I pondered for a moment before replying to Mi Cai’s message: “Just ask around casually.”

“Are you still holding a grudge against her?”

I didn’t want to discuss Circle and Yan Yan’s domestic affairs with Mi Cai. To avoid her further questioning, I simply went along with her and replied: “Yeah, still holding a grudge.”

“You’re so petty?”

“Yes, next time she dares to speak out of turn, I’ll throw her into the river next to your family’s villa.”

Mi Cai didn’t reply for a long time, probably speechless about my attitude, and I took the opportunity to escape her interrogation.

I took a deep drag of my cigarette, exhaling a long plume of smoke, hoping to break through the night’s encirclement, only to realize I had forgotten to open the window. The night remained dense, and the small, claustrophobic room was filled with a haze of smoke.

I quickly stubbed out the cigarette, opened the window, and a gust of cold wind blew in, as if splitting me in two, so I only left the window half-open to feel a bit more comfortable.

I relit the half-smoked cigarette, repeatedly pondering over whom to borrow the 70,000 yuan rent from.

I thought of Robben and CC. I knew they would lend me the money if I asked, but precisely because of that, I couldn’t borrow from them. Who knew if they were already planning to buy a house in Suzhou at this moment?

Feeling helpless, I started to get bored, extinguishing and relighting the cigarette several times, dragging out the time.

Lying on the bed, I stared at the ceiling, muttering words I couldn’t even understand myself, until the sound of a message notification on my phone brought me back to reality.

I rolled over and picked up the phone from the nightstand, but it wasn’t a message from Mi Cai; it was from Le Yao.

“Zhao Yang, have you gone to bed yet?”

“Not yet, did you find out anything about Robben’s first love?”

“I’ve asked someone to inquire, but there’s no news yet.”

“Oh.”

After a short pause, Le Yao replied: “Can you come to Beijing now?”

“What’s wrong?”

“I have a fever, and I feel terrible!”

“Then you should hurry to the hospital!”

“I don’t want to go anywhere alone.”

I was in a dilemma. It would have been fine during the day, but it was already 9:30 at night, and getting there was a problem.

After hesitating for a moment, I still picked up my phone to check the flights from Shanghai to Beijing and found there was one at 11:30 PM that I could still catch if I hurried.

I picked up the clothes by my bed and quickly got dressed. While doing so, I received another message, thinking it was from Le Yao, but it was from Mi Cai.

“Rest early. The inn is important, but don’t overwork yourself!”

I stopped in my tracks, suddenly realizing the unresolved relationship between Mi Cai and me. Was it really appropriate for me to rush to Beijing at this hour?

Another voice in my head said: “If I really just see Le Yao as a close friend, why can’t I go?”

The lack of trust and understanding between Mi Cai and me has always been an issue, and such emergencies are a test for both of us. If I’m upright, I should go to Beijing because this is the first time Le Yao has asked me to take care of her since she moved there. Before, it was Robben who took care of her when she was sick before moving back to Suzhou. So Le Yao must have her reasons; she wouldn’t ask this of me if it wasn’t necessary.

On the other hand, if I had romantic feelings for Le Yao, I shouldn’t go because it could lead to inappropriate actions.

With that thought, I no longer hesitated, quickly finished dressing, grabbed my luggage, and headed downstairs to the hotel.

I drove to the airport at top speed and immediately booked a ticket to Beijing. A quarter of an hour later, I boarded the plane and began the two-hour journey through the air.

At 1:30 AM, I finally arrived in Beijing. Even in the dead of night, the city beneath the imperial roots was still awake. I easily hailed a cab and gave the driver Le Yao’s address.

…

Twenty minutes later, I arrived at Le Yao’s place and rang the doorbell. Wrapped in a quilt, Le Yao opened the door for me.

Both air conditioners in the room were running, and the coffee table was covered with used tissues, indicating a serious illness.

Le Yao rubbed her nose and said with some happiness: “Zhao Yang, I didn’t expect you to really come.”

“I can’t just stand by and watch you suffer… You’re such a troublemaker!” I said, touching her forehead, and immediately felt the heat transfer to my palm.

Le Yao pulled my hand away and replied: “It’s so late, besides you, I don’t think it’s appropriate for anyone else to come here.”

“Where’s your agent? Doesn’t he care about you at all?”

“He’s a man.”

I had always thought her agent was a woman, so I was taken aback by this answer and after a moment said: “You’re all alone in Beijing; I think you should maintain a good relationship with your agent, he could take care of you in life.”

Le Yao sneezed again and replied: “I’ve never mistreated him, and he has already received the financial compensation he deserves from me.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what do you mean?… To turn him into my boyfriend, so he can live with me legitimately and take care of me at night?”

I smiled at Le Yao and said: “Why are your thoughts so lewd?”

“Am I? It’s you who’s thinking that way.”

“Do I need to?… Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore, I’ll take you to the hospital.”

“I don’t want to go, they’ll give me injections!”

I urged impatiently: “What’s the big deal? Hurry up and find a thick piece of clothing to wear.”

“You’re not afraid of injections, does that mean everyone else isn’t afraid?”

“Didn’t you have me rush over to Beijing in the middle of the night just to chat with you?”

Le Yao blinked, seemingly pondering how to answer me, but I lost my patience due to concern and dragged her, wrapped in the quilt, out the door, closing it and saying: “You have a high fever, you definitely need an IV… Do you have a car? I’ll drive yours.”

“Yes, the car keys are in the handbag inside.”

“Then give me the keys to your place, I’ll go in and get them.”

Le Yao pointed at herself, signaling me to look at her.

I examined her, seeing she was wrapped in a quilt wearing pajamas without a single pocket, and I felt a cold sweat break out on my forehead, after a moment saying: “… Are the house keys also inside?”

Le Yao replied irritably: “What do you think?… In such a hurry as if you’re rushing to be reincarnated!”

“If you don’t go to the hospital now, you really will be reincarnated!”

Le Yao: “…”

“Forget it, we’ll take a taxi.”

Le Yao looked at the quilt wrapped around her and glared, saying: “Zhao Yang, you bastard, don’t you know I have an idol image to maintain? Hurry up and figure out how to open the door, I need to change into a set of clothes.”

“Who cares about your idol image.” I said, carrying the quilt-wrapped Le Yao towards the elevator.