Chapter 11 The Temperature of the Porridge "This is nothing?"...
The next morning, Zhu Qingting woke up feeling much clearer-headed. The frequent tinnitus from the previous day was barely noticeable, and the throbbing pain in the back of her head had mostly subsided. It seemed that as long as she didn't touch the bulging area, the pain would subside.
Qin Youyou had already gotten up and was quietly getting ready in the bathroom.
Hearing Zhu Qingting's movement, she immediately came out and asked, looking at her expression, "Zhu Zhu, you're awake! How are you feeling? Does your head still hurt?"
"Much better," Zhu Qingting tried to get up slightly, her movements much smoother than yesterday. "My ears are much clearer now, but I still feel a bit of that lump in the back."
Qin Youyou breathed a sigh of relief, then added, "That's good. When the doctor makes rounds this morning, ask about the situation carefully and send me the results. I have to rush to the troupe; the hospital area is incredibly congested in the morning!" She packed her bag, walked to the door, then turned back worriedly, "Call me anytime if anything happens!"
"Okay, go ahead." Zhu Qingting waved to her and watched the ward door close gently.
Alone in the quiet hospital room, she leaned against the pillows, gazing at the bright sky outside the window, and began to clear her mind.
Just after nine o'clock, there was a gentle knock on the ward door.
Zhu Qingting thought it was a doctor coming to check on her patients, and replied, "Please come in."
The door opened, and Chai Yundu walked in. He was still wearing his standard black hat and mask, completely obscuring his face, but Zhu Qingting recognized him at a glance.
"Teacher Chai? What brings you here again?" she asked, somewhat surprised.
Chai Yundu walked to the bedside, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment, as if to check on her condition.
He then gently placed the dark-colored thermos he was carrying on the bedside table. "I brought you some breakfast," his voice sounded a little muffled through his mask, "Are you hungry?"
"Yes, a little," Zhu Qingting answered honestly. "Youyou ordered food for me at the hospital before she left, it should be delivered soon."
Chai Yundu opened the lid of the thermos, and a sweet aroma of rice immediately wafted out.
"I brought some millet porridge, it's cooked quite well, would you like to try some?" He said, scooping out a small bowl with a spoon. He had tested the temperature of the porridge at home; it was just right, neither too hot nor too cold. He handed the bowl to Zhu Qingting.
Zhu Qingting blankly accepted the small bowl, the warmth spreading from her palm. She lowered her head and used a small spoon to scoop up small spoonfuls of porridge and put them into her mouth.
The porridge was cooked to perfection, the rice grains were almost dissolved, and the texture was smooth and creamy. My stomach, which had been empty all night, was instantly soothed.
At this moment, Chai Yundu naturally picked up the disposable paper cup she had used on the bedside table, touched the cup and found that the water was cold. She then walked to the water dispenser in the corner of the ward, filled it with more than half a cup of warm water, and placed it within her reach.
"How are you feeling now? Still dizzy?" He pulled up a chair by the bed and sat down. "Has the doctor come to check on you? What did he say?"
"Much better, really, my head isn't so dizzy anymore." Zhu Qingting tried to make her smile look more convincing. "The nurses said the doctors usually start their rounds at nine o'clock, so they should be here soon."
Just then, the ward door was pushed open again, and a middle-aged male doctor in a white coat walked in with a ward round board. He did not recognize Chai Yundu sitting to the side.
"Zhu Qingting, right? How are you feeling?" The doctor asked routinely while reviewing the records. "Did you experience nausea or vomiting last night? Are you still experiencing tinnitus and dizziness?"
Zhu Qingting's face flushed instantly. Chai Yundu was sitting right next to her, and she really didn't want to talk about how embarrassingly she had vomited, feeling it would severely damage her image. But when faced with the doctor's questions, she couldn't be dishonest.
She lowered her eyelashes and answered with a hint of embarrassment, "Um... I threw up... twice. The tinnitus came in waves, but I forced myself to sleep, and once I fell asleep, I couldn't feel it anymore."
The doctor made a few notes in his notebook and explained calmly, "These are common phenomena after a concussion. Because the brainstem is impacted, it can trigger a gag reflex and abnormalities in the auditory nerve. Let's observe again today. If the vomiting stops and the tinnitus lessens, it means you are getting better."
After the routine questioning, the doctor stepped forward and said, "Come on, turn to the side so I can examine the injury on the back of your head."
Zhu Qingting nervously felt the doctor's fingers gently part the hair at the back of her head and then touch the bulging lump.
"Hiss—" She couldn't help but gasp.
"Hmm, the swelling hasn't spread, there's some bruising and bluish discoloration in the area, that's normal, it will gradually fade away in a few days." The doctor muttered as he examined the area. "It's just that the hairspray in your hair is sticking together quite a bit, so when you go home after being discharged, you must be careful. Be very gentle and avoid the swollen area. Don't rub it too hard."
"!!!"
The doctor's words shocked Zhu Qingting so much that she almost froze, and even forgot to reply to the doctor. It was Chai Yundu who thanked the doctor and saw him off.
At this moment, Zhu Qingting had only one thought in her mind—hair!
She was brought directly from the recording site of the show. Qin Youyou only helped her remove her makeup and take down her complicated hair bun, but there was no way to wash her hair. She could only barely comb it out with a comb.
She actually faced Chai Yundu for so long in such a disheveled and messy state!
"My image!!! My hair must look like it's been glued on, all clumps together!!! It's so ugly!!! I don't want to live anymore!!!" Zhu Qingting screamed in her heart.
Chai Yundu closed the door slightly before noticing Zhu Qingting's hair. He suggested, "The hair salon I usually go to has very meticulous and thoughtful service. I'll make an appointment for you. Go there directly after you're discharged from the hospital tomorrow and have them give you a thorough cleaning."
Zhu Qingting remained with her back turned, her voice muffled. "No, no need to trouble you. I also have a membership at the hair salon downstairs. Sometimes after a performance, I use too much hairspray and am too lazy to wash it myself, so I go there to get it washed. I can go there myself tomorrow."
“No trouble at all.” Chai Yundu’s voice carried an undeniable firmness as he walked to the bedside. “Your situation is special right now, so you need to be extra careful. I wouldn’t feel comfortable with a regular barbershop where the technique might not be as meticulous.”
It's always like this! He always says things that make her heart race and her cheeks burn with this kind of concern that sounds so natural yet goes beyond the boundaries of a normal business partnership.
Zhu Qingting felt that not only her brainstem was affected, but her rationality was also impacted.
She took a deep breath, turned around abruptly, no longer caring about her image or pretending not to understand.
“Chai Yundu,” she had never called him by his full name to his face before, her tone filled with a desperate seriousness, “Why are you so good to me? So…special?”
Chai Yundu reached out and gently rubbed her uninjured head.
"Silly girl. Doesn't your head hurt from spinning so fast? I think you can feel my feelings." His gaze was deep. "But remember what the doctor said, what you need most right now is rest and recuperation. Don't overthink things, okay?"
All right……
His words made Zhu Qingting feel like she had punched a cotton ball, and the courage she had mustered to ask the question instantly vanished.
She seemed a little sullen, stopped looking at him, reached for her phone on the bedside table, and started scrolling through it on her own.
Yesterday, Qin Youyou strictly forbade her from looking at her phone, but now she can finally use it.
Opening WeChat, I saw a dense stream of messages, all from relatives and friends who had seen the unexpected incident on last night's program and sent their condolences.
She began to politely reply to each message, letting everyone know she was safe.
At this moment, she saw Sun Ao's chat page. This young man had sent her many messages, filled with guilt and self-blame, repeatedly asking about her condition and eagerly wanting to visit her in the hospital.
Zhu Qingting looked at the words filled with regret and sighed softly. No one could have predicted the unexpected events on stage. She had never blamed him; in fact, she felt a little sorry for him only getting fourth place.
But now, looking sickly and haggard with her hair in such bad condition, she really didn't want anyone other than her closest relatives to see her.
But she knew Sun Ao's personality better than anyone else. If she refused outright, the young man would probably remain trapped in self-blame and unable to get out of it.
After much hesitation, she replied to the message, briefly explaining that her condition was stable and providing the hospital name and ward number.
After finishing these tasks, she looked up at Chai Yundu, who was sitting quietly to the side, seemingly working on his phone, and made a slightly embarrassed request.
"Um... Ms. Chai, someone from the production crew might come to visit me later. I really can't face anyone looking like this. Could you please go to the nearby shopping mall and buy me a hat?"
Chai Yundu looked up and nodded without hesitation, "No problem." He put away his phone, stood up, and said, "You stay in bed and rest. Don't move around. I'll be back soon."
Watching his figure disappear outside the door, Zhu Qingting continued replying to messages and then made a video call to her parents to let them know she was safe.
Not long after, Chai Yundu returned. He was carrying an elegant paper bag, from which he took out a loose-fitting black beanie.
The hat was soft and well-fitting. It perfectly concealed her terrible hairstyle without putting pressure on the injury on the back of her head, and even added a touch of style to her pale complexion.
Zhu Qingting took a picture with her phone camera and couldn't help but sigh: No wonder he's a man with multiple top luxury brand endorsements; his fashion sense and taste are impeccable.
Wearing the hat made her feel much more confident. But she quickly thought of another problem.
If the visitors come and see Chai Yundu here, it might cause unnecessary speculation.
She thought for a moment, then made a slightly excessive request to Chai Yundu, "Teacher Chai, there's one more thing... I drove to the show venue yesterday, and my car is still parked in the parking lot there. Could you please help me drive it back and park it downstairs at my place? The car keys are in my bag." She pointed to her handbag on the bedside table, "Parking fees are quite expensive..."
This request was obviously much more troublesome than buying a hat. Zhu Qingting felt a little embarrassed after she finished speaking, thinking that she had been a bit too forward.
However, Chai Yundu merely raised an eyebrow and glanced at her, seemingly seeing through her intention to send him away. But he said nothing, took the car keys from her bag, and readily agreed, "Okay, the Porsche again, right? I'll go right now."
His hard work and thoughtfulness made Zhu Qingting's feelings even more complicated.
Shortly after Chai Yundu left, the program's producer and director, along with a remorseful Sun Ao, came to visit him. They brought a lot of fruit and skincare products.
Wearing a hat, Zhu Qingting handled the situation appropriately, repeatedly assuring Sun Ao that she was fine, reassuring him, and thanking the production team for their concern.
After the visitors left, the ward fell silent again.
Around noon, Chai Yundu sent a message saying that the car was parked and asked if it would be convenient to return the keys to her now.
When he reappeared in the ward, in addition to his car keys, he was carrying the same thermos as he had that morning.
"Are you hungry? Have some lunch." He casually placed the thermos on the bedside table.
"Oh? Actually, the hospital has a meal delivery service. The staff should be bringing it over soon." Zhu Qingting was a little surprised, not expecting him to be thinking about lunch.
“The food outside might not be nutritious enough,” Chai Yundu said calmly as he opened the thermos. “What you need now is food that is easy to digest and can replenish your energy and nutrients.”
The thermos contained layers of golden chicken broth, light chicken shredded porridge, stir-fried vegetables, and a smooth steamed egg custard.
Looking at the food and household thermos containers that were clearly prepared with care, Zhu Qingting suddenly had a thought flash through her mind. She asked in surprise, "Teacher Chai, you didn't make all of this yourself, did you?"
Chai Yundu hummed in agreement.
Even the bowl of millet porridge that soothes the stomach in the morning is cooked by his own hands.
Zhu Qingting ate this extra-thoughtful lunch in silence, each bite feeling heavy, filled with some kind of emotion she dared not delve into.
After lunch, Chai Yundu did not linger. He carefully cleaned up the tableware and then took his leave at the right time, telling her to take a good nap and giving her enough rest time. He handled the situation with perfect tact.
In the late afternoon, Qin Youyou arrived at the hospital shortly after getting off work. Chai Yundu unexpectedly reappeared, bringing dinner and even thoughtfully including a portion for Qin Youyou.
Looking at the home-cooked, nutritionally balanced meal on the table, and then at the man sitting beside her, Qin Youyou's gaze towards Zhu Qingting was more ambiguous and meaningful than ever before, as if to say, "Is this nothing?"
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