What Else Could You Possibly Repay Me With?

Shen Nian looked worried. "Sister Yu Han, are you sick? Did you come to the hospital by yourself?"

"It's nothing, just a slight fever." I didn't have the courage to look at Gu Hansheng and only kept my head slightly lowered.

"Brother Hansheng, Sister Yu Han is so strong!"

Holding Gu Hansheng's arm, Shen Nian continued, "Coming to the hospital all alone even when she's sick. I could never do that. Without you here with me, Brother Hansheng, I'd probably cry."

I didn't know whether I was imagining it, but Gu Hansheng's voice seemed even colder. "Heh, she certainly is strong."

My body stiffened as I remembered how Gu Hansheng used to stay up all night looking after me whenever I was sick.

Never mind coming to the hospital alone-he even held my medicine to my lips, yet I always found fault, nitpicked, and made unreasonable fusses.

With things the way they were now, I couldn't blame him.

I said nothing. At that moment, all I could do was leave in disgrace to salvage a little dignity in front of Shen Nian.

After two steps, a wave of dizziness hit me. Unsteady on my feet, I braced myself against the wall, and Shen Nian's voice came from behind me.

"Sister Yu Han, do you need any help? You don't look like you can manage on your own."

I was just about to refuse when Gu Hansheng's icy voice rang out. "Does she need help? She's so capable, she doesn't need any help at all."

Shen Nian persisted. "Are you really going to leave her alone? She's your ex-wife, after all."

"You said it yourself. Ex-wife!" A trace of gentleness entered Gu Hansheng's voice. "All right, go have your blood drawn. I'll wait here."

Shen Nian's gaze moved back and forth between Gu Hansheng and me before she turned to have her blood drawn.

Although I knew this wasn't a good time to ask to borrow money, Shen Nian was sick, and I was afraid Gu Hansheng wouldn't come home that night.

I drew a breath. "President Gu."

Gu Hansheng gave me an indifferent glance. "Hmm? What is it?"

"C-could you lend me some money?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Gu Hansheng's face, and a sneer curled his lips. "Borrow money?"

"S-six million."

Gu Hansheng gave a soft laugh and tilted his head slightly.

There was a hint of self-mockery in that smile. He looked at me, his eyes turning cold.

I hurriedly said, "I-I'll pay you back. Just give me some ti-"

Before I could finish, he interrupted me. "Oh? Tell me, what else could you possibly repay me with? Hmm?"

I knew it. He wouldn't pass up a single chance to humiliate me.

"I..."

Shen Nian came over after having her blood drawn. Before I could speak, Gu Hansheng naturally took the blood sample from her hand and gathered her protectively into his arms, about to leave.

Anxiety rose inside me, and I couldn't help grabbing his sleeve.

Gu Hansheng's eyes darkened, and I let go.

"Could you lend it to me?"

Shen Nian looked at me in confusion. "What do you want to borrow, Sister Yu Han?"

Gu Hansheng gave a cold laugh. "Money."

Shen Nian froze for a moment too, then smiled sweetly. "Sister Yu Han must have run into some difficulty. Otherwise, she wouldn't swallow her pride and ask her ex-husband for money, would she? Why don't you help her, Brother Hansheng?"

Gu Hansheng chuckled, his voice mocking. "Difficulty? I'm no philanthropist. How could I help everyone who's in trouble?"

I tightened my grip on my blood sample. My nose stung, and everything before my eyes blurred.

Fortunately, fortunately, he left with his arm around Shen Nian as soon as he finished speaking.

He probably hadn't seen.

In the infusion hall, I mulled over Gu Hansheng's words. That last remark probably meant he was refusing me, didn't it?

If he came home tonight, should I try again?

What if he really wouldn't lend it to me? What would I do then?

Thinking about it like that, I could no longer sit through my IV infusion in peace.

After some thought, I decided to ask my old friends again.

I picked up my phone and scrolled through my contacts, finding someone who might lend me money. Just as I was about to dial, my phone rang. It was Yu Hui.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"Sis... huh? Why do you sound so weak?" Yu Hui had heard how feeble my voice was.

"It's nothing. I'm at the hospital getting an IV. I have a slight fever."

Yu Hui paused. "Which hospital are you at? I'll come find you."

"Your injuries haven't healed yet, have they? Don't come." I glanced at the IV bottle. "Besides, I'm almost done."

Yu Hui said nothing.

He probably wanted to ask about borrowing the money. I wanted him to focus on recovering. "I've borrowed a little from my old friends, but not much. You don't need to worry."

"Old friends?" Yu Hui seemed to give a soft laugh on the other end.

I didn't know whether he'd realized I was lying to him.

"Mm." I didn't dare say any more, afraid that the more I said, the more mistakes I'd make.

"Mom and Dad keep pressing me. That's why I called you. Sis, do you really not need me to come keep you company?"

I could hear how worried Yu Hui was.

"I'm really fine."

Yu Hui said a few more things, then hung up.

I called the friends in my contacts whom I'd once been close to, one by one, humbly trying to draw on our old ties.

Of all those people who had once called themselves my sisters, friends, and best friends, not one was willing to lend me money.

Some even mocked me.

After hanging up, my hand trembled slightly, and tears spilled out despite myself. When I raised my hand to wipe them away, my phone slipped and fell to the floor.

With the IV in, I struggled to bend down and pick it up.

A pair of children's shoes appeared in my line of sight, and a chubby little hand picked up my phone. "Auntie, here!"

I looked up to see a little boy of five or six, and took the phone.