We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

As soon as Chen Yushan finished speaking, Chen Qiuhe suddenly stood up, the chair leg scraping against the floor with a screeching sound. She rushed out of the store without even having time to tidy up the scattered books, her eyes filled with panic and urgency.

"Wait!" Chen Yushan quickly reached out and grabbed her. "Don't rush, let's drive there."

Chen Qiuhe nodded vigorously. She quickly followed Chen Yushan to tidy up the dessert shop, turning off the cash register at the front desk, turning off the unnecessary lights, and gathering up the scattered tableware.

Should we go with them? He subconsciously looked at Xie Shu, and when their eyes met, she understood his thoughts.

Before he could speak, Xie Shu had already slowly stood up, walked to the front desk, and looked at Chen Yushan with sincere eyes:

"Cousin, let's go to the hospital together. Maybe we can help."

Chen Yushan looked up, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes. She glanced at Chen Qiuhe, who was frantically trying to do something, and finally nodded.

"Okay, then I'll trouble you."

"Cousin, I'm all packed. Let's go!" Chen Qiuhe said almost urgently, no longer caring why Li Mubai and Xie Shu were following along.

Chen Qiuhe sat in the passenger seat, leaning slightly forward, her hands gripping the hem of her clothes, her eyes fixed on the road ahead, wishing there wasn't a single car on the road so they could get to the hospital without any obstacles.

Chen Yushan gripped the steering wheel tightly, her foot on the accelerator, and the car sped up considerably. She turned her head to reassure Chen Qiuhe with a few words:

"Don't panic, there are nurses here."

The car drove for a full half hour before finally arriving at its destination. Chen Qiuhe didn't even wait for Chen Yushan to stop the car before unbuckled her seatbelt, pushed open the car door, and ran quickly toward the hospital.

Li Mubai and Xie Shu also quickly got out of the car and looked up to see the Second People's Hospital of Xiyue Province.

"Wait a moment, I'll park the car and then take you there," Chen Yushan said to the two of them before driving towards the parking lot.

Li Mubai and Xie Shu stood silently at the hospital entrance, while family members who came and went hurriedly to see a doctor or visit a patient.

About two or three minutes later, Chen Yushan quickly returned, led the two into the hospital gate, and headed straight for a general ward building.

Upon entering the building, Chen Yushan pressed the elevator button for the sixth floor.

beep!

The elevator doors slowly opened, and a strong smell of disinfectant wafted out, contrasting sharply with the sweet aroma of the dessert shop; it was pungent and cold.

Li Mubai glanced at the sign hanging on the ceiling—Psychiatry Department.

The corridor was crowded with many stretcher beds.

Not far away, a man in a blue and white patient gown stood by the window, his back to everyone, motionless. No matter how the medical staff and family members around him called out to him, he did not respond at all, like a statue.

"I feel like someone's watching me... someone's watching me..."

As I passed an open hospital room, I heard a woman's voice coming from inside, repeating itself over and over.

Are all the people here mentally ill?

Li Mubai glanced at Xie Shu beside him; she looked calm and fearless before looking away.

Finally, Chen Yushan led them to stop in front of a hospital ward.

The ward door was ajar, and through the crack, one could see Chen Qiuhe standing by the bedside, gently and patiently comforting the woman on the bed:

"Mom, if you eat just a little bit, you'll sleep better and feel less upset, okay?"

The woman lying on the bed had disheveled hair, a pale face, and somewhat unfocused eyes. She kept repeating:

"Mom isn't sick, I'm not sick... It's all your dad's fault for dragging me to the hospital. Qiuhe, you have to study hard and get into university, don't end up like Mom..."

"I will, Mom, I will definitely study hard." Chen Qiuhe held her mother's hand, her voice choked with emotion.

Chen Yushan, Li Mubai, and Xie Shu did not rush in. They simply stood quietly at the door, watching the scene inside the ward. Chen Yushan sighed softly.

"By the way, Qiuhe, what's the date today?" The woman on the bed suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with urgency.

Before Chen Qiuhe could speak, the patient in the next bed interjected, "June 8th? What other date could it be?"

"June 8th... June 8th... It's over! It's over!" The woman on the bed suddenly sat up as if she had been stimulated. Ignoring Chen Qiuhe's attempts to stop her, she struggled to put on her shoes, her voice urgent and panicked, "I have to take the college entrance exam! I'll be late if I don't go now! I have to go to university, I can't be late!"

"Mom, don't get excited, the exam is over." Chen Qiuhe quickly pressed her down. "You did very well, you got first place, the examiners said you're very capable, you don't need to go anymore."

"I'm number one?" The woman paused for a moment, then broke into a childlike smile, muttering to herself, "I'm number one, hehe, I got into university..."

Just then, the nurse came in with the medicine. Chen Qiuhe took the medicine, handed it to her mother, and gently coaxed her:

"Mom, the examiner said that if I eat this, I can truly get first place and go to university, okay?"

"Okay, Mom will take it. Mom wants to get first place and go to university." The woman obediently took the medicine and swallowed it with warm water without any resistance.

Not long after taking the medicine, the woman, who had been restless, gradually calmed down, slowly lay back on the bed, closed her eyes, and her breathing became steady, as if she had fallen asleep.

Chen Qiuhe remained by her mother's bedside, gently holding her hand.

Chen Yushan then led Li Mubai and Xie Shu to sit down on the public seats in the corridor.

"Sigh..." Chen Yushan sighed deeply, her tone heavy. "As you can see, Qiuhe's mother, who is also my aunt, is now suffering from moderate mental disorder, with her condition fluctuating."

Xie Shu frowned slightly and asked softly, "Cousin, is Qiuhe's mother like this because of the college entrance exam?"

"Yes." Chen Yushan nodded, her eyes full of regret.

"When my aunt was young, she was the most hardworking person in her village. She wanted to go to university and leave the village, but her family was poor and couldn't afford to send her to school. Her mother, Qiuhe's maternal grandmother, wanted her to get married. My aunt refused, so her grandmother locked her in the room and wouldn't let her take the college entrance exam."

After Chen Yushan finished speaking, Li Mubai and Xie Shu both fell silent. Under the current conditions, this was obviously an absurd approach, but in Xiyue Province more than 20 years ago, especially in remote rural areas, such things were not uncommon.

"Of course, the college entrance examination was just a trigger," Chen Yushan added. "My aunt's family has a history of mental illness, but in their generation, only my aunt has been diagnosed with it."

"So... Qiuhe might also inherit this disease?"

"Well, the probability is very small," Chen Yushan continued to explain. "The offspring of this disease often do not inherit the disease itself, but rather a fragile brain and a sensitive personality. As long as they adjust their mindset and stay cheerful, they generally won't have any problems."

No wonder Chen Qiuhe always maintains a sunny and cheerful attitude...

"Xiao Shu, Xiao Bai," Chen Yushan suddenly spoke, her tone becoming sincere, "Actually, the reason I brought you here today and told you all this is because I see you as Qiu He's true friends."

She paused, then continued, "She never used to bring friends. Her life is too difficult, and she never tells us what she does at school. So I hope you can take good care of her at school."

"Don't worry, cousin, we'll take good care of Qiuhe at school," Xie Shu replied.

"Thank you for your help."

"By the way, cousin," Li Mubai suddenly remembered something, "what's the situation with Qiuhe's father?"

"Uncle..." Chen Yushan seemed a little embarrassed to mention Chen Qiuhe's father.

Just then, Chen Qiuhe's voice suddenly came from the door of the ward:

"Cousin, my mom has calmed down and fallen asleep. The nurse said she's fine."

Li Mubai looked up and saw that Chen Qiuhe's eyes were red. She walked over, sat down in the empty seat, buried her head in her knees, and didn't say a word.

"Let's stay here for half an hour and check on Auntie's condition. If everything's alright, we'll go back," Chen Yushan said softly. "There are nurses taking turns looking after her here, so don't worry."

"Hmm," Chen Qiuhe responded listlessly, still keeping her head down.

Silence fell again in the corridor, the noise from the hospital and the murmurs of patients mingling together, making people increasingly irritable.

Neither Li Mubai nor Xie Shu spoke; they simply stayed quietly with Chen Qiuhe.

After a while, Xie Shu gently moved to Chen Qiuhe's side, reached out, and gently hugged her shoulders.

The faint sobs mingled with the noise of the hospital.