In the corridor, other families and patients were layered in their own clothing, inside and out. Only he was the exception, and there wasn’t even anyone taking care of him.
Nan Zhi finished tidying up and returned to the bedside cabinet table. After disposing of the medical waste, she still didn’t get off work or leave, but continued wearing that nurse’s uniform and wandered to the very end of the corridor.
As soon as she arrived, she saw the window — not sure who had opened it again — and even wider than before, pushed all the way down to the bottom.
She frowned and walked over, just about to close it, when a patient’s family member in the corridor stopped her. “The smell is too strong. Let the air out. Don’t close it.”
Nan Zhi looked for an excuse. “The air conditioning’s on. Can’t open it this wide.”
That family member insisted, “The hospital is so big. Can’t be short of those two aircon bills. Leave it open, don’t bother with it.”
Other family members also joined in the fuss, not letting her close it. All saying the smell was too strong. It was next to the restroom, and indeed, the smell was a bit unpleasant — couldn’t argue with that — but the wind outside was too strong, and that kind of crosswind was very harmful to the body.
In the end, Nan Zhi still didn’t close it. She only turned her head, looking at the noisy corridor and the restroom with people constantly entering and exiting. Smelling the faint stench in the air, she frowned with a headache.
This place couldn’t be stayed in. She needed to transfer him to a hospital room.
When she said wind, it was rain [说风就是雨 – idiom: act immediately after speaking, impulsive and efficient], so she immediately went to arrange it.
Song Qing’s gaze had been following her all along. Only when she disappeared from sight did he lower his head, staring at the needle in his hand, lost in thought — wondering who had helped him.
It couldn’t possibly be those relatives of his. Ever since his parents passed away, they had mostly cut off ties. Even if they came, it was just to say a couple of polite words. The ones who used to be close would toss him a hundred or two.
Visiting patients required giving gifts. Most of what people brought were leftovers from New Year — food they hadn’t finished. Many were already expired, basically just trash. How could those kinds of people be willing to spend money to help him?
His uncle and aunt? Impossible too. When he was first admitted to the hospital — half-conscious, half-awake — the two of them, along with other relatives, discussed persuading him to jump off the building to commit suicide, so they could blackmail the hospital for a sum of money. As for who would get that money — no need to say.
His uncle and aunt agreed at first. Later, maybe their conscience kicked in, so they didn’t go through with it. Quietly running off and not causing more trouble was already considered lucky in misfortune.
Could it be a classmate?
He was used to being alone. Had no friends, no close classmates. He didn’t think any classmate would be willing to pay for him.
Then… a teacher?
Compared to others, he felt that possibility was more likely.
He had pretty good luck. Because of his decent grades, he’d always been favored by teachers since he started school. Once they noticed he lacked food, clothes, and supplies, basically every teacher he had would try their best to help him.
He never refused — because he knew he needed it. Pride and shame were meaningless and useless emotions in the face of poverty.
He had to survive. He had to climb upward. Only when he had ability could he repay them.
During this hospitalization period, he had also been thinking of ways to survive — sleeping rough, staying under bridges, in parks, beside public toilets — he had thought through them all.
Every day he watched people come and go — whether they visited him sincerely or with false pretense — and countless times he had thought about asking for help, reaching out.
He knew his homeroom teacher had a soft heart. Once nearly got into a divorce over helping students. Currently had even adopted a child under their name. As long as he opened his mouth, that teacher would definitely take him home and give him a meal.
He had also thought of asking for help from those classmates dressed in brand-name clothes — the ones who showed hints of pity, those kind-hearted faces. He had thought about all of them.
But in the end, he still did nothing — because that teacher’s family was already on the verge of collapse. The wife wanted to divorce him, the son and daughter-in-law accused him of not bringing money home, he still had to support the adopted child, and was also helping other children who couldn’t afford to go to school.
He was already very tired.
Those classmates wearing brand-name clothes — it was just because their families were rich, not themselves. If their grades weren’t good, spending a bit more pocket money would already get them scolded. Bringing back a burden like him would only get them scolded even worse.
Those people who looked kind and soft-hearted — how could he bear to make things even harder for them?
In the end, he still decided — after being kicked out, he’d live under bridges, in parks, beside public toilets — just survive for now. At the very least, repay all the people who had ever reached out a hand to him, shown him a bit of kindness, and only then die.
From childhood to now, he had already endured countless difficult nights, untold suffering. One more wouldn’t make a difference.
Song Qing closed his eyes. When his eyes couldn’t see, his hearing became especially sharp. Once again, he caught that soft footstep approaching.
He opened his eyes and looked back. As expected, it was that nurse who had just given him the injection. She was quite tall, skin white and clean, wore a mask on her face, her eyes were bright and clear — very pretty.
That was all he could see for now.
His gaze had been fixed on her face the entire time — wanting to memorize the appearance of the person who helped him, so as not to mistake her in the future.
Having grown up in that kind of environment, there was no way he couldn’t tell the difference between goodwill and malice. From the moment she got startled and the needle pierced through his hand, this nurse had worn an apologetic expression. Maybe to make up for it, she found a cardboard box and propped it behind that door that always banged loudly.
And that window — it wasn’t because the air conditioning was on. She probably closed it because she was afraid the wind would blow on him. His bed was facing the window directly.
—
Nan Zhi didn’t come back alone — she brought back a wheelchair. She bought it at the small shop next to the building downstairs, two to three hundred yuan. But she had tried it — the quality was not bad, lightweight and easy to push. Using it to discharge him from the hospital, and later for him to move around a bit at home or nearby, it was more than enough.
Nan Zhi pushed the wheelchair to his side, not knowing how to talk to him.
Just now, her plan didn’t go smoothly. She had only found one available hospital bed — it was a double-occupancy room, fully equipped inside, and also expensive. Ninety yuan per day. If he stayed for two to three days, it would be nearly three hundred.
Three hundred yuan could buy quite a lot of things. So she hesitated — and decided to just bring him home directly.
Nan Zhi looked at the person on the hospital bed.
What had she been worrying about all along?
Worried that once someone took him in, he’d become lazy and refuse to leave.
Also worried that her home address would be exposed, and he’d cling onto her.
And worried that a man and a woman living under one roof — she might be in danger.
But when she looked carefully — in his current condition, what else could he possibly do besides lie in bed and recover?
If he clung to her, she could just call 110 and have him taken away. The place she lived had a security system — without a card, and no one opening the door, he couldn’t get in at all.
Even if he somehow managed to reach her floor, she could just go home and report him again — problem solved.
As for safety — both his legs had been amputated, his internal organs still injured, one arm had been severely hit and wasn’t very functional, his collarbone had a light fracture. In this condition, Nan Zhi felt she could knock him over with one hand.
And even if she couldn’t win — couldn’t she run? She was confident he couldn’t outrun her. Just keep some distance and she’d be out of his reach. So, nothing to worry about.
Honestly, compared to her, she thought this person ought to be more worried about himself. He actually looked pretty decent — his appearance was good, his figure slim — exactly the type that girls liked most these days.
He seemed like a good student who often read books — carried that scholarly air.
And because he often did labor, his build wasn’t sickly weak — just right. His complexion was fair, slightly wheat-colored, a very healthy shade.
His hair was cut short — very neat and clean.
No legs, still injured — basically meant no ability to resist. If she were a pervert, hitting him, scolding him would already be mild. If she developed some kind of thoughts toward him, he wouldn’t even be able to run.
He could only endure helplessly. If she then confiscated his phone, cuffed him with handcuffs, played out some kind of twisted perverted trick — wouldn’t he be miserable?
And because of the legs, even asking for help would be difficult.
Just thinking that the other party, by agreeing to go with her, would also have to worry about what she might do to him — she suddenly felt much more balanced.
Take him home then.
Nan Zhi fixed the wheelchair in place beside him, then seriously told him—
“Song Qing.” The name was written on the little card at the foot of the bed, so she called it naturally.
“I just asked — you already meet the discharge requirements. The kind-hearted person has also arranged your meals and lodging afterward.”
She stood in the draft, lowered her head to look at him, expression solemn and focused — didn’t seem like she was joking.
“Come with me.”