Tian said, "Can you wait a moment? I want to change his clothes."
"Sure, I'll come back later."
Qin Tian took the newly bought washbasin and towel to the bathroom to fetch water, brought the hot water to the bedside, and wrung out the towel. She looked down at Tong Zhongyuan's pale face, and he looked at her quietly. She was a little hesitant to do it, and raised the towel and said, "I... I'll wipe your face."
"Okay," he said. There was no embarrassment in his voice, just a little hoarse.
She placed the towel at his forehead and carefully wiped his entire face, all the way to his neck. She changed the water and wiped again. His lips were a little chapped. She took lip balm from her bag and applied it carefully.
"Um..." she said, "I got a clean hospital gown. Do you want me to help you change into it?"
"Um."
With his permission, she unbuttoned his shirt. After unbuttoning two buttons, his collarbone was exposed. She couldn't bring herself to do it anymore. She whispered, "If you're embarrassed, I'll ask the nurse to change it for you."
“Not awkward.”
Not embarrassing... so you don't want the nurse to change it? She took off his shirt. Actually, it wasn't the first time she saw it. She had seen it on the surveillance camera last time. She picked up the hospital gown at the end of the bed, thought about it, and stopped. She asked with a stiff upper lip, "Want to wipe yourself?"
She felt a little regretful after asking. Why bother? She was just asking for trouble. She hoped he would refuse the service request right away. After all, with his pride, he would probably feel even more embarrassed.
"Um."
Alas, it seems pride fades when a person is ill. She wrung out another towel and began to scrub him. From collarbone to pectoral muscles to abdominal muscles, her face flushed. After this scrubbing, she could go back to work at a massage parlor.
Tong Zhongyuan couldn't take his eyes off her face. Seeing her face gradually redden, the corners of his mouth lifted involuntarily, and a gentle smile appeared in his eyes.
After finally wiping him clean, she changed him into a hospital gown and buttoned it up. Now she was the one sweating all over. The nurse from before came in again, glanced at Tong Zhongyuan, and said with a smile, "You're glad your girlfriend is here. You can get the IV drip now."
Qin Tian didn't know which eye she had used to see that they were a couple; her eyesight must have been very poor. She went to pour water with the basin.
When she returned, he was asleep again. While he was asleep, she hurried back to the hotel and booked a room. She showered, changed clothes, and grabbed some necessities, as she had to stay with him again tonight. By evening, his fever had mostly subsided. He had barely eaten all day, but the doctor said it wasn't a big deal; the IV drip was providing him with nutrients.
"Don't accompany me tonight, let's go back to the hotel and rest." He saw that she brought facial cleanser and skin care products.
Qin Tian shook his head. She poured him some mouthwash. He tilted his head to drink it, rinsing it in his mouth. She held the cup to the corner of his mouth. After he finished vomiting, she wiped his mouth with a tissue and applied lip balm.
Tong Zhongyuan stared at her and said, "Be obedient and go back to rest."
She ignored him, took a blanket, walked to the sofa and lay down.
"I'm going to bed, good night." she said.
He couldn't see her anymore, but he still looked in her direction. She was so stubborn, but he breathed a sigh of relief, feeling at ease. She was still in this room, beside him.
The next day, the chief physician made his rounds, observed his condition, and nodded. He remarked, "You're still young after all." The nurse wheeled him in for an electrocardiogram and blood draw. The indicators were all improving. The chief physician told him he could be discharged, but he needed to rest. Qin Tian asked, "Can you stay another day?"
The chief doctor smiled and said, "If you don't have money, you can do it."
Qin Tian returned to the ward and told Tong Zhongyuan that the doctor had told him he would need to stay one more day, so he could rest and recuperate.
Tong Zhongyuan said: "Okay. But you have to go back to the hotel and sleep today."
She hesitated for a moment and said okay.
Tong Zhongyuan was able to eat today, although he ate very little. Qin Tian saw this and thought that she still had to make some preparations before he was discharged from the hospital tomorrow.
After she finished her dinner in the ward, she helped him pack up early. She said she was going back to the hotel. Tong Zhongyuan was silent for a moment and said, "Be careful on the road."
He watched her figure disappear at the door of the ward.
He was the one who told her to go back to the hotel and sleep. But it was too early now, only 7 o'clock.
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