“What is it?” Zhou Wan asked.
“Nothing.” Lu Xixiao withdrew his hand, putting it in his pocket, saying softly, “I’m going downstairs for a bit.”
“Mm.”
After a pause, Zhou Wan remembered to add, “Thank you.”
Lu Xixiao didn’t respond, turning to go downstairs.
Zhou Wan thought he must be leaving, but unexpectedly he returned just ten minutes later with two bottles of water.
He opened one and handed it to Zhou Wan.
Zhou Wan thanked him and took a sip, the water soothing her dry mouth and throat.
The operating room’s green light stayed on, and outside, the two of them waited – Zhou Wan sitting, Lu Xixiao leaning lazily against the wall, both quiet, neither speaking.
Zhou Wan knew that by proper etiquette she should tell Lu Xixiao to go home, that he didn’t need to stay with her.
But she didn’t have the energy to spare to say anything to him.
There was another reason too – she was afraid.
She was afraid that today she might receive bad news, destined to be alone from then on. At least while accepting this reality, there was still someone keeping her company.
As it turned out, Lu Xixiao was the best companion.
His presence was strong; even just standing there, no one could ignore him.
He was also very quiet, silently standing nearby, not disturbing.
Every minute and second felt like torture until the surgery light went off.
The nurse came out saying everything was successful.
Zhou Wan’s whole body went limp, her taut nerves finally relaxing, tears instantly streaming down uncontrollably.
What followed was a series of busy running around – her grandmother being moved to a ward, Zhou Wan going to Dr. Chen’s office to inquire about her grandmother’s condition.
Even late at night, the hospital was full of people, telling stories of human suffering and torment.
After handling everything, Zhou Wan suddenly remembered she hadn’t paid the surgery fees.
Dr. Chen raised his eyebrows in surprise: “You’ve already paid, haven’t you?”
Zhou Wan was stunned.
Dr. Chen pulled up the records on the computer: “Look, you’ve even paid for half a month’s ward fees.”
“But I haven’t paid…”
Just then, a nurse walked in: “It was the young man standing next to you during surgery who went downstairs to pay.”
Zhou Wan was stunned.
Lu Xixiao?
When he went downstairs that time, he didn’t just buy water, he also paid her medical bills.
At that moment, Zhou Wan’s heart was filled with mixed emotions.
She asked the nurse how much it was, intending to pay Lu Xixiao back soon, but fell silent upon hearing the amount – she couldn’t gather that much money at once.
After leaving the office, Zhou Wan went to check on her grandmother in the ward.
Lu Xixiao had paid for a private room.
The ward was very quiet, good for sleeping.
Her grandmother was still under anesthesia and wouldn’t wake up for a while. Zhou Wan poured a glass of water and left it by her bedside, then left the ward and sent Lu Xixiao a message.
[Zhou Wan: Where are you?]
After a while, Lu Xixiao replied.
[6: Downstairs.]
Zhou Wan found him at the hospital entrance.
Smoking was prohibited inside the hospital, so this space at the entrance had become the default smoking area. Lu Xixiao had an unlit cigarette between his teeth, moving it up and down between his teeth. In the moonlight, his figure was tall and unconventional.
“Lu Xixiao.”
He turned around without speaking.
“Thank you,” Zhou Wan thanked him earnestly.
He smiled faintly: “You’ve been saying that to me all night.”
“This time it’s for helping me pay the medical bills,” Zhou Wan looked at him and said, “But I can’t pay you back right away. Could I return it to you when I’ve gathered enough money?”
“No need.” He lowered his head, using one hand to block the wind as he lit his cigarette, replying carelessly, “Didn’t you treat me to noodles too?”
Zhou Wan was stunned for a moment, saying softly: “But the difference is too big.”
“It’s the same thing.”
Zhou Wan knew he wasn’t short of money.