Chapter 204

Zhong Ning said, “Wait a moment, I’m going to buy a pair of slippers.”

There was a small supermarket on the first floor that sold slippers. The styles were limited, so Zhong Ning picked through them carefully, squeezing each pair, and eventually paid for the one with the softest sole.

When she returned, Xie Shiqing was sitting on the edge of the bed, one hand pressing on the back of her other hand. She was still wearing a white nightgown adorned with lace trim.

…Her woolly curls were really quite adorable.

Zhong Ning pressed her lips together, walked over with the slippers, then squatted down. Her gaze fell on Xie Shiqing’s porcelain-like fair feet, with pale blue veins that resembled patterns on fine china.

Raising her hand to gently grasp the slender ankle, she slid the slipper on with great care.

“Let’s go back to the hotel. The doctor said you shouldn’t be exposed to wind or catch a chill for the next few days. Just stay in bed and rest.”

Zhong Ning pulled up the blanket and draped it over her shoulders.

Xie Shiqing didn’t need to guess—she had clearly been carried here. But just because she was carried here, didn’t mean she could be carried back.

Now that she was awake, she no longer had that privilege.

She set her feet down on the floor, but her legs immediately went weak. Before she could fall, someone caught her arm.

Zhong Ning hooked her arm around Xie Shiqing’s wrist and said softly, “Lean on me while you walk.”

Xie Shiqing was bursting with joy inside. She struggled to keep her smile in check, but when she couldn’t hold it back anymore, she simply let it show and leaned in happily.

Zhong Ning didn’t wear perfume. The only scent on her was from her shower gel and shampoo—a light, tea-like fragrance.

Just like her—someone who gave off a sense of reliability.

But Xie Shiqing still preferred the scent of pheromones. Sometimes, even when it wasn’t her heat period, she would take out a bottle of tranquilizer, open it, lie down on the bed, close her eyes, and let the scent envelop her, letting her drift into a fleeting dream where Zhong Ning was still by her side.

The elegant tea fragrance matched her appearance, but the fresh, sweet scent of grapefruit was her true essence—like the soul of springtime.

On the way back, Xie Shiqing bit her lip and softly said, “Ning-jiejie, thank you for bringing me to the hospital. How should I repay you?”

Zhong Ning saw right through her little scheme. “No need to repay me.”

“That won’t do.” Xie Shiqing shook her head. “A person should know to return a favor. If you hadn’t brought me for the injection, I might’ve burned my brain out. And you even paid for my medical bills and fed me—how could I not repay such a big favor?”

“Otherwise, what would that make me? An ungrateful wretch?”

Zhong Ning: “…”

“Then how do you want to repay me?”

“I haven’t figured it out yet.” Xie Shiqing’s eyes lifted slightly, curving into crescents like a fox sneaking a grin. “I’ll tell you once I’ve decided.”

“Fine,” Zhong Ning said. “But the deadline is within a week.”

Wasn’t that the end of this trip? Xie Shiqing bit her lip. She had been thinking of dragging it out, maybe coming up with a repayment like “bringing meals every day”—which would mean seeing each other daily!

But limiting it to this trip made things a bit difficult.

The words to bargain danced on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them down.

Meals should be eaten one bite at a time, roads walked one step at a time—she mustn’t be impatient, mustn’t be blinded by short-term victories.

While she racked her brain beside her, the car fell into silence.

Zhong Ning also secretly let out a sigh of relief.

She had just been quite worried that Xie Shiqing might ask why she had set such a deadline. Thankfully, she didn’t.

If she had asked, Zhong Ning would’ve had no choice but to answer—because once this trip ended, she would be leaving Fengcheng again.

She wasn’t some cold-hearted or emotionally detached person, nor someone twisted who enjoyed seeing others hurt or liked to torment people. If it were possible, she genuinely hoped that she and Xie Shiqing could part peacefully and bring this relationship to a close.

No more hurt.

Neither she nor Xie Shiqing should have to suffer emotionally anymore.

Let this short week be their farewell journey.

When the two of them returned to the hotel, Zhong Ning went to the front desk to return the food containers, thanked the staff, and transferred 200 yuan to each of them. It wasn’t a large amount, but it was a gesture of her appreciation.

She didn’t think that just because she had paid for the room, she had the right to boss people around. She had always treated hotel staff with respect—after all, in her past life, she had come from the lower rungs of society, and her family members were all just ordinary people.

If she were to look down on these workers now, arrogantly ordering them around like it was only natural, wouldn’t that mean she had separated herself from her original class—or worse, that she was scorning and belittling her former self?

Even the taxi driver who drove them earlier—because he had helped by constantly stepping on the gas and overtaking other cars—she gave him an extra 200 yuan for the fare.

Verbal thanks were necessary, but red envelopes showed sincerity even more. At the end of the day, she could afford it now.

Xie Shiqing, walking behind her, silently noted Zhong Ning’s actions, a thoughtful expression in her eyes.

But she couldn’t comprehend the deeper logic behind this behavior. She merely remembered the outward gestures.

Say thank you. Give money.

Back in the room, Zhong Ning urged Xie Shiqing to change into a clean set of pajamas. Hospitals were disinfected often, but with so many patients, there were also more germs. She changed her own clothes too and called for room service to have them sent for dry cleaning—along with that blanket as well.

Everything in the room had been replaced. Xie Shiqing obediently lay back in bed. Zhong Ning pulled the blanket up over her and said softly, “Call me if you need anything. You can send me a message too.”

When Xie Shiqing saw she was about to leave, she instinctively said, “You’re not going to stay here and keep watch over me?”

Zhong Ning placed a bottle of tranquilizer on the bedside table, right where she could reach it easily. “Your fever’s gone. Get some sleep. Don’t forget to open the bottle and use it.”

After saying that, she pushed open the door and went back to the living room.

If Xie Shiqing hadn’t suddenly come down with a fever today, Zhong Ning had originally planned to book another room and move out. Her allergy had cleared up quickly, and she no longer needed to keep an eye on her. But one illness followed another, and that plan was shelved.

Luckily, the sofa was soft. The hotel had considerately brought over a comforter and pillow, so it wasn’t too hard to sleep on.

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