Proofreader & Editor:Peter Pan
Ruan Nianxi was still pondering whether her words had been superfluous, considering that she and Xie Shu were merely friends. Whether she explained herself or not, he probably wouldn't care.
However, to her surprise, not only did Xie Shu respond, but he also gave her an answer.
His reply suddenly made her heart race, sparking wild fantasies…
Realizing her own unusual reaction, Ruan Nianxi immediately began to introspect.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Xie Shu was still considering where to kill time later.
Shopping didn't seem like a good option, as it was still hot outside and too sunny.
Maybe just find a random place to sit until evening?
Wouldn't that be too boring?
How about a movie?
But wouldn't that be moving too fast?
As he pondered, the sudden ring of a cellphone broke the silence between them.
It was Ruan Nianxi's phone ringing.
"I'll take this call."
Ruan Nianxi reached into her bag with one hand, searching for her phone.
It seemed she had other items in her bag as well, as Xie Shu heard the clinking sounds of objects colliding.
Clang—!
As Ruan Nianxi pulled out her phone, she accidentally brought out a small medicine bottle with it.
The bottle hit the ground with a sharp sound, and the pills inside clinked against each other.
After hitting the ground, the bottle rolled away, eventually stopping by Xie Shu's feet.
Xie Shu bent down to pick it up.
Out of habit, he glanced at the name on the medicine bottle.
Risper…
He had only seen the first two characters when the bottle was suddenly snatched back by Ruan Nianxi, who had quickly stepped forward.
Xie Shu looked at her, puzzled.
"I…"
Ruan Nianxi's voice was tense, and she stumbled over her words without being able to finish.
She held the medicine bottle tightly, not letting go.
Xie Shu watched her, confused, and then his gaze fell back to her bag.
The flap of her bag was still open, and he could see several more bottles of the same medicine inside.
Noticing Xie Shu's gaze, Ruan Nianxi nervously closed her bag and put the fallen bottle back inside.
Her phone continued to ring urgently.
The ringtone, in the quiet atmosphere between them, seemed particularly jarring.
Xie Shu thought Ruan Nianxi would answer the call now, but instead, she silently hung up.
"Aren't you going to answer it?"
Ruan Nianxi remained silent.
"Um, I'm just a bit curious, why do you have so many medicines for stomach pain? Is it something serious?"
Still silence.
"If it's really serious, just taking medicine won't do. Maybe you should see a professional doctor when you have time?" Xie Shu suggested.
He was genuinely concerned for Ruan Nianxi; after all, medicines have their side effects, and taking too many isn't good.
Plus, he figured her family wasn't short on money, so seeing a renowned doctor wouldn't be difficult.
Seeing Ruan Nianxi still silent with her head down, Xie Shu thought she might be feeling unwell again. He stepped forward to show concern, but she retreated a few steps.
Xie Shu: "???"
"I…" Ruan Nianxi was still very nervous, at least Xie Shu could see her hands trembling.
"I'm sorry, Xie Shu, I have something to take care of, I have to go!"
Before Xie Shu could respond, Ruan Nianxi turned and quickly walked away.
She moved swiftly, not at all like someone with a stomachache.
This left Xie Shu even more puzzled.
What was going on with her?
He had wanted to hang out with her.
Maybe next time.
With Ruan Nianxi gone, Xie Shu had no choice but to return to his dormitory.
When he got back, his sons had only just sat down.
Seeing Xie Shu, who was supposed to be out having fun, return so soon, they were all confused.
They asked curiously, and Xie Shu could only spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness, explaining that Ruan Nianxi had something come up.
He sat down, took out his phone, and sent Ruan Nianxi a few messages to ask about her situation.
But after sending the messages, he waited nearly fifteen minutes without a reply.
Xie Shu propped his chin, bored, and continued to wait.
Right, what was the name of the medicine she bought?
Risper something?
He didn't fully see the name written on the medicine bottle.
He wasn't a medical student; the names of those drugs were foreign to him, and he had no idea what they were for.
"Xie Shu, are you logging in?" Suddenly someone asked.
Xie Shu glanced at WeChat again; Ruan Nianxi still hadn't replied.
Waiting was indeed boring, so he nodded, ready to join in.
Even while gaming, Xie Shu kept an eye on WeChat messages.
He intended to see Ruan Nianxi's reply as soon as it came, but then…
During a game, Xie Shu saw a WeChat notification pop up on the top of the screen. For a moment, he thought it was from Ruan Nianxi and was about to find a bush to hide in to reply.
But upon closer inspection, the message was actually from Su Qianyi.
Xie Shu: "……"
Why was she messaging him again?
She should take a hint and leave him alone if he didn't respond before!
She never used to initiate contact.
No, that's not right; she would reach out when she needed help.
So was she asking for help again?
Damn!
Xie Shu had thought to ignore her like before, but he was mistaken.
Su Qianyi's messages kept coming, one after another, with notifications popping up on his phone screen now and then.
Several times, he almost clicked on them while navigating the map.
"Xie Shu! What are you doing? There's a team fight in mid! Come help!"
"I'm on it, I'm on it!"
Distracted by Su Qianyi's messages, Xie Shu eventually turned on Do Not Disturb mode.
That way, no more notifications would pop up.