40. It Breaks My Heart.

The final exams lasted for two days, and winter break began immediately afterwards.

The exam schedule for senior year students was generally a bit later than that for juniors and sophomores. Not only did they start their vacation later, but they also returned to school earlier.

Just as Mo Bingyou finished his final safety briefing and the class bell rang, quite a few students hurriedly packed their holiday homework and bolted out the door.

Huo Chensi suddenly felt a surge of inspiration and made a proposal, "Since we've finally escaped from prison, how about we go out and have some fun tonight?"

"Where to?" Fan Mian glanced at him suspiciously.

"Let's go get hot pot!"

Just as Huo Chensi finished speaking, Yu Xijin, who was visiting from another class, happened to overhear. She cleared her throat and said, "Everyone present gets a share, I'm going too!"

Jiang Ci and Zhang Heyu nodded to indicate they would be joining as well.

Jiang Ci first went home and brought all her belongings inside before planning to go out and have hot pot with them.

Jiang Ci changed her shoes and walked into the living room, where her grandmother had just hung up the phone.

"Grandma, who were you on the phone with?" Jiang Ci asked curiously.

Her grandmother was still wearing her apron. After hanging up, she wiped her hands and said, "Your mother called. She said she's coming home for the New Year to pick you up and spend the holiday at her new home."

Upon hearing that Jiang Nanyan had made a phone call to fetch her, Jiang Ci's mind went completely blank for a split second.

"What—what did she say?" Jiang Ci asked, steadying her breathing.

Her grandmother didn't notice Jiang Ci's unusual state and continued cheerfully, "She said she's taking you to her new place for the New Year this time. Your grandmother can't really go anywhere anyway, so this year, your grandmother will just spend it at home by herself, hehe!"

Jiang Ci suddenly felt her throat go dry. She hurriedly pulled her phone out of her backpack and walked back to her bedroom.

The person on the other end of the line seemed to have anticipated that Jiang Ci would call back. As soon as the call came through, it was answered immediately.

Jiang Ci sat on the edge of the bed holding her phone, her voice cold, "Jiang Nanyan, I am not going to the Qian family. You can drop that idea right now."

"Are you sure you won't go?" Jiang Nanyan had lost her initial patience and couldn't even be bothered to pretend anymore. She let out a dry laugh, "If I'm not mistaken, your grandmother was quite happy just now when she heard I was coming to pick you up, wasn't she?"

Jiang Ci said in a deep voice, "And then?"

"What do you think would happen if your grandmother found out that the relationship between us mother and daughter is so strained, and she worried herself sick over it?" Jiang Nanyan paused, "Or, what if her condition worsened?"

Jiang Ci couldn't believe her ears. Suppressing her voice, she roared, "Jiang Nanyan, are you even human? Grandma has been so good to you, why do you still want to harm her?!"

Jiang Nanyan didn't seem pleased by this and frowned, "I'm not harming her at all. I just used my mother's words because I wanted you to come stay at the Sun family for a few days."

"Jiang Ci, you're my daughter. Do you really think I don't know what's on your mind?" Jiang Nanyan said in a harsh tone, "Help me this once, and I promise I will never come looking for you again in the future."

Jiang Ci was stunned for a moment, "What did you say?"

"Don't you want me to stay far away from you? Help me this once, and I will never bother you again."

For a split second, Jiang Ci panicked. She hung up the phone, and Jiang Nanyan's words echoed repeatedly in her ears.

Jiang Ci's eyes instantly turned red, and tears continuously welled up. Feeling lonely and helpless, she could only hide in a corner and cry.

After crying for a while, a pleasant phone ringtone suddenly sounded.

Jiang Ci hurriedly raised her hand to wipe away her tears. Once her fogged-up vision cleared, she glanced at her phone.

It was a call from Zhang Heyu.

"Babe, I'm downstairs at your place," Zhang Heyu said calmly, the fierce sound of the wind carrying through the receiver. "Take your time, don't rush."

Jiang Ci replied with an okay. After hanging up, she went to the bathroom to wash her face.

Fortunately, she hadn't cried for too long, and her eyes weren't swollen; otherwise, Zhang Heyu would find out and worry.

Jiang Ci came out of her room and walked into the kitchen. Seeing that her grandmother was about to wash the rice to cook, she spoke up in advance, "Grandma, I'm going out to eat hot pot with my friends tonight."

"Alright then, grandma won't cook rice for you then."

"Okay," Jiang Ci said. "Grandma, I'm heading out. Call me if anything comes up."

Her grandmother smiled and said, "Go on, go on. It's winter break, have a good time."

Jiang Ci walked out the front door and stepped down the stairs.

As soon as she walked out of the apartment building, she saw Zhang Heyu standing under the large banyan tree, looking down at his phone.

"Zhang Heyu." Jiang Ci walked up to him, opened her arms, and threw herself into his embrace.

Jiang Ci rarely acted like this.

Zhang Heyu was momentarily stunned by the sight.

The corners of his lips curved upward, his tone laced with a hint of mischief, "My baby is quite proactive today."

Jiang Ci rubbed her head against his chest, her voice sweet, soft, and carrying a hint of grievance as she acted spoiled, "I just wanted you to hug me."

Vaguely, Zhang Heyu felt that something wasn't right.

He lowered his head, brushed aside the strands of hair falling against the girl's cheeks, and frowned, "Did someone wrong you?"

Jiang Ci shook her head.

"Want to tell me about it?"

Fearing that he would worry, Jiang Ci still managed to pull off a smile, "I just missed you."

Seeing her smile, the trace of suspicion in Zhang Heyu's mind vanished.

He ruffled Jiang Ci's hair and pulled her in for a couple of kisses, "Tell me if anyone wrongs you, you hear me?"

Jiang Ci nodded obediently, "Okay, I know."

"Let's go, let's go find Huo Chensi and the others." Zhang Heyu wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders, hailed a cab, and headed toward the hot pot restaurant.

Eating hot pot together amidst sounds of laughter and chatter, Jiang Ci's tense mood gradually eased up a bit.

Yu Xijin was drinking her cola when she suddenly remembered something, "Cici, your birthday is coming up soon too. I might not be able to give you your gift until school starts."

Huo Chensi also chimed in, "What date is little Cici's birthday?"

Jiang Ci replied, "February eighteenth."

"Then you really are younger than both me and Brother Yu," Huo Chensi said, "Brother Yu's birthday is just a few days before National Day!"

She knew. Zhang Heyu's birthday was September twenty-seventh.

A barely perceptible smile touched the corners of Zhang Heyu's lips as he placed some meat into Jiang Ci's bowl, "Eat more, you're too skinny."

Jiang Ci looked at the bowl piled high with food, "I can't eat this much..."

"Oh lord, you two stop showing off, my teeth are getting sour just watching," Huo Chensi complained.

Jiang Ci's cheeks flushed red. Daring not to meet their eyes, she buried her head and continued eating.

After finishing the meal, Zhang Heyu accompanied Jiang Ci for a stroll around the nearby night market.

Jiang Ci's mood was poor, and she remained exceptionally quiet the entire evening, only cracking a smile when Zhang Heyu occasionally teased her.

Walking ahead, they happened to see an old man holding a large wooden stump studded with rows of bright red candied haws.

Zhang Heyu held Jiang Ci's hand and squeezed it, "Babe, do you want to eat some candied haws?"

Jiang Ci snapped out of her daze and saw the candied haws not far away. She nodded obediently, "I do."

The wind was blowing fiercely at that moment, sending chills straight to her brain. Watching Zhang Heyu's retreating figure as he walked away, Jiang Ci suddenly felt her mind grow dizzy and heavy.

She sat in the rest area for a little while. After waiting briefly, Zhang Heyu returned holding a skewer of candied haws, along with a cotton candy in his hand.

Jiang Ci was stunned when she saw it, "Why did you buy cotton candy?"

The cotton candy was shaped like a large pink apple, and looking at Zhang Heyu holding it, she found it inexplicably a bit comical.

"I passed by and bought it, figuring A-Ci would like it," Zhang Heyu said. "I originally wanted to make it heart-shaped, but your boyfriend's skills aren't up to par, so it turned into a little apple."

Hearing this, Jiang Ci curved her lips into a smile, seeming a bit happier, "A-yu, can you make a little snow pear next time?"

"Sure." Zhang Heyu brought the cotton candy to her lips, "Babe, open your mouth and have a taste."

Obediently, Jiang Ci took a bite from it. The cotton candy was fluffy and dense, melting instantly in her mouth. It was strawberry-flavored and sweet.

Zhang Heyu then took a bite from the exact spot where the girl had bitten, his expression calm without a single trace of hesitation or disgust.

The phrase "indirect kiss" popped up in her mind out of nowhere. Upon realizing it, Jiang Ci inexplicably felt heat rushing to her cheeks.

Eating too many sweet things gets cloying, so Jiang Ci only took a few bites before stopping, giving the rest entirely to Zhang Heyu.

Zhang Heyu threw the finished wrappers into the trash can. Seeing that it was getting late, he figured it was time to send the young lady home.

Walking back to Jiang Ci's side, Jiang Ci leaned against him and suddenly felt her entire body grow weak and limp, lacking energy, while her cheeks burned fiercely.

Lowering his gaze, Zhang Heyu noticed that the girl's cheeks were abnormally flushed. Frowning, he reached out and touched her forehead to check her temperature.

"Zhang Heyu, I feel a bit unwell." Jiang Ci rubbed against his shoulder, sniffled, and spoke in a soft, pitiful voice.

"Idiot, you've got a fever, of course you're going to feel unwell." After saying this, Zhang Heyu squatted down in front of her, presenting his broad back, and said in a deep voice, "Get on."

Feeling thoroughly miserable right now, Jiang Ci took a small step forward, leaned against Zhang Heyu's back, and buried her head on his shoulder.

Carrying her on his back, Zhang Heyu walked to the roadside and hailed a taxi. After helping Jiang Ci into the car, he told the driver, "Take us to the nearby hospital."

Jiang Ci looped her arm through Zhang Heyu's, closed her eyes quietly, and rested against his shoulder, while Jiang Nanyan's words from earlier echoed in her mind.

"As long as you help me this once, I will never come looking for you again."

This voice played on a loop until the car stopped at the hospital entrance.

It was the first time Zhang Heyu had ever seen Jiang Ci sick—her complexion was pale, completely drained of energy and listless.

It ached his heart to death.

Before Jiang Ci could react, as soon as she got out of the car, Zhang Heyu swept her up horizontally into his arms.

Startled, Jiang Ci instinctively searched for a point of support and hooked her arms around his neck.

"I can walk by myself..." she said.

Zhang Heyu tightened his hold on her and said in a deep voice, "Don't try to tough it out when you're sick. Your boyfriend is someone you can rely on."

Hearing this, Jiang Ci stopped talking as a wave of warmth surged straight to her heart.

From registration and consultation to getting an IV drip, Jiang Ci simply sat in a chair waiting for Zhang Heyu to return.

Watching Zhang Heyu running back and forth in the hospital on her behalf, an unspeakable wave of emotion welled up in Jiang Ci's heart.

Until he sat back down beside Jiang Ci, noticing the girl's eyes reddened from the fever, his fingertip gently wiped away the tear lingering at the corner of her eye, "Little crybaby."

Jiang Ci shook her head, "I am not."

"You still have the energy to talk back?" Zhang Heyu was amused out of anger, yet seeing her like this made his heart ache all over again, "You're killing me with worry, little ancestor."

Blushing, Jiang Ci ignored him, lowered her gaze, and waited for the IV drip to finish.

If Zhang Heyu hadn't been here today, she probably wouldn't have come to the hospital at all.

Coming to the hospital cost a lot of money. Thinking of this, Jiang Ci took out her phone and checked her balance; she only had three hundred yuan left to her name.

After pondering for a moment, she still felt she should transfer all that little money to Zhang Heyu.

Catching sight of her small movements by chance, Zhang Heyu reached out and took her phone away, his tone leaving no room for argument, "Get some sleep."

Jiang Ci bit her lip; the transfer hadn't gone through.

"Looking for a kiss, are we, A-Ci?" Zhang Heyu raised an eyebrow, the light washing over his head making him look even more rakish.

Hearing this, Jiang Ci hurriedly looked away to mask her inner fluttering emotions, muttering under her breath, "...Jerk."

"Only for you." Zhang Heyu ruffled her hair, sat up a bit straighter, and rested her head against his shoulder so she could be more comfortable.

As the medication took effect, Jiang Ci felt her eyelids growing heavy, and she drifted off to sleep.

When the IV drip finished and the nurse came over to remove the needle, Jiang Ci half-woke in a daze.

"Your boyfriend is so nice, staying by your side the whole time," the nurse said with a smile as she removed the needle.

Jiang Ci was stunned for a moment, turning her head to meet Zhang Heyu's dark eyes, and her heartbeat suddenly accelerated.

Walking out of the hospital, Jiang Ci checked the time—it was already past midnight, and her grandmother must have been asleep by now.

"Feeling a bit better?" Worried, Zhang Heyu checked her forehead for a fever again, and the temperature had indeed dropped somewhat.

Jiang Ci proactively hugged him, nodding against his chest, "A lot better."

Seeing her act this way, Zhang Heyu sensed something was off. He let out a sigh, "Jiang Ci, your state of mind hasn't been right today. Did something happen?"

She hadn't expected Zhang Heyu to notice that something was wrong with her state.

Jiang Ci hugged his waist even tighter, "Zhang Heyu, I'm not staying here for the New Year this year."