Chapter 34 My Wish: To be her best fortune.
Ning Jiu never imagined that one day she would faint from stomach pain.
It felt like there was water behind her ears, gurgling and shaking incessantly. She could vaguely hear people saying things like "acute gastric spasm" and "long-term irregular eating habits," things that Yuan Liangjing had said so many times that she was tired of hearing them.
"It's nothing," her eyelids felt as heavy as lead, her mind went blank, and she spoke almost subconsciously, "It's an old problem, don't listen to him... his nonsense..."
Her throat moved, but only a muffled breath escaped her lips. The next moment, a cool, damp sensation swept across her forehead. Her hand was being held tightly, not with much force, but she struggled twice without being able to open it.
When I blinked again, the light in front of me gradually focused.
The air smelled of disinfectant, the ceiling was the usual stark white of a hospital, and the lights were as cold as the thin snow outside the window.
Qiao Bolin lowered his head, one hand resting on his knee, the other hand holding hers, his knuckles slightly white, as if he had used too much force and was reluctant to let go.
Ning Jiu moved his fingers slightly, then raised his eyes, revealing unusually dark circles under his eyes. Ning Jiu paused for a moment, then looked at the sky outside, which had completely darkened.
"Awake?" His voice was very soft, even softer than usual.
She nodded, then realized her throat was dry and she couldn't speak, so she just blinked at him.
Qiao Bolin leaned over, picked up a glass of warm water from the bedside table, placed it near her lips with a tissue, and said, "Moisten your throat first. The doctor said you have stomach cramps."
He fed her very carefully, afraid of burning her. Ning Jiu tilted her head back and took two sips, then paused for a while before speaking.
How did the competition in Beijing go?
Are you sure we want to talk about this now?
His voice was much hoarser than usual. After a brief standoff, Qiao Bailin gave in first.
He kissed the back of her hand, which bore the marks of needle pricks, and lowered his head, his soft, stray hairs gently brushing against her forearm, again and again.
"Ning Jiu, could you please not do this again next time...?"
His hair fell to his brow bone, obscuring the turbulent emotions in his eyes. He held her hand tighter and tighter, as if she were quicksand that would slip away if he let go.
"Don't scare me like that..."
This was the first time Ning Jiu had ever seen Qiao Bolin so anxious and indecisive.
It was at this moment that Wen Yi's words from a few days ago, which had never been clearly imprinted in her mind, came to mind.
Do you really think you can stay with him forever? With his family background and the gap between you two, reality will separate you once you graduate.
She admitted that Wen Yi's words had stirred something within her, but that was only one aspect affecting her emotions.
Ning Jiu understood that the deeper reason lay within herself.
Ning Xuan and Yuan Shu's experience taught her that even the most intense feelings cannot last forever.
Perhaps the affections of youth are purer and longer-lasting, but that longevity is only relative to the fast-paced relationships that come with adulthood.
Youth can make many things seem precious, but that doesn't mean it can truly withstand the test of time.
Suddenly, Li Mingyuan and Yuan Liangjing's voices came from outside the door, breaking the tense atmosphere between the two.
Ning Jiu nudged Qiao Bolin's wrist, signaling him to let go, but the latter held on tightly until Li Mingyuan stepped into the ward.
When Li Mingyuan entered the ward, he was startled by Qiao Bolin's unusually tired face. He quickly realized that Qiao Bolin must have been too tired after returning from a week of competitions in other places.
"Uncle, Jiu... Ning Jiu is in this ward. The doctor said she just fainted due to stomach cramps. It's not a serious problem. She just needs some IV fluids and rest."
Yuan Liangjing sighed softly, said thank you, and was about to go over when his attention was drawn to the boy who stood up next to Ning Jiu.
The boy in the black coat had a tall and straight figure with clean and sharp shoulder and back lines and high brow bones. Even a fleeting glimpse of his profile was unforgettable, and his temperament was inexplicably eye-catching.
He subconsciously slowed his pace, a strange sense of familiarity washing over him.
The more I tried to recall, the more blurry it became, and I couldn't remember where I had seen it before, so I had to give up.
“My dear aunt, how many times have I told you this?” After the two boys left, Yuan Liangjing sat down next to Ning Jiu. “If it weren’t for your classmates taking you to the hospital in time today, do you know how serious the consequences would have been?”
He had intended to speak with more force, but his voice softened as soon as it came out, and his eyes lost their spark.
"I'll go see the doctor again tomorrow to ask about the situation in detail. Don't go anywhere for the next few days. Focus on getting better. You're young now and can handle it, but that doesn't mean you won't have any health problems later."
Ning Jiu suddenly looked up.
"Final exams are coming up soon, I don't want to ask for leave."
Yuan Liangjing rubbed his temples in annoyance: "Fine, you can go to class, but I'll have to keep a close eye on you. From today until the end of the semester, I'll personally pick you up and drop you off every day. I'll wait for you at the school gate, and if I don't see you, I'll call you."
“I can tell right away if you don’t use your meal card to eat. If you miss a meal, you can expect me to give you a lecture.”
"......"
As the semester drew to a close, Ning Jiu never expected that someone like Yuan Liangjing, who was inconsistent in his efforts and couldn't even stick to his gym membership for more than three days, would actually manage to do it.
From the day she was discharged from the hospital, Yuan Liangjing arrived at school almost every day 20 minutes before the end of the school term. He even bought a used car to pick her up and drop her off. On the day the final exams were over, he drove his old Santana and waited among a group of parents. He did the same for the second half of the semester.
With his surveillance becoming increasingly tight, Ning Jiu had to choose more "discreet" times and places to meet with Qiao Bolin. She noticed that Qiao Bolin seemed to enjoy clinging to her more and more. Sometimes, she would try to sneak out with Gao Hexin for dessert at noon, and even though she did everything discreetly and had even fooled Yuan Liangjing, she didn't know where she slipped up or whether he would find out and give up.
In the game, he gradually revealed an undisguised possessiveness, preferring to hug, bite the neck, and even more excessively intimate gestures.
"You don't have skin hunger, do you?"
In the cramped space, Ning Jiu's lips and tongue went numb, and her legs felt a little weak. She didn't know how many times she had calmed her breathing and suppressed the unbearable heat in her heart. She looked up at him, but Qiao Bolin hugged her even tighter.
"Maybe."
He spoke vaguely, but his mind was clearly not on the topic.
Before Ning Jiu could push him away, he preemptively struck, his long legs perfectly blocking her movement, and his body pressed down on her once again.
He seemed to be getting more and more familiar with her body, and he was becoming more and more adept at performing such actions.
The summer between the second and third years of high school is probably the only time when students can breathe a little easier before their grades are released.
Gao Hexin originally wanted to invite Ning Jiu to play at an amusement park in Shanghai during the summer vacation, but his father was very strict and said that he should stay in Jiangcheng for the next year and a half to prepare for the exam. Moreover, although Shanghai is close by, there is a large flow of people during the Spring Festival, so it would be crowded.
[Hezi] Ahhhhh, my incredibly feudal and domineering dad!!!
[Hezi] My planned trip to Shanghai has been ruined.
[Hezi] Internet disconnected, do not contact me [tears streaming down face.jpg]
Ning Jiu was working on her English practice questions for the next semester when she saw this, so she quickly stopped listening to the audio and started typing on her phone.
[Ningjiu] Did Qi Ruiheng mention in the class group chat before that he wanted to organize a trip to Xuanyin Temple for the winter break? Are you going?
Xuanyin Temple is a historically significant temple in Jiangcheng, renowned for its effective prayers. Especially during exam season, students flock to the temple to offer incense, ensuring the temple remains a popular place of worship year-round.
There was a moment of silence on Gao Hexin's end before he quickly replied.
[Hezi] That's fine too! My final exam results are coming out soon, so I'll go pray before they're released. Plus, I heard the vegetarian noodles at Xuan Yin Temple are especially delicious!!!
The two made an appointment, and Ning Jiu also signed up in the class group.
The deep, resonant sound lingered in the air, and the morning mist filled the mountains and fields. They set off early in the morning, and along the way, the city outlines outside the car window slowly faded away, vaguely transforming into patches of green and distant, misty mountains.
Birds occasionally flit about on the mountain path. The woods are deep and secluded, and you can hear the babbling of a stream flowing through them. The stone path is slippery, probably because it has just rained, and you can hear a faint sound of water when you step on it.
Qi Ruiheng, who was walking in front, took photos while turning back to remind the students behind him.
"We need to hurry. I heard that the bell rings at nine o'clock sharp, and only wishes made before that time will come true."
"Huh? There's such a rule?"
Li Mingyuan was already panting heavily as he climbed, clinging to the stone railing beside him and complaining, "You all make it sound so miraculous, will my wish not come true if I can't catch my breath?"
"Your wish won't come true most of the time because you're not sincere." Gao Hexin rolled his eyes, casually straightened one side of his backpack, and couldn't help but punch him again. "Also, who told you to play games until 2 a.m. last night? You deserve to be tired."
After Gao Hexin finished speaking, he turned around to remind Ning Jiu to slow down, but his gaze suddenly stopped—
Ning Jiu was walking on the stone steps at the back of the group when the girl next to her suddenly stopped, seemingly exhausted. Ning Jiu swayed when she bumped into the figure in front of her, and in that instant of losing her balance, a long, strong hand suddenly caught her arm.
"Thanks."
She grabbed Qiao Bolin's hand, quickly regained her balance, thanked him, and caught up with the group ahead.
At the beginning of summer vacation, Qiao Bolin represented the national team in the IMO competition abroad and only returned home a few days ago.
They haven't had a proper conversation in two weeks.
Qiao Bolin turned his head, wanting to say something, but Gao Hexin's excited voice came from the front first.
"Sweet wine, look! There seems to be an old-fashioned stage over there!"
She rushed over, grabbed Ning Jiu's arm, and excitedly turned onto a side path beside the mountain road.
“My mom told me before that there are cultural heritage buildings here. That famous historical drama was filmed here. You know, the most famous character in the drama, the sickly beauty, got cured here. That was a key plot point!”
Ning Jiu was amused by her: "You actually believe in this?"
"If you believe, it exists; if you don't believe, it doesn't," Gao Hexin said, recalling Ning Jiu's stomach problems last semester. "When we go to draw lots later, let's pray more. Good health is more important than good studies!"
Ning Jiu was led by her to look over when she suddenly felt someone poking her arm. It was Duan Chu, who had suddenly stopped earlier.
The petite girl had long bangs and delicate eyelashes that drooped slightly. She whispered an apology and walked away on her own.
Since the start of the new semester, Ning Jiu has moved to the school dormitory. There are six people in Class 8 of the second year of high school, including her. She was assigned to the upper bunk, and Duan Chu slept in the lower bunk.
The girl was usually quiet and rarely went home on weekends. The two of them barely spoke a few words during the entire semester, but she could sense that Duan Churen was actually very thoughtful and gentle. He was the kind of quiet and reliable person she was.
Ning Jiu had gotten used to her way of getting along with Duan Chu, but she felt that Duan Chu seemed particularly strange today. Gao Hexin noticed that she was distracted.
"Sweet wine, what's wrong?"
Ning Jiu shook her head: "It's nothing."
She's probably overthinking it.
Li Mingyuan said he had no interest, but his feet involuntarily followed Gao Hexin and Ning Jiu up the road, and the three of them took a detour and walked away.
Qiao Bolin was naturally about to walk in that direction when Qi Ruiheng stopped him.
The latter shook his head at him: "Be careful, the walls may have ears."
Qiao Bolin followed his gaze.
At the end of the line, Dong Yi was much quieter than usual. She stopped chattering and laughing with those around her as before, and instead kept her head down, her eyes frequently darting towards Ning Jiu. When she turned to observe Qiao Bolin's reaction, she met the boy's calm, dark pupils.
"......"
Less than a second later, she guiltily looked away.
Qiao Bolin withdrew his gaze and looked at Qi Ruiheng again.
Let's go.
The group continued up the mountain path. The stone steps were smoothed by time. The bamboo forest gradually thinned as they went higher, and the eaves of the ancient temple appeared and disappeared in the clouds.
Passing through the mountain gate, a tall Buddhist hall came into view, its doors open and incense smoke swirling around it.
The Buddha statue lowered its eyes, its Bodhi tree exuding compassion. Its golden body shone with a soft light under the glow of the rising incense. After a brief gathering, the students took the incense and dispersed to pay their respects in front of each hall.
The students, who were originally laughing and making noise, couldn't help but slow their pace and become peaceful and devout in front of the Buddha.
Qiao Bolin did not immediately walk towards the incense table.
Inside the hall, incense smoke curled from the burner, and the surrounding worshippers were as quiet as still water. At the wishing platform, a young monk noticed that he was alone and offered him a writing brush and a wishing slip.
The young monk looked to be no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, with delicate features. He pointed to a wishing tree standing in front of the altar, its branches already covered with handwritten wish slips.
"The trees on this tree bear all our wishes."
The young monk looked up, smiled, and introduced himself to Qiao Bolin.
Whether a wish comes true or not sometimes depends on luck, but the fortune slips here are always quite lucky.
Qiao Bolin looked at the thin, long slip of paper in his hand. A thin red string was intertwined and passed through one corner. When the paper was rubbed, he could still feel a slight roughness. The edge was surrounded by faint gray marks from incense smoke.
He recalled how, when others praised his grades, he would always decline and say he was just lucky.
Luck and willingness to sign a contract seemed to him the same in the past.
It's just an excuse people use to place their hopes on something.
But now, what was originally just an excuse, Qiao Bailin never so desperately wanted to be true.
If it could really happen, he hoped to give all his luck to another person.
Taking the brush, her slender, fair fingers wrote a line of characters on the paper slip—
I wish to be her lucky charm.
The moment I put down my brush, the bell of Xuan Yin Temple rang out, its sound echoing endlessly.
It was exactly nine o'clock.
The warm fingertips had just touched the end of the fortune slip when, as if pulled by something, a corner of the thin paper quietly curled up. That momentary movement was so slight, yet it caught the eye of the young monk standing nearby.
"The hearts of men are the basis of the divination, and the divination follows the heart."
As the bell tolled, the Buddha's light shone brightly.
The young monk put his hands together in prayer.
"Benefactor, this fortune stick is destined for you; your wishes will eventually be fulfilled."
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Author's Note: Please leave lots of comments and water Tangtang with nutrient solution! [kissing emojis]
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