It was precisely because she had read Lin Qingqing like a book that Jun Ning had set the trap, attaching a sliver of her mental power to those gifts. If Lin Qingqing didn’t harbor designs on her belongings, she would have been perfectly fine. But since she dared to touch things that didn’t belong to her, Jun Ning was going to make sure she suffered enough to remember the lesson.
If it isn’t yours, don’t covet it, and certainly don’t touch it!
Now that the eyesore was gone, Jun Ning felt the very air in the dormitory had become fresher. Her only regret was that she had inconvenienced the group leader, Gu Xiangwen, and Wang Xiaohu, who had to escort the girl. She made a mental note to find a way to secretly compensate them with some supplies later.
Gu Xiangwen called out to open the doors, and together with Wang Xiaohu, he helped a weak, sobbing Lin Qingqing inside.
The doctor on duty was Jiang Baiqing—the same young male doctor who had performed emergency first aid on Jun Ning previously. He welcomed them into the emergency room and began his intake. “Who is the patient? What’s the situation?”
Gu Xiangwen pointed to Lin Qingqing. “Doctor, she’s the patient. Her hand keeps hurting—the kind of sharp pain that makes her scream. Could you please check her and see what the problem is?”
Jiang Baiqing looked at Lin Qingqing and said, “Sit down. I’ll examine you.”
Lin Qingqing immediately put on a pitiful front, looking at Jiang Baiqing with soulful eyes as she asked in a mournful voice, “Doctor, I won’t… I won’t have some kind of terminal illness, will I?”
Jiang Baiqing glanced at her expressionlessly. “I’ll examine you first. Extend your hand; I need to check your pulse.”
Lin Qingqing reached out and placed her hand on the diagnostic table as instructed. Jiang Baiqing pressed lightly on her pulse point, only to find that it was remarkably strong. It didn’t feel like the pulse of a sick person at all. He then used his stethoscope to check her heart and lungs; again, there were no issues. All her vital signs were perfectly healthy.
Jiang Baiqing straightened up and spoke to her with a stern, serious face. “Comrade, your pulse, heart, and lung sounds are all normal. You appear to be a perfectly healthy person. I’m sorry, but my skills are limited; I don’t see anything wrong with your hand. Perhaps you should try the county hospital?”
Lin Qingqing grew anxious. “Doctor, my hand really was in pain just now! They both saw the episode with their own eyes. Can’t you look a little closer?”
Jiang Baiqing replied coldly, “As I said, your body is fine. I can’t find anything wrong with your hand. You should seek a second opinion elsewhere.”
Lin Qingqing pleaded again, “Doctor, then could you at least write me a medical certificate? I want to request leave to go to the county or the city for a check-up.”
Jiang Baiqing looked at her with blatant disdain. “I wouldn’t dare issue such a certificate. In recent years, many ‘Educated Youth’ have faked illnesses to return to the city. Some have gone as far as swallowing iron pieces to damage their stomachs or intentionally breaking their own legs. You aren’t faking this just for a ticket back, are you?”
Upon hearing the doctor’s words, the way Gu Xiangwen and Wang Xiaohu looked at Lin Qingqing changed.
If her hand was truly injured, how could the pain fluctuate so wildly, appearing and disappearing at will? On the way there, her hand had stopped hurting again, yet she had insisted on coming to the hospital. Fearing she might actually be in danger, they had complied. Now that the doctor had cleared her, and seeing her immediately ask for a certificate to leave for the city, they naturally drew the same conclusion as Jiang Baiqing.
Lin Qingqing had indeed just come up with the idea of using a fake illness to return to the city. She hadn’t expected Jiang Baiqing to see through her intentions so instantly.
Flushing with humiliation and rage, she snapped at him, “Doctor, please watch your words! Do not slander my character. I wouldn’t have come here in the middle of the night if the pain wasn’t unbearable. Since you’re so incompetent that you can’t even diagnose me, I’ll find someone better!”
With that, she stormed out of the room.
Gu Xiangwen and Wang Xiaohu offered their apologies to Jiang Baiqing. “Doctor, we are so sorry for this. Truly sorry.”
Having been woken up in the middle of the night only to end up in an argument, Jiang Baiqing was in a foul mood. He simply waved them off. “If there’s nothing else, just leave. Don’t come back for things like this next time.”
Gu Xiangwen apologized twice more before dragging Wang Xiaohu out. They reached the horse carriage and found Lin Qingqing sitting there, fuming and wiping away tears.
Wang Xiaohu, in his infatuation, naturally thought she looked pitiful and felt a pang of sympathy. Gu Xiangwen, however, felt very differently. He was beginning to find Lin Qingqing increasingly “dramatic”—so much so that he was reaching his breaking point.
They had worked in the fields all day and were half-dead with exhaustion. It was only sheer willpower that kept them going. Now that the adrenaline was fading, Gu Xiangwen felt incredibly weary. Being the group leader was a thankless, exhausting job.
No wonder Fu Jingwei had refused the position, even though it offered extra points toward returning to the city. Fu had preferred to stay a regular youth. Now, Gu was tasting the bitterness of that choice. But having held the position for years, could he just quit now? Of course not. If he quit now, all his previous efforts would be for nothing. He had chosen this path, and even if he had to crawl through it in tears, he had to see it to the end.
Suppressing his irritation, Gu Xiangwen signaled Wang Xiaohu to board the carriage. Just as he was about to drive back to the village, Lin Qingqing spoke up again.
“Leader, could you push yourself a little further and take me to the city hospital for a check-up? I’m really worried about my hand. If it ends up being ruined, my whole life is over… Sob…”
Seeing her start to cry piteously again, Wang Xiaohu’s heart softened once more. He couldn’t help but join in the persuasion. “Leader, just a little more effort. Let’s take her to the city to be sure!”
Gu Xiangwen tried to remain patient. “Lin Qingqing, since Doctor Jiang said you’re fine and your hand doesn’t hurt anymore, let’s just go back. We have to work tomorrow.”
Seeing him refuse, Lin Qingqing’s crying intensified. “Leader, I’m scared! What if the pain comes back after we get back to the village? If the delay makes my condition worse, who will take the blame? Will you be responsible for me?”
Hearing this shameless entitlement, Gu Xiangwen’s face turned pale with fury. He cursed her out in his mind. Damn it, this is what I get for trying to help?
But since she had put it in those terms—essentially a blatant threat—could he really refuse? How had he never noticed before just how vile Lin Qingqing could be?