Eleven told the doctor in fear to prescribe whatever was necessary, and not to hold back in order to cure him.
Gu Liancheng simply laughed at her, saying, "What kind of ailment could possibly come from such a fall?"
After an IV drip, they made a trip to a traditional Chinese medicine physician that Eleven knew. In the past, when she volunteered at the nursing home, she often took some elderly folks there for treatment. They preferred traditional Chinese medicine to Western one.
After examining, the old physician said it wasnât serious, then he turned his attention to chit-chat, kindly looking at Eleven and joking, "You used to bring people in their sixties, seventies, and eighties, so why the young guy this time?"
Eleven had mentioned to Liancheng on the way there how she and the old physician met, but she hadnât mentioned this.
"Grandpa Zhang, hasnât she brought anyone else my age before?"
"You really want to know?"
"Grandpa Zhang!" Eleven called him out.
"Truth."
Eleven couldnât stop him and the old physician laughingly said, "Youâre the only one."
So, Liancheng also laughed.
At this moment, he enjoyed being the first in everything. Hearing this news, he inexplicably felt good.
He wanted to be not only now but also in the future. Everything about her, he wanted to be the first, or rather the only one.
"Well, I was just curious, they must not be just ordinary friends."
"You can even see that?" Liancheng laughed and jokingly asked, "Do we really look like a married couple, therefore you recognized us directly?"
"Yes, yes," the old physician joined in saying, one compliment after another, "exactly like the couples who grow old together."
Eleven had known the old physician for seven or eight years. He was affable and easy to talk to; there was no pressure at all.
"Thank you, Grandpa Zhang!" Liancheng reacted happily.
Had he not gotten injured, Eleven wouldâve punched him already. But remembering how Liancheng got hurt for Jiujiu and herself, she couldnât bear to hurt him, so she let him play around with the words.
Eleven went to get ice as instructed by the old physician. In the meantime the doctor and Liancheng chatted.
"This child, Eleven, is extremely good!" said the old physician, full of praise for Eleven, "But also pitiful, growing up in an orphanage with barely any close friends. Yet, sheâs kind-hearted, often does volunteer work and helps the people in need."
"Right. She is indeed very good." When Liancheng spoke these words, there wasnât a hint of teasing in his facial expression.
For a moment, Eleven was lost in her thoughts.
She returned but upon hearing their conversation chose to hide and didnât go out.
He used the word "particularly".
When she wasnât with him, and he didnât have to flatter her, his praise meant that he truly meant it.
"All along Iâve been hoping she could find a good place to settle down! A few years ago, she stopped coming by as frequently as before, saying she was busy and working part-time to pay for her studies, hence she didnât have much time to help others."
Eleven remained silent.
She had lied.
During the first year, she was pregnant with Jiujiu and Cute. Later, sheâd married Liancheng, and to cover up, sheâd reduced her volunteering hours, most of her time being spent with him instead.
"Yes, sheâs working really hard," Liancheng didnât expose her lie, "but sheâs about to graduate. When we get married, sheâll have more time to come over."
Married?
She hadnât even agreed to be his girlfriend yet, how could he be talking about marriage with others!
Although Eleven thought anxiously, she also found, to her surprise, that she wasnât angry. Instead... she felt it was natural.