When Li Qingcang mentioned her grandmother’s illness, tears started rolling down Ye Tianxin’s cheeks like beads from a broken string.
Now, Li Qingcang didn’t like girls who cried. He thought they were a nuisance.
And when he saw that Ye Tianxin was crying, it was like he had two left feet. He was at a complete loss for how to react. All he could do was retrieve a packet of tissue from the pocket of his hospital garb, pull a piece of out from the opening in the center of the pack, and hand it to Ye Tianxin.
“Don’t cry. A girl’s tears are precious!”
Li Qingcang had never consoled a girl before, and he had no clue how to do it. But seeing Ye Tianxin cry so brokenheartedly, he just uttered whatever came to mind first.
“If you’re feeling really sad and heartbroken, I’ll lend you my shoulder for you to lean on for a bit. No big deal!”
Lifting her tear-filled eyes, Ye Tianxin looked at Li Qingcang’s face.
Suddenly, she took one step forward, hugged Li Qingcang tightly around the waist, and plastered her face against his chest and wailed, pouring out all her pain and suppressed anguish.
It was the first time that Li Qingcang had ever been hugged by a girl, and he had no idea whatsoever as to where he should place his hands.
And he had no idea what to say...
He stiffly placed his hands on Ye Tianxin’s back and gently patted her, whispering soothingly and softly, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here!”
“You’re one of my own. I’ve got your back!”
For Ye Tianxin, this was a moment of weakness. She couldn’t understand why she had become so weak in Li Qingcang’s presence...
It was as if, she thought, they had a natural affinity with each other. Or perhaps it was because some of the blood running through Li Qingcang’s body was actually hers.
After a while, Ye Tianxin pulled herself away from Li Qingcang’s embrace.
She raised her head and, looking a tad shy, said, “Thank you for the hug. I feel much better now!”
“....” Li Qingcang felt something heavy pull away from his chest.
Lowering his head, he looked at the porcelain-smooth, pretty face and suddenly reached out to gently caress the top of Ye Tianxin’s head.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m here for you....”
Ye Tianxin turned sideways and looked at her grandmother, who’d been put on an IV drip. She then turned back to Li Qingcang and said, “Have you been seriously injured? You should go back to your room and rest! I’ll wait for my grandmother to wake up. Then we’ll head back to where my grandmother and I are staying and pick up the bankbook. I’ll use it to make a cash withdrawal and pay back the money I owe you...”
Li Qingcang didn’t respond to Ye Tianxin. Instead, he walked over to Grandma’s bedside, pulled up a chair, and sat down.
His handsome face no longer had the shy, helpless expression it had earlier.
“About the money, there’s no hurry. If your grandmother is really seriously ill, would you like me to recommend some doctors to you?”
“Can you do that?” Ye Tianxin looked happily at Li Qingcang. With total disregard for propriety, she grabbed Li Qingcang’s hands and whispered, “You mustn’t lie to me! Okay?”
“Idiot!” Li Qingcang cursed silently. All he had to do was make one phone call, and every doctor in the country would stand in line to wait to treat Ye Tianxin’s grandmother!
“I won’t lie to you!”
Ye Tianxin’s eyes shone brilliantly as if they were filled with dozens of tiny stars. “Really?” she asked.
“Yes, really. I won’t lie to you!”
Ye Tianxin was so happy that she wanted to jump for joy. She felt like she could see hope dawning on the horizon.
So it was really true that kindness begets kindness!
“How can I ever repay you for your kindness? Benefactor, I still don’t know your name, but from now on, if there’s anything you need, I will willingly go through hell and high water to get it for you....”