On the way to the hospital, Fu Cheng asked Xu Tingsheng, “I find that your mood’s especially good today. Did something good happen?”


  Xu Tingsheng smiled, “It’s not entirely that. The number of things troubling me have increased, actually.”


  The truth was just that. Ever since Xu Tingsheng had made a move on Little Xiang Ning, apart from having his happiness meter explode, things had become much more troublesome for him, unable to stop and unable to get to the bottom of. No one was to blame for this. He was the root cause of it all.

  “Let’s not talk about me,” Xu Tingsheng told Fu Cheng, “How’s that artistic female youth of yours?”


  Fu Cheng smiled wryly, “I found that you were right. Artistic female youths are lifeforms that we normal people really cannot afford to provoke. I didn’t even provoke her, and here she’s already written a drama script of conflicted and pained, love and hate helplessly intermixed, entangled.”


  Xu Tingsheng hesitated for a moment before venturing, “Ms Fang, she……”


  In his previous life, after Ms Fang had gotten a divorce, Fu Cheng had stayed by her side and waited for her throughout. Now that Ms Fang was already married in this life, Xu Tingsheng felt that Fu Cheng would have to enter a new relationship and get married eventually. Of course, it didn’t have to be that artistic female youth. He just wanted to make use of this chance to try and persuade Fu Cheng a little.

  In the end, just having started to speak, he was immediately interrupted by Fu Cheng.

  “I’ll look for her for a bit more. I’ve got to know if she’s doing well at the very least. Who knows, her happy face might suddenly appear before me at some intersection someday, a child in her embrace. Then that child calls me Uncle, and I’d be able to move on then.”


  With that, he feigned a relaxed, dauntless smile of bravado.

  The two reached the entrance of the sick ward before stepping back again.

  In the sick ward.

  Huang Yaming was saying, “Chen Jingqi, Jingjing, Qiqi……”


  Chen Jingqi’s face was like stone as she did not respond.

  Huang Yaming said shamelessly, “How about I give something for you to guess? Okay, I’m starting……I emerge from the mountains, with the grass of orchids. Planting in a little garden, hoping the flowers will bloom……”


  After humming the tune in a terribly wretched voice, Huang Yaming continued, “You can guess now. I’m not asking you to guess the name of the song……you can’t guess it? Let me give you a hint then. You often see this thing on the streets.”


  Chen Jingqi said in a cold, indifferent tone, “I can’t guess it. I’m off to inspect the other wards.”


  With that, she headed straight out of the room.

  “Hey, don’t go! Alright, I’ll tell you. The answer is sprinkler trucks! Hahahaha……”


  Huang Yaming yelled triumphantly as he lay down on his bed.

  As she walked past them, Chen Jingqi greeted Xu Tingsheng and Fu Cheng before lowering her head and leaving.

  Xu Tingsheng saw that she was actually smiling a bit. Such a lame joke-unless the one telling it was someone you really liked, it would really be impossible to smile at that.

  As they entered, Fu Cheng said, “That’s a terribly lame joke you’ve got there. Sprinkler trucks……”


  Huang Yaming said, “Scram! That kind of lame joke is precisely what makes girls happy. You don’t know, they don’t smile because the joke is funny, but because of how silly the one who’s telling the joke is, trying hard to make them happy. That is what moves them. Watch and learn, kid.”


  Huang Yaming was an expert in this respect. Experts needed skills as well as a strong mentality, one of utter shamelessness.

  Looking at the trash can, Xu Tingsheng asked, “You ate boxed rice again today?”


  Huang Yaming’s boxed rice was different from those of others. These were ‘boxed’ right onto his face.

  “It was much better today. It happened just once,” Huang Yaming said, “She reminded me about it, saying that she can’t stand my face that’s ‘feigning deep affection’. As soon as she looks at it, she’s reminded of how I cheated her back then, and then……by reflex, right onto my face. My face is nearly getting cooked already by now.”


  Xu Tingsheng laughed, starting to help Huang Yaming pack up his belongings.

  Huang Yaming stopped him, asking, “What’re you doing?”


  Xu Tingsheng said, “Getting you discharged! I’ve asked the doctor. For things like fractures, no one stays in the hospital till they’re completely healed. Also, you still have lessons. You should recuperate back in school. Because I’m afraid that it might be inconvenient for you living in the dorms, I’ve helped you to rent a small apartment next to the riverside residence.”


  Huang Yaming said, “I’ll stay here for a couple of days longer. My condition’s still pretty bad.”


  Xu Tingsheng said, “Apart from your hand that’s still propped up, I see that you’re all lively and jumping about.”


  Huang Yaming lay down and started groaning, “Really, my condition’s still very serious. Help me call the nurse.”


  Xu Tingsheng asked, “Didn’t you want to leave the hospital long ago? Staying in hospital is very expensive. It costs several hundred yuan daily.”


  Huang Yaming said, “It’s not like you can’t afford it now.”


  Xu Tingsheng said, “Be honest now.”


  Huang Yaming said shamelessly, “The truth is that I still haven’t recovered yet.”


  Hearing his words, Xu Tingsheng had no intention of wrangling with him as he turned and said to Fu Cheng, “Fu Cheng, help him to pack up his things. I’ll handle the discharge procedures.”


  Huang Yaming said, “Someone’s pursuing Chen Jingqi.”


  “Oh,” Fu Cheng paused momentarily before asking, “What does that have to do with you then?”


  Huang Yaming was choked on his words now as Fu Cheng continued, “You actually feel worried now? ……Weren’t you going for debauchery? Chen Jingqi can’t even date someone? She doesn’t have to marry?”


  Huang Yaming said, “But it’s different now! Now, she takes care of me everyday, morning and night. She’s getting thin as a reed already. Thinking how good she is in all aspects, I just can’t find it in me to let this be. I’ve got no way of helplessly watching her go off with someone else. The most difficult part is this word, helplessly, you know?”


  “Do you intend to pursue her and win her back then? If you want to, you’ve got to treat her well. There’s a lot you’ve got to pay her back for. Really, forget about taking care of you, even if she breaks that arm of yours into another ten parts, it’d still be totally reasonable,” Fu Cheng said.

  Huang Yaming hesitated for a moment before he said, “I’ve actually thought about it, but I just didn’t dare to in the end. I don’t know which day I’ll suddenly become a scumbag and hurt her again. I’m already used to a life of debauchery. I haven’t any confidence in myself.”


  “You weren’t that way before,” Xu Tingsheng said, “Who’s pursuing Chen Jingqi? Say it first.”


  “A doctor from their department. Probably 35 or 36, I think he’s a divorcee. Everything else aside from that’s pretty good. He has a car, a flat and prospects, and most importantly, the stability’s there,” Huang Yaming said.

  “In staying here, you mean to spoil things for them?” Xu Tingsheng asked.

  “You intend to mind her and spoil things for her for the rest of her life?” Fu Cheng asked.

  Huang Yaming hesitated for a while before saying softly, “Help me to pack up my things.”
……

  When Chen Jingqi returned to the shift rotation room, she saw that the Head Nurse was also there. She took a step back, wanting to leave, but it was already too late.

  “Dr Liu was just here a moment ago. Seeing that you weren’t here, he asked me to help ask you if you’re free for dinner tonight,” The Head Nurse said.

  Chen Jingqi stuttered a little, trying to think up an excuse to reject him with.

  Seeing this, the Head Nurse was rather infuriated as she asked, “You want to go serve the one in 408 again? Really, are you dumb? One’s still a student who can’t even upkeep himself, the other a doctor who’s the Vice-Head of a department. You can’t even weigh that for yourself?”


  “I know the patient in 408 from before,” Chen Jingqi said in a small voice.

  The Head Nurse got rather mad as she adjusted the duty schedule and threw it on the table, exclaiming, “Well then, since you love taking care of people so much, you should take a few more night shifts then……do as you see fit.”


  After the Head Nurse had left, another nurse from the same shift rotation closed the door, pulling Chen Jingqi as she exclaimed, “Don’t be silly! The Head Nurse already guaranteed it before Dr Liu. If you don’t even give face and eat a meal with him, she’ll definitely torture you to death.”


  Chen Jingqi smiled, “It’s okay. Actually, the night shift is less busy, really.”


  “I think that even if it’s fake, you should still date Dr Liu for a while,” The other party continued, “Firstly, that would get the Head Nurse to stop targeting you. Your days would be a little better. Secondly, you’d have a chance of securing one of their quota to go full-time.”


  Another nurse just happened to enter the room now as she she suddenly asked upon seeing that Chen Jingqi was there, “Jingqi, your guy from 408 is getting discharged? I saw that they were already handling the discharge procedures and packing up his belongings.”


  Suddenly hearing this now, in front of her two colleagues, Chen Jingqi was rendered at a total loss as she wasn’t even able to act nonchalant, her expression instantly stiffening completely.

  In truth, she had been in a extremely conflicted state these past few days regarding Huang Yaming himself and his offer of her going to work at Hucheng. Having looked Hucheng up afterwards, she had actually been rather tempted to go there. From a practical standpoint, working there would definitely be better than staying here to work.

  Yet, for some reason, Huang Yaming had never mentioned this again afterwards. With their current relationship being how it was, Chen Jingqi also could not very well ask him about it straight to the face. She thought that perhaps he had just casually mentioned it in passing before.

  As for Huang Yaming himself, how he had ‘fled’ aside, it could not be denied that he was a very adorable guy. If playboys like these did not possess some charm, did not know how to be gentle and romantic and interesting and doting……they actually really couldn’t be considered playboys in the first place.

  Chen Jingqi’s feelings towards Huang Yaming were very complex. While hatred would definitely amount to a greater portion of it, the love she felt had ultimately still yet to dissipate completely.

  Over the past few days, Chen Jingqi had constantly reminded herself not to go over, not to pay him any heed lest that concern draw her in again……Chen Jingqi wished that she could scold herself and strangle herself, but she had ultimately just been unable to control herself.

  This had resulted in a very strange state of affairs between she and Huang Yaming. On one hand, there was her very meticulous care of him, while on the other, there had been the cold shoulder and those ‘boxed rice’ incidents.

  If Huang Yaming had asked Chen Jingqi to give him another chance as she had been taking care of him these past few days, she would definitely have rejected him without the slightest hesitation right there and then.

  Yet, he had not mentioned this at all, just having cared for her and tried so hard to raise her spirits every single day. Hence, Chen Jingqi had felt differently, even having had a sense of anticipation from time to time as she unconsciously forgave him for what he had done, after which she would feel an urge to give herself a good talking to.

  Just like Xu Tingsheng had told Huang Yaming previously, Chen Jingqi needed him to account for things to her.

  Now, still having yet to account for things, Huang Yaming was already leaving.

  “He’s leaving, and he actually didn’t even tell me beforehand……”


  At this moment, Chen Jingqi seemed to have returned to those days before Huang Yaming had suddenly vanished, and when she had been alone and bullied by others in a foreign city. This feeling was even more intense than it had originally been because she had actually already been slowly acclimatising to it. Now, that person had suddenly appeared and given her hope, then vanished again just like that……

  “It’s my own fault for my wishful thinking.”


  Chen Jingqi’s colleague came over and pulled her to the window, pointing to the trio downstairs who had just left the building, “He’s gone. You took care of him day unto night for so many days and he didn’t even tell you that he was leaving. Has his conscience been eaten by a dog?”


  It was really already too difficult to conceal her emotions at a time like this as Chen Jingqi remained silent, tears welling up in her eyes.

  Probably having learnt of 408’s departure from elsewhere, the Head Nurse rushed back to the shift rotation room. On seeing the state that Chen Jingqi was in, she immediately understood.

  The Head Nurse walked over to the window, saying mockingly, “Are you dumb? What were you thinking? He doesn’t even think anything of you at all. Don’t you think you are just being slutty?”


  Chen Jingqi’s colleague felt rather worried seeing her like this as she tugged at the Head Nurse’s sleeve, saying, “Head Nurse, Jingqi’s……how about you not talk about this for now.”


  “Why can’t I say it?” The Head Nurse asked, “What is she if not a slut?”
……

  Xu Tingsheng went to the garage and drove his car out.

  Fu Cheng helped Huang Yaming to load up his things in the trunk.

  Then, the two got on the car and the car moved off.

  Less than ten metres out.

  Huang Yaming said, “Turn back.”


  Xu Tingsheng asked, “What?”


  “Turn back.”


  “Are you sure?”


  “Turn back.”


  “Okay.”