Chapter 9

It was clearly meant to be artificial respiration, but due to her refusal, it seemed like he was kissing her palm instead.

Her hand was cold and soft, with the dampness of cold sweat remaining in her palm, like a night by the sea.

The onlookers had never seen someone on the brink of death refuse rescue or someone suffering from hypoxia refuse artificial respiration. For a moment, they all uttered a unanimous “Huh??”, and even their gazes became quite intriguing—

Interesting, was she truly seeking death, or did she have a grudge against him?

Xiang Feiran quickly recovered from the shock and pressed down on her hand. “Holding your breath is effective, isn’t it?”

Shang Mingbao was startled. She had originally wanted to explain but lacked the strength to speak. Being prompted by him, she barely nodded her chin.

Yes, holding her breath was useful; it was a clumsy method to lower the heart rate during supraventricular tachycardia. However, her self-rescue mixed with symptoms of palpitations and breathing difficulties led the onlookers to mistakenly believe she had stopped breathing and was on the brink of death.

Xiang Feiran remained in a half-kneeling position, not letting go of her hand.

“The ambulance will be here soon—don’t speak, just listen to me. I’ll keep watching over you, and you will be fine. If you understand me clearly, bend your finger to let me know.”

Sure enough, Shang Mingbao bent her finger.

He kept his gaze on her pupils and lip color. “You’ll be fine, do you believe in yourself?”

Her cool fingertips lightly brushed against his palm like a feather.

It was only later that Shang Mingbao realized Xiang Feiran had been talking to her all along. In those less than ten minutes, he had said more than he had in the past half a week they had known each other.

The sharp siren of the ambulance grew closer, cutting through the afternoon traffic.

The river embankment was not a driving path, so the vehicle could only stop at the nearest intersection. At this moment, the male classmates finally became reliable and voluntarily ran to guide the way. The stretcher quickly arrived, and a doctor knelt down to check her vitals, asking, “What’s the situation?”

Xiang Feiran’s gaze directed the male student, who instantly stood at attention as if being called upon by a teacher, and reported everything.

“Her heart rate reached a peak of 239,” Xiang Feiran added details, “with symptoms of limb weakness, difficulty breathing, sweating, and inability to speak.”

As the medical team and driver lifted her onto the stretcher and moved ahead, the doctor asked, “Who’s the family member? Who’s riding with her? Only one person can go.”

Though he asked “who,” he was clearly looking at Xiang Feiran. Xiang Feiran nodded and stepped forward, “Her family isn’t here; I’m her friend.”

The male classmate didn’t feel slighted by losing the spot but instead let out a long sigh of relief, grateful not to bear such a big responsibility. However, out of basic decency and kindness, he wiped his sweat and asked, “Is there anything I can do?”

Xiang Feiran added him on WeChat, glanced at him, and said, “Buy a bouquet of flowers and properly apologize to your girlfriend.”

Girlfriend? What girlfriend? Apologize? Apologize for what?

The male classmate was utterly confused but intimidated by the cold demeanor of the man in front of him. He dared not say a word and nodded repeatedly, saying, “Okay, okay.”

In the ambulance, Shang Mingbao had electrodes attached to her body and a blanket covering her. Surrounded by the green uniforms of the medical staff, she closed her eyes, pale and serene like a pure white bellFlower.

A nurse reassured, “She’s not in any life-threatening danger, so don’t worry too much. First, give me the patient’s ID number for registration.”

Xiang Feiran didn’t know her ID number, so he called his aunt, who was Fang Suining’s mother. This inevitably alerted the family in Hong Kong.

Shang Mingbao, fully conscious, listened as Xiang Feiran made several phone calls. The last call began with, “I’m Shang Mingbao’s elder brother. I’ll handle everything.”

It’s over. Why is it my brother? Shang Mingbao despairingly closed her eyes, and her already strange ECG worsened.

Following the principle of nearest treatment, the ambulance took her to a public secondary hospital. This hospital served over a dozen old, dilapidated communities, exuding a sense of neglect and overcrowded with people. The emergency outpatient corridor was filled with waiting patients’ family members.

After being given medication, Shang Mingbao was placed in an observation room. This room had two beds side by side, separated by pleated curtains. At the moment, the curtain was drawn, indicating someone occupied the other bed.

 The nurse placed an oxygen nasal cannula and a cardiac monitor on Shang Mingbao and softly instructed, “She hasn’t recovered yet. Don’t upset her, don’t let her have any emotional fluctuations, and it’s best to keep her lying flat.”

As soon as the nurse left, the small hospital room fell silent. Shang Mingbao lay there with her clothes on, her complexion slightly better, showing some color.

After a short while, another nurse passed by the door leaned in, and advised, “Family members, don’t play with your phones. Take off the patient’s boots; she’ll feel more comfortable.”

Both people in the room simultaneously: “…”

Upon hearing this, Xiang Feiran finally noticed this detail. Without saying a word, he exited the document on his phone and stood up.

Shang Mingbao opened her eyes weakly, saying, “No need…!”

Because she was too weak, the “!” was not very pronounced, sounding more like a polite remark.

Xiang Feiran glanced at the cardiac monitor. Her heart rate had gone up a bit again. Clearly, the nurse was not exaggerating; the boots had to come off.

He now somewhat regretted not having her boyfriend follow the ambulance.

Shang Mingbao blinked her eyelashes, watching as Xiang Feiran approached the foot of the bed, bent down, and placed his large palm on her calf, over her boots.

His movements paused for a few seconds, his expression not looking too good as he hooked two fingers, “Lower your legs yourself.”

Shang Mingbao was at a loss, “Huh?”

Xiang Feiran’s face was nearly cold, “Your skirt, it’s inconvenient.”

Shang Mingbao, “Oh, oh…”

Although her legs were still numb, with Xiang Feiran’s help, she finally managed to lower her legs over the edge of the bed.

Although the long summer boots were made of soft sheepskin, they didn’t have a zipper. Xiang Feiran tried to pull them off but couldn’t, so he had to squat down halfway and lift her leg, cradling it in his arms.

Shang Mingbao panicked and, while struggling to sit up, blurted out softly, “Don’t do that…”

Why did her heart rate go up to 170 again?

Xiang Feiran glanced at the monitor, thinking she was affected by his actions, and said, “Lie down and don’t move, leave it to me.”

The blue curtain swayed a bit, and the middle-aged man with a head injury in the next bed, risking the blood seeping through his bandages, poked his head out: just to see what these two were up to… oh, they’re just taking off shoes.

After much effort, Shang Mingbao finally lay down straight, silently pulling the quilt inch by inch over her chin, mouth, and nose, and finally covering her eyes.

Her breathing and light sweat mingled with her heartbeat, steaming her flushed face.

Under the quilt, she couldn’t hear much of what was happening outside, unaware that Xiang Feiran had walked out of the room, took a long breath, and went to the vending machine to buy a bottle of water, gulping down half of it as if extremely thirsty.

When he returned, he pulled the quilt down from her face, saying rather unromantically, “Don’t suffocate.”

Beneath her black hair, her ear, adorned with a silver ear cuff, was pale and delicate. The ear cuff resembled the straps of a ballet shoe, wrapping around her ear and ending in a bow at her earlobe.

Xiang Feiran looked at it for a long time but didn’t ask her to take it off for comfort. He didn’t want her to notice his gaze lingering on her ear.

Shang Mingbao took a short nap for half an hour. During this time, the middle-aged man in the next bed left, and another with a head injury took his place. When she woke up, feeling slightly more energetic, her first reaction was to flare her nostrils, then she made a move to get out of bed.

Xiang Feiran immediately held her down, “What are you doing?”

Shang Mingbao looked pitiful, “…”

“What?” Her voice was inexplicably soft, and Xiang Feiran didn’t hear clearly, so he leaned closer within a socially acceptable distance, bringing his ear near her lips.

This time he heard clearly, “It smells.”

“It smells—” Before he could ask further, Shang Mingbao covered his mouth.

The young girl furrowed her brows, looking troubled and tense, gesturing frantically towards the adjacent bed.

Xiang Feiran glanced over and saw a pair of feet in black socks at the end of the bed, not covered by the curtain.

When had a lady who only traveled in a Bentley for short trips and took private jets for long distances ever suffered such an indignity? This was worse than her supraventricular tachycardia!

Xiang Feiran thought for a moment, then leaned down and whispered so only she could hear, “Should I ask about changing rooms?”

Shang Mingbao shyly nodded slightly.

A few minutes later, Xiang Feiran returned and squatted by her bedside, still whispering, “I asked, there are no empty beds, we can’t switch.”

He couldn’t tell Shang Mingbao to endure it, explaining that this was just a district-level public hospital with no luxurious magic, where life and death appeared in their most unadorned form—such realities were likely beyond this young lady’s experiences. People couldn’t overcome crises they had no concept of.

“Then what do we do?” Shang Mingbao asked softly, her gaze dropping from his eyes to his nose, lips, and throat before stopping at the collar of his black T-shirt.

Xiang Feiran: “Why are you looking at me?”

Shang Mingbao, perhaps dazed from sleep or with excess oxygen, blurted out, “Your clothes smell nice.”

“…”

“How many layers are you wearing?”

Xiang Feiran: “What do you think?”

In the scorching summer heat of 37-38 degrees Celsius, with ground temperatures over 40, just standing still made you sweat. How many layers could he be wearing?

Shang Mingbao pursed her lips, staying silent. She couldn’t very well ask him to take off his clothes for her.

“Just bear with it a bit longer.”

“Will he leave then?” Shang Mingbao’s eyes brightened.

“No, you’ll just get used to the smell.”

“…”

Come on.

Feeling wronged, she wrapped a strand of hair around her nose, at least breathing in her own scent. She hadn’t settled for long when the ECG showed abnormalities again, and Shang Mingbao exclaimed, “You put me on the ground earlier! My hair is dirty!”

“Miss, it’s just cement.”

“Oh my god, cement!”

Not even Italian imported marble—or at least locally sourced!

Xiang Feiran rubbed his forehead, realizing he needed to reassess his understanding of this young lady.

Xiang Feiran said word by word, “At the time, it was an emergency. Even if the ground were covered with humus, crawling with ants and leeches, I would still have put you down there.”

Shang Mingbao was stunned by his string of unusual descriptions, turning pale and almost crying, “If it ever comes to that, I’d rather die of pain…”

Xiang Feiran lowered his gaze, pausing for a moment, then seriously said, “Shang Mingbao, being alive is great. Don’t say things like that, even as a joke.”

Shang Mingbao was taken aback, a slight resonance in her heart.

“I know being alive is great…” Her voice was soft, almost fading at the end.

She knew being alive was great.

No one understood better than someone who had lived under the shadow of death from a young age. Although her private doctor repeatedly assured her that supraventricular tachycardia wasn’t fatal, with a death rate negligible, they couldn’t comprehend the cold and fear when the angina struck unexpectedly. Her body no longer felt like her own; every sense seemed to cross that river of death, reaching the other side.

Yes, it wouldn’t kill her, but the feeling of imminent death was so real and urgent that she had lived in a nightmare of dying at any moment since she was eight.

Shang Mingbao showed a faint, obedient smile, seemingly wanting to say something, but Xiang Feiran, fearing she would say something unlucky again, simply covered her mouth, “Be quiet and rest.”

His hand was large, covering half her face.

It smelled good.

Shang Mingbao blinked in confusion, holding his wrist with both hands, preventing him from taking it away.

The unbearable smell was blocked by his palm, replaced by a gentle, unfamiliar skin scent.

Some people have striking faces but remain single. Xiang Feiran, using his extraordinary composure, suppressed the subtle and surprising emotions, even considering explaining that they weren’t close enough for this; that men and women shouldn’t touch each other; that she had a boyfriend… and so on.

But considering her recent illness, he stayed silent, seemingly calm, while typing quickly on his phone with his free hand.

After about ten minutes, the delivery guy arrived running with two paper bags from the nearby pedestrian street. Inside the bags were a bottle of perfume and a T-shirt.

His client had specifically instructed not to knock on the door in the app, so when the delivery guy arrived, he only briefly showed his presence at the door.

From his perspective, he saw a tall, handsome young man standing by the bed, his hand gently resting on the face of a pale girl, as if holding a mask over it.

Shang Mingbao had a very short second nap and also a brief dream. In the dream, there were green branches surrounding her, like a dense forest, with excessive humidity condensing into white mist, filling the clouds and mountains.

When she woke up, she realized a T-shirt was covering her nose and mouth, and the dream’s fragrance had actually come from it.

Xiang Feiran, who was supposed to be keeping her company, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the male classmate was sitting by her bed, holding a large bouquet of flowers.

Shang Mingbao didn’t ask how he ended up there and immediately turned her head to look at the other side. No one.

“Where’s Brother Feiran?” she asked directly.

The male classmate explained seriously, “After I arrived, he said he was leaving this to me, and then he left. These are the flowers for you, wishing you a speedy recovery.”

Shang Mingbao glanced at the flowers politely, “Thank you, please put them by the bed.”

The male classmate said, “Okay.”

After placing the flowers, he scratched his forehead, “He’s already paid the medical expenses and borrowed two hundred from me.”

Shang Mingbao, “Huh?”

“Don’t know, seems like he doesn’t have enough money on his card.”

Borrowing money from a high school student was really unacceptable, but fortunately, Xiang Feiran had a naturally cold demeanor. Therefore, the male classmate thought, “Wow, university students are so straightforward even when borrowing money.” When transferring the money, he seemed to have clicked his tongue and said something like… “It would be enough without buying perfume.”

“What about the bill?” Shang Mingbao asked. She wanted to see just how expensive emergency medical services were in Mainland China…

“It’s here.” The male classmate took out the bill from his pocket, “He said your older brother will come later and cover it, and then I’ll transfer the money back to him.”

Shang Mingbao quickly checked the stack of receipts and asked in disbelief, “Isn’t it just one thousand one hundred?!”

She couldn’t even buy half of her favorite slice of cake!

—

Xiang Feiran pulled out the last soft Zhenyun cigarette from his pocket, habitually tapped it in his palm, and then placed it between his lips.

After lighting it, he took a moment to calm down and finally took a deep breath.

The summer afternoon was long, and under the green rain shelter in the hospital’s outdoor smoking area, large-flowered crape myrtle was in bloom.

Xiang Feiran’s gaze naturally settled on it, and his mind began to replay another matter.

Recently, his financial situation seemed off; he earned some money, but it seemed like it was all being spent. And it was all being spent on Shang Mingbao?

This girl… Does she have a metal-clashing element? He was so broke he could hardly afford cigarettes.

Lost in thought, his mind wandered naturally.

He wondered if her little boyfriend could handle the rest of the situation.

It didn’t matter; her older brother would come too. From his voice, he should be an adult with basic problem-solving skills.

But he was from Hong Kong and wasn’t very familiar with Mainland China.

—

While still pondering these things, he had instinctively walked back along the rain shelter. When he came to his senses, he had already reached the end of the shelter, with the word “Emergency” hanging in front of him.

Xiang Feiran stood under the shelter, savoring the last puff of his cigarette before putting it out and stepped into the familiar building.

At the ward door, to avoid interrupting any sweet moments between the young couple, he stopped and coughed deliberately.

Shang Mingbao, like a meerkat, perked up and pricked her ears at the sound: “Brother Feiran?”

Xiang Feiran’s figure indeed appeared at the door. He glanced around calmly and was somewhat surprised to see no one else inside.

“Where is he?” he asked.

Shang Mingbao, feeling down, said, “He’s not really needed here, so I let him go first.”

The boy really couldn’t do anything, and he didn’t understand why she was so disheartened and impatient, so he just left.

Xiang Feiran thought for a moment and understood.

Young love. Secret early romance. That’s why he had to leave before her older brother arrived.

Xiang Feiran pulled out a chair and sat down, unscrewing a bottle of mineral water he bought on the way and handed it to her: “Fang Suining knew you were ill and wanted to come, but I told her not to add to the trouble.”

“Hmm.” Shang Mingbao nodded in understanding, “She should focus on her classes. I’m already better.”

Xiang Feiran rarely showed a smile: “So strong?”

He looked a bit like he was comforting a child. Shang Mingbao wasn’t sure, but her face felt slightly warm. Lying down, she suspected her emotions were completely exposed, so she turned her face away.

Xiang Feiran took in all her reactions. When she didn’t speak, he also remained quiet, habitually opening Google Scholar. When Shang Mingbao said she wanted to sit up, he put down his phone, called the nurse to confirm all the indicators, and after receiving confirmation, he adjusted the bed to a more comfortable position and helped her sit up.

While adjusting the pillow, he felt Shang Mingbao’s forehead gently resting against his chest.

The scent of her hair filled the air.

He said nothing, his thin lips pressed together, pretending not to notice. After placing the pillow properly behind her waist, he held onto the bed’s railing and asked, “Is this comfortable?”

Shang Mingbao shifted a bit, responding softly with a “mm.” She suspected the ward’s air conditioning hadn’t been refilled with refrigerant for a long time, otherwise, why would she feel so hot, with sweat emerging from the back of her neck covered with black hair?

“That T-shirt and perfume…” Shang Mingbao asked once Xiang Feiran turned around.

“The T-shirt I can wear, the perfume is for you.”

The T-shirt was cheap, but the perfume was expensive. He had planned it all along.

Shang Mingbao asked, “Is the perfume the same as the one you’re wearing?”

Xiang Feiran coughed suddenly, swallowed, and said, “No, it’s a women’s fragrance.”

Shang Mingbao muttered an “oh,” playing with his sleeve while wondering why his older brother hadn’t arrived yet. He also thought it might be better if his brother didn’t arrive too soon.

In the silence, the ringtone of “Plants vs. Zombies” rang.

The lead singer, just waking up and waiting for instant noodles, asked with a hint of fatigue, “Where are you?”

“At the hospital.”

“Why are you at the hospital? Getting a vasectomy?”

“…”

“A friend is ill.”

“How do you have so many friends, Fei Ge? Am I not your number one?” The lead singer started to playfully tease.

Xiang Feiran cut off the call with a single touch.

“Who was that?” Shang Mingbao asked curiously.

Not knowing, but perhaps a bit probing, he asked, “Girlfriend?”

“Patient. Male.”

Soon, the ringtone rang again. The lead singer had started eating his noodles and was back to his usual self, asking a serious question, “What about tonight?”

They had a performance from 9:30 PM to 11:30 PM. After estimating the time, Xiang Feiran replied affirmatively, “I’ll arrive on time.”

After their conversation, Shang Mingbao asked, “What’s wrong with your friend?”

“His head is ill.”

Shang Mingbao, without suspicion, sympathetically asked, “Can it be treated?”

Xiang Feiran smiled and stopped teasing, “He’s not really ill, just prone to going mad.”

Shang Mingbao looked visibly stunned, smiling awkwardly and hurriedly, lowering his gaze. “Oh, it’s different from me.”

Then she laughed to herself, “Oh, it seems like I’m the one with a problem, not getting jokes.”

Her smile was strained and awkward, so Xiang Feiran called her name, “Shang Mingbao.”

Shang Mingbao stopped smiling, pressed her lips together, and looked at him brightly and calmly.

“The doctor just asked me if you have supraventricular tachycardia.”

“Yes.”

“Why not have the surgery?” He had already looked up information and had a basic understanding of the condition.

Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) has a low mortality rate but can be uncomfortable and unpredictable. It can strike unexpectedly—while driving, celebrating something, or arguing with someone. To some extent, it’s like recurring mild strokes. During an episode, some people find it bearable and just lie down, while others experience severe distress and need emergency treatment. Some may have paralyzed limbs or simply feel short of breath and palpitations.

Radiofrequency ablation is a standard procedure for treating SVT. It is minimally invasive with a high success rate. Although there’s a chance that the condition could recur even after surgery, most people opt for it.

Shang Mingbao could afford the surgery, especially since it costs only 20,000 to 30,000 yuan and is covered by insurance.

Shang Mingbao smiled, “I’m waiting.”

“Waiting for what? Surgery scheduling?”

“No, I’m waiting to… grow a bit.” Shang Mingbao raised her hand with the glucose drip, indicating, “The guidewire goes through the femoral vein. I’m… underdeveloped. My veins are finer and more tortuous than a child’s.”

It was as if she was talking about someone else, “Let me tell you secretly, even two years ago, the finest guidewire in the world couldn’t reach my femoral vein.”

The doctor had attempted a surgical puncture, but the guidewire couldn’t advance, posing a risk to life.

“And now?”

Shang Mingbao beamed, “Now it’s not that I’ve grown up, but technology has advanced. There are now finer gauges.”

This progress was backed by tens of millions of investments and laboratory sponsorships.

However, the doctor still recommended delaying the surgery until she grew a bit more, like a plant with clearer veins and more resilient stems.

Shang Mingbao wasn’t used to sharing these details; Xiang Feiran was the first. But she didn’t intend to tell him that he was the first. It would be strange and selfish to impose expectations on someone they barely knew.

Moreover… they were just passing acquaintances, floating on a fleeting connection.

This summer lasted only fifteen days.

At the entrance of the ward, a man who had arrived in Ning City by helicopter from Hong Kong stood quietly for a long time. Dressed in a suit, he had evidently hurried away from a company meeting. He decided to enter the ward only after the last sentence on the topic had been spoken for over five seconds.

But just then, the slightly ajar door opened from the inside, and Xiang Feiran turned the handle, pausing slightly in his expression and steps.

It was at that moment that he first intuitively sensed the level of Shang Mingbao’s background from this man’s presence.