From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

She is absolutely right.

No matter how popular I am, I can get a lot of people to respond to my calls.

Despite the many people coming and going around me, I still can't find a single person with whom I can let down my guard and confide my true feelings.

Seeing that I remained silent, Su Qing reached out and gently patted my shoulder again, her tone extremely serious:

"But from now on, you will have one. From now on, I will be the friend you can confide in."

I chuckled softly, but didn't reply immediately.

Su Qing frowned, feigning anger as she glared at me: "What's with that expression? I'm willing to be your confidant, aren't you satisfied?"

"I'm not dissatisfied, it's just that I still can't quite believe it, it feels so unreal."

"Unreal?"

Her eyes darted around, and suddenly she grabbed my right hand and pressed it against her cheek.

The warm, soft touch instantly came from my palm, and my heart skipped a beat.

That's not what I meant at all.

I am just an ordinary person struggling at the bottom of society, desperately trying to make a living.

But she was a rich young lady who grew up in luxury.

We belong to two completely different worlds.

Her previous statement, "It's your honor to know me," was...

Looking back now, I realize that what he said was absolutely right.

"Answer me, is it true?" she asked again.

I took a deep breath, looked into her eyes, and nodded emphatically: "Very real."

"That's settled then. From now on, if you have anything on your mind, feel free to come and confide in me. At worst, I'll just make a joke at you, but I'll never reveal your secrets to anyone."

She had barely finished speaking when the nurse's voice came from the window:

"Number 32, the test results are in."

The nurse's voice pulled me back from my reverie.

I withdrew my hand from Su Qing's cheek, my fingertips still retaining a little warmth.

After saying those words, the weight on my heart actually felt lighter.

Su Qing also dropped her previous demeanor, blinked twice as if nothing had happened, and turned to walk towards the order window.

I followed behind her, watching her slender figure from behind.

I've never mentioned those things to anyone from childhood to adulthood.

He's afraid of the dark, afraid to live alone, and all the trauma from his childhood is hidden away, and he plans to take it with him to his coffin.

I don't know why, but I just blurted it out today.

She didn't say anything fancy, she just hugged me and said she would be my confidante from now on.

Just this one sentence made it seem as if something had filled in that space that had been empty for so many years.

A lab report was handed out through the window.

Su Qing took it and flipped through it for a while, but couldn't quite understand it, so she turned and handed it to me:

"Lin Ye, can you check if he's alright?"

I took it and looked at it once.

White blood cell count, gastrointestinal markers, and inflammatory response were all within the normal range.

There was no infection, no acute inflammation, and no signs of food poisoning.

I breathed a sigh of relief and said to her, "It's okay, everything is fine."

Su Qing relaxed completely and let out a long sigh: "I told you, I just had an upset stomach, you had to scare me like that."

We went back to the doctor's office and showed him the test results.

Su Qing asked impatiently, "Doctor, is there anything seriously wrong?"

After carefully examining the patient, the doctor said, "The indicators are normal, and there is no organic lesion. It's probably due to the high-altitude climate combined with a disordered diet, causing gastrointestinal dysfunction. This is very common among tourists from the plains. I'll prescribe two boxes of medicine for you to take home and eat a light diet."

After saying that, the doctor asked again, "Are you going to Lhasa?"

I nodded, and the doctor kindly advised, "If you're going to Lhasa, I suggest you get a check-up at a larger hospital once you arrive. We can only do blood tests here, and the results might not be very accurate."

These words gave me a vague sense of unease, so I asked again, "Is there anything seriously wrong?"

"Judging from the test results, there's nothing seriously wrong."

Su Qing then said to me, "No problem, let's go, everyone's waiting."

I nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

I took the prescription and picked up two boxes of ordinary gastrointestinal medicine, nothing serious.

It was already dark when I left the hospital.

The temperature drops quickly at night on the plateau, and it gets very cold when the wind blows.

Su Qing was dressed lightly and hunched her shoulders slightly, but she still said, "See? I told you it was nothing."

I didn't say anything, and walked back alongside her.

Her steps were light, clearly indicating that she had relaxed.

I reminded her from behind, "The medicine is ready. Take it before bed and again on the way tomorrow. Avoid snacks, cold foods, and spicy foods for the next few days."

"I know, I know, you're even more nagging than my mom." She waved her hand, but there was no resistance in her tone.

After walking for a while, she suddenly slowed down and said in a low voice, "Lin Ye, about what you told me at the hospital earlier... I will keep it a secret for you, and thank you for telling me."

I gave an awkward laugh and said, "That was all a long time ago, there's nothing to talk about."

"Why wouldn't you say there's nothing to talk about? The fact that you're willing to tell me things you've kept hidden for so many years shows that you trust me. From now on, no matter what happens, you can tell me."

I didn't reply, but I did feel a warmth in my heart.

In all my years of life, she's the first person I've ever been able to say those things to.

When we got back to the restaurant, Wang Ge and the others were still chatting and waiting for us.

Seeing us return, Luo Peng stood up first and asked, "Brother Lin, are you alright?"

"It's nothing, just some discomfort from the high altitude and unfamiliar environment. I got some medicine."

A Qiu came over and looked at Su Qing, then asked us to show him the test results.

I then told him, "The doctor said the test results show there's nothing seriously wrong."

A-Qiu nodded and said, "The test results show there's nothing seriously wrong. Just make sure you get some rest."

Su Qing then pouted and said, "You scared me to death! I thought something serious was wrong. But you can't eat random things on the street anymore."

Ah Qiu smiled and said, "Having lived on the plains for so long, you can't just eat anything when you suddenly come to the plateau. But it's good that you're alright."

Wang Ge called to the waiter that the food was ready. This restaurant was recommended by the guesthouse owner, and the food was indeed delicious. The beef was stewed until very tender, and the price was reasonable.

Throughout the entire dinner, Su Qing and her sister Su Wan did not exchange any words. The estrangement between the two sisters was clearly not a matter of physical distance.

After dinner, Wang Ge made arrangements for tomorrow's itinerary.

Then he instructed us all: "Starting tomorrow, the altitude will be higher and the road conditions will be more complicated. If anyone can't handle it, let us know in advance. Don't push yourself."

Everyone responded in unison, and Su Wan silently went to pay the bill.

Su Qing didn't drag me out for a stroll today; I guess she's afraid she'll get diarrhea again.

Our group returned to the guesthouse. When we parted ways with Su Qing, I reminded her, "Remember to take the medicine you were prescribed."

"Okay!" She nodded obediently.

After returning to my room and washing up, I lay in bed but couldn't fall asleep for a long time.

The events of today kept replaying in my mind.

Su Qing's fear of having her blood drawn, the way she hugged me, the words I said...

Especially Su Qing's health. The doctor said it was just a common case of acclimatization issues, but her symptoms kept coming back, not something that could be cured in a day or two.