Chapter 382 – Will It Work or Not?

Li Yiyi casually brushed him off with a few perfunctory responses, but deep down, she was desperately hoping this comrade Wu Lai would just shut up for a bit—she really wanted some peace and quiet.

Unfortunately, things never go as one wishes. All the way to the hotel where they were staying, Wu Lai kept chattering in her ear, going on either about his personal experiences or things at his school.

In just that short half-hour ride, Li Yiyi had already gotten a full understanding of who he was from all his talking.

When they finally arrived at the hotel, she quickly grabbed her room key from Shen Zhou and rushed into her room ahead of the others to rest.

Once in the hotel room, Li Yiyi began sorting out the clothes and belongings she’d brought with her. She had just gotten halfway through unpacking when a knock sounded at the door.

At first, she didn’t feel like responding, but the knocking persisted. Left with no choice, she got up and opened the door.

Standing there was Shen Zhou.

“Comrade Li, sorry to bother you. The hotel has arranged a welcome lunch for everyone. They’re all seated and waiting,” he said with a smile.

Only then did Li Yiyi realize that it was indeed lunchtime.

But just thinking about sitting at a table with that bunch made her feel tired—chances were, they’d barely get a few bites in before someone started arguing again.

“Forget it, I think I’ll skip it. I’m not hungry anyway. You all go ahead—no need to wait for me,” she declined right away.

“Alright, I’ll let them know. But if you do get hungry, just let the hotel staff know, and they can prepare something for you,” Shen Zhou said considerately.

After all, this Doctor Li in front of him was someone he’d been instructed to look after especially well—he couldn’t afford to neglect her.

Li Yiyi was naturally grateful for his thoughtfulness. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Once he had walked away, she finally shut the door and looked at the now-messy room she’d half-sorted. Her motivation to finish organizing completely disappeared.

Lying on the bed, her thoughts inevitably turned to Jiang Hong, who was supposed to be traveling with them. Where had he gotten to by now?

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Jiang Hong, having already left Province Y, was currently sitting in an army-green jeep.

Driving the car was Hong Shuo, who kept sneaking glances at him. Jiang Hong, though resting with his eyes closed, quickly noticed the glances.

“Can you please focus on the road while you’re driving? I really don’t want to lose my life before even reaching the destination,” he opened his eyes and said helplessly, looking at his good buddy behind the wheel.

Caught in the act, Hong Shuo gave up the pretense and grinned, “You noticed, huh? Well, since we’re being honest—I’ve got something to ask you. Do you still have any of those pills you handed out to the guys when we got in the car?”

Jiang Hong looked him over more carefully after hearing that, and the more he thought about it, the more something felt off. This guy was definitely hiding something.

“You’re hiding something from me, aren’t you? Spill it. What do you want the pills for?” Jiang Hong sat up straight and stared at him.

Startled by how serious he sounded, Hong Shuo quickly gripped the steering wheel tightly. “W-What are you talking about? What would I be hiding from you? Don’t jump to conclusions.”

Jiang Hong immediately caught the flicker of panic in his eyes. No way was this guy clean.

“Alright, don’t bother pretending. We’ve been brothers for how many years now? You think I can’t tell when you’re up to something? Speak. And hurry. I’m going back to sleep, and if you wake me up again, I won’t be this nice.”

This guy seriously needed to check a mirror—his face had already given him away.

Seeing Jiang Hong about to fall asleep again, Hong Shuo panicked. “Don’t sleep! You already took a nap, didn’t you?”

“That was just a catnap. And besides, you woke me up, didn’t you?” Jiang Hong replied irritably.

Feeling guilty, Hong Shuo scratched his nose. “Alright, alright, I’ll talk, okay? Just don’t go back to sleep.”

“I wanted to ask for a few pills for my girlfriend. There. Happy now? Satisfied with that answer?” he said, cheeks flushing red.

Jiang Hong stared at his red face, curious. “Wait, since when did you have a girlfriend? Why didn’t I hear anything about this?”

Hong Shuo stammered, “It was during the time you went back to your hometown with your wife. You didn’t ask, so why would I bring it up? It’s my private business, not yours.”

Jiang Hong let out a short laugh, but then frowned as something occurred to him. “Hold up. What does your girlfriend need those pills for? You know what they’re for, right? They’re anti-venom—meant for snake bites and such. What does she need them for?”

“How do you know she won’t need them? She’s coming with us this time. We’re headed somewhere dangerous, right? I can’t be the only one with the antidote and leave her without anything. Come on, be a pal. Just a few pills. Half a bottle, even?”

Jiang Hong rolled his eyes. “Get lost. My wife only gave me one tiny bottle, and you want half of it? What, do you think I’m made of medicine?”

Hong Shuo grumbled, “Hey, if I could go to the heavens and get more, I would. But seriously, couldn’t you have asked your wife to make a few more bottles? This little stash isn’t nearly enough.”

Jiang Hong gave him another eye-roll. “Do you have any idea how many nights she stayed up making this stuff? And you still say it’s not enough? Say that again and I swear I’ll punch you.”

Seeing Jiang Hong raise his fist, Hong Shuo wisely shut up.

“I’m serious though. Can’t you give me just a few more? Even one? I can’t just sit there and watch her get into danger. Put yourself in my shoes. If it were Comrade Li in danger, wouldn’t you do the same?” he continued pestering his best friend.

Jiang Hong’s ears were about to develop calluses from all his whining. He finally interrupted, “Alright, alright, fine. One pill. That’s it.”

He pulled out a small medicine bottle. In fact, he had already given one to each of the team members before they got in the car, so there weren’t many left.

He shook one pill out and handed it to Hong Shuo.