Lin Qinghe instinctively wanted to go to the hospital, but after leaving the neighborhood where You Rong lived, she belatedly realized she had no idea which hospital You Rong had taken his grandmother to. Jiangcheng was so large, with many hospitals. If she had to search them one by one, it would be too time-consuming and she might not even find her. After much thought, Lin Qinghe called Lin Yi's secretary.
"Hello? Secretary Zhang, it's me. Yes... I need your help. Could you please check which hospital You Rong's grandmother is in? Let me know as soon as you find out..."
Half an hour later, Lin Qinghe received a call from Lin Yi's secretary. She hailed a taxi and headed straight to the inpatient department of Jiangcheng Third People's Hospital. Relying on the accurate information provided by Lin Yi's secretary, Lin Qinghe arrived at You Rong's grandmother's ward. Just as she was about to knock, the door was opened, and You Rong, looking panicked, rushed out, bumping into her shoulder. Lin Qinghe stumbled back a few steps, but You Rong, seemingly oblivious, cried out urgently, "Doctor! Doctor, hurry... My grandmother has fainted, doctor!"
Before Lin Qinghe could recover, You Rong returned with three or four doctors to the ward, who began examining his grandmother with grave expressions. Lin Qinghe, her heart filled with anxiety, followed them in. Seeing You Rong's pale face, she asked worriedly, "You Rong, what's wrong with your grandmother? Is it serious? Is she okay?"
You Rong glanced at Lin Qinghe, his expression haggard and his face grim. He didn't reply. Lin Qinghe frowned slightly and said, "You Rong, is there anything I can do to help? If there is, I definitely will..." Before she could finish, a nurse turned around and snapped, "Quiet! Can't you see the doctor is examining the patient? We need quiet! Otherwise, it will affect the doctor's judgment of the patient's condition!" Lin Qinghe swallowed her words and stood by quietly, waiting.
Lin Qinghe noticed You Rong's terrifyingly pale complexion and took a step closer to comfort him. Just as she moved, the nurse, who had stepped back and was bending down to pick something up, bumped into Lin Qinghe. The nurse turned around and yelled, "Who are you, young lady? Are you a relative of the patient? If not, get out! You're in the way and could delay treatment. Can you afford to bear the consequences!"
"I'm not a patient's relative, I am..."
"If you're not, then get out! What are you standing around for? Is this ward a marketplace? You bumped into me just now, do you know that could cause a medical accident? This is a matter of life and death!"
Lin Qinghe looked incredulous, "But you were the one who..." Before she could finish, You Rong looked up, his eyes sharp as he fixed on Lin Qinghe. He suddenly gripped Lin Qinghe's wrist tightly and said coldly, "Come out with me."
You Rong almost dragged Lin Qinghe out of the ward and then flung her away, her arm hitting the wall, making her face turn white from the pain. You Rong warned her coldly, "Lin Qinghe! I don't care if you've suddenly developed a guilty conscience and want to make amends, or if you have other intentions. I don't need it! And I don't have time to entertain you! You'd better get lost and leave me alone!"
After You Rong's cold warning, Lin Qinghe couldn't even utter a word before he turned and went back into the ward. Lin Qinghe stood by the ward door, looking at You Rong's pale face inside, feeling both angry and wronged. It was the nurse who had bumped into her first! How could he tell her to get lost without even asking for an explanation? However, she quickly reconsidered. You Rong's grandmother's condition was not optimistic, and You Rong was bound to be agitated. His outburst at her was probably not intentional. Besides, if she argued now, it might truly delay treatment for You Rong's grandmother. Lin Qinghe decided to re-enter the ward and wait quietly outside.
After a while, Lin Qinghe saw You Rong's grandmother being wheeled out of the ward and then pushed into the operating room. At the entrance to the operating room, You Rong stood tall and slender, his dark hair falling over his eyes, obscuring his thoughts. Lin Qinghe's heart inexplicably ached. That was his grandmother, the only family he had, with whom he had grown up relying on each other. He must be very sad right now...
The light in the operating room didn't go out until two or three in the morning. You Rong's grandmother was pushed out and then wheeled into the intensive care unit. Lin Qinghe couldn't hear what the doctor said to You Rong from a distance, but You Rong's expression indicated that his grandmother's condition was not good. After the doctor left, You Rong sat wearily on a long bench outside the ward, lost in thought, his sharply defined profile looking particularly desolate. Lin Qinghe waited not far away until dawn. You Rong, sitting on the bench, finally succumbed to exhaustion and closed his eyes, falling asleep.
Lin Qinghe thought for a moment, then turned to go buy breakfast. As she hesitated about how to give it to You Rong, she saw a nurse approaching with a medical expense list, apparently to remind You Rong to pay. Lin Qinghe intercepted her and said, "Hello, I am a relative of the patient in the ICU. Is this a payment reminder? Please give it to me." The nurse looked at Lin Qinghe strangely for a moment, then, without much thought, handed her the list, "The two thousand yuan paid when the patient was first admitted isn't enough. Please pay another eight thousand. The rest can be settled upon discharge."
"Okay, thank you," Lin Qinghe said. "Oh, and I bought some breakfast. Could you trouble yourself to give it to the young man sitting on the bench when he wakes up?" The nurse glanced at You Rong. "Alright, give me the breakfast, and I'll take it to him later."
"Thank you." Lin Qinghe took the payment slip and went to settle the bill, then left the hospital. Appearing before You Rong now would not yield any positive results. If You Rong insisted on returning her money and drawing a line between them, she would lose out even more. For the next few days, she would stay away from You Rong and just secretly check on his grandmother's condition. As Lin Qinghe walked away, she muttered, "Right, You Rong's personality being what it is, he'll definitely refuse any financial help from others. I still need to figure out a way to ask Brother Lin Yi to put in a good word with the hospital to try and reduce the fees for You Rong's grandmother..."
***
Inside the ICU, You Rong's eyelids fluttered. He opened his eyes, his delicate and handsome face etched with exhaustion, his whole demeanor lifeless. Just then, a caregiver approached. "Young man, you're awake. Here... This is breakfast that a young lady asked me to give you. It's still warm, so eat it quickly."
"A young lady?" You Rong thought for a moment and remembered Lin Qinghe. The nurse smiled. "That's right, a very pretty young lady. Is she your girlfriend? She seems very caring, seeing you asleep on the bench and not wanting to wake you... Here, take the breakfast. I need to get back to work." After the nurse left, You Rong opened the breakfast. It was a bowl of millet porridge and a cage of xiaolongbao, still warm. He stared at it for a long time before slowly picking up a xiaolongbao and taking a bite.