Chapter Sixty-Four

Lin Zimo patted Yu Xingyue’s head. “What are you thinking about? Are you wondering what gift you’ll give me tomorrow?” Lin Zimo said, catching Yu Xingyue off guard. Yu Xingyue asked in confusion, “Why should I give you a gift tomorrow? Explain that to me.”

Lin Zimo replied irritably, “Oh, come on! Isn’t tomorrow 5/20, Internet Valentine’s Day? It’s the day when boys give gifts to girls, don’t you know?” Lin Zimo waited expectantly for Yu Xingyue’s answer.

“What do these couples’ holidays have to do with a single like me? Let me tell you, before 5/20 is over, I’ll just stay home. I don’t want my precious eyes to witness any more ‘dog food’,” Yu Xingyue explained.

“Aren’t you thinking of the girls who secretly like you?” Lin Zimo pressed, “You could give them gifts and win their affection.”

Yu Xingyue smiled bitterly, “Why is it always us guys who have to spend money on gifts for girls? Isn’t it acceptable for women to buy gifts for men in return? If both sides are in love, that’s one thing. Men buying gifts for women is seen as natural, but women buying gifts for men is seen as spoiling them. So why should I spend the money, don’t you agree?”

“That’s a pretty weak argument. If it’s really like that, what’s the point of 5/20?” Lin Zimo asked.

“Then go ask why 5/20 even exists. All it does is torture singles like me, making us watch others flaunt their love. It’s pure torment; I really don’t want to see all that PDA, it’s blinding,” Yu Xingyue said.

Yu Xingyue felt nothing at all for this Internet Valentine’s Day, but deep down, he still hoped someone might give him a present. On the surface, he complained, but he didn’t truly mean it.

As for Lin Zimo’s argument, it was full of holes. The whole thing about thinking of secret admirers was just a ploy to tempt Yu Xingyue into buying her a gift. But what the two singletons would actually do tomorrow remained to be seen.

“Alas, this holiday exists just to punish singles. I deserve this single life,” Yu Xingyue said, glancing at his phone before heading into the changing room. Lin Zimo tapped his own forehead, “That guy… what a blockhead. But he’s endearingly silly.”

...

Zhang Yi started to grow suspicious. Why had Li Li been so quiet these last few days, with no attempts to escape the hospital? Even so, the security team remained vigilant, continuing to patrol every corner of the hospital.

“These last few days, Li Li’s been so quiet. Is she really resting and recovering, or is she plotting something?” Zhang Yi muttered to himself, glancing toward Li Li’s ward.

After hours of watching the surveillance feed from Li Li’s room, Zhang Yi’s eyes began to ache. He reassured himself, “I’ll just take a quick nap and get back to monitoring later. Just a short rest.” With that, he went to his bed and immediately drifted off, someone kindly closing the door behind him to let him sleep.

Meanwhile, Wang Tianqi hadn’t been idle these past three days. She visited Li Li in the hospital every day, bringing food for Zhang Yi as well. Today, upon arriving and seeing Zhang Yi asleep, she quietly approached to observe his sleeping posture.

Wang Tianqi chuckled inwardly, “This guy’s sleeping face is hilarious. Hold it in, Tianqi, don’t laugh!” But she couldn’t help herself and let out a laugh, quickly covering her mouth as she watched Zhang Yi, who didn’t wake up. Then she sat beside him, watching the surveillance feed from Li Li’s room.

Like Zhang Yi, Wang Tianqi began to grow suspicious of Li Li. “This girl hasn’t caused any trouble recently, which is good, but it’s a little too quiet. I should check on her.”

Just as she was about to stand up, she noticed on the monitor that Li Li was making a move, tossing something resembling a rope out the window. Wang Tianqi immediately became alert, careful not to startle anyone. She spotted the intercom on the table—Zhang Yi used it to notify the security team. She picked it up, tested it, and then spoke, “Guards on patrol, check the right-side window for anything resembling a rope. Someone’s trying to escape.”

After receiving Wang Tianqi’s message, fifty guards outside the hospital hurried to the right side. As soon as they rounded the corner, they saw exactly what she’d described—a makeshift rope tied from several pieces of clothing. Without a word, the guards yanked it down. Li Li, up on the third floor, suddenly felt the rope go slack in her hands. Looking down and seeing her creation being confiscated, she was furious but not defeated. She vowed to find another way out of the hospital.

Back in the observation room, Wang Tianqi grinned. “Young lady, you’re still too green. You underestimate the power of my hundred-man security team.”

For the next few hours, Wang Tianqi and Zhang Yi, now awake, kept their eyes glued to the monitors, most concerned that Li Li might try something drastic.

“Hey, Tianqi! When did you get here?” Zhang Yi came over.

Wang Tianqi glanced at him. “Let’s see…I’ve been here about five hours already. It’s past 3 p.m.”

“I slept that long? Anyway, what about Li Li?” Zhang Yi asked.

Wang Tianqi smiled, “Don’t worry, under my watch she’s not going anywhere. She tried to make a rope out of her clothes earlier, but I caught her and had the guards take care of it.”

“That’s good. I can just imagine how frustrated she must be right now. It must feel pretty sour,” Zhang Yi laughed.

Wang Tianqi suggested, “I order you to go in and talk to her. I’ll stay here and keep watch.”

“Why me? Aren’t women supposed to understand each other better?” Zhang Yi protested.

Wang Tianqi shrugged. “Never heard that before, but I do know a song called ‘Why Make Things Difficult for Other Women.’ You get along with her, so you go.”

Zhang Yi left the observation room and entered Li Li’s ward. Unlike before, the other patients had all been discharged; only Li Li remained. She envied those who’d left, longing for her own freedom.

Zhang Yi sat beside her and said, “I’m here to advise you to give up trying to escape. Whatever you come up with, our hundred guards will handle it.”

...

In the observation room, Wang Tianqi slapped her forehead. “Zhang Yi, why would you bring that up? If you hadn’t mentioned it, she might not have thought about escaping again.”

Li Li’s gaze was icy as she looked at Zhang Yi. Her voice was cold and emotionless. “Don’t think you can stop me. I’ll use my body as the price to leave here. Nothing can stop me.”

“Why go to such lengths?” Zhang Yi tried to reason with her. “Your body is your own. If you don’t take care of it, how could you possibly escape? Wouldn’t it make more sense to recover first, and then try to leave?”

In the observation room, Wang Tianqi shook her head and sighed. “Why does Zhang Yi have to be so blunt? Once she’s recovered, there’s no need to escape anymore, right? Still, this is a good way to persuade her to rest. The question is whether she’ll actually listen.”

At that moment, Li Li became angry. “Can’t you show me a little respect?” Tears welled up in her eyes. “Why do you always bully me? What did I ever do to you?”

Zhang Yi didn’t panic at her tears. Truth be told, it was the first time he’d seen Li Li cry; she didn’t seem at all like a boy, but rather like a vulnerable young girl.

Li Li had never shown this side of herself to anyone else, but with Zhang Yi, she let it all out. Even Wang Tianqi, watching from the observation room, could sense the subtle tension but kept silent as she watched.

Zhang Yi said nothing, letting the moment play out as part of his plan. He wanted Li Li to express her true feelings to him before deciding his next move. Winning her heart would be the best outcome.

Li Li’s emotions poured out before Zhang Yi. “Do you know, when I first met you, I thought you were special—different from everyone else. To be honest, I really disliked you.”

Zhang Yi smiled. “What exactly do you dislike about me? If you can’t say, then you’re lying!”

“Why are you always so nice to me? Every time I visit, you prepare food for me. I used to hate feeling like a charity case, like I was just living off others. But every time I came, you’d have everything ready. I don’t even have a reason to hate you anymore.”

“Are you finished?” Zhang Yi asked.