Chapter 88
From choosing dormitory conditions to the campus environment, the two eventually drifted to deciding which city's university they wanted to attend.
Xu Qingzhou was born and raised in the south, where the air humidity is high, making winters even colder and summers even hotter and more humid. She initially wanted to live in a city with dry air and a comfortable temperature year-round, and since there were two or three very good universities there, she suggested "Liancheng".
Chi Jun: "Okay, this is it."
Xu Qingzhou asked in surprise: "Aren't you going to choose again?"
Chi Jun laughed, propping himself up on his knees.
"Whatever I choose, I'll go wherever you go, husband and wife follow each other."
The phrase "the wife sings and the husband follows" made Xu Qingzhou blush.
She rolled her eyes slightly at Chi Jun, puffed out her cheeks, and said, "The future is uncertain, and I haven't decided to marry you yet."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Chi Jun suddenly grabbed her chin and lifted it up.
"So, who do you want to marry?"
Xu Qingzhou turned his face away and remained silent.
Chi Jun used a bit of force and pinched her little face until it looked like a chicken beak, then laughed at himself.
Xu Qingzhou, embarrassed and annoyed, tried to bite him, but Chi Jun pulled his hand away, flicked her forehead, and then casually propped himself up and continued to eat fruit.
"Anyway, you are not allowed to marry anyone else but me."
"If anyone dares to marry you, I'll tell him that you've been living with me since our senior year of high school, and I'll make him leave in a huff."
After he finished speaking, he paused and then frowned.
"No, if he dares to upset you over this, I'll kill him."
Why would they leave if they didn't make me angry?
Chi Jun popped the last cherry tomato into his mouth, raised his eyebrows arrogantly, and said:
"Then hold your breath and walk away."
Xu Qingzhou almost burst out laughing.
He's such a domineering and shameless person.
"Once you get to university, just focus on your studies. I'll take care of making money. By the time you graduate, I should have saved up a considerable amount of money."
"After graduating from university, you can work if you want, or you can stay home and relax if you don't want to, I can make money anyway. Of course, if you want to pursue a master's degree, you are welcome to do so, but—"
He paused slightly, pinched Xu Qingzhou's chin, and lifted it up: "You have to get married to me first. I'm an impatient person, I can't wait too long."
"..."
Xu Qingzhou was both amused and exasperated: "Why do you keep talking about marriage these days?"
"So what? I date with marriage in mind. Otherwise, wouldn't my precious youth be wasted?"
"..."
Okay.
For the next ten minutes, Xu Qingzhou watched helplessly as Chi Jun lay on the bed, comfortably with his legs crossed, his arms behind his head, gazing out the window and enjoying the wedding arrangements.
"I think a church is great. We'll book the whole church and give you a stunning wedding. We'll choose four bridesmaids and four groomsmen. Li Rui and his gang will have to compete for those positions..."
"We can't let any trouble happen to the bridesmaids. Our wedding must be perfect from beginning to end. If anyone dares to cause trouble, don't blame me for not giving them face and slapping them on the spot."
"Zhouzhou, you'll look absolutely stunning in your wedding dress that day. I was so happy that those bastards kept chugging me a bit more alcohol. Don't blame me if you get drunk. After all, a wedding only happens once in a lifetime. I'm so happy to marry you, it's no big deal if I get drunk once."
Seeing him squinting and lost in his own world, Xu Qingzhou's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but curl up the corners of her mouth as well.
She thought that Chi Jun would look very handsome in a groom's suit.
It looks even better than the wedding photos they took together for Li Rui's cousin.
After all, the groom's suit at the time was a bit outdated and didn't fit him very well.
However, Ji Jun looks good in anything.
"After we get married, we'll live in a villa. It has to be a European-style villa, simple yet elegant. We'll leave you a plot of land in the yard where you can plant all sorts of flowers and plants that you like. Of course, you can also grow vegetables if you want. And raising a few chicks and ducks, chirping and running around your feet all day long, would be quite fun."
"But the left corner of the yard must be reserved for me. I want to plant a big cherry tree there, with tables and chairs under it for shade. On summer nights, we can sit there, enjoying the breeze and chatting. There will also be a swing with green vines wrapped around it. I can swing with my five children and teach them how to climb the tree and pick cherries. I'm really good at climbing trees, and my five children will definitely admire me..."
etc!
Xu Qingzhou was a little confused and quickly interrupted Chi Jun:
Five children? Isn't that too many? Nobody has five children these days.
Chi Jun's head was still casually resting on his arms, and he looked down at her:
"Then tell me how many would be suitable?"
One, two at most, no more than that.
Chi Jun's eyes darkened, and he smiled.
"Then two will do."
Seeing his meaningful expression, Xu Qingzhou knew she had fallen into his trap again. She leaned over and slapped Chi Jun's leg, then turned around, put away the newspaper, and silently packed her schoolbag.
Chi Jun watched her retreating figure and laughed out loud.
*
The moonlight outside the window is bright and clear, and a gentle breeze caresses the curtains, bringing in a cool and refreshing breeze.
It's almost 11 p.m.
Xu Qingzhou closed the window, drew the curtains, and prepared to go to sleep.
As soon as she lay down, Chi Jun opened his arms to her and said softly, "Come here."
Xu Qingzhou obediently moved closer to him and snuggled into Chi Jun's bed.
Actually, the two of them had been sharing a blanket for a while, probably starting from that nightmare Xu Qingzhou had about the exam paper. Since Chi Jun started holding her to sleep, she hasn't had any more nightmares.
It's impossible for a young man and woman to sleep together in each other's arms without any reaction.
Chi Jun always managed to restrain himself at crucial moments, or he would sigh, pat Xu Qingzhou's head, and say in a hoarse voice, "Go to sleep."
Or you could simply get up, go downstairs to take a shower, and then come back.
Sometimes, when he couldn't control his emotions, Chi Jun's eyes would turn red, and he would pinch Xu Qingzhou's ear and grit his teeth, saying:
"Zhouzhou, once you finish your college entrance exam, you're finished."
It's over.
Xu Qingzhou imagined the meaning of the word "It's over," and his face turned as red as an apple under the lamplight.
As usual, Xu Qingzhou nestled into Chi Jun's arms tonight, feeling secure and warm, and soon drowsiness overcame her.
Just as I was about to fall asleep, my phone, which was on the table, suddenly rang.
Xu Qingzhou slightly raised her eyelids, and Chi Jun supported the back of her head, saying, "Don't worry about it."
In the dead of night, someone probably pops up in the group chat again, saying a few innocuous words.
Chi Jun ignored him.
Unexpectedly, the bell rang continuously, paused for a while, and then rang again.
Chi Jun had no choice but to get up and get his phone.
Before turning on airplane mode, he casually glanced at it.
It was indeed a group message.
Xu Qingzhou, still half asleep in bed, saw Chi Jun staring at the lit screen, his fingers pausing, his face illuminated by the light, his expression serious.
After a while, he took his phone to the bed and placed it on the windowsill, which was closer to him.
Seeing Xu Qingzhou looking at him, he explained:
"It's Li Rui and the others. They said Wang Shuai is back from the Beijing hospital, and we'll go see him together tomorrow."
Thinking of Wang Shuai, Xu Qingzhou frowned slightly, a hint of worry in his eyes.
Several months have passed, and Wang Shuai, who thought it was just a minor health problem, has been unable to recover. Even major hospitals have been unable to find anything wrong, so he had no choice but to seek medical treatment in Beijing.
I don't know if this trip to Beijing yielded any definite results.
Xu Qingzhou stirred twice, pulled his hands out of the covers, turned on the light, and grabbed the paper and pen from the side.
What do doctors in Beijing say?
Chi Jun shook his head.
"I don't know the specifics yet, I'll go check it out tomorrow."
Xu Qingzhou nodded.
"Go to sleep."
*
The next day was Saturday. After dropping Xu Qingzhou off at school in the morning, Chi Jun went to the mall to pick up some things and then went to the county hospital with Li Rui and others.
Wang Shuai's ward was in the immunology department on the top floor. Outside the ward, Wang Shuai's parents stood in front of the doctor, talking in hushed tones, their expressions solemn.
After the doctor left, Wang Shuai's mother wiped away her tears and was put on the shoulder by Wang Shuai's father, who patted her gently a few times.
"uncle."
Li Rui called out first, then coughed twice.
The couple turned to look at each other. The woman quickly wiped away her tears and forced a broken smile.
"It's Rui Rui."
"You've come to see Shuai Shuai, right? He's inside. Come in."
He turned around, walked over, and opened the door.
Chi Jun, Li Rui, and the others went inside. Wang Shuai's mother didn't say anything, but held back her tears, gently closed the door, and stood outside.
The ward was completely white, filled with the smell of disinfectant. The sunlight streamed weakly through the window, where a hydroponic pothos plant stood forlornly, its leaves curled up in small, lonely curls.
The last time Chi Jun saw Wang Shuai was two months ago.
It was during his busiest time at work, and we only met briefly at a friend's dinner party. Wang Shuai was already sick at the time, but he seemed to be in good overall condition.
Unexpectedly, by the time Chi Jun finished his work and had some free time, Wang Shuai had already been taken to Beijing by his parents, and the two never got together again.
During this time, Wang Shuai continued to joke around in the group chat as usual, leading everyone to believe he was doing well. However, upon entering the ward, they found him lying in bed in a hospital gown, wearing a breathing mask, with an IV drip in his hand. He was thin and pale, like a dry leaf fallen from an autumn branch.
Everyone fell silent.
Wang Shuai, however, grinned first, revealing a faint smile.
"You've arrived?"
The sound was muffled inside the breathing mask, making it somewhat unclear.
"Am I incredibly lame now?"
Li Rui took a breath, blinked, and stepped forward to brush Wang Shuai's hair aside.
"Who said you're lame? Wearing this hospital gown, your looks and demeanor are practically on par with that handsome guy Xu Jun!"
Wang Shuai opened his mouth and gave a forced laugh.
"Then I've definitely had a worthwhile illness."
"Come on, get well soon. Handsome guys don't live as freely as us ordinary people. If you don't believe me, ask Xu Jun."
Wang Shuai laughed again, his gaze slowly and intently shifting until it finally settled on Chi Jun.
"Xu Jun, it's been such a long time... such a long time since we last met..."
Chi Jun stood still without moving or saying a word.
He was still carrying the things he had brought, but as if he had been struck by lightning, he stared straight at Wang Shuai without reacting.
"Xu Jun."
"Xu Jun? Wang Shuai is calling you."
Chi Jun snapped out of his daze, put down his things, and walked over.
Wang Shuai struggled to lift his hand, which had an IV drip inserted, and placed it on the back of his hand.
"Did you...did you just hear that, Li Rui? Li Rui said...that I'm more handsome than you now! I've finally got my comeuppance, haha—"
Chi Jun forced a smile.
"I heard you."
As he spoke, his gaze was fixed on the area around Wang Shuai's body.
Wang Shuai was surrounded only by a blue and white striped hospital bed, bedding, and a blue bedside table with a thermos, water cup, medicine box, and other miscellaneous items—the most common and established impression a hospital leaves on people.
However, at this moment, Chi Jun saw an extremely abnormal black aura around him.
The black mist surged and spread rapidly.
Like the gaping maw of a ferocious beast, it roared, ready to devour people completely.
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