Chapter 52: The Unexpected Caller

‘It was all her fault; she made me lose Ye Qing for three whole years.

During those three years, what other girls had she met besides me? Surely, she hadn’t found someone she liked already? Or was she still as clumsy and naive as ever…’

The ringing of a phone shattered Gu Xuanyu’s train of thought, and the caller was none other than Shen Congqing.

Glancing at Ye Qing, who was sound asleep on the bed, Gu Xuanyu picked up the phone. She stepped outside, quietly closing the door behind her, before finally answering the call.

“Hello? Shen Teacher, this is Gu Xuanyu. Ye Qing is currently resting.”

Hearing Gu Xuanyu’s somewhat indifferent voice on the other end of the line, Shen Congqing paused, a flicker of surprise in her expression.

“My apologies. She hadn’t replied for quite some time, and I grew a little worried. Is Ye Qing unwell then?”

“Mhm,” Gu Xuanyu responded casually. Her wine-red eyes calmly gazed at the clear, distant sky outside the window, her thoughts unreadable.

“You can come. It’s at 107 Luchongguan Road, third floor, apartment 301.”

Shen Congqing, however, had not expected such a swift agreement from the other party, and she couldn’t help but feel a touch of surprise.

She vaguely recalled the last time she had seen the silver-haired girl; she had been filled with such fierce jealousy, blocking her path.

“I’ve brought some food. Is there anything else you need me to buy?”

Gu Xuanyu recalled the crumpled pile of medicine boxes in the trash can. Though she had only glanced at them a few times, she could effortlessly remember the names of the medications.

“Yes, there are a few: Ibuprofen sustained-release capsules, Banlangen granules…”

“Wait, I need to grab a piece of paper to write these down. Are these all medicines?”

Unlike Gu Xuanyu, Shen Congqing’s talents were entirely focused on the arts. She was virtually ignorant of everything else, her common sense notably lacking.

Since becoming a Magical Girl, she had never fallen ill, and naturally, she had never had to buy medicine.

“Mhm, do you need me to repeat them?”

“No need, please continue…”

Clamping the phone between her ear and shoulder, Shen Congqing was about to write the first character when her pen froze, lost in thought.

‘What were those words again?’

‘Never mind, I’ll just write whatever. The pharmacist will understand anyway. Tribe-fen…’

***

Approximately fifteen minutes later, a knock echoed at Ye Qing’s door.

Upon opening it, Gu Xuanyu found the tall, blonde woman standing there.

This time, she wasn’t wearing her glasses, and her attire, though casual, was cleverly coordinated, adding an air of gentle sophistication and intellect to her presence.

In her hands, she carried snacks for Ye Qing, along with a large bag of medicine. The colorful array made Gu Xuanyu feel utterly bewildered.

‘Hadn’t I only mentioned a few? How did she end up bringing back so much?’

Noticing Gu Xuanyu’s astonished gaze, Shen Congqing hesitated outside, a rare flush of embarrassment rising in her emerald eyes.

“I’m sorry, the store clerk told me there were many types, and I wasn’t sure which specific ones you needed, so I just bought a little of everything.”

“You’ve gone to so much trouble…” Gu Xuanyu’s lips twitched into a faint smile as she welcomed Shen Congqing inside.

For some reason, she felt a subtle sense of crisis. This woman, it seemed, also desperately needed a ‘Ye Qing-brand Doraemon’ of her own.

‘Hmph, I won’t let you take her.’

“Oh, right, is Ye Qing still resting? I heard she likes sweets, so I even bought her a cake…”

Gazing at the enormous cream cake, Gu Xuanyu’s eye twitched involuntarily.

Even if it was to foster a closer relationship with a student, one should still consider the patient’s needs. Ye Qing had the flu; she surely wouldn’t have an appetite…

Just then, the bedroom door creaked open. The black-haired girl emerged, wearing a mask, her steps slow yet resolute, heading directly for… the cake in Shen Congqing’s hands.

“Ye Qing, when did you wake up?” Gu Xuanyu blinked blankly, utterly bewildered.

It couldn’t be that she smelled the cake through the walls and despite her flu-impaired sense of smell, could it?

“When you mentioned the cake.” Ye Qing was fully awake, though her body still felt a little weak. Yet, her movements were remarkably swift as she took the cake. “Thank you, Shen Teacher.”

Ye Qing didn’t spare a single glance for the pile of medicine boxes. Her attention seemed entirely captivated by the tempting cream cake, and a faint sound of her salivating could even be heard.

Only then did Gu Xuanyu snap back to reality.

“Wait, you’re not well yet. You should take your fever medicine first.”

“Mhm, I will,” Ye Qing replied softly. However, her actions clearly indicated she intended to taste the chocolate on the cake first. “This is the best fever medicine.”

Gu Xuanyu was filled with helplessness. She hadn’t expected Ye Qing to have such a childish side.

Touching Ye Qing’s forehead, Gu Xuanyu noted that her temperature had dropped considerably. Only then did she relent.

“Alright, but don’t blame me if you feel worse later, okay?”

Perhaps it was due to her limbs feeling weak, or perhaps she was still a little dazed from the fever, but Ye Qing couldn’t untie the knot on the cake box for a long time. She pouted in frustration.

Gu Xuanyu also tried, but her slender fingers were too clumsy to grasp the delicate ribbon. The two small figures, one in white and one in black, could only stare longingly at the cake.

Shen Congqing chuckled softly, taking the knotted ribbon. With a gentle tug, she easily untied it.

“Gu student, you really should practice your finger dexterity more.”

Teased in such a manner, Gu Xuanyu couldn’t help but feel a little dejected. She had never imagined losing in such an odd competition, but watching Ye Qing’s blissful expression as she chewed the chocolate, her heart softened.

‘Such things, they hardly mattered.’

After forking a piece of cake into her mouth, Ye Qing mumbled indistinctly. “Eh, this cream tastes a bit bland…”

“It’s your tongue that’s the problem,” Gu Xuanyu said with a playful smile. “If you don’t believe me, feed me a bite; I’ll taste it.”

A hint of suspicion flickered in Ye Qing’s amber eyes. She forked a piece and gently offered it to Gu Xuanyu’s cherry lips, just as she always did when feeding her.

This intimate and natural gesture made Shen Congqing momentarily stare in surprise.

‘They… were their relations that close?’

Noticing Shen Congqing’s expression, Gu Xuanyu felt as though the cake, coming from her ‘love rival,’ was sprinkled with an extra layer of sweetness.

“It’s absolutely delicious,” Gu Xuanyu confirmed.

Upon hearing this, Ye Qing wrinkled her delicate nose.

Disbelieving, she took another bite, but while it wasn’t quite like chewing wax, it remained undeniably bland.

The thought of losing out on the enjoyment of the entire cake due to her impaired sense of taste left Ye Qing feeling crestfallen.

“Is that really how it is…”

“It’s alright, you can always buy another one once you’re better,” Shen Congqing suddenly interjected. “If it’s just sweets you crave, they’re quite easy to get.”

“Eating too many sweets will cause cavities,” Gu Xuanyu quickly offered a contrasting opinion. “Besides, I’ll buy them for her, so you needn’t trouble yourself.”

Although both women spoke in soft tones, their words seemed to carry potent undercurrents, clashing fiercely in the air.

Ye Qing listened blankly, her fever-addled mind unable to process much. She simply continued to spoon cake into her mouth.

‘At this point, the cake was simply delicious.’

Just then, a hurried knocking echoed from the entrance, startling everyone.

‘More strong contenders?’

Gu Xuanyu peered through the peephole, only to discover several tall, unfamiliar men standing at the door.

This instantly put Gu Xuanyu on alert. She quickly scanned their entire bodies, and upon discerning the barcode on the inside of their collars, her pupils constricted slightly.

They were from the CCB.