Xiao Yu was a proud guy. He didn't want him to lose his most valued dignity on a whim.
"Yeah." It seemed he had already made up his mind.
Xu Qingsong sighed and gave in. "Alright, just don't fall for her for real during this chase. I feel like Ye Qingli is different from the girls you've been with before. If she finds out you're chasing her with a motive, she'll definitely make a scene."
"You're thinking too far ahead." Xiao Yu raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, maybe I am." Xu Qingsong laughed. "After all, we don't even know if you can catch her yet."
...
The inn and restaurant were connected—the inn upstairs, the restaurant downstairs. When Ye Qingli followed the others in, the dishes were already laid out.
They were generous; they'd ordered twelve dishes at once.
"We... didn't order this much, did we?" Xu Yan looked at the table, hesitant to sit down. How much would this cost?
"Oh, you don't have to pay. Sit down and eat before the food gets cold."
Unlike them, Xu Qingsong was unconcerned, waving them over as he bent down to open some beers.
They'd still have to chip in; they couldn't let the boys pay all the time. Xu Yan sat down, worrying about the cost.
Sure enough, the seat next to Xiao Yu was left for Ye Qingli.
Xu Qingsong poured beer into cups, one for each person. Ye Qingli took hers—it was cold. Such a cold day, and they'd ordered ice-cold beer.
They really were different from ordinary people.
Liu Xu downed his cup in one go, let out a "Pfft," and began to muse, "We've gone through hardship together once, so we're acquainted now. From now on, if any of you have any trouble, come find us in the PE department. We'll sort it out."
"Can you handle it, bro?" Zhang Yan smiled and finished her cup heartily.
"With your straightforwardness, I've got to say yes!"
He'd just met them and was already taking on jobs. Xu Qingsong patted him on the back. "Alright, everything goes to you."
"..." Liu Xu corrected, "I said 'us.'"
They'd just started drinking and were already chatting about random things. Ye Qingli considered herself someone who liked lively gatherings, but she still couldn't fit into these topics. So she buried her head in eating, reaching with her chopsticks for a piece of fish in front of her.
She took a bite. It wasn't good—a bit fishy.
Noticing her frown, Xiao Yu, who had been quiet, finally spoke. "That bad?"
Ye Qingli nodded, then thought about it and shook her head. "Aside from being a bit fishy, it's actually okay."
"If it's not good, eat something else." Xiao Yu turned the glass turntable on the table, spinning the fish platter in front of Xu Qingsong and Liu Xu. "You two finish this later. Don't waste it."
"..." Wouldn't this get them beaten up?
"Sure, sure, we won't leave any leftovers." Xu Qingsong agreed. He knew full well that whatever was good never came to them.
But what can you do? For the sake of the game.
As a buddy, he had to sacrifice.
Ye Qingli paused. "Isn't this a bit uncool?"
"It's fine. We just like eating stuff he doesn't like." Liu Xu laughed.
"..."
He had them well trained.
After that, they kept chatting. Ye Qingli managed to chime in occasionally, but mostly she just ate in silence.
Xiao Yu beside her was the same—quiet. He only spoke when the conversation turned to him. He didn't eat much, just kept drinking.
Xu Qingsong couldn't stand it anymore. He elbowed him and whispered, "What are you doing? Why aren't you finding a topic to talk to her about?"
Xiao Yu glanced at him. "Can't think of anything to say."
"... If you don't think of something soon, we're going back to sleep!" Xu Qingsong frowned.
"Ah," Xiao Yu blinked. "Then I'll chase her after we get back."
"..."
He was hopeless.
Actually, it wasn't that Xiao Yu didn't want to talk. Maybe he'd caught a chill from smoking by the open window earlier. He had a bit of a headache now.
Plus, he'd been drinking, making his head feel fuzzy.
Ye Qingli noticed something was off. She asked softly, "Are you feeling unwell?"
"No." Xiao Yu said, continuing to drink his beer.
"Your face is really red, and you have a few small red spots." Ye Qingli pointed to her own face to show him where they were.
Xiao Yu touched his face casually. "Drank a bit too much. Maybe I'm intolerant to alcohol."
"It doesn't look like intolerance. Are you allergic to alcohol?"
As her voice rose, the surrounding chatter gradually quieted. Xu Qingsong, mid-brag, turned around and exclaimed, "Damn, A Yu, why is your face so red?"
It was an unnatural red, slightly swollen.
Seeing their reactions, Xiao Yu gradually realized the severity. Sobering up a bit, he felt a tightness in his throat.
No wonder he felt dizzy—he thought it was just a cold.
"Stop drinking! Let's go to the hospital!"
...
Luckily, the scenic area wasn't far from the hospital, and Xu Qingsong drove fast. They arrived in about ten minutes.
By then, Xiao Yu was having trouble breathing. Since they'd called ahead, medical staff rushed over as soon as they arrived, quickly helped him onto a stretcher, and took him to the emergency room.
"Is the family here?" A nurse came over with a consent form.
Xu Qingsong was sweating from anxiety. "Can I sign? I'm his best friend."
"Well..." Time was of the essence. The nurse hesitated for a second, then shoved the form into his hands. "Sign it, then."
Once Xu Qingsong signed, the nurse took the form and went in. The glass door closed, hiding everything inside.
Ye Qingli's heart was still racing. "Has Xiao Yu never drunk before? How could he not know he's allergic?"
"He has, but only a little. He never mentioned any reaction before. He just said he didn't like the taste. Who knew he'd drink cup after cup today? Didn't he realize he was uncomfortable?" Xu Qingsong paced back and forth in front of the door.
Liu Xu leaned against the wall, worried. "There's no use panicking now. Leave it to the doctors."