Chapter Eighteen

Tao Ran smiled, his eyes curved into little crescent moons, with tiny, flickering sparks of joy. It was a very pure and authentic happiness.

Qiao Ye was taken aback, and before he could regain his composure, he had already pressed his palm on Tao Ran's head. Tao Ran didn't dodge and his first reaction was to squint his eyes and ask, "What's wrong?"

"You're like a rabbit I kept as a pet.", Qiao Ye withdrew his hand. "Snowy white. But the first one I kept was a black rabbit. I raised it for almost half a year, but when my brother visited me for the first time in ages, he had the audacity to use it as an ingredient for the cook to stew." His tone was full of resentment.

"However, it still smells very good."

Taoran smiled and the flowers on her hair trembled. After she finished laughing, she remembered to respond, "Who is your pet rabbit!"

Qiao Ye stretched lazily and didn't seem to care much, just as he heard the bell for class to start ringing. He rummaged through his bag for a while and took out a box of peppermint candy to give to Tao Ran: "You listen to the class, I'll entertain myself."

Qiao Ye and his history teacher were never a match, as he would rather play with his phone and fall asleep than take a second look at the old woman. He pulled his phone out from under the table and took a curious glance, only to see that he had actually gotten a new one.

Tao Ran listened attentively to the class and had a clear table in his mind when going over the unit review with the teacher. However, when it was time for the exam in the second half of the class, Taoran began to zone out and felt a dull pain creeping up from his stomach.

At first, the pain was dull and bearable, but when the discomfort began to spread, it felt like a wildfire sweeping across. The burning, stinging sensation started to rise, choking the throat, and making one feel nauseous, as if wanting to vomit.

"What happened? Why is your face so pale?" Qiao Ye unintentionally glanced at Tao Ran and was startled by her appearance.

Tao Ran pressed one hand on his stomach and said weakly, "My stomach hurts."

Qiao Ye's face changed and he cursed, "Are you stupid? You have a bad stomach and yet you still dare to eat spicy hotpot with ice cream!"

The history teacher frowned and asked, "Qiao Ye, why are you making a fuss over there?"

Qiao Ye raised his hand and said, "My desk mate has a stomach illness, and will be taking a leave!"

"Why didn't he tell me himself if he's sick?"

Qiao Ye is also angry now: "Screw you! He's already like this, what else do you want him to say to you?!" He stands up abruptly and grabs Tao Ran's arm, "Let's go."

The teacher also had no intention of attracting trouble to himself, and perhaps had only heard some unsubstantiated rumors. In the end, she did not do anything to them and even gave way to himself.

Tao Ran walked outside and took a moment to catch his breath before saying weakly, "Don't anger the teacher."

"Who is this for?!" Qiao Ye shouted angrily.

A fine layer of cold sweat formed on Tao Ran's forehead. "Just go to the school clinic..."

"Shut up! That's a veterinary surgeon," Qiao Ye yelled as he looked at Tao Ran's pale face. With a sigh, he scooped him up in his arms and said, "Go ahead and torture me then."

Tao Ran was stunned and instinctively tried to struggle, but the pain made him curl up even tighter: "...I'll go on my own..."

Qiao Ye didn't say anything. The boy had great strength and strong, sturdy arms. They quickly stepped out of the school gates and were lucky enough to flag down a taxi with ease.

"Please hurry, my classmate is seriously ill.", said Qiao Ye.

"It's nothing... just a stomachache.", Tao Ran weakly spoke up.

"Shut up, when you've got a piercing done, you'll know it's a big deal!" Although Qiao Ye's tone was impatient, he pressed his hand on Tao Ran's stomach, rubbing it clockwise with force. "Does it hurt here?"

Tao Ran nodded slowly, the pain was intense and almost brought tears to her eyes.

"I'm sorry.", Qiao Ye's voice began to carry a hint of guilt.

Tao Ran gently held onto Qiaoye's fingers and shook his head hard. Qiaoye understood Taoran's message.

They were all silent, with Qiao Ye helping Tao Ran warm his stomach. They soon arrived at the hospital, with Qiao Ye taking Tao Ran directly to the fourth floor in the elevator and knocking on the director's door. He called out 'uncle' and within a quarter of an hour, Tao Ran was settled in.

"Acute gastroenteritis. Pay attention to mild stomach nourishment. Avoid smoking, alcohol, spicy and irritating foods." The young doctor closed the medical record book and reached out to adjust Tao Ran's IV drip rate.

Qiao Ye was sitting next to Tao Ran, propping his chin up as he looked at him and said, "You don't have to think about what to eat anymore. At least for the next two weeks, you can only have porridge."

Tao Ran was still quite weak, but he smiled at him and said, "I'm just eating porridge, I didn't force you to eat with me. What's there to worry about?"

Qiao Ye shook his head and went to pour a cup of warm water for Tao Ran.

Tao Ran drank half a cup of water and said thanks.

Qiao Ye is a typical northern man, who can shoulder responsibilities and will try to make up for his mistakes if he believes he is wrong. He does not show any signs of trouble even in the midst of difficulties.

"Don't stay for evening self-study. After the IV infusion, I'll send you home."

"It's alright, the pain is not as severe as before."

Before Qiao Ye could say anything, the door of the hospital room was knocked three times, followed by a short knock.

"Who is it?" Qiao Ye asked irritably as she went to open the door, feeling agitated and unsettled.

"Hello, we received a call from the class teacher asking us to come and take the young master home."

"Bodyguard?"

"Alright then." The middle-aged man smiled and turned sideways to enter the door.

A man stood next to Tao Ran and nodded slightly in greeting, pulling out his phone and dialing a number before handing it to Tao Ran.

After a few rings, someone picked up the phone and said, "Tao Ran."

It is Li Zekun.

Tao Ran cast a quick glance at Qiao Ye and quickly turned his back to lower the volume of the microphone, saying, "Brother."

"Are you at the hospital?"

"Yeah, I have a classmate to accompany me."

"Go with the person who is picking you up, I will head back now."

Tao Ran responded gently. After hearing the sound of the phone hanging up, she returned to her senses and the pain in her stomach and heart became one.

In a phone call that lasted over twenty seconds, the man didn't mention his illness at all, showing no concern or empathy. Tao Ran didn't expect anything else, but in the end, he still felt a bit sad.

Tao Ran absentmindedly returned the phone, and bent over to slip on his shoes, not even noticing that the needle was askew.

Qiao Ye firmly grasped Tao Ran's hand and said, "You should rest for a while before going back after getting your shot."

The man standing beside them walked over and directly pulled out Tao Ran's needle, saying, "There's a doctor at home, don't make Mr. Wait."

Qiao Ye wanted to curse, but he restrained himself in the end. He could have pointed at the man's nose and scolded him for why there were so many problems in their family. How could they be in a hurry to return home when the person was weak and in such a state? But he didn't have the heart to do it. He didn't even know how to interpret the loneliness and disappointment that he could see on Tao Ran's pale face. He didn't want to stimulate him any further. This was the first time that Qiao Ye willingly yielded. He silently supported Tao Ran and escorted him to the Audi A8 before turning and leaving.

The pain in Tao Ran's stomach surged up again, but he tortured himself by not reaching out to press it down. His fingers quivered from the spasms at his side. His eyes were unfocused, staring at the empty point on the car roof. For a moment, he missed the hotpot he had for lunch and the taste of Argeadis rum.

It was just a morning incident, why does it feel so distant now when I think about it? Tao Ran couldn't understand and tears rolled down his face as he lowered his eyelids.