Chapter 78: Let's Squeeze In Together and Make Do for One Night

Lu Yuanqiu nodded; he had been thinking the same thing. Previously, he hadn’t been able to visit Bai Qingxia’s home because he didn’t know her family situation. Now that everything had been laid bare, the girl’s guard must have dropped considerably. Everything was moving in a positive direction. That was the allure of being reborn.

Lu Yuanqiu wanted to resolve regrets and prevent them from festering. That was what his second chance meant. She was born with all the privileges, yet became a marginalized figure at school, an insecure girl in life—a girl so wonderful should have been treated gently by the world. The thought filled Lu Yuanqiu with discontent.

At that moment, Lu Tian handed a meal to his son. Lu Yuanqiu took it, as if suddenly remembering something, and said quickly, “Oh, right, Dad. Let Bai Qingxia and Uncle Bai stay in the hospital room tonight. It’s so late and their home is far away. There’s no need for them to go back, and if you drive them, she’ll feel uncomfortable.”

Lu Tian laughed. “If you thought of it, don’t you think I would too? I already talked to her, and she agreed.” This father, who looked a bit like Wei Xiang, continued, “Besides, what do you mean, if I drive them, she’ll feel awkward? Are you saying she trusts you—a little rascal—more than her elders?”

Of course. In her heart, I’m one of the two best people in the world. And that ‘two’ only includes me and her father... Lu Yuanqiu smiled without answering, a trace of pride shining through.

Around nine thirty, Lu Tian returned to the supermarket, and Su Xiaoya went back to her night shift. Only Bai Qingxia and her father were left in the ward, along with Lu Yuanqiu lying in bed.

It was a private room, quite spacious, even equipped with a table, chairs, and a caregiver’s bed. Bai Songzhe was now sound asleep on that bed, his snoring gently filling the space.

Bai Qingxia sat quietly at the table, doing her homework. Lu Yuanqiu didn’t disturb her, lying in bed scrolling through his phone.

He was completely absorbed in a game of Sokoban when he suddenly sensed movement beside him. Turning his head, he realized Bai Qingxia was already standing by his bed.

“Whoa, how do you walk without making a sound?” Lu Yuanqiu was startled. Bai Qingxia quickly pressed a slender finger to her lips. “Shh.”

She gestured toward her father, sleeping on the caregiver’s bed. Her small face was serious as she whispered, “Don’t wake him up. He’s hard to pacify.”

Actually, I’m not so easy to pacify either... Lu Yuanqiu looked at her earnestly.

The girl’s gaze soon drifted to his head, and she stared at the bandages wrapped there. Her lips pressed together, and she was silent for a long time.

“How did you get hurt?” Bai Qingxia asked softly. As she spoke, she reached out, her delicate hand glowing a faint pink under the incandescent light.

Her touch was light and gentle as she caressed the wounded part of his head. The feeling was so comfortable that Lu Yuanqiu suddenly didn’t want to speak.

“How did you get hurt?”

“Uh... How did I get hurt? I fell. I was showing off, tried to vault a fence, and landed on my head.”

Bai Qingxia had looked quite distressed at first, but after hearing this, she couldn’t help but laugh.

Lu Yuanqiu chuckled as well. Glancing at the only caregiver’s bed, already occupied by Uncle Bai, he couldn’t help but smirk and said to Bai Qingxia, “It’s getting late, let’s get some sleep.”

Bai Qingxia glanced at her father—there was clearly no room left on the single bed. She looked at the desk and said, “You go ahead and sleep. I’ll rest my head on the desk for a bit.”

She turned to head that way, but Lu Yuanqiu quickly reached out and caught her soft arm.

The girl turned back and looked at him.

Lu Yuanqiu, lying in bed, shifted over seriously to make extra space. “There’s room here. Let’s squeeze in for one night. You can’t sleep well hunched over at the desk.”

Bai Qingxia glanced at the bed and then back at the boy. Her expression shifted; her earlobes flushed red.

She shook her head immediately, bashful and shy, drawing her arms close. “No... I like sleeping at the desk.”

With that, she withdrew her hand and hurried back to the table. As if to prove her point, she quickly folded her arms and rested her head on them.

Her rapid way of pretending to sleep instantly reminded Lu Yuanqiu of Zheng Yifeng.

...That fast?

Am I really that scary? Lu Yuanqiu was dumbfounded.

Forget it. He lay back down and returned to his phone, losing track of time until he realized an hour had passed.

He glanced over and saw Bai Qingxia still in that position, apparently fast asleep.

He quietly got out of bed, picked up his jacket, and walked over, intending to drape it over her.

But as he approached, the girl suddenly jerked awake, shrinking away, her cheeks flushed, her beautiful eyes blinking rapidly from the shock, and her pale forehead marked with red creases from her sleeve.

She hadn’t slept at all.

She had pretended for an hour?

Lu Yuanqiu was astonished, shrinking his neck in surprise.

In the quiet ward, the two of them stared at each other in silence.

Bai Qingxia glanced at the jacket in his hand, then realized she’d misunderstood. She looked away, her small hand fidgeting at her neck, her gaze wandering, embarrassment nearly pouring from her.

Lu Yuanqiu nodded, breaking the silence. “Well, well, well... Bai Qingxia, is that really what you think of me? Did you think I was holding a sack instead of a jacket?”

Bai Qingxia quickly waved her hands, her face red as she denied it. “No, no, I was really about to fall asleep... really.”

Lu Yuanqiu tossed the jacket into her arms, feigning annoyance as he returned to his bed, turning his back to her.

Bai Qingxia gazed over anxiously, hurrying to the bedside as if to explain, but after a few steps, she froze, nervously clutching her hands in front of her, unable to speak or decide what to do.

She was truly flustered.

Not until Lu Yuanqiu, still facing away, commanded, “Go to sleep,” did Bai Qingxia drop her head and dejectedly return to the desk. She looked at his back for a long time before finally laying her head down again, this time pulling his jacket over herself.

The next day, Lu Yuanqiu woke up.

Seeing the bright sun outside the window, he realized it must be nearly noon.

Bai Qingxia had already left for school.

Just then, a figure appeared at the ward’s door.

“Brother Qiu!”

Cao Shuang had come.

He’d cut off his slanted bangs, now sporting a crew cut just like Lu Yuanqiu’s, and entered with a small fruit basket.

Lu Yuanqiu sat up. “Cao Shuang, you’re not in class today?”

“I heard you were hospitalized, so I skipped school to visit. How are you? Is it serious?”

“It’s nothing. I’ll be out in a few days.”

Cao Shuang smiled and quickly opened the fruit basket, fetching some fruit and running off to the bathroom to wash it.

Lu Yuanqiu sat up, just remembering something he wanted to ask.

“Cao Shuang, do you know a guy at our school named Zhang Yifei?”

At the mention, Cao Shuang poked his head out of the bathroom. “Of course! He’s in the second year, captain of the basketball team. I heard he’ll represent his class in the post-National Day school basketball tournament.”

After washing the fruit, Cao Shuang returned, sitting exaggeratedly at the bedside. “He’s an amazing basketball player—nearly one meter ninety. I heard he can even dunk. You know, at our school, anyone who can dunk is basically a god. In the whole of Seventh High, he’s the only one who can. I really admire Zhang Yifei.”

Lu Yuanqiu said, “I have a grudge against his father.”

Cao Shuang exploded, “Zhang Yifei is nothing! Hell, next time I’ll get someone to trash him for you!”

The second crew-cut youth took a loud bite of his apple, then changed the subject, “Are you going to play in the basketball tournament too, Brother Qiu?”

Lu Yuanqiu nodded, a faint smile on his lips.

Since Zhang Zhisheng’s son is playing, how could I not?

Besides, he’s not the only one who can dunk—there’s also the reborn me.

P.S.

Please vote for me (don’t scold me).

Thank you to Youshili, Fan Jiu, Cheng Yijiu, and Stranger on the Road for the 5000 Qidian Coin rewards.

(End of this chapter)