Lin Qinghe jogged to catch up with You Rong, sneaking a glance at him. Seeing no hint of unhappiness or reluctance on his face, she said, "Why don't we pack some ready-made food? Grandma just got out of the hospital, she should be resting well..."
You Rong glanced at her and said indifferently, "No need, I'll make lunch."
Lin Qinghe was surprised and asked, "You can cook?"
You Rong hummed, then suddenly stopped, looking at Lin Qinghe with an unreadable expression. This made her heart skip a beat. Had she upset You Rong again?
"Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"
You Rong said, "The person who helped pre-pay eight thousand yuan at the hospital, that was you, wasn't it."
He had found it strange before. Grandma had been admitted to the ICU, and the initial one thousand yuan pre-payment wouldn't be enough. The hospital should have asked for more, but they never did. It wasn't until he was settling the discharge procedures today that he learned someone had pre-paid eight thousand yuan for him.
You Rong didn't need to guess; he knew it was Lin Qinghe.
Lin Qinghe said, "Don't overthink it... I saw you were busy and couldn't get away. I happened to be free, so I paid it for you. I didn't mean anything else."
You Rong nodded, took out his phone, and showed her his WeChat QR code. "Add me on WeChat."
Getting You Rong's contact information was certainly progress, but judging by his demeanor, he clearly intended to return the money to her. Lin Qinghe had no choice but to shake her head. "Grandma just got out of the hospital. Consider this money I lent you. You don't need to rush to repay me. When you have some cash, you can repay me then. It won't be too late."
"I asked Brother Wang to advance me two months' salary. The money is enough. Add me on WeChat."
You Rong insisted on repaying her. Lin Qinghe reluctantly thought for a moment and said, "Grandma is discharged, but there will be follow-up check-ups and such that require money. If you really want to repay me, you can. You can repay a part of it first, and the rest later. Otherwise, I won't accept it!"
You Rong pondered for a moment. Her words weren't unreasonable. He nodded in agreement.
Lin Qinghe took out her phone, added You Rong on WeChat, and accepted the three thousand yuan he transferred. She was secretly delighted. Now that she had You Rong's WeChat, she could chat with him occasionally and build their relationship.
Lin Qinghe followed You Rong to the wet market to buy groceries. You Rong skillfully picked out vegetables, bought them, and haggled with the vendors. She stayed by his side, chattering away to make conversation.
"You Rong, what dishes do you like to eat? Do you like cilantro? I love cilantro the most... And I can't eat anything without spice, even if eating too much gives me acne, I can't quit it..."
You Rong didn't answer. He thought for a moment, then reached out and took an extra bunch of cilantro and some chili peppers, handing them to the stall owner.
From the market back to You Rong's home, Lin Qinghe tried every possible way to talk to You Rong along the way. But You Rong would only occasionally reply with a "mm" or "oh," while she babbled on endlessly.
Upon arriving at You Rong's home, Lin Qinghe naturally wouldn't miss any opportunity to spend time with him. She insisted on "helping out" and squeezed into the cramped kitchen, trying to get closer to You Rong.
Unexpectedly, in her carelessness, she cut her finger while chopping vegetables.
Lin Qinghe cried out in pain and put her finger in her mouth. The next second, her wrist was grabbed, and her hand was pulled away. You Rong frowned and said, "Go outside and put on some medicine."
Lin Qinghe said, "It's okay. It's just a small cut. The bleeding will stop soon. Don't worry about it."
You Rong said nothing, insisting on pulling Lin Qinghe out. He pressed her onto his small desk, disinfected her wound with an alcohol swab, and then applied a band-aid.
Looking at the faint scar on Lin Qinghe's fair palm and her injured finger, You Rong felt an indescribable sting, as if the finest jade had a slight crack.
"There! It's fine now. Let's continue making lunch. Grandma must be hungry."
You Rong withdrew his gaze and said indifferently, "You wait here. I can do it alone."
"No, don't! It would be awkward for me to just sit and wait for food. I'll continue to help you. This little injury... it's really not a problem."
You Rong pursed his thin lips. "What you're doing isn't helping; it's causing trouble."
Lin Qinghe thought of the haphazardly chopped vegetables she had made and felt guilty. She chuckled awkwardly. "Then... okay. I won't go and cause trouble. I'll wait here!"
You Rong grunted and returned to the cramped kitchen.
Lin Qinghe sat in the living room, subtly observing You Rong's home.
Everything in the house was neatly organized. On the desk was a photo of You Rong and his grandmother. In the picture, the young man's smile was radiant, completely different from his current composure.
On the living room wall were countless certificates of merit, and in a corner, a worn bookshelf held various trophies from competitions. Lin Qinghe felt an indescribable emotion.
If not for the original host's actions that left him with a lifelong disability, he would have been the center of attention, the most dazzling existence wherever he went.
Lunch was quickly prepared: five home-style dishes and a light soup.
During the meal, Grandma Lin kept putting food on Lin Qinghe's plate, urging her to eat more. Lin Qinghe ate while constantly praising You Rong's excellent cooking. You Rong ate with a placid expression, showing no emotion.
After lunch, You Rong walked Lin Qinghe out. He watched her get into a taxi before turning back home.
Back home, Grandma Lin asked with a smile, "You Rong, didn't you always dislike spicy food and hate cilantro? Why did you put chili and cilantro in your cooking today?"
You Rong calmly cleared the small dining table. "They were on discount at the market. They looked cheap, so I bought some."
Grandma Lin smiled and shook her head. "You Rong, what do you think of this classmate of yours?"
"Grandma, what do you want to ask?"
"I think this young girl is very nice. She's pretty, kind-hearted, and polite. She even said last time... that if you didn't have a girlfriend, she'd like me to introduce you to her as a boyfriend!"
You Rong paused his movements while clearing the dishes. He said in a deep voice, "Grandma, don't misunderstand. We're just classmates."
The other side of Lin Qinghe definitely didn't align with kindness. Her current behavior might be a temporary bout of conscience, a deliberate attempt to ease her guilt through atonement.
But as the saying goes, a leopard cannot change its spots.
After Grandma Lin was discharged from the hospital, You Rong resumed his previous life, attending classes during the day and working at a bar after school.
Lin Qinghe always followed him, trying hard to get close to him. At school, she secretly brought him food. At the bar, she, as usual, eagerly took on work to ease You Rong's burden. When someone who didn't know any better mocked You Rong's limp, she, relying on her status as the daughter of the Lin Corporation, retorted fiercely.
Even after a week of this, the progress bar remained at zero.
Lin Qinghe lay on the bed, weak and lamenting, "You Rong is too difficult to handle. I'm practically revolving around him twenty-four hours a day, treating him with all my heart, yet he hasn't changed his attitude towards me at all?!"
Lin Qinghe doubted herself. "Am I pursuing You Rong too relentlessly, or is it completely ineffective? Am I being too clingy? Perhaps I should try a push-and-pull approach?"
With that thought, Lin Qinghe acted accordingly. For the next three days, she stayed at home, forcing herself not to contact You Rong, not going to school, and not going to work at the bar.
Three days later.
Lin Qinghe, full of anticipation, prepared to go to South University, eager to see You Rong's reaction.