When Jia Fang arrived, Jiang Yuan had already composed herself. Her eyes were only a bit red, and her voice was calm and clear.
Jiang Yuan hailed a taxi first. Jia Fang helped Chi Xu down the stairs carefully. Amidst the hazy state between waking and dreaming, Chi Xu woke up. He propped up his weak body and went downstairs with them.
Upon arriving at the hospital, the doctor examined him and sent him to the ward. A nurse came to administer an IV drip.
"Fortunately, it's just a fever, not a very serious one," Jia Fang sat beside him and stared at Chi Xu plaintively. "Brother Chi, why didn't you call me when you had a fever? What if you really burned yourself silly?"
"I'll be fine after a good sleep," Chi Xu replied hoarsely and weakly.
Jia Fang glared at him angrily and complained crossly, "A good sleep? Do you really think you'll get better after just sleeping? If you really burn yourself silly, be careful that Jiang Yuan might dump you. You two were arguing anyway. She definitely won't want you then!"
There was a gentle knock on the door. Jia Fang and Chi Xu looked over. It was Jiang Yuan, who had come back. She bought some fruits and placed them on the bedside table. "You can have some fruits if you're hungry or thirsty."
Ignoring Chi Xu's burning gaze, Jiang Yuan picked up a fruit knife and started peeling a pear skillfully. Layer upon layer of pear skin piled up.
She handed a whole, peeled pear to Chi Xu and said somewhat shyly, "You're the patient. You should have it first."
Chi Xu took it but didn't take a bite for a long time. He hung his head and stared at Jiang Yuan, his mind in turmoil.
"Jiang Yuan, you..."
He wanted to ask her why she suddenly came back.
He wanted to ask if she still liked him.
Most of all, he wanted to ask if they still had a chance to be together.
But the words on the tip of his tongue melted into tenderness. He took a bite of the juicy, sweet pear and said, "It's delicious."
Jia Fang didn't have so many hesitations. He directly asked on Chi Xu's behalf, "Jiang Yuan, why did you suddenly go back?"
"It's my rented apartment too. Can't I go back?" Jiang Yuan raised her eyebrows and looked at Jia Fang amusingly.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chi Xu's hurt look. Jiang Yuan held back her impatience and explained gently.
"I wanted to see how Jiao Jiao was doing recently and if Chi Xu had been taking good care of her. Chi Xu installed a surveillance camera in the living room before. When I checked it, I saw that Jiao Jiao's cat food and water were all over the place."
"I was so angry. I rushed back angrily, wanting to question Chi Xu. I thought, 'Hey, how did you take care of Jiao Jiao? Kitties without their sisters are so pitiful!' "
"As it turned out, when I got back, I found that Jiao Jiao did it on purpose. She hoped someone would notice and come back to save the dying Chi Xu."
Jiang Yuan snorted and deliberately glanced at him.
Chi Xu curved his lips and said with a smile, "I'm also Jiao Jiao's brother. Even if her sister wasn't going back for a while, how could I ever abuse Jiao Jiao?"
Before sending Chi Xu to the hospital, Jiang Yuan and Jia Fang took the time to clean up the apartment.
"Good that you know," Jiang Yuan snorted proudly again. She tilted her chin slightly, glanced at him, and then quickly looked away.
Chi Xu smiled silently. Seeing her like this, no longer as cold and heartless as a few days ago, he guessed that she had probably sorted out her feelings.
So he probed, "Yuan Yuan, when will you move back to the apartment?"
"Move back to the apartment? Let me think about it," Jiang Yuan stroked her chin and pretended to be serious. "You'd better get well soon."
"But the apartment is so cold without anyone. Jiao Jiao is not happy living there alone," Chi Xu hung his head and said aggrievedly. His lips were slightly pale, and his messy hair was sticking to his forehead.
Jiang Yuan glared at him and put her hands on her hips. "Why should I move back? The whole place is filled with the aura of illness. Wait until you're well and the aura of illness has dissipated."
Chi Xu's heart leaped with joy. He grinned from ear to ear. "It's a deal then. Remember to move back after I'm discharged from the hospital. Otherwise, it'll be so cold. Jiao Jiao is not happy. She hasn't seen you for a long time. Every night she meows at me and asks when her sister will come back and when she can see her again."
He played his trump card - Jiao Jiao.
Sure enough, Jiang Yuan's heart softened. She turned her head away proudly and reluctantly said, "Fine. Since Jiao Jiao misses me so much, I'll move back."
Actually, even if Chi Xu didn't mention it, she would still choose to move back.
"Great. Jiao Jiao misses you so much," Chi Xu deliberately emphasized the word "Jiao Jiao" and looked at Jiang Yuan meaningfully, as if afraid she didn't know that the "Jiao Jiao" he referred to wasn't really the cat.
Jiang Yuan couldn't help but burst out laughing. The smile overflowed from her eyebrows and eyes. Her cold armor had melted, and she was no longer cold and hard.
"Can you two stop flirting? Can't you see I'm still here?" Jia Fang held back for a long time but finally couldn't help but speak up.
"No!" Jiang Yuan and Chi Xu said in unison. They were stunned for a moment and then looked at each other.
Jia Fang mumbled, "You still say no. That's exactly what you were just doing."
He checked the time and stared at the IV drip. Then he waved his hand helplessly. "There are still a lot of things to do at school. Brother Chi, Jiang Yuan, I'll take my leave first. Today's mission is successfully completed. Call me if you need anything."
"Okay. Thank you for your hard work today, Jia Fang. Let me see you off," Jiang Yuan said. If it weren't for Jia Fang, she, a girl, really wouldn't have been able to carry the limp Chi Xu. She got up and was about to see him off.
Jia Fang quickly declined, but Jiang Yuan insisted. So Jia Fang had to agree.
Jiang Yuan saw him off to the elevator on this floor of the ward. Jia Fang waved his hand, originally wanting to say goodbye. But suddenly he remembered something and gave a mysterious smile. "Jiang Yuan, let's add each other on WeChat."
"Hmm? Sure," Jiang Yuan took out her phone, and they successfully added each other.
"I'll send you something good later," Jia Fang said. It was a video of Chi Xu being dead drunk on the day he confessed his love, shouting nonsense.
Jia Fang remembered this and thought it would be better to send this video to Jiang Yuan to enhance their relationship.
He wanted Jiang Yuan to know that Chi Xu really liked her very much.
"I've sent it. It's successfully sent. Remember to watch it," the elevator door opened. Jia Fang got in, made a gesture at Jiang Yuan, and then the elevator door slowly closed.
Jiang Yuan opened the video. The first thing that came into view was Chi Xu leaning against the railing on the rooftop. His face was slightly red. He curled his hands into a trumpet shape and shouted at the horizon, "Jiang Yuan, I like you!"
"Jiang Yuan, can you like me?"
"Jiang Yuan, have you ever liked me? Even just a little bit. Dare you admit it?"
"Jiang Yuan, would you like me? I really like you so much. Please don't leave me."
"..."
After watching the whole video, Jiang Yuan's eyes welled up with tears again.