The Premeditated Seductress Childhood Friend - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Am I Sick?

Yu Wei, ever the fan of a good scene, quipped, “She’s insulting your childhood sweetheart.”

That was the last straw for Song Yixi. She rolled up her sleeves, charged over, and shoved the girl aside.

“Who are you to judge her professionalism? Who gave you permission to shout at her? Get lost!”

As if she had known all along that Song Yixi would shield her, Xu Qingyu just sat there, looking at the displaced Chen Jingyu with a cool, detached gaze. Her eyes flickered with a hint of mockery.

Caught off guard, Chen Jingyu snapped, “What does this have to do with you?”

Song Yixi poked her tongue against her cheek and tilted her head back arrogantly. “You insult her, it becomes my business.”

She was a bit taller than Chen Jingyu, which made her presence quite intimidating. Unable to match Song Yixi’s fiery aura, Chen Jingyu turned to her 6’3″ boyfriend for help.

Seeing the look, the guy stepped in to play peacemaker. “It’s not a big deal, everyone just calm down.”

Chen Jingyu frowned and elbowed him hard. “I’m the one being bullied here! Why are you playing the ‘nice guy’? Are you my boyfriend or not?”

“Even a boyfriend can’t just bully girls for no reason,” he replied, looking troubled.

Song Yixi rolled her eyes. “Fake.”

Yu Wei ran over from the stands to back Song Yixi up. “Using numbers to bully one person? Have you no shame? The Senior is here giving us free pulse readings and health checks. If you can’t be grateful, the least you can do is not insult her. Don’t mistake our good tempers for a license to walk all over us.”

Her words drew the attention of everyone nearby. Seeing that things were about to escalate, the supervising professor arrived. “What’s going on here?”

Chen Jingyu struck first. “Professor, this TCM student doesn’t know how to read a pulse, and she’s ganging up with students from our department to physically attack me. How can someone like this be a doctor?”

The professor looked blankly at Xu Qingyu, whom she was pointing at. “You mean her?”

At that moment, Xu Qingyu sat with her hands on the table, back straight—the very image of a model student.

Chen Jingyu insisted, “Yes, her.”

The professor’s brow furrowed. “She was personally trained by our Dean. You’re telling me she doesn’t know how to read a pulse?”

That was the biggest joke he had heard all year.

A senior student sitting to Xu Qingyu’s right chimed in: “You might not understand the prestige of being hand-picked by the Dean, but the fact that a fourth-year student is sitting in the center seat among us fifth-years should tell you exactly what her level is if you used your brain for even a second.”

The other TCM students shared the sentiment.

“Exactly, what’s the fuss? Being able to get a pulse reading from Xu Qingyu is something you should be quietly celebrating. Once she graduates, you won’t be able to get an appointment even if you pay extra.”

“Tsk, if you scare our Dean’s prized pupil, you’re in for a rough time.”

“Every new class brings its own brand of entertainment.”

Hearing these taunts, Chen Jingyu’s face turned pale. “Then she did it on purpose! She’s helping Song Yixi make my life miserable.”

The professor shook his head and asked, “Was there an issue with the diagnosis?”

At the mention of the diagnosis, Chen Jingyu’s anger flared again. “She called me narrow-minded!”

“Pfft.” Song Yixi couldn’t help it; she burst out laughing. She turned and gave Xu Qingyu a big thumbs up.

The pulse reading was spot on—she really is narrow-minded.

Xu Qingyu, who had been watching the scene coldly, finally spoke: “Stagnant liver qi, poor blood circulation, and deficiency in both the heart and spleen. Do you have frequent dreams, insomnia, and often feel inexplicably annoyed or irritable?”

Hit squarely on the mark, Chen Jingyu let out a hesitant, “Uh…”

Beside her, the 6’3″ boyfriend nodded silently.

Xu Qingyu looked up at her. “That is exactly how ‘narrow-mindedness’ manifests physically.”

Chen Jingyu was speechless.

Song Yixi was starstruck, staring at Xu Qingyu with admiration. Xu Qingyu pulled out a slip of paper and, letting bygones be bygones, wrote down a regulatory prescription for Chen Jingyu.

“Get this medicine as soon as possible; the sooner you take it, the better. Regarding your diet, eat more easily digestible, spleen-strengthening foods like millet, yam, and pumpkin. Maintain adequate sleep and moderate exercise.”

As she handed over the slip, she added one more thing: “Also, turn on the AC when you should. Being overheated isn’t good for you.”

Chen Jingyu’s hands were shaking with rage, but she was powerless against her. The boyfriend took the prescription and thanked Xu Qingyu. Chen Jingyu glared at him and stormed off in a huff. The guy sighed helplessly, shot a glance at Song Yixi, and chased after her.

No longer bothered by those two drama queens, Song Yixi felt a wave of relief wash over her. She was so happy she wanted to charge over and give Xu Qingyu a massive kiss.

But in the next second, she froze, wondering if she was losing her mind again. Stashing her thoughts away guiltily, she tossed her hair and asked Xu Qingyu with feigned composure, “Are you okay?”

Hearing this, Xu Qingyu immediately began to cough. She clutched her chest, her shoulders trembling as if she had been genuinely shaken.

Song Yixi panicked instantly. She rushed around the table to support her. “Are you feeling unwell? I’ll take you home.”

The department professor, clearly aware of Xu Qingyu’s health, saw her state and told her to go back and rest.

“Thank you, Professor.” Xu Qingyu handed over her records and used the table to slowly push herself up.

Song Yixi supported her arm, wanting to lend her strength but afraid to touch her too firmly. Her movements were even more awkward than when they held hands.

Suddenly, Xu Qingyu’s legs seemed to give way, and she slumped toward Song Yixi. Song Yixi instinctively reached out, catching her around the waist.

“Xu Qingyu?” Her voice was laced with frantic worry.

Xu Qingyu leaned against her arm and stood upright. “I’m fine. Just sat for too long.”

“Don’t participate in these kinds of activities next time.” Perhaps due to the urgency, Song Yixi’s tone carried a hint of reproach.

Xu Qingyu bit her lip, her eyes brimming with a hurt, aggrieved look. Song Yixi’s heart softened instantly, realizing she had been too harsh.

“I didn’t mean it like that…” She couldn’t explain further and felt too shy to say more. She kept one hand on Xu Qingyu’s waist and the other on her arm, leading her out of the gym.

Xu Qingyu’s car was parked right by the entrance. Song Yixi helped her into the passenger seat and unscrewed a water bottle to give her a drink. Xu Qingyu took a small sip from the bottle held by Song Yixi.

A few drops of water escaped the corner of her mouth. Seeing no tissues, Song Yixi reached out and wiped them away with her thumb.

As her knuckle brushed the spot on Xu Qingyu’s lip that had been nipped during their kiss, Song Yixi froze. Seeing Xu Qingyu sitting there looking so fragile and delicate, instead of just feeling pity, that other feeling actually began to sprout again.

They had only kissed once…

It felt like eating too many snacks as a child and being unable to quit. You knew you were gaining weight, yet you couldn’t stop yourself from reaching for more. Then you’d eat more and more, getting heavier and heavier. Each time, you’d lie to yourself: It’s fine, I’ll start the diet after this one.

In reality, you never did.

Song Yixi was never someone with great willpower or the ability to resist temptation—and Xu Qingyu was far more tempting than any delicacy.

Her finger, still resting on Xu Qingyu’s lip, slowly curled back.

“Xu Qingyu.”

“Am I sick? Just like the people you read pulses for?”

Under Xu Qingyu’s puzzled gaze, Song Yixi’s face slumped, her voice carrying a hint of a sob: “Otherwise, why is it that every time I see you, I just want to kiss you?”