Chapter Thirty-Nine: A Passing Encounter

"Xu Cheng, Xu Cheng..." she mumbled his name in her feverish haze. If only her husband were here, he would take care of her, soothe her, carry her for an injection, and hold her tightly so she wouldn't feel so cold. Being alone in a foreign place, with no one to care for her, felt so lonely and unbearable. Maybe she should just let the fever take her, just return—at least back there, she had her husband, her daughter, a warm home, and a healthy body. The thought brought tears to her eyes. "Xu Cheng, I'm sick. I feel awful. I can't take it anymore. I want to go home, I want to go home..."

Lu Tian returned with fever medicine, and Liu Ying helped her sit up and fed her the pills. The others watched anxiously, not leaving until her fever broke, her delirium passed, and she finally slept soundly. Only then did they return to bed.

The next day, Dong Yanyan didn't wake up until nearly noon. In the dormitory, only Xiaohan remained, listening to music and eating dried plums on the lower bunk.

"Xiaohan, where are the others?" Dong Yanyan asked weakly.

"They went to class. I stayed behind to take care of you. We've already requested leave for you, so just rest easy," Gu Xiaohan replied, quickly pouring her a glass of water when she saw she was awake. Dong Yanyan poked her head out from the top bunk and sipped a little, barely mustering the strength.

"Thank you. I kept you all up last night," she said with a frail smile. But it hadn't been just last night—she'd been coughing every night for days, and the others had put up with it because she was sick.

"No need to thank me! By the way, you kept calling Xu Cheng last night. So, he's the guy you like?" Gu Xiaohan teased with a grin.

Dong Yanyan was stunned: Did I really say that? She couldn't recall at all.

"That can't be true! You must have heard wrong!" she denied immediately.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Xu Cheng is a good guy. I had Sweetie tell him about it!"

"You—what did you have Sweetie tell him?" Anxious dread washed over Dong Yanyan. This was a disaster—her friends were going to get her in trouble!

"That you were sick! Oh, and these apples are from him. Have some, you must be hungry after skipping breakfast all morning!" Gu Xiaohan waved a plump, shiny red apple before her.

So many apples—how much must Xu Cheng have spent? That boy had less than two hundred yuan a month to live on! Dong Yanyan bowed her head in helpless silence.

*

At lunchtime, the rest of the dormmates gradually returned. Leng Yue had brought her a meal, but Dong Yanyan picked at it listlessly.

"Fifth Sister, the midterm results are out. You scored full marks in Politics and Engineering Drawing. Even Miss Yang praised you," Leng Yue said, placing the report card at her bedside with a smile.

"Fifth Sister, you really know how to take exams. Full marks in both homeroom teachers' subjects—brown-nosing, aren't you?" Li Hui teased, her tone tinged with envy.

Dong Yanyan picked up the report card and couldn't help but laugh and cry at once—eleventh place again! To the teachers, the top ten were treasures; the eleventh was as good as last and just as invisible.

"Those two subjects are easy. High scores are no surprise! But my major courses—what am I to do? I barely scraped a pass after studying so hard," she said gloomily. She'd boasted to Mr. Guo that she'd get over eighty, but only managed seventy. Ms. Yu’s math was even worse, just passing—she really let the old lady down. At least her Chinese and English were passable.

"I think you're only decent in the liberal arts. Why not apply to Miss Yang directly for the broadcasting class?" Liu Ying joked.

As if! The broadcasting class was no cakewalk. Besides, she wasn't talented or beautiful enough for that. Sticking to engineering was more reliable—at least she'd be able to change a lightbulb or fix a TV herself in the future.

"I know you and the eldest both made the top ten, so now you mock us for being miserable, is that it?" she muttered, dissatisfied, setting her bowl aside after only a few bites. With a heavy cold, she had no appetite for anything and crawled back under the covers to catch up on sleep.

"Fifth Sister, you can't sleep yet. Come with me for an injection soon!" Leng Yue said cheerfully. "You scared us last night. You have to get better today, no matter what."

A knock came at the door. Liu Siying from the next dorm entered with a bag of fruit, heading straight for Dong Yanyan's bed. She felt her forehead with concern. "Yanyan, I heard you had a fever. Feeling any better now?"

"Much better just seeing you!" Dong Yanyan joked, pinching her rosy cheek.

"Flirt!" Liu Siying laughed, swatting her hand away. "You look well enough. I'm relieved. I've got things to do, but I'll check in on you tonight!" She waved to the others and left.

"Fifth Sister, you have quite a few admirers! Who came to see you this morning?" Lu Tian asked, smiling with hidden meaning.

"She was asleep then, but I told her—it was, well, Xu Cheng!" Gu Xiaohan blurted out between bites of apple.

"Careful, kiddo, don't stir up trouble. You know why Liu Siying rushed off? She has a date! And who is her date? The classmate who brought me apples this morning!" Dong Yanyan said, smiling. She remembered Xu Cheng had courted Liu Siying for a while, though it had fizzled out for reasons unknown. Look at her now, so magnanimous—her ex-husband was dating someone, and she still worried about him.

"Really? Then last night, you—"

"You all definitely misheard! There's someone else in my heart, not Xu Cheng. Stop teasing me, and don't fleece him for apples. I can't eat them all—let's share," Dong Yanyan said, tossing apples around the room.

*

That afternoon, Leng Yue accompanied her for injections—anti-inflammatory and cough medicine, three whole bottles. It took all afternoon, and by the time they reached the school gate, it was nearly dinnertime.

"I never want to catch a cold again. It's pure torture!" Dong Yanyan complained, cradling her bruised hand.

"Who wants a cold?" Leng Yue laughed, then sneezed unexpectedly.

"Oh no, don't tell me I've infected you already? You'd better take some medicine right away!" Dong Yanyan fussed. "We need to buy some herbal tea—everyone in the dorm should have some, better safe than sorry!"

"Where do we buy that?"

"At the pharmacy! Let's go now!" Dong Yanyan said, pulling her along. As they reached the roadside, she spotted Xu Cheng and Liu Siying holding hands as they crossed the street. The scene pulled her instantly back in time—she remembered once finding it romantic and sweet, never imagining she would one day end up with Xu Cheng herself. Life was truly unpredictable.

When the pair reached their side of the street, they naturally let go of each other's hands and greeted them. Dong Yanyan looked up and gave them a bright, cheerful smile.

They passed each other by.