After delivering the message, the senior had no intention of lingering and turned to leave. But Qin Ran called out to her, clutching the handkerchief in her hand. "How is Senior Yu Shuman doing?" she asked.
"Same as before..." the senior replied vaguely before leaving at the call of her friends. Qin Ran returned to her seat, holding the handkerchief. It wasn't the same one she had given away, but it was remarkably similar, with the little rabbit being almost identical.
With a sigh, Qin Ran tucked the handkerchief away. That evening, instead of heading to her part-time job, she found herself at the hospital. At the nurse's station, she inquired about Yu Shuman's mother. It seemed that many students from the school had been visiting lately. Yu Shuman was well-known for her beauty and kind nature, so it wasn't surprising that she had many friends.
Seeing Qin Ran was a student, the nurse didn't hide much, informing her of the room number and remarking how much Yu Shuman's situation tugged at people's hearts. After listening to the nurse for a while, Qin Ran made her way upstairs. She didn't enter the room but stood at the door, looking through the small window.
Inside, Yu Shuman was holding her mother's hand, her face still adorned with the same smile Qin Ran had seen that day. But she looked more haggard now, with dark circles under her eyes, making her appear even more fragile and pitiable. After watching for a while, Qin Ran turned and left the hospital.
Qin Ran had always had a distant relationship with her parents. In her past life, her parents' marriage had been a union of convenience, and neither of them cared much for her, only providing her with money. In this life, she didn't even have parents. Seeing the close bond between Yu Shuman and her mother was something she couldn't fully comprehend. But instinctively, she didn't want to see Yu Shuman's smile disappear.
Sitting on the flower bed outside the hospital, Qin Ran watched people come and go, lost in thought. Was she really willing to bind herself to Yu Shuman, intertwining their lives for the foreseeable future? Yu Shuman was just a senior she had met once, their only connection being that handkerchief. She hesitated, torn between the desire to help and the knowledge that there were countless others in the world who also needed saving.
As these thoughts battled within her, Qin Ran saw Yu Shuman approaching, carrying a tin box that suggested she was about to get some food. Qin Ran wasn't naive; she knew that while hospital food might not be outrageously expensive, it wasn't cheap either. For someone like Yu Shuman, it made more sense to find something more affordable nearby.
Yu Shuman quickly spotted Qin Ran sitting on the flower bed. Without hesitation, she approached and sat down beside her. "Hey, what are you doing here? Are you not feeling well?" she asked, concerned.
Qin Ran mentally scolded Yu Shuman for worrying about others even in her situation, but she remained expressionless. Yu Shuman continued, "You're not here to see me, are you?"
"I received the handkerchief you sent," Qin Ran replied.
Yu Shuman's smile grew even brighter. "That's good! I searched high and low for one just like it. Isn't the little rabbit identical?" They chatted for a while, with Yu Shuman eventually saying she needed to get food before the best and cheapest options were gone. Qin Ran waved her off, watching as she walked away.
After she left, Qin Ran called upon the system. The system, having given up hope of ever seeing Qin Ran bind herself to anyone, was shocked. She asked, "Can I bind to Yu Shuman?"
The system, desperate after so many years, didn't care whether the binding was to a person or a dog. It eagerly agreed, telling Qin Ran that it was possible.
And so, as the sun set that evening, Qin Ran sat on the flower bed outside the hospital and bound herself to Yu Shuman. From that moment on, every penny spent on Yu Shuman would be returned to Qin Ran.
The first thing she did was head to the hospital's billing department and pay Yu Shuman's mother's medical fees. Qin Ran was generous, prepaying 500,000 yuan. Since the system had already deposited the money into her account upon binding, it urged her to spend it quickly.
The only condition was that the money had to be spent on Yu Shuman. If used for any other purpose, it would count as a debt to the system, and she would face penalties.
After making the payment, the system refunded her 5,000 yuan. Scoffing at the small amount, Qin Ran remarked, "With such a small sum, you dare call yourself a God of Wealth system?"
The system, knowing that 5,000 yuan was indeed a modest start, sheepishly replied, "The ratio will increase over time. Just keep spending!"
Though 5,000 yuan wasn't much, it was a significant amount for Qin Ran, who only made about 1,000 yuan a month at her part-time job, thanks to the store owner's pity. For someone like Qin Ran, who had all her meals and accommodation covered by the school, 5,000 yuan could last several months. On the other hand, 500,000 yuan, while insignificant to the Qin Ran of her past life, was an overwhelming amount for Yu Shuman in her current situation.
When Yu Shuman returned with her food and heard that an anonymous donor had given 500,000 yuan, she was stunned. Qin Ran's image flashed in her mind, but she quickly dismissed the thought, knowing that Qin Ran was likely poorer than she was. There was no way she could afford such a donation. Still, hearing that someone had donated such a large sum brought tears to her eyes. She asked the nurse about the identity of the donor.
But the nurse shook her head. "The donor requested anonymity. We can't disclose any information."
Yu Shuman tried every tactic she could think of, pestering the nurse until she was nearly at her wit's end. But the nurse remained professional, not revealing a single detail. With no other option, Yu Shuman sighed, vowing to find this kind-hearted person someday. Though she had no means to repay the kindness now, she promised herself that once she graduated and started working, she would pay the donor back.
Qin Ran, unaware of the events at the hospital, simply felt good about helping someone. She continued to assist in various ways, such as finding a suitable bone marrow donor and covering future medical expenses. After Yu Shuman's mother's condition stabilized, Yu Shuman returned to school. Qin Ran learned of her return when Yu Shuman sought her out during the first break of the day.
For a moment, Qin Ran worried that a nurse had accidentally revealed her identity as the "anonymous donor." But when Yu Shuman approached her, it was simply to share how things had been going. They stood together in a quiet hallway, facing each other as they talked.
The hallway was dimly lit, but just a few steps away, the corridor was bathed in sunlight.
Yu Shuman's voice was as cheerful as a songbird's. "You know, the day you came to the hospital, a generous donor made a huge donation for my mom. Thanks to them, my mom's condition is now stable and no longer critical..." She went on, sharing the details, while Qin Ran, initially thinking Yu Shuman was trying to fish for information, realized that Yu Shuman was simply sharing her joy. Finally, Yu Shuman smiled brightly at Qin Ran. "Thank you, Qin Ran. I believe you brought me good luck. What are the odds that the donation would come in right after you visited?"
"You must be my lucky star. So don't get discouraged! If I can find a way out of my situation, you can too!"
"Thanks, senior."
Qin Ran didn't know how to respond to Yu Shuman's encouragement. As the break ended and it was time for class, Yu Shuman hurried off. The distance between the senior and first-year classrooms was considerable, and as she rushed away, a teacher called out, "No running in the halls!"
"I know, I know! But I'm about to be late, sir!" Yu Shuman replied as she dashed toward her classroom.
Qin Ran stepped out of the dim hallway and leaned against the corridor railing, watching as Yu Shuman ran. Sensing her gaze, Yu Shuman suddenly turned around, her ponytail whipping through the air and the ends of her hair flying loose. The early autumn sun, still warm, shone down on her, making her look radiant. But what stood out most was her smile, so bright and captivating.
"See you next time, Qin Ran!" she called out just as the bell rang, and with that, her bouncing ponytail disappeared from sight.
After that, Qin Ran continued to support Yu Shuman, anonymously helping her with things like university tuition and living expenses. Yu Shuman was the child of a single parent, with no one but her gravely ill mother at home. After her mother was diagnosed with leukemia, she could no longer work and required constant medication and treatment. With no source of income, Yu Shuman would have had to give up on further education if not for the continued support of the "anonymous donor."
Her grades were good, but not outstanding enough to earn a scholarship. With her grades, she could attend a top university, but scholarships were out of reach. At the time, she had resigned herself to the idea of not continuing her education and going straight to work. It wasn't the most responsible choice for her future, but it was the best she could do.
However, the anonymous donor, who had been helping her all along, didn't give up on her. They continued to cover her tuition and living expenses. Yu Shuman was desperate to thank her benefactor in person, but the donor always acted through intermediaries, and she could never find out who they were.
Yu Shuman did well in her college entrance exams and was admitted to a top university in the capital. Thanks to Yu Shuman, Qin Ran earned a significant amount of money. But despite all the spending, the system had only returned a total of 20,000 yuan. Qin Ran often mocked the system for this, while the system, shrinking into the corner, struggled to defend itself.
The system also wanted to criticize Qin Ran. Other hosts had already built empires with their systems, flaunting luxury cars and watches without a second thought. But Qin Ran? Seventeen years—seventeen whole years—and all she had earned was 20,000 yuan! The system wanted to complain to someone. But it took a deep breath, reminding itself that every journey begins with a single step. At least Qin Ran had finally bound herself to someone.