Ten Thousand Books, But Only One You

23 To Change According To The Situation

Chapter 23: To Change According To The Situation

Pinching my nose, I swallowed the brown concoction down to its last drop. The herbal aftertaste lingered on my tongue and I stared at Ji Kai with watery eyes. "Ugh, that was bitter."

With a satisfied smile, he unfolded his arms and held out a hand. A roll of hawthorn flakes rested on his opened palm. Snatching it up like a child excited by the sight of candy, I tore open the packaging and popped a few discs into my mouth.

"Can I be discharged already? I already feel stronger after being here for two days. I still need to carry on with the mission."

Ji Kai narrowed his eyes. "Didn't you say that you will leave after I explained things to you?"

"No, I can't leave yet." I shook my head and wagged a finger in his face. "I have been wondering about something the past two days. What if there is a way for us to have our cake and eat it too?"

"What do you mean?"

"For example, what if you negotiate a deal with your family to let you practice as a doctor in exchange for something that would be beneficial to them? I have some ideas on what you could bring to the negotiation table, but I have not fully settled on the details yet. But in theory it makes sense, doesn't it? So, if you let me stay beside you, I'll help you to find a way for you to have your cake and eat it too."

"You just want to stay in this book to have fun, don't you?"

Laughing nervously, I placed my right hand over my heart and said solemnly, "that's not true at all. I have been diligently performing my duty to the best of my abilities. You have no idea what kind of dangers and tough situations I have encountered. There has not been a single moment of fun." I hesitated for a moment before adding in a bashful yet teasing tone: "I just didn't want to part from you so soon when we've just reunited."

Rocking back on his heels, Ji Kai drew in a long breath. "How... have you been these few years?"

My lips curved up into a smile at his sudden change of subject. Replying casually with an almost flippant attitude, I simply said in several short sentences, "I've been good. I made other friends. I've graduated. I've entered society." Faced with such perfunctory questions all the time, I was an expert at answering them. But replying to Ji Kai in the same manner as I do to others, I wondered if I had really been a tad too flippant.

"I know," said Ji Kai.

"What?" Thinking that I had misheard, or misunderstood, him, I held his gaze for a long time hoping to find some answers from the minute expressions on his face.

But he only showed a bright grin. "Nothing. I'm happy to hear that you've been well."

"How about you—how have you lived the past few years? And what's with you and Yan Shuzhen?" I directed the question to him now, genuinely curious to know about the years of his life that I had missed out on. And of course, I did not forget to 'eat melons'.

"Having to live alone, I've learnt to be more independent," he said with a particular emphasis on the words 'live alone' and 'independent'. I almost laughed at the way he was clearly trying to avoid suspicions and prevent me from enjoying any melons.

"As for Shuzhen—she suddenly appeared in front of me one day in campus, saying that she wanted to help me out and be a partner-in-crime. So for the past few years, she also pretended as if she was studying in the US."

I put my hands together, still portraying an attitude which screams 'give me melons to eat'. "Ah, you must have been happy to have a partner-in-crime as a companion."