Rong City Third People's Hospital, Inpatient Department, Third Floor, Ward 307.
It was nearly midnight, and the city outside the window was gradually quieting down, with only the occasional passing vehicle creating a faint, whistling roar.
Although Fang Ming didn't know about Zhao Ryulong's actions, he had guessed what he was about to face, so he had already prepared his story and wasn't too worried.
At this moment, only a dim bedside lamp was on in the ward, casting a soft, warm yellow light onto the pure white bedsheets.
Lying on the hospital bed, Gu Qinghe was having a very long dream.
The dream was surreal and grotesque, featuring Zhu Dahai's nauseating, fatty face, the piercing sound of clinking wine glasses, and the feeling of helplessness as high heels stepped onto soft carpet.
Then the scene shifted to a man wearing a shirt and gold-rimmed glasses.
He stood under the hazy lights, his profile hard and cold, with a faint, almost imperceptible trace of mockery at the corners of his mouth when he spoke.
He helped her block the drinks, scared off that pig-like Zhu Dahai, and handed her a bottle of mineral water with his long, clean fingers.
He said... he was Gu Bai's friend!
"Gu Bai..."
Gu Qinghe murmured her younger brother's name in her dream, tears sliding from the corners of her tightly closed eyes and disappearing into the hair at her temples.
Then she dreamed she was falling, into a firm and hot embrace that smelled of tobacco mixed with a light scent of cologne—unfamiliar yet reassuring.
After that, there was only darkness, with only the smell of disinfectant and a faint stinging sensation on the back of her hand.
"Mm..."
Gu Qinghe let out a soft groan, her eyelashes fluttering a few times before she slowly opened her eyes.
Her vision was blurry at first—the white ceiling, the soft glow of the ceiling light—she blinked, and her consciousness gradually returned.
The feverish heat had mostly receded, replaced by the weakness of exhaustion and a burning thirst in her throat.
She turned her stiff neck, her gaze falling on the back of her left hand.
There was medical tape there, with a thin transparent tube connected to an IV bag hanging on a stand; the medicinal fluid was flowing drop by drop, slowly and steadily, into her veins.
The hospital... Gu Qinghe's head buzzed as she suddenly remembered the last images before she lost consciousness.
In that man's private room, she had stood up, and then the world started spinning... She instinctively turned her head to the side.
On the companion chair right next to the bed sat a person, his head slightly lowered, the cold light from his phone screen illuminating half of his profile.
Gold-rimmed glasses rested on his straight nose, and his eyes behind the lenses were focused on the screen, his finger swiping every now and then.
It was that man. Was it he who brought her to the hospital??
Gu Qinghe's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and a complex surge of emotions flooded her heart—gratitude, embarrassment, and a trace of inexplicable fluster.
She opened her mouth, wanting to speak, but found her throat too dry to make a sound, only managing a breathy rasp.
However, this tiny movement still alerted Fang Ming.
He looked up, moving his gaze from the phone screen to the hospital bed.
Their eyes met, and Gu Qinghe hurriedly looked away, her cheeks feeling slightly hot!
"You're awake?"
Fang Ming's voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet ward, slightly raspy from staying up late, but his tone was calm.
He put down his phone, stood up, and naturally reached out to check Gu Qinghe's forehead.
The action was so natural that Gu Qinghe didn't even have time to react before that hand, which had slight calluses, was pressed against her forehead.
"The temperature has come down, but there's still a slight fever left."
Fang Ming withdrew his hand, turned to pick up a thermos from the nightstand, and unscrewed the lid.
"Drink some water, you're severely dehydrated." He held the cup with a straw to Gu Qinghe's lips.
Gu Qinghe looked at him, then at the straw, and after a moment's hesitation, she slightly opened her dry, cracked lips and took the straw into her mouth.
Moderately warm honey water flowed down the straw into her throat, moisturizing her parched throat and clearing her muddled brain quite a bit.
She drank in small sips, her eyes fixed on Fang Ming the entire time.
He stood by the bed, his figure tall and straight, the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up to his elbows to reveal firm forearms, and two buttons undone at the collar, showing his clear collarbones.
This appearance was out of place in a hospital environment, yet it gave an inexplicable sense of reliability.
After finishing the cup of water, Gu Qinghe finally found her voice, though it was still a bit raspy.
"Was it you... who brought me to the hospital?"
"Who else?"
Fang Ming put the thermos back and sat back down in the chair.
"You fainted in my private room; I couldn't just leave you there, could I? If anything happened to you, wouldn't your brother come after me?"
Hearing this, Gu Qinghe's nose tingled and her eyes reddened again. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to hold back the tears, her voice choked but serious.
"Thank you... thank you."
"You're welcome."
"That..." Gu Qinghe suddenly thought of something: "My bag... and the contract..."
"It's right there." Fang Ming pointed with his chin toward the drawer of the nightstand.
Gu Qinghe leaned over and opened the drawer, and sure enough, she saw her worn-out briefcase.
She used her free hand to take out the contract and flipped to the last page. When she saw Zhu Dahai's crooked signature and the bright red official seal, the heart that had been hanging in suspense finally settled completely.
It was done; she had finally secured that thirty thousand yuan commission.
She gripped the contract tightly, her knuckles turning white. It took several seconds for her to calm her excitement before carefully putting the contract away.
Then she took her phone out of the bag.
"Mr. Fang, how much were the medical expenses tonight? I'll transfer the money to you."
Fang Ming couldn't help but smile upon hearing this: "Heh, you two siblings really are the same."
"Huh?" Gu Qinghe was stunned.
"It's nothing!" Fang Ming didn't bother to explain. "No need for the money. Since you're awake and the fever's down, I'll be going now."
"The nurse said you need at least two more IV bags; it'll probably be dawn by the time you're done. I had the doctor give you three days of sick leave; the hospital certificate is in the drawer. Go back and rest well, don't push yourself."
After saying that, he put away his phone, turned, and walked toward the hospital door.
"Mr. Fang!" Gu Qinghe hurriedly called out to him.
Fang Ming stopped at the door and looked back: "Is there something else?"
"Thank you." Gu Qinghe looked at him and said very seriously: "Really, thank you. If it weren't for you today..."
"It's a small matter. I'm off."
Fang Ming waved his hand, said nothing more, and directly pulled the door open and walked out.
The ward door closed gently. Gu Qinghe lay on the bed, listening as the footsteps outside grew further and further away.
"Oh, how could I forget to ask for his contact information?"
The sound of the ward door closing seemed to finally flip a switch, causing Gu Qinghe to snap out of the subtle atmosphere from before.
She slapped her forehead in annoyance, the movement tugging at the needle in the back of her hand, making her hiss in pain.
She had been so focused on thanking him and asking about medical expenses that she hadn't even left basic contact information.
The man had saved her, paid her medical bills, and stayed up half the night watching over her, and she just let him leave like that?
Gu Qinghe, oh Gu Qinghe, has the fever muddled your brain?
Even though Gu Bai has his contact info, Gu Bai is Gu Bai, and she is herself!!
Just then, a nurse came in with two IV bags. Seeing that Gu Qinghe was awake, she asked casually while changing the drip.
"Beautiful, why did your boyfriend leave?"
"Boyfriend?" Gu Qinghe was stunned, only then realizing the nurse was talking about Fang Ming. Her pretty face flushed: "He... he's not my boyfriend."
"Not your boyfriend, yet he was so busy taking care of you??? Oh, I get it, you haven't made it official yet, right??"
"He's good-looking and knows how to take care of people. You better hold on tight to a good man like that..." The duty nurse was bored and naturally talked a bit much, though her words clearly carried a hint of teasing.
Gu Qinghe was teased until her face was completely red, and she didn't dare respond at all.
After the nurse left, she slumped back onto the pillow, staring at the ceiling as Fang Ming's image and the nurse's words replayed in her mind.
The calm gaze behind the gold-rimmed glasses, his long fingers when handing her the water, and that clean, decisive back as he turned to leave.
Gu Qinghe shook her head vigorously.
"Stop thinking about it. You two aren't from the same world at all."