Chapter 21: A Beauty Arrives
Lu Li disliked the term “privileged class” because all privileges were built upon exploitation. But in the face of this unprecedented disaster, he had to admit that “privilege” was probably the only way to save Chen Jianing. As soon as they entered the hospital, they saw patients lying all over the PVC plastic floor, in the corridors, in the lobby… Colorful quilts spread on the ground were considered beds, and crumpled clothes piled together served as pillows. Family members of the patients squatted nearby, anxious and helpless, numbly watching the doctors and nurses coming and going.
If there was one word to describe this scene, it would be “misery.”
As Lu Li passed by a patient, he accidentally stepped on the corner of a bedsheet. He could clearly see that the bedsheet was a fiery red, printed with old-fashioned and gaudy floral patterns, the kind commonly seen in rural Shenzhou. Where was the nearest village? Why were they trapped in Mulan City? These questions flashed through Lu Li’s mind and then disappeared. Life was like this, constantly encountering questions but never getting answers, like a journey that ended abruptly.
The plump woman named Chen Lei greeted them with excessive enthusiasm, but her masked face betrayed her apprehension towards Chen Jianing. She was afraid that Chen Jianing would touch the doorknob too much, afraid that she would sneeze. Chen Jianing lowered her head guiltily and leaned closer to Lu Li. She whispered, “Am I causing them trouble…”
Lu Li squeezed the girl’s jade-like hand, offering a reassuring answer with his warm palm.
After a nurse took Chen Jianing for a blood test, she was arranged to stay in a special ward on the top floor of the inpatient department. While waiting for the test results, four elderly doctors with white hair approached the little tiger, gently inquiring about her physical condition. Chen Jianing nervously gripped Lu Li’s arm, her answers incoherent and disjointed. When the four professors left, she realized that she had left four bloody nail marks on Lu Li’s arm.
“So-sorry, I, I was too nervous…” Chen Jianing said with a sob.
“It’s okay, it’s okay.” How could it be okay? It hurt like hell, but Lu Li endured it silently. If he wasn’t with Chen Jianing, the girl probably wouldn’t be able to say a word, making treatment much more difficult.
“…If even four experts can’t cure me, does that mean I’m doomed?” It was one thing to speculate about your own death, but another to be told you were definitely going to die. The former still allowed for some self-comfort and coping mechanisms, while the latter only brought reluctant rejection and fear. “Lu Li, I, I don’t want to die… Sob…”
“There, there, don’t cry, don’t cry…” Over the past few days, Lu Li had become accustomed to comforting her in this doting tone.
After crying for a while, a young nurse came in and gave Chen Jianing an IV drip. Lu Li guessed it was just ordinary glucose solution to replenish her nutrients.
“Mr. Lu, let the patient rest for a while.” The young nurse said politely. “We’ll contact you as soon as the expert team comes up with a plan.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“It’s our duty.”
Lu Li sat outside the ward for a while and received a WeChat message from Chen Jianing.
[Annoying Girl: Lu Li, don’t go too far, okay?]
[Lu Li: I’m just outside the door.]
[Annoying Girl: Lu Li… if I die, will you still remember me? Will you forget me after a few years?]
[Lu Li: No, I will always remember you.]
[Annoying Girl: #Crying]
She sent four crying cat emojis in a row. Lu Li was both amused and exasperated. He used to think that Chu Jingyi was the most childish girl he knew. Now that he thought about it, Yi Bao wasn’t childish, she was just pure. She wasn’t stupid. This little Chen Jianing was probably the most childish one.
[Annoying Girl: I miss my parents, what should I do… They would be so worried if they knew I was hospitalized…]
[Lu Li: Don’t think too much, rest for a while. You can go back and see them after you recover.]
Chen Jianing didn’t reply for a while.
[Annoying Girl: Can I still see you after I recover?]
What did she mean?
[Lu Li: Of course you can.]
You have legs, don’t you? You can come to Chuanhai City when you recover and we can meet. Lu Li didn’t understand why Chen Jianing would ask such a question. Or was there another meaning hidden in her words? As he was pondering, he suddenly saw a text message:
“Xiao Lu, we’re at the Fourth Hospital, come to the third floor.”
It was from Chu Xiaodong. But what did “we” mean? Who else came with him?
Lu Li quickly tidied himself up and rushed to the third floor of the inpatient department. As expected, he saw a group of doctors and nurses gathered in the corridor, seemingly surrounding someone. He could vaguely hear voices: “…here for inspection, our Fourth Hospital will definitely work hand in hand with the people of Mulan City to overcome this difficulty, and live up to… expectations!” Then came Chu Xiaodong’s voice: “…Thank you for your hard work…”
Lu Li didn’t speak, quietly listening to their bureaucratic exchange. After they exchanged some meaningless pleasantries, the crowd gradually dispersed. Lu Li saw Chu Xiaodong, dressed in a formal suit, wearing a mask, his hair neatly combed. Lu Li noticed that his crow’s feet had deepened. Chu Xiaodong was also accompanied by a group of officials in suits, but Lu Li only glanced at them for a moment before his attention was completely drawn to a splash of color in the crowd. It felt like even the sound around him had been swallowed up.
Chu Jingyi was wearing a padded jacket, her bright red scarf still around her neck, her small hands covered in cute half-finger gloves. She was following behind her father, looking a bit dazed. Her mask seemed to be crooked, and she was fiddling with it clumsily.
As if sensing something, Chu Jingyi suddenly turned her head, her gaze sweeping across the crowd and landing on the young man. Even with the mask, Lu Li could tell she was smiling – her eyes were narrowed, like crescent moons on a midsummer night, or like ripples on a lake, filled with tenderness and affection. Silly Goose left everything behind and ran straight towards Lu Li. Under everyone’s surprised gazes, Chu Jingyi hugged Lu Li and whispered, “I’m so glad you’re okay…”
Amidst the joy, Lu Li didn’t forget to observe his future father-in-law’s expression. He saw a hint of helplessness and embarrassment on Chu Xiaodong’s face. He suddenly understood why Chu Xiaodong had agreed to his request, why this important figure had risked coming to Mulan City… As long as he felt the warmth of the girl in his arms, everything made sense.
I owe you… so much… Lu Li looked at Chu Jingyi in his arms and sighed inwardly.
***
Half an hour earlier. Special ward on the fifth floor.
Chen Jianing was scrolling through her chat history with Lu Li. Their conversations were actually quite mundane, mostly things like “Are you asleep?” “Did you take your medicine?” “Are you hungry?” But Chen Jianing read these boring conversations with great interest. She suddenly understood the joy of “squatting on the roadside and counting people.”
She scrolled to their recent conversation. Lu Li had said that a very important friend of his had arrived and he needed to meet them. He also said that he owed it to this friend for the opportunity to get treatment. Chen Jianing didn’t want Lu Li to go too far, so she could only say “Come back soon” with a hint of grievance. It wasn’t because she couldn’t bear to be apart from Lu Li, but because she was afraid he would get lost… Chen Jianing made excuses for herself in her mind.
Just then, the four elderly doctors from the expert team walked into the ward, led by a young nurse. They were holding a document, and their expressions were strange. Chen Jianing’s heart tightened. She knew the moment of truth had arrived.
“Miss Chen, please don’t get too excited about what we’re about to say… You must stay calm…” Professor Chen, the leader of the team, hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Your illness… it, it’s not RSA… It’s just a seasonal flu…”
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