A few minutes later, Su Qingran’s phone rang. It was a video call from Jiang Chenlin.

Su Qingran leaned back on the couch, finding a relaxed position, and swiped to answer.

“Ranran, what are you up to?” Jiang Chenlin’s eyes seemed a bit bloodshot, and his voice was slightly hoarse.

Su Qingran looked at him and smiled, “What’s going on? You look like you’ve been up all night. Don’t tell me you couldn’t sleep because you were missing me?”

Jiang Chenlin’s gaze deepened as he stared at her. After a moment, he spoke seriously, “Ranran, I miss you a lot.”

Su Qingran, feeling a bit uncomfortable with his rare sentimentality, tried to lighten the mood. “Alright, alright, I’ll be back soon.”

Jiang Chenlin asked, “Did you get the materials you wanted?”

Su Qingran nodded. “Yes, except for the ink flower jade I wanted to give my dad. But I did get a piece of yellow jade. I was originally going to use it as a keepsake for our engagement and carve it for our future home, but my dad sent me a lot of money, so I decided to reward him first.”

Jiang Chenlin listened quietly and then suddenly said, “Ranran, can we push our engagement back a few days?”

Su Qingran was startled. “Huh? Why?”

Jiang Chenlin quickly regained his composure and shook his head. “I was just talking nonsense, don’t mind me.”

He rubbed his forehead and said, “I’ve just been feeling a little anxious lately.”

Su Qingran didn’t doubt their relationship at all. Over the years they’d been together, Jiang Chenlin had treated her almost perfectly.

So she nodded. “Don’t be too stressed. Even though the thought of getting engaged makes my palms sweat a little, we’ve known each other for so long, big brother.”

That last phrase, “big brother,” made Jiang Chenlin’s breath catch, and his eyes reddened slightly. “Yeah.”

Su Qingran was about to show him the small items she had bought today, but then she suddenly felt her stomach cramp. “Ah, I need to use the bathroom. Talk to you later!”

Before Jiang Chenlin could respond, she quickly hung up and rushed to the bathroom.

What Su Qingran didn’t expect was that the next day, she ended up in the hospital.

The doctor, holding her test results, gave the diagnosis: acute gastroenteritis. He recommended IV treatment and an overnight observation.

Since it was late, Su Qingran only had her bodyguard accompany her. By the time everything was settled, it was almost midnight.

Su Qingran was exhausted, but she couldn’t sleep, especially since they had come on short notice. The local hospital’s conditions were average, with six beds in one room. Including the patients and their accompanying family members, there were more than ten people, making the place quite noisy.

With an IV in her left hand, Su Qingran used her right hand to snap a photo of the IV drip and posted it on her social media.

“Ate five massive lamb skewers today with extra cumin and chili, now I’ve got gastroenteritis.”

At this hour, only a few night owls back in Beijing would see it, perfect for stirring things up and chatting.

Sure enough, as soon as she posted, several comments came in—all from her mischievous friends:

“Do you even realize how big those skewers were? You ate five with extra spice? Why not just fly to the sky?”

“No worries, today you weren’t used to it. Tomorrow, let’s eat eight!”

“Wait, didn’t Jiang Chenlin stop you? How did he let you eat five skewers? Our delicate Ranran should be full after just one!”

…

Great, those guys would regret it if they ever fell into her hands again!

Su Qingran, typing one-handed, was chatting away when Jiang Chenlin called at 12:05 a.m., sounding anxious. “What happened? Are you still in pain? How long do you need the IV for?”

Now, this was genuine concern.

Su Qingran pouted, “I have to stay in the hospital overnight, and tomorrow morning I might need another round of IV. I want to go home.”

Jiang Chenlin pinched the bridge of his nose, a mixture of frustration and worry on his face. “Double the chili and cumin because I wasn’t there?”

Knowing she was in the wrong, Su Qingran avoided eye contact with the camera.

A sigh came through the phone. “If I’m not around, no one can keep you in check.”

“Then you should just keep an eye on me forever.” Su Qingran regained her confidence. “After all, when you’re not around, I tend to get reckless.”

Jiang Chenlin chuckled, though a strange emotion flickered in his eyes. After a long pause, he said, “Yeah.”

Su Qingran sensed a sudden sadness in the air, so she quickly added, “It’s nothing serious. I just need to adjust. Maybe I’m a bit unaccustomed to the food and water here. I’ll attend the exchange meeting tomorrow, then I’ll come back.”

“Alright.” Seeing the bodyguard in the background, Jiang Chenlin felt reassured. “Get some rest soon. If you feel uncomfortable, don’t hesitate to ask the bodyguard to call the doctor. Don’t bear it on your own.”

Su Qingran nodded. “Okay.”