Chapter 048: Xue Zheng, Have You Fallen in Love with Her?

Before she lost consciousness, Shi Runrun seemed to catch sight of a figure so familiar it was almost a dream.
Who was he… Why would he appear here, in City B…
With these questions swirling in her mind, darkness fell, and she slipped fully into oblivion.

…

When she awoke again, a piercing white light flashed overhead.
Groggy and disoriented, Shi Runrun opened her eyes to find herself lying in a hospital room. Above her was a pristine white ceiling, and the sharp scent of disinfectant filled the air.
The room was quiet, broken only by the soft beeping of medical devices.
She shifted slightly, immediately feeling a fierce pain throughout her body, a low moan escaping her lips.
A doctor, hearing the sound, walked over and spoke, “You’ve just had a uterine evacuation, haven’t you? And you’ve got what look like injuries from a car accident. You really should be resting and recovering in the hospital—how did you manage to get out? Do you realize, you nearly ended up back in surgery!”
Shi Runrun blinked, trying to speak, but her throat was so sore it hurt to even attempt words.
The doctor continued, “Don’t move. We’ve just applied medication to your wounds again. You have a high fever, do you know that? We’ve given you antipyretics and nutrition through IV. You must stay here tonight and rest. Remember—no more running around!”
Shi Runrun lifted her gaze and finally noticed the needle in the back of her hand. Above her, two IV bags hung, dripping steadily.
She forced herself to speak, using all her strength, her voice barely emerging: “Thank you, doctor. May I ask, how much are the medical fees and hospitalization costs?”
She’d spent over five hundred for the plane ticket, a hundred or so for lodging and clothes, leaving her with barely thirteen hundred left. She worried her money wouldn’t be enough.
The doctor’s expression remained impassive. “Medical fees are thirteen hundred. Hospitalization is one hundred per day.”
“What…”
This was far beyond her budget!
Shi Runrun was about to protest, to say she didn’t need to stay—the IV fluids would suffice—but the doctor seemed to sense her concern and added, “Don’t worry. Just rest. Someone has already paid your expenses.”
What…
Shi Runrun’s eyes widened in shock, unable to believe it.

In this unfamiliar city, who could possibly be so kind as to pay her medical and hospital bills?
Could it be… the person she glimpsed before she fainted?
But that couldn’t just be a dream, could it?
She wanted to ask the doctor if it was who she thought, but he was already leaving the room.
Full of doubts, Shi Runrun stared at the white ceiling, lost in thought. The next moment, the hospital door opened abruptly, and a tall, elegant figure appeared in the doorway, carrying a tray of hot food.
Shi Runrun looked up, her eyes reddening, widening as she trembled and parted her lips: “Qiao Yu… how are you here…”

…

Meanwhile, on the highway connecting Capital City to City B.
A black, luxurious Bentley sped along the road.
Ji Yunian sat in the passenger seat, watching the driver, who gripped the wheel with exhaustion etched deep in his face after hours of driving. He spoke with concern, “Xue Zheng, there’s a rest stop ahead. Shouldn’t we pull over for a break? Let me take the wheel?”
But the man didn’t reply. He pressed his thin lips together and stepped harder on the accelerator, speeding past the rest area without even a glance.
Ji Yunian lowered his gaze, letting out a heavy sigh.
Ah, love—it really does torment the heart…
He never imagined that, after Chi Zaozao, Xue Zheng would ever care so deeply for a woman again.
Lost in thought, Ji Yunian heard Xiao Xuezheng speak suddenly.
“Yunian, she’s still sick. She’s alone, without money, struggling with illness in City B. I’m really worried.”
As he spoke, he freed one hand and slammed it hard against the steering wheel!
The shrill blare of the horn startled Ji Yunian.
He jumped, immediately reaching out with a cold hand to grip his friend’s, his voice deep and steady: “Xue Zheng! Calm down! You haven’t rested in weeks, and now you’ve driven for hours on end. If you keep this up, you’ll collapse before you even see her!”
But in the next moment, his hand was brushed aside by the nearly frantic man.

Xiao Xuezheng let out a helpless roar, his narrow eyes red with exhaustion, his voice barely a whisper: “Yunian, do you understand this feeling? I want to know where she is now, if she’s safe, if she’s feeling well, if she’s eaten anything. Girls her age are so easily deceived—she’s alone in a strange city, she could run into trouble! And she didn’t bring any money—how will she sleep tonight? All of this worries me! I wish I could drive even faster, reach City B, get to her side right now!”
Listening, Ji Yunian’s gaze darkened, his long lashes shading his eyes.
He didn’t respond immediately, lost in thought. After a moment, he spoke quietly, turning to his friend: “Xue Zheng, you care so much about her now—let me ask, does this mean you’ve fallen in love with her? And what about Zaozao? Have you really let go of her…”
When he was eighteen, he and Chi Zaozao were the envy of all.
That car accident—Chi Zaozao sacrificed herself to save him.
That year, he almost lost himself, spending more than a year in a psychiatric rehab before recovering.
Ji Yunian had witnessed all the pain of that year, believing that his friend would never move on from the woman named Chi Zaozao, who was now gone.
But now, he was surprised to see such deep concern for Shi Runrun, who had rushed to City B…
Did this mean that Shi Runrun had found her way into this man’s heart?
Ji Yunian was deeply curious about the answer.
He wanted to know what place Chi Zaozao and Shi Runrun each held in his friend’s heart…
When Ji Yunian finished speaking, Xiao Xuezheng tensed up, lips pressed tight, silent.
The car fell into a hush, but after a moment, another heavy sigh sounded from the man.
“Yunian, when I was eighteen, my heart died completely. I thought it would never beat again.”
“But then, I met Shi Runrun, and I realized that after Zaozao, another woman could bring me happiness.”
Ji Yunian: “…”
He remembered the moment in the hospital, when he first learned the young lady was missing—he saw a hopelessness on Xuezheng’s face, the soul sucked out of him, trembling so hard he nearly fainted. It was the first time since he was eighteen that he’d seen that look.
So, as for Shi Runrun, if it isn’t love, then what is it?