The ghost fetus was dealt with, and Feng Lan had been scared off. My tense nerves finally relaxed, but as the adrenaline faded, waves of pain surged through my body. I felt like I had been completely dismantled, with my back and shoulders burning especially bad. Yet, the overwhelming fatigue made it impossible to resist sleep. I still needed to get Xiao Xiang and Zhu Wantao back to safety, but the drowsiness overtook me, and I drifted into unconsciousness.
When I woke up, blinding white light greeted my eyes. I realized I was in a hospital. An IV line hung beside me, connected to a red blood bag. Only then did it dawn on me—I hadn't just fallen asleep. I had passed out from blood loss! The cuts from the ghost fetus weren't just deep; they were all on areas that bled profusely. With all the intense activity last night, I had nearly bled myself dry. It's a miracle I lasted as long as I did.
I turned my head and saw someone leaning against the bed, asleep. Long black hair cascaded down the side, and the slender figure radiated a gentle, fragile beauty. My heart stirred—could it be Xiao Xiang? After risking my life to save her, it seemed only fitting that she stayed by my side. The thought filled me with a sweet sense of satisfaction. Hmm, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to endure a few more injuries if it meant she'd spend more time with me. Heck, I'd even settle for a broken arm or leg if it came to that!
Wait, what the heck am I thinking? Am I really willing to trade my life for a woman?
Just as my thoughts were running wild, the person raised their head, revealing a bright yet tired face. "You're awake!" she exclaimed, her voice full of relief.
I froze, my heart sinking instantly—it was Xiao Ying.
Xiao Ying rubbed her eyes and waved a hand in front of my face, frowning. "You… are you okay?"
"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Just… surprised." I forced a laugh and awkwardly said, "I didn't expect you to take care of me all night. It's… touching." But inside, I felt anything but. Touching? More like disappointed.
"No need to be so moved. Compared to you saving my life twice, this is nothing," she said with a slight smile, sitting up with an air of grace.
"By the way, where's Xiao Xiang?" I suddenly remembered the events of last night and asked anxiously. "How's she doing? And Zhu Wantao?"
"She's in the next room. Her leg's injured but nothing serious," Xiao Ying replied. Her expression became complicated as she stared at me for a moment before asking, "Wang Lin, why did you take Xiao Xiang to the new building?"
That question was tricky to answer. But looking into her clear eyes, which seemed to search for the truth, I couldn't bring myself to lie. So, I recounted everything that had happened the night before.
"Do you believe me?" I asked nervously after finishing my story.
"Of course," she said earnestly. "If you didn't have some kind of spiritual abilities, how could you have saved me twice?"
Her words were like a soothing balm to my heart. Just as I was feeling smug, the door to the hospital room swung open, and in walked a group of people: Dean Chen from the academic office, Teacher Qiu, the "Queen of Mean," Zhang Shaoyu, and Liu Bin.
The moment I saw Dean Chen's sleazy face behind those glasses, my irritation spiked. He was notorious for being a hypocrite—not only having an affair with Teacher Qiu but also constantly harassing female students. And as for Teacher Qiu, her revealing outfits and exaggerated mannerisms said everything you needed to know about her.
"Wang Lin," Dean Chen said sternly, "the school has decided to expel you. You have three days to pack up and leave."
I was stunned. "What? Why?"
Xiao Ying chimed in, "Yeah, why is he being expelled? What did he do?"
"Hmph, you don't know what he did?" Teacher Qiu sneered. "If Xiao Xiang hadn't decided not to press charges, he'd already be in jail!"
With that, the two turned to leave. The Queen of Mean and Zhang Shaoyu followed suit, both wearing looks of disdain.
Only Liu Bin stayed behind, sighing as he sat at the edge of my bed. "Brother, you've really let me down…"
"What's going on?" Xiao Ying demanded.
Liu Bin said gravely, "Last night, Zhu Wantao claimed he saw Wang Lin drug Xiao Xiang and take her to the new building. He said he followed them and fought Wang Lin off, saving her. If it weren't for him, Xiao Xiang's life would've been ruined."
"That's utter nonsense!" I fumed, slamming the bed. "Zhu Wantao, that bastard, dares to make up lies about me? I saved his life, and this is how he repays me?"
Liu Bin shook his head. "I don't know about that, but Zhu Wantao's story sounded convincing enough that even Xiao Xiang believed him…"
Hearing this, my heart sank. Even the one person who should've trusted me doubted me?
Xiao Ying looked at me and, after a moment of hesitation, said firmly, "I believe you're not that kind of person."
I was stunned, her words filling me with a warm sense of gratitude.
"Xiao Ying, thank you," I said softly.
"Don't overthink it," she replied with a laugh. "Focus on getting better first. But your reputation is already in shambles. If I keep taking care of you, people might start gossiping."
"How about you rent a place outside instead?" I suggested.
"Too expensive. How about I just stay here at the hospital? The damage is already done anyway," she teased, a playful glint in her eyes.
"You shouldn't come anymore," I said seriously. "I don't want my reputation dragging you down."
"Oh!" she suddenly exclaimed.
I panicked. "What's wrong?"
She put on a serious face. "I didn't realize you still had a reputation. That really scared me!"
With that, she burst into laughter, clutching her stomach and nearly doubling over.