When they stepped back into the hospital room, Qiu Se was already awake.
Xia Yuning said softly, “Qiu Se, you are awake?”
Qiu Se’s mind was still lagging slightly. He blinked slowly and asked, “Mm, where is this?”
Xia Yuning sat back down beside the hospital bed. “This is the hospital. You had a fever, a high fever of forty degrees.”
Qiu Se’s lips were pale, and his delicate brows knitted together. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
“It is nothing. We are classmates.”
Xia Yuning turned around and instructed the driver to get a cup of warm water. The driver nodded and left.
“Classmates? You are…?” Qiu Se asked.
“Xia Yuning. We are in the same dormitory, though not anymore as of today since I just moved out.”
Qiu Se was slightly stunned. He found it hard to believe that the person before him was Xia Yuning, especially since this person was so drop-dead gorgeous, a complete contrast to the one in his memory.
The Xia Yuning in his memory always wore a mask and rarely showed his face. Overall, his impression of Xia Yuning was hazy.
Qiu Se’s fever had not broken yet, and his brain remained somewhat muddled. He unconsciously blurted out his inner thoughts, “Did you not always wear a mask before?”
Xia Yuning fabricated an excuse with a straight face, “Ah, yes. Back then, because of health reasons, I had to wear a mask. Now that my health has improved, I do not need to wear one anymore.”
The driver handed over the water he had just fetched. “Mr. Xia, here is the water you wanted.”
Xia Yuning signaled the driver to hand the cup to Qiu Se. “Qiu Se, drink some water. Your lips are too dry.”
“Thank you.”
Qiu Se licked his dry lips and took the cup, as he was indeed feeling quite thirsty.
He took a small sip of water to moisten his parched lips. “Once we get back, I will transfer the money to you.”
“It is fine. No need to rush.”
“Then do you have anything else? If not, you can leave first,” Qiu Se said coldly.
Xia Yuning laughed in spite of himself. “Classmate Qiu Se, do you think that is likely? If I left a patient here by himself and went back, how would I explain it to the counselor?”
Qiu Se frowned. “The counselor?”
“That is right. I already asked for leave from the counselor specifically to take care of you, yet you still want to chase me away.”
Qiu Se was slightly taken aback. “No, I am not trying to chase you away.”
“Good. You must be hungry too. I am going to go buy some food; after running around all morning, I am starving.” Xia Yuning stood up and headed for the door without giving Qiu Se a chance to respond.
Qiu Se looked at Xia Yuning’s retreating back and pressed his lips together.
All morning? He had been running around busily for him for this long, and was he just being ungrateful a moment ago? Still, he simply was not good at accepting kindness from others.
The driver glanced in the rearview mirror. “Mr. Xia, you should have just let me buy the food. You did not have to go out yourself.”
“It is fine. I had to go out,” Xia Yuning smiled faintly. “Otherwise, he would have chased me away.”
The driver chuckled honestly. “That is true.”
Xia Yuning pushed open the door to the hospital room and walked in. “I am back.”
He shook the container in his hand and smiled softly. “I bought you tomato and egg noodles. This fills you up and is easy to digest. It is the best thing for someone with a fever to eat at noon.”
“Thank you.” Qiu Se pressed his lips together and offered a cold word of thanks.
Xia Yuning chuckled inwardly. He really is quite aloof.
Qiu Se’s appearance leaned toward the cold and handsome type. Because of his illness, his face was pale, making him look even colder right now and giving off a very unapproachable vibe.
However, Xia Yuning knew that someone like Qiu Se was actually cold on the outside and warm on the inside.
Qiu Se added, “When we get back to school, I will transfer the money to you together.”
Xia Yuning paused for a moment before realizing he was talking about the meal money. “No need. These noodles did not cost me much, so just treat it as my treat to you.”
Qiu Se insisted stubbornly, “I will transfer it to you.”
“Fine, you are the patient, so I will not argue with you.”
After lunch, the nurse came by once.
The young nurse had a flushed face as she replaced Qiu Se’s IV bottle.
Xia Yuning asked her, “Can he be discharged once this bottle is finished?”
The nurse’s face turned even redder, and she whispered, “Yes, if there are no other issues, he can be discharged.”
Xia Yuning smiled politely. “Alright, thank you.”
The nurse could simply not withstand this smiling critique and scurried out like a puff of smoke.
By the time the newly changed IV drip was finished, it was already five o’clock in the afternoon. The driver drove them back to school.
Upon arriving at the school, Qiu Se got out of the car, but Xia Yuning stayed inside. He said to Qiu Se through the car window, “I asked for a day off from the counselor and will come to school tomorrow. You can add me in our class chat first; I will accept it as soon as I get back, and then you can transfer the money to me. How does that sound?”
“Alright.” Qiu Se nodded indifferently. “I am leaving first.”
After a pause, he still politely added, “Goodbye.”
Xia Yuning waved his hand. “Goodbye.”
“Let us head back,” Xia Yuning told the driver, rolling up the window.
The driver acknowledged the order, started the car, and headed back to the villa.