C93 (1)
Just as Tang Bing had predicted, a sudden thunderstorm erupted that night, bringing with it a torrential downpour. Lightning illuminated the darkness outside, repeatedly streaking across the sky. Rain hammered against the windows with such force that one couldn't help but fear they might shatter.
"Bang, bang, bang..." As sleep was just beginning to claim him, a series of urgent knocks jolted him awake. Everyone should be sound asleep in their rooms at this hour, so why was Teacher Lin Leyan pounding on his door with such intensity?
Using his keen senses, Tang Bing had a good idea of who was outside, which only added to his confusion. It was highly unusual for Teacher Lin to come up at this time.
The persistent knocking roused Qin Mengli, Sun Meng, Zhao Dagang, and the others. Tang Bing rose from his bed and opened the door, filled with curiosity.
"Tang, Tang... Huihui, she..." Teacher Lin's face was ashen, her expression one of sheer panic.
"What happened to Liang Hui?" Zhao Dagang's concern spiked at the sight of her.
"Teacher Lin, what's wrong with Huihui?" Qin Mengli chimed in, equally worried.
"Huihui's burning up. She felt dizzy and very unwell after her bath and going back to her room!" Lin Leyan's voice was tinged with desperation as she clutched Tang Bing's hand. "What do we do? What can we do?"
"Is she sick?" Tang Bing glanced at Sun Meng. "If she's sick, she should be the one you're looking for!"
"But she doesn't have any medicine!" Lin Leyan blurted out, her anxiety palpable.
A frown creased Tang Bing's forehead as he thought to himself, how did she know I had medicine?
He looked around at the others, only to find Zhao Dagang, Sun Meng, and Qin Mengli all avoiding eye contact.
Great, he thought, no need to ask – it was clear that Sun Meng had let the cat out of the bag, and now everyone knew he had medicine.
Sun Meng had left the hospital with him and was somewhat aware that he had taken a substantial amount of medicine. Though Tang Bing hadn't expected to keep it a secret, and had indeed taken the medicine for emergencies like this, everyone was aware he didn't have many places to store things. The medicine wasn't listed in their supplies, and they had long suspected he had a hidden stash somewhere.
However, as long as Tang Bing kept silent about the system, the suspicions of others wouldn't matter—they wouldn't uncover the truth. At most, they might sense a myriad of doubts but fail to grasp the crux of the matter.
For Tang Bing, keeping the mysterious system a secret was paramount. Revealing a few minor abilities, like the virtual backpack, was tolerable.
Naturally, he would keep it to himself as long as possible.
"Bing?" Sun Meng looked anxiously at Tang Bing. "Do you have any medicine? If not, I can provide some emergency care, but Huihui's recovery won't be as swift—especially with this sudden downpour and the cold front hitting us. A misstep could exacerbate her illness..."
"Enough," Tang Bing cut her off. "Just give me a moment."
He spun around, locked the door, and retreated to his room. He feigned a thorough search, though he simply retrieved several boxes of cold and fever medicine from his virtual backpack. Emerging, he handed them to Sun Meng, "This is all I have; will it work?"
"I'll need to assess Huihui's condition first," Sun Meng replied, accepting the medicine. "But typically, these are the go-to options. They should be effective."
"Then don't waste any time treating Liang Hui! Ms. Meng, please hurry!" Zhao Dagang urged anxiously. "Let me know if there's anything I can do to help!"
"You don't need to do anything," Sun Meng shot back with an eye roll. "I'm heading downstairs with Teacher Lin to see Huihui. Everyone else should get some rest."
"Mengmeng, let's be quick!" Lin Leyan said, tugging at Sun Meng's hand with urgency. "Huihui is really suffering!"
"Okay, let's go," Sun Meng nodded, addressing Lin Leyan.
Lin Leyan immediately led Sun Meng downstairs, but halfway there, she turned back to say, "Tang, thank you!"
After Teacher Lin expressed her gratitude and descended with Sun Meng, Tang Bing remained silent.
"Time to sleep," Qin Mengli glanced at Tang Bing and, noticing his lack of attention, headed to her room.
"I'm too worried to sleep," Zhao Dagang admitted, his concern evident. "Maybe I should go down and check on Liang Hui?"
This guy was truly smitten! Sure, Liang Hui was pretty enough, but she didn't hold a candle to Qin Mengli or Sun Meng. Did Zhao Dagang really fall head over heels for her at first sight, to the point of caring this much?
Tang Bing watched him with a puzzled expression, struggling to understand.
But then, he reflected on his own past. Wasn't he once viewed the same way by others? Hadn't he himself fallen for Qin Mengli at first sight, doggedly chasing after her for four years? And look where that got him. It seemed he was no better off than Zhao Dagang. What right did he have to pass judgment?
With these thoughts, he couldn't help but glance over, just in time to see Qin Mengli closing her door.
"Bing, can I go down and check on Liang Hui?" Zhao Dagang asked cautiously, shielding his candle from the wind to prevent it from being snuffed out.
"Visiting a woman's room this late at night, is that really appropriate?" Tang Bing shot him a stern look. "Go back to bed!"
"But I'm worried about Liang Hui; I can't sleep," Zhao Dagang replied, his face the picture of misery.
Tang Bing was at a loss but then suggested, "If you can't sleep, come with me and do some work! You obviously haven't tired yourself out enough during the day; you need to burn off all that energy!"
Zhao Dagang thought to himself, Not tired enough? After a full day's work, my back is killing me; I can barely stand up straight!
But he didn't dare contradict Tang Bing and instead asked timidly, "Bing, what work is there to do at this hour? We've already loaded and checked the supplies; nothing's been overlooked!"
"Don't you hear that racket from the building's windows?" Tang Bing was just looking for something to do. They had everything packed and were ready to move at any time. It wouldn't matter if the building's windows were battered to bits by the storm. Besides, with the downpour outside, the sounds of windows, billboards, and trash cans being tossed around in the streets were like a symphony. Compared to that, the noise from their own building was nothing.
Having nothing better to do and finding sleep elusive, he decided to get some exercise.
Together with Zhao Dagang, they started from the dormitory floor, checking and locking each room's doors and windows. They worked their way through the building until every door and window was secured.
On their way back downstairs, they passed by the rooms of Lin Leyan and Liang Hui.
Drawn to the soft glow of candlelight inside, Zhao Dagang couldn't resist knocking on the door.
Lin Leyan opened it to find Zhao Dagang and Tang Bing standing there, and she quickly stepped aside to let them in.
Tang Bing hadn't planned on stopping by, but seeing Zhao Dagang enter first, he followed suit.
Inside, Liang Hui lay on the bed, a thick blanket draped over her and a damp white towel resting on her forehead, her appearance one of utter exhaustion.
Sun Meng sat at the bedside, attentively soaking another towel in cold water.
"How's she doing?" Zhao Dagang asked, setting his candle down as he approached the bed.
"She's much better since taking the medicine," Sun Meng replied without looking up. "I've taken care of her, and she'll be bouncing back by tomorrow."
"That's a relief!" Zhao Dagang visibly relaxed. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he turned to Tang Bing, "Bing, with the storm raging outside, we're not planning to leave tomorrow, are we?"
Tang Bing glanced at Liang Hui, then back at Zhao Dagang, understanding his concern. He responded with a stern look, "With this downpour, where do you think you could go?"
Zhao Dagang chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head, "Well, then Liang Hui can rest up properly tomorrow and focus on getting better."
"You're fussing over her more than her own mother would!" Tang Bing shook his head. "Have you seen enough? Don't disturb her rest. Go back to your room and get some sleep!"
"Alright! Alright!" Zhao Dagang gave a good-natured laugh and quickly left the room with his candle.
His endearing clumsiness brought a smile to Teacher Lin's face, who had been quite anxious before. It was clear from her expression that she wasn't opposed to Zhao Dagang. She was well aware of his affection for her daughter and didn't confront him about it, suggesting that Zhao Dagang might just have a chance with his prospective mother-in-law.
When it comes to matters of the heart, it's really all about mutual willingness between the parties involved. Even if Teacher Lin isn't opposed to Zhao Dagang, it's all for naught if Liang Hui isn't interested in him.
