Chapter 30: The Aftermath and a Rejected Request

Zhong Tian gradually regained her consciousness.

Her mind felt thick and muddled, much like the oppressive haze of a severe cold.

Nevertheless, the ability to think had, at last, returned to her.

Her last memory before succumbing to unconsciousness was of employing her mind-reading ability on Su Linxi, a fleeting glimpse of the Taisanta and a solitary figure.

What followed immediately was the most excruciating pain Zhong Tian had ever endured in her entire life.

‘What in the world had just happened?’ she wondered. ‘Was this merely a side effect of mind-reading?’

This, however, diverged entirely from her past experiences; typically, any repercussions manifested only after the mind-reading concluded. Yet, this time, the agony had assailed her midway through the process.

It felt as though she had glimpsed something utterly forbidden, and, for her transgression, had been silenced mid-act.

‘Though, fortunately, I didn’t actually die…’

Clearly, a more cautious approach to using her mind-reading ability would be imperative from this point forward.

A faint, acrid scent of disinfectant wafted through the air, informing Zhong Tian, even before she opened her eyes, that she was undoubtedly in a hospital.

It was likely Su Linxi who had come to her rescue.

With a renewed effort, Zhong Tian attempted to pry open her eyes.

This ordinarily simple action now proved incredibly arduous, as if an invisible thread had stitched her upper and lower eyelids firmly shut.

After a brief struggle, Zhong Tian managed to force her eyes open, albeit with considerable effort.

An unfamiliar ceiling greeted her gaze.

“Zhong Tian.”

A soft voice drifted into her ears.

Turning her head, Zhong Tian saw Su Linxi seated gracefully beside her bed.

“Your sister just left for work,” Su Linxi stated, her voice as placid and devoid of emotion as ever. “She was quite worried about you, but the doctor eventually persuaded her to go.”

“The doctor mentioned that the cause of your fainting remains unknown. However, after a thorough examination, they found no underlying issues with your health.”

“I see…” Zhong Tian acknowledged with a nod. “I’m sorry to have troubled you all…”

“Patients are not permitted to speak of trouble.”

“Alright.” Zhong Tian returned a smile.

“You’ll be able to leave the hospital after your observation period concludes today.”

Zhong Tian nodded, then, using her slender arms that had regained a measure of strength, she pushed herself up and settled back against the hospital bed’s headrest.

While this had certainly been an unforeseen calamity, it had, in a way, granted her a legitimate opportunity to rest for an entire day.

‘Oh wait…’

‘I haven’t informed Chu Lenghu yet…’

She had taken a leave from Chu Lenghu yesterday, citing the need to work on the final manuscript. Little did she anticipate that such an incident would befall her last night, rendering her unable to attend today’s class.

‘I should send her a WeChat message…’

[Chu Lenghu, something came up today, so let’s postpone our class until tomorrow.]

[My apologies.]

Zhong Tian made the deliberate choice to conceal her hospitalization.

A reply arrived almost instantly.

[No need to apologize, Teacher.]

[You can attend class whenever you’re free, even after you’re done with your work.]

[Alright.]

Having sent her reply, Zhong Tian set her phone aside.

“What do you plan to eat for lunch?”

Su Linxi inquired.

“Hmm…porridge.”

‘Was it considered a patient’s standard fare?’

Whenever her appetite was lacking, Zhong Tian invariably opted for porridge.

“Then I’ll order some takeout for you later.”

“Okay.”

Zhong Tian closed her eyes, intending to recuperate her spirits before lunch arrived.

****

Inside the ‘Cat’s Paw Cafe’.

“Qiaoqiao, is that girl named Zhong Tian alright…?”

“I hope she’s alright…” The Short-haired Girl shook her head, indicating her lack of certainty. She hadn’t accompanied them to the hospital last night, so the precise circumstances remained a mystery to her.

“How could she suddenly faint like that? Could it be a very serious illness…?” A look of deep sympathy crossed Bai Ruijin’s face.

“…Perhaps it was low blood sugar?” The Short-haired Girl ventured a guess, only to dismiss it herself moments later.

Low blood sugar certainly didn’t cause one’s eyes to bleed.

Perhaps, then, it truly was a grave illness.

Could her quiet demeanor at school also be attributed to this condition?

In her mind—or rather, from the accumulated knowledge gleaned from various readings—such an illness was either incurable or demanded exorbitant sums for treatment.

From a realistic standpoint, unless Li Jianren’s family possessed extraordinary wealth, this budding romance was undoubtedly doomed to a rocky path.

Much like Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu (TL Note: Characters from the classic Chinese novel ‘Dream of the Red Chamber,’ famous for their tragic, ill-fated love story.).

While the analogy might not be perfectly apt, it conveyed the general sentiment.

Considering this, Xiao Bai’s chances seemed to have improved somewhat.

‘Hmm…’

‘Then again, perhaps I shouldn’t think that way…’

Boys, it seemed, often harbored a preference for girls who were a touch delicate or sickly.

Just like Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu.

‘Wait a minute…’

‘Why did the character dynamics feel so eerily reminiscent of ‘Dream of the Red Chamber’?’

The Short-haired Girl lightly slapped her forehead, resolving to halt her overthinking.

For now, she would focus on the immediate issue.

“Speaking of which, Xiao Bai, how far have things progressed between you and Li Jianren?”

Bai Ruijin’s small face flushed faintly, and she seemed to hesitate. “Uh, we just… know each other, I suppose…”

“Huh?”

Amidst the Short-haired Girl’s incredulous questioning, their simple lunch was delivered to the table.

A cat, emboldened, leaped onto the tabletop, attempting to pilfer a morsel. The Short-haired Girl, however, mercilessly seized it, and, disregarding its indignant “meows” of protest, promptly placed it back on the floor.

“No, I mean, you two already knew each other before summer break, didn’t you? And this entire summer, you’ve made absolutely no progress?”

Bai Ruijin nodded, a blush of embarrassment coloring her cheeks.

“After all, I haven’t even managed to get his contact information yet…”

“Wait a minute… aren’t you both members of the literature club? Don’t you have some kind of group chat?”

“There is, but…” Bai Ruijin caught the cat that had just leaped onto her lap, using it to partially obscure her face. “I don’t dare to add him…”

“Huh??”

The Short-haired Girl felt as though she had endured more shocks in these past two days than throughout her entire summer break combined.

“Xiao Bai, hand me your phone; I’ll add him for you.”

“Ah? Wouldn’t that be inappropriate…?”

“Honestly…” The Short-haired Girl sighed, a hint of exasperation in her voice. “If you don’t even have the most basic communication, how do you expect to make any progress? Just give it to me; I’ll come up with a reason for you.”

Zhong Tian could be brought to KTV by Li Jianren, introduced as his girlfriend; even if they weren’t a genuine couple, their relationship had to be incredibly close.

Meanwhile, Xiao Bai hadn’t even managed to add him on WeChat.

‘How could she possibly compete?’

Being a wingman for this romance was proving utterly disheartening.

“I’m done with this!” (TL Note: “不响丸辣” (bù xiǎng wán là) is a common internet slang, meaning “I don’t want to play anymore” or “I’m done.”)

The Short-haired Girl opened Bai Ruijin’s WeChat, navigated to the literature club’s group chat, and located a user with the ID “Wise men see wisdom, benevolent men see benevolence.”

‘…This must be the one.’

‘So, that’s the origin of his name?’

She tapped to send a friend request, and for the reason, she would simply write…

[We’re in the same club. Let’s get acquainted.]

That would suffice.

The Short-haired Girl tapped to send the friend request.

****

Zhong Tian’s phone vibrated twice.

Having just finished her lunch, she and Su Linxi had tidied away the dishes, and now she picked up her phone.

It was a message from Li Jianren.

[Old Zhong! A girl wants to add me!]

[What should I do, agree or not? Waiting online, urgent!]

?

A literal question mark almost seemed to materialize above Zhong Tian’s head.

[Do you really need to report it to your dad even if you step in poop?]

[This isn’t a trivial matter, hey!]

A panda emoji popped up on her screen. [What if it’s that girl from the KTV?]

[How could it be such a coincidence…] Zhong Tian replied with a hint of exasperation, settling back onto her hospital bed. [If you’re interested, just add her. Why ask me? I’m not really your father.]

[Dad!]

[Don’t.]

[Seriously, should I add her or not, Dad?]

[…Just add her. There’s no harm in it. If you hit it off and it turns into something, that’s a good thing, right?]

[But wouldn’t it be awkward if we don’t hit it off? We’re in the same club, you know.]

[?] Zhong Tian sent two messages, her confusion palpable. [You’re in the same club, and you don’t know who she is?]

[Ugh, our literature club is huge, and not everyone shows up for every event. How am I supposed to know who this person is?]

[You must at least know her name, right?]

[Her name’s Bai Ruijin.] Li Jianren sent a screenshot. [Judging by the tone of her friend request, she seems pretty intense…]

Zhong Tian examined the screenshot. Indeed, the message was remarkably concise, suggesting the sender was a decisive and efficient young woman.

‘Yes, Li Jianren was notoriously inept at handling such assertive young women.’

[If you genuinely feel you won’t get along, then just don’t add her.]

[Alright.]

[Oh? That’s surprisingly decisive.]

[It’s called ‘decluttering’—you get it, right?]

‘Why didn’t you have such insight a moment ago?’

[Alright, anything else?]

[Nope.] Li Jianren replied. [Goodbye, my dear dad.]

[Fine, your dad is going to rest now.]

Zhong Tian put down her phone, leaning back on the hospital bed to continue resting her eyes.

****

Rejected…

The Short-haired Girl stared at the ‘friend request rejected’ notification on the phone, frozen in place.

‘Huh?’

‘Why would he reject it?’

‘Xiao Bai said they knew each other, didn’t she? If they know each other in real life, why would he silently reject a WeChat friend request?’

‘No normal person would do that!’

“Xiao Bai…” The Short-haired Girl clutched the phone, tentatively asking Bai Ruijin, “You… do you two really know each other?”

“Yes, we do…” Bai Ruijin replied. “He even actively helped me with several literature club activities before…”

“…”

The Short-haired Girl seemed to have discovered a crucial blind spot.

“Then… have you ever introduced yourself to him?”

Bai Ruijin’s expression froze.

Then she silently averted her gaze.

The Short-haired Girl pressed a hand to her forehead.

“I’m done with this!”