After a meal, Xia Xiaoyue cleaned up the dining table as usual, while Jiang Chen felt he had successfully completed his task and was in a great mood.
Xia Xiaoyue was also in high spirits. After all, she had just enjoyed a rather delicious meal, though the thought of having to go back to takeout in the future brought a touch of sadness.
Jiang Chen lay down on his bed and logged onto the campus forum, wanting to see if there were any posts left about Xia Xiaoyue.
After browsing the latest posts, he found nothing concerning Xia Xiaoyue, though he did spot some comments in a thread discussing the management counselor, without mentioning any names.
Since no names were revealed, Jiang Chen paid it no mind. As long as it didn't blow up into a widespread rumor, he believed Xia Xiaoyue could handle it.
Done with the forum, Jiang Chen closed his computer and checked the campus lost-and-found board to see if there were any second-hand electric scooters for sale, but a quick look yielded nothing.
Exhausted from the past few days of military training, Jiang Chen fell fast asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
The next morning, Jiang Chen woke up bright and early at around six o'clock, planning to make breakfast before heading out to offline shops to see if he could find a good electric scooter for sale.
Checking the fridge, he decided on a simple bowl of tomato and egg noodles. He wasn't sure if he should make enough for Xia Xiaoyue, knowing she would normally refuse.
But times were different now; he had a ready-made excuse. He could just say he was experimenting with a new recipe and needed her to taste-test it, and she would eat.
It was still too early, and she probably wasn't awake yet—she usually didn't step out of her room until a little past seven.
Today was no day off for the counselor; another day of the daily grind awaited her.
With nothing to do, Jiang Chen busied himself cleaning the apartment until seven, when he could start cooking.
Not long after, a sharp "bang" echoed from the master bedroom.
Without a second thought, Jiang Chen dashed toward the master bedroom and flung the door open to find Xia Xiaoyue kneeling on the floor, clutching her stomach.
Supporting herself with one hand against the edge of the bed, she was trying desperately to pull herself up. Jiang Chen rushed to her side, casting aside any notions of proper boundaries between men and women, and grabbed her, gazing at her in distress as she writhed in pain.
Jiang Chen asked anxiously, "What's wrong, Counselor? Is your stomach hurting?"
Xia Xiaoyue was in too much pain to make a sound. This was the first time she had ever felt agony like this; she had experienced occasional stomach cramps before, but never this severe.
Seeing her in such torment, Jiang Chen didn't care about the taboo of physical contact between men and women; he scooped her up in his arms and sprinted downstairs, where he flagged down a taxi and headed straight for the local hospital.
Though Xia Xiaoyue was aware of everything happening, she had zero strength to resist. Strangely, being carried by Jiang Chen made her feel a bit better, so she simply let him hold her.
The hospital was packed to the gills. Jiang Chen carrying a young woman in his arms drew quite a few stares. The young man was strikingly handsome, and though the woman's face was hidden, her figure alone marked her as a stunning beauty.
Jiang Chen settled Xia Xiaoyue onto a bench, rushed over to get a number at the registration desk, and returned with a cup of hot water. He crouched by her side and coaxed her, feeding her the water in small sips: "Drink some hot water, Counselor. It'll make your stomach feel better. It'll be our turn soon, just bear with it a little longer."
Sipping the warm water and watching Jiang Chen bustle about on her behalf, Xia Xiaoyue felt a warmth spread through her chest. Her eyes grew moist; ever since she met Jiang Chen, these eyes of hers had been far too quick to shed unbidden tears.
In the past, she had never experienced such emotional fluctuations. Whenever her stomach acted up before, she would simply curl up on her bed, clutching her abdomen and waiting out the pain alone. But this time was different—she felt the comfort of companionship, something that felt like an absolute luxury for her in this city.
Hearing their number called, Jiang Chen gently helped Xia Xiaoyue up and led her to the examination room. Once inside, the doctor asked about her symptoms, which Xia Xiaoyue answered honestly. The doctor ordered a series of tests, and Jiang Chen supported her as they shuffled from room to room to get them all done. Since she hadn't eaten anything that morning, the tests could proceed without delay.
Jiang Chen stayed by Xia Xiaoyue's side the entire morning. Once all the tests were completed, they returned to the doctor's office. The physician reviewed the results.
The doctor's expression grew much grimmer as he looked at Xia Xiaoyue and asked, "Do you regularly skip breakfast?"
Xia Xiaoyue replied with an embarrassed look, "No."
"What about takeout? Do you eat it often?"
"Yes..."
The doctor turned his gaze to Jiang Chen and scolded sharply, "What kind of boyfriend are you? Do you have any idea what the consequences of skipping breakfast are? On top of that, feeding her all that greasy, unhygienic takeout—it's no wonder a chronic stomach ulcer caught up with her."
Jiang Chen stood there in utter bewilderment. *Bro, when did I become her boyfriend? Do we really look like a couple?* Still, he nodded hastily, "It's my fault. I'll make sure to keep a close eye on her diet from now on."
Sitting beside him, Xia Xiaoyue felt a wave of shame so intense she wanted to disappear. Boyfriend and girlfriend? They were teacher and student! Yet, she was far too intimidated to utter a peep.
The doctor continued, "I'll prescribe some traditional Chinese medicine. Boil it up and drink it—one pouch morning and night. Make sure she eats breakfast on time from now on, and cut out the takeout. Go pick up the medicine on the first floor."
Jiang Chen nodded, then supported Xia Xiaoyue as they walked out. After collecting a month's supply of medicine, he looked down at the bags, turned to Xia Xiaoyue, and said, "Counselor, from now on, we're eating our meals together—for the sake of your stomach."
Xia Xiaoyue opened her mouth to refuse, but catching sight of Jiang Chen's stern expression, the words died in her throat. Instead, she whispered, "I'll do the dishes and pay for the groceries, or else I won't eat with you."
Jiang Chen didn't stand on ceremony with her. After all, living under the same roof meant taking care of each other was only natural, and being overly polite would only create unnecessary distance.
The two took a cab back to the apartment. Checking the time, Jiang Chen saw it was already noon. Having missed breakfast, he was feeling quite hungry. He asked Xia Xiaoyue what she wanted for lunch, and upon receiving a "anything is fine" reply, he decided to whip up another batch of tomato and egg noodles.
With the fridge devoid of vegetables, he would need to make a trip to the grocery store in the afternoon and cook some proper dishes for dinner. For now, he told Xia Xiaoyue to go back to her room and rest, promising to call her when the food was ready.
Back in her room, Xia Xiaoyue replayed the morning's events in her mind. Apart from her grandparents, this was the first warmth she had experienced since leaving her hometown.
Without even realizing it, the corners of her lips curved upward into a steady smile. Perhaps she didn't even know it yet, but the seeds of affection for Jiang Chen had already begun to sprout in her heart.
Before long, Jiang Chen knocked on her door to call her out for lunch. He reminded her that there weren't many groceries left at home and asked if she wanted to tag along to the supermarket later in the afternoon.
Figuring she had nothing better to do at home, Xia Xiaoyue agreed. After finishing lunch, she lay down on the sofa to watch television while Jiang Chen retreated to his room for a nap, thoroughly exhausted from the morning's ordeal.
Waking up feeling a bit stifled, Jiang Chen stepped out and found that Xia Xiaoyue had fallen asleep on the sofa while the TV was still playing. He fetched a blanket from his bedroom and draped it gently over her. Looking at her peaceful sleeping face, Jiang Chen was suddenly reminded of the forum post from a while ago.
If that post was true, how pitiful Xia Xiaoyue truly was. Having grown up in a loving and happy family, Jiang Chen couldn't fully comprehend the feeling of being despised by one's own parents from childhood, but he imagined it must be agonizingly bitter.
As he carefully tucked the blanket around her, perhaps out of sheer pity, a quiet resolve formed deep within his heart: he was going to make his teacher feel what it was truly like to have a home.