Chapter 17

Indeed, standing at the door was a girl, her face pale, her hair disheveled from the wind, and her demeanor somewhat flustered. She clutched a thermal container to her chest, her fingers gripping the handle so tightly that, even in the dimly lit hallway, I could see her knuckles turn white.

Faced with my somewhat speechless questioning, she looked up at me, then, because she raised her head too quickly, her large glasses slid down to the tip of her nose, revealing a pair of clearly unfocused large eyes.

"Hey," I called out helplessly again. She hastily shoved the thermal container into my hands and said, "Give it to Zhou Zheng, it's a black chicken soup." Without waiting for my response, she pushed past me and darted into the house.

Holding the thermal container, knowing her, I was afraid she might cause some mishap. I opened the container and was greeted by a fragrant aroma. But upon closer inspection, I saw jujubes, goji berries, angelica, and codonopsis floating in the broth, along with the black chicken. I sighed.

Before I could say anything, I heard a 'bang' as she collided with the wine cabinet used as a partition in the room. The bottles of fine wine that Old Zhou had carefully collected clattered and swayed, fortunately not falling to the ground, or else when Old Zhou woke up...

I didn't dare imagine and quickly walked a few steps, placing the soup on the table. Then I pulled the girl, who was crouching on the floor looking for her glasses, to stand up and face me. "Qin Hainian, I don't mind you coming to see your beloved Zhou teacher in the middle of the night, but can you not be so 'dramatic'? You're scarier than a ghost."

As I spoke, I picked up her large-framed glasses from the floor and handed them to her.

Yes, the girl was Qin Hainian, a rather unique girl, a medical graduate student, and a devoted admirer of Old Zhou.

Originally, Old Zhou would avoid girls like her at all costs. He once told me, "Old Three, getting married too young is a waste. A man's youth is short, and it should be spent being wild and unrestrained. So, I don't think serious relationships are suitable for me until I reach a certain age, unless a girl can completely win my heart at first sight."

Although he said that, Old Zhou knew his limits. He never dated girls who genuinely liked him, even refusing to get close to them, because he felt it would hurt them. He only spent time with girls who were just there for fun, to alleviate loneliness.

Think about it, how could a girl like Qin Hainian get close to Old Zhou? But life is full of surprises. Not only did she maintain a good 'friendship' with Old Zhou, but she also got along well with his closest friends.

This was because she was very kind. Her personality, except when facing Old Zhou, was quite 'manly,' which is why she became part of our lives.

I didn't expect her to come here in the middle of the night, but Qin Hainian's life and thoughts couldn't be judged by normal standards. I was more exasperated than surprised.

By this time, Qin Hainian had put her glasses back on and rushed into Old Zhou's kitchen, where a series of clattering sounds from the utensils could be heard. I was almost driven to the brink of despair, patting my forehead and following her into the kitchen. I saw her rummaging around.

But it seemed she had found her target. She held a dishcloth and started wiping Old Zhou's imported cabinets for no apparent reason.

I pulled her out of the kitchen again and pushed her onto the sofa, raising my fist in a threatening manner. "Qin Hainian, you better sit here and not move. If you do, I'll really hit you. Do you believe me?"

She looked up, her usual abrupt movements causing her glasses to slide to the tip of her nose again. She said defiantly, "Ye Zhengling, what are you doing? I'm helping Zhou Zheng clean the room."

"Enough. Zhou Zheng has OCD and a cleaning fetish. You know that. If you use a greasy dishcloth to wipe his imported cabinets, he'll go crazy. Don't forget the last time you knocked over his fish tank. If you hadn't run fast, he would have challenged you to a duel. Just sit down. Every time you clean, it's like a world war." I said seriously.

I was already exhausted today. I didn't want to face Old Zhou's crazy reaction when he woke up, or Qin Hainian's tears, which could flood Mount Everest.

"It's because he has a cleaning fetish that I'm helping him. I didn't run; I just thought it would be the most romantic thing to do something for him without him knowing," Qin Hainian adjusted her glasses, which had slid to the tip of her nose, and said earnestly.

So, her nervousness earlier was because she thought I was Old Zhou?

I found myself speechless. Each time she caused a 'world war' and ran away, it wasn't out of guilt but for romance? What kind of romance is this? Every time she was caught, Old Zhou's veins would pop. Eventually, he confiscated her key to his house!

I was busy reviving Old Zhou and didn't want to argue with her. I simply said, "I don't care, but you better sit still. Otherwise, I'll really hit you."

Qin Hainian pouted, looking disdainful. She knew I wouldn't hit her, but she also sensed the seriousness in my tone and didn't want to interfere with my task, so she didn't move.

I walked to Old Zhou's bedroom and was about to open the door when Qin Hainian hesitantly called out, "Ye Zhengling."

"Hmm?" I turned around, puzzled by her sudden hesitant and shy demeanor. What was she up to now?

She said shyly, "Can I go in and see Zhou Zheng? I know he's sleeping. I've never seen him sleep. I just want to..."

"No!" I gruffly refused. How could I let her interfere with reviving Old Zhou? If his soul returned to her, she'd be in for a split personality.

"Okay," she lowered her head, not arguing further, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Was this a small unexpected incident? I sighed as I pushed open Old Zhou's bedroom door. If Old Zhou was willing, I thought Qin Hainian was really a nice girl, someone he could be with. But it seemed their destiny hadn't aligned yet.

With this thought, I took out the prepared soul-reviving talisman. As long as I found the lost soul, the revival would be easy. Don't underestimate my 'attractiveness' to souls; it's like a magnet to iron.

So, I just needed to gently call the soul near Old Zhou, reminding the lost soul to return to him to complete the revival.

The reason I couldn't force the soul to return was that if the soul didn't recognize itself during the process, it could easily be rejected or become weak from shock.

Old Zhou's soul was already weakened by shock. After he woke up, he would need some time to fully recover. There were few medicines to nourish the soul, and if I could get some, I wouldn't mind giving them to Old Zhou.

The revival process went smoothly, which made me sigh in relief. Thinking of Qin Hainian, the 'vandal' in the house, even though Old Zhou wasn't fully awake, I didn't dare stay in his room longer. I just removed the towel from his mouth, untied the bindings, and left the room.

Seeing me come out, Qin Hainian looked at me with concern.

Before she could ask, I answered, "Zhou Zheng is fine. What are you doing here in the middle of the night? Come on, I'll take you home."

Actually, I was afraid Old Zhou would wake up confused and say something that would reveal the supernatural. I didn't want such things to be widely known, as it could involve more people, which wouldn't be good.

"I'll leave when I see him wake up," Qin Hainian said firmly, not moving. It was understandable, given her deep affection for Old Zhou. She wouldn't leave until she saw him safe and sound.

I looked at my watch and said, "What if he doesn't wake up all night?"

"Then... at least wait until he drinks the soup, then I'll be at ease," Qin Hainian was stubborn, and it was hard to make her back down unless thoroughly convinced. Otherwise, the only option left was to use force.

Indeed, if she weren't so stubborn, how could she have liked Old Zhou for so many years, seeing his girlfriends come and go, and still insist on being his best friend?

I took out a cigarette and put it in my mouth, not wanting to persuade her. I simply said, "I'm sorry, but that soup isn't suitable for Old Zhou."

"Why?" Qin Hainian looked puzzled.

"You're a medical student, and that soup is clearly for women, like postpartum recovery or menstrual periods. Why did you make this soup for Old Zhou?" I was once again on the verge of despair.

But life is full of more than just despair. There's also shock. I never imagined that my first major shock in life was about to happen.

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