Chapter 242 - 111: An Account to Myself

Chapter 242: Chapter 111: An Account to Myself

The doctor’s gaze also locked onto Zhang Shutong.

"Your boyfriend?"

She stood up, planted her hands on her hips, and demanded an answer. The corner of her white coat flared out, making her look even more imposing than Song.

Lu Qinglian looked like the quintessential good girl, the kind of daughter every parent dreams of. She had a delicate, oval face and alluring eyes. When the pain from her wound made her frown, she looked utterly pitiable. One glance was enough to tell she was quiet and well-behaved. So, how did such a good girl end up with such a serious injury?

The blame could only fall on her frivolous and unreliable "boyfriend."

But there was one thing that needed to be clarified:

"No!"

The two of them spoke in unison. Zhang Shutong shot to his feet, while Lu Qinglian remained seated on the stool, her voice soft.

"Then who is he?" the woman demanded, her eyes wide.

"...It was me," Zhang Shutong said, guiltily taking the blame.

"Didn’t you just say it wasn’t you?" The woman was taken aback.

"I meant I’m not her boyfriend..."

’What’s with this lady’s eyesight?’ Zhang Shutong thought. ’Do we really look that much like a couple? Why not siblings or something?’

In the original timeline, a gaggle of aunties at the funeral had mistaken him for her "little boyfriend."

In the previous timeline, he was a heartless bastard who turned on her in an instant.

And what was he now? A juvenile delinquent leading a good girl astray?

Oh, and there really was a motorcycle parked outside.

Zhang Shutong felt he couldn’t explain his way out of this one, but the woman didn’t press the issue. She just sat back down on her stool in a huff.

She was a doctor, after all, not a teacher or a parent. She had only pried because they were both students. One should never underestimate the trouble two clueless young people could get into. Plus, her own daughter was in middle school on the island, so the scene struck a chord, and she couldn’t help but feel for the girl.

The doctor pulled a pen from the pen holder, the tip flying across the medical form. She didn’t bother to hide her displeasure with Zhang Shutong.

"I don’t care what your relationship is. Don’t go running around anymore today. Go home and rest properly. Especially you—"

Zhang Shutong didn’t understand why she was singling him out.

"She’s just a young girl who doesn’t know any better, but you should! Do your families know you’re out? Or did you sneak out behind your parents’ backs? Take her home right now, you hear me?"

Zhang Shutong didn’t even want to guess what kind of scenario the woman had cooked up in her head. It was his fault this time, so before Lu Qinglian could say a word, he nodded and quickly admitted his mistake.

"You’re right to scold me. I was in the wrong. So, whatever the treatment is, we’ll cooperate fully..."

...

「A few minutes later, in the hospital corridor.」

"Zhang Shutong, I always thought you had common sense. I was wrong."

Lu Qinglian sighed softly behind him.

It was the first and only thing she said.

But her silence somehow made him feel even more guilty.

The crutch tapped crisply against the colorful terrazzo floor. Luckily, he had brought enough money today. Zhang Shutong had bought her a crutch, and Lu Qinglian hadn’t protested. Instead, she had thanked him earnestly, which made it seem like he had done her a huge favor and was being very good to her.

Then again, maybe that was really the case. She rarely even went to the hospital when she was sick, usually just toughing it out until she felt better.

Lu Qinglian’s foot had now been treated and wrapped in bandages. Zhang Shutong had to go to the second floor for an injection, so he told Lu Qinglian to sit on the bench in the corridor and not move.

"Where are we going later?" Lu Qinglian actually asked, her expression serious.

"Don’t move around. Rest for a bit. Tonight is what’s important." ’She’s still trying to push through it,’ Zhang Shutong thought, his feelings complicated. "Just follow the doctor’s orders. We’ll figure it out later."

Lu Qinglian nodded in understanding.

Zhang Shutong hurried up the stairs. The dead of winter was peak flu season, and he brushed past countless people on his way. The smell of food and body odor mixed with the scent of disinfectant, making his head spin even more. He paused at the corner and sighed. ’It’s true what they say,’ he thought, ’your worst fears always come true.’

If he had known Lu Qinglian’s foot was this bad, he would have opted for an IV drip. But now the money was paid and the prescription filled. It was too late for "if onlys."

He arrived at the infusion room. It was a chaotic scene of people, the rows of sofas nearly full. The IV stands holding the medicine bottles looked like miniature telephone poles. He took his medicine and got in line inside. Just then, his phone chimed. Zhang Shutong’s heart skipped a beat, but thankfully, it was just a text message about an overdue payment.

He then remembered that in 2012, mobile data was both expensive and scarce. He had left his on all day and had somehow managed to use up his entire balance.

Next was paying the bill. There weren’t any mobile carrier apps back then; he seemed to recall having to reply to a text message. As he was trying to figure it out, he heard a nurse up ahead call out:

"You’re next! Come on over!"

Still focused on the text message, Zhang Shutong walked into the treatment room. There was a small bed inside. He lay face down on it and pulled down his pants. He heard the crisp SNAP of the nurse breaking open a glass ampoule, and then the chilly sensation of iodine being applied to his skin. The nurse was young but experienced. Without a word, the needle plunged into his flesh with a soft *thwip*. At that exact moment, his phone DINGED—the payment had gone through.

"You’re a busy man, huh? Asking a girl out?" the young nurse teased as she stepped on the pedal to open the trash can. "But don’t be in a hurry to leave. Stick around for half an hour for observation."

Only a few minutes had passed between the overdue notice and the payment confirmation. It was unlikely he’d missed any messages or calls in such a short window. Zhang Shutong checked his phone just in case, confirmed everything was fine, and then gave a delayed nod.

The cold wind outside kept him on edge, but the warm, heated room had made him let his guard down. That moment of relaxation turned out to be a mistake. As he held onto the handrail and slowly descended the stairs, the world started to spin. Everything he looked at seemed to drift and waver in his vision.