Сhарter 8: Thе Ribs Асhе Аgain
The girl’s dеliсate frаgrancе disреllеd thе suffоcаting sсеnt of blоod. Нazily, а рair оf teаrу еyеs сamе intо viеw.
Сhi Yu fеlt а wаve оf dizziness, аs if еven the unbearаble рain wаs grаduаllу fading awаy.
Wherе wаs this? Wаs hе alrеadу dead?
Тhеn hе smilеd bittеrly tо himself.
Who would hаvе thоught sоmеone like him wоuld still hаvе a сhanсe to gо tо hеаven.
In the hоsрital ward in thе earlу mоrning, thе IV driр tickеd stеadily.
As soon as she еscареd thе рaniс of the emеrgenсy, shе immediаtely went to investigate. Only then did she learn that Chi Yu had been fighting in underground boxing matches for nearly half a month, wearing thick clothing to hide his injuries.
“Hello, Miss Lin. Your friend participated because his younger sister has a rare disease and urgently needs treatment…”
“I understand.” Lin Kuizhi hung up the phone, resenting herself for the first time for not being attentive enough. She had noticed something was off but hadn’t cared enough to ask, instead carelessly dragging him along to play every day.
She also hated herself for not being smart enough. She should have realized earlier that her presence as an uncontrollable variable would cause changes or advancements in the plot. She didn’t know how to prevent trouble before it happened—all those transmigration novels she had read were truly wasted.
She kept blaming herself, not even having the mood to scold the System for being useless.
【Host, the antagonist will not die before the story’s conclusion. There’s no need for you to worry so much.】
“Shut up!”
The System guiltily vanished immediately.
Lin Kuizhi had always been someone with strong empathy. She could cry her eyes out even while watching a terrible movie, much to her friends’ amusement.
When reading novels, she immersed herself deeply, feeling as if certain events were truly happening around her, to the point where she would get so angry she wanted to shout.
That was why she found it truly difficult to treat the people around her now merely as characters from a book.
She let out a long sigh.
The five hundred thousand he had fought so hard to win was nothing more than a drop in the bucket. Feeling the stark gap between social classes firsthand, Lin Kuizhi felt even more heartache for him. After paying Chi Miaomiao’s medical fees, she sat dazedly beside Chi Yu.
Chi Yu was truly badly injured.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
Even if it wasn’t life-threatening, he was still in pain.
Sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room.
Chi Yu felt as if he had been dreaming for a long time.
The orphanage director’s greasy laughter, rough and filthy hands.
A fork piercing his throat, blood pooling on the floor.
It felt as if countless hands were dragging him down.
Forget it, just let it be. What difference was there between living and dying?
Just as he gave up struggling and continued to fall, a soft cushion of cotton gently caught him.
Sinking into this warmth, the scent of freshly sun-dried bedding lingered at the tip of his nose—fragrant and warm, soothing and healing.
Warm, bright, very much like someone.
Like who? He frowned, unable to remember.
“Chi Yu, I will definitely be good to you!”
Such a familiar voice. Being good to him? Who would ever be good to him?
A flash of white light crossed his mind, and he awoke from his deep slumber.
His hand felt a slight itch first. Chi Yu slowly opened his eyes.
It was soft strands of hair brushing against his hand.
The girl was leaning over his bedside, her eyes tightly shut. Her fair face made the dark circles under her eyes even more noticeable, as if she were utterly exhausted.
Lin Kuizhi…
His ribs began to ache faintly again.
He gently moved his leg, and the girl, who had been asleep, immediately lifted her head. Her tired eyes instantly brightened.
“Chi Yu, you’re awake? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?” She asked anxiously, then hurriedly stood up. “Doctor!”He lowered his gaze and waited quietly for the doctor to finish the examination. When he heard the girl’s soft voice telling him that his sister’s surgery had been successful, that she had already been moved to the VIP room next door, and that all the fees had been paid in full, his pupils trembled slightly, and his hand suddenly tightened on the blanket.
Why? Why was she suddenly being so kind to him?
Confusion surfaced in his eyes. Was she trying to make up for everything from the past?
“Don’t worry too much. Focus on recovering well.” The girl’s voice carried a hint of a sob. He looked up and only then noticed that her eyes were slightly swollen, as if she had been crying.
“You…”
“Chi Yu, next time something happens, tell me, okay? I’ll help you figure it out. Don’t do this again.” Tears slid from her reddened eyes and fell onto the back of his hand.
It was scalding, so hot that his heart seemed to shrink.
“Chi Yu, did you hear me?” Her crying tone became even more pronounced.
It seemed he couldn’t bear to see her cry. In a hoarse voice, he replied, “Okay.”
Only then did the girl’s tears turn into a smile, and she called his name again in that soft, pitiful tone.
“Chi Yu.”
“Hmm?”
Lin Kuizhi looked at him seriously. “I helped you, so shouldn’t you agree to one of my requests?”
His heart tightened. He nodded. She had saved them, and no matter what request she made, he would accept it calmly.
“After you and your sister are discharged from the hospital, move in with me.”
Lin Kuizhi knew there was still a kidnapping case targeting Chi Miaomiao. She had to nip this in the bud.
Chi Yu was instantly stunned.
“What? Do you want to go back on your word?” The girl glared at him, looking both angry and aggrieved, her nose red. “I’m the young lady of the house, so you have to listen to me! You have to tutor me at my place!”
Seeing her lips pout as if she was about to cry again, Chi Yu silently pulled a tissue from the side and handed it to her. “Understood.”
A sudden noise came from the door as it was pushed open.
Seeing the visitor, Chi Yu’s expression darkened.
Gu Chen swaggered in. “Hey, buddy, you’re finally awake.”
“You actually managed to beat Number Nineteen. You’ve got some skills.”
He clicked his tongue in admiration, placing the fruit on the cabinet beside him. “But you have no idea what our Miss Lin’s expression was like when you collapsed…”
“Gu Chen! Do you want to die, or do you not want your family’s business anymore?” The girl threatened loudly, trying to hide her inner panic.
Gu Chen raised his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright, I won’t say anymore. I just came to see how you two were doing. Since everything’s fine, I’ll leave now.” With that, he decisively left without any hesitation.
Did he have a death wish, disturbing the young lady’s good moment?
The door closed again, and Lin Kuizhi stole a somewhat embarrassed glance at the boy sitting on the hospital bed.
His long eyelashes cast shadows on his lower eyelids, and his face looked fragile and pale from the injury, especially like a young scholar bullied by a demon.
Lin Kuizhi mentally slapped herself. How disgraceful! He’s in this state, and you’re still thinking about such nonsense. Are you even human?!
Chi Yu naturally noticed the intense gaze. His eyelashes trembled slightly.
Can a person’s personality really change so drastically in such a short time?
His long fingers lightly tapped the edge of the bed as he slowly spoke. “Miss, you haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? The breakfast shop downstairs has your favorite cilantro buns.”
Hearing this, Lin Kuizhi was dumbfounded. What kind of taste did the original owner have? She actually liked cilantro buns!
Wait, this world actually has cilantro buns?!
“…That’s great. I’ll go down and buy some. What about you? What do you want to eat?” What else could she do? She couldn’t exactly refuse.”Congee and rice noodle rolls, please. Thank you.” Chi Yu observed her.
A moment later, Lin Kuizhi came up carrying a bag, placing his breakfast on the small table. She took out the cilantro bun herself, hesitating briefly before about to take a bite.
“Wait,” Chi Yu called out helplessly, “I made a mistake—it’s the pickled mustard tuber bun. How could you forget you’re allergic to cilantro?”
He handed the rice noodle rolls to the astonished girl. “Have this instead.”
Help.
This is bad—she actually didn’t know the original owner was allergic to cilantro!