He Ruchu immediately shut her mouth.
Without saying another word, the man turned and strode away, not looking back once.
She watched his retreating figure and sighed.
He even has to sneak around just to read those books. He’s probably even more sensitive about seeing a doctor.
Even if she managed to find a way to treat him, how was she supposed to convince him to let her do it?
The thought gave He Ruchu a headache. Shaking her head, she pushed it aside for the time being.
She had given all the books she had selected to him, so she needed to pick out some more for herself.
After already searching through the shelves once, choosing a second time was much easier.
Before long, He Ruchu had selected several more books. Their contents weren’t quite as good as the ones she had handed to Shen Siyuan, though.
She sighed regretfully and hugged the books to her chest, preparing to leave.
Just then, Xie Qingwan approached with a bright smile.
“Ruchu, I finally found you. Why did you hide all the way over here?”
As she spoke, her gaze swept over the bookshelf behind He Ruchu, and her brows imperceptibly furrowed.
“Oh,” He Ruchu replied casually. “What is it? Do you need something?”
“When I came over just now, I saw Comrade Zhou looking for you everywhere. He seemed quite worried.”
Xie Qingwan withdrew her gaze, her smile unchanged.
“Have you found the books you wanted?”
He Ruchu nodded.
“Yes.”
“Then let me take you to Comrade Zhou.”
As she spoke, Xie Qingwan affectionately linked her arm through He Ruchu’s again and sighed admiringly.
“Comrade Zhou treats you so well.”
He Ruchu frowned slightly.
To be honest, if she hadn’t read the novel, she might have thought Xie Qingwan liked Zhou Chenyu herself.
She glanced sideways at her.
“So?”
“So, Ruchu, are you really going to give up such an excellent man and marry Brother Siyuan instead?”
Looking directly into her eyes, Xie Qingwan’s face was filled with concern.
“Marriage is such a major life decision. You can’t make it out of stubbornness.”
As she spoke, she gently patted He Ruchu’s arm.
“Ruchu, what exactly happened between you and Brother Siyuan? Tell me, and I’ll help you analyze it.”
“We can’t let other people’s gossip make you act impulsively and make a decision you’ll regret.”
Watching her put on an I’m only thinking of your best interests expression, He Ruchu couldn’t help curling her lips into a smile.
“You want to know what happened between your brother and me?”
Xie Qingwan nodded eagerly.
“Yes, yes! If I know the details, I can give you some advice.”
“I see.”
The smile on He Ruchu’s lips deepened.
“But your brother won’t let me talk about it. Why don’t you ask him yourself?”
If she could get answers out of Brother Siyuan, would she need to ask He Ruchu?
Xie Qingwan forced a smile.
“Ruchu, we’re like sisters. Isn’t it easier to share little secrets between sisters?”
“But you and Shen Siyuan are brother and sister too, aren’t you?”
Tilting her head, He Ruchu smiled innocently at her, her eyes clear and guileless.
It sounded like an ordinary question asked without any hidden meaning.
For a moment, Xie Qingwan was speechless.
“I… Ruchu, I don’t mean anything by it. I just want you to be happy, so ”
“I know.”
He Ruchu interrupted her with a cheerful smile.
“I know you mean well.”
Seeing her carefree smile, Xie Qingwan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
“It’s good that you understand.”
He Ruchu glanced at her and curled her lips lazily, saying nothing more.
In the novel, Xie Qingwan was very “clever” and exceptionally good at judging situations.
When the He family first moved into the Beijing compound, she had immediately recognized their influence and future potential.
When the original He Ruchu was being excluded by several girls in the compound, Xie Qingwan stepped forward to help and became her close friend.
Of course, in the novel, she also used the He family’s connections to seize opportunities during the coming economic boom. Her career soared, and she eventually became one of the most prominent businesswomen in the country.
As for the original He Ruchu…
He Ruchu let out a slow breath.
Having transmigrated into this world, she had no intention of providing Xie Qingwan with any further help, nor did she plan to have any deeper involvement with her.
Ideally, Xie Qingwan would stay away from her as well.
If they minded their own business and lived peacefully without interfering with each other, that would be best.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t mind playing a little game with this so-called female lead.
After leaving the library, He Ruchu didn’t see Shen Siyuan anywhere.
He had probably already gone home.
Beside her, Xie Qingwan smiled teasingly.
“Ruchu, I still have some things to do, so I won’t interrupt your time with Comrade Zhou.”
With that, she left first.
He Ruchu couldn’t be bothered to respond. Turning to Zhou Chenyu, she said,
“I’m heading home. You should go back early too.”
“I’ll walk you home.”
Without giving her a chance to refuse, Zhou Chenyu started walking ahead.
Helpless, He Ruchu could only follow.
The streetlights had just come on, and night had fallen. The roads seemed even quieter than during the day.
He Ruchu’s gaze wandered aimlessly.
She had never been a particularly talkative person, and since she wasn’t familiar with Zhou Chenyu, she had no desire for small talk.
Zhou Chenyu seemed preoccupied with his own thoughts as well and remained silent.
The two of them barely exchanged a word all the way home.
Only when they arrived did Zhou Chenyu finally ask,
“Ruchu, have you thought about going back to the Northwest?”
He Ruchu paused.
“I haven’t decided yet…”
Unlike that afternoon, Zhou Chenyu didn’t simply let it go.
“How long do you need to think about it?”
He Ruchu frowned slightly.
“Tomorrow.”
His lips moved as though he wanted to say something more.
But she cut him off.
“It’s getting late. Head home. I’m going inside.”
With that, she turned and entered the house.
In the living room, He Yi’an was lounging on the sofa watching television.
Hearing the door open, he looked up.
“Ruchu, you’re back?”
“Mm.”
After greeting him with a “Second Brother,” He Ruchu changed her shoes by the entrance.
He Yi’an stood and walked over.
“Did Chenyu bring you home?”
She nodded.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing…”
He rubbed her head before pausing.
“Chenyu… has always treated you very well.”
He Ruchu frowned slightly and nodded.
“I know.”
Zhou Chenyu had indeed treated the original owner of this body very well.
But she had always regarded him as an older brother and nothing more.
And He Ruchu herself felt the same way.
Guessing what He Yi’an wanted to say, she spoke before he had the chance.
“Second Brother, in my heart, Zhou Chenyu is just like you. He’ll always be my brother.”
He Yi’an let out a helpless sigh.
“You really are something.”
She smiled brightly at him.
“Second Brother, I’m going back to my room.”
He waved his hand.
“Go on.”
Nodding, she carried her books upstairs.
After returning to her room and resting briefly, she opened the books she had borrowed and began reading.
Thanks to her medical background, the material posed no difficulty at all.
Still, she couldn’t help wondering whether Shen Siyuan would even understand the books she had given him.
A man who had to sneak around just to borrow books like that probably wouldn’t ask anyone for help even if he didn’t understand them.
The thought made her worry again.
It all came back to the same problem.
Even if she found a cure for the male lead’s condition, would a man with Shen Siyuan’s personality actually allow her to treat him?
The answer was obvious.
It would be extremely difficult.
So what could she possibly do to make him agree?