We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

Li Mubai turned his head and saw Xie Zhiqiang walking over in a hurry.

"Hello, Uncle Xie."

"Hmm." Xie Zhiqiang nodded, his gaze passing over him and landing on Wu Changguo.

"Mr. Xie, please don't worry. Xie Shu has already been taken to the emergency room for diagnosis and treatment," Wu Changguo said.

"What's the situation with Xiao Shu now?" Xie Zhiqiang's brows were tightly furrowed.

Wu Changguo glanced at Li Mubai, signaling him to speak.

"It started with a moderate fever and I felt weak all over. By the time I got to the hospital... I was barely conscious," Li Mubai said briefly.

After listening, Xie Zhiqiang didn't reply. The light in the corridor fell on his head, casting a shadow.

Just then, the emergency room door opened, and a nurse poked her head out: "Has Xie Shu's family arrived?"

"Yes, that's me." Xie Zhiqiang stepped forward.

"Family member, please come in for a moment. There are some things we need you to confirm."

Xie Zhiqiang nodded and followed the nurse into the emergency room. The door closed behind him, leaving Li Mubai and Wu Changguo alone in the corridor.

A cold wind, seemingly coming from nowhere, swept across the ground. Li Mubai pulled his coat tighter, feeling as if a stone was pressing on his chest.

"Li Mubai," Wu Changguo suddenly spoke.

Li Mubai turned his head.

"There's nothing more for us to do here. You should go back to your evening study session."

Li Mubai lowered his head and remained silent for two seconds: "Teacher Wu, can I wait a little longer? At least until her condition stabilizes a bit."

He could only go back in peace once she recovered... once she was fully conscious.

Wu Changguo looked at him for a while, his brows furrowed slightly, then slowly relaxed.

"There's no use waiting here. Xie Shu's father is here. You can go back and focus on your studies. I'll keep you updated on Xie Shu's situation with her family. I'll let you know when things get better."

Li Mubai remained silent, his eyes lowered as he stared at the cold, gleaming reflection on the floor tiles.

Wu Changguo took a breath and exhaled. He raised his watch and glanced at the time: 9:30.

"It'll be 10:30 at the latest. I'll take you back to school by 10:30." Wu Changguo said in a tone that left no room for negotiation.

"Okay, thank you, teacher."

Li Mubai bowed solemnly to him. To be honest, Teacher Wu had been tolerant enough of him and Xie Shu; it was he who kept troubling others.

"fine."

Wu Changguo didn't say anything more, took out his phone, looked down and pressed a few buttons, probably to send a message to Teacher Chen.

Time passed second by second, and Li Mubai kept pacing back and forth, his legs starting to ache slightly.

Finally, a little after ten o'clock, the emergency room door was pushed open again.

Xie Zhiqiang and a nurse came out one after the other. When he saw the two people in the corridor, he paused for a moment, as if he hadn't expected them to still be there.

"Uncle Xie, how is Xie Shu doing now?" Li Mubai couldn't help but step forward and ask.

Wu Changguo also put down his phone and looked up at Xie Zhiqiang.

The air was silent for a few seconds. Xie Zhiqiang seemed to hesitate about whether to tell them the truth. After a long while, he finally opened his mouth:

"The diagnosis is pneumonia, but the patient has regained consciousness and is currently receiving treatment. After treatment, the patient will be observed for another eight hours. If there are no relapses, the patient can be transferred to a regular ward."

After listening, Li Mubai took a long breath, feeling a great weight lifted from his chest.

He sincerely thanked Xie Zhiqiang: "Thank you for informing me, Uncle!"

"You've been a great help today. I need to go with the nurse to take care of some paperwork. If there's nothing else, you can go back and rest early."

Li Mubai thought for a long time and finally nodded. Although he was still worried about Xie Shu, staying here would only cause trouble for others.

Xie Zhiqiang and the nurse disappeared around the corner of the corridor.

"Let's go." Wu Changguo patted his shoulder. "Xie Shu should be fine now. If you're really worried, come see her after school this weekend. It'll be easier then."

"Okay." Li Mubai responded and followed Wu Changguo out of the hospital gate...

The winter night wind, carrying a chill, blew against his face, stinging his cheeks. By the time Li Mubai returned to his office, the bell had already rung to signal the end of evening self-study.

A dozen seconds later, the entire campus returned to silence. The office was well soundproofed, especially with the windows closed, so the sounds of students laughing and joking couldn't get in at all.

In the quiet room, Li Mubai silently packed his schoolbag.

The jasmine by the window has stopped blooming; its base is piled with yellowed old leaves, while the middle and upper layers still retain some green. It has been like this for a long time, as if it has stopped growing.

Li Mubai withdrew his gaze and looked at the desk opposite him. Xie Shu's homework and pens were scattered on the desk. He walked over and put them into his light blue schoolbag little by little.

He carried his own schoolbag on his back and held Xie Shu's schoolbag in his arms, then snapped the lights off.

Students walked in twos and threes along the way. Some had arranged to go for a walk on the playground together, while others had arranged to go to the convenience store for a late-night snack. Li Mubai carried two bags and walked alone towards the dormitory.

"Li Mubai." Someone called his name from behind. He turned around and saw Chen Qiuhe walking quickly towards him, carrying a trash bag.

"Where did Xie Shu go? I didn't see her last night." She glanced at the backpack Li Mubai was carrying. "Hmm? And why is Xie Shu's backpack with you?"

"She was sick and was taken to the hospital. I'll carry her schoolbag for her."

"Going to the hospital because you're sick?! Is it serious?"

"He's out of danger now. If there are no complications, he can continue his treatment in a regular ward until he fully recovers."

"What kind of illness is it? Does it require hospitalization?" Chen Qiuhe lifted the trash bag in her hand. "Wait, let's talk as we walk."

Li Mubai nodded: "Pneumonia."

"Pneumonia? Is that the disease that was in the news earlier this year?"

"It should be." Li Mubai wasn't entirely sure either.

"That's good, that's good." Chen Qiuhe breathed a sigh of relief.

"What's wrong?" Li Mubai asked, puzzled.

"This pneumonia outbreak was quite severe in the first half of the year, and many people died."

"Many people died?" Li Mubai's voice suddenly became urgent.

"Yes." Chen Qiuhe nodded. "But it's much better now, the harm has been greatly reduced."

When she arrived at the landfill, she threw the garbage bag she was carrying into it.

"So... Xie Shu should be alright."

Li Mubai didn't reply; he just nodded blankly.

"Look at yourself," Chen Qiuhe suddenly turned her head to look at him, as if she had just noticed something, "Xie Shu is sick, and you've lost your soul, you walk like a zombie in a movie."

"Zombies?"

"Yeah, your eyes were fixed straight ahead, and your face was completely expressionless. Don't you know what you were like just now?"

"It's not that exaggerated, is it?" He felt she had gone a bit too far.

"You just lack self-awareness. Like when you liked Xie Shu, it was already very obvious, but you still thought you were hiding it very well."

"Uh..." Li Mubai scratched his face awkwardly.

Chen Qiuhe glanced at him again: "Alright, give me Xie Shu's schoolbag. I'll put it on her bed so it'll be easy to find if her family comes to pack their things."

Li Mubai hesitated for a moment, then handed over the schoolbag. Chen Qiuhe took it and weighed it in her hand; it wasn't too heavy.

"Li Mubai".

"Um?"

He turned his head and met her eyes, but she didn't look at him; her gaze was fixed on the empty space beside her.

"If... I mean if," her tone was a few degrees more serious than before, "if Xie Shu leaves you in the future, are you going to give up on yourself and live like a walking corpse, constantly anxious and lost?"

"Xie Shu left me?"

Li Mubai didn't quite understand what Chen Qiuhe meant. Was she referring to Xie Shuhui going abroad?

"I'm just making an assumption. Actually... I think you're a bit inseparable from her right now, but growing up isn't just about mutual support with another person; it's also about your own personal growth."

Li Mubai frowned as he listened to Chen Qiuhe finish speaking. Just as he was about to speak, he heard her say again:

"Haha, if you don't agree, just pretend I didn't say anything. I'm off! Get some rest, goodnight and see you later!"

She laughed twice, then disappeared through the dormitory door in a flash. Li Mubai stood there for a few seconds before turning around and going back to his dorm...