Unexpected concern
The cicadas' incessant chirping in the sweltering summer was irritating. The days after the college entrance exams seemed to be slowed down, sticky and long. Qin Zhou and Song Yungui were completely liberated, spending all their time at home, either playing games or sleeping in late. Occasionally, on a whim, they would even drag Qi Shuo along to cause some trouble.
Sister Jin was delighted with this and went to great lengths to prepare delicious meals, filling the house with the aroma of food and the boisterous noise of the young people.
That evening, Qi Shuo had just returned from the hospital when he opened the door and heard a series of clattering noises coming from the living room. He changed his shoes and walked into the living room, where he saw Qin Zhou and Song Yungui jumping around on the sofa with pillows in their hands, feathers flying everywhere like a light snowfall.
"Brother Shuo! Come quick, help!" Qin Zhou, with his sharp eyes, spotted him and immediately shouted, "Yun Gui is cheating! We agreed on best two out of three, and he's reneging on the deal now that he's lost!"
Song Yungui hugged his pillow, a rare sly smile on his face: "Who said I lost? You were the one who stepped on the floor first!"
"That was a strategic retreat!"
"That's against the rules!"
The two of them were arguing back and forth, having a great time. Qi Shuo stood at the door, watching this scene, and the corner of his mouth curved up almost imperceptibly.
Such a scene was something he had never dared to imagine in the past. But now, it was actually happening right before his eyes, noisy, vibrant, and warm with the warmth of everyday life.
He walked over, grabbed them by the back of their collars, one in each hand, and lifted them off the sofa like chicks: "Stop messing around, Sister Jin will be back soon. When she sees the mess you've made of the house, you'll be in big trouble."
"Brother Shuo, wanna hang out together?" Qin Zhou suddenly leaned over, blinking his eyes.
Qi Shuo was taken aback for a moment, instinctively wanting to refuse. But seeing Qin Zhou's expectant eyes and Song Yungui's furtive glance, he hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded: "Just one game."
"Yay!" Qin Zhou cheered and immediately shoved the pillow into his hands. "Come on, Yun Gui and I are on one team, and Shuo-ge, you're on your own! Let's see how we crush you!"
Qi Shuo raised an eyebrow: "Who's abusing whom?"
Before he could finish speaking, a pillow flew towards him. He dodged it to the side and retaliated with a backhand strike, hitting Qin Zhou squarely in the face. Qin Zhou let out a howl and pounced on him.
Song Yungui joined the fray, and the three of them chased each other around the living room, pillows flying everywhere and feathers scattering. Laughter and shouts mingled together, echoing in the small space.
Qi Shuo hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time.
He even forgot the time, forgot the heavy past, forgot the younger sister in the hospital who needed to be carefully protected, and forgot... the boy who always looked at him with complicated eyes.
At this moment, he was simply himself, an ordinary young man who would laugh heartily over a childish game.
His cell phone rang abruptly, shattering the brief moment of joy.
Qi Shuo stopped what he was doing and took his phone out of his pocket. The screen displayed an unfamiliar number. He frowned and answered, "Hello?"
"Hello, is this Mr. Qi Shuo?" A strange female voice came from the other end of the phone, her tone businesslike but with a hint of urgency.
"Yes, it is." Qi Shuo's heart sank. At this time, could something have happened to Qing Ran?
"This is the emergency department of the Third People's Hospital of the city. Do you know a patient named Tan Huaiyu? He is currently here with an acute attack of gastroenteritis, and his condition is quite serious. We cannot contact his family, and your phone number is listed as his emergency contact."
Qi Shuo was stunned. Tan Huaiyu? Acute gastroenteritis? Emergency contact...it was him?
The voice on the other end of the phone continued: "If it's convenient for you, could you come over? We need to complete some hospitalization procedures, and there are some treatments that require a family member's signature."
Qi Shuo's Adam's apple bobbed, and his fingers tightened slightly as he gripped his phone.
He instinctively wanted to refuse, but the words that came out were a brief "Mm": "Send me the address, I'll be right there."
After hanging up the phone, he stood there, and Qin Zhou and Song Yungui also stopped their playful fighting and looked at him with suspicion.
"Brother Shuo, what's wrong?" Qin Zhou asked.
"It's nothing." Qi Shuo came back to his senses, put his phone back in his pocket, and said, "I'm going out for a bit. Stop making a fuss and clean up the house."
"Oh..." Qin Zhou scratched his head, wanting to ask something, but Qi Shuo had already turned and walked towards the door, picked up his car keys and went out.
Downstairs, Sister Jin's old car was parked quietly. Qi Shuo opened the car door, got in, started the engine, and drove out of the residential area. It was already dark, the streetlights were turning on one by one, and the traffic was heavy. He turned on the navigation, entered the hospital address, and followed the directions.
His mind was in a jumble the whole way.
Why did Tan Huaiyu set him as his emergency contact? Was it intentional, or... simply because there was no one else to fill in? These thoughts uncontrollably surfaced, only to be forcibly suppressed by him. He shouldn't care about these things, shouldn't think about them. What did Tan Huaiyu's situation have to do with him? They should have drawn a clear line between them long ago.
But... that rainy night, that bowl of silent noodles, the fleeting vulnerability and expectation in those amber eyes, and the figure in the library, quietly reading and occasionally glancing up at him... these images played repeatedly in his mind like a revolving lantern.
The car stopped in the hospital parking lot. Qi Shuo took a deep breath, opened the car door, and strode towards the emergency department. At the nurses' station, he gave Tan Huaiyu's name, and the nurse quickly pointed him in the right direction: "Third floor, room 307."
As the elevator ascended, Qi Shuo's heart inexplicably raced. He didn't know why he was nervous, nor what expression he should wear when facing Tan Huaiyu. Should he be indifferent? Distancing? Or... pretend nothing had happened?
The elevator doors opened, and he walked down the corridor, his steps light. The door to room 307 was ajar, with a faint light shining from inside. He stood in the doorway, peering through the crack.
On the hospital bed, Tan Huaiyu was curled up in a ball, his back to the door. He was wearing a hospital gown, which made him look even thinner. His hair was scattered messily on the pillow, and he looked incredibly fragile.
Qi Shuo stood there, watching quietly. A complex mix of emotions welled up inside him once more.
He remembered Tan Huaiyu saying that he left the Tan family, exchanging his inheritance rights for money and a house. And then what? He lived alone in that old, dilapidated apartment in "Yucaiyuan," what did he eat? How did he take care of himself? Why did he suddenly have a bout of gastroenteritis?
Just as he was lost in thought, the door to the ward opened. A doctor in a white coat came out, paused for a moment when he saw him, and asked, "You are...?"
Qi Shuo snapped out of his daze, opened his mouth as if to say, "I am his friend," but the words that came out were: "I am his... family member."
The doctor nodded, his tone softening slightly: "The patient's condition has stabilized. It was acute gastroenteritis, mainly caused by irregular eating habits and consuming unclean food. He's already had an IV drip and medication prescribed. Just go home and rest well, and take his medication on time. Would you like to complete the discharge procedures, or would you like him to stay for observation one more night?"
"I..." Qi Shuo hesitated for a moment, "I'll go see him first."
The doctor stepped aside, and Qi Shuo pushed open the door and went in. The ward was quiet, with only the slight hum of the air conditioner running.
Tan Huaiyu seemed to be asleep, his breathing even and shallow. Qi Shuo walked to the bedside, looked down at his pale face and the dark circles under his eyes, and that inexplicable irritation welled up in his heart again.
Did he take good care of himself?
Just then, Tan Huaiyu's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes. The moment she saw Qi Shuo, her amber eyes widened abruptly, flashing with shock, panic, disbelief, and... a faint, almost imperceptible joy.
"Qi... Brother Qi Shuo?" His voice was very soft, hoarse and weak from just waking up.
Qi Shuo grunted in agreement, his voice flat: "The hospital called me and said you have acute gastroenteritis and need a family member's signature."
Tan Huaiyu's expression stiffened for a moment, then she lowered her eyelashes, concealing the emotions in her eyes: "I'm sorry... I... I didn't know they would call you. I was in so much pain at the time, the nurse asked me for my emergency contact, and I... I acted impulsively..."
He pursed his lips and didn't press further: "The doctor said your problem isn't serious and you can be discharged directly. Would you like to stay here for the night, or should I take you home?"
Tan Huaiyu suddenly raised her head: "No...no need to trouble you, I can manage on my own..."
"Go home or stay overnight?" Qi Shuo repeated calmly.
"go home."
"Okay, I'll go pay your bill first." Qi Shuo nodded and turned to leave.
Tan Huaiyu suddenly reached out and grabbed the hem of his clothes. The force was very light, and he could have easily broken free, but Qi Shuo still stopped in his tracks.
“Brother Qi Shuo…” Tan Huaiyu’s voice trembled slightly, “I have money. I didn’t use much of the money the Tan family gave me; I paid for my own medical expenses.”
As he spoke, he loosened his grip on Qi Shuo's clothes and turned to reach for his backpack on the bedside table. His movements were somewhat clumsy, perhaps because his hand was still a little weak after finishing his IV drip. He unzipped the backpack, rummaged around inside for a while, and pulled out a bank card, handing it to Qi Shuo.
Seeing his expression, Qi Shuo felt even more irritated. He reached out and took the bank card, his voice cold: "I know. I'll go pay the bill, you wait."
After saying that, he turned and left the ward. At the payment window, he handed over his bank card and stated the amount.
The staff swiped his card and returned the receipt and bank card to him. Qi Shuo glanced at the amount on the receipt; it wasn't a large sum, but it wasn't small either.
He returned to the ward with the receipt and bank card, pushed open the door, and saw that Tan Huaiyu had already changed his clothes and was sitting by the bed waiting for him.
"All done?" Qi Shuo asked.
Tan Huaiyu nodded, stood up, and picked up his schoolbag: "Mm."
"Let's go." Qi Shuo turned and walked out, and Tan Huaiyu obediently followed.
The two walked silently down the corridor, one after the other, took the elevator downstairs, and exited the hospital.
The night breeze, carrying the sweltering heat of summer, swept over them, dispelling the smell of disinfectant from the hospital. Qi Shuo walked ahead, with Tan Huaiyu following half a step behind him, head down, like a child who had done something wrong.
In the parking lot, Qi Shuo opened the car door: "Get in."
Tan Huaiyu hesitated for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "You...you'll take me home?"
"Otherwise what?" Qi Shuo frowned. "Where else do you want to go?"
"No...no." Tan Huaiyu quickly shook his head, climbed into the passenger seat, and fastened his seatbelt.
The car drove out of the hospital and merged into the night traffic. The car was quiet, save for the occasional mechanical female voice from the navigation system. Qi Shuo focused intently on driving, his eyes fixed straight ahead.
Tan Huaiyu sat in the passenger seat, her hands on her knees, her fingers unconsciously twisting together. She would steal glances at Qi Shuo's profile from time to time, then quickly look away.
"Address," Qi Shuo suddenly spoke.
"Huh?" Tan Huaiyu was taken aback.
"Your home address," Qi Shuo repeated, his tone still indifferent. "I need it for navigation."
"Oh..." Tan Huaiyu realized what was happening and quickly gave the specific building and address of Yucaiyuan.
Qi Shuo entered the navigation information, and the car continued on its way. Silence spread again, like an invisible membrane separating the two.
After an unknown amount of time, Tan Huaiyu finally couldn't hold back and whispered, "Brother Qi Shuo... thank you."
Qi Shuo didn't speak, but his fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel.
“I…I really didn’t expect you to come.” Tan Huaiyu continued, her voice growing softer and softer, “After all, you hate me so much.”
"I'm not that cold-blooded." Qi Shuo finally spoke, his voice a little hoarse, "No matter what, you are still... never mind."
He didn't say anything more. Silence fell over the car again.
Tan Huaiyu lowered his head, his eyes welling up with tears. He bit his lip hard, trying not to cry.
The grievances, pain, and loneliness of the past few days surged up like a tide at this moment, almost overwhelming him. He thought he had gotten used to bearing everything alone, used to days when no one cared and no one was there to rely on.
But when Qi Shuo appeared at the door of the ward, he realized that he still longed to be cared for, and longed for someone to give him a shoulder to lean on when he was most vulnerable.
The car stopped at the entrance of Yucaiyuan residential area. Qi Shuo turned off the engine and turned to look at Tan Huaiyu: "We're here."
Tan Huaiyu looked up at the familiar gate of the residential area outside the window, then glanced at Qi Shuo. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she only whispered, "Thank you."
After he finished speaking, he unbuckled his seatbelt, opened the car door, and prepared to get out.
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