Chapter 98: How about... I take you home?

Jiang Xihan had just returned from Jingbei University. The weather was hot today, and the campus was large; she had run across most of the campus to submit an application form, and it was only on the drive back that she realized she had heatstroke.

Entering the hallway, she leaned against the wall to catch her breath. While waiting for the elevator, her head became increasingly dizzy, and she didn't even notice when the elevator doors opened. She was gently rubbing her temples with her right hand when she suddenly heard a "Miss Jiang." Jiang Xihan slowly raised her head, only to see Su Ruoyun inside the elevator.

"Miss Su?"

Jiang Xihan's eyes were watery, her brows knitted imperceptibly, and her lips were an unnatural white.

Su Ruoyun opened her mouth, just about to speak, but before the words could come out, a shadow flashed before her eyes; the time interval for the doors to stay open had passed, and the elevator doors closed automatically and silently.

She turned her head, her fair fingers raised to press the open button, holding it down.

Jiang Xihan stepped into the car and thanked her, then leaned into a corner of the car, using it to support her slightly weary body.

"Are you... alright?" Su Ruoyun asked with concern, her eyes full of worry.

"I'm fine, just maybe a little heatstroke." Jiang Xihan's voice was soft and gentle due to her discomfort.

Indeed, the weather in Sijiucheng had been extremely hot these past few days, with temperatures climbing steadily, so heatstroke was quite common.

Su Ruoyun nodded to show she understood, but her peripheral vision swept across the mirror on the side wall of the elevator, seeing Jiang Xihan's weak appearance. Her already pale lips were now almost transparent, and she looked as if she would fall over with a gust of wind, as if she might faint at any second.

This didn't count as "a little heatstroke," did it?

Su Ruoyun bit her lower lip gently, her tone probing: "How about... I take you home?"

Hearing this, Jiang Xihan turned to look at her.

Meeting Jiang Xihan's gaze, which was filled with confusion and doubt, she immediately realized that this was a bit presumptuous; after all, the relationship between the two wasn't exactly close.

Su Ruoyun then realized belatedly and hurriedly added an explanation: "Oh, I'm just worried that if you're home alone and start feeling worse without anyone around to look after you, in case..."

She stopped there, not continuing, but Jiang Xihan already understood what she meant.

She didn't refuse her kindness.

"Alright, then I'll trouble you, Miss Su."

Accompanied by a "ding," the elevator doors slid open slowly, and the two stepped out.

Jiang Xihan found her keys in her bag, unlocked the door, and entered. She put on a pair of indoor slippers and then said to Su Ruoyun, "Just come in, no need to change shoes."

Su Ruoyun nodded readily and replied, "Alright."

She followed Jiang Xihan into the living room, her gaze sweeping around unobtrusively. The room was decorated very warmly, with doll pillows on the sofa, books piled high on the coffee table, and several pots of flowers and plants on the balcony.

However, Su Ruoyun's gaze didn't linger long, and she quickly turned to ask, "Do you have any medicine at home?"

Jiang Xihan walked forward a few steps, half-squatted in front of the TV, reached out to pull open the cabinet door of the TV stand, and skillfully took out a medical kit from inside.

When she opened the medical kit on the coffee table, Su Ruoyun was dumbfounded. The entire box was filled with various Huoxiang Zhengqi products... there were Huoxiang Zhengqi water, Huoxiang Zhengqi liquid, as well as Huoxiang Zhengqi pills, Huoxiang Zhengqi capsules, and Huoxiang Zhengqi oral liquid; it was as if this small medical kit had become the "exclusive territory" of Huoxiang Zhengqi.

Noticing Su Ruoyun's surprised look, Jiang Xihan explained, "I'm more prone to heatstroke in the summer, so I keep a bit more on hand."

As she spoke, she took out a blister pack of Huoxiang Zhengqi capsules, popped two out, and gathered them in her palm. As she stood up, she asked Su Ruoyun, "Would you like tea, milk, orange juice..."

"Orange juice, please." Su Ruoyun replied, standing up and following Jiang Xihan's footsteps into the kitchen.

Jiang Xihan opened the cupboard, took out a glass, poured herself a glass of water first, put the two capsules in her mouth, drank the water to swallow them, and then opened the refrigerator door, took out a bottle of orange juice, and handed it to Su Ruoyun.

During this time, Su Ruoyun stood by the island, both palms resting on the countertop, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on the surface of the refrigerator, as if pondering something. After a moment, she broke the silence: "Did you buy these refrigerator magnets yourself? I think they look quite nice."

Hearing this, Jiang Xihan bit her lip. Thinking of who had given them to her, she felt a bit guilty. Her eyes began to drift, and she glossed over it, saying, "A friend gave them to me, said they brought them back from a business trip to Shencheng."

Su Ruoyun twitched the corner of her mouth, gave Jiang Xihan a brilliant smile, and thought *hehe* in her heart. Sometimes she really couldn't be bothered to complain about her brother; he took the refrigerator magnets she gave him and turned around to use them as a gift to curry favor.

Jiang Xihan naturally didn't know what she was thinking and thought Su Ruoyun was about to recognize that these refrigerator magnets were a gift from Su Mingyan. She hurriedly changed the subject. "Do you live upstairs?"

"Yes, I live on the seventh floor."

Su Ruoyun unscrewed the cap, tilted her head back, and gulped down a mouthful of orange juice, licking her sweet-tasting lips. "How long have you lived here? Why does it seem like I've never seen you before?"

Jiang Xihan: "About four or five years. It's probably because I don't go out often; usually, it's just a straight line between school and home."

In her speech, her tone paused slightly, and she asked again, "Have you lived here for a long time too?"

Su Ruoyun curled up on the sofa, leaning back against the chair, her tone relaxed. "About the same. I lived there all four years of college, it was empty for a year after graduation, and I just moved back at the beginning of this year."

Jiang Xihan understood and took her computer and books out of her shoulder bag.

Su Ruoyun asked, "What major do you teach at Jingbei?"

"Physics."

Seeing Su Ruoyun looking at her with eyes full of admiration and awe, as if looking at a big shot, Jiang Xihan felt a bit embarrassed. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she pulled at the corner of her lips, explaining, "Actually, it's nothing. Jingbei University has even more impressive flagship majors."

"In my eyes, you're already very impressive." Her gaze was sincere; Su Ruoyun was telling the truth, not "flattering" her.

Jiang Xihan becoming an associate professor at Jingbei University at thirty was already something most people could only dream of.

In order to soak up some of the "spiritual energy" of the high-IQ crowd, Su Ruoyun lowered her eyes and thought for a moment, then looked up and took the initiative to invite her: "Recently, there's a horse racing event in the suburbs. Would you like to go together?"

Fearing Jiang Xihan wouldn't agree, she added, "My brother will be going too."

Hearing this, Jiang Xihan's movement of reaching for her textbook paused.

?? Baobeis, please keep reading, voting, and commenting, mua. ===== CHAPTER 99 =====