Chapter 33 Self-Indulgent Sentimentality

Chapter 33 Self-Indulgent Sentimentality

The first thing Zhou Liao did after waking up from a nightmare the next morning was to look at Qin Zhan's bed.

When he didn't see anyone, he propped himself up anxiously. Only when he saw Qin Zhan, dressed and standing by the kitchen counter, did he breathe a sigh of relief.

Qin Zhan spoke after hearing the movement behind him: "I put the food in the thermos. Eat whenever you're ready."

"Are you going out?... To the hospital?"

"Yes."

"...Will you be back today?"

"Very late."

Zhou Liao lowered his head in disappointment. Qin Zhan looked unusually tired, with dark circles under his eyes, suggesting he hadn't slept well last night.

Zhou Liao felt like a burden, unable to do anything and relying on Qin Zhan for everything. Qin Zhan had to cook for him, attend classes, work part-time, and take care of an elderly person at the hospital.

For a moment, Zhou Liao wondered why he used to think someone like Qin Zhan was insignificant. Without money or power, he realized he was the true insignificant one, a parasite dependent on others.

Without looking at Zhou Liao, Qin Zhan placed the thermos aside and left with his laptop after a while.

The hospital corridors were bustling with people, and the pungent smell of disinfectant filled the air.

When he arrived at the ward, the elderly woman was lying there with her eyes closed, not yet awake. She looked like a withered leaf, as if she could fade away at any moment.

"Your grandmother suffered severe hypothermia and has been in a high fever coma. She has too many underlying health issues," said the nurse, sighing at the door. "I hope she can pull through this time... I didn't expect her to go to such extremes."

"Probably didn't want to spend her grandson's money," remarked a patient in the neighboring bed. "After all, staying here is quite expensive, and no one wants to burden their descendants."

Qin Zhan watched as she received her intravenous drip, his expression unreadable.

"Has she woken up at all?"

"She briefly regained consciousness early yesterday morning."

"..." Qin Zhan clenched his fists.

"Oh, there are some unpaid fees. Would you like to settle them now?" The nurse, who knew Qin Zhan well, wasn't worried about him leaving without paying.

"Now."

After settling the bill at the front desk, a text message quickly appeared on his phone showing his remaining balance. His financial situation was slightly better than before, with steady income, so he didn't have to work as hard.

However, hospitals were one of the most expensive places in life, and after clearing the bill, his account was nearly empty again.

He didn't mind what he ate or how often, but now there was more than just himself to consider.

After leaving the hospital, Qin Zhan took the subway back to school for his afternoon exam. He had two exams that day, and after today, only a major assignment remained.

The classroom was cold, and Qin Zhan finished his exam quickly. These questions were easy for him. As soon as he capped his pen, the person beside him cast a pleading glance, having been trying to peek at his paper throughout. Qin Zhan was used to this.

Only during exams did a crowd gather around him.

Ignoring the other person's furtive glances and rapid writing, he quickly handed in his paper.

The final exam was in the computer lab. When it ended, the teacher who taught web frameworks beckoned him over. Qin Zhan stopped and followed him to the office.

"Qin Zhan, did you find the exam easy?"

"It was okay."

"Your grades are good; these things must be easy for you." The balding old man sipped tea from his thermos. "I've always known your situation. I called you here because one of my former students, also your senior, has an internal referral spot at Zhonghai Interactive Entertainment. Do you want to intern there during winter break? It's a frontend development position, with a daily wage of 250 yuan, meals included, and transportation allowance."

Qin Zhan paused. While Zhonghai Interactive Entertainment wasn't as big as the two major domestic game companies, it was still a renowned emerging game company.

"No written test or HR interview, but there will be other interviews. He told me the internship questions are mostly basic, focusing on Vue and JavaScript. If you're interested, send me your resume. With your solid foundation, interning at a large company is better than working part-time jobs for manual labor. At least you'll learn something."

"Thank you." Qin Zhan had considered finding an internship before, but opted for multiple part-time jobs to earn more each month.

"No problem. You should start planning for the future in your junior and senior years." The old man patted his shoulder. "Are you preparing for graduate school?"

Qin Zhan shook his head. "No plans."

"Fair enough. Finding a job is better than further studies."

The old man gave him some additional instructions. As Qin Zhan left the office, he encountered Chen Xian heading to play ball. Chen Xian clearly saw him and quickly passed by, his gaze a bit evasive.

"Hey, why are you back?" The old man was puzzled seeing Qin Zhan return.

"I left something in the computer lab." Qin Zhan checked his phone.

"Oh, go get it."

Qin Zhan nodded. It was already six-thirty, and he sent Du Li a message saying he would be late due to the exam. She understood and told him to take his time.

Passing the office, he noticed it was empty. He pulled the door, which wasn't locked. Looking around, he walked to the counselor's desk and pulled out the social security file. After a while, he found Chen Xian's name among several class lists.

The sound of heels echoed in the corridor. Qin Zhan quickly took a photo of Chen Xian's ID card and returned the file to its original place.

"Hey, student, what are you doing in the office?"

"Professor Wang asked me to come here for something. I left my notebook and pen here." Qin Zhan stood at the door, lying expressionlessly.

"Alright, did you find it? I'm going to lock the door now."

Qin Zhan nodded slightly and then adjusted the strap of his computer bag before quickly turning out of the office building.

Due to the delay earlier and the time spent on the journey, Qin Zhan emerged from the subway station almost at ten-thirty.

An elderly man was selling sweet potatoes at the subway exit. Qin Zhan hadn't eaten much all day; he only had an eight-yuan meal at the cafeteria for lunch. After paying the hospital bills, he had only a few dozen yuan left, so there was no need to spend more on food.

"How much is one?"

"Four yuan each."

"I'll take one."

"Sure." The old man swiftly wrapped up a roasted sweet potato and then looked at Qin Zhan with a pleading expression. "Young man, do you have cash?"

Qin Zhan glanced at the QR code hanging around her chest. He knew these codes were mostly for their children, and scanning them wouldn't benefit the seller directly. If their children treated them well, they wouldn't be standing here in the cold night air at their age.

He remained silent for a moment, then fished out some crumpled change from his pocket, which he had received as change from a vegetable vendor.

"Thank you." The old man's eyes lit up, and his weathered hands took the money, smiling with gaps between his teeth.

Qin Zhan didn't respond. He put the sweet potato in his coat pocket and silently walked towards the alley.

...

As soon as he pushed open the warehouse door, he heard rustling sounds inside.

Qin Zhan frowned slightly and saw the person turn around awkwardly. They were leaning on the kitchen counter, holding a pair of chopsticks, with bubbles rising from a pot.

"What are you doing?"

Zhou Liao glanced at the mushy noodles in the pot and ran a hand through his hair. "...Cooking noodles."

Qin Zhan walked over and looked at the gooey mess in the pot with two floating vegetables, momentarily speechless.

"Just bought it." Without commenting, Qin Zhan took out the still warm roasted sweet potato from his pocket and handed it to Zhou Liao.

"I'm not hungry." Zhou Liao waved his hand. "I didn't move much this afternoon..."

Qin Zhan glanced at the pot again and then back at him, as if asking what he was doing.

"I thought you'd be back late today... maybe you'd be a bit hungry by now."

Zhou Liao felt strange and embarrassed as he spoke. His intention was simply to help since Qin Zhan was already exhausted. He had never done any housework in his life; the only reason he entered the kitchen was to boil water. Now, trying to cook a bowl of noodles, he couldn't tell when they were done and ended up overcooking them until they stuck together.

"Not necessary."

"What..." Zhou Liao's hand, about to pick up the chopsticks, froze in mid-air. He knew he hadn't helped at all.

"Not necessary for you to do these things."

"...I just..." Zhou Liao wanted to say that Qin Zhan had done a lot for him and he just wanted to return the favor. He swallowed hard and clenched his fists.

Qin Zhan dumped everything in the pot into the trash can. He hadn't eaten much all day and was now only feeling exhausted. He had no patience to discuss this with Zhou Liao.

"Eat the sweet potato."

Zhou Liao looked at his cold profile. "Have you eaten already?"

"Almost."

With that, Qin Zhan tied up the garbage bag and went to wash the blood-stained clothes from the previous day in the bathroom, ignoring the intense gaze following him from behind.

As hydrogen peroxide diluted the bloodstains, clear water washed them away, leaving only faint red marks.

Qin Zhan pressed his fingers against the fabric, feeling the chill of winter water without any expression.

Self-indulgent.