The setting sun cast its warm glow over the bicycle parking area by the sports field at S University, creating two elongated shadows.
“It’s fixed!”
With a wrench in hand, Bai Yang had struggled for a while, but he finally managed to reattach the fallen bicycle chain. He turned to the girl standing nearby and flashed a cheerful smile.
“Thank you, Bai Bai! You’re my lifesaver!” Ji Xiaoqian held her face and looked adorable, as if she was about to rush forward and hug him.
Bai Yang quickly took a step back, wiped the sweat from his forehead, but forgot about the dirt on his hands, smudging half of his cheek.
Ji Xiaoqian chuckled, “Hahaha, why are you so silly? I have tissues. Let me wipe it for you.” She reached into her bag to find some tissues.
Bai Yang waved his hand, “No need, I’ll just wash up by the water pool later. You should head back.”
Seeing that the sun was about to set, Ji Xiaoqian remembered she had plans with her best friend and said, “Alright, I’ll treat you to a meal another day. Gotta go now!”
Bai Yang smiled as he watched her leave. Once he couldn’t see the shadow of the bicycle anymore, he walked casually to the nearby water pool, cleaned his face, and rinsed his sweaty hair.
The late summer sun still carried its scorching heat, and even though he had just washed his face, he began to feel sticky again. However, he was used to this discomfort and didn’t mind. Leaning against the edge of the water pool, he quietly listened to the cicadas in the trees and enjoyed the fleeting sensation of coolness as a breeze brushed against his damp cheeks.
Next to the water pool was the sports field, where some energetic students were still playing sports. Faint sounds of clapping and cheering could be heard, and there were also couples and groups of friends taking leisurely walks around the field after dinner.
His stomach growled, reminding Bai Yang that he was a bit hungry. It was already past 6 o’clock, and he hadn’t eaten much for lunch. After exerting a lot of effort to fix Ji Xiaoqian’s bike, his empty stomach began to protest.
Fortunately, it was Friday night and he didn’t have to work. He could finally catch a break and have a decent dinner. The alternating day and night shifts during summer vacation had taken a toll on his body, but he had managed to save some money. He wouldn’t have to work so hard once school started again.
Looking at his slightly worn short-sleeved cotton T-shirt, Bai Yang thought he might buy a new one from a roadside vendor later.
“… I heard… is that true…”
At that moment, voices from a group of four or five people chatting reached his ears from a distance. The voices were getting closer, and he turned his head instinctively to see what was happening. His gaze froze in place.
Walking towards him was a well-dressed group of people, clearly different from the ordinary attire of the students around. Among them, some were chubby, some were slim, some tall, and some short, but the most eye-catching was the person in the middle, surrounded by others. This person was quite tall, probably close to 6 feet, with handsome features and a cold expression. His face was currently gloomy, lips pressed together without a word as he walked ahead with his hands in his pockets, paying no attention to the noise around him.
As they got closer, Bai Yang overheard one of them excitedly asking, “Brother Cheng, is it true that you’ve broken up with Miss Zheng? Did you break up with her or did she break up with you?”
The person being questioned finally reacted, turning his head to give the questioner a cold, sidelong glance that immediately silenced the person. Their eyes met just as the person passed by Bai Yang.
Bai Yang had intended to pretend he was eavesdropping on their conversation as a passerby, but he was caught red-handed. He didn’t know how to react and just stood there, still gazing straight ahead.
The other person’s expression froze for half a second before he furrowed his brows slightly, seemingly displeased by the impolite stare. He retracted his sharp gaze, quickly walked past Bai Yang, and his group swiftly headed towards the parking lot, disappearing like a gust of wind, leaving no trace behind.
Once Bai Yang snapped back to reality, he let out a relieved sigh and chuckled at himself for overthinking things.
Why was he so nervous? Shao Cheng didn’t even know him.
However, the conversation he had overheard made his heart skip a beat.
Shao Cheng had broken up with Zheng Hanqin.
This news would probably spread throughout S University in no time. He wondered how many people would be eager to confess to Shao Cheng now.
He had to seize this opportunity.
By the time he arrived home, the sun had completely set. Bai Yang had ridden his bicycle for an hour, and the streetlights were becoming scarce. He turned into an old residential building, which could hardly be found in a place like A City where high-rise buildings dominated the landscape. The building wasn’t occupied by many residents; most of the homeowners were waiting for demolition, while the others rented their places out at a low price to outsiders like him.
The hallway was narrow, cluttered with belongings from other tenants. When he first moved in, he had tried cleaning up for them, but he realized that nobody appreciated his effort. Some even complained that he moved their things around. He stopped bothering and decided to live his own life.
His room was on the third floor, a space of about twenty to thirty square meters. Opening the door allowed a view of the entire room. Although it was small, he was satisfied. His previous rented room was only ten square meters. He’d increased his living space by two to three times, and it was clean and orderly. The room included a separate kitchen and bathroom. The monthly rent was just under two thousand, quite affordable in A City. Although it was a bit far from the university, it was conveniently close to the hospital.
Bai Yang skillfully cooked a small pot of soup, poured it into a thermos, grabbed his keys and phone, and left his room.
It took about ten minutes by bicycle to reach the city hospital from his place.
Entering the inpatient area, he headed to the seventh floor as usual, taking the elevator. The nurses at the front desk recognized him and greeted him with a smile.
“Hey, what delicious dish did you make today?” one of the nurses asked.
Bai Yang lifted the thermos in his hand and grinned, “Here, winter melon pork rib soup.”
He walked further inside until he reached the VIP single-patient room at the very end. He opened the door and greeted the person inside with a bright smile, “Hey, Tao Tao, big brother’s here to see you again!”
There was only silence in response.
Lying on the hospital bed, the beautiful girl closed her eyes. Her long hair was neatly arranged, casually swept to the side. If it weren’t for the oxygen mask on her face, she would have seemed like she was just sleeping.
Bai Yang was used to receiving no response. He walked to the bedside, opened the thermos, and started talking as he poured the soup, “Big brother made winter melon pork rib soup today. Although it’s made from the leftovers at the restaurant where I worked yesterday, it’s still fresh. I don’t understand why they threw it away. Such a waste.”
As he poured the soup into the thermos cap, he continued, “When you wake up, I’ll definitely take you to that restaurant for a nice meal. I’m good friends with the owner. Maybe he’ll give us a discount.”
Bai Yang chatted away about various topics while finishing the bottle of soup in no time. His stomach felt warm, finally filled after a day of hunger.
A few nurses knocked on the door to check on the patient. Bai Yang quickly got up and stood aside while they used their equipment to perform checks. Even though he knew there wouldn’t be any change, he still anxiously asked, “Nurse, how’s my sister doing?”
“Her condition is stable, don’t worry,” one of the nurses reassured him.
“Okay, thank you for taking care of her,” Bai Yang replied with a smile.
After the nurses left the room, a new nurse couldn’t help but ask, “Was that boy in the room her brother?”
Another nurse nodded, “What’s up, you have your eyes on him? He’s so good-looking, doesn’t seem like he’s single.”
“No way!” The new nurse blushed, then inquired, “But why is he always the only one coming? What about their parents?”
The other nurse’s playful expression faded as she sighed, her tone carrying sympathy, “You’re new here, so you might not know. Their family was in a car accident two years ago. Both parents didn’t make it, and his sister turned into a vegetative state. He’s the only one who survived the accident.”
The new nurse couldn’t find the right words for a moment, her heart aching. She finally managed to speak, “That’s so tragic…”
“Yes, it’s really something. He managed to pull through though. To pay for his sister’s medical bills, he sold their house. He almost missed going to college and now he’s working part-time while studying.”
The new nurse’s heart went out to him, and it took her a while before she asked, “But if their situation is so difficult, why is his sister in a VIP room? Regular people can’t afford the expenses of such a room…”
“It’s a long story…” The nurse explained as they walked toward another patient’s room.
