Pu Yu still wanted to say something to her grandma, but Yuan Su gave her a gentle tug.
"All right," he said. "I'll take her to get something to eat. Please get some rest."
He led Pu Yu out of the ward and gently closed the door.
In the hallway, Pu Yu leaned against the wall, unable to stop her tears.
Yuan Su stood beside her without a word. He simply took a few clean tissues from his pocket and handed them to her.
Pu Yu took them and wiped her face haphazardly. "Thank you... for just now."
"No need," Yuan Su said. "Grandma Li didn't really want to send you away."
"I know." Pu Yu glanced back, her voice thick with tears. "She's afraid of being a burden, afraid I'll neglect my college entrance exam because of her illness, afraid I'll spend all my money on her..."
She lifted her head and looked at Yuan Su. "But she doesn't know that without her, I never would have made it this far."
Yuan Su fell silent.
Of course he understood that feeling.
When someone had spent too long in the dark.
Even the faintest light became a reason to keep living.
Yuan Su checked the time and said, "Let's get something to eat first."
"I'm not hungry." She shook her head again. "I want to wait here for Grandma."
"She needs rest. Waiting here won't help." A rare firmness entered Yuan Su's voice. "Come on. There's a noodle shop outside the hospital."
Without giving her a chance to argue, he pulled Pu Yu toward the exit.
Pu Yu tried to pull away, but the boy's grip was steady. She couldn't break free.
The noodle shop outside the hospital was small, with only four tables, but it was very clean.
There