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Upon arriving at the hospital, we inquired about Qi Zhi's ward. As we walked over, a stunning classical beauty approached us. She appeared to be in her forties, well-maintained, and her every movement exuded an air of sophistication.
I glanced at her without paying much attention, but beside me, Chu Fan stopped in his tracks. The classical beauty walked directly up to him and stood still. "Xiao Fan," she said.
Chu Fan looked at her coldly, saying nothing and refusing to move. Lin You leaned in and whispered to me, "She is Chu Fan's mother."
"You've met her?"
"Yes, I saw her at a banquet last year. She's beautiful, isn't she?"
I nodded; Chu Fan's mother was indeed striking. She must have been even more beautiful in her youth. However, there seemed to be some tension between her and Chu Fan. I wondered if this was related to the fact that this Chu Fan wasn't the real Chu Fan.
"Xiao Fan, why are you at the hospital?" she asked.
"To see a teacher," Chu Fan replied casually, his brow slightly furrowed, appearing indifferent.
"Next week is your father's birthday; we should—"
"We'll talk about it later. We're leaving now." Without another word, he took my hand and led me forward. As we passed by Chu Fan's mother, I felt a shiver run down my spine and instinctively glanced at her. Her beautiful eyes revealed a hint of hostility.
The fact that I was with Chu Fan was well-known throughout the school; his parents had likely heard about it too. But I couldn't understand why his mother harbored such animosity towards me.
After taking a few steps, however, Chu Fan suddenly stopped and said to me, "You go ahead; I'll catch up in a moment." He then walked back toward his mother.
I noticed that Chu Fan's mother seemed quite pleased as she blinked and then left with Lin You.
Qi Zhi's ward was at the end of the corridor. As we approached, a nurse happened to come out, her face slightly flushed as she smiled at us and nodded before leaving.
Ever since I learned about Qi Zhi, I had asked Lin You about him; it seemed that nearly everyone at the university knew who he was—well, everyone except for me.
Qi Zhi was handsome, gentle, and polite, and his lectures were lively, which attracted many girls' attention. Some bold girls even confessed their feelings to him on the spot, not to mention those who waited outside his door.
So, it was no surprise when the nurse rushed out.
Qi Zhi lived in a single room with decent facilities. The lighting was ample, and the decor was simple yet refreshing. Occasionally, a gentle breeze would stir the plain curtains, bringing a coolness to the air.
He was half-sitting on the bed, holding a book in his hands, wearing a pair of frameless glasses. A slight smile played at the corners of his mouth, and his handsome features were softened by the hazy sunlight, giving him an ethereal quality.
"Professor Qi, we came to see you. Are you feeling any better?" Lin You was the first to approach, placing a fruit basket down. "We heard you were injured last night; we're really sorry about that."
"It's you, Lin You!" Qi Zhi put down his book and smiled warmly. "I'm fine; it's just a minor scrape. I happened to be seen by the head teacher, so I was dragged to the hospital. It was a bit of an overreaction. But you all are fine, that's what matters."
His words made me feel even more guilty. I stammered, "Professor Qi, it's all my fault. If I hadn't begged you for help, you wouldn't have gotten hurt. I'm really sorry."
"It's nothing; just a little injury."
"How can it be just a little injury? The knife was red hot at that time."
"Do you want to take a look?" Qi Zhi smiled as he tried to sit up straight but winced in pain from the movement.
I flinched and quickly supported him, taking the pillow Lin You handed me and placing it behind him. "Is this better?" Qi Zhi nodded. I continued, "Professor Qi, please don't hold back about your injury. I'm willing to take responsibility for it since it was caused by me; I'm truly sorry."
"If it were a serious injury, would I be in a regular ward?" Qi Zhi took off his glasses and looked at me with a smile before suddenly grabbing my hand. I jolted and tried to pull away but found I couldn't. "But since you're willing to take responsibility, I can't refuse that!"
"As long as it's not too excessive, I'm willing to help. And thank you for what you did last time."
"Hey, Anxin, you've had contact with Professor Qi?" Lin You looked at me with a mischievous grin. "Why haven't I heard about this?"
"Professor Qi helped me find something last time." I hesitated to mention it happened downstairs at my place for fear she would pry further.
"Oh!" Lin You laughed slyly, making my face heat up slightly.
"Anxin," Qi Zhi tightened his grip on my hand and said, "I don't ask for much. You either take care of me until I'm discharged, or—" His pale lips curved into a perfect arc, "or you become my girlfriend."
With a gentle pull, Qi Zhi leaned me forward. I tilted my body toward him as his large hand pressed against the back of my head, his lips soft against mine, carrying a hint of minty freshness.
In an instant, my mind went blank. Lin You's mouth formed an "O" shape; no one expected Qi Zhi to act this way.
This plot is so cliché! I was internally panicking.
The next second, the door swung open.
I felt a gust of wind as Chu Fan swept me into his arms, glaring at Qi Zhi with a warning tone. "Professor Qi, the school prohibits relationships between teachers and students."
Qi Zhi leisurely rested his chin on his hand. "But it hasn't been publicly stated that students can't date each other."
"But you're trying to steal my wife."
"Not until there's a marriage certificate." Qi Zhi casually stroked his chin. "Even if there is one, if there's no consummation, I can still make a move. And even after consummation, I wouldn't mind."
"You're a wolf in sheep's clothing."
"Likewise."
The atmosphere grew tense. I desperately looked to Lin You for help, but he shrugged and signaled with his eyes that it wasn't his concern, clearly enjoying the drama.
"Hey." Qi Zhi suddenly chuckled lightly, turning to take a sip of water. The movement aggravated his injury, causing him to curl up in pain.
Seeing this made me anxious. Lin You lifted the blanket and noticed blood seeping from the wound. He immediately rushed out to call for a doctor. I stared at the bright red blood oozing from the injury, startled.
"Weren't you supposed to have only superficial wounds? Why is there so much blood?"
I grabbed a tissue from the bedside table and pressed it against his wound. At that moment, I couldn't care less about whether Chu Fan would be angry because Qi Zhi's face had turned deathly pale, as if he might collapse at any moment.
"What's the big deal about a little blood? You're not going to die." Chu Fan said coolly, offering no help and only making sarcastic remarks. "Just think of it as a little bloodletting to improve circulation."
"Hey, if I die, there are some things you definitely won't get," Qi Zhi said weakly, his voice trembling. I quickly interjected, "Professor Qi, please don't talk. The doctor will be here soon."
The doctor arrived shortly after, stating that the wound had reopened and needed to be stitched up again. Once everything was taken care of, the doctor informed us, "The patient needs family to accompany him. You can leave someone here to watch over him."
"She is Professor Qi's sister; starting today, she will take care of him," Lin You said for some reason, pushing me forward. "Thank you, doctor."
After the doctor left, I was puzzled by Lin You's actions since Chu Fan seemed even more impatient now. "Why did you say that?"
"Isn't it obvious? It's for your sake," Lin You whispered in my ear as she pulled me close. "You can't defy Chu Fan, but Professor Qi really got hurt because of you. You owe him this. Besides, the school knows about this incident. If they find out you're here taking care of him, all the girls who admire him will surely resent you. If someone investigates and discovers we went to the old building, it could cause trouble. So by taking care of him as family, it helps keep things under wraps. And most importantly, Professor Qi gave you two choices; if you don't choose to take care of him, do you really want to be his girlfriend? Aren't you afraid that Chu Fan might get angry and do something to you?"
Hearing her words was like gaining ten years of wisdom in an instant; I understood the complexities involved and looked at Lin You with gratitude. She seemed to admire me and patted my back firmly. "Alright, I'll leave the rest to you. I'm off."
"Hey, you're just leaving like that?"
I thought Lin You was joking, but she really turned and walked away. Now Qi Zhi was still inside resting, leaving only me and Chu Fan in the hallway.
He leaned against the wall, staring directly at me with pursed lips. His dark eyes appeared even deeper in the shadows of the light, inscrutable.
Feeling a bit guilty, I took a deep breath and slowly approached him, reaching out to grab his sleeve. "Jun Chong, Professor Qi got hurt because of me after all. I'm just going to take care of him for a few days. Don't worry; I won't become his girlfriend. He must have been joking; someone like me with no figure or taste—how could he possibly like me?"
"So you're saying my taste is poor for choosing you?"
I jolted at his tone; there was a lot of resentment in it!
Just as I was trying to figure out how to smooth things over with him, Chu Fan cupped my face and leaned down for a kiss—deep and forceful. Suddenly, I felt something mixed with saliva being swallowed down my throat.
"Jun Chong, what did you just make me eat?"
"A secret. Anxin, remember two things: First, never easily agree to any requests he makes. Second, he is not allowed to kiss you again." Chu Fan pressed his forehead against mine and warned me word by word. "You are my woman; I don't want any other man's scent on you—especially his. My nose can pick up on that."
I smiled faintly, my heart filled with sweetness as I reached out to embrace him. "I promise you."
"Remember to wear that hairpin. It will protect you in dangerous times, and I will sense it as soon as possible," Chu Fan said, gently touching the hairpin on my head. I nodded, "I won't take it off. You can rest assured."
Afterward, I prayed for a while before heading back with Chu Fan. She mentioned that her mother needed her home for something, so she gave me a few instructions before leaving. I then went to the supermarket to buy ingredients and returned to the hospital to prepare dinner for Qi Zhi.
Since I promised to take care of him, I would start with his meals!
At six in the evening, I carried the lunchbox toward the hospital. The hospital was located right across from the Old House District, and recalling what happened during the day, I instinctively glanced over there. To my surprise, I spotted an old woman dressed in black, leaning on a cane at the entrance of the Old House District, staring in this direction.
I couldn't tell if she was looking at me because of the distance. Remembering what Lin You had said about the Cat-Faced Granny, a chill ran down my spine; it was a well-known supernatural tale whose truth remained uncertain.
Tightening my grip on the lunchbox, I prepared to turn back toward the hospital. However, as soon as I turned around, the old woman was standing right behind me. Her hunched back arched high, and her half-cat, half-human face twisted into an eerie smile directed at me.
This time, she held a bloody baby in her hands, its mouth open as if ready to bite down, flesh and blood mingling grotesquely.
My throat went dry instantly; I covered my mouth and gagged. To my horror, she suddenly grabbed my hair and forcefully shoved the bloody flesh into my mouth.
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