Chapter 87: Late Night, Taking Chu Yuwei to the Hospital

It wasn’t too late when Jiang Zhou left the cafeteria.

Back at Ganfanren, he redid a copy of the business proposal.

This version wasn’t for himself. It was to be presented to potential investors at the upcoming venture capital conference.

So it didn’t need to be overly detailed, but it had to look impressive.

For example: monthly sales figures had to be exaggerated.

If you sell 200 units, say 400.

Sell 300? Say 600.

Sell 500? Say 1000.

This wasn’t “exaggeration”, this was reasonable projection.

Then there was the number of merchants.

All the restaurants around the university town had to be counted.

That wasn’t bragging, that was identifying “potential partners.”

Still, Jiang Zhou didn’t expect to raise much capital this time.

Based on his calculations, the most he might get was five million yuan.

After all, this was just a campus entrepreneurship project.

Investors might be interested, but they wouldn’t take it too seriously.

But even if the money wasn’t huge, this venture capital event would be an important doorway.

The more attention he could attract, the better chance he had to break into the Shangjing business scene.

“Linghang Capital… Feng Sihai.” Jiang Zhou glanced over the investor list.

This would likely be his first time coming into contact with someone from the Feng family, even if it was just a minor character from a little-regarded subsidiary.

Still, it marked a key turning point in his second life.

He didn’t care much about the other investors. But this one, from Linghang Capital, he had to lock in.

It was for Gan Fan Ren’s future and for Feng Siruo.

Jiang Zhou rubbed his sore eyes and leaned back in the office chair.

“Running a business is so damn tiring… Maybe I should just give up on Feng Siruo.”

She didn’t even call him husband. Not obedient at all.

Huang Qi was great. Su Nan was nice too!

But… if Feng Siruo heard him say that, he could already picture the girl’s teary, aggrieved little face.

As the thought drifted through his head, Jiang Zhou yawned and stretched.

He figured he’d rest his eyes for a bit.

Buzz buzz!

Just then, his phone vibrated on the desk.

It was a call from Chu Yuwei.

She usually only texted him at night. It was rare for her to call.

What’s going on?

He put down the mouse and picked up the call.

“J-Jiang Zhou… are you asleep?”

“What’s wrong? You sound really weak.”

“I don’t know… my stomach really hurts. It’s killing me…”

“Where are you now? When did the pain start?”

“In the dorm… it started this afternoon. I’ve been lying down, but now it’s unbearable.”

“You’ve been sick since this afternoon and only called now? Stay in your dorm, I’m coming to get you for the hospital!”

“No, don’t come… it’s so late… I just wanted to hear your voice.”

Jiang Zhou didn’t answer. He just hung up, grabbed his coat, and rushed out the door.

He drove his Toyota Corolla straight to Qingbei’s girls’ dormitory.

Campus was completely quiet at night. Not a single soul in sight.

Jiang Zhou parked and sprinted toward the dorm building, only to be stopped at the door by the dorm warden.

“What are you doing? Barging into the girls’ dorm this late?”

“I’m a parent, my daughter’s sick. I’m here to take her to the hospital.”

The dorm auntie gave him a look.

“You think I’m stupid?”

Jiang Zhou lowered his voice and tried a joke, “I just look young. Technically, I could call you ‘little sister.’”

“Scram. Quit trying to sweet-talk me. Be honest.”

“Alright, alright. I’m here to see a high school classmate. She’s sick and I’m taking her to the hospital.”

“Name and room number?”

“Room 306. Medical school. Chu Yuwei.”

The auntie checked the list and nodded.

“Oh, that girl. She sat here a long time at noon, said she didn’t have the strength to go upstairs.”

Jiang Zhou’s face darkened.

She’d already been weak at noon and waited until now to call?

“Alright, go on up.”

“Thanks, Auntie. I’ll bring you fruit next time!”

Jiang Zhou ran up to Room 306.

Inside, Chu Yuwei was curled up on her bed in pain.

Her two roommates were trying to comfort her, having brought her some hot water.

Only one girl, Li Yifei, lay in bed pretending not to hear anything.

Wearing headphones, eyes closed, she hadn’t slept.

Just stayed out of it like none of this mattered to her.

“Are you crazy? You’re hurting this badly and only now calling me?”

As soon as she saw Jiang Zhou, Chu Yuwei burst into tears. “I thought… it would go away…”

“Go away, my ass. Can you just ‘tough it out’ when you’re sick? Let’s go!”

“But it’s so late… I didn’t want to bother you…”

“Unbelievable. Let’s move.”

He reached out and scooped her up from the bed.

At that moment, Li Yifei suddenly got up, “Should I come too? I can help take care of her.”

“No need. I’ll do it myself. I don’t trust anyone else.”

Jiang Zhou shot her a glance and walked out with Chu Yuwei in his arms.

The roads on Shangjing’s Third Ring were empty at night.

He floored it to 120 km/h and ran red lights without hesitation.

“I’m sorry… I’m troubling you again…”

“Yeah, big time. Sick since noon and only calling at night?”

“I know you’re busy every day…”

Jiang Zhou wiped her cold sweat with one hand.

“You want me to spend time taking you to the hospital… or spend time attending your funeral and grieving for the next three to five years?”

“It’s not that serious…”

“You don’t decide if it’s serious. I don’t either. The doctor does.”

Three minutes later, they arrived at Youyi Hospital, the closest to the university town.

Emergency admission. Fast-track due to intense pain.

Jiang Zhou signed papers, paid fees, and returned with a stack of receipts.

“Acute appendicitis. We’ll start with an IV drip and monitor.”

“Go to the second floor and call the nurse if anything happens.”

Jiang Zhou thanked them, carried Chu Yuwei into the elevator.

He was drenched in sweat from running back and forth but had no hands free to wipe it off, so it dripped down his face unchecked.

Chu Yuwei nestled in his arms, seeing the sweat pouring down.

She felt a pang of guilt and gently reached up to wipe it.

Then she looked at his face, lips curving uncontrollably into a smile.

“Still smiling? The doctor said if you held on any longer it’d fester. Your intestines would’ve ruptured!”

“I didn’t know it was that bad…”

Jiang Zhou shook his head.

“You’re a med student! And you still tried to tough it out?”

“It’s only been a month since school started. I barely understand anything yet.”

“Were you like this before too?”

“No way. If I even whimpered, my dad would rush me to the hospital.”

“Then who am I?”

“…Daddy.”

Jiang Zhou carried her out of the elevator. “Next time, just call me. Got it, little daughter?”

“I was… scared.”

“Scared of what?”

“That you’d think I’m a burden.”

“Burden? No. Just heavy.”

“Really? I only weigh 86 pounds!”

“Because the parts that are supposed to grow didn’t. No wonder it’s only 86.”

“You jerk!”

“Shut up. I’m getting the nurse for your IV.”

“…Oh. But honestly, it doesn’t hurt that much anymore.”

“Not buying it. Doctor said the pain won’t stop just like that.”

“But… when you carry me, it really doesn’t hurt…”

“Then stay in pain.”

Jiang Zhou tossed her onto the hospital bed and turned to fetch the nurse.

Chu Yuwei curled up again, pouting.

The pain really did lessen when she was in his arms, but the moment he let go, it all came rushing back.