Chapter 33 The Secret Heartbeat That Sneaks Into the Night with the Wind
On the morning of the third day, Qin Tian completed the discharge procedures and took Tong Zhongyuan back to the hotel. Once inside the room, she told Tong Zhongyuan to get into bed quickly. She had been terrified for the past few days, worried that his heart wouldn't be able to take it.
Qin Tian stuffed several pillows behind his back for him to lean on. Tong Zhongyuan looked around and saw many more things in the room, including an electric rice cooker. Was she planning to live here?
“Why buy a rice cooker?”
"You can only eat light food recently. Make porridge yourself. It's cleaner. You can also cook noodles."
“The hotel has it.”
"What if you get hungry at night? The hotel can't always prepare it. It's more convenient to prepare one yourself and cook it at any time."
Tong Zhongyuan wanted to check his emails on the computer, but Qin Tian told him not to bother and told him to watch TV. He tuned him into an English documentary, which he used as white noise, and placed the remote control near his bed, where he could reach it.
After she finished all this, she struggled with whether she should return to her room. She knew he was a solitary person who didn't like being disturbed. It had been impossible to do that in the hospital, and now that he was in the hotel, he probably wouldn't want to share a room with her. But it was only the first day out of the hospital, and she was worried. If anything happened to him, how many lives would she have left to pay him back?
Tong Zhongyuan saw that she had made all the arrangements for him, and he had a prediction in his mind. She had already been with him for two days, and it was very tiring. Now that she was at the hotel, she probably didn't want to accompany him anymore. He lowered his eyes. She was indeed tired, and it was time to go back to her room.
"Um," Qin Tian asked carefully, "Can I bring my computer here to work? It has a silent keyboard and is very quiet."
Tong Zhongyuan raised his eyelids instantly, his eyes clear.
"If you think I'll disturb you, I'll be in my room. That's fine too." Qin Tian said, "If you need anything, just call me on WeChat."
She finished, waiting for his answer.
"Don't bother," he said briefly.
He's not forcing himself, is he? Qin Tian thought, maybe he's already annoyed with me. Never mind, don't overthink it, safety first. It's okay to be annoyed, but the most important thing is to make sure nothing happens to him in my hands.
Qin Tian brought his computer over, sat down at the small table, and began to write his paper. He soon became absorbed in it. The only sounds in the room were the soft tapping of keyboards and the English commentary coming from the TV.
Tong Zhongyuan leaned back on the bed, eyes fixed on her. Sometimes she would scratch her hair, sometimes her eyes would light up as she remembered something, her fingers typing rapidly, and sometimes she would stare blankly at the screen. Her phone was on silent mode, and she would occasionally pick it up to glance at it, then put it down again and continue working.
He knew something was wrong with him. His attention to her wasn't just ordinary; it was more like he was attracted to her. But he knew why. Sick people are the most vulnerable, and they might mistake dependence for love. This was only a temporary phenomenon. When he recovered, this fragile emotion would disappear. This kind of attraction was only a temporary, irresponsible illusion. Even if it wasn't Qin Tian by his side this time, but any other girl, he would still be attracted to her.
Qin Tian cooked him vegetable porridge for lunch and gave him eggs and milk, saying he needed easily digestible protein. A while after dinner, she said, "It's time for a nap." She removed the pillow from behind him, turned off the TV, drew the curtains, and turned on a small lamp at the table.
He lay in bed still looking in her direction, and in the dim light of the small lamp, she was incredibly beautiful.
He closed his eyes, trying to comfort himself. It's okay, it'll be fine. It's just temporary. Let him enjoy it for a short while now.
Tong Zhongyuan's recovery was faster than Qin Tian had anticipated, and his mental state was noticeably improving. On the fourth day, he was working on his computer, prudently limiting himself to just two hours a day. Qin Tian felt he was truly a patient who followed the doctor's instructions with impeccable care, and without the need for oversight, she felt more at ease. She moved back to her own room to work, checking in on him daily and asking him to call her if anything was wrong.
Tong Zhongyuan knew Qin Tian would eventually move back home, which meant the end of this secret crush that no one knew about. Fortunately, as his body recovered, so did his will. He no longer needed her to care for him. As time passed, that brief moment of vulnerability and helplessness would only fade, until it disappeared.
Qin Tian's paper was almost finished, and Tong Zhongyuan no longer needed her to worry about it. She then remembered the main mission of her visit to Ba Ling. She opened the diary again.
On May 10, Lao Yu from Jiangcun Tomb said there was a trade of pottery figurines whose origin was unknown.
She had found Old Yu's contact information in her address book. With only one landline, and more than 20 years later, what were the chances of getting through?
After much hesitation, she finally gritted her teeth and called in the morning. There was a dial tone, but no one answered. Perhaps she'd called too early, and she could try again in the afternoon.
She tried three times that day, but still only got a dial tone and no one answered. Perhaps the number was no longer valid. She had been thinking about this matter all day and was a little uneasy. Tong Zhongyuan noticed this and asked her if she was having trouble with her paper. She then said yes. Tong Zhongyuan asked her if she needed help. She was stunned and asked, "Help me with what? Help me with my paper?"
"Are you writing about the topic of thermoluminescent radiation dosage?" He had been paying attention to her for a long time and had glanced at her computer several times.
Qin Tian glanced at Tong Zhongyuan. He certainly had the eye and ability to identify Chinese cultural relics; otherwise, the British Museum wouldn't have sent him for inspection. But his primary job was restoration, and she didn't believe he even specialized in thermoluminescence.
"How can you help me?"
"I can provide some experimental data."
Qin Tian's eyes widened. "Where did you get the experimental data? From the British Museum? Their data is public?"
"No." Tong Zhongyuan simply answered with two words.
Qin Tian was still waiting for his explanation, but there was no explanation. After he said these two words, he said nothing more. He had successfully aroused Qin Tian's curiosity.
"Data without a source cannot be used as a basis."
"It comes from a legitimate source. I can give it to you if you need it."
Qin Tian felt a little frustrated. If Tong Zhongyuan was truly proficient in thermoluminescence, then what was the point in her writing a paper? He could do the work of three people, while she could only do the work of three people. She said a little angrily, "I don't want it. I can write it myself."
Tong Zhongyuan had initially seen her distress and wanted to help, but a few words only made her even more upset. It wasn't that he couldn't tell her the source, but he simply didn't want to get involved. After all, the thermoluminescence experimental data wasn't his alone. If it were anyone else, he would never volunteer the data, even if asked. Everyone in this industry has their own rules and methods; there's no need to share them publicly. Qin Tian had let him down, and he couldn't get involved again.
Qin Tian's phone rang, and she stood up suddenly. She glanced at Tong Zhongyuan and hurried out, not answering the call until she was out the door.
"Who's calling?" the other party asked.
It was that number, the call from the broker named Lao Yu. But she didn't know if it was Lao Yu on the other end.
"Hello," she took a breath, "I'm... I'm an appraiser who finds antiques for clients. Are you, are you Lao Yu?"
"Where are you calling from?" The other party did not answer her question directly.
"...My father gave it to me." She said stiffly.
"Who is your father?" the other party asked again.
Qin Tian hesitated for a moment and said, "Qin Yunjie."
"Qin Yunjie?" The other party seemed unfamiliar with the name and repeated it. "I understand. I'll tell him."
After saying that, the other party hung up the phone. It seems that he is not Lao Yu, but Lao Yu is still there.
The next day, the man called Lao Yu still hadn't contacted her. She wanted to try again, but Tong Zhongyuan came to her room. He'd been coming over at this time every day lately, staying in her room. He said he was cleaning his room. Before, he'd been sick and didn't care. Now that he was refreshed, he was more attentive. Just then, the phone rang. She didn't dare answer it in front of him, so she ran out to answer it.
"Hello?" A different voice came from the other end, a slightly older one. "Is this Miss Qin?"
Qin Tian quickly said yes. The other party asked Lao Qin if he was okay and if he was still in Beijing.
Qin Tian said, "My dad is in Shanghai. He's retired. Are you Lao Yu?"
"Oh, what did he call you here for?" The other party neither admitted nor denied it.
No one had invited her here; she had come on her own accord. She wasn't just here to see the Ba Tomb, but also to see the Jiangcun Tomb, which had been discovered 20 years earlier. She wanted to see if she could find the Ba Tomb from the clues. It was like a treasure map to her. The Ba Tomb had been found, but many more lay dormant. But she needed a layperson who knew the contents of the tombs to confirm her suspicions. Yes, she was looking for a tomb robber.
"He didn't ask me to come. I wanted to see you."
"Oh?" Although he asked a question, there was no surprise in his tone.
After a while, he said, "Come see me at ten o'clock this evening. The address will be sent to your phone."
Qin Tian hung up the phone, her heart beating non-stop. At this time, should I go? She asked herself repeatedly. It would be fine. She meant no harm, she just had some questions to ask him. He wouldn't do anything to her. She stood for a while, until her heartbeat calmed down, and then she walked into the room.
Tong Zhongyuan followed her with a frown. She forced a smile and said, "I got a call."
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