Chapter 55: Hopes for the Future
Lying on the hospital bed, Lu Zhiyin gently touched Leng Qing Qiu’s head as she slept soundly, her head resting on the edge of the bed.
The hair was fluffy and felt good in her hand.
“Yawwwn~”
She yawned, feeling sleepy herself.
Her phone wasn’t around, she couldn’t get out of bed, and with nothing to do, she was incredibly bored.
Before long, Lu Zhiyin also fell asleep.
However, her sleep was light, and she woke up after only a few hours.
The effect of the painkillers had worn off, and the pain in her limbs had slightly lessened, but a dull ache in her chest persisted.
She had actually woken up from the pain.
“…Haa…tsk…”
Lu Zhiyin pursed her lips and lightly touched her chest. The pain hadn’t intensified, but it was still unbearable.
She looked at Leng Qing Qiu, who was still asleep by the bedside with slight snores.
After a moment of hesitation, she decided to wake the sleeping girl.
“…Leng…Leng Qing Qiu, wake up…Leng Qing Qiu?”
She called Leng Qing Qiu’s name intermittently while gently touching her forehead.
Soon, Leng Qing Qiu was woken up by her.
“Ah, hmm? What’s wrong?”
Leng Qing Qiu sat up, a slight red mark from the pillow still on her cheek, making her look a bit funny.
Her eyes still held some fatigue. She rubbed her eyes. If she weren’t in the hospital, she would likely have gotten angry at having her sleep disturbed.
“…Painkillers…my chest hurts really badly…I don’t know where the painkillers are…”
Lu Zhiyin clenched her left hand tightly onto the bedsheet beneath her. Her brows furrowed deeply.
“…They’re with me.”
Leng Qing Qiu, after a moment of pause, retrieved the bottle of painkillers from her pocket, poured out two pills, and placed them under Lu Zhiyin’s tongue, just like before.
As the bitterness spread in her mouth, the medication began to take effect, and soon, Lu Zhiyin’s pain subsided.
“Huuuuh…”
She let out a long sigh, her expression gradually calming.
“Sorry, I should have given you the medicine directly.”
Handing the entire bottle of painkillers to Lu Zhiyin, Leng Qing Qiu stood up, smoothed out the creases in her clothes, and then slowly walked out of the ward.
It was still early. The corridor was dark. Leng Qing Qiu slowly walked towards the restroom.
On her way to the restroom, she encountered a somewhat familiar-looking nurse. She didn’t know what the nurse was doing out so early, but she didn’t pay much attention, as it likely had nothing to do with her.
Probably some poor soul was in trouble again.
Thinking this, Leng Qing Qiu splashed cold water on her face, feeling a bit more awake.
Looking out the window at the end of the corridor, she saw a deserted street. A few streetlights were still on, and it seemed there was still a long way until dawn.
“…”
Silently, Leng Qing Qiu didn’t want to return to the ward just yet. She stared blankly out the window at the desolate street.
This city had four districts. Although they were in the same city, they felt like entirely different worlds.
In name, everyone was equal, but social welfare clearly divided people into different classes.
The residential areas were for the lower class – poor, powerless, and struggling to find work. The red-light district was for the middle class. There, people had more job opportunities, although most of these jobs were not considered reputable. At the same time, the almost ceaseless activity of the red-light district provided a vibrant nightlife, preventing boredom. The apartment areas were for the upper class, where people had stable, reputable jobs, underground parking garages, and various theme parks for recreation, with cinemas and similar establishments widely distributed.
As for the affluent areas… that was the gathering place of power and wealth, symbolizing the city’s apex. Those living there not only enjoyed priority in resource allocation but also possessed various intangible privileges in society.
Leng Qing Qiu hadn’t really cared about these things before, but now, for the first time, she began to consider the future.
She still had more than two years of high school left. Although there were many unspoken rules at school, it was still a much more comfortable environment than the unforgiving society.
What should she do after graduation?
There were no universities in this city. To continue her education, she would have to go to another city. Should she leave this familiar city for somewhere else?
She couldn’t figure it out for the moment. But whether it was to attend university in another city or to start working immediately, Leng Qing Qiu had no intention of staying in the residential area.
The facilities there were too backward, and there were no ideal companies.
She wanted to live in a different district.
It seemed like just changing her location, but it was almost like a class leap… To achieve this identity transformation, she first needed a place to settle down.
Leng Qing Qiu was self-aware and didn’t believe she could reach the city’s apex. Her goal was to buy an apartment in the apartment area.
It didn’t need to be too large; it would be enough for two people to live.
She still remembered Lu Zhiyin’s words about staying with her forever.
She didn’t believe the words were true, but she still held some hope in her heart.
Two people were indeed more comfortable than one. Leng Qing Qiu realized she might not be able to enjoy solitude.
“Sigh… I hope her money-making plan works…”
Housing prices were very expensive, and always had been. Leng Qing Qiu had some savings, but they were nowhere near enough.
If she saved money by working odd jobs, she didn’t know how long it would take. Starting a business was indeed a faster way to make money.
However, Leng Qing Qiu always worried that Lu Zhiyin’s business venture would fail.
“…It’s about time. I should go back to the ward for a bit before going out to buy breakfast.”
Unknowingly, the sky, which had been completely dark, had begun to show a tinge of white. The streetlights had been extinguished, and solitary pedestrians started appearing on the deserted streets.
Leng Qing Qiu turned and walked towards the ward.
When she returned to the ward, Lu Zhiyin was idly playing with her hair. The gray-white strands flowed through her fingertips, twisted into a small circle.
Leng Qing Qiu smiled silently at the girl’s childish behavior.
Her mood, which had become heavy with thoughts of the future, lightened again.
Being with Lu Zhiyin… was indeed nice.
She felt herself becoming increasingly strange.
“Hm? You’re back.”
Stopping her hair-playing, Lu Zhiyin slowly moved over, making a small space on the bed.
“You’ve been sitting up all night, you must be tired. Lie down for a bit.”
Patting the empty space beside her, Lu Zhiyin smiled.
The girl’s gentle smile and the care conveyed in her words flowed into Leng Qing Qiu’s heart like a warm current.
“Mmm…”
With a soft hum, Leng Qing Qiu took off her shoes and climbed onto the bed. She turned to lie beside Lu Zhiyin, holding Lu Zhiyin’s left hand.
The girl’s hand was a little cold, and it felt comfortable to hold.
“Sleep a bit longer. I’ll wake you up when I get back with breakfast.”
“Mmm… Can you bring my phone? It’s a bit boring just lying in bed.”
Nodding obediently and letting Leng Qing Qiu hold her hand, Lu Zhiyin closed her eyes.
“Yeah, I can. Sleep, sleep more.”
As her words fell, Leng Qing Qiu slightly closed her eyes.
Beside her, Lu Zhiyin also obediently closed her eyes, and soon, she fell asleep again.
