We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

"Stop writing and put away your paper."

Li Mubai flipped the answer sheet back to the front, and was about to put down his pen when his eyes swept over the empty name column. He quickly filled in his name while the teacher looked down, and then put the pen down.

"Li Mubai".

He slung his backpack over his shoulder and prepared to leave when someone suddenly called out to him from behind.

"I wanted to ask, how is Xie Shu doing lately? I didn't bring my phone," Deng Yi asked, while Chen Qiuhe stood beside her with a bag slung over one shoulder.

"Still undergoing treatment and recovery."

"Is it not ready yet?" Deng Yi frowned.

"without."

"Which hospital is she in? Can we go see her?" Deng Yi asked again.

"Shenghe International Hospital is a good option," Li Mubai said after a moment's thought. "Xie Shu's parents are taking care of her."

"Hmm—" Deng Yi hesitated for a moment, then bowed slightly, "Thank you."

"It's nothing," he waved his hand.

Deng Yi said goodbye to Chen Qiuhe, then turned and walked towards the back door.

"Going home, going home, you didn't even wait for me before you were ready to leave on your own!" Chen Qiuhe walked up.

"What are you waiting for?" Li Mubai glanced at her.

"Why didn't you wait for me?" she retorted.

Li Mubai shut his mouth, refusing to play this pointless game of cat and mouse with Chen Qiuhe, and walked straight toward the school's front gate.

"Li Mubai, are you very aloof?" Chen Qiuhe caught up in a few steps, imitating Zhong Jianjun's tone in a high-pitched voice, "First, you're not tall, and second, you're not aloof."

"You seem particularly energetic today? Did you do well on your exams this week?"

"No, I just performed at my average level."

"Then why are you so excited?"

"Is that not allowed? I've always been a lively and cheerful girl, and you've known me for a long time." Chen Qiuhe chuckled twice.

Li Mubai's lips twitched, and he simply shut his mouth and didn't reply. Chen Qiuhe kept nagging, sometimes saying that December was almost over, sometimes asking him which major he planned to apply for at Peking University.

"The car is here," Li Mubai reminded him.

The No. 76 bus stopped steadily in front of them. Chen Qiuhe ran up first, and he swiped his card after her.

Li Mubai put his phone away and glanced at the back row, where Chen Qiuhe was waving at him.

"Come quick!"

"Young people should stand a little longer." Li Mubai walked over and sat down before Chen Qiuhe could even move her bag, which was taking up space.

"Then don't sit down." Chen Qiuhe's little face hardened.

"You've already reserved seats for me, it would be a waste of your kindness if I didn't sit down." Li Mubai held his schoolbag in front of him.

"snort."

The bus started moving, and the sound of the engine came from the back of the bus. You could feel the slight vibration even through the window.

Li Mubai took out his phone and glanced at it, a slight smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips.

"Hey, Li Mubai, are you going to see Xie Shu later?" Chen Qiuhe asked, turning her head to the side.

"Mm." He nodded.

Chen Qiuhe lowered her eyes slightly, turned her head away, and stopped looking at him.

"Are you going?" Li Mubai asked.

"I'm not going."

"Why not go?" he asked, puzzled.

"Didn't you say Xie Shu's parents would be there too? I'd feel really awkward if I went!"

Li Mubai chuckled twice, surprised that someone as cheerful as Chen Qiuhe would be afraid of meeting elders.

"Won't you feel awkward going?" Chen Qiuhe poked him with her finger. "Be careful her parents think you're dating too early and force you two to break up."

"fine."

"Nothing happened?" Chen Qiuhe was taken aback for a moment, then realized what she meant, her tone filled with surprise, "You've met Xie Shu's parents?!"

"Um."

Li Mubai nodded calmly; he rarely talked about his relationship with Xie Shu with others.

"Did her parents give you a few million dollars to leave their daughter?" Chen Qiuhe leaned closer, her curiosity barely concealed.

What the hell...

"We have arrived at Gaoxin Road. Passengers who wish to alight, please exit through the rear door."

"Let me pass!"

Li Mubai stood up and got out of the car first, without making way for her.

"Wait, you're not going to come home with me, are you?" Chen Qiuhe's eyes widened.

"What are you thinking about? Didn't I just tell you I was going to see Xie Shu?"

"Oh—" Chen Qiuhe drawled, "So you're planning to go now. I thought it was tomorrow morning. Remember to tell Xie Shu how much I care."

"Okay, I'm leaving now, goodbye." Li Mubai waved his hand, turned around and left.

"goodbye."

Chen Qiuhe stood still, watching his back turn as he crossed the intersection, before turning her gaze away and walking in the opposite direction.

Shenghe International Hospital does indeed look much larger than the hospital Wu Changguo was sent to.

After Xie Shu's condition stabilized, Xie Zhiqiang transferred her here, where the facilities and equipment were better than the previous one.

Fortunately, he had contacted Xie Shu in advance, otherwise he would have been disappointed when he went to the hospital next to the school.

Following the roadside signs, it took him several minutes to find the inpatient building.

As the elevator ascended floor by floor, the numbers ticked up, and Li Mubai's heartbeat gradually quickened. He wondered if Xie Zhiqiang, Xu Ting, or both of them would be there later.

With a crisp "ding," we arrived at the fifteenth floor.

Based on the information Xie Shu provided, he found Xie Shu's ward number, but the door was locked.

He stood at the door for a few seconds, took a deep breath, and knocked twice.

No sound? Are they resting?

He tapped the phone three more times, and it buzzed in his pocket.

Yan Shu: "You're here? Just come in."

With Xie Shu's permission, he suppressed his nervousness, opened the door, and went inside.

A hospital room resembling a single hotel room came into view, with the window half-open, letting in a few gusts of cold air. Because the surrounding area was all hospital grounds, the room was exceptionally quiet.

His gaze quickly locked onto Xie Shu, who was leaning against the hospital bed, and Xie Shu was also quietly looking at him.

She looked much better after a few days, though her face was still a little pale.

He quickly glanced around the ward and, not seeing Xie Shu's parents, breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"Xie Shu, how have you been lately?" He walked to her bedside.

"It's alright, but I still need to rest for a while." She coughed twice after saying that. "While I wasn't at school, did you study hard?"

"..."

"It feels like a student coming to see a teacher," Li Mubai thought to himself.

"My daily life is still the same: dormitory, cafeteria, and classroom," he said.

"What about the library?" Xie Shu asked.

"I'm not going." Li Mubai found a chair and sat down.

"Why aren't you going?"

"There's no point in me going alone since you're not here."

He really couldn't live without Xie Shu; he only had the motivation to do anything if Xie Shu was around.

"I've been studying hard even though I'm sick. You should study hard too, even though I'm not by your side," Xie Shu said.

Only then did Li Mubai notice that there was a copy of "Pride and Prejudice" on his pillow.

"Xie Shu, how much longer until you can return to school?" he asked, skipping over the previous topic.

"If that's good, it can be done next Wednesday."

Li Mubai nodded. It's good that everything is alright. It seems that the year will be over by next weekend. However, there won't be a New Year's Eve party for senior high school students. All they will have is a plain one-day holiday.

"Li Mubai," Xie Shu said softly.

"Um?"

"Hold out your hand, let me see if it's cold outside. I haven't been out for days," Xie Shu said, glancing around elsewhere.

"..."

He glanced at her, but didn't expose her. He reached out and took her hand, which was resting on the blanket. Her fingers were cool, just like before.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

"It's not cold, your hands are warmer than an air conditioner," she said.

Instead of letting go, she slowly adjusted the angle in his palm, gently holding his fingers together.

The ward was silent for a few seconds. A gust of wind from outside stirred the curtains, and Xie Shu's low voice rang out:

I miss you too.

Upon hearing this, Li Mubai's heart skipped a beat.

With a click, the door was pushed open.

"Xiao Shu, I brought dinner, you..."

The sound stopped abruptly.