Fortunately, the rescue was timely. Xiao Yu was out of danger. Since they had class on Monday, Xu Qingsong waved his hand and said he could stay alone, telling the others to go back.
Xiao Yu woke up a day later.
The pungent smell of disinfectant entered his nostrils. Xiao Yu blinked, feeling as if his head was filled with lead—heavy. As his consciousness gradually cleared, he turned his head and saw Xu Qingsong asleep by the bedside, drool dripping down his chin, some already staining the bedsheet.
Xiao Yu frowned.
"Hey."
He had just woken up, his voice still hoarse. He managed to make a sound, but it was too soft; Xu Qingsong didn't hear him.
Xiao Yu stared at him for a while and called again.
Xu Qingsong remained motionless, seemingly sleeping even more soundly.
"..." This was the first time he'd seen a caretaker sleep so peacefully.
His lips were dry and peeling. Xiao Yu was terribly thirsty, but his body had no strength. His eyes roamed around, then fixed on the white ceiling as he spaced out.
Why was he in the hospital again?
If he remembered correctly, it was an allergic reaction to alcohol.
He only recalled feeling dizzy at the dinner table, thinking it was the alcohol hitting him. It was Ye Qingli who pointed out the small red bumps on his face.
Then he was helped into the car, his throat hurt, and he wanted to sleep.
After that, he couldn't remember.
The more he tried to recall, the more his head ached. He decided to stop thinking. Xiao Yu lowered his gaze. Since Xu Qingsong was sleeping so soundly, he couldn't count on him. He propped himself up on the bed, sat up slowly, took a moment to recover, and then got out of bed.
His calves felt a bit sore. Xiao Yu stood in place, massaged them, then turned and left the ward.
When he came back, he saw Xu Qingsong on the floor, bent over with his butt in the air, searching for something.
Xiao Yu smirked and gave him a kick.
"Damn..." Xu Qingsong lost his balance and fell into the gap of the bed. Seeing it was Xiao Yu, he scrambled up, rubbing his butt, and frowned. "Where did you go? I woke up and you were gone."
"Went to the bathroom," Xiao Yu said lazily, then turned and sat back on the bed.
"Why didn't you call me?"
"Your drool was about to flood my bed. I'd need a boat to reach you."
Already making fun of him—clearly he was recovering well. Xu Qingsong laughed and sat down too.
"Where are my cigarettes?" Xiao Yu had completely forgotten he was still in a hospital gown. He patted the cotton fabric up and down a couple of times.
"I think you really don't value your life. First thing when you wake up, you look for cigarettes," Xu Qingsong said, chin raised smugly. "You think that's what I was doing just now? I threw them all away. You need to quit for a few days."
He bent down, took an apple from the bag, and tossed it to him.
Xiao Yu caught it. The apple was fresh, with clear lines and a sweet fruity fragrance.
He took a bite. Finally, his bitter mouth had some flavor.
Xiao Yu rarely ate fruit, even Xu Qingsong was surprised. He asked, "How is it? Good?"
"Not bad." His usual rating for food was "not bad" unless it was particularly awful, then he'd say something else. Xiao Yu raised an eyebrow. "You can pick fruit?"
"I've been in the hospital the whole time—how would I have had time to go out?" Xu Qingsong said. "It was Ye Qingli who brought it."
Hearing this, Xiao Yu's hand holding the apple paused involuntarily.
"Oh." Xiao Yu took another bite, showing no excessive surprise.
"That's your reaction? She was the first to notice something was wrong with you. She's your lifesaver now."
Xu Qingsong patted his chest and said sincerely, "Before she left, she even bought fruit for you. What a great girl."
Beautiful, good-hearted, and not pretentious in speech—as aloof as could be.
Among Xiao Yu's many ex-girlfriends, Ye Qingli's presence felt like a lotus rising from the mud.
Xu Qingsong clicked his tongue, emotions churning. Suddenly, he understood why she had rejected Xiao Yu without a second thought.
After all, whether in appearance or character, she was a hot commodity wherever she went.
Xiao Yu was born a playboy. Having a girlfriend was just a formality; he never developed real feelings for anyone, no matter how beautiful they were.
So Ye Qingli's rejection from the start was also a way to protect herself.
Someone yearning for sincerity shouldn't gamble on a wandering heart.
Xu Qingsong rattled on, but Xiao Yu listened quietly throughout, not saying a word.
...
They only knew Xiao Yu had woken up, but not when he would be discharged. Ye Qingli hadn't seen him for a while, and he didn't show up for the Youth Association meetings—probably not even at school.
Sometimes she would stare blankly at the WeChat chat window, wondering whether to send a greeting.
But she clenched her fist and closed the phone screen.
Not talking was fine too. After such a big incident, not a word from him—this could be considered extinguishing his hopes.
After that, it was the same routine: classroom, dorm, Youth Association. Days passed peacefully, returning to how they used to be.