Chapter 27: Chu Sijin Has a Stomachache

"Is that Chu Sijin?"

"What's wrong with her? Is she sick?"

"I don't know, she just suddenly collapsed here."

"What are you standing around for? Call an ambulance!"

"Who knows when an ambulance will get here? Can't someone take her to the infirmary?"

"It's awkward, isn't it? I don't really know her. We should probably just find a teacher..."

"..."

A crowd had gathered around, buzzing with constant, hushed speculation. They could all see that Chu Sijin was in great pain and in urgent need of help and medical attention, yet not a single person dared to step forward to offer a hand.

Watching this scene, Qin Luo frowned repeatedly. He stepped forward and shoved a male student who was blocking his path.

The student was pushed aside and turned back, annoyed. "Who the hell are you?"

Qin Luo snapped at him, "If you aren't going to help, get out of the way! Are you addicted to watching the show?"

The student pursed his lips and didn't say anything back. He and Qin Luo lived in adjacent dorms and were usually on friendly terms, so he wasn't angry enough to really lash out, but he was feeling a bit uneasy—he had rarely seen Qin Luo look so angry.

Others nearby recognized Qin Luo as well. Seeing his aggressive demeanor, they quickly backed away, fearing he might vent his irritation on them.

Ignoring the reactions around him, Qin Luo went straight to Chu Sijin. Instead of picking her up immediately, he first assessed her physical state.

Chu Sijin was petite, barely five-foot-three by his estimation, with shoulder-length black hair tied into a simple ponytail. At this moment, the ponytail hung limply against the floor. Beneath her messy bangs, her slightly chubby face was contorted in pain, her eyes half-closed, and her breathing shallow through pale, parted lips.

Under her pink T-shirt, her body trembled. Her fair, slender arms, exposed by her short sleeves, hung in front of her, her small hands clutching her lower abdomen, which seemed to be the source of her agony.

Beside her head lay a pink bag—the one Chu Sijin always carried for her snacks. Whenever Qin Luo had seen her before, she was never without it. While other girls kept cosmetics, tissues, and various knick-knacks in their bags, hers was always filled with an assortment of snacks.

Now, however, the bag’s zipper was wide open, and it was completely empty.

Qin Luo frowned as he observed her for a moment, then leaned down and asked, "What’s wrong with you?"

His voice reached Chu Sijin, causing her eyes to flutter open. When she saw Qin Luo’s face, her pained expression faltered, showing a moment of confusion, but it was quickly eclipsed by suffering again.

"I... my stomach hurts..." Chu Sijin murmured. "I ran out of snacks..."

What did a stomachache have to do with running out of snacks? Was she trying to say she was in this state because she was hungry? If that were true, that would be truly insane!

Qin Luo’s eyelid twitched. He couldn't fathom how someone could get this sick from hunger, but he could at least deduce that her pain was related to her stomach or a feminine physiological issue.

He thought for a moment, then slid his arms under her back and beneath her knees, hoisting her up into his arms. He didn't forget to use a finger to hook the strap of her snack bag.

The sudden movement startled Chu Sijin. She instinctively tried to struggle and cry out, but the pain forced her to keep her hands clutched to her stomach, and her scream turned into a pained groan.

Tucked into Qin Luo’s arms, the little bundle looked like a wounded animal, whimpering in such a pitiful way.

Qin Luo didn't dare delay; he began to run toward the infirmary.

The onlookers were stunned. Someone subconsciously reached for their phone to take a picture, but Li Chenggang stepped up and glared at him. "Record your mother's, record what? You only know how to record when something happens. It’s one thing usually, but can’t you see he’s trying to save someone? If you aren't going to help, why are you still standing there watching? If you pull out that phone again, I’m going to smash it!"

Li Chenggang was a burly guy, and when he glared, he looked quite ferocious. The other people who wanted to take photos instinctively shielded their phones and retreated a few steps, cowed.

Seeing this, Wang Chen and Wu Xuan felt a mix of irony and helplessness.

These past few days, they had heard plenty of people mocking Qin Luo, either to his face or behind his back. The girls cursed him for being a "scumbag," and the boys felt that since he stopped chasing Xu Ke and started hanging around Yao Yanyan and Tang Yu, he had lost his mind.

Interestingly, it seemed to be the same group of people who had previously called him a "simp."

As his roommates, they knew exactly what kind of person Qin Luo was. Judging by how hard he had chased Xu Ke, they didn't believe he was the fickle type. Although they didn't know why he had changed so much after giving up on her, they had no complaints and were even relieved.

Being a scumbag was better than being a simp, right?

But no matter how much of a scumbag he was, it wasn't anyone else’s place to gossip, especially when they kept trying to upload photos of him with other women to the school forum.

His roommates had initially treated it as a joke and teased him about it, but after these past few days of Qin Luo not reacting, they were losing patience. Now, they were getting irritable whenever they saw someone trying to film him.

Oh, so when he was chasing one girl, you looked down on him, and now that he’s with other girls, you still look down on him? Is everyone's brain in this school mush?

As the crowd slowly dispersed, Wu Xuan watched the direction Qin Luo had disappeared in and adjusted his glasses. "Old Qin seems to have taken her to the infirmary. Should we go check on him?"

Li Chenggang didn't hesitate. "Of course we go check. What if he needs our help? We should also find her roommate. You rely on your parents at home and your friends when you're out. If a girl is sick, she needs someone by her side."

Li Chenggang was twenty, the same age as Chu Sijin, but the way he called her "little girl" didn't sound out of place at all.

Wu Xuan agreed. Just as they were about to head off, Wang Chen suddenly said, "Let's not go. And don't contact her roommate either. Let Brother Luo handle this himself."

The two stopped and looked at him in confusion.

Wang Chen explained, "Think about it. Chu Sijin is Xu Ke's roommate. Even though Brother Luo isn't chasing Xu Ke anymore, he's been close with Yao Yanyan and Tang Yu lately, and they're also Xu Ke's roommates."

"Everyone is calling Brother Luo a scumbag now. We know he isn't that kind of person, but what if? What if he really does have something going on with one of them?"

"So, it's better to let him handle it. Otherwise, if some kind of 'shura field' develops, it’ll be awkward for us."

Hearing this, the other two immediately pictured a scene of several women surrounding Qin Luo, glaring at each other with sparks flying in the air. Even though those women were top-tier beauties, they couldn't help but shiver and cast an approving glance at Wang Chen.

Li Chenggang patted Wang Chen’s shoulder. "Buddy, you really think things through."

Wang Chen gave a silly laugh, then added, "But there's one thing I'm puzzled about. Brother Luo rarely gets angry, but he was furious just now. Could it be that his real 'scandalous girlfriend' isn't Yao Yanyan or Tang Yu, but this Chu Sijin?"

Li Chenggang paused, then rubbed his chin and made a clicking sound. "I never thought of that. Turns out the kid is a lolicon."

"Or is there a possibility that Old Qin was so angry simply because she's Xu Ke's roommate... in other words, he's still doing this because of Xu Ke."

Wu Xuan adjusted his glasses, and a flash of wisdom flickered behind the thick lenses.

The other two fell silent. As much as they hated to admit it, that was the most likely possibility. After all, only they, the ones who truly understood Qin Luo, knew how much he had loved Xu Ke.

...

Qin Luo ran all the way to the infirmary with Chu Sijin in his arms. It was a winding half-mile, but he didn't stop once, carrying a living person the entire way without breaking his stride.

This was thanks to the multiple times he had boosted his [Strength] attribute, giving him physical prowess far beyond the average person. Carrying someone for a mile was nothing to him.

On the other hand, he was genuinely worried about Chu Sijin.

Although he didn't know her well—only seeing her a few times when he used to visit Xu Ke and barely ever speaking to her—he had a deep impression of her.

Whenever he saw her, she was always holding various small snacks. Her cute, chubby cheeks would puff out as she ate, and with her ever-present snack bag, she looked as innocent and adorable as a child.

In reality, Chu Sijin was like a school mascot. Those who knew her were very fond of her, but she seemed naturally shy and introverted, so she didn't have many close acquaintances outside of her roommates.

That was why no one had stepped forward to help when she collapsed in the teaching building. People were afraid of making things worse, or they felt it wasn't their place to intervene.

Lost in thought, the door to the infirmary finally appeared in his line of sight.

"Teacher! Teacher, are you here? Is anyone there?"

He shouted as he reached the entrance. Seeing the door was slightly ajar, he used his knee to push it open.

However, the quiet infirmary was empty. At such a critical moment, the school nurse was nowhere to be found.

Qin Luo clicked his tongue, gently laid Chu Sijin down on a clean bed, and comforted her softly, "Stay here for a moment. I'm going to find the nurse. I’ll be right back."

He turned to leave, but as he took a step, he felt his sleeve being tugged.

He looked back to see Chu Sijin watching him with wide, pure, innocent eyes. There seemed to be a shimmer in them, and coupled with her weak, pained appearance, she looked both adorable and pitiful.

Even a "concrete-hard" tough guy like Qin Luo couldn't help but soften.

He leaned down and reassured her again, "Don't worry, it's okay. I'll be back soon."

Chu Sijin shook her head, her pale lips parting as if she wanted to say something.

Qin Luo leaned in, straining to hear, but couldn't catch it. He tilted his ear closer.

Then, he heard Chu Sijin whisper weakly: "Help me... help me buy... Lay’s potato chips..."

Qin Luo: "???"