The doctor said, “After you wake up, get another checkup. If everything is fine, you can go back. I’ll go with you to your dorm to get your clothes. You can stay at my place. It’ll be easier for meals, and I can take care of you too.”
Qing Yanshen could not speak. His usually sharp eyes, which could be cold when staring at someone, now looked stunned.
Jiang Qingmi continued, “You know my apartment only has one room. You’ve been sleeping on the floor in the living room. North City has cooled down a bit, but it’s not too cold. We can buy a thicker mattress so it won’t be cold even in winter.”
Seeing him remain silent, she reassured him, “You don’t need to feel embarrassed or think you’re bothering me. If it weren’t for you, I would have been lost when I came to North City. You helped me so much, and you’ve been taking care of the baby every day. When I was hospitalized, you took care of me. Now that your body can’t handle it, it’s my turn to take care of you.”
She felt a little uneasy inside. This man had always been generous with her, spending almost all his remaining money on her, even leaving none for his own medicine.
Fortunately, he had fainted at home and was sent to the hospital in time. If he had fainted at the construction site, who knew what could have happened.
When she first came to North City, she had two thousand eight hundred yuan on hand. Qing Yanshen had given her three thousand yuan. At first, it was saved for a paternity test, then it was for his meals. She also sold handmade wool shoes twice for four thousand yuan. After spending some, she now had eight thousand five hundred yuan.
She could continue earning money knitting and could save a little on daily expenses. Three people could manage meals without issue.
Qing Yanshen fainting was partly her responsibility. She said, “As I said before, we are friends now. We should help each other.”
Seeing him in low spirits, she softened her voice, “Take care of your body, don’t overthink, take it slow, okay?”
Qing Yanshen never expected that after declaring himself useless, he would not be abandoned but accepted.
Jiang Qingmi was letting him stay at her place.
She was not making him stay in the dorm.
She even said she would take care of him.
Hadn’t the workers said that if a man is useless, the woman will leave? Why wasn’t that happening?
Workers’ mouths are full of lies.
In the unexpected joy, he temporarily forgot that Jiang Qingmi had broken up with him. Soon, he remembered, and his smiling lips quickly pressed into a straight line. He said calmly, “That will be trouble for you then.”
“What trouble? I’m the one troubling you too much.”
Jiang Qingmi poured a glass of water and handed it to him. “Drink some water. Your mouth looks dry.”
“Why are you paying attention to my mouth?” Qing Yanshen pursed his lips, looking at her.
Jiang Qingmi thought she misheard. “What?”
He took a sip of water. “Nothing.”
He agreed to go to her place, but thinking of the breakup words made his heart ache. His expression could not hide his displeasure, but he could not truly be angry either. He was afraid she would take the baby and leave.
He could only be secretly angry, vent his frustration secretly, and subtly tease her.
Jiang Qingmi did not ask further. From the time he fainted in front of her, she had panicked. The neighbor across the hall happened to return and helped her take Qing Yanshen to the hospital. Three hours had passed.
Outside, it was completely dark, nine o’clock at night.
After the doctor confirmed he was fine, they were allowed to leave.
The doctor prescribed a month’s worth of medicine, a large bag, to be taken three times a day. Jiang Qingmi listened carefully to the instructions.
Jiang Tuantuan did not want to be held by Uncle either. Knowing he was sick, Jiang Qingmi carried the baby and the medicine bag, which was not heavy.
Qing Yanshen showed little expression as he followed her, his gaze fixed on her. Jiang Qingmi felt he had been unusually quiet since waking up.
The hospital corridor was sparsely populated, and Jiang Tuantuan’s little voice kept chattering.
“Uncle, walk slowly”
“Slowly, Mom, wait for Uncle”
Hearing this warmed his heart. He also noticed the medicine bag in her hands. He knew it wasn’t heavy, but it looked awkward. Never mind—it was his medicine after all.
Before they finished walking down the corridor, Jiang Qingmi felt a tug on the bag. Qing Yanshen’s deep voice said simply, “Give me.”
“It’s fine. Not heavy.”
Qing Yanshen stared at her, silent, not loosening his grip.
Jiang Qingmi let go.
After leaving the hospital and heading to Qing Yanshen’s dorm to get his clothes, she stopped at the street corner and waved at a passing taxi.
“Not far, why call a taxi?” Qing Yanshen asked.
Most of the time in the past month, Jiang Qingmi had walked to save taxi money.
“You’re weak right now. Why walk? Money should be spent when necessary. Now is not the time to save.”
Hearing this, Qing Yanshen, feeling useless as always, paused and felt a small bit of sweetness.
Jiang Qingmi cared about him.
His words from the hospital bed were not entirely false; he really had little strength now.
The sweetness lasted two seconds before he despised himself again.
She had broken up with him so cruelly, like cutting his heart with a small knife, so why was he feeling happy?
A few minutes later.
The taxi stopped at the dorm entrance.
The construction worker dorm was not as strict as student dorms. Sometimes workers’ wives and children visited. But Qing Yanshen thought of Monkey being there, and the dorm environment…
Tsk.
“Wait here. I’ll be quick.”
“Don’t you want me to help carry things?”
“Not much.” Qing Yanshen said, then turned into the dorm.
Jiang Qingmi sat on the flowerbed edge, holding the baby and the medicine bag. The worker dorm consisted of two seven-story old buildings.
Qing Yanshen entered the dorm and went to the fourth floor. Walking upstairs, he inexplicably felt excited and happy.
The cold act he had put on in front of Jiang Qingmi disappeared. Back in the dorm, his roommates were doing their own things as usual. He silently packed his belongings.
Almost done packing, someone noticed.
“Hey, why are you packing your things?” Monkey asked curiously.
Wang Ge looked up, eyes wide, frozen for a few seconds. “Are you moving to your wife’s place?”
Qing Yanshen restrained his joy and nodded.
“What? You’re moving?” Wang Ge shouted.
Zhao Zheng smiled. “Wang Bing, when will you go back to your wife’s place?”
Wang Ge replied calmly, “I can go anytime. I just don’t want to now.”
Monkey lay back, mumbling, “Sooner or later, he’ll move back. Why show off?”
Qing Yanshen said goodbye and strode out of the dorm, quickening his pace and jogging down the stairs.
On the first floor, he saw Jiang Qingmi at the entrance. He stopped, pursed his lips, and walked over unhurriedly.
“Done packing already? That was quick.” Jiang Qingmi stood.
“Yeah.”
“Let’s go back. Are you hungry? I’ll cook something at home.”
Qing Yanshen nodded again. When he did not speak or show emotion, he looked truly cold.
Jiang Qingmi did not think much, assuming he had no energy due to his health.
In the car, Qing Yanshen said little, only responding to Tuantuan.
Arriving at the third floor, the neighbor across the hall opened the door. A thin tall young man in his twenties stepped out, wearing a white sweatshirt.
Jiang Qingmi smiled. “Thank you for today.”
He was the neighbor who had moved in ten days ago. He rarely went out, but today he helped take Qing Yanshen to the hospital.
“No need to thank me. Is he okay now?” the young man asked Qing Yanshen.
“He’s fine. Just needs to take medicine.”
Qing Yanshen, who rarely spoke, frowned slightly seeing their familiarity. He came here every day but had never noticed this man.
Jiang Qingmi tapped his arm. “Xiaowu sent you to the hospital today.”
Xiaowu?
She even knew his name? And was calling him so intimately? It must be a nickname.
She had never called him by a nickname.