Chapter 49: The Infirmary
The infirmary was quiet.
The female school doctor, nearing forty, was watching a Korean drama without much focus. She kept glancing at the photo on her phone’s lock screen before turning back to the TV, her mind clearly elsewhere.
Today was the sports meet, and with the long-distance race scheduled, she had anticipated someone might collapse.
Sure enough, the moment the thought crossed her mind, the door burst open.
"Doctor Bai, quick, quick! Someone fainted during the three-thousand-meter race!" Cai Zhi didn’t bother with formalities, immediately pulling the infirmary bed forward and calling to the boy, "Han Zuo, put her down here!"
Han Zuo?
Ruan Yu found the name somewhat familiar.
The school heartthrob of Hongshang?
No wonder Jian Xiangxiang had let out those meaningful gasps when he picked her up earlier.
Han Zuo placed Ruan Yu on the bed and was about to step back when the school doctor blocked his path.
"Hold her up."
"Huh?" Han Zuo was confused.
The school doctor helped Ruan Yu sit up and gestured toward her back. "Like this. Help support her. She shouldn’t lie flat just yet."
Han Zuo hesitated. He had carried her earlier because she seemed to need help, but now, knowing she was fine, maintaining physical contact felt inappropriate.
He glanced at the three girls present, thinking it might be better if they took over.
Jian Xiangxiang and the others tried to squeeze in, but the school doctor and Cai Zhi blocked the aisle, leaving no room.
"Hurry up," the school doctor urged.
Left with no choice, Han Zuo reached out to support Ruan Yu’s back.
The boy had carried her all the way here, his body radiating heat, his palms scorching. Ruan Yu felt like her back was about to catch fire. The contact left her flustered.
She decided it was time to end the act.
"Ah, she’s awake!" Cai Zhi suddenly exclaimed.
Everyone turned to look as Ruan Yu slowly opened her eyes.
Han Zuo studied her gaze.
The room wasn’t lit, relying only on natural light. The girl’s pupils weren’t as bright as they would be under sunlight, but they held a different kind of spark—one she was clearly trying to suppress.
"Ah, good, she’s awake! That’s a relief," Cai Zhi sighed.
Ruan Yu braced her hands on the edge of the bed and shifted slightly forward. Han Zuo understood and immediately withdrew his hand.
"Where do you feel unwell?" the school doctor asked.
Ruan Yu didn’t answer, only raising a hand to press lightly against her chest.
"Your heart? Any related medical history?"
How many lies did it take to cover up one?
Just as Ruan Yu was about to shake her head, Chen Manbai stepped forward.
"Teacher Cai, actually, Ruan has been feeling some discomfort in her chest lately because she’s been overworking herself with part-time jobs."
"If you’re unwell, you should get checked!" Cai Zhi pointed at Ruan Yu. "No wonder Tian Cheng said you push yourself too hard. You young people have no sense of urgency—your health is the foundation of everything! And if you weren’t feeling well, you shouldn’t have run the three-thousand-meter race! Look at you, collapsing like that—it’s dangerous!"
"Ruan never planned to participate in the sports meet. The class monitor forced her to. He signed her up for the three-thousand-meter without even asking or discussing it with her."
Han Zuo glanced at the girl on the bed. She sat with her head lowered, expressionless. Though the fainting was fake, her pale complexion wasn’t.
So, this whole act was a protest against the class monitor’s abuse of authority.
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