Chapter 94: Unexpected Arrival

Ye Qingfeng felt a stifling heat and walked to the window along the corridor, opening it—sudden gusts of cool wind brushed against his skin, tousling his hair, yet the refreshing sensation filled him with ease.

Qingyi also sensed her body growing warm, stepping beside Ye Qingfeng to lean against the window, feeling the spring breeze caress her face, her eyes half-closing as she savored the quiet moment.

The corridor was silent except for the teacher’s voice echoing from afar, yet it did not disturb the stillness; both stood gazing into the distance, lost in thought.

Ye Qingfeng: Nothing beats a peaceful life!

Qingyi: Would a new hairstyle make me look less childish?

“Qingfeng...” Qingyi felt time slipping by—Zhu Yuan had been in the restroom for over five minutes; logically, she should’ve come out by now. She tugged gently at Ye Qingfeng’s sleeve, tilting her head up slightly. “Don’t you think Zhu Yuan’s been in there too long?”

“True... Just in case, go call out to her.” Ye Qingfeng slowly snapped back to awareness, turning toward the restroom, a strange unease rising in him. He offered a flimsy excuse to Qingyi: “Maybe she’s got... you know... *that*?”

After all, it wouldn’t be proper for him to go in.

“Alright.”

Qingyi didn’t argue; she walked straight down the corridor toward the restroom. At the door, she saw Zhu Yuan swaying weakly before the sink, hands braced on the counter, her flushed face reflected in the mirror, beads of sweat coating her forehead and cheeks.

Qingyi’s pupils widened in alarm. “Is Zhu Yuan okay?!”

Zhu Yuan forced herself to turn her head, dizziness overwhelming her. She felt her body’s weakness, her exhaustion—she knew she could no longer hold on. She mustered a faint smile. “Sorry, Senior...”

The moment she finished speaking, Zhu Yuan’s vision went black and she collapsed backward. Qingyi lunged forward, just as a dark shadow flashed past her side.

The target was Zhu Yuan, about to hit the ground. By the time Qingyi recognized the figure, Ye Qingfeng already held the unconscious girl in his arms.

“Zhu Yuan probably fainted from heatstroke...”

Qingyi immediately calmed herself and voiced her suspicion, but Ye Qingfeng cut her off sharply.

“Qingyi, go inform the last class. I’m taking Zhu Yuan to the infirmary—I’ll be right behind you!”

Ye Qingfeng fixed Qingyi with a piercing gaze, speaking rapidly, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

“Understood!”

Qingyi nodded solemnly, about to tell Ye Qingfeng not to rush—that Zhu Yuan’s health came first, and the drill could be postponed until afternoon—

But in the blink of an eye, Ye Qingfeng scooped Zhu Yuan into a bridal carry and sprinted off without looking back, heading toward the infirmary they’d passed earlier.

Qingyi sighed, lips curling in resignation, and turned toward the last class as Ye Qingfeng had instructed.

Ye Qingfeng ran full speed, yet his upper body remained unnaturally steady; in his arms, Zhu Yuan’s brows were tightly furrowed, her complexion turning pale, her body burning hot as if she were a furnace ablaze.

Soon they reached the infirmary door. Ye Qingfeng saw it was open and dashed inside, spotting the school nurse seated nearby. Without waiting for her puzzled look, he carried Zhu Yuan to the bed, gently laying her down, then said calmly: “She collapsed from heatstroke. Her pallor suggests severe heatstroke.”

“I understand.”

Though the nurse questioned this man’s identity—he wasn’t a student or teacher—she immediately grew serious upon hearing his words. Seeing Zhu Yuan’s police uniform, she deduced his identity: “You’re from the Public Security Bureau? The team here for today’s drill?”

“Correct.”

Ye Qingfeng watched the nurse lean over to examine Zhu Yuan, his expression anxious, his heart aching. Though he and Qingyi both suspected heatstroke, who could say it wasn’t something more serious?

“Yes. Severe heatstroke.”

The nurse focused entirely on Zhu Yuan’s condition, confirming the diagnosis. She swiftly pulled an ice pack from the fridge and placed it on Zhu Yuan’s forehead, then prepared to loosen her uniform for cooling. Before doing so, she turned to Ye Qingfeng.

“Please sit over there and wait. There’s no need to worry—it’s not that serious.”

Without waiting for his reply, she pulled the curtain shut.

Ye Qingfeng obeyed, sitting beside the bed as the nurse moved back and forth, passing him constantly in her urgent tasks.

After several minutes, the nurse quietly parted the curtain and stepped out, speaking to Ye Qingfeng in a calm tone: “Her temperature is dropping now. Don’t worry—she’ll be fine after some rest.”

“That’s good...”

Ye Qingfeng’s tense heart finally eased. He pressed a hand to his chest and exhaled deeply.

“Besides today’s extreme heat and lack of hydration, her main cause of heatstroke is recent exhaustion,” the nurse said, sitting down and draining the remaining half-cup of water from her glass. She wiped her lips before continuing: “She won’t wake for at least two hours. Make sure she drinks plenty of water and rests quietly for two days.”

“I understand.” Ye Qingfeng noted it down, nodding firmly, then hesitated before speaking: “Actually, we still have one class left for the drill. Could you... please watch over her? We’ll return right after.”

The nurse gave a faint nod. “No problem. It’s my duty.”

“Thank you.”

Ye Qingfeng turned and left. Before stepping out, he glanced back at Zhu Yuan, catching the nurse’s reassuring look in his peripheral vision—only then did he relax and sprint toward the last class.

Just as he rounded the corner near the final classroom, he spotted Qingyi standing ahead. He skidded to a halt beside her.

“How’s Zhu Yuan?”

Qingyi’s tone remained calm, but her eyes brimmed with worry.

“Don’t worry. Zhu Yuan collapsed from exhaustion over the past few days.” Ye Qingfeng, still panting from two sprinting bursts less than five minutes apart, leaned against the wall. “She’ll be fine after two days’ rest.”

“Good.”

Qingyi exhaled softly, the worry in her eyes vanishing completely.

This wasn’t the first time Zhu Yuan had pushed herself. Whenever something important came up, her serious, diligent nature drove her to pour in two or three days of effort, often collapsing from sheer fatigue.

She always insisted on doing everything herself, refusing to ask for help. Qingyi had often warned her to rest—but today, it finally happened.

Thinking of this, Qingyi stole a glance at Ye Qingfeng, hoping Zhu Yuan would now remember someone cared—and learn to act within her limits.

Next time something like this comes up, we can just use this guy as an excuse.