The doctor's gaze also locked onto Zhang Shutong.
"Your boyfriend?"
She stood up, with her hands on her hips, and questioned. The hem of her white coat fluttered, making her more imposing than Teacher Song.
Lu Qinglian looked like the absolute good girl type, the kind of girl parents loved. She had an oval face and peach blossom eyes. When she frowned slightly due to the pain from her wound, she looked so pitiable. She looked like a quiet and obedient girl. So why was such an obedient girl so seriously injured?
This blame could only be placed on her frivolous and unreliable "boyfriend."
But only one thing needed to be clarified:
"No!"
The two of them said in unison. Zhang Shutong stood up immediately, and Lu Qinglian sat on the stool, her voice flat.
"Then who is it?" the auntie's eyes widened.
"...It's me," Zhang Shutong took the blame guiltily.
"Didn't you say it wasn't you?" The auntie was also stunned.
"I said I'm not her boyfriend..."
Zhang Shutong thought, "Auntie, what are you looking at? Do we look so much like a couple? Why not siblings or something?"
In the original timeline, he was mistaken for her "little boyfriend" by a group of aunties at the funeral;
In the last timeline, he was also a heartless man who turned his back on her;
Now, what was he? A bad boy who corrupted a good girl?
Oh, there was indeed a motorcycle parked outside.
Zhang Shutong felt that he couldn't explain it clearly, but the auntie no longer cared and sat back on her stool irritably.
She was a doctor, after all, not a teacher or a parent. She only asked a little more just now because they were both students. Two ignorant young men and women. You could never underestimate the trouble they could get into. Especially since her own daughter was also in junior high on the island. Seeing them made her feel something, and she felt a little sorry for this girl.
The auntie took out a pen from the pen holder. The pen tip flew on the medical record paper. She didn't have a good face for Zhang Shutong:
"I don't care what your relationship is. Don't run around anymore today. Go home and rest. Especially you—"
Zhang Shutong didn't understand why she had to emphasize him.
"She's just a little girl who doesn't know any better. Why don't you? Do your family know about this? Or did you sneak out behind their backs? Hurry up and take her home, do you hear me?"
Zhang Shutong no longer wanted to guess what the auntie was making up in her mind. This was indeed his fault this time. So before Lu Qinglian could speak, he nodded and quickly admitted his mistake:
"You're right. It's my fault. So, how should we treat this? We'll cooperate fully..."
A few minutes later, in the hospital corridor.
"Classmate Zhang Shutong, I always thought you had a lot of common sense. I was wrong."
Lu Qinglian sighed softly from behind him.
This was the first thing she said, and it was the only thing she said.
But her saying nothing made him feel a little guilty.
The crutch made a crisp sound on the colorful terrazzo floor. Fortunately, he had enough money with him today. Zhang Shutong bought her another crutch. Lu Qinglian didn't say anything but seriously said "thank you" to him, making it seem as if she had received a great favor and that he had been very good to her.
But maybe that was really the case. She usually didn't even come to the hospital when she was sick. She would just endure it, and it would get better.
Now that Lu Qinglian's foot had been bandaged, Zhang Shutong had to go to the second floor to get a shot, so he told Lu Qinglian to sit on the benches in the corridor and not to move.
"Where are we going later?" Lu Qinglian actually asked in a serious tone.
"Don't move. Rest for a while. The night is what's important," she still wanted to be stubborn. Zhang Shutong's mood was a little complicated. "Listen to the doctor's orders. We'll talk about it later."
Lu Qinglian nodded, indicating that she understood.
Zhang Shutong quickly went up the stairs. Winter was the peak season for the flu. He passed by many people on the way. The smell of food and human body odor mixed with the smell of disinfectant, making him even dizzier. He stopped at the corner and sighed, thinking that the more you fear something, the more it will happen.
If he had known that Lu Qinglian's foot was in such a bad condition, he would have gone for an IV drip. But now that the money had been paid and the medicine had been prescribed, he could only say that there were not many "what ifs."
He arrived in front of the ward. There were many people. The sofas were almost all occupied. The poles with medicine bottles on them were like miniature telephone poles. He took the medicine and queued up inside. At this time, his phone vibrated, and Zhang Shutong's heart skipped a beat. Fortunately, it was just a low balance text message.
He then remembered that data in 2012 was both expensive and limited. He had been using data all day, so he had used up his phone balance.
Then he had to pay for the phone bill. There was no mobile service app yet. It seemed he had to reply via text message. While he was thinking, he heard the nurse in front of him shout:
"It's your turn. Come over!"
Zhang Shutong studied the text message and walked into the medicine room of the ward. There was a small bed in the room. He lay on it and took off his clothes. He could hear the crisp sound of the nurse opening the ampoule bottle. The iodine tingled on his skin. The nurse was a young one, but she was experienced. Without a word, the needle popped into his skin. At this time, his phone chimed, and the phone bill had been paid.
"You're very busy. Are you going on a date with a girl?" the young nurse said with a laugh, stepping on the trash can. "But don't be in a hurry to leave. Stay and be observed for half an hour before you go."
The low balance and the paid bill were only a few minutes apart. It shouldn't be such a coincidence that he missed a message or a call. Zhang Shutong checked it once to make sure everything was fine and then nodded a beat later.
The cold wind made people tense, but the heated room made them relax. This relaxation, however, was a bad thing. He held on to the handrail and slowly went downstairs. For a moment, his vision spun, and he felt that everyone was floating in his sight.
It was lunchtime. There was no cafeteria in the hospital. Zhang Shutong belatedly remembered that he had to solve his hunger problem, so he went to Lu Qinglian and asked her what she wanted to eat, and he would go buy it. Lu Qinglian, however, gave him a look:
"Don't push yourself."
Zhang Shutong understood what she meant. He nodded and said, "Okay, I'll sleep for a while. Wake me up at twelve. If there are any calls or messages, wake me up." Before he finished, he closed his eyes immediately.
He felt like he was floating on a cloud, but he didn't feel cold. Zhang Shutong knew this was a good sign, meaning his body temperature would not continue to rise.
He was a person who had trouble sleeping in a new place. The footsteps around him were noisy, and the light kept flashing through his eyelids, but his consciousness slowly drifted away.
He slept soundly.
Until Lu Qinglian woke him up. Zhang Shutong was in a daze and heard his phone ringing.
"Teacher Song," Lu Qinglian said briefly. "It's 11:58 AM."
Teacher Song, huh... He's not in a hurry.
He blinked his sleepy eyes and felt as if he had slept for three or four hours, but in reality, it was less than half an hour.
Zhang Shutong answered the phone.
"Hello? Shutong, are you up yet?"
"Just woke up." He touched his forehead. It was cold and slick. The fever had gone down.
"I told you you should have gotten a good night's sleep. You sound much more energetic."
Do I?
He felt it carefully and found that he was indeed fully recovered. Zhang Shutong was a little surprised and even stood up and walked a few steps.
His body was no longer heavy, and his head was no longer dizzy. Although he still felt a little tired, he was much better than before the shot.
The fever-reducing shot was indeed useful.
Zhang Shutong asked Teacher Song if he needed anything. The other party shouted:
"Are you at home now? I'll come pick you up. I've already made reservations at the restaurant..."
Wait, what restaurant?
Zhang Shutong thought back and remembered that Teacher Song had said he would treat them to a meal when they parted ways yesterday. He had almost taken "I'll treat you another day" as a polite remark. He didn't expect his homeroom teacher to be serious.
"It's in Qiumian's shopping mall, in a private room. The five of you can order whatever you want," the man said with a laugh. "This is all thanks to Qiumian's dad. When I went to get the car, I was just planning to go to the business district, but he gave me a gift card. I said, 'How can I take this?' But he said it was for you kids. He said he wanted to treat you himself since you ran around for Qiumian yesterday, but he couldn't get away..."
Zhang Shutong's mind was a little chaotic. It felt like the world had changed after he woke up. He even had the illusion that he had jumped to another timeline.
He quickly asked a few questions and finally understood the situation.
It turned out that Teacher Song also went home and took a nap. By noon, the sun was out, and a lot of snow on the ring road had melted. Gu's bodyguards took him to the villa with the tires for his car, and Teacher Song drove his beloved car back.
Boss Gu originally wanted to keep him for dinner, but Teacher Song said he still had to treat a few students to a meal, as he had promised yesterday. That's why he got this call now.
No wonder he said he would come to pick him up.
Zhang Shutong only noticed the restaurant and had ignored how he got the car back.
He then thought about the other party saying "the five of you can order whatever you want." Could it be...
Zhang Shutong's heart skipped a beat:
"Did Gu Qiumian come too?"
"Unfortunately, no," it was as if he could see the man shrugging. "I'm telling you, kid. You were so unwilling when she called you before, and now that she's not taking the initiative, you've completely reversed."
"I heard you say there were five people," Zhang Shutong said awkwardly.
"I said five, meaning the four of you plus Qinglian," Teacher Song was speechless. "Have you forgotten that Qinglian also ran around with you all day yesterday?"
Zhang Shutong hadn't forgotten Lu Qinglian. It was just that since he had been with her all day, he subconsciously didn't include her.
"So, are you at home or not? Give me a definite answer. I have to go to the mountain to find Qinglian after I pick you up," Teacher Song urged again.
Zhang Shutong hesitated.
Although he could eat anywhere, and he was in good condition now and had no problem going to a dinner party, he always felt that his mission was not over yet.
That's why he had instinctively refused when the doctor said to get an IV drip. He had also told Lu Qinglian about his plan this morning, but he just felt a sense of guilt for not doing what he was supposed to.
"By the way, you don't have to worry," Teacher Song said again. "I saw Qiumian when I went. She's doing well. She was just about to invite some friends... some younger classmates to her house to play. After all, she's not very familiar with Ruoping and the others. They just had dinner together yesterday, so she needs some time. So don't overthink it. Tomorrow, on Sunday, I'll ask her if she wants to come out..."
Zhang Shutong could probably guess what Gu Qiumian was doing. It was the same as before. The young lady would invite her thugs over for a party, sing karaoke in the downstairs screening room. The driver might even go to Pizza Hut in the city to buy some pizzas. Although she didn't plan to leave the island, her life at home was no different from going out.
Teacher Song was also a thoughtful person. He specifically explained that she also had her own social circle, so it was normal for her not to come out and have dinner with his best friends, and they could make plans for tomorrow.
At this time, his phone vibrated. It was a message from Gu Qiumian.
This time, she took the initiative to send a photo. The picture was very dark, with colorful lights flashing above, but Zhang Shutong could recognize that the background was the screening room. He saw a sofa where he had just watched a movie with her.
He didn't see Gu Qiumian herself in the photo, but he saw three young girls. One of them looked familiar to Zhang Shutong. She had short hair and was holding a microphone, jumping and dancing in front of the screen. She seemed to be that little secretary next to Gu Qiumian. When the photo was taken, she was playfully making a "V" sign at the camera.
A candle was lit in the center of the coffee table, surrounded by a few crystal cups. The amber liquid in them shimmered with a mysterious glow under the candlelight. A proper karaoke place would be no better than this. The coldness of the underground building from yesterday was gone. In just one day, it had a completely new look. Just by looking at the photo, he could feel the lively atmosphere. The girls started singing at noon, and they probably wouldn't leave until it got dark.
"Are you going?" Teacher Song's voice was mixed with the sound of the wind as he smoked.
"Okay," Zhang Shutong still agreed.
"But why didn't you tell me you were with Qinglian?"
At 12:30 PM, Zhang Shutong was with Teacher Song, smoking outside the shopping mall.
He didn't ask his teacher to pick him up. After asking for Lu Qinglian's opinion, she said that with the crutch, it was the same no matter where she was. Besides, she was not comfortable in the hospital, so Zhang Shutong brought Lu Qinglian along.
Her foot injury couldn't be hidden, but when Teacher Song asked about it, Lu Qinglian only said that she sprained it by accident yesterday.
Now that his best friends hadn't arrived yet, she went inside the Ford to wait.
Only the two of them were left outside to chat.
Teacher Song's expression could be described as one of admiration:
"I was worried that you were lonely and cold at home all by yourself, but I didn't expect you to have plans already."
"We went to the hospital," Zhang Shutong emphasized. "And we made plans yesterday."
"How's her foot?"
"She didn't hurt any bones, but she needs to rest."
Teacher Song paused and sighed:
"So what I said yesterday was all for nothing."
It seemed that the joke just now was just an opening. He said with a rare seriousness:
"Didn't I tell you to stop worrying about the culprit? This is not something you should be thinking about at your age. Why don't you listen? You dragged Qinglian to play detective again this morning?"
Zhang Shutong was about to speak, but the man waved his hand:
"No need to argue. I know you well. You mix truth with lies. Even when you tell the truth, you're selective about it, so what I hear is completely different from the facts."
Alright. His homeroom teacher had guessed it right.
Zhang Shutong could only say:
"But don't worry about one thing. Her foot was really sprained yesterday, not from an injury today."
The man nodded but didn't plan to continue joking with him. He frowned again:
"What about this afternoon?"
"After dinner, we'll go back and rest. We'll see about tonight."
"What about tonight?" Teacher Song was tired.
Zhang Shutong was also tired:
"Just tonight."
"Sigh. I'm not criticizing you, but do you really expect to find something? Are you better than those bodyguards and police officers?"
"I don't expect to."
"Then why are you bothering?"
"To get some closure for myself?"
Teacher Song didn't say whether he believed it or not, just sighed emotionally, "I'm tired just thinking about you. Let me guess. On your way here, were you thinking about how to explain this to me?"
Zhang Shutong really didn't think about that. Maybe it was because of the fever. He hadn't prepared a script and was just improvising.
Of course, now he had a headache.
Teacher Song muttered to himself again:
"After you get past me, are you also thinking about how to explain it to your friends? If they try to persuade you, you definitely won't listen. If they want to go with you, you won't agree. If you lie to them, I think you're starting to hate lying now. Am I right?"
Zhang Shutong nodded helplessly.
"Then let me help you one last time," he said. "I'll say that I'll drive you two to your destination this afternoon. You're so mysterious, so you'll definitely not agree. So let me help you cover it up. Don't mention the motorcycle later. If they ask about the details, just blame me. Let me think. Just say that I took you guys out for dinner, but Qinglian sprained her foot on the way down the mountain, and we went to the hospital."
Zhang Shutong was silent for a while. Teacher Song patted his shoulder. "Don't be so touched. It's what a teacher should do."
He said "thank you":
"But I thought you would ask for more details."
Teacher Song said calmly:
"About that, everyone has things they don't want to talk about. If you wanted to talk about it, you would have already. It's no use asking now.
"You said just now that you want to get some closure for yourself. Although I don't understand what a young person like you has to get closure for, maybe what I've said has influenced you in some way. That's not good. But Shutong, do you know that sometimes, getting closure for yourself is the hardest thing?"
The man's shoulders suddenly slumped. He stepped on the cigarette butt:
"Do you remember what I mentioned yesterday? I once had a girlfriend?"