The Twenty-Sixth Chapter

As September approached, Qing City was still hot enough to make people irritable. The city's primary and secondary schools had already started one after another.

What's more unpleasant than the end of the holiday? It's discovering you haven't written a single word of your summer homework the day before school starts.

Dong Qi tried to use his broken leg as an excuse to avoid going to school, because he was the one who hadn't done his homework.

To convince his parents, he started groaning about his leg hurting after breakfast. When his mother showed concern, he seized the opportunity to state his demand.

He didn't want to go to school and asked his mother to get him a month's leave from school.

Jiang Li hesitated. Before she could agree, Dong Qi was already rolling back and forth on the sofa, clutching his leg and wailing, "Grandma, Grandma, I miss Grandma..."

Many years before Liu Mumu arrived at the Dong family, scenes like this happened frequently.

Every time this happened, the old lady would rush over, scold everyone in the family except her son and grandson, and then agree to Dong Qi's various demands.

After the old lady was gone, seeing her son act like this again, Jiang Li was still a little unaccustomed to it.

Although she doted on her son, his crying and fussing also annoyed her.

"Or should I go to school and ask for a month's leave for Xiao Qi?" To quiet her son down, Jiang Li discussed it with Dong Zhenghao, who hadn't left for the company yet.

Dong Zhenghao thought for a moment and was about to agree when he saw Liu Mumu standing on the second floor, looking down. "If you miss your grandma that much, do you want me to send you down to see her?"

Dong Zhenghao shivered. How could he forget that his eldest daughter and his mother had an irreconcilable conflict? And his son was calling for his grandma at this moment, wasn't he just asking for trouble!

He put on a stern face and roared at Dong Qi, "What are you howling about? You're going to school tomorrow, don't even think about taking leave!"

The head of the household unleashed his full imposing aura.

Unfortunately, Dong Qi didn't pay him any mind. He yelled back at Dong Zhenghao, "I won't!!!"

"I think you're asking for a beating." Dong Zhenghao looked around for anything he could use. His younger daughter quietly handed him a rolling pin.

Old Dong, who had only intended to get angry for a moment, was now in a difficult position. Speaking of which, why was there a rolling pin?

Since he already had the rolling pin in hand, he might as well beat his son.

So, Dong Qi received a few spankings on his backside from his father. Dong Zhenghao held his son down and spanked him while asking, "Tell me, are you going to school or not?"

"No!" Dong Qi shouted hoarsely, as if they were slaughtering a pig at home.

"Not going to school? Then I'll break that leg of yours too. Let's see if you go to school." He continued to spank him.

Finally, after Dong Qi's backside turned bright red, he finally whimpered and relented, "I'll go to school, stop hitting me, woo woo woo..."

The scene of her husband subduing their son was too brutal. Jiang Li wiped away tears that had dried before they even fell, feeling heartbroken. In the end, she decided it was best not to see it and went upstairs.

Dong Yue, on the other hand, retreated with her merits hidden, returning to her room early to pack things needed for school tomorrow.

Liu Mumu specifically ran downstairs to watch the commotion up close. After watching, she handed her dad a glass of orange juice to replenish his energy.

Old Dong, after spanking his son, gulped down the orange juice his daughter handed him and felt refreshed, both mentally and physically.

"Isn't it almost time for Mumu to start school too?" The father and daughter ignored Dong Qi, who was biting a pillow and quietly crying, and walked outside together.

"School starts on September 1st. I'll go to school to tidy up on the 31st." That's the day after tomorrow.

"Okay, then Dad will take you to school then."

"Thank you, Dad."

Dong Zhenghao immediately felt like a responsible and good father, not only able to discipline his unruly son but also to take his daughter to school. He deserved praise.

On August 31st, father and daughter, each with a "favorable travel" auspicious buff, went out.

Dong Zhenghao drove, taking Liu Mumu to Qing City University of Technology, which was an hour's drive from their home, to report.

People were coming and going at the school entrance. After finally finding a parking spot, they were immediately hit by the stifling heat as soon as they got out of the car.

For a moment, Liu Mumu also wanted to roll on the ground and refuse to go to school. Old Dong would definitely not dare to refuse her.

Alas... who made her a good child who was willing to study?

A senior student responsible for welcoming new students took the father and daughter to register, then handed them their dormitory keys and escorted them to the girls' dormitory.

Liu Mumu's dormitory was on the fourth floor, Room 413.

After seeing her in, the senior student received a string of thanks from Dong Zhenghao and left shyly.

Two beds in the dormitory were already made. The occupants were not present; they were likely out buying daily necessities. There were two empty beds left. Liu Mumu chose the one by the door. She took out her newly bought bedding from her suitcase and planned to make the bed.

"Do you need Dad's help?" Dong Zhenghao asked from below, handing her a pillow.

Liu Mumu continued to wrestle with the bedsheet in the small space and replied casually, "Don't make my bed difficult."

"Tsk." Old Dong tapped the guardrail of the bed unhappily. "This bed is very sturdy. Dad here only weighs about 150, 60, 70, or 80 pounds..."

"Oh, I know. Two hundred pounds." Liu Mumu concluded indifferently.

"How could it be two hundred? It's only one hundred and seventy-seven."

"Rounding up to two hundred pounds, no problem."

Just as Liu Mumu was unilaterally teasing Dong Zhenghao, the dormitory door opened again. A handsome boy, about 1.8 meters tall, walked in holding a long-haired girl's hand.

They looked about the same age and acted intimately, clearly a couple.

The girl looked up and saw Liu Mumu making the bed. She waved at her and gave a friendly smile, "Hello, I'm Xue Lan."

"I'm Liu Mumu, nice to meet you." Liu Mumu eagerly leaned over the bed and extended her hand.

Xue Lan pursed her lips and smiled, shaking her hand. Xue Lan's fingers were very cold, which seemed unusual on such a hot day.

Her appearance didn't reveal much. Was it due to her health?

Xue Lan's boyfriend seemed somewhat indifferent, not acknowledging Liu Mumu. Instead, he bypassed Dong Zhenghao and went to the empty bed next to them to unpack for his girlfriend.

She seemed a little embarrassed, standing by Liu Mumu's bed and saying softly, "That's my boyfriend, Xu Anze. He's in the Computer Science Department."

Qing City University of Technology's Computer Science Department was an ace major, ranking nationally. However, it was rumored that excelling in computer science led to baldness. Liu Mumu had unilaterally rejected this major, and after her grades came out, the department had unilaterally rejected her back.

"You both got in together? That's amazing."

Xue Lan nodded shyly, her eyes full of affection as she looked at Xu Anze.

Some people have boyfriends who send them off to school, while she only has a two-hundred-pound dad. Sigh, so disappointing.

Dong Zhenghao seemed to sense his daughter's dissatisfaction. He glanced at the young man next to him, who was efficiently unpacking, and then took out the rest of the items from the suitcase and arranged them.

When Liu Mumu had almost finished arranging her bedding, he said to her, "Mumu, why don't you go home tonight and I'll bring you back to school tomorrow?"

"No need. We'll probably have military training after school starts, so I won't be able to come home then. Remember to visit me on the weekend."

She couldn't stay at school all the time. Returning home every five days was just right. If she couldn't make it back, then Dong Zhenghao would have to visit her.

On this matter, the father and daughter had reached an agreement long ago.

"Okay, then I'll come over on Saturday. Call me if anything comes up."

"Bye-bye." Liu Mumu waved goodbye to him without any hesitation.

Dong Zhenghao waved back at her and left with light steps.

He thought to himself: Finally, I've sent this little ancestor off to school. I'm free.

After Xue Lan and her boyfriend tidied up their beds, they left together. Liu Mumu stayed in the dormitory until past five o'clock, when she finally saw her other two roommates.

The two of them returned together, each carrying a large bag of daily necessities, clearly having just finished shopping.

Upon seeing Liu Mumu, both greeted her enthusiastically. The short-haired girl slept on the bed opposite Liu Mumu and was named Qian Xiaomeng.

The girl sleeping on the bed diagonally opposite her was Wei Xue. She had a doll hairstyle, a round face, and looked a bit like a doll, very cute.

They hadn't met Xue Lan yet. Hearing Liu Mumu say she had, they inquired about her.

"She seems to have a good temper. Her boyfriend was the one who brought her here earlier."

Qian Xiaomeng and Liu Mumu shared the same envious expression: "Ah, how can someone manage to not delay their studies in their third year of high school and also solve their single status? So envious!"

"Yeah, yeah." Liu Mumu nodded repeatedly.

Once, a future boyfriend had appeared before her, and she had cherished him. Unfortunately, he hadn't cherished her. Thinking about it made her angry. She hadn't managed to solve her single status before entering university. She was holding the school back!

Wei Xue sat to the side, watching the two who seemed to be on the same wavelength with silent speechlessness. She felt like they might pull out fruit knives at any moment and make a blood oath on the spot, which was quite unsettling.

Around eight o'clock in the evening, as the sky outside gradually darkened, Xue Lan finally returned.

She stood at the doorway and greeted the girls in the dormitory, "Hello everyone, I'm Xue Lan."

"Hello, hello." Qian Xiaomeng took the opportunity to step forward and touch Xue Lan's small hand.

This was the hand of a woman with a boyfriend; it felt different.

Xue Lan was a little startled by her enthusiasm. She looked up at Wei Xue helplessly. Wei Xue waved at her.

Alright, it seemed no one could save her.

What finally rescued Xue Lan from Qian Xiaomeng's enthusiasm was milk tea. On her way back, she had bought a cup of milk tea for each of her roommates.

She had initially worried about getting along with her roommates and wanted to break the ice. Now, it seemed there was no need to break the ice; they were already quite close.

On their first night at university, the four girls, each holding a cup of milk tea, chatted in the dormitory after the lights were turned off. They chatted until an unknown hour, their voices gradually fading until they disappeared, and everyone fell asleep.

Around three o'clock in the morning, Liu Mumu suddenly heard a violent coughing fit.

She sat up in bed. Listening to the sound, she realized it was Xue Lan, who was on the bed next to hers, coughing.

Liu Mumu turned on her flashlight. The beam illuminated Xue Lan clearly. She was still asleep, and whether it was due to discomfort or a nightmare, her expression looked somewhat contorted.

She coughed incessantly, yet it didn't wake her up.

The coughing soon startled the other occupants of the dormitory. Wei Xue sat up in bed and, seeing the light in the entire dormitory, asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"

Liu Mumu had already bent down and climbed onto Xue Lan's bed. She gently nudged Xue Lan, but there was no reaction. The coughing did lessen slightly, however.

Hearing Wei Xue's question, she replied, "I don't know. Xue Lan has been coughing and hasn't woken up."

"Is she sick?"

Qian Xiaomeng got out of bed, stepped onto a stool, and leaned closer to Xue Lan. She reached out and touched Xue Lan's forehead, then exclaimed, "Her face is so cold."

Liu Mumu also reached out to touch her. She had only felt Xue Lan's hands were cold before, but now she realized her face was as cold as her hands.

"It doesn't seem like a fever," Qian Xiaomeng said strangely.

Liu Mumu thought for a moment, leaned close to Xue Lan's ear, and repeatedly called her name, "Xue Lan, Xue Lan, wake up..."

After calling her about five or six times, the coughing finally stopped. Xue Lan, who had seemed unconscious, groggily opened her eyes.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Qian Xiaomeng lying by the head of the bed, Liu Mumu squatting beside her, and Wei Xue on the opposite bed shining two phones at her like searchlights.

She asked blankly, "Did something happen?"

"Don't you feel it yourself?" Qian Xiaomeng said bluntly, "You were coughing so badly just now, like you were going to cough up your lungs. You scared us to death."

"Really? I didn't feel it at all." Xue Lan sat up with Liu Mumu's support. At this moment, Liu Mumu touched her hand again and felt that it seemed a little warmer.

"Do you want some water?" Wei Xue asked from across the room.

"Yes, I'll pour you some hot water." Qian Xiaomeng jumped off the stool, found a cup on Xue Lan's desk, then found the thermos and poured a cup of hot water, handing it over.

"Thank you, I'm much better." Xue Lan thanked her softly, holding the cup and taking a few sips of water.

Seeing that she had finally calmed down and didn't seem to be coughing anymore, the others finally relaxed.

As their tension eased, drowsiness returned.

After confirming again that Xue Lan was really fine and didn't need to go to the hospital, they turned off their phone flashlights and went back to their own beds to sleep.

The night passed peacefully. Xue Lan didn't cough again in the latter half of the night. However, when she woke up in the morning, her complexion wasn't good. It was unclear if she hadn't slept at all afterward.

The first day of school involved collecting textbooks, school uniforms, and military training uniforms. Various things were mixed together, making it a chaotic day.

At noon, the four of them in the dormitory agreed to explore the school canteen. It was said that every famous university had an unspeakable canteen that offered legendary menus. Eating the dishes there could lead to ascension.

Things like potato fried watermelon... sounded very promising.

As soon as they walked out of the teaching building, Liu Mumu saw a familiar person standing downstairs. It was Xu Anze, Xue Lan's boyfriend, who had brought her to the dormitory yesterday.

Although they had only met once, he was a handsome young man and quite recognizable.

Xue Lan also saw Xu Anze. She was a little surprised because he hadn't said he would wait for her downstairs. Xue Lan felt a little embarrassed and stopped, quietly saying to Liu Mumu and the others, "I'm sorry, my boyfriend is here to pick me up, I..."

"It's okay, it's okay. Let's make another plan another day. Go with your boyfriend first," Qian Xiaomeng said quickly.

As she spoke, she also looked at Xue Lan's boyfriend with interest.

Watching Xue Lan run towards Xu Anze, link his arm, and walk away intimately together, Qian Xiaomeng said with envy, "When will someone wait for me downstairs for a meal?"

"Aren't we people?" Wei Xue asked sharply.

"I mean a handsome young man."

Liu Mumu, walking on Xue Xiaomeng's other side, snorted, "How dare you discriminate against pretty young ladies!"

"Oh, I didn't." The three of them laughed and chatted as they ran towards their target for the day, the First Canteen.

Unfortunately, the First Canteen did not offer the legendary menu. It was filled with crowds of freshmen.

Fortunately, the three of them came together. Qian Xiaomeng, who had the best athletic ability, stood in the center of the canteen, her sharp gaze scanning all the surrounding dining tables.

Seeing a table that was about to finish, she quickly rushed over, staring intently at them.

The two seniors who were eating and were targeted by her quickly finished their meals and left under her gaze, leaving the seats for her.

Liu Mumu and Wei Xue then plunged into the crowd to get food. Eating the meal was like fighting a battle, leaving them exhausted.

While eating, Qian Xiaomeng also told them, "The seniors are so nice. They actually gave up their seats for me."

Having witnessed firsthand how she "intimidated" the seniors with her eyes, the two exchanged glances and said nothing.

Forget it, let her think she met a kind person.

Liu Mumu felt that there was a fundamental difference between her and Qian Xiaomeng being single. She relied on luck, while Qian Xiaomeng relied on her thick skin.

The first day of school was spent getting familiar with the campus.

Military training would begin on the second day. The military training routine was the same: marching in formation and standing at attention.

Especially in the hot weather, standing at attention could take half a life.

Under the scorching sun, sweat dripped down their cheeks. Liu Mumu heard someone behind her whisper that sunscreen was useless and that only plastering cement on their faces could block the sun.

Those who heard this in front tried to suppress their laughter, but the instructor saw them and added another five minutes of standing at attention.

In the afternoon, someone fainted from heatstroke and was sent to the School Hospital by the instructor.

Everyone seemed to have discovered a good way to avoid training. One after another, they tried to "get heatstroke." After sending two people away, the instructor cast a lingering glance at them and added, "Those who go to the School Hospital will have to make up for the missed training tomorrow."

The students who were previously swaying immediately felt their backs and legs stop aching. They could stand for another half an hour.

The instructor was not completely disregarding their health. When the weather was hottest, he dismissed them for ten minutes to drink water and rest.

They found spots under the shade of trees, not caring if the ground was dirty, and all sat down.

Liu Mumu glanced at Xue Lan, who was sitting beside her. Her lips looked pale, and her eyes were a little dazed.

"Xue Lan, how are you? If you feel unwell, go ask the instructor for leave," Liu Mumu leaned closer and asked in a low voice.

Xue Lan shook her head, "I'm fine, I just suddenly felt very tired."

Liu Mumu touched her forehead worriedly. Her body temperature was a little lower than others.

Xue Lan's complexion was still good at noon, but it suddenly worsened in the afternoon. Could she have really gotten heatstroke?

Just as the instructor walked over, she stood up and was about to speak when she saw Xue Lan suddenly start coughing.

Just like that night, she coughed terrifyingly. Her face was almost contorted, and her entire face turned red. In an instant, all attention was drawn to her.

The others wanted to get closer to see what was happening, but the instructor who ran over shooed them away: "Move along, what are you all crowding around for? Get back!"

When the instructor ran over, Liu Mumu and Wei Xue were patting Xue Lan's back, but it wasn't helping.

"What's her situation?" the instructor asked.

"We don't know either. She was like this the first night we slept here too," Qian Xiaomeng answered.

The instructor glanced at the three of them. "Are you in the same dorm?"

"Yes," Wei Xue nodded.

"Alright, let's take her to the school hospital first. You three follow."

The instructor stepped forward, seemingly intending to carry Xue Lan to the hospital. Xue Lan rested one hand on his back, and when she removed the other hand from her mouth, everyone saw a patch of red in her palm.

She coughed up blood?

Liu Mumu and the others were startled. The instructor stopped carrying her and simply picked her up, running towards the school hospital.

Given the significant difference in physical fitness between them and the instructor, the three girls only managed to arrive at the school hospital, panting, five minutes after Xue Lan was sent there.

"How is Xue Lan?" Liu Mumu and the others found Xue Lan and the instructor while the doctor was examining her.

Seeing the three rush in, the doctor didn't show any displeasure. He simply waved them over, letting them stand aside and listen, then continued his questioning.

"How long has this been going on? Have you had an X-ray before?"

Xue Lan hesitated for a moment before answering, "I had it in high school. I also had a physical check-up. My lungs were normal, and it wasn't tuberculosis. They couldn't find the cause. Later, the doctor said it might be due to the stress of my final year of high school, a psychological issue."

"They couldn't find the cause? When was your last check-up?" the doctor continued.

"About half a month before I came to school. I still have all my check-up reports. They're in my locker," Xue Lan replied.

"I'll go get them for her," Qian Xiaomeng quickly volunteered.

"Alright, go get them and bring them here for me to see."

Xue Lan handed the locker key to Qian Xiaomeng, who quickly ran off.

About fifteen minutes later, Qian Xiaomeng returned with a bag containing X-ray films and various medical reports.

The doctor looked through them for a long time, nodding. "They all seem quite normal. It's not allergic asthma either. You're quite healthy."

He looked at Xue Lan, frowning. "Based on this, it shouldn't be this severe. Psychological issues are a possibility. However, since you coughed up blood today, we can't rule out minor internal bleeding. You should still go to the hospital for an X-ray to confirm."

"Doctor, we'll go with her," Qian Xiaomeng said quickly, and all three looked at the instructor.

The instructor thought for a moment before speaking. "Leave your names, classes, and phone numbers. I'll contact your counselor later. Come back immediately after your appointment. If the situation is serious, you must notify me first."

"Understood." The three obediently complied and exchanged phone numbers with the instructor.

Although Liu Mumu wasn't a native of Qing City, she was quite familiar with its hospitals. She directly took them to Qing City Second Hospital.

After registering, getting an X-ray, and seeing the doctor, it was already past five in the afternoon.

The diagnosis was the same as before: she was very healthy. Since they heard Xue Lan had coughed up blood, the doctor had been observing her condition, including measuring her blood pressure. Throughout the afternoon, her condition remained stable.

Finally, the doctor could only say, "If you're still worried, you can stay in the hospital for observation overnight and see how things go."

Liu Mumu and the others discussed it and decided to have two of them stay at the hospital to accompany Xue Lan for the night and not return to the dorm.

Xue Lan didn't want to trouble them and said she had messaged her boyfriend, and he would be here soon.

While waiting for Xue Lan's boyfriend to arrive, she suddenly said in a low voice, "Actually, I've seen many doctors before, and none of them could find the cause. Then my mom found a Great Immortal."

Liu Mumu was a bit curious. Great Immortal was a term used in some northern regions for Mystic Masters. Their sect had some differences from other Mystic Master sects, and they were said to be quite magical.

Perhaps worried that her roommates wouldn't accept it, Xue Lan cautiously observed their expressions.

To her surprise, they were all looking at her eagerly, waiting for her to continue.

"And then?" Qian Xiaomeng pressed eagerly.

"The Great Immortal said I had contracted Hysteria, but not real Hysteria, calling it False Hysteria."

"Isn't Hysteria a mental disorder? False Hysteria... isn't that still a psychological problem?" Qian Xiaomeng reacted quickly.

Liu Mumu had never heard of False Hysteria either and asked curiously, "Did the Great Immortal tell you how to treat it?"

Xue Lan shook her head. "He said that in my situation, if I just left it alone, it would slowly get better. Actually, I thought I was getting better before, but I don't know why, it got worse after I came to school."

As soon as she finished speaking, the door to the sickroom was suddenly pushed open. Xu Anze had arrived.