Ning Xingchen hardly slept a wink all night, busy taking care of Zhou Sitong. He fed her medicine and water, which moved Zhou Sitong deeply. No one had ever treated her with such warmth and care.
By the next morning, Zhou Sitong's fever had subsided, and Ning Xingchen finally breathed a sigh of relief, resting for a while on the sofa.
Zhou Sitong got up, took a blanket, and gently covered Ning Xingchen with it. She looked at him with deep affection.
In truth, Ning Xingchen wasn't asleep. Hearing her footsteps, he opened his eyes and smiled, "Are you feeling better?"
"Yes, senior, you're so good to me," Zhou Sitong replied sweetly.
"Do you know you kept me up all night?" Ning Xingchen pretended to complain.
"Senior, you worked hard. Tell me, how should I repay you?"
"Alright, repay me now," Ning Xingchen said, getting up from the sofa and wrapping his arms around Zhou Sitong's waist, planting a light kiss on her fair cheek.
"Senior, stop messing around. Rest for a bit while I make breakfast to repay you," Zhou Sitong said, pushing him away shyly, her cheeks blushing adorably.
"Go ahead," Ning Xingchen smiled, releasing her. He stretched and smiled smugly, feeling that Zhou Sitong had started to depend on and like him.
However, Zhou Sitong's breakfast left much to be desired. It was almost like a dark culinary experiment.
The fried egg was a mess and burnt black.
"Senior, don't eat it. It might be poisonous," Zhou Sitong said, realizing that Ning Xingchen was eating it just to please her.
"It's not bad. Just remember to take it out of the pan earlier next time," Ning Xingchen said, enduring the bitterness in his mouth. He had to keep up his act to win her over.
"Really?" Zhou Sitong said, puzzled, as she picked up a piece with her chopsticks.
"Yuck, it's awful..."
She quickly ran to the bathroom to spit it out. Thinking about how Ning Xingchen had complimented the food despite its taste, Zhou Sitong felt a warm sensation in her heart, making her feel moved.
"Senior, let's go out to eat. But I promise, I'll practice my cooking. Once I've mastered it, I'll make you delicious breakfast every day," Zhou Sitong said softly.
"I'll look forward to it," Ning Xingchen smiled, thinking that only a good wife would be so considerate. It seemed Zhou Sitong was slowly accepting this role.
Ning Xingchen drove Zhou Sitong to a nearby luxurious Cantonese breakfast tea house.
Zhou Sitong ordered a lot: soup dumplings, shrimp dumplings, custard buns, and wontons. Her appetite was impressive, and watching her eat was a joy.
The most surprising thing for Ning Xingchen was that no matter how much she ate, Zhou Sitong remained slim, her perfect curves showing in all the right places. It seemed all the nutrition went to her chest.
After breakfast, Ning Xingchen planned to visit the hospital. Today was the day his mother was being discharged. She had recovered enough to rest at home.
"Senior, what are your plans for later?" Zhou Sitong asked.
Ning Xingchen explained about going to the hospital.
"Senior, I want to come too."
"Don't you have classes?" Ning Xingchen asked curiously.
"Classes are like shopping for groceries to me. It doesn't matter if I go or not," Zhou Sitong said indifferently.
"If you keep skipping classes, aren't you afraid the teachers will fail you?" Ning Xingchen laughed.
"They wouldn't dare. Half of the research funding at Dongda University comes from my family. You know the Qiu Zhi Building? My family paid for it. The university president treats my grandpa with the utmost respect," Zhou Sitong said proudly.
...
"Sitong, what does your family do? They seem very powerful," Ning Xingchen asked curiously. He had thought Zhou Sitong was joking when she said she had influence over Dongda University, but now it seemed true.
"It's a secret," Zhou Sitong said playfully, winking.
Even if she didn't say, Ning Xingchen could find out with his resources. After all, there weren't many powerful families named Zhou in Donghai City.
When they arrived at Rhodes Hospital, Ning Xingchen hadn't informed any hospital management, not wanting to attract unnecessary attention on his turf.
As they entered the private luxury ward, Ning Xingchen saw Lin Xun'er peeling an apple.
To be honest, Ning Xingchen was surprised to see Lin Xun'er there. She should have been at work.
Lin Xun'er glanced at Ning Xingchen without much expression. However, when she saw the beautiful girl beside him, her brows furrowed slightly, and her face showed a hint of inscrutable coldness.
"Xun'er, why aren't you at work today?" Ning Xingchen greeted her naturally.
"I took the day off and will work on Saturday instead," Lin Xun'er replied coldly, her attitude towards Ning Xingchen indifferent.
Ning Xingchen sighed inwardly, knowing that his relationship with Lin Xun'er hadn't improved. She still harbored misunderstandings about him.
"Son, who is this?" Su Juan, who had experience, noticed Zhou Sitong sticking close to Ning Xingchen. Seeing their intimacy, she guessed they were dating.
But thinking of Lin Xun'er, the kind and understanding girl, Su Juan was confused about her son's choices. Lin Xun'er seemed more worthy of his pursuit.
During Su Juan's illness, Lin Xun'er had taken care of her attentively, making her feel like she had another daughter, even more considerate than her son.
Su Juan genuinely liked Lin Xun'er and thought she would be a blessing as a daughter-in-law.
"Auntie, I'm Ning Xingchen's girlfriend. Let me introduce myself. My name is Zhou Sitong," Zhou Sitong said, not following the usual script. She held Ning Xingchen's arm and smiled.
Zhou Sitong had already sensed Lin Xun'er's hostility towards her.
Hearing this, Ning Xingchen felt helpless. He gave Zhou Sitong a look, signaling her to stop talking. The critical issue was that Lin Xun'er was present, and this would undoubtedly cause a misunderstanding.
Indeed, Lin Xun'er coldly said, "Auntie, I'll leave you to chat. I need to use the restroom."
Ning Xingchen hadn't expected Lin Xun'er to get jealous. This was a good sign, showing that he mattered to her. However, he also knew that Zhou Sitong's presence would only deepen the rift between him and Lin Xun'er.