drive
On the bus.
After passing his driver's license test, Zhu Shiyi sat in the driver's seat for the first time.
She looked around: "How do I adjust the seats?"
Pan Yue sat in the passenger seat and pointed to the button next to the door.
Zhu Shiyi adjusted the backrest to a straight position, then suddenly stretched out his arm, muttering, "One arm's length in front and behind..."
Pan Yue: ?
She straightened up and adjusted the rearview mirror.
Pan Yue: ...Let her be.
"Oh no!" Zhu Shiyi exclaimed, "Get in the car and get ready!"
Pan Yue turned his face away helplessly: What are you doing now?
"I forgot to walk around the car!" Zhu Shiyi twisted her body to unbuckle her seatbelt.
Pan Yue: ......
He said quietly, "You're very meticulous."
Zhu Shiyi said shyly, "The coach taught me this! Don't underestimate this step. If your license plate gets scratched by some scoundrel or your tires get damaged, it will cause big problems."
Pan Yue remained silent: "Fine."
After getting out of the car and walking around to make sure everything was in order, Zhu Shiyi sat back in the driver's seat and gripped the steering wheel tightly with all ten fingers.
The coldness enveloped his palm, and Zhu Shiyi hesitated at the last minute: "How about... we take a taxi?"
Pan Yue chuckled and sighed softly, "No need."
He tilted his head, his eyes tired from illness, yet still bright with a glimmer of light: "I'll practice with you."
Zhu Shiyi chuckled dryly: "I'm afraid the cost will be too high."
“It’s insured.” Pan Yue secretly smiled.
“Okay,” Zhu Shiyi took a deep breath, “Old driver, keep an eye on things for me.”
She struggled to start the car.
"Mom!" Zhu Shiyi touched the bunch of English buttons on the car's control panel. "How do I shift gears?"
Pan Yue moved his fingertips: "This."
Zhu Shiyi looked down and saw a paddle shifter under the steering wheel.
She asked in surprise, "Isn't shifting gears done with the middle lever?"
"Some cars are different."
Zhu Shiyi exclaimed, "Is this a luxury car? How much does it cost?"
She shifted the paddle shifter and finally got it in gear.
“Not really,” Pan Yue said. “Around 900,000 yuan, it’s far from being a luxury car.”
“Nine hundred thousand is already very good for ordinary people,” Zhu Shiyi said, controlling the force of his toes and pressing the accelerator very lightly. “A few years ago, my dad said he wanted to buy a good car to do business, and it cost more than three hundred thousand. When I heard that, I almost thought my family was going to go bankrupt.”
Her father once said that if you drive a bad car in business, people won't believe your project can make money and won't even bother with you.
Pan Yue chuckled: "Being able to settle down in Yuecheng means your ability to withstand risks isn't that weak."
"I don't know much about it," Zhu Shiyi said casually. "I've always thought my family was quite poor. My mom is really frugal, but it might also be because prices are high in Yuecheng. A bowl of rice noodles costs 28 yuan, and it's not even that good."
“Yuecheng is developed,” Pan Yue said, his lips slightly pursed. It was not noticeable unless you looked closely. “Although the cost of living is high, there are many opportunities and you can earn more. The infrastructure, such as medical care and education, is also better.”
It's not like a small town.
The medical care is mediocre, and education is even more limited.
There were many things that Pan Yue didn't understand before.
He could only reach the starting point of some people by relying on himself, studying and refining his skills little by little.
Fortunately, his efforts paid off.
In this vast sea of people, there are few who don't work hard, but those who achieve something are ultimately a minority.
Zhu Shiyi drove out of the garage at a snail's pace, tightening his grip: "Let me turn on the navigation first."
She dared not talk anymore; the terrifying traffic was coming.
“I’ll take over,” Pan Yue said, looking down at the screen. “I’ll tell you the directions in advance, so you can drive with confidence.”
Zhu Shiyi nodded: "Which way do we go now?"
"Turn right."
Zhu Shiyi was very obedient.
"Turn left at the next intersection, don't take the overpass."
“That doesn’t make sense,” Pan Yue said. The hospital was near Phoenix City, and when he took her back to Phoenix City, they would go on the overpass. “I remember going straight.”
“You can also get there by turning left,” Pan Yue explained. “There are many cars on the elevated road, and many people overtake without using their turn signals, which is dangerous.”
“…Oh.” Zhu Shiyi understood; Pan Yue was questioning her driving skills.
She continued driving at a snail's pace.
The car behind seemed impatient and honked its horn.
"Who is it!" Zhu Shiyi was inexplicably annoyed. What's with all the babbling? Is this some kind of death knell?
But she still subconsciously pressed the accelerator harder.
"Ignore him," Pan Yue said calmly.
"Mmm." Zhu Shiyi didn't slow down. She found that driving a little faster was quite safe and even more enjoyable.
We arrived at the intersection.
"Turn left," Pan Yue reminded him again.
Zhu Shiyi responded, keeping his eyes straight ahead, and waited to get into position to turn the steering wheel.
"Turn on the lights."
"Oh, oh—" she finally realized and reached for the lever.
Suddenly everything went black, the glass scraped against the glass, and I screamed in agony.
Zhu Shiyi let out a strange cry, his hand trembled, and he almost turned the steering wheel.
"Over there!" Pan Yue gasped, his voice hoarse, as the air rushed into his lungs, choking him and causing him to cough twice, covering his mouth.
Zhu Shiyi quickly switched hands to hold up the light.
Haha! Mom!
She turned on the light and activated the windshield wipers!
Later on the way, Zhu Shiyi wanted to curse his father many times.
Along the way, there were all sorts of strange things happening: people recklessly overtaking, honking their horns, and suddenly slamming on the brakes.
She really wanted to yell at him, "What kind of driving skills are those?!"
However, Pan Yue was in the car, so she forced herself to endure it.
In the past, when Zhu Shiyi rode in his father's car, he felt that his father had road rage and was always swearing.
Now that she's driving, she understands this feeling—damn it, once she starts driving, she just wants to fire indiscriminately!
The ten-minute journey took a full twenty minutes to complete. At the final step of reversing into the parking space, Zhu Shiyi's vision went black: "There are no reference points here, I can't reverse!"
“Shift gears,” Pan Yue sighed softly, pointing to the car's screen, “Look at the reversing camera.”
He dragged his ailing body forward and said, "Now, kill him to the left."
......
Taking the elevator upstairs, Zhu Shiyi found a place for Pan Yue to sit down: "Did you bring your ID card?"
"I brought it."
Zhu Shiyi spread his hands, and Pan Yue honestly handed over his ID card.
Zhu Shiyi rushed to register, and even stole a glance at Pan Yue's ID card.
...Lady Nuwa, how happy were you when you sculpted this man?
How can someone even take a good-looking ID photo, something as unforgivable as an ID card?
After registering, Zhu Shiyi led Pan Yue to wait in front of the consultation room.
Sitting side by side on the bench, she glanced to the side and saw Pan Yue leaning against the back of his chair, his brows slightly furrowed, his face pale, looking rather unwell.
My heart felt like it was being gripped by an invisible hand.
Zhu Shiyi unconsciously bit her lower lip, straining slightly: "If I had known it would turn out like this..."
Pan Yue glanced sideways, his brows furrowed in confusion: "Hmm?"
“You must have caught a cold yesterday.” Zhu Shiyi glanced down.
She felt somewhat guilty.
Actually, she wasn't that cold yesterday, it's just... she couldn't bear to take off the coat he had put on her.
A soft, hoarse voice reached my ears.
“No,” Pan Yue whispered, “Don’t overthink it.”
My heart suddenly felt a pang.
"Oh," Zhu Shiyi said softly, her eyes darting around.
There were few people in line tonight, and it only took a few minutes before Pan Yue's number was called.
As usual, the doctor asked questions, took the temperature, and performed a blood test. After the test results came back, the doctor said that the high fever was caused by a bacterial infection.
The doctor told him to stay and get an IV drip.
"Will taking medicine alone be enough?" Pan Yue asked.
"Your fever is too high; an injection will help you recover faster. If the medication doesn't bring it down, you'll still need an injection."
"How long will it take to hang?" he asked.
"It depends on the situation, usually two or three hours."
Pan Yue raised an eyebrow.
Zhu Shiyi looked at Pan Yue.
She guessed he didn't want to waste time.
"How about we get an injection?" she suggested, carefully considering the situation. "Wouldn't it be better to bring down the fever sooner? Otherwise, if you're still feeling groggy tomorrow, it will take even longer to recover, and you'll feel even worse."
Pan Yue's brow relaxed slightly, as if he had been persuaded.
The doctor quickly wrote out the prescription: "Then let's get an IV drip."
Zhu Shiyi nudged Pan Yue, who nodded.
......
Pan Yue lay on the hospital bed, his long legs barely able to be stretched out on the narrow bed.
Zhu Shiyi pulled up a stool and sat down next to him.
"Thank you for your help tonight," Pan Yue said. "It's getting late, you should go home now."
“No trouble at all,” Zhu Shiyi waved her hand, eager to see him. “It’s still early, only 9:30. I’ll keep you company.”
"Didn't the nurse just say that I need to keep a close eye on the patients' condition?" she said, making up an excuse. "What if you fall asleep and don't wake up even when the IV drip runs out? That would be very dangerous."
"I'll set an alarm."
"What if this beep code is fast? Besides, you have your phone and ID on you. What if someone steals them?"
Pan Yue opened his mouth: "I..."
"Alright—" Zhu Shiyi patted Pan Yue through the blanket, "Two hours, just a few games, no trouble at all."
Fearing he wouldn't believe her, she deliberately opened the game "King of Glory".
Pan Yue then gave up.
Zhu Shiyi was satisfied: "Go take a nap."
She looked away, deliberately avoiding looking at Pan Yue.
She played the game for a few minutes before turning her attention back to it.
Pan Yue's face was still flushed. His eyes were closed, his brows were slightly furrowed, his lips were slightly parted, and his chest rose and fell with each movement.
Zhu Shiyi reached out and gently pulled up the blanket to cover his chest completely.
Pan Yue's eyelids trembled slightly, then closed steadily.
Zhu Shiyi looked up at the IV drip, and only after confirming that there was nothing wrong did she lower her head.
With her palms supporting her face, she leaned against the edge of the bed, finally able to look at Pan Yue without restraint.
He didn't seem to be sleeping soundly.
After playing three games, about an hour later, Pan Yue's phone rang.
He opened his eyes in an instant.
Zhu Shiyi quickly helped him get his phone.
Pan Yue thanked him and answered the phone: "...Hello."
His voice still carried the weakness of illness and the hoarseness of someone who had just woken up.
Zhu Shiyi didn't quite understand what they were talking about regarding work, and didn't pay much attention.
"Okay, Saturday it is. Two days is enough."
After hanging up the phone, Pan Yue checked the time and glanced at the half-empty IV drip.
"Have you eaten?" Pan Yue asked.
"No," Zhu Shiyi had forgotten about it; she was busy pushing the crystal. "It's okay, I'm not hungry. I ate some snacks while working overtime."
Pan Yue frowned: "What do you want to eat?"
Zhu Shiyi looked up.
He handed me his phone: "Order what you want to eat."
She had just finished a game when she picked up her phone; the screen was lit up with the food delivery app.
Zhu Shiyi casually flipped through the pages: "What do you want to eat?"
“...I don’t want to eat.” Pan Yue turned his face away, as if he were throwing a tantrum.
"That won't do!" Zhu Shiyi laughed and raised her voice, finding him inexplicably adorable. "Aren't you trying to build muscle? How can you do it without eating carbs?"
Pan Yue glanced sideways, seemingly speechless: "Let's call it a day."
"You should eat something," Zhu Shiyi stopped teasing him, "How about some porridge?"
Pan Yue shook his head: "I've already eaten."
"One rice ball isn't even enough to fill a tooth gap."
"There are also two pieces of radish, a piece of kelp, and a string of shiitake mushrooms."
Zhu Shiyi: ......
What should be considered a family heirloom?
"Alright then." Understanding that the patient didn't have a good appetite, Zhu Shiyi didn't try to persuade her further. She ordered herself a bowl of clam rice noodles.
The phone was returned to Pan Yue, who fiddled with it for a while and sent a few work voice messages.
"So busy?" Zhu Shiyi exclaimed.
“It’s alright,” Pan Yue paused, “I’ve gotten used to it.”
He spoke in a weak voice. Perhaps illness made him frail, for Zhu Shiyi could detect a hint of sadness in his otherwise plain tone.
She didn't disturb his work anymore. After a while, Pan Yue finally put down his phone and fell asleep again.
Evening delivery was slow; Zhu Shiyi waited almost an hour for the clam noodles, and they weren't even good. Pan Yue had barely slurped them down when the soup was almost gone.
She quickly grabbed her bag and went to call the nurse.
Pan Yue woke up once again.
The nurse cleaned up and removed the needles, her entire procedure flowing smoothly.
Pan Yue had his temperature checked again; it was 38.5 degrees Celsius.
“She still has a high fever,” the nurse frowned. “Go ask the doctor if she needs another injection.”
Pan Yue's refusal was firm: "Never mind."
"Alright," the nurse said without further ado, "if the fever gets high, you must come back to the hospital."
"Okay, thank you."
Back at the bedside, Zhu Shiyi picked up some rice noodles.
Pan Yue followed her, saying, "No rush, let's finish eating before we go."
Zhu Shiyi shook her head: "It doesn't taste good."
Pan Yue paused for a moment, then said, "Then let's go out and buy something else."
"It's okay, I'm not hungry," she waved her hand. "Let's go, I'll take you home."
Pan Yue paused, then asked, "...You, are you giving this to me?"
"Otherwise what?" Zhu Shiyi said matter-of-factly, "Let a feverish patient like you drive at night and just die?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com