Chapter 187: Chapter 154: So Pitiful
After a brief, heavy sleep, the numb, itchy, and aching pain in his leg entangled him once more, and Zhou Qian finally opened his eyes.
He was now back in the ward. Above him was the same ceiling light he had stared at day and night recently. His hospital gown had clearly been changed, feeling much drier and more comfortable.
He stared blankly for a moment, then, seeming to sense something, turned his head.
"Little Yu?"
On one side of the hospital bed, Huai Yu was sitting quietly. She was hugging her large woven basket, watching him unblinkingly.
For a split second, Zhou Qian grew tense. "When did you get here?"
Huai Yu spoke slowly, "Not too long ago... Have you finished getting your prosthetic limb fitted?"
Zhou Qian subconsciously moved his leg. The nerves bonded with the Virginia Creeper on his right leg were exceptionally sensitive. A slight movement felt like ants gnawing at his bones. Caught off guard, his expression twisted in agony.
By the time he held his breath and recovered, he immediately looked at Huai Yu, only to see her rummaging through her basket as if looking for something.
Zhou Qian breathed a small sigh of relief and said, "It’s more or less done. But it’s not suitable for exposure to light right now, so it’s covered by a blanket propped up by a support frame. I can’t show it to you."
In truth, that wasn’t the reason. The Virginia Creeper’s adhesive discs clinging to his mangled flesh looked far too horrifying, and he simply didn’t want Huai Yu to see it.
Fortunately, Huai Yu didn’t seem to have any intention of looking. She happily picked a piece of candy from her basket.
"Open your mouth, ah—"
As she spoke, she tilted her face up and smiled. On her pale skin, a faint flush spread from her eye sockets and temples down to her cheekbones. Her eyes were moist, making her look inexplicably pitiful.
Zhou Qian fell silent for a moment before obediently opening his mouth. A cool piece of candy was then popped inside.
Cold and sweet.
He froze in surprise. "Rock candy?"
Then he couldn’t help but smile. "I haven’t eaten this in years."
"Right!" Huai Yu hugged her basket tighter and giggled. "I spent a lot of points at the trading market to buy just this little bit... Brother Zhou Qian, I now have exactly 10,000 Contribution Points!"
The little girl spoke with great confidence, "Even if you don’t work anymore, I can still raise you to be plump and healthy!
"I also have vegetable seedlings and seeds at my place. The man at the trading market even gave me a bag of sunflower seeds. We can grow vegetables and sunflowers together in the future!"
"Ten thousand?" Zhou Qian was clearly stunned as well. After a moment, he pushed the rock candy around in his mouth with his tongue and said matter-of-factly, "It seems your secret is quite valuable after all."
Huai Yu hugged her basket, giggling foolishly without saying a word.
As they spoke, he checked the time. "It’s almost 3:30. Aren’t you heading back?"
Huai Yu shook her head, her voice sweet and soft. "I want to stay with you a bit longer—it’s already pitiful enough to not have family with you when getting a prosthetic limb fitted!"
Zhou Qian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but then he sighed. "How is this pitiful? So many people don’t even have the chance to live. Now that I have a prosthetic limb, I’ll be pretty much like a normal person in the future.
"You should go back. Tomorrow, I’ll be able to walk normally—and in three days, I’ll be discharged from the hospital and heading home.
"If you have the time, there’s no need to run to the hospital every day. You can just help me tidy up the house."
Huai Yu thought for a moment and nodded. "Alright then—then, then I won’t come tomorrow."
Zhou Qian nodded. "Yeah, there’s no need to come. It’s too exhausting for you."
After he said this, Huai Yu spaced out again. The sudden quiet in the ward made Zhou Qian feel somewhat unaccustomed.
After all, the little girl was usually a chatterbox, always having plenty to say every day. This atmosphere made him feel quite uncomfortable.
Something felt off...
But soon, Huai Yu hoisted her basket onto her back and smiled at him.
"Brother Zhou Qian, I’ll be heading back then!"
Once the ward door closed, Zhou Qian loosened his grip, grimaced, and let out a sharp gasp of pain. "HISS—"
The sensation of nerve bonding was simply too unbearable.
Then, he wondered, "Why did she suddenly start sweet-talking me and calling me ’Brother Zhou Qian’ again? Did she do something she feels guilty about?"
Outside the ward, Huai Yu slumped her shoulders and stood there blankly. After a long while, she took a deep breath and went over to the nurses’ station she had visited earlier.
"Please don’t tell my brother that I arrived early! I’ll treat you to some candy."
The two nurses still remembered the taste of the rock candy from earlier and quickly waved their hands. "No, no, that must be very expensive. Keep it for yourself.
"We won’t say anything, it’s no big deal. Don’t worry, we’ll keep your secret."
Looking at her, the two of them made a zipper motion across their lips. Seeing the slight redness around the little girl’s eyes and nose, they had a pretty good idea of what was going on.
After all, many people thought they could endure the pain of biomaterials, only to howl, cry, and desperately beg to back out once the adaptation process reached fifteen percent.
Honestly, it was no wonder the doctor from earlier had spent so long bragging at the nurses’ station about Zhou Qian making it through successfully. Even they found it remarkable!
The little girl arriving so early meant she had definitely witnessed that torture. It was quite nice to see a brother and sister caring for each other so deeply.
Huai Yu smiled, her dark eyes filled with satisfaction and trust, and replied sweetly, "Thank you."
The two nurses were overjoyed by her sweetness, thinking it was no wonder Captain Zhou worked so desperately hard. If they had a little sister like her, they would probably want to pluck the moon from the sky for her.
Huai Yu left the hospital with a brisk step and caught the bus back. But inside Flower City Hospital, Zhou Qian quickly pressed the call button again.
A nurse soon entered the room. "Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
Zhou Qian lifted his head. His normally slightly tanned skin was now deathly pale and completely drained of color. His eyes were bloodshot from severe torment, and his entire body radiated exhaustion and weakness.
But as he looked at the nurse in front of him, he asked in a low voice, "Excuse me, have you been at the nurses’ station all afternoon?"
"Huh?"
The nurse looked blank for a moment before nodding. "Yes, I’m in charge of the private wards today."
"Then... Huai Yu, that very thin and pale girl, carrying a woven basket on her back..."
As he described her, the nurse blinked. "I know her, your sister! She’s been bringing you meals for days now, we all recognize her. What’s wrong?" ℯℯ𝑙.
Zhou Qian paused. "When... did she arrive at the hospital today?"
The nurse was stunned for a moment before replying, "Pretty late, I think? Two or three o’clock? She came after you were brought back to the ward."
Exhaustion and pain tormented Zhou Qian’s nerves, leaving him completely oblivious to her lie. Instead, he let out a massive sigh of relief.
"It’s nothing. Thank you. I’m fine now."
Seeing his condition, the nurse thought for a moment before asking, "Should I have the doctor come and give you an IV drip of glucose?"
"No need," Zhou Qian shook his head, refusing.
He had just had some—a rare, pure sweetness.