After the Beautiful Omega Was Targeted by His Straight Roommate - Chapter 17

The next morning, it was time to face another 8:00 AM class.

Tao Ran was woken up by his alarm in a daze. After fumbling around in his blankets for a bit, he finally found his phone.

After turning off the alarm, Tao Ran suddenly noticed a message from Dr. Chi.

Dr. Chi: [Transfer: 5,000]

The sleepiness was instantly scared away by that figure.

Thinking that Dr. Chi might have transferred the wrong amount while being drunk, Tao Ran replied: [? . ?]

It was still afternoon over in Country A, so Dr. Chi replied within seconds: [This month’s living expenses.]

Tao Ran: [Huh?]

Tao Ran: [Did you transfer the wrong amount?]

Dr. Chi: [No. Your living expenses will be this amount from now on.]

Dr. Chi: [I just got paid. I am earning US dollars in Country A, and raising a domestic college student like you is more than enough.]

Dr. Chi: [Do not be too moved. I told you that as long as I have a bite to eat, I will not let you go hungry. Take the money and buy more food. It is getting cold, so buy more clothes and raise yourself to be white, plump, and beautiful.]

Dr. Chi: [No more time. I am off work to go have some fun.]

Accepting this huge sum of money blankly, Tao Ran suddenly became a college student with high economic standing.

He suddenly realized he did not know how to spend it.

In the classroom.

When Xu Jiali arrived, he slumped onto the desk, looking listless.

Tao Ran looked at his pale, haggard face several times and asked softly, “Are you feeling unwell?”

Xu Jiali opened his eyes in a daze, his voice weak. “I think so.”

Tao Ran reached out to touch Xu Jiali’s forehead and was startled by his body temperature. “Your forehead is so hot. Do you have a fever?”

Hearing this, Xu Jiali finally forced himself to sit up and touched his own forehead. “Yeah, it seems I really do.”

“I went to a club team-building event last night. The temperature was fine when we went out, but it dropped right as we were on our way back. I probably caught a cold then.”

“I think it looks quite serious.” Tao Ran felt that Xu Jiali’s current state was identical to his own the last time he had a fever. After thinking it over, he suggested, “How about we go to the hospital after class?”

“Yeah, I really should go to the hospital.” Xu Jiali’s face wrinkled with worry as he sighed. “To be honest, I have never been to the hospital by myself, and I do not know the specific procedure. I rarely get sick, so I basically never go. The last time was four years ago when I accompanied my mother to visit a sick friend.”

Tao Ran looked at him for a few seconds and spoke. “If you do not mind, I will go with you.”

“Can… can you?” Xu Jiali looked somewhat overwhelmed by the favor, his voice raspy. “Will it take up too much of your time?”

“It is fine.” Tao Ran nodded. He had been there last time, so he should have some experience.

Xu Jiali smiled and said, “Tao Ran, thank you. You are so kind.”

Tao Ran’s face grew warm from the praise. He scratched his ear shyly and said, “It—it is no problem.”

After class ended, the two of them left the school gate together and took a taxi to the Grade A hospital nearest to the school.

The hospital was very quiet in the morning. Tao Ran recalled the process from when Qi Yuxiao brought him last time and turned to Xu Jiali. “We need to register first.”

But after registering, Tao Ran could not remember what the next step was. What were they supposed to do?

He had been dazed with fever at the time, and Qi Yuxiao had handled the entire process alone.

Xu Jiali was also currently feverish, and he was also inexperienced.

The two stood in place awkwardly. Fortunately, within a few minutes, a passing nurse noticed the clear look of confusion in their eyes and proactively walked over to ask, “What is the matter? Do you need help with something?”

Tao Ran explained their situation. The nurse glanced at their registration slip and said, “A high fever? Then you should have gone to the fever clinic for pre-examination before registering. After that, find a doctor to prescribe medicine or an IV drip. There might be some tests later, but the specifics depend on what the doctor says.”

“I see.” Tao Ran smiled sheepishly; he actually had no memory of that at all. “Thank you, sister.”

“You are welcome.” The nurse smiled and asked, “Are you both freshmen? Is this your first time at the hospital?”

Tao Ran nodded.

“It is normal not to understand the first time. You will have experience after this. Everyone has to grow up.” The nurse expressed her understanding. “Now go quickly. If you need anything else, just ask the medical staff here.”

“Okay, thank you, sister.”

The rest of the process went smoothly. Tao Ran accompanied Xu Jiali through the IV drip and then for several tests.

Xu Jiali’s recovery power was amazing. After the IV drip and the fever had completely broken, he immediately became energetic. He squeezed his fists and said, “I feel like all my strength has returned.”

Tao Ran remained cautious. “But let us finish the tests first.”

“That works too.”

Because it was a high fever, the doctor recommended three or four tests.

Tao Ran waited outside for Xu Jiali to finish, and then the two of them queued up at the pharmacy window to collect the medicine.

Just as they were about to leave, Xu Jiali suddenly remembered something. “I need to print a list of medical expenses so I can find my mom for reimbursement.”

So, the two of them returned to the self-service printer in the lobby.

Xu Jiali took out the freshly printed, warm list from the machine. Looking closely, his eyes nearly popped out.

“This—this—this is too expensive!”

Tao Ran leaned in curiously, his gaze scanning from top to bottom before landing on the total amount. He also gasped. “Over a thousand?”

Xu Jiali was filled with regret and wanted to cry. “It is so expensive. I will never dare to get sick randomly again.”

Tao Ran expressed his total agreement.

Just as they stepped out of the hospital entrance, a flash of white light crossed Tao Ran’s mind, and he stopped abruptly.

Wait.

Xu Jiali’s medical bill was over a thousand.

Then how much was his last time?

Fifty?

It seemed to be exactly the “change” left over from a bill like Xu Jiali’s.

Putting the two numbers together, there was a ridiculous sense of absurdity.

To verify his memory was correct, Tao Ran took out his phone and opened his message history with Qi Yuxiao. The first message after they added each other was the transfer for his medical expenses.

After staring at it for a few seconds, Tao Ran silently put his phone away.

Thinking about it now, how could it possibly cost only fifty in total at this hospital, where even the registration fee was nearly twenty? Moreover, besides the IV drip, they had done several tests just like Xu Jiali had, and then he was prescribed similar medicine.

He and Qi Yuxiao: one was brave enough to say it, and the other was brave enough to believe it.

After mourning his own stupidity and ignorance for a while, Tao Ran thought of another question.

Why did Qi Yuxiao only let him pay back the “change”?

At that time, they were practically strangers.

Tao Ran could not figure out the reason.

However, since so much time had passed, if he tried to return the money now, Qi Yuxiao would definitely not accept it.

Tao Ran pursed his lips in distress.

“Tao Ran, Tao Ran.”

Xu Jiali’s voice pulled Tao Ran’s thoughts back.

“What is wrong with you? You have been dazed and spacing out since just now.”

“Nothing.” Tao Ran’s voice was muffled.

The two had stayed at the hospital for most of the day. They entered in the morning, and the sun was already setting by the time they walked out.

Xu Jiali suggested eating a meal before returning to school, and Tao Ran agreed.

Seeing something, Xu Jiali’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Hey, this mall looks like it just recently opened.”

Tao Ran looked in the direction Xu Jiali was pointing and froze slightly.

Suddenly, he suggested, “How about… how about we go inside and take a look?”

“Sure.” Xu Jiali looked at him. “Is there something you want to buy?”

Tao Ran did not answer. Instead, he thought of something else.

After a long while, he called out to Xu Jiali and asked, “Do you know… what brand of chamomile-scented perfume your sister frequently uses that you mentioned before?”

“…”

Inside a private dining room.

Several boys were gathered together, eating and chatting.

Every person present was from a wealthy and powerful family. Their elders and corporate interests were closely intertwined, so they had played together since childhood and formed a small circle of their own.

Except for Qi Yuxiao and Jiang Zhao, the others had gone abroad to study during high school. They had only recently managed to take a break and return home.

Jiang Zhao was the backbone of this small group. Hearing the news of their return, he immediately organized a dinner to welcome them.

“Qi Yuxiao, what are you doing?” Jiang Zhao complained. “It is rare for the brothers to get together like this, and you are not saying a word. You have been staring at that broken phone for half an hour!”

One of them, Song Qi, who had a head of red hair, leaned lazily against his chair and teased with a smile, “Is Brother Qi waiting for a message from his girlfriend?”

The other friends immediately chimed in:

“No way, Brother Qi. How long has it been since university started, and you have already started dating so quickly?”

“Even an iron tree will eventually bloom.”

Jiang Zhao let out a disdainful sneer: “Would you rather believe he is dating, or believe that I am the First Emperor of Qin?”

The group burst into laughter.

Qi Yuxiao ignored them.

“What are you actually doing?”

Curiously, Jiang Zhao glanced at his phone and saw the WeChat chat box on the screen. It showed the contact name: Tao Ran.

But soon, the status changed to “The other party is typing.”

After a few seconds, Qi Yuxiao’s phone did not receive a single message.

The display returned to the name “Tao Ran,” and a moment later, it jumped back to “The other party is typing.”

This repeated several times, yet the other person still had not sent a single message.

Jiang Zhao: “…”

Jiang Zhao got anxious watching this. “What exactly does he want to say?”

Qi Yuxiao was perfectly calm. “I do not know either.”

“So you are not even going to send a message to ask? You have just been watching like this for half an hour?”

“No rush.” Qi Yuxiao picked up the wine on the table and took a sip. His tone was indifferent, and his posture was as leisurely as a hunter waiting for his prey to take the bait.

“?” Jiang Zhao could not understand their mode of interaction and commented gloomily, “Then you certainly have enough patience.”

“Oh, by the way, are you going back to your house outside the school tonight?” Jiang Zhao asked. “After this party ends, there is another one. It will probably be early morning by the time we are finished. I will go to your place to sleep for the night then.”

Qi Yuxiao said, “I am not sure.”

“Not sure? What a novel concept. What could possibly stop our Young Master Qi from going home?”

Jiang Zhao found his words absurd. “Your mom heard you saying you could not sleep well in the dorm, so she immediately bought you an apartment in the best neighborhood outside the school. She was even worried about noise from the neighbors, so she bought the floors above and below in one go. Should you not be debating which apartment to let me stay in tonight?”

“Do whatever you want.” Qi Yuxiao shrugged indifferently. “Auntie is staying on the top floor. Go find her to open the door when the time comes.”

“No way, you really have something to do?”

The phone vibrated. A message had finally arrived. Qi Yuxiao ignored Jiang Zhao’s noisy voice.

He looked down at the message that Tao Ran had spent half an hour typing, deleting, and re-typing before finally sending.

Tao Ran: [Qi Yuxiao (^v^)]

Qi Yuxiao stared at the emoticon for a second: [Is something the matter?]

Tao Ran: [Are you returning to the dorm to sleep tonight?]

A faint smile crossed the young man’s dark eyes. Without almost any hesitation, Qi Yuxiao stood up neatly and walked out with his phone in hand.

“I have something to do. Heading back first.”

Support After the Beautiful Omega Was Targeted by His Straight Roommate