Push Me Away When I Come, Don't Hold Me Back When I Leave - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: From Now On, You Must Eat Properly

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“Is there any family member of patient Chu Suhe here?” A person dressed as a doctor walked out of the emergency room, calling towards the seats outside.

“Yes, I’m her classmate. Her mother can’t come at the moment,” Xia Ruoming waved at the doctor and walked over.

“Ah, families these days are really irresponsible,” the doctor sighed helplessly. “Malnutrition, mild hypothermia, and hypoglycemia, excessive consumption of nimodipine-type medications, what are these parents doing? If they don’t want to be responsible for their children, they shouldn’t have them in the first place.”

“…” She couldn’t respond to that. Xia Ruoming knew that Chu Suhe’s family were poor rural people who had moved to the city for her education. She didn’t know if her father had run off with his mistress yet, but if he had, then only Chu Yu would be supporting the household, working several part-time jobs to raise Chu Suhe.

Some things were truly beyond one’s control and helpless. You couldn’t blame Chu Yu for Chu Suhe becoming like this, she had already given everything she could.

“Fortunately, she has such a good classmate like you. It’s good that she was brought in time. If she had been brought in any later, there might have been lasting consequences.” The doctor handed several yellow papers to Xia Ruoming. “Go pay the fees, then bring this infusion slip back to me, and then get the medicine from the pharmacy on the first floor.”

Xia Ruoming was stunned for a moment, looking at the papers.

“Oh my, 5,826? Even down to the exact number?” She almost spat out in surprise, internally complaining. The yellow papers listed various miscellaneous fees that she, not being a medical student, couldn’t make sense of. She didn’t have much money in her card, but fortunately, the money Xu Fengwu had returned for the necklace was still there. Lucky that her past self hadn’t tried to act noble, saying things like “it was meant to be a gift” or “I don’t need or want the money back” otherwise, she would be the one in an awkward situation now.

“Ah… my poor savings account, I have to say goodbye to you again.” Xia Ruoming felt a little heartache but still went to the payment counter to settle the fees, then handed the medicine and payment receipts to the doctor.

Chu Suhe had been transferred from the emergency room to a regular ward. Xia Ruoming, carrying the medicine, followed the doctor to the ward entrance. At that moment, Chu Suhe was staring blankly out the window, lost in thought.

Through the window’s reflection, Chu Suhe saw Xia Ruoming’s figure standing at the door. She turned her head, tears already filling her eyes. She knew it was Xia Ruoming who had saved her and knew how much money Xia Ruoming had spent on her. She really wanted to get out of bed and hug Xia Ruoming, but her body had no strength at all.

“How are you feeling, Class Monitor Chu?” After Chu Suhe was hooked up to the IV, only Xia Ruoming and Chu Suhe remained in the room. Xia Ruoming grabbed a chair and sat by Chu Suhe’s bed.

“Xia… Xia Ruoming, why… why are you so kind to me? In three years of high school, we barely had any interaction…” Chu Suhe timidly asked from her bed. She was just a nobody at school, barely able to even speak to Xia Ruoming. Although Xia Ruoming wasn’t as popular as Xu Fengwu, she was still the object of many girls’ fantasies, except that Xia Ruoming had always liked Xu Fengwu.

“Hmm? That’s because… I’m the great evil lord, silly class monitor, now you’ve fallen into my hands and can’t escape.” After saying this, Xia Ruoming tickled Chu Suhe’s waist, making her giggle.

As for why she was so kind to her, how could she tell her that in her past life, it was Chu Suhe who pulled her out of darkness?

“I… I don’t have that much money, but… but I’ll pay you back slowly…” Chu Suhe’s voice grew quieter and quieter. She knew she had no money, spending at most 200-300 yuan per month, and didn’t know when she would be able to pay it back.

Xia Ruoming just smiled and pinched Chu Suhe’s cheek. She hadn’t expected Chu Suhe to pay her back anyway.

“I don’t want you to pay me back, Class Monitor. I just want you to agree to two conditions.”

“What… what conditions? I… I won’t pay with my body! No way!” After stuttering this out, Chu Suhe pulled up her blanket, curling up in bed.

“Pfft… what are you thinking about, my dear class monitor? Am I that dark in your heart? I’m so hurt.” Xia Ruoming deliberately put on a sad expression, pouting at Chu Suhe.

“I’m sorry… so what is it…”  Chu Suhe felt a bit embarrassed.

“From now on, Class Monitor, you must eat proper lunches. No more just eating pickles with rice balls or pickles with plain rice. As long as you eat properly, I’ll consider your debt cleared. But if you eat just pickles again, you’ll owe me 100 yuan each time. Also, from now on, you can only call me Ruoming, no surname allowed. How about that?” Xia Ruoming leaned forward, resting on Chu Suhe’s hospital bed, propping her chin with her hand while looking into Chu Suhe’s eyes.

If this continued, Chu Suhe’s health would eventually collapse. Xia Ruoming knew that if she just asked her to eat properly, she would never agree to save money. But now with this condition “threatening” her, it would be a waste not to use it.

“O… okay…” Chu Suhe agreed quietly. She was actually thinking about secretly bringing rice balls, eating them with just pickles would be fine, Xia Ruoming wouldn’t know anyway, and she would still pay back the money to Xia Ruoming as planned, if she couldn’t pay it back in three years, she’d take five years.

“That’s what you promised, Class Monitor Chu. So from now on, you’ll eat lunch with me.”

Having lived two lives, how could she not see through Chu Suhe’s little thoughts? Her goal wasn’t to catch Chu Suhe and make her pay 100 yuan, but to prevent this from happening again. It didn’t matter if Chu Suhe had no money, she could come up with thousands of reasons to treat Chu Suhe to meals.

“Wh-” Before Chu Suhe could get her “why” out, Xia Ruoming’s finger pressed against her lips.

“I want to watch you eat with my own eyes. After all, it’s 100 yuan at stake. Is that not okay, Class. Mon. i. tor. Chu?” Xia Ruoming said each syllable deliberately, looking straight into Chu Suhe’s eyes. At that moment, Chu Suhe felt as if her heart had been completely seen through.

“Alright…” Chu Suhe compromised reluctantly, though she thought to herself that ordering a 1-yuan stir-fried lettuce plus free soup wouldn’t count as just eating pickles, right?

Xia Ruoming smiled and patted Chu Suhe’s head, while Chu Suhe squinted her eyes and seemed to nuzzle Xia Ruoming’s palm with her hair, just like a little cat.

Just then, Xia Ruoming’s phone rang inappropriately. She barely glanced at the caller’s name before her whole body nearly froze.

The caller ID showed just one word: 【Mom】.

The moment she answered the phone, an enraged voice came through from the other end: “Xia Ruoming! Are you trying to cause trouble? Yesterday you were talking about getting into some 211 university, and today you dare to skip class, making teachers call home!”

Liu Ruoxue could accept Xia Ruoming’s poor grades – after all, everyone has different talents, and you can’t force an artist to become a mathematician, that would be absurd. But attending class was a matter of principle. Getting into this school was Xia Ruoming’s own choice, and as a parent, she had fully supported it financially. She couldn’t accept this kind of truancy.

“Mom, you misunderstand, I…”

“What misunderstanding? What do you want to explain now? I’ll let you explain all you want! Think your wings have grown strong, huh, Xia Ruoming? How did I give birth to such an unfilial daughter!” Liu Ruoxue’s furious voice kept coming through the phone, with Xia Jingsong’s voice constantly trying to calm her down in the background.