Diagnosis: Friend [Rebirth] - Chapter 15

Chapter 15

After learning about Gu Yining’s general condition from the attending physician, Zhou Xuening returned to the ward. The door was closed; she tapped three times.

“Come in.”

When she pushed the door open, the girl turned around. Her sorrowful expression switched instantly; her eyes curved into crescents as she smiled at the woman. “Auntie Zhou.”

Zhou Xuening took off her coat and sat on the chair by the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“Hmm…” The girl rested her chin on her hand and gave a light smile. “Pretty good. I can be discharged very soon.”

“Not yet. Your injury was to the head; it’s very serious. You need to recuperate for at least another month.” As she gently brushed the girl’s forehead, Zhou Xuening noticed her frown.

“Huh? Over a month?” The girl’s voice sounded displeased, her lips pouting slightly. “My grades were already poor, what if I can’t keep up with the class progress when I go back?”

Zhou Xuening was stunned for a moment, then laughed.

Truly still a student; even if the sky falls, nothing is as serious as a drop in grades.

She patted the girl’s head. “No. 9 isn’t a good school; we aren’t going back there. Your uncle and I discussed it, and we want to transfer you to No. 2, the same school as your sister. Do you want to go?”

The girl nodded, then asked: “Can I really not go to school earlier?”

“Eat well, sleep well, and get your body healthy first,” Zhou Xuening said softly. “When the doctor thinks you can be discharged, then you can leave.”

The girl nodded her chin emphatically, her knitted brows gradually relaxing. She said with a beaming smile, “Okay.”

Perhaps Zhou Xuening’s words worked, or perhaps Gu Yining’s constitution was simply excellent, because the month-long rest the doctor had estimated was successfully shortened to twenty days.

From being hospitalized to her discharge, Gu Yining had spent a month in the hospital.

Inside the Gu family villa, Zhou Xuening and Gu Shao were discussing the transfer procedures. Noticing Gu Yining looking gloomy, Zhou Xuening proactively asked: “Xiao Ning, what’s wrong?”

The girl looked up at Zhou Xuening. “Auntie Zhou, I want to live on campus.”

I want to be closer to Jiang Qing.

As expected, this met with confusion: “No. 2 has high academic quality, but the dorm conditions aren’t great. It’s not as comfortable as home. You’d have a driver picking you up and a private space here. Why are you unwilling to live at home?”

Gu Xi, sitting on the other side of the sofa, also looked with confusion at this “sister” of mysterious origins.

Gu Yining’s expression was candid: “Commuting every day takes too much time; it’s a waste. I’m already behind on the curriculum at No. 2. If I used that time to do more practice problems, I think it would be better.”

Gu Xi frowned, looking at her as if she were an idiot: Really? Sister? You’re acting this hard?

However, the elders ate it up. Seeing her grandmother and father look pained with sympathy, Gu Xi couldn’t help but say: “If you love studying that much, how did you end up at No. 9?”

“Xixi,” the middle-aged man said. “Were Xiao Ning’s previous living conditions the same as yours? You have the nerve to compare.”

Gu Xi snorted and went silent.

Gu Yining said: “Especially since I’m a transfer student, living in the dorms will help me get along with my classmates and help with my studies. I don’t want to be at the bottom of the class forever.”

In short, after a back-and-forth with the adults, Gu Yining successfully obtained permission to live on campus.

Naturally, the next question arose: “Can I be in the same dorm as Jiang Qing?”

The curve of Zhou Xuening’s smile stiffened for an instant.

Old Mrs. Gu looked at her lovingly and asked: “Who is Jiang Qing?”

Gu Xi, who had been boredly playing with her bracelet, looked up: “A student in the 11th grade at No. 2. Her grades are great—she’s been first in the grade many times.” Her gaze landed on Gu Yining’s face. “You don’t think that by living with the top student, your grades will suddenly skyrocket, do you?”

What kind of logic is that? Is her brain broken?

“That Classmate Jiang is the girl who helped Xiao Ning before. The night Xiao Ning went into surgery, that girl and I kept watch outside all night.” Zhou Xuening met Gu Shao’s affectionate gaze, nodded slightly, and then looked at Gu Yining with a hint of confusion in her eyes: “Why do you want to live in the same dorm as her, Xiao Ning? Besides, there aren’t any empty spots in the dorms, right?”

“She’s the only person I know at No. 2.” The girl lowered her head slightly. “I’m a newcomer; I’m afraid others won’t like me… and their dorm does have a spare bed, Auntie Zhou.”

In her previous life, Gu Yining had often visited Jiang Qing’s dorm, so she naturally knew there was an empty bed.

Old Mrs. Gu pulled the girl into her arms, heart aching for her. Thinking that the girl had suffered bullying and was now entering a new environment, it was common to have trouble adapting. Having an acquaintance would indeed make things much better.

The old lady nodded and said to Zhou Xuening: “Then let’s do as Xiao Ning wishes and speak to the school. Usually, dorms are assigned by class, but if the school allows it, that would be best.”

Zhou Xuening smiled and nodded. “Alright, I will speak to the teacher.”

Leaving the Gu villa, Gu Shao noticed Zhou Xuening had something on her mind. The man squeezed her hand. “Do you not like that girl named Jiang Qing? I feel like you don’t support Xiao Ning being in the same dorm as her.”

Zhou Xuening shook her head. “No, it’s just… you know what happened when Xiao Ning woke up after surgery. I’m afraid of an incident.”

Gu Shao: “That morning was just an accident. Xiao Ning wasn’t lucid then. Didn’t she say she was having a nightmare? I heard from Xixi that the student comes from a poor background, is top of the grade, and is a decent person.” Patting the woman’s hand, he said: “Set your mind at ease.”

Zhou Xuening lowered her head and nodded gently.

But that wasn’t what she was worried about.

On the second Sunday of Gu Yining’s hospitalization, Jiang Qing had come to the hospital.

It was already night then, and a cool breeze drifted through the corridors. Inside the ward, Old Mrs. Gu was holding her long-lost granddaughter, recounting the years of longing; the joy and tears of the reunion filled the room.

When Zhou Xuening stepped out of the ward, Jiang Qing was standing outside, still wearing her school uniform and carrying a basket of fruit. Zhou Xuening had investigated the girl’s family situation and knew that this basket of fruit was a significant expense for her.

Zhou Xuening asked her: “Do you want to go in?”

The girl looked up. “Is she better?”

Zhou Xuening nodded. “She’s getting better, but she still needs a period of quiet rest.”

The girl handed the fruit to Zhou Xuening. “Ms. Zhou, I won’t go in. Could I trouble you to take this fruit in? It’s from Ms. Jian. She had other business and couldn’t come, so she asked me to deliver it.”

Zhou Xuening took the basket with both hands. Seeing the girl about to leave, she quickly called out: “Jiang Qing.”

The girl turned back. Her eyes were clear and beautiful. Zhou Xuening’s throat bobbed. “I have something I want to say to you. Do you have time now?”

Walking downstairs, Zhou Xuening tilted her head and asked: “Have you eaten?”

The girl’s eyes flickered for a second, then she nodded firmly. “I’ve eaten.”

Zhou Xuening smiled gently and drove the girl to a restaurant. Guided by the waiter to a table, Zhou Xuening saw the girl’s puzzled expression and handed her the menu. “I’m a bit hungry. Let’s talk after we eat.”

They ordered a few home-cooked dishes. Under the warm light, Zhou Xuening looked up to see the girl drinking soup, her lips lightly touching the rim of the bowl. For some reason, Zhou Xuening suddenly dazed as she watched; by the time she snapped out of it, the girl had noticed her gaze.

When the meal ended and the table was cleared, desserts were served. Zhou Xuening took out a prepared bank card and placed it on the table in front of the girl. The girl stared blankly at the card, then looked up at the woman with anger in her eyes. “Hush money?”

She pushed the card back across the table. “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything.”

Zhou Xuening laughed softly. “No, this is to thank you for taking care of Xiao Ning.” Noticing the person across from her stiffen, Zhou Xuening continued: “You are a good person. Thank you for your care for Xiao Ning all this time, and… for the sake of this 500,000, I hope you can listen to a piece of advice from Auntie Zhou.”

Jiang Qing raised her eyelids slightly, meeting a cold and ambiguous gaze.

“You are young and full of desire to explore the unknown. It’s easy to go astray and have wrong perceptions of feelings,” Zhou Xuening said. “People who are smart and disciplined in their studies often fall into confusion when it comes to emotions.”

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

Zhou Xuening slowly raised her eyes, her expression half-smiling. “Don’t fall in love with Gu Yining.”

A boom sounded in Jiang Qing’s mind. She bit her lower lip, reflexively denying it: “I don’t…”

A sense of public execution—shame and despair—slowly climbed up. Especially since the person saying this was Zhou Xuening; the woman was calm and unperturbed, while she was flushed red, too ashamed to admit it. The woman across from her watched silently, as if waiting for her to calm down.

After a long while, the redness on the girl’s face slowly faded. Zhou Xuening pushed the card toward Jiang Qing again. “Take it. Ms. Jian has a family to support; you can’t keep troubling her. This money will also make your high school and university life more comfortable.”

An unknown amount of time passed.

The girl picked up the card and held it in her palm. Finally, she looked up and asked: “In what capacity are you giving me this advice?”

Zhou Xuening didn’t look at her, merely keeping her head down. “I am the girlfriend of Xiao Ning’s uncle. I am in charge of all aspects of her life.”

“Then congratulations to you.” A mocking smile appeared on the girl’s face, which then quickly turned to resignation. She gritted her teeth, doing her best to suppress the multiple layers of bitterness in her heart. Holding the card, she slowly stood up. “I will follow your suggestion; it is also the advice I give to myself. I wish you a happy life and that you obtain the life you want soon.”

Finally, she forced a shallow, stiff smile.