Chapter 184

Chapter 184

She strode upstairs, and the young girl responded with a not-so-good expression on her face, looking as if she wanted to cry.

At the room door, the landlady pushed open the half-closed door, and Xu Yuqing was sitting on the floor, tears streaming down her face, her scarf covering her mouth, hiding her expression.

Seeing her like this, the landlady felt pained, her eyes welling up, taking a while to compose herself.

She walked over, looked at Xu Yuqing, and sat down with concern. She was a bit overweight, so it wasn't easy for her to sit down. She reached out and gently stroked Xu Yuqing's head, "Girl, it's okay. Trust your man. He's fighting at the front; he shouldn't have to worry about you back here."

She consoled her softly.

But Xu Yuqing still didn't respond. She kept her head down, crying uncontrollably.

She couldn't understand why Xie Junli would say such things—finding someone else—he could even say something like that.

Xu Yuqing cried even harder. How dangerous must this mission be for him to say something like that?

She dared not think further, fearing this thought. Everything she had now, she shared with Xie Junli. Without him, Xu Yuqing knew she wouldn't be as happy.

But without him, she clasped her hands to her face and sobbed loudly, finally letting out her emotions.

In front of her, the landlady couldn't hold back her tears either, wiping them away and consoling her in a low voice.

After an unknown amount of time, Xu Yuqing finally came to her senses. Her voice was completely hoarse, unable to speak. Gratefully, she looked at the landlady who had been consoling her and hugged her, whispering, "Thank you—"

The landlady hugged her back, patting her shoulder, "It's okay. Women can hold up half the sky, no less than the men fighting at the front. You're still in school, right? Give me your room number, and I'll let you know when there's a telegram. My daughter will tell you."

Xu Yuqing's eyes lit up, and she immediately tried to find paper and a pen but couldn't find any after searching her whole body. She usually kept them in her bag, which was now with Xie Junli.

Thinking of him, tears welled up again. She scrunched her nose, wiped her tears fiercely, and said with a completely hoarse voice, "Can I borrow some paper and a pen?"

The landlady nodded quickly, telling her to wait, and hurried downstairs to get the items. Xu Yuqing could hear her hurried footsteps.

Coming back to her senses, Xu Yuqing didn't want to rest here. It was only seven o'clock, and the school gates should still be open since today was a school day, and students arriving by train might be late.

She wiped her tears, packed her toiletries, which she had prepared happily that morning, and sat on a chair, waiting for the paper and pen.

When the landlady returned, she saw Xu Yuqing sitting there, her determined face, and the neatly packed luggage on the table.

She paused for a moment, then walked over as if nothing had happened, "Here, write down your school and dorm information, and I'll give you our phone number."

Xu Yuqing took the pen, picked up the paper, and gratefully looked at the landlady. She opened her mouth but couldn't speak, having exhausted all her strength from crying.

She wrote her name, dormitory building, and major on the paper, looking at the landlady with pleading eyes, "If there's any news, please let me know. Thank you."

A tear slid down her cheek again, and she hastily wiped it away, looking at the landlady until she saw her nodding assurance before feeling relieved.

Taking the phone number, Xu Yuqing stood up, bid farewell to the landlady with her hoarse voice, and thanked her for offering to escort her. She walked back alone under the night sky.

On the way, perhaps hidden by the darkness, her tears flowed freely. She bit her lip, not daring to make a sound, and walked briskly towards the school.

Reaching a slightly brighter area, she stood in the last bit of darkness, wiping her tears with her scarf, and headed back to the school with her head down.

At the dormitory building, she stayed in the washroom for a long time until her eyes were no longer swollen before turning around and walking slowly upstairs.

Opening her dorm room, she saw someone inside. Thankfully, Liu Pei was there, surprised to see her, "Hey, why are you back? Didn't you go to the guesthouse with your partner?"

With a casual remark, Xu Yuqing blinked, holding back her tears, pretended to take off her shoes, and lowered her head. Her voice had recovered somewhat, sounding normal, "He had to leave suddenly, so I came back."

"Oh, your sister came looking for you earlier. I told her you went to the guesthouse," Liu Pei said, not paying much attention, applying face cream while sitting on a chair.

Xu Yuqing hesitated, thinking about Yan Lan. She wondered if Brother Yu was involved in the mission. Should she tell her?

Biting her lip, she decided to keep it a secret. Yan Lan had just started to feel relieved and shouldn't be worried. Besides, she had just given birth and shouldn't be troubled with these matters.

She changed her shoes, walked to her desk, put away her things, and noticed the tense atmosphere as everyone watched her enter. Xu Yuqing forced a smile, "Hello, I'm Xu Yuqing, twenty-four years old."

Perhaps due to her friendly demeanor, everyone relaxed. A woman who looked more mature raised her hand, "I'm Jiang Jianing, twenty-eight. I'm a student who came through the educated youth program. I'm probably the oldest. If no one minds, I can be the dorm leader."

Clearly, she had a strong sense of control. Xu Yuqing frowned, not particularly fond of this personality but didn't oppose it.

She didn't want to be the dorm leader anyway.

Liu Pei had already introduced herself, so she calmly watched the others reintroduce themselves. There were two younger girls, both twenty-one and twenty-two, from Haicheng, with jobs already.

Among the five, it was clear that Jiang Jianing's circumstances were the least favorable.

After proper introductions, Xu Yuqing pretended to yawn, "I'll go wash my face first."

"Okay," they responded. Liu Pei added, "The bathhouse is only open three days a week. Someone mentioned it earlier. Do you want to go? It closes soon."

Only three days a week? That meant it would be closed for a day after today. Xu Yuqing nodded and quickly searched her cabinet for clothes, grabbing soap, "I'll go take a shower."

"Be careful; it's slippery over there."

"Thanks."

Xu Yuqing looked gratefully at Liu Pei, who waved her off, "Go ahead."

In the bathhouse, Xu Yuqing stood under the lukewarm water, her mind filled with thoughts of Xie Junli.

He lingered in her thoughts, and she regretted not explaining things clearly at home. Why did she fear the worst? Hadn't she always understood his intentions?

On the other hand, she was a bit relieved that she had eaten enough tonight. She didn't know how he would return to Beicheng or what mission he was on. She didn't know...

Tears mixed with the water, streaming down her face. Xu Yuqing closed her eyes, allowing herself a few seconds to cry.

After a few seconds, she dried herself, put on her clothes, and stepped out in her sandals, walking unsteadily.

Outside, it had completely darkened. Xu Yuqing didn't know whether Xie Junli had boarded the train yet. She looked up at the moon.

At least, they were still looking at the same moon.

Back in the dormitory, students who usually went to bed early were already lying on their beds. Two others were studying by flashlight at their desks. Xu Yuqing tiptoed in, quietly putting her things back in place and carefully climbing into bed.

Despite her careful movements, the metal frame of the bed still creaked slightly. Xu Yuqing froze, but fortunately, no one seemed to notice.

Lying on the freshly washed bedding that Xie Junli had prepared, she smiled gently as she unfolded the neatly folded quilt and wrapped herself in it.

The mixed scent of soap and laundry detergent wafted around her, bringing a wave of drowsiness. Her thoughts drifted, and she fell asleep.

The next morning, Xu Yuqing was woken up by Yan Lan. She opened her eyes groggily and saw Yan Lan's worried face. "Can you get up now?"

Xu Yuqing sat up dazedly. As she did so, she realized she was covered in a hot sweat, her inner clothes soaked, and her head felt heavy and foggy.

She shook her head, trying to clear it, but her vision remained blurry. She nearly missed a step getting out of bed, but thankfully, Yan Lan caught her.

Voices chattered around her, but Xu Yuqing could barely hear them. She leaned against a chair, her face flushed.

Yan Lan looked at her with concern. "It's the sixth floor; it's not easy to get her down. We don't want her to fall."

"She has a high fever. Could you watch over her for a moment? I'll go find a doctor!" Yan Lan said decisively.

Time was of the essence. Liu Pei quickly stepped forward to support Xu Yuqing, nodding in agreement as Yan Lan hurried downstairs, her urgency evident.

"Here, I've brought a basin of water. Use a cloth to cool her forehead," Jiang Jianing said anxiously. Climbing six floors had left her sweating profusely.

The dormitory bustled with activity. Those who knew how to care for her crowded around, while those who didn't sat quietly behind, their faces filled with worry. Liu Pei felt a sense of relief seeing everyone's genuine concern.

About thirty minutes later, Xu Yuqing's face grew even redder, and her hands turned cold. She mumbled something incoherent, which no one could understand.

Liu Pei grew increasingly frightened, and Jiang Jianing changed the cloth on Xu Yuqing's forehead more frequently. Thankfully, Yan Lan returned with a doctor just then.

A woman in a white coat, carrying a medical bag, followed by a panting Yan Lan, entered the room. "My sister is inside," Yan Lan called out. The doctor strode in, "Help her lie down! Unbutton her clothes; she's wearing too much!"

Everyone sprang into action, helping Xu Yuqing lie down. Yan Lan stood by the door, catching her breath, and quickly closed it to maintain privacy.

The doctor remained calm throughout, administering medicine swiftly and accurately. After a short while, she stood up. "This medicine should be taken three times a day. Drink plenty of water. If the fever persists, take her to the hospital. For now, she should be fine."

Yan Lan nodded and escorted the doctor out to pay for the medicine. Jiang Jianing looked at the small box of pills in her hand, surprised. "Wow, this is Western medicine!"

"What kind of medicine?" Xu Yuqing touched her head, feeling weak, and tried to sit up.

Seeing this, the others immediately pressed her back down. "Rest first!"