Hot water was brought quickly. Su Cui held the cup, feeling the warmth through her cold fingertips, and calmed down. From the moment she transmigrated and couldn't die even by jumping off a building, Su Cui had stopped agonizing over the chance to return to reality.
But even if she wasn't fixated on going back, she still couldn't help wondering why she had come to this book's world.
Maybe the answer was in that blurry dream she had when she fainted.
The ambulance arrived quickly. Although Su Cui knew she was fine, seeing Su Baixue's tearful eyes made her reluctantly get on the ambulance for a check-up.
But Su Cui understood the importance of money well.
So before the check-up, she asked her granddaughter about the family's savings.
The doctor on night shift was an elderly physician.
After registering for the emergency room, Su Cui discreetly looked around the consultation room, sent Baixue away, and began to cry and complain to the doctor. She said she was old and jobless, her child had died in a car accident, and her granddaughter was still in school. Her family was really poor. She had pretended to be sick, wanting to die in the hospital, and then sue the hospital for money to support her granddaughter through college. But after seeing the angels in white here, she deeply understood that she shouldn't have such a terrible, sinful idea. She was very ashamed and would leave immediately.
While speaking, Su Cui observed the elderly doctor. Besides the consultation room being tidy and hung with many banners, the doctor's clothes, expression, cuffs washed white, and faded glasses frames... He was so old, working late at night—worth a try.
Sure enough, the seemingly stern old doctor didn't scold her after hearing Su Cui's story. Instead, he pitied her hardship at such an age, gave her a few hundred yuan, and even offered to recommend a hospital janitor job for her.
The job was an unexpected bonus.
But Su Cui had her own plans. She gratefully accepted the hundreds of yuan, silently memorized the name on the doctor's desk, and said seriously, "Thank you very much! I will definitely pay you back!"
The old doctor waved his hand. "At your age, life's not easy. No need. Although your child is gone, you still have your granddaughter. You have to live well!"
Su Cui nodded and asked the doctor to save her face. She asked him not to tell her granddaughter that she had pretended to be sick. She should just say the check-up showed nothing wrong. Her granddaughter was about to take the high school entrance exam, to prevent her from worrying.
The old doctor said unhappily, "She's about to take the exam, and you're thinking of dying. How miserable would the child be!"
Su Cui said, "I got confused for a moment. You're right. I won't think like that anymore."
The old doctor sighed and agreed.
When Su Baixue came back after buying water and asked the doctor about her grandmother's condition, the old doctor told her that the check-up was done and Su Cui was fine. Su Baixue was completely relieved.
It was late. After all this fuss, it was past midnight, nearly 2 AM. Su Cui suggested they stay on the hospital benches until the buses started running, then go out to avoid danger. But unexpectedly, Su Baixue firmly disagreed.
Thinking that she was now tough and sturdy enough to protect this little crybaby, Su Cui frowned but gave in again at those tearful eyes.
Grandmother and granddaughter left the hospital together.
Tree shadows swayed, leaves rustled in the wind.
There were very few people on the street; it was dark everywhere. Su Cui could tell Su Baixue was frightened, but the girl's trembling hand held firmly onto Su Cui's arm, leading her grandmother, brave in front.
If she was scared, why not just stay in the hospital?
Su Cui thought, this girl was pretty stubborn. Although Su Cui felt sorry for her, she really didn't like this crying-easily personality.
"Grandma, let's rent a room by the hour. You should sleep for a while," Su Baixue suddenly whispered.
Su Cui stopped.
"You... insisted on leaving the hospital so I could rest?"
Walking on the path by the roadside, headlights of passing cars occasionally lit up.
Su Baixue looked longingly at the vehicles moving away. "Mm. When I went to buy water, I asked at the inpatient department, but unfortunately all the beds were full. It's good that you're okay, but you still need to rest. Grandma, can you hold on a bit longer? There should be a hotel ahead..."
Noticing Su Cui had stopped, Su Baixue turned back and asked doubtfully, "Grandma?"
Su Cui looked at her with a complicated expression.
Her wrinkled face hid all emotions.
She had thought about safety—that sitting on a hospital chair wouldn't be tiring—but forgot that the innocent girl in front of her had also been busy and worried all night, running around. She had forgotten that, in the girl's clear eyes, Su Cui was a frail grandmother who had just recovered from paralysis.
Su Cui opened her old, cloudy eyes and sighed softly in her heart.
"Grandma is sleepy. Ah Xue, hold Grandma tight."
The girl's eyes curved like crescent moons, more moving than the moonlight.
"Don't be afraid, Grandma."
The next afternoon.
While Su Baixue took a nap, Su Cui grabbed a large palm-leaf fan, locked the door with her key, took a few coins, and rode the bus to Hechuan Du Qixiang.
After fainting yesterday, Su Cui had received most of Su Cuihua's memories. Hechuan Du Qixiang was a very special area in City A, where some ancient buildings still remained. To get there, one had to cross a stone bridge.
Su Cui waited under a large tree by the stone bridge that was the only way into Hechuan Du Qixiang. She sat cross-legged for a while. A few old men playing chess under the tree completely shielded her.
Fanning herself with the palm-leaf fan, Su Cui chatted idly with the people around.
Before long.
She saw Zhao Pengfei, wearing a mask, walk across the stone bridge.
Su Cui stood up silently. Even from a distance, she could clearly see the middle-aged man's bruised and swollen forehead and eyes exposed above the mask.