The oncology department was on the 12th floor.
The elevator moved upward slowly.
In the cramped space, only Jiang Qiuli and Chen Zhuo stood together.
“How much was this bowl of noodles?” Jiang Qiuli asked softly.
After finishing their meal at the cafeteria, Chen Zhuo had taken her to another stall that specialized in noodles and ordered a simple bowl of egg clear soup noodles.
“It didn’t cost anything. I told the stall owner it’s my birthday today, so she gave it to me.”
“You’re lying. I saw you scan the payment code.”
Jiang Qiuli shook her head, clearly not believing him.
“Alright… 7 yuan.”
Chen Zhuo reached out and gently touched Jiang Qiuli’s soft cheek again.
This female lead… how could she be this innocent and adorable?
Wasn’t she supposed to be cold and distant?
The moment his hand touched her face, Jiang Qiuli immediately stepped back two paces and said quietly, “Alright… then I owe you 65. Also, could you not suddenly touch me like that? I… I’m not used to it.”
“It’s fine. After it happens more often, you’ll get used to it.”
“You per—”
The word “pervert” almost slipped out of Jiang Qiuli’s mouth, but the moment she remembered what had happened in the supermarket storage room, she forcefully swallowed the words back down.
Ding~
Right then, the elevator doors opened.
“Let’s go. Which room is your aunt in?” Chen Zhuo said as he grabbed Jiang Qiuli’s hand and led her out.
At the elevator entrance, two nurses in white uniforms were waiting.
“Oh, Qiuli, you came a bit late today.”
Jiang Qiuli’s situation at home was special, and she was strikingly beautiful. She came every day to take care of her mother, so the doctors and nurses in the oncology department all knew her.
“Uh… I got delayed by something.”
The two nurses then looked at Chen Zhuo.
“Oh? Is this your boyfriend? He’s quite handsome! Bring him to the room so your aunt can see him. A good mood helps with recovery.”
The nurses didn’t think too much of it.
After all, Chen Zhuo was still holding Jiang Qiuli’s hand.
If not boyfriend and girlfriend, what else could they be?
Jiang Qiuli’s face instantly turned bright red.
She hurriedly pulled her hand free and stammered, “N-no, it’s not, I—”
Before she could finish, the nurses interrupted her, “Alright, alright, we’ve been your age before. Treasure it. We still have things to do, so we’ll go first!”
As they spoke, they exchanged a knowing glance.
Jiang Qiuli wanted to explain further, but the elevator doors had already closed.
She turned back to Chen Zhuo, her cheeks flushed, and pleaded, “Um… could you help me explain to them later? Tell them we’re not that kind of relationship.” You are reading on novelping dot com, the official source.
Seeing her anxious expression, Chen Zhuo couldn’t help but laugh.
He shrugged, “What? Is my face not good enough to be your boyfriend?”
“N-no, that’s not it. I—ugh, I mean, we’re just not that kind of relationship!”
Jiang Qiuli had rarely interacted with outsiders over the years. She spoke very little, let alone being teased like this.
Her face turned red all the way to her ears, delicate and flustered.
“Well, I can’t help you explain for free. I’ll need some compensation. How about this, give me a kiss, and I’ll go explain it for you.”
Chen Zhuo held the noodle bowl in one hand and pointed at his cheek with the other.
Jiang Qiuli stomped her foot in embarrassment and ran off.
Chen Zhuo shook his head and followed after her.
“This female lead… I’ve barely made a move, and she’s already overwhelmed?”
Jiang Qiuli’s mother’s ward was at the end of the corridor.
It was a three-person room.
Since this was a new hospital wing, most of the oncology specialists weren’t stationed here regularly.
So there weren’t many patients.
Although it was a three-bed room, only Jiang Qiuli’s mother was staying inside.
“Once we go in, please don’t say anything inappropriate… I’m begging you.”
Just before reaching the door, Jiang Qiuli grabbed Chen Zhuo’s hand and pleaded.
“Don’t worry. I keep my word. I definitely won’t mention that matter.”
“Mm! Also… just say you’re our class monitor.”
Jiang Qiuli nervously rubbed her hands together.
“Of course.”
Chen Zhuo thought of the real class monitor, the Son of Destiny Ye Fei, who was still downstairs in the emergency department.
If that guy found out Chen Zhuo was impersonating him to meet Jiang Qiuli’s mother, he’d probably be furious.
What a pity…
He wouldn’t get to see it.
Chen Zhuo sighed inwardly.
“You’re not allowed to lie to me.”
Jiang Qiuli’s eyes widened as she stared straight at him.
“Of course I won’t lie to you. If I do, I’m a dog.”
Looking at her innocent gaze, Chen Zhuo replied calmly.
“Okay!”
Jiang Qiuli nodded firmly.
Half a minute later, at the end of the corridor, the door to Room 026 was pushed open.
Jiang Qiuli walked in with a cheerful tone.
She had learned online that many cancer patients were often frightened by their own thoughts, so maintaining a good mindset was very important.
To keep her mother’s spirits up, every time she entered the room, no matter how she felt or what difficulties she had faced, she would put on a smile.
“Qiuli, come sit here and rest for a while.”
A woman wearing a purple knitted hat lay half-reclined on the hospital bed, her face pale and weak.
“Aunt Jiang, you must be hungry. This is the egg noodles Qiuli prepared for you,” Chen Zhuo said calmly as he walked in behind her.
Ever since her father passed away, Jiang Qiuli had changed her surname to her mother’s.
The woman on the bed slowly raised her head.
“Qiuli… who is this?”
Before Jiang Qiuli could explain, Chen Zhuo introduced himself, “Aunt Jiang, my name is Chen Zhuo. I’m the class monitor of Jiang Qiuli’s class.”
Hearing this, Jiang Qiuli let out a breath of relief.
Fortunately… he hadn’t lied.
As he spoke, Chen Zhuo placed the bowl of egg noodles on the cabinet beside the bed and continued, “I’m also Jiang Qiuli’s boyfriend. I came in a hurry for the first time and didn’t bring anything, I’m really sorry.”
His tone was steady, and his actions were orderly… completely different from when he teased Jiang Qiuli.
Jiang Qiuli froze on the spot, her entire body stiff.
“You said… you’re Qiuli’s boyfriend?”
Her mother was also stunned.
She had originally planned to spend her remaining time with her daughter and then end her life tonight.
But Chen Zhuo’s sudden appearance completely disrupted her plan.
“Yes, Aunt Jiang. Qiuli said it’s too tiring to take care of you alone, so she asked me to come along. These egg noodles were made together by the two of us. Please try them. To help with nutrition, Qiuli also added eggs and vegetables.”
As he spoke, Chen Zhuo had already set up the small table on the hospital bed and placed the bowl of noodles on it.
“Ah… thank you.”
Jiang Qiuli’s mother came back to her senses and took the chopsticks Chen Zhuo handed over, a faint glimmer of tears flashing in her eyes.
But it was quickly concealed by the movement of her arm.
Jiang Qiuli, still standing there in a daze, didn’t notice.
Chen Zhuo, however, caught that detail.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
He knew… his goal had been achieved.
Jiang Qiuli’s mother would definitely endure the coming days peacefully and would no longer think about ending her life.
After all… she hadn’t yet secured her daughter’s future.
How could she leave with peace of mind?