On a quiet night, Li Ren dragging his weary body, walked slowly along the road. He carried a stack of documents in his left hand, pulled his luggage with his right hand, and had a crossbody bag hanging from his shoulder.
After five days and four nights of intense work, with only six hours of sleep in total, Li Ren felt his eyelids were extremely heavy and could barely open them. Occasionally, he shook his head to try to shake off the throbbing pain in the back of his head, and then slowly made his way to the bus stop.
At the small bus stop, there was a man sitting there, who kept his head down, typing away on his phone, but never actually clicked send.
At the moment Li Ren stepped into the bus stop, he couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed. The documents in his hand scattered at the feet of the man holding the phone.
The man finally put down his phone and looked at Li Ren lying on the ground.
.
.
.
Li Ren slowly opened his eyes, the white ceiling reflecting the light in a dazzling way. As his vision adjusted to the light and became clearer, he looked around and was stunned to find himself in a hospital. He struggled to prop himself up with his hands. The bedframe probably old, creaked loudly with the slightest movement, drawing the attention of a stranger sitting by the bed. The stranger was neither a doctor nor a nurse, but a man quietly flipping through a magazine by the bedside.
The man looked up, meeting Li Ren's gaze. "You're awake?" the man said, then stood up, placed the magazine on a chair, gently supported Li Ren's arm with his right hand, and adjusted the pillow with his left hand so Li Ren could lean back. The touch of a stranger made Li Ren feel uncomfortable, so he shrank back, pulled his arm away from the man, and smoothed his sleeve with his left hand. The man poured a glass of water and handed it to Li Ren. "Drink some water."
Li Ren realized his throat was indeed parched and needed water, but more than drinking, he wanted to know what had happened and who this person was. He looked at the man: a clean face, thick eyebrows, large eyes, a high nose bridge, distinct features, and was dressed in a beige T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops... When their eyes met again, the man raised an eyebrow, signaling Li Ren to take the glass. Despite Li Ren's confusion, the man did not get angry. He gently placed the glass into Li Ren's hand.
"You collapsed at the bus stop. I brought you to the hospital."
'So I collapsed...' Li Ren thought to himself. Although he was wary of trusting strangers too easily, the man in front of him didn't seem bad. He had brought him to the hospital. Besides... 'What could he possibly gain from my current state?' Li Ren reasoned with himself and was persuaded. He took the glass of water and drank it eagerly.
The man called for a doctor to check on Li Ren.
"He's fine. Everything is normal. He can go home now, but he needs to rest. No work for the next few days. Understood?" the doctor said. The man thanked the doctor and returned to Li Ren's bedside to gather his things.
"Where do you live? I can give you a ride," the man said, holding Li Ren's belongings and offering to support him.
"I'll manage on my own..." Li Ren said, pulling his hand away and taking the documents back from the man. The man didn't refuse and handed the items back to Li Ren.
"I can handle it myself. You don't need to trouble yourself," Li Ren said, bowing slightly to the man before picking up his things and heading outside. The man followed behind with his hands in his pockets, walking at a leisurely pace.
At the hospital entrance, Li Ren stood at the vehicles waiting area, looking for any approaching cars.
"There won't be any cars at this hour," the man's voice came from behind Li Ren. Li Ren glanced at him and checked the time on his phone — 3:48 AM. "Tell me where you live," the man said, standing beside Li Ren with a look that suggested Li Ren had no choice but to ask for his help. This made Li Ren a bit annoyed, 'Doesn't he think he's cool??'.
"Lou Sheng Town," Li Ren answered truthfully. The man turned to look at Li Ren and then said, "I know. I meant where in Huan jia City. I can give you a ride there." The man had seen Li Ren's ID when he registered him and knew he wasn't from Huan Jia.
"I have no place to stay."
The man paused, then smiled slightly, "Hey, I can really give you a ride." He patted Li Ren on the back, grinning.
Seeing Li Ren's silent and expressionless, the man suddenly felt a bit awkward. He ran a hand through his hair. "Really no place to stay...?" Li Ren sighed, turned his gaze away, and said, "You can go. I'll just take a taxi." He swayed back and forth, watching for a vehicle.
The man stared at Li Ren, then pursed his lips and said, "Alright then, let's go." He suddenly grabbed the documents from Li Ren's arms, startling Li Ren.
"Where are you going?!" Li Ren tried to snatch back the documents, but was too slow, and the man had already taken the luggage as well.
"To my place."
"Hey..." Before Li Ren could respond, the man walked away on his own, leaving Li Ren to follow behind.
TO BE CONTINUE...