Chapter 34
She was suddenly reminded of the opening ceremony when she first enrolled, the scene of Song Yingxi giving his speech as the student council president.
…He was so dazzling back then. It definitely wasn’t just the stage lighting.
“Hello?” a concerned voice asked. The young man in the office chair looked over. “Are you alright?”
Fu Xia snapped out of her daze.
Embarrassed, she removed her hand from the doorknob, clasped it behind her back, and stood at attention like a soldier. Even though she was on the verge of not being human anymore, in front of someone like Song Yingxi, she couldn’t help but be conscious of her image.
“It’s like this…” she began. “Last night was the welcome party, right? A friend of mine might have fallen into the water. A classmate told me he was probably sent to the hospital by the student council, and I wanted to ask which one.”
“I didn’t mean to bother you, but everyone else seems to be very busy…”
Song Yingxi pondered for a second. “Oh, so that’s what this is about. I’ll take you.”
Perhaps because her brain was short-circuiting in his presence, Fu Xia didn’t realize she hadn’t even mentioned Zhu Ye’s name. She hadn’t expected this turn of events. “Ah? Wouldn’t that be too much trouble for you?”
He tidied the documents on his desk and then pushed himself up. The moment he was steady, he raised a hand to his lips, his brow furrowing slightly.
“Ahem…”
Fu Xia flustered. “Uh, are you okay? You could just tell me the address, and I can go by myself.”
He waved a hand. “Cough… it’s fine… today is my check-up day anyway… cough…”
As he spoke, he walked toward her, his pale face and light-colored lips flushing slightly from the effort. He gave her an apologetic nod, his voice gentle. “The students from last night were sent to the Song Corporation’s private hospital… You need an appointment to visit. If you don’t mind, please come with me.”
This close, she could clearly see his flawless skin, his golden eyelashes, his sky-blue eyes, and the high bridge of his nose. Her gaze drifted down, and she found herself staring at his thin, beautifully shaped lips.
He coughed again, a different sound from before. Fu Xia snapped back to reality, realizing she was being a bit rude as she met his gaze. Just as she was about to look away, he smiled gently at her.
“…Okay, thank you for your trouble,” she said.
If I were a demon, I would definitely want to claim him for myself.
Song Yingxi blinked. “We’re not that different in age. There’s no need for formal titles. The car is already waiting. Come with me.”
Everything was happening too fast. Perhaps from being in charge of the student council for so long, his gentle tone carried a subtle, hard-to-refuse authoritativeness. Fu Xia was already having trouble concentrating because of his face, and she was still in a daze by the time they reached the car.
…Is this the power of beauty? If so, I surrender.
A driver was waiting by the car with an umbrella. When he saw them, his gaze flickered over her for a moment before he opened the large umbrella. The round shadow was like a small island. She had intended to walk behind, but after stepping into the shade, Song Yingxi didn’t move forward. He turned and looked at her.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
Fu Xia shook her head and stepped into the shadow.
His family was wealthy, and the car exuded an air of understated luxury. After getting in, she instinctively moved to the corner, but the car was so spacious that even with the partition raised, it was hard to ignore the other person. Song Yingxi couldn’t be in the sun for long, so the windows were tinted.
The car moved smoothly down the road. Fu Xia saw his reflection in the window. He must have been very busy; even in the car, he was reviewing a folder of documents. She didn’t disturb him.
If this had been before, she probably wouldn’t have had the chance to be this close to him before graduation.
…Looked at this way, meeting the vampires has another plus.
She had been staring for a little too long. The reflection looked up, and their eyes met. She heard his voice from behind her.
“…Is there something on my face?”
“No, no… I was just spacing out.”
“You don’t have to be so nervous. It’s normal to be curious about a sickly person like me.”
Fu Xia froze. “No, I didn’t mean that.”
He looked at her without speaking. Under his gentle yet powerful gaze, she felt her face begin to burn. She quickly warned herself not to let her wits be addled by a pretty face and explained, “It’s just that I’m a scholarship student. I never expected you to let me ride in your car to the hospital with you.”
Song Yingxi tilted his head. He seemed to think for a few seconds, a hint of trouble in his handsome features, before saying softly, “Well… while I’m aware that some discrimination against scholarship students exists at the school, you don’t need to worry about that in front of me.”
“The student council has many excellent members,” he said. “We’re all the same.”
That was just like him. In this elite academy, he seemed flawlessly perfect. Anyone who asked the student council for help, as long as their reason was valid, would receive it.
Fu Xia gave a barely perceptible “mhm” and turned her face away, no longer looking at him or his reflection.
Song Yingxi looked at her. The girl was sitting as far away from him as possible. In truth, he could tell from her small movements and expressions that she had a favorable impression of him. But she made no move to get closer, even maintaining the maximum possible distance, like a hedgehog that had just raised all its quills.
Did something I just said make her uncomfortable?
He was perplexed. He always had that expression when he was thinking, as if he were worried about the person he was looking at—less like his own kind and more like a compassionate saint. He couldn’t figure out the reason. But now wasn’t the time to be hasty.
The air in the car grew quiet, with only the occasional rustle of paper. Fu Xia hadn’t slept at all last night, and she couldn’t help but lean against the side and doze off.
The car drove through the hospital gates.
The Song Corporation’s private hospital was located halfway up a mountain in a five-star scenic area. It boasted S-City’s best medical team and the most advanced facilities. Many wealthy people came here to recuperate and vacation. Fu Xia couldn’t help but marvel at how the other half lived.
The car stopped in front of the main building. The driver got out, opened the door, and asked respectfully, “Young Master, do you need me to accompany you inside?”
“It’s fine,” Song Yingxi said. “She and I will go in together.”
Fu Xia had just gotten out of the car when she heard him. She quickly waved her hands. “It’s okay. Don’t you have a check-up, senior? I’ll just find out the room number and go by myself.”
In reality, she was just going to find out where Zhu Ye was. She had no intention of going in alone—at the very least, she would wait for Yan Zhu to arrive. She had sent him the location before she fell asleep in the car; he should be on his way now.
Song Yingxi didn’t argue. “In that case, I’ll walk you to the front desk.”
He came here for check-ups often and knew his way around.
The hospital was filled with the smell of disinfectant. Fu Xia followed a step behind him. She was looking around when she heard the sound of wheels rolling behind them, and someone shouting.
“Emergency! Clear the way!”
“Move it! Careful!”
Fu Xia was about to push Song Yingxi out of the way, but he unexpectedly grabbed her wrist, pulling her into his arms and out of the path of the rushing medical staff and gurney. The momentum was too great. She crashed into his chest, and his back hit the wall. His already pale face instantly turned even paler.
Terrified that she had just killed him, she pressed against his chest, trying to stand up. He let out a deep, suppressed gasp and whispered, “Don’t move yet.”
A team rushed past them. Fu Xia saw the person on the gurney. Their skin was a dry, grayish-white, as if they had been drained of all blood.
The remaining medical staff hurried down the corridor. She faintly overheard their conversation.
“The blood bank’s been attacked! Get security, now!”
“Does the patient from last night have a mental illness?! Give him a sedative! Be careful not to get bitten!”
“…Are you okay?”
Song Yingxi’s breathing was rapid. His blond bangs fell forward, the shadow on his eyelashes adding to his fragile appearance. Even the color was draining from his lips.
Fu Xia had just answered that she was fine when she felt a shift in weight. His body seemed to be sliding down. He had been holding her against him, but now his 180-plus-centimeter frame was pressing down on her, and she quickly began to struggle.
“Doctor, we need help over here!!”
—How did things turn out like this?