Sent to the countryside, I turned the health center into a top-tier hospital.

Supported by Cui Ying, Chen Ping staggered across the courtyard.

The moon rose above the poplar treetops, the stone table was bathed in moonlight and turned white, the poplar leaves rustled overhead, and a few withered leaves swirled down onto the stone bench.

Chen Ping walked to the stone table and suddenly stopped, as if he had tripped over something, and then sat down on the stone bench with a thud.

He leaned on the table, looked up at Cui Ying, his face flushed from the alcohol, but his eyes were brighter than they had been in the cafeteria, and he didn't seem completely drunk.

Cui Ying was standing next to him, still holding his arm in her hand, when he suddenly sat down and pulled her forward.

Cui Ying glanced down at Chen Ping. "Why aren't you moving? The dormitory is just ahead."

Chen Ping didn't answer, but patted the stone bench next to him. "Sit for a while and get some fresh air."

Cui Ying looked at him for a few seconds, then released her grip on his arm and sat down next to him.

The night wind blew in from the mountain valley, carrying the dampness of earth and hay, cool and refreshing, making the silence between the two people seem thin and transparent.

"you……"

Chen Ping spoke, his voice lower than usual, as if something was weighing on his throat, "While I was away, did a man come looking for you?"

Cui Ying turned her head to look at him, the moonlight shining on her face, making it glow with a fair radiance.

A slight smile played on her lips, and her voice carried a hint of smugness: "Wang Tao told you?"

Chen Ping did not deny it, "Never mind who told me, just tell me if this happened or not."

"have."

Cui Ying answered very decisively, so decisively that Chen Ping was taken aback.

Chen Ping thought Cui Ying would deny it or try to evade the question, but he didn't expect her to admit it so readily.

This left Chen Ping speechless for a moment.

Seeing that Chen Ping remained silent, Cui Ying continued, "Then guess again, what does he want from me?"

Chen Ping stared at Cui Ying for a moment, then looked down and took out a cigarette. He tried to light it several times, but the wind blew it out each time.

Without saying a word, Cui Ying snatched the lighter, shielded Chen Ping's cigarette with one hand while using the other to light it.

Chen Ping took a deep drag of his cigarette and then slowly exhaled.

The smoke was blown by the wind towards Cui Ying.

Seeing this, Chen Ping quickly fanned himself with his hand and changed his position.

Cui Ying quietly looked at Chen Ping, waiting for his answer.

"Is it the person who called you last time?"

Chen Ping exhaled a puff of smoke and slowly began to speak, "It's the one where you hide to answer the phone in the middle of the night."

Cui Ying didn't answer yes or no, she just smiled.

The smile wasn't big, and it appeared hazy under the moonlight, as if seen through a thin veil.

She turned her gaze away and looked at the poplar tree in the yard. "You guessed pretty accurately."

Chen Ping took another deep drag of his cigarette, hoping the smoke would clear his dizzy head.

The alcohol made his mind work slower than usual, but some things were actually easier to say than when he was sober: "Who exactly is he?"

Chen Ping finally asked the question he had wanted to ask for a long time.

When he is sober, he lacks the courage and feels he has no right to ask.

But now, he really wanted to know what this man's identity was.

"A classmate from university."

Cui Ying's voice was calm, without any surprise, "I stayed abroad for several years and only recently came back."

Chen Ping didn't reply, he just stared at her.

The moonlight clearly outlined the contours of her profile, and the smile still lingered on her lips, but she didn't look back.

"Just classmates?" Chen Ping stared intently at Cui Ying, his tone tinged with urgency and nervousness.

Chen Ping longed for this man, but he was only Cui Ying's classmate.

But he knew that if they were just classmates, the other party wouldn't keep bothering Cui Ying.

Cui Ying wouldn't deliberately avoid answering the phone.

Based on these facts, Chen Ping deduced that this man was not only Cui Ying's classmate.

Cui Ying also turned her gaze to Chen Ping, and the two locked eyes.

Feeling Cui Ying's gaze, Chen Ping seemed to realize that his question was somewhat inappropriate and awkward, so he slowly shifted his gaze away from Cui Ying.

"I...I'm just curious, if we're just classmates..."

"He's my ex-boyfriend. We used to date." Before Chen Ping could finish speaking, Cui Ying interrupted him.

Chen Ping was slightly taken aback, and his gaze returned to Cui Ying.

His face showed a hint of surprise. Although he had already guessed it, Chen Ping still felt a pang in his heart when he heard Cui Ying admit it.

"Why did he come to see you? To get back together?"

Chen Ping asked the question in a casual tone, but the nervousness in his voice completely betrayed his true feelings.

Cui Ying didn't answer him, but just looked at him, her smile deepening slightly. "Are you so concerned because you're afraid I'll run off with someone else, or is there something else?"

Chen Ping opened his mouth, but swallowed the words back.

He took a few deep drags on his cigarette, then threw away the cigarette butt.

After taking a deep breath, Chen Ping said, "I'm afraid you'll go with him."

Upon hearing this, Cui Ying laughed, her eyes fixed on Chen Ping, filled with undisguised affection.

"You...you don't misunderstand, I'm just worried you'll get scammed by a jerk."

"Even a good horse doesn't turn back to eat the grass it already grazed. Since he's your ex-boyfriend and you've been separated for so many years, you don't know each other anymore. Don't be fooled."

Feeling Cui Ying's undisguised declaration of love, Chen Ping became so nervous that he became somewhat incoherent.

Hearing Chen Ping's weak and feeble explanation, Cui Ying smiled but said nothing.

Cui Ying understood Chen Ping's thoughts, so she didn't care how Chen Ping explained them.

The two sat quietly for a while, as gusts of wind blew by, rustling the poplar leaves. A small, withered leaf drifted down onto the stone table, swirling and sticking to Chen Ping's sleeve.

Cui Ying reached out and gently picked up the leaf, placing it on the table. Then she said, "I'm not a little girl anymore. I can tell if a guy is a scumbag or not, and I won't be fooled."

"If anyone likes me, then I'd better hurry, I'm in high demand right now..."

Cui Ying watched with amusement as she looked at Chen Ping, wondering what he would say.

Chen Ping's lips moved as if he was about to say something, but suddenly his stomach churned.

His expression changed, and he covered his mouth and bent over.

Cui Ying realized what was happening and quickly stood up to support his shoulder, patting his back with her other hand, "Slow down, slow down..."

Chen Ping bent over and gagged twice, but nothing came out; his face turned pale.

Cui Ying helped him to his feet. "Let's go to the dorm first. I'll make you a cup of tea. Who told you to drink so much?"

Cui Ying's face was full of heartache. She half-helped and half-dragged Chen Ping into the dormitory, made him sit on the bed, and then turned around to make tea.