"Qin Shiqing, are you okay?"
Su Zelin furrowed his brow.
"I'm fine, just a little cold."
Qin Shiqing said mildly.
"The weather indeed got cooler last night, but with Shiqing's good health, how could she catch a cold so suddenly?"
Lu Haoran was puzzled.
"Girls' matters, boys should ask less!"
Tang Yan gave him a glare, and the honest guy quickly shut his mouth.
I was just showing concern for a friend, did I say something wrong again?
Su Zelin soon understood the reason.
Qin Shiqing's 'aunt' came to visit.
Her 'aunt' is very punctual, always comes in the first ten days of the month, with almost no change in the dates.
She had mentioned this during their past life together.
Some girls don't feel much when their 'aunt' visits, while others are in excruciating pain.
Qin Shiqing wasn't the kind to be in excruciating pain, but she did have mild menstrual cramps, and the visit affected her body significantly. In their previous life, Su Zelin had even sought help from many famous traditional doctors for her.
During this time, Qin Shiqing's immune system was much lower than usual, plus the cooler weather last night, catching a cold wasn't surprising.
Could it be that her poor performance in the previous life's college entrance exam was due to her 'aunt' and this cold?
It couldn't be! She had experienced her 'aunt' visiting and catching a cold during exams before, and her performance was still steady.
Su Zelin was puzzled; this was a mystery to him.
At this moment, as her childhood friend, he needed to show more care.
So Su Zelin said, "Drink more hot water!"
"Hah, men!"
Tang Yan sneered, "Su Zelin, can't you take a more practical action?"
"Okay, how about this, Qin Shiqing, for these last two days, you don't need to get water for me. I'll do it for you, alright?"
Su Zelin said impatiently.
"Tsk, how's that practical action!"
Tang Yan was still unsatisfied.
"Then what else, should I take Qin Shiqing to see the school doctor and help her take the medicine too?"
"Get lost!"
...
As soon as class ended at noon, Su Zelin disappeared.
Tang Yan was furious, "That bastard Su Zelin, he said he'd help Shiqing get water, now who knows where he is. He talks a good game. Lu Haoran, don't you learn from him!"
Lu Haoran could only nod repeatedly, feeling very puzzled.
Zelin might be a delinquent, but he was always loyal to friends. How could he ignore Qin Shiqing now?
It wasn't until they went to the cafeteria for lunch that the others found out the answer.
Su Zelin appeared with a thermos bottle in hand, "Qin Shiqing, drink some of this ginger tea whenever you can, you have to drink it all!"
"Where did you get this thermos and ginger tea?"
Tang Yan was very surprised.
Ginger tea is quite effective for warding off cold, curing colds, and relieving cramps, yet the school's conditions didn't allow it.
"I borrowed the thermos from Old Guo's office, and as for the ginger tea, given my rapport with the cafeteria lady, it was no problem!"
After class, Su Zelin quickly borrowed a thermos and then sneaked into the cafeteria kitchen to find a cooking lady, asking her to help make a bottle of ginger tea.
"See, I said Zelin isn't disloyal!"
With the truth revealed, Lu Haoran gave his buddy a thumbs-up.
"Sorry, Su Zelin, I blamed you wrongly!"
Tang Yan apologized, blushing with shame.
A subtle smile appeared on Qin Shiqing's lips.
She understood Su Zelin, who might not seem great normally, but was reliable during crucial times.
She remembered when her first period came early, back in sixth grade without any prior education about it. Seeing blood on the chair scared her, and with no adults around, Su Zelin thought she got hurt and carried her straight to the nearby hospital, only to find out later that it was all a funny misunderstanding.
Thinking of that embarrassing incident, a bit of color returned to Qin Shiqing's somewhat pale face.
She nodded towards Su Zelin, "Thank you!"
"Hey, why say that? It's just a small thing! But on another note, good thing I have my ways, or getting ginger tea at school wouldn't have been easy!"
Su Zelin said, pleased with himself.
Qin Shiqing was both amused and exasperated.
Are you being modest or bragging?
Perhaps thanks to the ginger tea, by the next morning, Qin Shiqing indeed looked better, no longer speaking weakly.
With only one day left before the college entrance exam, all classes were halted for student self-study, though the teachers stayed in their offices to assist with any questions.
During the first self-study session in the afternoon.
"I have a feeling I know what the essay topic for the Chinese exam will be this time!"
Su Zelin suddenly spoke astonishingly, catching Qin Shiqing's group's attention.
The Chinese exam essay is worth sixty points, a significant portion — a topic always of interest to students before the exams.
If one could guess the topic and prepare, they'd gain an advantage in the first subject of Chinese.
Tang Yan immediately turned around, "Really, Su Zelin, what do you think the essay topic will be?"
"Remember the Yangtze River flooding a couple of years ago? Many people participated in flood relief efforts, with numerous heroic stories emerging, later the country encouraged the youth to learn from these heroes. Such positive events with significant educational value are very likely to appear in this year's college entrance exam!"
Su Zelin, transformed into an expert, started analyzing thoroughly.
"The Yangtze River flood was a couple of years ago, why wasn't it tested last year, but might be this year?"
Lu Haoran expressed doubt.
"Haoran, you're so silly. If they tested it last year, it would've been too predictable, so it's more strategic to wait a year!"