The Twenty-Seventh Chapter

Xu Anze, his chest heaving, approached with wet hair as if he'd been doused in water.

He hurried to Xue Lan's bedside, gasping for breath, and took her hand. "Lanlan, how are you feeling?"

"I told you I'm fine, it's just like before."

She'd occasionally had these episodes in her third year of high school, even being hospitalized twice. They were already together then, so Xu Anze knew her condition well.

He reached out to touch her forehead. It was warm. His brow relaxed slightly as he asked in a low voice, "You haven't eaten yet, are you hungry?"

"I'm hungry, but I don't want porridge. I want noodles."

Seeing she still had an appetite, he relaxed, a smile appearing on his face. "Got it. I'll go downstairs and buy some for you later."

"And strawberries."

"Okay."

While the couple was being lovey-dovey, Liu Mumu and her group of single friends were stuffed with affection. Xu Anze walked them out, as he was heading downstairs to buy things anyway.

Outside the sickroom, Xu Anze thanked them. "Thank you all so much today. Lanlan hasn't been in good health. If she feels unwell in the future, could you trouble yourselves to let me know?"

"No problem, no problem. Come on, let's make a group chat." Qian Xiaomeng enthusiastically pulled out her phone. As she created the group, she said to Xu Anze, "If you know any single, equally handsome young men, please invite them to the group. It would be a blessing for us."

"Alright, I'll arrange it for you as soon as I get back," Xu Anze replied with a smile.

They were so accommodating! Everyone's impression of their dormmate's boyfriend improved significantly.

"May I ask, has Xue Lan seen a psychologist?" Wei Xue suddenly asked.

Mentioning Xue Lan's health, a hint of bitterness crossed Xu Anze's face. "My aunt has always equated psychological issues with mental illness and strongly opposes seeing a psychologist. I actually took Lanlan to see one secretly, but the psychologist's assessment showed she doesn't have a psychological disorder."

"Don't laugh at me, but I've also started to think my aunt might be right. Perhaps Lanlan isn't sick. This past summer, we visited many temples, but unfortunately, none of it helped. We could only seek peace of mind."

Everyone understood his feelings. If they could pinpoint a specific issue, perhaps it would be better, at least providing some peace.

But now, in this state of uncertainty, no one knew what the future held.

When science couldn't solve a problem, some people would truly turn to gods and Buddhas, seeking even the slightest possibility.

After escorting them to the hospital entrance, Xu Anze parted ways with them, heading first to buy fruit and then dinner for Xue Lan.

Liu Mumu and the others planned to take a taxi back to school. It was muggy and hot outside, and the bus wouldn't save them.

They waited by the roadside for a while until an empty taxi pulled over. Qian Xiaomeng and Wei Xue got in. Liu Mumu, her hand on the car door, was about to get in when she looked up and saw a familiar car slowly emerging from the hospital's underground parking lot.

She slammed the car door shut and told the two inside, "You guys go back first. I have something to do and will come back later tonight."

With that, she hurried away.

The taxi drove off quickly. Liu Mumu ran towards the car with the little angel emblem, waving as she ran.

Yan Xiu emerged from the parking lot and looked up to see Liu Mumu, hopping around like a little rabbit by the roadside. Since he hadn't reached his parking spot yet, his car continued to move slowly forward.

Liu Mumu thought he hadn't seen her and jogged to catch up.

Finally reaching a parking spot, the car stopped, and the door was opened from the inside.

Liu Mumu's eyes lit up, and she agilely slipped inside and settled down.

"Chasing my car?" Although Yan Xiu's tone held little blame, it made her scalp tingle inexplicably.

"I was afraid you wouldn't see me! It was a moment of urgency, forgivable," she whispered, glancing at his expressionless face. "I won't do it again."

"Next time, you can call or text me," Yan Xiu said, giving her a faint look.

"And then you'll stop?"

"...Depends on my mood."

"Hmph, I bet you won't answer my call until you're two kilometers away," Liu Mumu didn't believe him.

A slight curve formed on Yan Xiu's lips. "Where are we going?"

"Back to school. Oh, right, there's something I wanted to ask you."

"You could have asked me over the phone."

"That's not the same. I can't see your face on the phone, and you refuse to video call," Liu Mumu said with an expression that implied he was a heartless scoundrel for not video calling her.

Although they hadn't had a chance to meet since leaving the hotel last time, they occasionally chatted on their phones.

It was mainly Liu Mumu initiating contact, and he was compelled to respond.

For a few days, Liu Mumu asked him every day what the weather was like. Yan Xiu once thought she'd mistaken him for a weather reporter.

Yan Xiu: ...

"I don't video call anyone while I'm showering." If her fortune-telling abilities were applied elsewhere, he might have been more pleased.

"What a shame!"

This was genuine regret. Yan Xiu's fate was difficult to divine, so she could only indirectly try to figure out when he would encounter water each day.

Divinations not involving herself were much easier; she could get it right three out of ten times.

Later, she didn't even need to divine it, as his routine was so regular that even his shower time was fixed.

It was a pity he wouldn't let her see it. Sadness ensued.

"Forget it," Yan Xiu didn't want to continue discussing this topic with her. "I'll take you back to school."

"Thanks, I'll treat you and Grandma to milk tea."

"I don't drink milk tea."

"Oh, you're really hard to please."

Yan Xiu silently accepted her evaluation.

The car passed a traffic light, and Liu Mumu finally remembered what she wanted to ask him. "By the way, do you know about False Hysteria?"

Since she had just gone to school, she hadn't brought the books her grandfather left her. It was inconvenient to go home now to look through them, so she might as well ask Yan Xiu.

"What are the symptoms?"

"Um... coughing, incessant coughing at night while sleeping, very severe, unresponsive to calls, and a very low body temperature. It happened during the day too, and she even coughed up blood. Medical examinations showed no problems."

Liu Mumu still agreed with the measures taken by Xue Lan's family and boyfriend. At least they should first rule out any issues with her.

Since it was truly unrelated to her physical and mental condition, they could then consider other reasons.

"Are those the only symptoms?"

"That's all I know for now."

Yan Xiu thought for a moment. "There are many possibilities for similar symptoms, but what you mentioned, False Epidemic, is indeed among them."

"Oh, tell me about it?" Liu Mumu turned to him with interest.

"In ancient times, in some northern regions, swindlers were rampant. These people would 'drive away epidemics' and then pretend to be immortals descending to earth to amass wealth."

"Drive away epidemics? You mean the 'epidemic' in plague?"

"Yes, every time they arrived in a region, a plague would appear there, manifesting as violent coughing and spitting blood for several days, but it wouldn't be life-threatening."

Liu Mumu frowned as she listened. "Is that a plague?"

In the profession of Mystic Masters, there were good people, but also scoundrels.

Although the traces of Mystic Masters' existence were mostly buried in history, in the history she knew, there were Mystic Masters who had attempted to overthrow imperial power, using cruel methods that harmed many people.

Plagues had also been manipulated before. They refined plagues by concocting corpses, but legend had it that those Mystic Masters were later backlashed and died horribly.

Compared to these Mystic Masters who aimed for the heavens, the top diviners at most manipulated power. They were much more conscientious than them.

This was something her grandfather had specifically told her to make her recognize the subtle relationship between Mystic Masters and diviners. Liu Mumu felt that her grandfather might have been a bit annoyed that Mystic Masters had richer means than diviners.

Methods that created Sin, like manipulating plagues, were no longer used by Mystic Masters in modern times.

"So they were liars. It wasn't a real plague, just some poisonous powder refined from the pollen of a certain plant, relatively mild."

"You mean my classmate was poisoned?" Liu Mumu asked.

"I mean, if your classmate lived in the north, she might have just happened to encounter that plant outdoors and inhaled some pollen, leading to these symptoms. Of course, being poisoned is not ruled out."

Liu Mumu understood. The so-called False Hysteria should have originally been called False Epidemic. After listening to Yan Xiu, it didn't seem that serious.

"So she doesn't need treatment? Does she have to wait for the pollen to be naturally expelled from her body? I heard this has been going on for a year."

"If it can be confirmed as False Epidemic, treatment can be forgone. As long as she doesn't continue to inhale the pollen, she can recover within two to three years. There are also treatment methods, but they are folk remedies."

"Tell me about it." Why wait two to three years if she could get better faster? Liu Mumu asked eagerly.

"Five different colored beans, soaked in vinegar for five days. Then take them out, pick five different beans each day, boil them, and eat them. She should see improvement after five days, and with three consecutive treatment cycles, the pollen in her body can be completely expelled."

"Doesn't that sound unscientific?" What kind of strange detoxification methods were these? Speaking of which, how was this method even researched?

Yan Xiu said helplessly, "That's why it's a folk remedy."

A diviner and a Mystic Master discussing science – who among them was more scientific?

"Fine..." Although she disliked it, it was at least a method. "I'll have her try it when I get back."

There wasn't a better solution anyway. Since Xue Lan was willing to see a Great Immortal, her roommate should be able to accept that she was a diviner or something, right?

"So, can you really tell fortunes?" Xue Lan hadn't returned yet, so Liu Mumu decided to brief the other roommates first.

Then she was cornered by two roommates.

"I can only tell fortunes for trivial matters," Liu Mumu raised one finger.

Wei Xue grabbed her finger. "Can you tell if I'll pass my final exams in advance?"

"You can... but you still have to work hard yourself."

Qian Xiaomeng grabbed her other hand. "Can you calculate my success rate before I confess?"

"That's okay too..."

Liu Mumu had her hands held, as if she were being kidnapped.

"From now on, you're our sister, born from different parents!!"

Although her roommates believed in her immensely, Liu Mumu still showed them a small trick, such as: someone would come to their dormitory to deliver milk tea shortly.

The two of them stood by the door waiting for the milk tea. More than twenty minutes later, a girl from the neighboring dormitory walked over with a cup of milk tea. Seeing Wei Xue, she walked towards her and handed her the bag in her hand.

"I met a guy downstairs just now. He said he was from your hometown and asked me to give this to you."

Wei Xue took the milk tea. "Thank you, thank you."

Then she ran back to the dormitory, her face flushed with excitement. The girl watching was stunned. Did someone she liked send it? Why was she so excited?

"Oh my god, someone actually sent milk tea! How did you figure it out? That's too accurate!" Qian Xiaomeng circled Liu Mumu, looking like she wanted to dissect her.

Wei Xue was only slightly calmer than her.

This kind of master was her roommate's magical experience, and they actually encountered it.

Of course, being treated as a master wasn't the main goal. She mainly wanted to discuss Xue Lan's situation with them.

Since it was such a coincidence that Xue Lan was in the same dorm, and she had the ability to help her, there was no reason to pretend not to know.

Liu Mumu didn't reveal the existence of the Mystic Master. She only said she knew a folk remedy that might be useful for Xue Lan.

Qian Xiaomeng and the others agreed with Liu Mumu's idea. "It's just beans soaked in vinegar anyway. This stuff won't harm anyone. We can try it. What if it really works?"

"I think Xue Lan should agree, but let's not tell anyone outside of us for now, especially her boyfriend. I see he cares deeply for Xue Lan. If it doesn't work, don't blame you," Wei Xue added.

"Okay, I'll tell her when she gets back tomorrow."

The next day, Xue Lan was sent back by Xu Anze. Liu Mumu took advantage of the lunch break to tell her about it privately, and she agreed.

They decided to soak a bottle of beans every five days, which would take twenty days to complete.

During the five days waiting for the beans, Xue Lan only coughed non-stop one night. After being woken up by Liu Mumu and the others, she didn't cough again.

Later, when the beans were ready to eat, they avoided the dorm supervisor and used an electric kettle to boil and eat the beans. The whole room was filled with the smell of vinegar, which was quite potent.

Similarly, Xue Lan's coughing stopped.

Moreover, worried that three treatment cycles might not be thorough enough for detoxification, they soaked three more bottles of beans to consolidate the treatment.

"I feel like I've been marinated," Qian Xiaomeng said, sniffing her camouflage uniform short sleeve as she walked.

"It's not just you. Remember the fellow villager who sent me milk tea? I saw him in the canteen that day, and he never showed up again," Wei Xue said mournfully.

It was the first time in her life she had been disliked like that.

"Only a big meal can save us," Liu Mumu added.

"Right." The three spoke in unison and turned to look at Xue Lan.

"No problem! You guys pick the place, and we'll go out to eat tomorrow night," Xue Lan agreed readily.

"No need to pick. The hot pot restaurant next to the school. I've been craving it for a long time," Qian Xiaomeng made the final decision, and everyone agreed.

After discussing tomorrow's dinner and seeing that it was getting late, the four of them hurried to the school auditorium.

Their school had military training for half a month, and today was the last day. Tonight was the Welcome Party.

"I wonder if there are any performances from the freshmen?" Qian Xiaomeng said casually.

At the auditorium entrance, a banner welcoming the freshmen was still hanging. Seniors were handing out glow sticks at the door.

"It seems so. Aze can play the piano. A few days ago, their department advisor called him and said there was a piano and violin duet, but he refused. It ended up being a violin solo," Xue Lan said.

"Why didn't he agree? Such a good opportunity to show off."

As they chatted, they looked for their class's seats.

"He said his skill level was average and he didn't want to embarrass himself... The first two rows, is that it?" Xue Lan pointed to the fifth row. Their class had a good location, very close to the front.

Since they arrived relatively early, they easily found four seats together.

They sat there for over an hour. The auditorium gradually filled up, and the Welcome Party finally began.

The host announced the program. The first performance was by the freshmen, a violin solo, just as Xue Lan had said.

The performer was a freshman from the History Department, Zhuo Ran.

Zhuo Ran wore a blue fishtail evening gown. Her long curly hair was pinned up, revealing her slender swan neck. The spotlight shone on her, and the audience fell silent, followed by cheers.

A soothing melody began, and the audience gradually quieted down. They looked at the center of the stage, where a girl was slowly moving her feet to her music, as if dancing with her violin.

With each step she took, the diamond tassels on her skirt sparkled brilliantly.

When the music stopped, Zhuo Ran put down her violin and gave an elegant bow to the audience.

The applause thundered, accompanied by screams and whistles.

After the performance, she didn't leave immediately but paused for a moment. Soon, a tall young man walked up from the side steps, holding a bouquet of white roses.

Zhuo Ran's eyes twinkled with a smile as she took the bouquet from him and held it to her chest.

The young man was about to go down when she pulled him back. Photographers in the front row were taking pictures, so they stayed for a while longer before descending the stage.

A handsome man and a beautiful woman always attract attention. If the person on stage wasn't Xu Anze, perhaps everyone wouldn't have been so awkward.

He didn't have a performance, but he was arranged to go on stage to give Zhuo Ran flowers, and they were roses.

Liu Mumu noticed that many people in the rows in front and behind them were screaming, but their row was as quiet as a chicken.

An unfamiliar beautiful girl and her dorm mate's boyfriend – who could ship this CP!

Xue Lan probably saw their thoughts. The surrounding noise was too loud, so she took out her phone and sent a message in the dorm group chat.

Xue Lan: Aze already told me about going on stage to give flowers yesterday.

She also took a screenshot, a chat log from last night between her and Xu Anze.

Just as she said, Xu Anze had explained everything clearly, as if afraid of being misunderstood.

The other three in the dormitory breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that there was no misunderstanding.

With the misunderstanding cleared, the atmosphere became relaxed. Qian Xiaomeng couldn't help but joke, "Interview time! Your boyfriend is so popular, are you nervous? I swear, more than half of the girls cheering just now were cheering for your boyfriend."

Xue Lan: "I'm used to it. It was even crazier in high school. I witnessed it firsthand."

Liu Mumu: "So, is he the husband you snatched from a thousand troops?"

Xue Lan: "Mmm... pretty much."

Thinking back to high school, she couldn't help but smile.

Xu Anze transferred to their class from Jing City in their second year of high school. At that time, she was fearless and wanted to pursue any boy she liked. Unfortunately, there were too many people with the same idea.

On average, she witnessed girls confessing to him, handing him love letters, or giving him small gifts twice a week, whether they were from higher grades, lower grades, or the same grade.

Her courage completely dissipated amidst Xu Anze's various rejections, although she wasn't among those confessing girls.

At the end of their second year, Xu Anze confessed to her. Before that, she had just received a love letter from a boy in the next class.

They got together smoothly, got to know each other, and encountered many misunderstandings. Later, he would tell her in advance about anything that might cause a misunderstanding. Even if he didn't have time at first, he would explain it to her seriously afterward.

He gave her almost complete security. Xue Lan gradually began to trust him. Even though they had left their original city and come to a new place, this trust would not change.

Zhuo Ran did not leave immediately after her performance. She stood at the backstage exit, holding a bouquet of white roses, lowered her head to smell them, and a beautiful smile bloomed on her face.

The boys passing by couldn't help but linger for a few extra seconds when they saw her. Everyone likes to look at beautiful things and beautiful people, and she was truly beautiful.

A few minutes later, Xu Anze walked into the backstage. He had been called there, told that a classmate needed his help. When he entered and saw Zhuo Ran, he frowned slightly. He didn't speak to her and looked around, not finding his classmate.

Zhuo Ran was still wearing a blue dress. This was not a uniform provided by the school but her own, its expensive price matching the stunning impression she made upon entering.

She tilted her head slightly, revealing her face, which was adorned with slightly heavy makeup, and said to Xu Anze, "Don't look around, I had someone call you here. Thank you for the flowers."

"They were arranged by the school," Xu Anze replied coldly.

"Were the roses also arranged by the school? It's thoughtful of you to remember, I like white roses the most." Zhuo Ran's gaze shifted slightly. "What if your little girlfriend sees them and gets jealous?"

"Zhuo Ran," Xu Anze's voice turned cold. "This has nothing to do with you."

"It does have something to do with it." Zhuo Ran picked out a rose and placed it in Xu Anze's hand. As she walked past him, holding the flowers, she slightly curled her lips. "Give this one to her on my behalf, as a welcoming gift."

After Zhuo Ran left, Xu Anze threw the rose in his hand aside and walked away with a cold expression.

No one knew about this scene that took place backstage.

The Welcome Party concluded successfully. Everyone was very excited. Many people returned to their dormitories still discussing some of the wonderful performances, especially Zhuo Ran, who had thoroughly become famous among the freshmen.

As soon as the Welcome Party ended, rumors about her were already spreading like wildfire.

The fact that she had been playing the violin since elementary school was no longer surprising. What made people talk even more was that she was not only talented but also from a wealthy family.

It was rumored that because of her poor health, she had tutors at home for her elementary and middle school courses. She only started attending school in high school and later won several major international violin competitions.

With her grades, she could have easily gotten into the Jing City Conservatory of Music. It was unknown why she chose to come to Qing City University of Technology.