Gu Yun Ting was quite seriously injured, receiving five bags of IV fluids. By the time the infusion was complete, it was already noon.
Ye Wan, having been tricked by Jin Lan into seeing the wound on his chest, felt a pang of distress. She didn't suggest leaving and stayed by his side. When the liquid was nearly gone, she'd fetch the nurse to change the bag. When he needed water, she'd pour it. When he needed to use the restroom, Ye Wan would help hold the IV pole. In short, she took meticulous care of him.
Watching her obedient demeanor, Gu Yun Ting mused that it would be wonderful if she could always be this well-behaved.
After Jin Lan removed the needle for Gu Yun Ting, he looked at Ye Wan and said, "You need to come again tomorrow. He can't stop this IV, and if he doesn't cooperate with the treatment, he'll definitely develop chronic issues. Also, remember to remind him to take his medicine, three times a day, after meals."
Ye Wan nodded quickly, indicating she had noted it down.
"You talk too much. Let's go, it's time for lunch," Gu Yun Ting said to Ye Wan.
Ye Wan immediately nodded, acting like a timid little quail, daring not to object.
"Perfect, I'm hungry too. Wait for me, I'll eat with you," Jin Lan said, having been busy all morning and feeling the pangs of hunger.
"It's inconvenient. You eat by yourself." Gu Yun Ting took Ye Wan's hand and led her out of the ward.
Ye Wan tried to pull her hand away, but after two attempts, she failed. Instead, Gu Yun Ting's grip tightened, and she could only give up.
Jin Lan, left behind, wore a look of utter despair, realizing he was always the one to be abandoned.
Gu Yun Ting took Ye Wan to the same restaurant where they had eaten luosifen before. She thought he was taking her to eat luosifen again. When the food was served, she realized it wasn't; it was a lavish Western meal, complete with flowers and candles on the table.
Ye Wan couldn't help but steal a few more glances at him, puzzled by what he was up to.
She had eaten the longevity noodles Sun Ma had cooked for her that morning and, after a whole morning, was now famished. She picked up her knife and fork and began to eat.
It was Gu Yun Ting who had taught her how to eat Western food, hand-in-hand. When she first came to the Gu residence, she knew nothing, let alone how to eat Western cuisine; she had never even seen it. She had been mocked, and later Gu Yun Ting arranged for all the Western dishes to be prepared and taught her how to eat them one by one.
After they had eaten their fill, Gu Yun Ting pushed a small box towards her, saying, "A gift."
Ye Wan...
"For me?" Ye Wan looked at him hesitantly.
Gu Yun Ting raised his sharp, dark eyes and glared at her. Ye Wan's heart skipped a beat, and she took the box, saying, "Thank you."
"Aren't you going to open it?" Gu Yun Ting looked at her with clear displeasure, clearly wanting her to open it now.
Ye Wan had no choice but to open it. When she saw the gift inside the small box, she was a bit stunned. It was a ring.
"Did you bring the wrong one? This is a ring." Ye Wan's first reaction upon seeing the ring was that Gu Yun Ting had made a mistake. Rings were gifts for a wife.
"I know it's a ring. If you can give me a ring, why can't I give you one?" Gu Yun Ting looked at her calmly, making Ye Wan wonder if she was overthinking things.
"I gave you a pinky ring..." And at the time, she had indeed chosen the cheapest ring out of a desire for a bargain.
"This is just a regular ring too. Don't flatter yourself," Gu Yun Ting said indifferently.
Ye Wan...
She looked at the ring in the box. It was rose gold, a simple band with a tiny, grain-of-rice-sized diamond, appearing very plain. Yet, anyone with discerning taste would recognize its excellent quality.