They didn't stay long at Liu Ranran's house.
The neighborhood wasn't big, just one building away, so Su Qing didn't see Jiang Sui. A chance encounter seemed unlikely.
Su Rao, knowing her daughter was bringing friends home, prepared a sumptuous feast.
Liu Ranran was always sweet-talking, never holding back on her praise.
"Auntie's food is truly delicious."
Liu Ranran was a foodie, and her appetite brought a great deal of satisfaction to Su's mother. She glanced at Su Qing with a tender gaze, wishing Qing Qing could eat like Ranran.
Su Rao felt a little embarrassed by Liu Ranran's praise and placed a piece of pork chop in Liu Ranran's bowl.
"Thank you, Ranran, for taking care of us, Qing Qing. I'm glad she didn't cause you any trouble when she stayed at your house a while ago."
As she spoke, Liu Ranran, biting half a pork chop in her mouth, looked puzzled. "Stay overnight?"
She couldn't help but look at Su Qing.
Su Qing's whole body trembled instantly. Her pupils widened as she blinked vigorously. Panic erupted in her heart. Her fingers, not holding the chopsticks, tugged lightly at Liu Ranran's clothes.
Su Rao glanced at Liu Ranran, who had stopped. "What's wrong? Is the food not to your liking?"
Liu Ranran reacted quickly. After swallowing the ribs, she looked at Su's mother and quickly waved her hand.
"No, no, Auntie, your cooking is so much better than my mother's. It's incredibly delicious. Qing Qing, for one day, wouldn't bother me. I'd be happy for a hundred days. Qing Qing is my best friend."
Liu Ranran, who had recently been away from school, hide her inner surprise. She smiled, her eyes narrowed, her mouth sweet as honey.
Fearing Su's mother wouldn't believe her, she added, "It's really delicious!"
The sparkling look in Su Rao's eyes brightened her mood. She was a bit withdrawn, and now she finally had a friend. Thinking of this, she looked at Liu Ranran tenderly.
"It's delicious. Eat more. Haven't you been studying in the library every week lately? If you want to eat, have Qing Qing bring you back. Auntie will make you something delicious."
Su Qing's heart, which had been at ease, suddenly lifted again.
Liu Ranran, however, naturally thought of something and, being particularly clever, said, "No problem, no problem."
This finally put the anxious Su Qing at ease.
Liu Ranran was naturally carefree, but when she heard Su's mother mention Su Qing staying overnight, she was surprised and almost gave away her true feelings. Only after Su Qing's repeated hints did she finally stop.
Curiosity compelled Liu Ranran to look at Su Qing as she walked her out.
"Qing Qing, since when have you been staying out all night? And studying with me every weekend? Going to the library?"
Since the past few weeks, Liu Ranran has been taking extra classes outside and hasn't had time to go out with Su Qing.
From what she heard at home, Su Qing's mother said, it seems Su Qing has been studying with her outside for several weeks, and staying overnight?
Liu Ranran looked at Su Qing in confusion. So, who was this person who had been studying with Su Qing for several weeks straight?
Racking her brain, Liu Ranran could only think of one person.
"Qing Qing, tell me, is it you and Jiang Sui, huh?" Liu Ranran said, extending her thumbs to match them.
A smile played across Liu Ranran's brows, a teasing hue in her expression, a hint of shy amusement on her cheeks.
She didn't look surprised at all; rather, it seemed like, "As expected, that's how you both feel."
"Ranran, don't talk nonsense. We didn't..." Still reeling from the shock of nearly being exposed at home, she heard Liu Ranran's words.
Su Qing clenched her fingertips at her sides and retorted, "It's just that Liu Ranran has read too many novels and is drawn to these cool, charming school boys and docile girls." Her eyes betrayed an understanding.
"It's really not..."
Su Qing felt helpless, but her explanation seemed shy to Liu Ranran. She patted her shoulder, climbed into the taxi, and waved at her.
Then the exhaust fumes dissipated.
Su Qing was stunned, but she still had the food Su Rao had brought for Liu Ranran in her hands, so she had no choice but to take it back.
Thinking of Jiang Sui, Su Qing shook her head, thankful she hadn't let on. Otherwise, she really wouldn't know how to explain this to Su Rao.
While Su Rao was cooking, Su Qing heard repeated coughing in the kitchen. She resolved to take her mother for a check up next week.
No matter what, she had to get it checked out.
Returning home, before she could even put her things in the kitchen, Su Qing looked out into the yard and called out, as usual.
"Mom, I'm back."
After a long pause, no one answered. Su Qing arrived, but the room was empty. The furniture was polished to a shine, and on the coffee table, as usual, sat a glass of honey water for her.
"Mom, I'm back. My classmate forgot to take the steamed pork with rice flour you brought her, so I put it in the kitchen."
Thinking Su Rao had fallen asleep, Su Qing carried the bag to the kitchen. It was already clean.
Thinking Liu Ranran would have to go to cram school again tomorrow, she put the steamed pork in the refrigerator, figuring she'd have her mother make it next time she came.
"Mom, I have something to tell you."
Su Qing left the kitchen, thinking she had to talk about the hospitalization today. She sat on the sofa, sipping honey water, her expression unusually serious.
A long moment passed, and there was no sound from upstairs, nor any sign of anyone coming down. Su Qing couldn't help but frown.
"Mom."
She couldn't help but call out again, muttering to herself, thinking she'd taken a nap, but her steps continued slowly towards Su Rao's room.
She rarely entered Su Rao's room. It still had the quaint, elegant boudoir of a lady from a noble family, though it was a bit dark and dark without sunlight. The door was open.
Su Qing knocked on the door, but there was no response. When she pushed it open, her pupils shrank.
"Mom!"
Su Rao, who had fallen to the ground, showed no reaction. All she could see was the frail woman lying on the ground in the dim room, her face pale.
Su Qing's mouth was filled with the sweet honey, now bitter extremely. Her eyes instantly turned a brilliant crimson, and a string in her mind was tautly tense.
She should have remained calm, and she had to remain calm. Su Qing didn't know how she had called 120, how she had calmly informed the medical staff of the situation, how she had opened all the doors to ventilate the room, how she had grabbed her bank card, and how she had finally gotten into the ambulance.
She watched Su Rao, wearing an oxygen mask, pass out. Her body was cold, and her pupils stared blankly at the lights in the operating room.