Zhu Shuangyao suddenly opened her eyes. What greeted her was the snow - white ceiling, and the strong smell of disinfectant filled her nostrils.
She... was she back?
"Yaoyao, you're finally awake!" Zhu Shuangyao turned her head towards the source of the voice. It was Pei Ying sitting beside her bed. On the right were Su Nianying and Xingxing. At this moment, they were all looking at her worriedly.
Su Nianying scolded her, "The doctor said you fainted due to low blood sugar. You've been unconscious for three hours. If we hadn't come back in time, you would have slept in the parking lot for three hours."
Xingxing nodded frequently beside her.
Zhu Shuangyao propped herself up a bit. Su Nianying saw her intention, got up and helped her sit up, then stuffed two pillows behind her to make her sit more comfortably.
She asked in confusion, "I... fainted because of low blood sugar?"
Wasn't she knocked out by Shen Zhong?
No, that wasn't the key. She asked, "Did you guys bring me to the hospital? Did you see Huo Qizheng?"
"We didn't see him," Pei Ying said in frustration. "He didn't even send you to school. He didn't even know you fainted in the parking lot. What's the use of having him as your boyfriend? You'd better find someone else."
Pei Ying and Huo Qizheng had never gotten along well. It was normal for them to speak ill of each other in front of Zhu Shuangyao. But unexpectedly, after hearing this, Zhu Shuangyao seemed to have all her energy drained away. She slumped dejectedly on the hospital bed.
Pei Ying kept chattering. Su Nianying patted him and motioned for him to shut up. "Yaoyao just woke up. Let's not say so much and bother her."
Pei Ying also noticed Zhu Shuangyao's state. He thought it was because he had spoken ill of Huo Qizheng that made her unhappy. He said carefully, "Although... he does have quite a few flaws, I think you two are quite well - matched. It's... okay, right?"
Su Nianying chimed in, "Yes, you two are a perfect match."
Xingxing clapped her hands and said, "A perfect match, a perfect match."
Zhu Shuangyao forced a bitter smile. What was the use of love? The plan had failed, and he was no longer there. If he were still alive, he would surely be guarding by her bedside, waiting for her to wake up.
But there was no sign of him.
When she came back, she still held a tiny glimmer of hope. Maybe... maybe when she opened her eyes, she would see the one she loved.
But there was no such luck.
Zhu Shuangyao lowered her head. Her heart seemed to be seized by great pain, burned to pieces. She felt as if she had fallen into hell, constantly falling with no end in sight.
Pei Ying sat down beside her, stroking her back to comfort her. "Yaoyao, what's wrong? If... if you're unhappy, I'll never speak ill of him again."
Su Nianying also looked at her worriedly.
Right, she still had her family. She couldn't let them worry.
Zhu Shuangyao forced a smile and said to the three of them, "I just woke up. My head still feels a bit dizzy. I want to sleep for a while longer and be discharged from the hospital later. Is that okay?"
"Sure, sure, sure," Pei Ying replied repeatedly. "I've already asked for leave from school for you. You can sleep as long as you want. Nianying and the others will take notes for you in class."
"Thank you, Brother Ying," Zhu Shuangyao said sincerely. Then she turned to Su Nianying and Xingxing. "Thank you, too, Senior Sister. I may not be able to take care of Xingxing these days. I still have to trouble you to take care of her."
Su Nianying looked at her pale lips and ashen face and readily agreed. "Okay, no problem. I'll take good care of Xingxing. You just need to rest well. We'll go out first. You sleep for a while. Call us if you need anything."
Zhu Shuangyao smiled again. "Okay."
After the three of them went out, Pei Ying's face darkened. "Yaoyao is not right."
Su Nianying agreed. "She really isn't."
She still remembered the first time they met. The beautiful girl had rushed up in the elevator from downstairs. Due to running around a lot, her hair was slightly damp, but she didn't look disheveled. What was most noticeable were her eyes. Her eyes were bright, full of vitality, like the dazzling starry sky at night.
But just now, the light in her eyes was gone. The moment she woke up and didn't see Huo Qizheng, what she saw was no longer the dazzling starry sky at night, but a falling meteor.
This state was really not right.
"Why are you all standing outside?" Just as they were talking about him, Huo Qizheng showed up, carrying a thermos bucket. He looked at them curiously. However, Pei Ying, who had always disliked him, brightened up when he saw him.
Pei Ying pulled him aside and whispered, "Let me tell you, Yaoyao is in a bad mood right now. She looks extremely sad. Go and cheer her up, okay? Make her forget those unhappy things."
Huo Qizheng readily agreed. "Okay, don't worry. I'll never make Yaoyao sad. As soon as she sees me, she'll surely be happy."
These words made Pei Ying feel sour. He had doted on Zhu Shuangyao since childhood. He had never seen her like someone so much. She had risked everything to be with this guy. As soon as she woke up and didn't see him, she was as sad as if he had died.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Pei Ying pushed him. "Go and make Yaoyao happy. You're not dead yet, but she acts as if you are."
Huo Qizheng made an okay gesture, opened the door and went in. Pei Ying looked at his back and said sourly, "I feel like my sister is going to be snatched away by him. Why? The little cabbage I've raised so well since childhood is being eaten by a pig."
Su Nianying couldn't stand his jealous look. "Come on. When you find the one you love, you'll have to go through this too. Maybe your girlfriend's family will be even more difficult to deal with than you."
"That's not necessarily true. Your family is quite nice, isn't it?" The reason they hadn't come back all night was that they had met Su Nianying's family while they were out playing. Pei Ying had even been forced to act as her boyfriend to fool them, and that was why they had stayed there for a night.
But as soon as he said this, the air became a bit ambiguous. Su Nianying let out a soft exclamation and changed the topic. "Well, since Huo Qizheng is here, we'll go back first."
Pei Ying scratched his nose and followed her words. "Yes, right. Let's go back first. Take Xingxing back with us."
Inside the room.
Zhu Shuangyao lowered her head, trying hard to digest those negative emotions. She didn't even notice someone had come in until she heard that extremely familiar voice. "What's wrong? You look as if you've lost all hope."
She suddenly raised her head so quickly that she almost twisted her neck. Huo Qizheng was startled. He sat down on the edge of the bed and massaged her neck. "Why are you moving so violently? What if you hurt yourself?"
Zhu Shuangyao could hardly believe her eyes. She put her hands on his face, as if touching a precious and fragile treasure. "You're not dead."
Her voice choked. "You're not dead."
It seemed as if something blurred her vision. "It's so good that you're not dead."
Seeing her tears streaming down, Huo Qizheng knew that he had really made her suffer this time. He pulled her into his arms with one hand and continued to massage her with the other.
"Actually, your plan did fail. I wasn't rescued," Zhu Shuangyao's hand that was clutching his sleeve paused for a moment, but Huo Qizheng didn't seem to want to explain further. "But I'm standing here safe and sound now, aren't I?"
The little girl in his arms murmured, "I know. You're such a proud person. You probably don't want to live as someone else."
"You're wrong," when Zhu Shuangyao heard this, she wanted to look up at him, but the hand on her neck pressed her back into his arms. "If it means being with you, I don't care what identity I have. I'd even be willing to live in anonymity for the rest of my life."
He pressed on an acupoint, and Zhu Shuangyao, who originally wanted to say something, went limp in his arms. Obviously, he didn't want to discuss this topic anymore. Zhu Shuangyao pouted.
Humph, he always kept everything from her. Stupid pig!
Zhu Shuangyao pursed her lips, but to be fair, his massage technique was really comfortable. Zhu Shuangyao almost melted into the bed like a puddle of water. When Huo Qizheng's hand left, she even felt a sense of loss.
Huo Qizheng couldn't help but laugh. He gently wiped away her tears. "If you want me to do it again in the future, I will."
He picked up the thermos bucket and poured out the shredded chicken congee inside. "Eat something first. You've been unconscious for several hours and haven't eaten anything. You must be hungry now."
The thick congee was steaming slightly. The rice grains in the bowl were distinct, the shredded chicken was finely cut, and scallions were sprinkled on the congee. The white congee and the green scallions made a clear contrast in color. With a gentle stir, it emitted a light but alluring aroma.
"Come on, I'll feed you," Huo Qizheng didn't seem to want to hand the bowl to her. He scooped up a spoonful of congee, blew on it, and brought it to her mouth.
Zhu Shuangyao was speechless. "I just fainted due to low blood sugar. I'm not handicapped. I can eat by myself."
Huo Qizheng motioned for her to hold the bowl. Zhu Shuangyao tried to pick it up, but soon found that her hands were too weak. Her hands holding the bowl were trembling slightly. If she ate by herself, she would surely spill it all over the bed.
... It's better not to add to other people's workload.
Zhu Shuangyao obediently opened her mouth and swallowed the spoonful of congee. At this time, she remembered the other person who had gone in with them. "What about Shen Zhong? Did he come back?"
"Him," Huo Qizheng paused for a moment. Zhu Shuangyao's heart immediately skipped a beat. Could something have happened and he didn't come back?
"Something came up in his family, so he went back to deal with it. You don't have to worry about him."
Zhu Shuangyao finally felt relieved. Putting one thing to rest, she thought of the ending of that world. "So what happened in the end there?"
This was what she was most concerned about. Zhu Shuangyao placed her hand on her chest. Her heart was beating faster and faster. She hoped that what she had done was meaningful and could be of help. That would be the best.
"As you wished, they got the hard - won peace. You saved a lot of people."
Zhu Shuangyao relaxed and finally showed a bright smile. But before she could say anything, her vision went dark and she lost consciousness again.
Huo Qizheng immediately pressed the call bell. He sat down beside the bed, frowning, and felt her pulse. Fortunately, Zhu Shuangyao had just come back and was not yet fully adjusted. Only then did the frown on his forehead gradually relax.
The doctor soon rushed over. He examined Zhu Shuangyao's body with professional equipment and scolded, "The patient fainted because of low blood sugar in the first place. Why did you still talk to her about things that would make her emotions fluctuate so much? In the state of extreme joy and sorrow, of course she fainted again. Stay in the hospital for one more day for observation."
Huo Qizheng said politely, "Okay, doctor."
Seeing his good attitude, the doctor's initial dissatisfaction because he hadn't taken good care of the patient quickly disappeared. He gave a few more instructions and was then called away by another nurse.
Huo Qizheng sat down and covered her with the quilt again. He said gently, "From today on, you can live a peaceful life."