"He couldn't actually fall in love with that girl, could he?"

"Well, it's quite normal for him to fall in love with her. When he was dying, a woman took him in. Despite his disability, she took him to her hometown and prepared to offer him a family. Whoever the man is will be moved by a woman of this kind."

"Like a simpleton."

"Isn't that what love is? Among an affection, whoever gives more love shall be the simpleton."

"Then..."

"Wouldn't he be sad if that woman gets hurt?"

The woman could not help chuckling as she spoke.

Though on Chinese New Year's Eve full of the ambiance of happiness, the laughter made everyone chill.

...

Xiao Rong was now in the ward of the clinic in the mountain village.

The surface of the wall was falling down in the crude ward.

Xiao Rong was signing towards the doctors nervously.

Helplessly, the doctor was not able to understand the sign language.

Xiao Rong hurriedly took a pen and paper on which he wrote about the specific circumstances.

The doctor recognized that he was asking about Zhang Tiantian. The doctor adjusted his glasses and said, "Don't worry. She just suffered from a slight heart attack. When she gets emotional, she tends to faint and have trouble breathing."

Heart attack?

Xiao Rong's eyes widened in surprise.

He'd never known that Zhang Tiantian had heart disease.

And Zhang Tiantian never said to him that she had one.

"This clinic is too small. You'd better take her to a professional hospital after she woke from the faint."

The doctor added, "She is still young. She should take the illness seriously and be careful in everyday life. Or it would get worse."

The doctor told him earnestly.

He advised him to take Zhang Tiantian to a big hospital to get a check.

Xiao Rong nodded and asked him in character, "Then when will she wake up?"

"The time after midnight." said the doctor.

Xiao Rong wrote again, "Then what should she watch out for in daily routine?"

"It is best not to get too emotional or too angry. Or she will easily fall ill."

Xiao Rong nodded and accepted the doctor's advice.

The doctor found him pathetic as he would spend Chinese New Year's Eve in a clinic.

"There is a bed for company. She needs to be observed at the clinic when she wakes up tonight, and you couldn't get back in time. Stay with her, and you can go home tomorrow."

The clinic in the mountain village was very small.

Only two doctors were here.

And both of them originally were about to go home for the celebration of the lunar new year.

One of them heard someone was dying, so he hurried here from the neighboring village.

The doctor was responsible.

So Xiao Rong repeated his thanks to the doctor before sending him out.

Zhang Tiantian was lying on the bed in pale.

She looked scary.

Xiao Rong touched her forehead. He found her temperature was normal and sighed with relief.

Judging from her pale face, you might mistake her for a dead person if you did not touch Zhang Tiantian.

Because she was in severely poor condition.

Xiao Rong felt cold in the room. He pulled the quilt on the bed over Zhang Tiantian's body more tightly to make her feel warmer.

The wind blew in through the window.

The dusty curtains were dangling.

Noticing the fluttering curtains, Xiao Rong closed the door and window.

Therefore, he neglected a person looking in through the door.

Soon the person retreated.

In the dark night, a low voice turned up in the corridor of the clinic.

And simultaneously, another voice said hesitantly, "Wouldn't it be too malicious?"

"Malicious? Why?"

"Because, you know, Tiantian was..."

"You thought she was a virgin? Too kind to go through with it? She and the mute must have already done some unspeakable things!"

"But we..."

"Don't worry. Nobody will notice it. And we're in good hands."

"What...what about the mute?"

"Why are you afraid of a mute?"

Their dialogue in an undertone was interrupted by Xiao Rong's footsteps towards the door.

Xiao Rong opened the door and looked around the corridor.

To save energy in the clinic, there was no light in the corridor.

Xiao Rong frowned in confusion as finding nobody.

He seemed to hear someone talking outside the room, didn't he?

But now no one showed up. Maybe he made a mistake.

Frowning, he came back into the room with the door locked.

After he locked the door, the two black figures flashed over soon.

One gripped the doorknob, giving it a tentative twist.

He said to the other, "The mute locked the door."

"Locked?"

"Yeah. What about kicking it out?"

"No. It's no good to make a scene or attract the throng. Anyway, the mute could not lock himself forever. We can decide tomorrow he opened the door."

"Then tomorrow morning."

They made an agreement.

The ghost-like figures disappeared in the dark corridor.

In the room, clueless Xiao Rong was staring at Zhang Tiantian's sleeping face.

He was tired as well. Lying on the bed for company, he wrapped himself up in his coat and closed his eyes.

He thought everything would be alright coming to Gui Town from Beicheng.

However, one thing led to another.

Life here was not better than in Beicheng.

His life was in danger when he was in Beicheng.

While in Gui Town, a lot of trouble was over him.

The house on the hill was burned. Then where could they go after Tiantian was awake tomorrow?

...

Gu Baisheng along with Song Shuang took a rest for a while in the hospital and then went out together.

It was almost nine o'clock at night.

Although many people were watching the Spring Festival gala at home, some youngsters were not willing to stay at home to watch it for hours till midnight.

Gu Baisheng went out of the hospital with Song Shuang. When they drove to the plaza nearby, they saw numerous young people were taking a walk and pictures.

Cute girls held each other for selfies.

Handsome boys stepping on skateboards completed all kinds of smart high-level action.

Gu Baisheng looked at the outside with eyes sparking in expectation.

They were waiting for the traffic light in the car.

Song Shuang followed her eyesight towards the outside of the car window.

The boys and girls in the plaza came into his view.

"Would you like to go for a walk?"

Song Shuang asked her.

Gu Baisheng smiled, "You must be worn out. Let's go home first."

"There seem to be baked sweet potatoes on the plaza."

Song Shuang glanced to a street peddler.

Gu Baisheng changed her mind on hearing the baked sweet tomatoes, "Could you please wait here for a few moments? I will buy it back."

"I'm going with you."

Song Shuang noticed that the traffic light turned green. He drove to the parking lot and pulled the car there.

Gu Baisheng got off with him.

Song Shuang parked his car and went to the plaza with her.

This was a commercial plaza of Gangcheng.

It was very big with two commercial buildings nearby.

The first floor was full of stores open 24 hours.

Moreover, the stores all sold delicious food.

Gu Baisheng noticed these stores in business. She asked Song Shuang, "There are stores in business. Why not go for dinner there?"

"You said you want to cook at home, didn't you?"

Song Shuang smiled.

Gu Baisheng blinked her eyes naughtily, "Well, it doesn't mean I don't want to cook the dinner. You must stay hungry before I knock up a meal. Then what about grabbing a bite and later I can prepare whatever you like to eat at home for you?"

Gu Baisheng answered too sincerely beyond Song Shuang's expectations.

And he never actually wanted Gu Baisheng to prepare New Year's Eve dinner so late at night.

He was just messing with her.

But she replied so earnestly that she moved him deeply.

He held Gu Baisheng's hands, saying with a big smile, "Then let's grab a bite! And later we will go home and have New Year's Eve dinner you make!"

"Are you serious? You will prevent me from being busy at night, won't you?"

"You said you want to prepare the dinner."

Song Shuang burst into laughter.

Gu Baisheng smiled as well, "I thought you were kidding."

"I mean, seriously."

"Okay. I'll prepare the dinner seriously then," Gu Baisheng pointed to the supermarket nearby, "I'm going to get some groceries."

Song Shuang realized she tended to buy groceries. He reached out to grab her, "I'm joking! We'd better eat ready-made!"

He would be distressed if she kept busy after returning home.

Gu Baisheng was confused by him. Suddenly she could not distinguish the true words from the joke, "Really?"

"What you make is unsavory. We'd better eat dinner at the restaurant."

Song Shuang answered.

Gu Baisheng was annoyed a little bit, "You dare to doubt my culinary skill!"

"The pigeon soup."

Gu Baisheng could say nothing more.

She glared at him angrily with eyebrows pursed up.

What a mean man!

She just made a pigeon soup once which was too salty. She could not believe this man had been remembering this for so long!

He even deemed her as a bad cook because of it!

That soup was made to be salty on purpose, but it did not mean her culinary skills were awful!

Nevertheless, she could not explain the reason.

She would fall into big trouble if she explained.

Gu Baisheng had her petty trick.

Seeing her goggling at him angrily, Song Shuang also pretended to be ignorant of the reason. She was cute with this expression.

He stabbed her gently in the cheek.

He asked, "Are you a puffer? Why such bulging cheeks?"

"Nope! I'm not a puffer. But I can turn to a puffer if you want!"

"What?"

Song Shuang found her reply interesting, "How can you become a puffer?"

"I will become a puffer soup cook to poison you!"

Gu Baisheng said.

Song Shuang could not help laughing.

He pinched the tip of her nose with fingers. He reminded her, "Murder is a crime."

Gu Baisheng raised her hands to brush away his fingers.

But out of expectations, he came up to her again and whispered in her ear, "You can make a puffer soup tonight."

Gu Baisheng looked up to him in confusion.

Song Shuang blew a breath in her ear with his thin lips nearby, "If you make the puffer soup, even if it is poisonous, I'm gonna eat every bone in your body tonight."

Gu Baisheng realized what he meant. She blushed immediately.

She stared at her angrily, "Song Shuang, how brazen you are getting!"