Chapter 21: Discharge and Schemes

“Knock, knock.”

Lin Qing had just intended to have a proper conversation when a knock echoed from outside the hospital room door.

Su Yao responded with a roguish smile, feigning helplessness before gently pushing Lin Qing’s hand away. She then resumed clinging to him like a koala bear.

She held him tightly.

“Come in!”

“Oh dear, have I come at a bad time…?”

After Lin Qing’s voice rang out, Wu Gang, who had entered with a joyful stride, immediately froze upon seeing Lin Qing and Su Yao in such an intimate embrace.

‘This is not for young eyes!!!’

‘It’s still broad daylight; why does it feel so scorching hot?’

A hint of awkwardness colored Wu Gang’s face, as he realized his timing was far from ideal.

He thought, ‘If anyone claims they aren’t a couple after seeing them like this, I’ll write my name, Wu Gang, backward… Tsk, tsk, these youngsters are really something. To think he has a beautiful, rich girlfriend.’

He recalled the five-star hotel and the presidential suite he and his girlfriend had enjoyed for free last night, a luxurious experience worth tens of thousands.

Complete with fine wine and exquisite dishes, it had been a night brimming with romance!

This extravagant stay had provided the perfect atmosphere for Wu Gang to boldly propose to Wang Lingling, and she had accepted.

Now, once Lin Qing was discharged, the couple would begin planning their wedding.

It was thanks to Lin Qing and Su Yao’s matchmaking that he had found the courage to propose.

Thus, Wu Gang offered his heartfelt blessings to this kind young couple.

‘May they be sweet and happy for a lifetime~’

“Uncle Wu, it’s fine. I was just about to bid you farewell. I’m being discharged today.”

“You’re being discharged so soon? By the way, I haven’t seen Nurse Li since I returned. Where has she gone?”

Upon hearing Lin Qing mention his discharge, Wu Gang felt a pang of reluctance. Still, he knew Lin Qing had no other ailments, so an early discharge was indeed for the best.

‘The hospital isn’t a good place; it’s better not to return here in the future.’

‘But where did Nurse Li Mei go?’

“Nurse Li must have gone home on vacation. I’m not entirely sure. Uncle Wu, please continue to rest and recover here.”

Lin Qing deliberately avoided mentioning the full details concerning Li Mei.

After all, Wu Gang had been hospitalized for quite some time and seemed to have developed a good relationship with Li Mei.

The transformation of Li Mei from a kind ‘angel in white’ to a murderous maniac was simply unbelievable.

Especially since Lin Qing and Su Yao had been her victims.

‘It’s better for him to learn the full story from someone else.’

With these thoughts, Lin Qing didn’t linger in the hospital room. He quickly pushed away Su Yao, who was still clinging to him like a koala, then changed his clothes to prepare for the discharge procedures.

He no longer worried about discharge fees due to financial constraints.

After Li Mei’s arrest, the police department was preparing to award Lin Qing a ‘Brave Citizen’s Award,’ which included not only a certificate of honor but also a five-thousand-yuan cash reward.

For Lin Qing, this was already a substantial sum.

As Lin Qing excitedly put on his clothes, ready to leave, Su Yao spoke up leisurely.

“I’ve already completed your discharge procedures.”

Her words successfully halted Lin Qing’s movement toward the door. He then quietly turned to look at Su Yao, who was sitting by the bed.

Meeting Lin Qing’s gaze, Su Yao flashed a radiant smile.

Seeing this, and recalling his injured hand, Lin Qing chose not to say anything further.

He decided to consider the hospital fees as part of his medical expenses.

“Then, I’ll see you at school!”

Lin Qing knew he couldn’t escape Su Yao’s persistent entanglement, so he stopped struggling. Instead, he chose to resign himself quickly, allowing Su Yao to have her way.

Beyond Su Yao’s formidable corporate backing, the red skull floating above her head continued to perplex Lin Qing.

By staying close and constantly interacting with Su Yao, he was certain he would eventually unravel the meaning behind that red skull.

Lin Qing, who possessed nothing else, had only this special ability accompanying him. Now that it presented new changes, he couldn’t afford to ignore them.

‘However, this entanglement is limited to school. Outside of school, let’s not interfere with each other.’

He didn’t wish to continue meeting Su Yao outside of school. They needed to maintain a certain distance to protect their respective secrets.

“To make things more interesting, I’ll restrain myself from disturbing you~”

Su Yao was incredibly intelligent.

Her cleverness always proved useful, no matter the time or place.

It was always perfectly timed.

Never annoying.

Just as now, watching Lin Qing prepare to leave, she smiled and waved her hand.

She didn’t try to stop him, acting completely unbothered.

Only after watching Lin Qing depart without a single backward glance did the smile on Su Yao’s face gradually fade.

Her expression becoming blank, she pondered for a moment before making up her mind.

Though she yearned to investigate Lin Qing’s background, knowing everything too quickly would be utterly boring.

It would be meaningless.

‘Better to take it slow~’

‘However, while I can’t directly interfere with Lin Qing, others certainly can, can’t they?’

His impending campus life would not be an easy challenge for Lin Qing. Therefore, he would need a competent teammate as an assistant.

As Su Yao considered these thoughts, her gaze shifted to Wu Gang, who stood nearby, and a calculation immediately formed in her mind.

****

“Hehe, Zhou Lin, you’re quite the hothead~”

“Scram, scram, scram.”

Inside the classroom of Class Six, Second Year, it was currently break time. Zhou Lin and Wang Jian, known troublemakers in the class, were laughing and bickering incessantly.

However, Wang Fanran, who was pinned beneath Zhou Lin, felt a scorching pain in his cheeks.

‘Humiliation!’

‘This is humiliation!’

‘To be bullied like this in class would demote him from the middle tier to the bottom tier of the class, allowing any stray cat or dog to pick on him!’

Having completely lost face, he felt like a pitiful outcast, isolated in class, living in a world apart from the other students.

‘Damn it!’

“Fat pig, stay down and be a proper cushion. If you make any more strange grunting noises, I’ll beat you to death.”

Just as Wang Fanran was seething with anger, Zhou Lin, who was sitting on him and playing a game console, suddenly spoke with irritation, cursing him.

Upon hearing these words, Wang Fanran’s body involuntarily trembled.

He lacked any courage to resist, remaining obediently as a human cushion.

After cursing, Zhou Lin grew even angrier with each passing thought, blaming the ‘fat pig’ for making him take the fall!

If anything were to happen to Lin Qing, who had been sent to the hospital, Zhou Lin would ultimately bear the responsibility!

Although Zhou Lin feigned indifference, he was incredibly panicked inside, tossing and turning sleeplessly every night.

Whenever he closed his eyes, he would ‘see’ the police arriving at school to arrest him, only to be jolted awake by fright.

With his sleep constantly disrupted and his anxiety mounting, Zhou Lin harbored even greater resentment toward the instigator.

‘It’s all this damn fat pig’s fault! If he hadn’t made such a fuss, I wouldn’t have been saddled with this blame!’

‘It’s infuriating.’

Zhou Lin didn’t remain seated on Wang Fanran. Instead, he stood up, ready to beat him again.

Indeed, only by unleashing his fists would his mood improve.

“Calm down. If you keep hitting him, it won’t be good if the adults get involved.”

However, Zhou Lin’s fist didn’t land. It was intercepted midway by Wang Jian, who stood nearby.

Among the school students, there was a unique set of rules: as long as they didn’t cross a certain line, they were allowed to act as they pleased, and even the teachers dared not interfere too much.

Zhou Lin heard this and knew Wang Jian was right, yet he couldn’t control his bad temper. He directly raised his foot and kicked Wang Fanran’s backside.

‘Damn unlucky!’

“Brother Zhou, Brother Zhou, good news! Lin Qing has been discharged and will be back at school tomorrow!”

Just as Zhou Lin was feeling glum, a voice echoed from the classroom doorway.

The words reached Zhou Lin’s ears, causing him to pause before a huge weight finally lifted from his heart.

He was in the clear!!!

Meanwhile, Wang Fanran, who was sprawled miserably on the floor, felt his backside throb as if it had split open from the severe kick, and his small eyes were filled with venomous resentment.