"One marathon, is it? I'll run it for him."
On the long, red track.
Her figure blended into the night, only vaguely visible when she ran under the streetlights, her pale face, pale lips, and sweat like rain, all weak and fragile.
...
"The paper is Ryan's!"
She suddenly stood up, her voice a bit hoarse but full of urgency. She coughed violently, her cheeks flushing red, and her body began to tremble.
He saw those eyes—
Clear as water, black and white, with a mix of frustration, weakness, and stubbornness as if she would never turn back even if she hit a wall!
...
"Will you be happy if you find the diamond?" Her body was trembling lightly, with coughs escaping from the corners of her lips, her face as pale as paper, except for the two faint, sickly flushes on her cheekbones.
She lay quietly on the hospital bed, her short hair still a bit damp, her face paler than the pillow, and her lips slightly purple. She was deeply asleep, her left hand tightly clenched.
"I found it."
The diamond in her palm suddenly burst forth with dazzling light!
...
Ryan took a deep breath, hearing his own heartbeat...
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!…"
Morning.
Before the first class.
"Hey, you still have a fever! What are you doing coming to class? What if your illness worsens?!" Daisy, sitting next to Emily, glared at her. She really didn't understand—missing classes was no big deal, especially since the doctor had given her a medical leave, so she shouldn't get any absences recorded.
Emily coughed lightly and opened her textbook:
"The teacher covers a lot of extra content during the class; just reading the book myself means I'll miss some important information."
"Hah, is the class more important than your health?"
"I'm fine, my temperature is only 38 degrees. I'll be better soon."
Daisy rolled her eyes:
"Come on, does it really matter if you do well in your studies? You're sure to pass anyway."
Emily smiled and shook her head:
"Only those who work hard and excel academically can become angels."
"Angels?"
What's that about?
"Why do you want to be an angel?"
"People are with people, flowers are with flowers, birds are with birds, and angels only associate with angels," Emily said while reading her book.
Daisy was increasingly confused, her eyes full of bewilderment.
The classroom door was kicked open!
Students turned in shock to look—
Ryan, with his cold and stern expression, wearing black, tight-fitting clothes and carrying a large Nike backpack, stood in the doorway. His eyes were expressionless as the door swung back and forth behind him.
"Ugh, it's him again. How annoying! Why does he come to class every day now? It would be better if he skipped class like before; it would be quieter," Daisy muttered. The maintenance staff had already been called to fix the door four or five times due to his constant kicking.
Ryan stood there, scanning the classroom with his indifferent eyes before walking straight towards Emily and Daisy. Daisy's eyes widened in alarm. What was he up to now? Was he looking for trouble again?
"Emily!" Daisy whispered urgently. Oh no, what was Ryan planning? Wasn't it enough that he had already caused so much trouble for Emily?
As Emily looked up—
Ryan reached her desk. The morning sunlight streamed in behind him, casting a long shadow that enveloped Emily's seat.
"Why are you here?"
His voice was both harsh and cold.
Emily paused in surprise, coughing as she stood up. "Cough… I'm here for class…"
"Ryan, what are you doing yelling at Emily like that? Haven't you caused her enough trouble already? What new trick are you planning to use to torment her today? Let me tell you—" Daisy fired off in rapid succession, drawing the attention of all the students in the class.
"The doctor told you to rest!"
Ryan ignored Daisy's indignant outburst, his voice still stern and unyielding.
Emily was taken aback.
Daisy's mouth hung open, the words she wanted to say caught in her throat, her expression comically stunned.
The students were also astonished, unable to make sense of the situation. Was Ryan actually showing concern for Emily?
"Don't attend class. Go back to the dorm!" Ryan pulled Emily's backpack from her desk, roughly stuffing her textbooks, notebooks, and stationery into it, accidentally including Daisy's books without noticing.
"I… I want to attend class…"
Emily held onto her bag, speaking softly.
Ryan's hand was inches away from Emily's on the white backpack. He tried to take the bag from her, but she held on tightly.
Ryan frowned, his patience wearing thin, and growled:
"Hey! You—"
Emily smiled at him.
Her eyes were crescent-shaped, as if touched by the soft dew of a moonlit night. Her lips were still a bit pale, but her smile was full of spirit.
"…I really don't want to miss class…"
Ryan stared at her for a long while.
Finally—
He grumbled, "Do whatever you want!" and tossed her backpack aside.
"Thank you."
Emily's voice was so soft, it was almost a whisper. Only Daisy, standing nearby, heard it, and only she saw Ryan's cheek flush slightly.
Ryan turned to leave.
Suddenly, taking a deep breath, Ryan's expression seemed to struggle with something. Muttering under his breath, he stopped, turned around, and took off his Nike backpack. From it, he pulled out—
A bottle of medicine!
A packet of medicine!
A box of medicine!
Another packet of medicine!
…
And finally, a thermos!
Emily and Daisy stared in astonishment at the array of medicines appearing seemingly out of nowhere. Both were dumbfounded, and the entire class was also in shock.
"Take all of these!" Ryan said stiffly, then turned and marched to a remote seat at the back of the classroom.
"All of them?"
Did Ryan bring every cold remedy from the pharmacy? If she took all of it, there could be a problem.
Daisy leaned over her desk and laughed heartily.
Emily forced a smile as she unscrewed the thermos lid.
Steam rose from it.
Daisy, surprised, remarked, "Wow, Ryan actually showed some thoughtfulness!"
Emily held the thermos, unable to resist glancing back at Ryan, who sat at the back of the classroom, staring blankly out the window. She felt a soft warmth in her heart, as if something had gently nudged her.