Returning to High School to Save My Wife - Chapter 20

By the time Jiang Yuan reached the hospital, the sky was completely dark. The figures outside were sparse, making the place feel exceptionally desolate. Even the cold glow from the fluorescent lights at the entrance seemed to radiate a sense of chilliness.

She pushed down the handle of her suitcase and carried it up the steps. Just as she reached the door, her phone buzzed.

It was a reply to her previous message.

Ruoyan: How much do you need?

Straight to the point, no small talk.

Yuan: About… five thousand, if that’s okay? I’ll pay you back as soon as I can.

With a “ding,” a WeChat notification appeared: a transfer of 6,000 yuan had arrived.

Ruoyan: Don’t be too stingy with your living expenses. Just remember to pay it back; there’s no rush.

Yuan: Thank you, Sister Yan. I’ll try to pay you back a bit extra when the time comes.

Ruoyan: No worries. What happened to your mother?

Yuan: She fainted in the kitchen today. The doctor said it’s best to stay for observation for a while.

Ruoyan: I see. Your mother’s health has always been fragile; take good care of her.

Yuan: Sister Yan, about that part-time job… I want to accept it.

Ruoyan: Have you thought it through?

Yuan: Yes.

Hospital expenses were so high that, knowing Xu Chengyu’s personality, she would never agree to stay if she knew the cost. Jiang Yuan couldn’t let her mother pay for this; she had to earn it herself. Now that she owed this debt, even if the other party wasn’t rushing her, she felt uneasy owing it for too long.

Ruoyan: Alright, I’ll let them know. I’ll send the specific time and location to your phone in a bit.

Yuan: Thank you, Sister Yan.

After replying, Jiang Yuan put away her phone, paid the hospitalization fee at the outpatient department, and then contacted Jiang Mu. She learned that Xu Chengyu had been moved from the emergency room to a ward on the second floor.

She pushed open the door to the ward, and a faint aroma of rice greeted her.

“Mom? Are you awake?”

“She woke up shortly after you left; she’s been asking about you,” Jiang Mu said, feeding Xu Chengyu some porridge. Having just woken up, Xu Chengyu had little appetite and could only manage some porridge to fill her stomach.

“Yuanyuan,” Xu Chengyu stopped eating as soon as she saw her daughter. “I heard you checked me in? Actually, I was just too tired today. I’ll be fine as long as I rest; there’s no need for a hospital stay.”

“Mom, the doctor said this isn’t a small matter,” Jiang Yuan sat down by the bed. “It’s better to find problems early so they can be treated. You really gave Mumu and me a scare today.”

“Sigh… I’m really fine,” Xu Chengyu sighed. “Hospitalization isn’t cheap—thousands of yuan a week. I feel okay now; there’s really no need to spend that money.”

“Don’t worry about it, Mom. Dad—” Jiang Yuan paused at the word, then pointedly corrected herself, “Jiang Wangjie provided the money. Don’t let it bother you.”

“Ah…” Xu Chengyu’s lips trembled slightly. “Your father knows too?”

“He…” Jiang Yuan hesitated for a few seconds before quickly weaving an excuse. “I ran into him on the road today. He saw I was in a hurry and asked what was wrong, so I told him.”

Fearing her mother would overthink it, Jiang Yuan covered Xu Chengyu’s hand with her own warm palm. “In any case, he offered the money himself. Just focus on recovering in the hospital.”

Xu Chengyu sighed. “Your father… he hasn’t completely forgotten about you all in his heart.”

Jiang Yuan replied, “It’s the least he should do.”

Sensing the mood turning heavy, Jiang Mu set down the container he was holding and handed her another one. “Sis, you should eat too.”

Jiang Yuan took the box. “So you actually thought to order delivery…”

Jiang Mu stopped his chopsticks, looking surprised. “Huh? Didn’t you ask Sister Liang Qi to help order it?”

Jiang Yuan was stunned. “What?”

Jiang Mu pulled out his phone and waved the chat interface in front of her eyes. “Look.”

The chat log on the screen was crystal clear.

Liang Qi had obviously ordered it herself but hadn’t told her privately, instead telling Jiang Mu that Jiang Yuan had requested it.

It was clearly a move to ensure she wouldn’t reject it.

Jiang Yuan suddenly felt a heaviness in her chest, as if it were clogged with an emotion she didn’t know how to resolve.

School had only been in session for a few days; she and Liang Qi weren’t even that close, yet Liang Qi consistently maintained this level of warmth toward her.

Why…?

She suddenly remembered Liang Qi saying the word “friend.”

Was that the reason?

Jiang Mu, vaguely guessing the truth, couldn’t help but remark, “So Sister Liang Qi ordered it herself? She’s way too good to us. Sis, this new friend of yours is really reliable.”

Hearing this, Xu Chengyu asked caringly, “Yuanyuan, is it that girl who came to our house last time?”

Jiang Yuan slowly opened the food container as she answered, “Yes, we’re desk-mates.”

Xu Chengyu was surprised. “What a coincidence. That child seemed very likable. I didn’t expect you to become such good friends only a few days into the semester…”

Jiang Yuan smiled slightly but didn’t follow up.

Are we… “good friends”?

The things she had done for Liang Qi were out of instinct; she would have helped any other classmate in the same situation. But the help Liang Qi gave her went beyond her understanding of the word “friend.”

Having experienced the coldness of the world from a young age, Jiang Yuan had a deeper understanding of human favors than her peers. While this kindness made her feel warm, it also felt somewhat heavy.

It was as if someone were trying to make her open the door to her heart.

“Sis, hurry up and eat.” Jiang Mu’s voice pulled Jiang Yuan back from her thoughts.

“Mhm.” Jiang Yuan lowered her head and quietly ate the delivery, which had already gone a bit cold. For the first time, she felt an indescribable sensation in her heart.

One side of her instinctively craved the warmth; the other side rationally tried to reject the kindness.

Perhaps because she had been hungry for so long, she found the meal delicious. After finishing, she tidied up the empty containers and left the ward.

The hallway lights weren’t on, and moonlight flooded the floor like running water.

She turned her head and saw the bottomless darkness filling the world, turning the once gentle city into something cold and lonely.

Yet, under the same pitch-black night sky, there were equally shining stars.

The curve of Jiang Yuan’s lips softened. She looked down and sent a message to Liang Qi.

Yuan: Thank you for dinner today.

Liang Qi took a taxi home, arriving in ten minutes.

The house was empty; Tao Huijuan wasn’t there, likely at her art studio.

She turned on the lights and placed the plastic bag of tangerines on the table, noticing small spots of blood on the handle.

She remembered the injury on her hand and hurried to the sink to wash it. Once done, she found some iodine and cotton swabs to apply medicine, finally wrapping her finger in a waterproof bandage.

“Done.”

Liang Qi threw away the medical waste and was about to use a wet wipe to clean the blood off the plastic bag when she heard her phone buzz.

Yuan: Thank you for dinner today.

Seeing this message, Liang Qi couldn’t help but smile.

As she exited the chat, she saw another unread message she had ignored.

Ke: Qiqi, how have you been lately? Things have been busy since school started; I only just found time to message you. I heard from Uncle Liang that you moved into a new class for the new grade. Are you getting used to it? I hope you’re taking good care of yourself.

The sender was her childhood best friend, Xia Ke, who was even closer to her than Qiao Shuxue or Tan Zhiyan. Their families were old friends and had even arranged a betrothal for them when they were babies, but since they both turned out to be girls, the arrangement was dropped. Instead, the two had been inseparable from kindergarten through elementary school, becoming the best of friends.

Later, because Xia Ke went to the US for middle school, their contact decreased, but Xia Ke still sent WeChat greetings every so often.

Cookie Biscuit: I’m doing well. You take care of yourself too.

After replying to Xia Ke, Liang Qi exited the chat and looked at the top thread with Jiang Yuan. After a moment’s thought, she sent another message.

Cookie Biscuit: By the way, Yuanyuan, Axue’s dad is the director of Shengjiang First People’s Hospital. I’ll tell Axue to have her dad keep an eye on your mom’s situation.

Yuan: Thank you, Liang Qi.

Cookie Biscuit: Don’t mention it. Just let me know if you need anything.

The sound of a digital lock clicking came from the door. Tao Huijuan pushed the door open and saw Liang Qi standing in the living room. “You’re back? Finished your homework?”

“All done.”

“What happened to your finger?” Tao Huijuan noticed the bandage.

Liang Qi glanced at it. “Oh, I accidentally scratched it today.”

She quickly changed the subject, showing the tangerines on the table to her mother. “By the way, Mom, my desk-mate gave me these.”

“Your desk-mate? That girl who’s ranked first in the grade?” Tao Huijuan asked while changing her shoes.

“Yeah, she’s a very good person.”

“Bring her some fruit another day. Don’t take things from people for nothing.”

“Heehee, I know!”

“By the way, Qiqi, you don’t have anything going on this weekend, do you?”

“No, why?”

“Your dad is back from his business trip. We’re having dinner with Uncle Xia’s family.”

“Huh? No wonder Xia Ke messaged me. Did she come back to the country too?”

“Xia Ke is still in the US; it’s just your uncle and aunt this time. Our families haven’t seen each other in a long time, so we’re getting together. They specifically mentioned you, so make sure you clear your schedule.”

“Okay, okay, I got it.”

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