Chapter 274 - 120: "Elopement

Chapter 274: Chapter 120: "Elopement

—It was the two bodyguards’ car, coming back.

Gu Qiuyan grew anxious and grabbed his hand, about to run back.

Only then did Zhang Shutong realize she had been nervous the whole time.

She just hadn’t shown it.

’It makes sense,’ he thought. ’She snuck out behind her father’s back and a whole house full of people, without even considering how she’d get back. How could she not be nervous?’

When she’d retorted that he didn’t need to worry about her, it didn’t mean she could handle it herself. It meant she didn’t want to think about all that; she had just acted on impulse.

Gu Qiuyan had always been an emotional girl.

Zhang Shutong quickly told her, "Don’t panic, don’t panic. I thought about this on the way here. I already found a place to hide."

Zhang Shutong remembered the young nurse telling him not to make empty promises. He decided to coax Gu Qiuyan a little. "Didn’t see that coming, did you? I still have a trump card up my sleeve." Past experience told him this line was super effective against her. As he expected, Gu Qiuyan looked a bit dazed, and her panic subsided. She fought back a smile and glared at him.

"This is no time for jokes!"

They came to a hollow in the face of the mountain.

He had brought the black down jacket with him when he came up—originally because he was afraid Gu Qiuyan would be cold. Now, it served as camouflage. He shook it open and held it up to shield them. Even if the car’s headlights swept over it, anyone not looking closely would just think it was a rock.

The two of them pressed close together, their breaths mingling in the small space. Gu Qiuyan’s eyes sparkled in the darkness. She exhaled softly, her warm breath visible, and he could feel the rise and fall of her chest.

Neither of them was paying attention to the passing car anymore.

It was nearly eleven by the time they got down the mountain road.

Zhang Shutong then remembered to ask,

"How did you know I had a fever?" While they were hiding, he had kept his mouth and nose covered, afraid of getting too close and giving her his cold.

"Teacher Song told me. I was going to ask him how he knew you were out running around."

Zhang Shutong had a pretty good idea of what had happened.

"Get on."

"Okay."

Once the motorcycle was moving, Zhang Shutong asked her,

"Want to get a late-night snack?"

"No, let’s go home."

"We might not be able to make it home. My bike’s almost out of gas," Zhang Shutong explained. "Is it okay if we hang out at the hospital for a bit? It’s open at night, and the patient rooms have beds."

"Whatever."

"I thought you hated that word the most?"

Gu Qiuyan gently pressed her cheek against his back.

"Anywhere is fine, as long as you stop recklessly riding around on this bike."

Zhang Shutong twisted the throttle.

...

They stopped at a small supermarket that still had its lights on.

Even though they were in the city proper, the streets were empty.

In fact, it was the only place open for miles.

Only one of the supermarket’s doors was open, and only a single light was on inside. It mainly served men who came out at night to buy cigarettes.

"I’m going to grab a coffee to stay awake. Wait for me."

With that, Zhang Shutong kicked down the motorcycle’s stand and had Gu Qiuyan wait on the bike for him.

He walked into the supermarket. The owner behind the counter let out a lazy yawn. Zhang Shutong scanned the shelves, which were mostly empty. ’I overestimated this place,’ he thought. ’There’s no coffee for sale, just the usual drinks.’

He grabbed a pack of cookies and a bottle of yogurt drink. There was no refrigerated section, so of course, it wasn’t real yogurt, but a shelf-stable yogurt drink.

He had hoped to find a convenience store where they could rest. That way, they could have some steaming hot oden and warm their hands with hot drinks. Unfortunately, there was no such place on the small island.

After paying, he left the supermarket. On the long, silent street, a few old streetlights glowed faintly.

The motorcycle was parked under one of the lights, casting a long shadow.

Gu Qiuyan was sitting on the back of the bike, her gaze fixed on the supermarket entrance.

Zhang Shutong returned to the bike and crouched down in front of Gu Qiuyan.

"Don’t move. I bought you socks and slippers." He had noticed earlier that her slippers were wet.

"I can do it myself..." Gu Qiuyan’s voice was barely a whisper. She uncomfortably pulled her feet back, about to get off the bike while holding onto his shoulder.

"Let me. It’s not convenient for you."

Zhang Shutong pulled off her socks. The soles of her feet were ice-cold. She struggled for a moment before letting him hold them. He felt like he was putting a glass slipper on a princess.

"They’re just cheap ones, though. You’ll have to make do."

"Okay."

"I’ll figure out a way to borrow a car," Zhang Shutong said. "I’ll definitely get you back before dawn. Of course, even when you get back, it’ll be hard to explain why you’re on the first floor. We’ll probably need to ask Aunt Wu to help cover for you."

"Okay."

"For example, when the bodyguards are asleep, we can have her send the elevator down to the first floor. I’ll find a way to lure the bodyguards outside away, and you can sneak in. You won’t get caught. If that doesn’t work, there are other ways." Zhang Shutong paused for a moment. "You came out with me. I won’t let you get into trouble."

"You silly fool, worrying about others again." Gu Qiuyan didn’t address the problem of getting back home. Instead, she asked softly, "What have you been up to all day?"

"It’s a long story. I was just riding around aimlessly, then went to the hospital to get an IV drip. What about you?"

"Singing, playing the piano, and building with blocks with my friends."

"Did you have fun?"

"Not really, actually."

"Why not?"

Gu Qiuyan didn’t answer.

She asked another question.

"Did you end up using that card or not?"

"I didn’t. Teacher Song ended up paying. Oh, right, Teacher Song went to the hospital."

"What? Is it serious?" Gu Qiuyan exclaimed.

"He got injured in a car accident, so I left the island this afternoon to go to the hospital with him. He’s fine now, of course. Then he probably thought I was still out running around and got worried, so he sent you a message."

"Then I’ll tell Dad tomorrow and have him put in a good word."

"We’ll see. It probably won’t be necessary."

He finished putting the slippers on for Gu Qiuyan, then got back on the motorcycle.

"Let’s go."

A little after eleven, the two of them rode to the hospital.

The motorcycle’s fuel gauge finally hit empty. There might have been a little reserve left in the tank, but it could only go another kilometer or two at most.

It had gloriously completed its mission. In his heart, Zhang Shutong thanked his dad’s motorcycle.

He and Gu Qiuyan entered the hospital together and were once again met with the smell of disinfectant.

The only person in the lobby was a staff member on duty in the registration office.

"Do you need another shot?" Gu Qiuyan asked.

"Not today. It’s too late."

"This is my first time here." Gu Qiuyan looked around the lobby and wrinkled her nose. "It really is small."

Zhang Shutong smiled. "Of course it’s small."

"I regret this," Gu Qiuyan mumbled. "We should have just gone to the school. To the library. It’s heated and they have snacks to eat."

"There’d be too few people there, just the two of us," Zhang Shutong explained. "At least the hospital has some life to it."

"Who comes to a hospital looking for ’life’... Forget it. We’re staying here. You’re not allowed to go out again."

This was Zhang Shutong’s fourth time at the hospital today.

He led Gu Qiuyan to the second floor and into the patient room. He had only been gone for less than an hour, but the room was completely empty, and the wall lamp was flickering.

He told Gu Qiuyan to find a place to sit. Afraid she’d find it dirty, he took off his jacket and spread it over the sofa.

Zhang Shutong went to the dispensary.

Hearing footsteps, the young nurse lifted her head from her desk, yawning.

"Give me the prescription first. Have you paid...?"

But before she could finish, her eyes flew wide open.

"Wait, why are you back again?"

Zhang Shutong felt a bit awkward. ’I can’t very well say I have nowhere to go, so I brought a girl here to hang out for a while,’ he thought.

’Public hospitals don’t kick people out, do they?’ he wondered.

Before he could speak, the young nurse shot to her feet, on high alert.

"You want another shot? Let me be clear, I’m not giving you one. I’ve only been transferred here for a year, and I’m just out of my internship. If you run off again, it’ll count as a medical incident! Why don’t you go torment someone else tomorrow..."

Before she finished, she spotted Gu Qiuyan sitting outside the room.

"Oh..."

The nurse froze again.

"Is that the girl you were talking about?"

Zhang Shutong nodded.

"So pretty..." She shook her head, feeling that the girl seemed completely out of place there. "No, wait, what I mean is, how did you actually bring her back with you?"

Now, the young nurse’s eyes were filled with admiration as she looked at him.

"I’m not here for a shot," Zhang Shutong finally got a chance to speak. "Can we rest here for a bit?"

"It’s against the rules, but..." The young nurse tugged on his sleeve and whispered, "You’re practically my apprentice, so I’ll make an exception just this once. But you two can’t stay here. The department head will be doing rounds soon. Besides, who brings a girl to a place like this? I’ll find you two a private room..."

Zhang Shutong quickly thanked her.

"No need for thanks." She smiled, turning a key. "Since you didn’t take her straight home, I guess you’re a decent guy after all."

Zhang Shutong’s phone rang again.

It was a call from Ruoping.

It was now eleven-ten.

Fifty minutes remained until midnight.