"I bought porridge for you on the table if you’re hungry, you can take a few bites. I’m going to visit the school doctor and will be back very soon." While tucking He Zhilan into bed, Chen Xiting reminded her kindly. She walked around their dorm room, and then poured a hot cup of water for Zhilan and left it on her desk. She remembered sick people need to consume lots of fluids and tend to get thirsty. If she was not there and He Zhilan wanted to drink, Zhilan won’t have the strength to physical pour the water herself given how hot it was and how unwell she was feeling.
"He Zhilan, I poured a cup of water for you and left it on your desk, you can drink it if you’re thirsty." Chen Xiting wasn’t sure if He Zhilan heard her, but after saying that, she put on her shoes, grabbed her keys, and rushed out of their dorm room.
As Chen dashed out of the dormitory building, the dormitory supervisor saw her running out like a gust of wind, dropping her keys and money from her pocket. The supervisor had to chase after her.
"Why are you sprinting? Is there a ghost chasing after you in the middle of the day? You rushed past me like a whirlwind, do you know you dropped your money and keys? You got me running after you till I’m out of breath!"
"Auntie, my roommate He Zhilan is sick with a high fever, I need to get to the school clinic urgently!" Chen Xiting looked back after realizing, took the belongings from the supervisor’s hand, and continued running.
The dormitory supervisor understood and sighed, watching Chen Xiting disappear, she thought to herself, "Ah, youth is such a wonderful thing." She turned around and started walking back, her gaze fell on the dormitory building below, murmered to herself in surprise, "Why would Miss Gu come to the school during the weekend? Did I mistake someone else for her?"
Back in the dormitory, He Zhilan fell quickly asleep once Chen Xiting had left since there were no other distractions around. She held the blanket tightly, even in her sleep she was still sweating cold sweat and shivering incessantly.
A soft sound came from the dormitory door, it was Gu En. The first thing she did was look towards He Zhilan’s bed. When she didn’t see anyone, she paused in her step and began to look around the dorm, her eyes eventually settling on the person sleeping on Huang Cai’s bed.
"He Zhilan! Get up!" Gu En, wearing her high heels, walked towards He Zhilan, her sharp voice echoed in the dorm room. But, her yelling didn’t wake He Zhilan. When she got closer, she noticed something was wrong with Zhilan.
"Sick?" Gu En muttered to herself, her gaze filled with mockery, "It’d be better if you died! If you died, all troubles would end! If you died, then I..."
Unbeknownst to the sick Zhilan, Gu En was standing by her bedside wishing that she would die from this illness. At this moment, Zhilan was lost, like a leaf floating on vast water, she couldn’t find a safe harbor to dock.
The cold air slowly permeated her skin, all the way to her marrow, she was so cold that she could hardly feel anything.
"Gu Zhilan, thirteen years ago, you left the Gu family, so why have you suddenly reappeared in my life? You want to return? No way, I, Gu En, will not permit it! With you gone, see, I can take care of your parents and grandparents just fine! I can be better than you, and I can make them even happier! Gu Zhilan, do not come back, never come back!"
It seemed like someone was chastising her in her ear, blaming her. She couldn’t make out the words, but she could feel the emotions.
Was it He Teng? Was it He Teng berating her for being thoughtless? Was he blaming her for not being obedient and disappointing him?