If it weren't for the phone screen separating them, she would have loved to rush over and punch the man a few times.
She replied irritably, "Stop being silly. I just want to confirm whether what you said to Qiu Li about coming to pick her up was true or not. If you're busy, I can take her back myself."
On the other end of the phone, Lu Yanting's thin lips curled up slightly, forming a handsome arc. "Of course it's true. You guys just stay there and don't go anywhere. Be good and wait for me!"
Fearing the man might utter something inappropriate again, Qiu Mang quickly replied, "Okay, we'll wait for you!"
After saying that, he immediately hung up the phone.
Hearing the busy tone on his phone, Lu Yanting shook his head helplessly, a bitter smile appearing on his face. He thought to himself, "Am I some kind of monster that eats people? Why are you running so fast!"
The two waited for a while, but Lu Yanting still hadn't arrived. Qiu Li got a little bored and started entertaining herself on the spot.
She was holding an Elsa doll tightly in her arms, her little hands intently braiding the doll's hair, and she was humming a tuneless little tune from time to time.
Qiu Mang stood up, gently stretching her stiff limbs. Her gaze inadvertently drifted to the corner of the stairs. In that instant, a familiar figure came into view.
Lu Yanting strode out from that side, and as he looked up, he saw Qiu Mang by the bench.
Their eyes met in the air, and Qiu Mang subconsciously raised her hand and waved gently at Lu Yanting, her lips unconsciously curving upwards into a slightly shy smile.
Seeing this, Lu Yanting nodded slightly and was about to walk over.
Suddenly, a woman hurried up behind him.
Xu Jingyan stepped forward and affectionately took the man's arm. Lu Yanting was stunned, clearly not expecting her to appear, and was about to pull his arm away.
The next second, Xu Jingyan frowned, clutched her chest, and coughed violently.
"Yan...Yan Ting, I feel a little pain in my chest, can you stay with me?"
Xu Jingyan raised her big, watery eyes to look at Lu Yanting, her voice trembling with a hint of pitifulness.
Qiu Mang stood not far away and made her words clear.
Her heart skipped a beat. She was about to go over and tell Lu Yanting that it was okay and that she could take Qiu Li back by herself, but her feet felt like they had been filled with heavy cement, and she couldn't move an inch.
Her hand remained in a waving gesture, but for some reason, she didn't make any move while looking at the scene before her.
Qiu Mang had a ridiculous thought: she wanted to know who he would choose if she and Xu Jingyan stood there together.
Lu Yanting glanced at Yan Kai, who was not far behind him. He wanted to wave Yan Kai to take Xu Jingyan upstairs to see a doctor, but when he saw Qiu Mang not far away, his heart tightened and he suddenly changed his mind.
Then, he bent down, picked up Xu Jingyan, and strode upstairs.
As Qiu Mang watched the two figures disappear into the distance, he felt as if a piece of his heart had been ripped out, leaving him feeling utterly empty.
She slowly lowered her head, a wave of loneliness and abandonment washing over her.
After a while, she looked at the little girl beside her.
"Ah Li, let's go! Let's go home!"
Qiu Li seemed to sense something, nodded obediently, put the Elsa princess in her hand into her bag, and then the two took a taxi home.
Before long, Lu Yanting stood upright upstairs, quietly overlooking the entire hall.
However, Qiu Mang and the little girl were no longer among the bustling crowd downstairs.
He subconsciously reached into his pocket, then took out a pack of cigarettes, picked one out with his slender fingers, lowered his head slightly, and lit it with some irritation.
"Excuse me, sir, this is not a smoking area, you can't smoke here!" a timid voice sounded from behind.
Lu Yanting turned slightly to the side and looked back. He saw a nurse in a nurse's uniform standing in front of him. Her hands were folded in front of her, and her fingers were fidgeting nervously. She looked very scared.
"Stop talking! This person is so cold and doesn't look like someone you want to mess with. Let's go!" The nurse's colleague tugged at her sleeve and said urgently in a low voice.
Lu Yanting smiled wryly. Indeed, his cold and stern face, and the aloof and distant aura he exuded, were like the cold wind of December. Anyone who saw him would feel immense pressure and unconsciously want to retreat.
Lu Yanting merely glanced at her indifferently, his eyes darkening as his thoughts drifted away, recalling the first time he met Qiu Mang.
At that time, she stood straight in front of him, her clear eyes filled with a hint of helplessness, like a frightened fawn.
I don’t know when it started, but she gradually transformed into the opinionated and stubborn person she is today.
Lu Yanting recalled the scene from earlier. Qiu Mang was just looking at him quietly. He wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt that there was a hint of jealousy, a hint of loneliness, and a hint of sadness in the girl's eyes.
Lu Yanting pulled his gaze away from his memories and returned it to the two girls in front of him who looked frightened. He pursed his lips and then stubbed out his cigarette on the lid of the trash can next to him.
The man's voice was low but tinged with apology: "You're right, smoking is indeed inappropriate in a hospital. It was my oversight."
After saying that, Lu Yanting strode away, leaving behind two nurses who looked astonished and frozen in place.
Lu Yanting strode into the ward. Inside, Dr. Zhao was standing by the bed, intently examining Xu Jingyan.
"What's wrong with her?" Lu Yanting asked.
Dr. Zhao adjusted his glasses, his expression gentle. "There's nothing seriously wrong, just a normal cold. I'll prescribe some medicine for you. Take it according to the prescribed course, and you should recover in a few days. However, Ms. Xu's physical condition is relatively poor, and her immunity is low, so even though it's a common cold, her symptoms will be more severe compared to others."
As soon as Dr. Zhao finished speaking, Xu Jingyan started clutching her chest and coughing violently again.
"Jingyan, how are you?" Lu Yanting asked with some concern.
Xu Jingyan looked up, her eyes pleading, and asked Lu Yanting, "Yanting, can you take me home?"
Lu Yanting frowned subconsciously, his gaze lingering on Xu Jingyan's face for a moment before he looked up at Dr. Zhao and asked, "Does she need to be hospitalized?"
Dr. Zhao quickly waved his hand, his tone reassuring: "No need for that. Ms. Xu's current condition only requires her to rest at home, make sure to get plenty of rest, and keep the room well-ventilated."
Lu Yanting nodded thoughtfully, glanced at his watch, then turned to Yan Kai, who had been waiting behind him, and said succinctly, "Yan Kai, I have other matters to attend to. Could you take Miss Xu home for me?"
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