Lin Bao'er and Tang Guo were used to teasing each other, so at first, Lin Bao'er thought Tang Guo was just having some minor discomfort. But as she saw Tang Guo's condition worsening, she started to panic. Forgetting any jokes, she rushed to Tang Guo's side, holding her hand and asking, "Sister Tang, how do you feel? Where does it hurt? Why isn't that idiot Ye Qiu here yet? I'm going to find him!"
Lin Bao'er hurriedly slipped on her shoes and ran towards the door, but as soon as she opened it, she ran straight into a soft embrace.
Bai Yan, the eldest in their dorm, rubbed her chest where Lin Bao'er had bumped into her and scolded, "Bao'er, why are you in such a hurry? You almost killed me. How's Guo Guo?"
Lin Bao'er looked up and saw Bai Yan and their second roommate, Gui Fang. Like she had found a lifeline, she grabbed Bai Yan's hand and said, "Eldest sister, Sister Tang is really sick. It's serious. I can't carry her by myself, and we need to get her to the hospital. That brute Ye Qiu still isn't here—"
"That brute is already here," Ye Qiu said as he stepped out from behind Gui Fang. "What's wrong with Tang Guo?"
When Ye Qiu received Lin Bao'er's call, he was genuinely worried. Although he was Tang Guo's bodyguard, he didn't follow her around 24/7, and he believed the school was a safe enough environment where no one would dare kidnap her. Moreover, Tang Buyi had people stationed at the school gate, who would notify Ye Qiu immediately if any suspicious individuals entered the campus. But what if someone managed to break through the outer defenses?
Once Lin Bao'er told him they were still in the dorm, Ye Qiu's concerns eased. Knowing the personalities of Lin Bao'er and Tang Guo, he suspected they might just be bored and looking to mess with him. However, as her bodyguard, he still had to check on them. By the time he arrived at the girls' dorm, he was much calmer, even allowing himself to be held up by a dorm lady. If he truly believed Tang Guo was in danger, he would have knocked the dorm lady out and rushed in without delay.
Ye Qiu saw Tang Guo lying on the bed, covered with a blanket, her small, pale feet exposed. Her eyes were unfocused, her face dark and purplish—it was clear she was in a critical condition. Alarmed, Ye Qiu wondered how she had gotten so sick.
"You finally came," Tang Guo said weakly, struggling to open her eyes as she heard Ye Qiu's voice.
"Yeah." Ye Qiu sat beside her and immediately checked her pulse. Her pulse was slow, shallow, and weak.
"Am I going to die?" Tang Guo asked.
"No, you're not," Ye Qiu replied, then turned to Lin Bao'er. "What did you eat for lunch?"
"Braised chicken leg... vegetables... and cucumber," Lin Bao'er answered. She and Tang Guo were inseparable, often eating the same meals.
"From the school cafeteria? Did you two eat together?"
"Yes."
"What else did you eat?"
"...Stinky tofu," Lin Bao'er admitted guiltily.
"What?" Ye Qiu asked, surprised. The school cafeteria didn't serve stinky tofu.
"I heard from the girls next door that the stinky tofu sold at the school gate was really good, so I had someone buy a portion. But when I came back from the bathroom, Sister Tang had eaten it all, and I didn't get a single piece," Lin Bao'er said, still a bit resentful.
Ye Qiu quickly realized the cause. He turned to Tang Guo and said, "You have food poisoning. Get me a toothbrush."
Lin Bao'er rushed to the washroom and handed Ye Qiu her toothbrush, which had a cute bear design.
"A trash can," Ye Qiu called out.
Bai Yan quickly grabbed the trash can from the dorm room entrance and brought it over, watching Ye Qiu with curiosity. Was this guy a medical student?
"Open your mouth," Ye Qiu instructed.
"Ahhh—" Lin Bao'er, who was standing beside Ye Qiu, obediently opened her mouth.
"I meant Tang Guo."
"Uh..." Lin Bao'er's face flushed red with embarrassment. She wanted to tear a piece of flesh off this jerk for not being clearer.
"Ahhh—" Tang Guo tried to smile but found her stomach churning, the pain growing worse. As soon as she opened her mouth as Ye Qiu instructed, something hard was shoved into her mouth—suddenly, she was reminded of a scene from a risqué movie she and Lin Bao'er had secretly watched behind Sister Monong's back. This bastard dared to do this to her! Tang Guo's temper flared, and she shouted, "You pervert! What are you doing?"
Ye Qiu ignored her outburst, using the handle of the toothbrush to stimulate the root of her tongue. The action made Tang Guo even more furious. Just as she was about to curse him out, a strong wave of nausea hit, and the contents of her stomach surged up like boiling water.
Ye Qiu quickly moved her head to the edge of the bed, and Tang Guo vomited violently into the trash can.
Ye Qiu continued to gently rub her back, applying pressure to specific points to help speed up the vomiting and empty her stomach.
After several minutes, Tang Guo finally finished throwing up, completely exhausted. She collapsed weakly into Ye Qiu's arms, utterly spent. Ye Qiu had Lin Bao'er bring a damp towel to clean her mouth and asked Bai Yan to prepare some warm water, which he slowly fed to Tang Guo.
"How do you feel?" Ye Qiu asked.
"Weak all over," Tang Guo replied, her head resting in Ye Qiu's arms, her eyes closed. Her voice was barely a whisper, but she couldn't help thinking that despite his slim appearance, Ye Qiu's embrace was surprisingly comfortable.
"Since you don't have anything else to do, just rest. You'll feel better soon," Ye Qiu said.
"Is she going to be okay?" Bai Yan asked, still amazed by Ye Qiu's actions.
Ye Qiu, having heard Lin Bao'er refer to the girl as Bai Yan earlier, nodded and replied, "She'll be fine. Just give her some porridge in about three hours."
"Wow, you're amazing! Are you a doctor?" the short-haired girl asked, looking at Ye Qiu with admiration.
"No."
"Are you a student at Shimu University? Which department?"
"Archaeology."
"Archaeology? What made you choose that? It sounds so romantic," the girl said dreamily.
"...," Ye Qiu was at a loss for words. What did archaeology have to do with romance?
"What's your relationship with Guo Guo?" The two girls, captivated by Ye Qiu's impressive medical skills, bombarded him with questions, clearly intrigued by him.
"I'm her—" Ye Qiu hesitated. He was Tang Guo's bodyguard, but it wasn't the kind of identity he could easily disclose. If he claimed to be her brother, Tang Guo might jump out of bed and try to strangle him.
"He's Sister Tang's boyfriend," Lin Bao'er answered for him, giving Ye Qiu a playful look. "Brother-in-law, why did you take so long to get here? Sister Tang's been waiting for you all day."
To read the manga version, please click the YouTube link https://youtu.be/GnU613H6xm8