Chapter 191 : Ye Xuan, I’m So Scared!
“Mom, are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?”
Ling Ye watched her mom with concern. After a whole day of rest, her mom’s condition hadn’t improved at all; if anything, it seemed worse.
“It’s alright, sweetie. Mom can handle it on her own.”
“Well… okay then, I’ll head to school.” Ling Ye had thought about suggesting she skip for the day to stay with her mom, but she knew her mom would never allow it. So, she reluctantly gathered her things and left.
“Be careful on your way,” Ling Ning said, waving her off.
After Ling Ye left, Ling Ning finally relaxed. Honestly, she didn’t want to go to the hospital, but the fever was only getting worse.
As she finished getting dressed and was about to leave, the doorbell rang.
“Who could it be at this hour? Ye Ye has her own key, and Xia You should already be at school…”
Curious, she opened the door and found Ye Xuan standing there, her usual expressionless face unchanged.
“Y-Ye Xuan? What brings you here?” Ling Ning asked, surprised.
“I don’t have any classes this morning, and as your homeroom teacher, it’s perfectly reasonable for me to check on a sick student, isn’t it?”
Caught off guard, Ling Ning didn’t know how to respond.
“Were you heading out somewhere?” Ye Xuan asked, noticing Ling Ning looked ready to leave.
“Ah, yes. I was planning to go to the hospital. I took medicine yesterday and slept all day, but I haven’t gotten any better, and it’s even worse now. Honestly, I’m starting to wonder if I took counterfeit medicine,” Ling Ning replied helplessly.
“Perfect timing. I’ll go with you.”
“Th-thank you…”
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
Though the hospital wasn’t far from Ling Ning’s place, Ye Xuan decided to call a taxi, considering her friend’s condition. They soon arrived at the ominously named “Save If Possible, Bury If Not” Hospital.
Even after the short ride, the jolting movement had left Ling Ning feeling worse. She was now on the verge of nausea.
Perhaps because it was a Monday, the emergency department wasn’t too busy. After Ye Xuan registered her for a consultation, they took a seat in the waiting area.
Feeling dizzy, Ling Ning leaned her head on Ye Xuan’s shoulder, closing her eyes to rest.
Ye Xuan felt the weight on her shoulder and asked softly, “Still feeling bad?”
“...Yeah. Resting a bit should help,” Ling Ning murmured.
Fortunately, there weren’t many people, so it wasn’t long before they were called in.
The doctor, a middle-aged woman, went through a series of questions and a brief examination before concluding that it was a simple case of exhaustion and a mild cold. A quick injection would clear it up.
Half-asleep, Ling Ning perked up at the mention of a shot, her eyes widening as she pleaded, “Um, doctor… is there any way I can get better without the injection?”
But the doctor wasn’t swayed by her puppy-dog eyes, and gave her two options: a shot for a quick recovery, or oral medication that would take a bit longer.
Reluctantly, Ling Ning opted for the shot. Her conflicted expression was enough to make even Ye Xuan stifle a laugh.
“Ling Ning, are you… scared of shots?”
“S-scared? Me? Don’t be silly. I’m a grown-up. How could I be scared of something like that?” she replied, though her anxious expression told a different story.
The thought of a needle slowly piercing her skin sent a shiver down her spine.
“Oh, really?” Ye Xuan replied with a smirk.
“Of course. I’m not afraid of anything.”
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
“Ye Xuan, I’m so scared!”
Now standing in line outside the injection room, where only a few people remained before her turn, Ling Ning clutched Ye Xuan’s hand tightly, looking at the door as if it were the entrance to a monster’s lair.
“But just a moment ago, you said you weren’t afraid.”
“Did I? I must have been delirious from the fever,” she replied, trying to sound serious.
Ye Xuan sighed, shaking her head. “Alright, I’ll go in with you. And this is just a quick shot. You’ll be fine.”
Just then, the wailing of a small child echoed from inside the room, making Ling Ning flinch. She instinctively grabbed Ye Xuan’s hand even tighter, staring at the door as if it might bite her.
After a moment, the door opened, and a young mother led her teary-eyed child out.
“Next!”
Taking a deep breath, Ling Ning forced herself to enter the room. Her face was set in a resigned expression, like a rookie adventurer entering a boss fight with no health potions left.
“Please lower your tights and underwear slightly, then lift your skirt and sit here,” the young nurse instructed after checking her chart.
Ling Ning hesitated but complied, nervously adjusting her clothes as instructed.
Ye Xuan watched, feeling a strange tickle in her nose and an urge to look away. Still, she stayed, knowing this was a rare sight she might not see again.
“N-nurse, could you… um, go easy on me?” Ling Ning asked timidly.
The nurse gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. It’ll be quick.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I promise.”
“Ahhhhh!”
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
“Ye Xuan, that nurse lied! My butt still hurts!” Ling Ning whimpered, rubbing her sore backside and looking at Ye Xuan with teary eyes.
Seeing her friend’s expression, Ye Xuan couldn’t help but feel a wave of affection. She reached out and patted Ling Ning’s head. “There, there. It’s all over now. But I must say, you were quite loud.”
“D-don’t bring that up…”
Just thinking about her own reaction made Ling Ning flush with embarrassment. She’d never actually cried out like that, not even in her past life.
“Promise me you won’t tell anyone about this,” she said, half-serious.
“Don’t worry, I won’t.”
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
Author’s Note:
Eighth chapter down! I think? I’m starting to lose count.