She didn't know how much time had passed, but Luo Shu was woken up by a pain in her stomach.
She realized it was already evening; she had actually slept for that long. She fumbled to turn on the light, but she couldn't move. The pain in her stomach was intense.
She had been back from abroad for over a year and didn't have many friends. The only people she could really talk to were Ye Li and Shen Yan.
Ye Li didn't answer her phone. When she called Shen Yan, he was still on vacation, but thankfully, he picked up.
[Good heavens, what is it now?]
[Shen Yan...] A cold sweat broke out on her body. She was too weak to move.
Shen Yan, on the other end of the line, heard that something was wrong and quickly asked, [Are you not feeling well? Where are you? Can you move?]
A string of questions she was too weak to answer. [Come get me... at my place... ugh...]
She was dizzy and on the verge of losing consciousness.
Less than ten minutes later, she heard a series of banging sounds at her door.
Bang! The sound of the door falling in.
"Luo Shu!"
A familiar voice sounded in her ear.
"You're really something else!"
His tone wasn't good, a complaint laced with pity.
Her small body was lifted into his arms. She once again smelled that pleasant scent, the faint fragrance of sandalwood.
When she woke up, she was already lying in a single-person hospital room.
"You're awake."
A familiar voice.
She slowly turned her head and saw the face that could make countless young women scream.
He was still in a suit—a black shirt, a black tie—standing over her, looking down on her, just like his expression that night.
Oh, for the love of God, I'm still thinking about that night at a time like this…
"Mr. Yu, why is it you?"
Luo Shu's cheeks flushed red.
"Shen Yan is on leave."
Yu Zhan had his hands in his pockets. He didn't say much, but his eyes were fixed on her.
"Thank you." She sighed. It was him again, like a persistent ghost.
Was the Matchmaker God trying to tie them together with steel cables now? Why was he so hard to shake off?!
"Does it still hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt anymore."
"Were the instant noodles tasty?"
"..."
He must have seen the uneaten cup of instant noodles in her kitchen.
"Where's your boyfriend?"
Yu Zhan looked into her eyes, as if trying to read the answer there.
"He just died yesterday."
Luo Shu didn't want to listen to him lecture her. She was already unlucky enough; she didn't need him to rub salt in the wound.
"Tsk, tsk..." He pursed his lips and nodded. "That's good news."
Just then, the doctor came in.
"Yu Zhan, this is stomach medicine. Make sure she takes it on time. If there are no other issues, she can be discharged tomorrow. And you! Take better care of her!"
The female doctor, who was over fifty, seemed quite close to him. They were clearly acquainted.
"I know, Auntie," Yu Zhan said, taking the medicine.
Auntie…
Luo Shu's heart skipped a beat. Great, she's going to get the wrong idea.
They chatted at the doorway for several minutes before his 'auntie' left.
"Can I be discharged tonight?" she asked, wanting to run.
Yu Zhan placed the medicine on the bedside table and sat down on the edge of her bed. "No."
Luo Shu glanced at the faint red mark on his left cheek. She rubbed her hands together awkwardly, still thinking about the slap she had given him the other day.
He, on the other hand, didn't seem awkward at all. Phone calls kept coming in for him, but he showed no intention of leaving.
"Mr. Yu, the meal you ordered has arrived."
A young woman walked in.
Yu Zhan finally moved his precious self from the bedside.
The woman set up the overbed table and placed the food on it.
Luo Shu was stunned. Three dishes and a soup from "Shi Fu"—it was truly luxurious.
"Eat up, I bought it for you," Yu Zhan said, unwrapping a pair of chopsticks and handing them to her. "Friendship price, 250 yuan. Remember to transfer the money."
Luo Shu looked at the chopsticks in front of her, then at the large, model-worthy hand holding them. She took them and began to eat her first meal since last night.
He was calling her an idiot.
Alright, she admitted it. She really shouldn't have starved herself over that dead man.
"Do you have any friends? Have one of them stay with you tonight."
"Don't worry, I won't die. I don't need anyone to stay."
"Fine. I have other matters to attend to. The woman at the door is Secretary Bai. If you need anything, find her, or message me."
Yu Zhan checked the time. Just as he was about to leave, he seemed to remember something, turned back, and asked:
"Didn't your boyfriend just die? The question I asked you last time, have you thought about it?"
Luo Shu, who had just stuffed a mouthful of rice into her mouth, nearly choked.
"Yu Zhan, be a decent human being. I really don't want to be in a relationship," Luo Shu said, losing her appetite.
Ever since he found out about Qin Heng, he had been hovering around her. It felt as if he had come prepared.
"Okay. I won't ask again," Yu Zhan said, his expression unchanged as he walked out.
Luo Shu watched his departing figure and suddenly felt she had been too harsh. After all, he was the one who had brought her to the hospital.
At T-Bar, Yu Zhan picked up his glass and took a slow sip.
Sitting next to him was his cousin, Fan Sen.
"This is the first time I've ever seen a girl refuse you, and even dare to call you by your full name. She's wild enough! No wonder you like her."
"It's not about liking her or not," Yu Zhan said, feeling a bit flustered.
"And you call that not liking her?" Fan Sen tilted his head and looked at him.
"You mention her every time we meet now. You dare say you don't have feelings for her? And take a good look at your neck. That hickey, has it faded yet?"
Fan Sen chuckled and shook his head.
Yu Zhan rested his forehead in his hand. It was true that he had been thinking about her a lot lately. Even if they didn't say a word, just seeing her made him feel much better.
[I'm sorry, Mr. Yu.] An apology from Luo Shu arrived.
[It's fine.] Yu Zhan glanced at it and replied instantly.
[Thank you, Mr. Yu.]
[Mm.]
[[250 Yuan Transfer] Dinner fee]
Yu Zhan paused, took a sip of his drink, and rejected the 250 yuan transfer.
[Treat me next time.]
The other side was typing for a long time but never sent a reply.
He furrowed his brow, a hint of laziness in his deep eyes.
"Fan Sen is right. If you didn't like her, would you have gone to save her? Wouldn't calling an ambulance have been more convenient?"
Lu Min, sitting beside him, clinked his wine glass against his.
Yu Zhan said nothing. His mind conjured an image of her clear and beautiful phoenix eyes, like a pool of lake water, shimmering and clear.
——
The next day, Yu Zhan handled her hospital discharge and even drove her home.
"Are you moving?"
Yu Zhan looked around the cluttered space where there was barely room to stand.
"Mm."
Her gaze fell on her own unhinged door.
"This place is quite nice. Why are you moving?"
He wandered around and saw his familiar jacket lying on the sofa.
"My ex-boyfriend died. I'm afraid his ghost will come back for me on the seventh day after his death."
Luo Shu didn't know how to get him to leave.
He casually found a place to sit, showing no signs of leaving.
"Did you break down the door?"
"Mm."
Luo Shu had a headache. "Replacing the door costs three thousand, a locksmith is only thirty. Are you stupid?"
Seeing the small amount of luggage, her headache grew worse. Moving wasn't that simple, and finding a suitable place was even harder.
"I only knew you were about to die," Yu Zhan said, crossing his legs. "When does your lease end?"
Perhaps she had become immune after dealing with Qin Heng, but Yu Zhan's words now made her feel nauseous.
"Before next Wednesday."
Qin Heng was a persistent pest. If she didn't move, he would still come looking for her, even after he was engaged.
"The door is already broken. Why not just move tonight?"
"Move where?" Luo Shu took a bottle of water from the fridge and tossed it to him. He caught it steadily.
"Move into my apartment."