Chapter 40: Fate is as fragile as a spider’s thread

“Congenital heart disease… But she never mentioned it to me. Doctor, my friend was fine this evening.”

“Then she likely had treatment and intervention early on. She must have been stimulated by something today, causing a relapse. Here, take this prescription and buy the medicine. The pharmacies outside haven’t closed yet, but any later and you might not be able to find it.”

“Doctor… she drank tonight.”

“Then explain that to the nurse on duty.”

“Oh…”

Jiang Ran did not delay.

She had never expected Gu Ge to have the same illness as her.

No wonder she understood her condition so well before.

But Gu Ge did not seem like someone with congenital heart disease.

She had looked perfectly fine, yet who would have thought she had such a history.

Jiang Ran opened the APP and thought of the white hospital gown that had appeared on her bed before, the one stained with blood.

It seemed the A-rank Task Target was undoubtedly Gu Ge’s sister.

As she scrolled through the APP, the task description updated.

[Task Name: Broken Her]

[Task Description: Deep in the night, she pieced back the memories belonging to her bit by bit, but the truth was like a sharp knife, shattering her once again. If hope exists within the imagination, why not take the initiative to dream?]

[A dream from which one never wishes to wake…]

The subsequent task description was a mess of garbled code.

Jiang Ran tried to scroll, but the interface was locked.

The remaining information could likely only be obtained from Gu Ge.

Jiang Ran entered the cold Hospital Ward.

The nurse was adjusting the radiator and noticed someone enter, offering a soft reminder.

“Shh, family member. It is better not to disturb her for now.”

“Okay. Nurse, she drank alcohol. Can she still take the medicine?”

“You do not need to worry about that. The attending physician will help. Check if she has the daily necessities she needs. Also, if possible, go to the lobby and pay the fees.”

“Oh, okay.”

Jiang Ran nodded and glanced at Gu Ge from a distance.

She went to the payment window and paid the fees again.

Looking at her dwindling balance, Jiang Ran did not know what to do.

Gu Ge had covered many of her medical expenses before, and she did not want to take the money for free, but where could she get more?

Jiang Ran had never imagined Gu Ge had the same illness.

She sat outside the Hospital, the wind making her neck feel cold.

She took out her phone and rubbed the cold screen.

A person came to mind.

‘Does the previous photography reward still count? I… am willing to be your model.’

Jiang Ran sent a message to Tao Xixue.

She could not find a reasonable excuse to ask anyone else for money.

She could borrow from Su Nian, but what if Su Nian tracked the flow of funds?

Su Nian had given her nearly 10,000 yuan just a few days ago.

However, considering the urgency, Jiang Ran tentatively asked for some, saying she was sick and needed medicine.

Su Nian transferred 3,000 yuan and sent a photo of a piece of clothing.

“Baby, accompany me to a friend’s tea party next week. This is your payment for the trouble.”

“This… this much?”

“It is not much at all. Get some rest, baby daughter.”

“Okay.”

Jiang Ran felt guilty as she took the money; she had lied to Su Nian.

But thinking about how Gu Ge had covered her medical bills, she felt relieved.

It did not matter if she was a bit of a mess; she had to repay the favor first.

Meanwhile, a new message popped up in a long-silent chat window.

Tao Xixue: What do you want?

“Money. Can you give me some money? My friend is sick, and I want to buy medicine…”

The messages were silent for a moment before nearly 10,000 yuan was sent over.

“Be my model every Friday. This is your deposit. I will not take it back, even if you decide not to come.”

“No… I will definitely be there. Thank… thank you.”

Jiang Ran pieced together a large sum of money, but at the same time, her freedom was being eaten away by others.

At the hospitalization window, Jiang Ran paid the treatment fees for the next few days in advance.

When she returned to the Hospital Ward, Gu Ge was still asleep.

Jiang Ran found a chair and sat down.

Realizing she had nothing with her, she went out and called a ride-hailing service to buy daily necessities and food, then returned to Gu Ge’s home.

She pushed the door and realized she did not have a key.

She simply went to her own house, grabbed an unused cup, filled a thermos with water, and rushed back to the Hospital with bags of supplies.

She was out of breath along the way.

By the time she arrived, her chest was aching.

Phew…

Jiang Ran set the items on the floor and sat in a chair, panting heavily.

Taking a medicine bottle from her bag, she took her evening pills.

Her condition was not much better than Gu Ge’s.

Even now, she was still in a daze.

To think Gu Ge had the same illness as her.

Could it be that Gu Ge had been harassing her because of this disease?

Jiang Ran’s thoughts were a mess, but she knew it was not the time to complain.

She forced herself to stand up and brought a basin and towel into the ward.

Familiar with the layout, she found the hot water room, took some hot water, and mixed it with cold water.

She soaked the towel in the water, wrung it out, and then used the corner of it to wipe Gu Ge’s face.

She took the pillow she brought from home and propped up Gu Ge’s injured foot.

As she moved it, she noticed the doctor had already bandaged it.

It seemed it really was a sprain.

For a moment, she had thought Gu Ge was using the injury as an excuse to trick her.

Exhaling heavily, Jiang Ran took out the various items she had brought, such as her favorite small hot water bottle and a small night light.

She found an outlet, plugged in the night light, and placed a few bags of soda crackers by Gu Ge’s bed.

After finishing everything, Jiang Ran collapsed onto the simple folding chair.

She was truly exhausted.

Fortunately, she was very familiar with this Hospital, so she did not have to worry about finding her way around.

Taking the opportunity, Jiang Ran opened the Green Bubble and noticed a pile of VX messages.

Su Nian had shared many pieces of jewelry, asking which one she wanted to wear to the afternoon tea.

Surprisingly, Su Wanqing did not ask about gaming tonight but asked if Jiang Ran was free tomorrow.

Thinking about the photography session, Jiang Ran said she had work tomorrow.

Bai Ranran had also left a message.

However, she sent photos of several cats, asking for a good name for the newborn kittens.

Scrolling further down, she saw the history of Tao Xixue’s transfer.

Seeing this, Jiang Ran’s eyes dimmed.

She was still too short on money.

But it was also a fact that Gu Ge had paid her medical bills.

Even if Sister Gu Ge had become the School’s Psychology Teacher, she likely did not make much money each month.

Jiang Ran’s long eyelashes cast a shadow.

She pursed her lips.

‘After this, I won’t owe you anything, Sister Gu Ge. Take care of yourself in the future. I… have to accompany my… new family now. Thank you for treating me in the past…’

Jiang Ran’s lips thinned, and she gradually grew sleepy, eventually falling asleep by the side of the hospital bed.

Late into the night, the sound of coughing woke Gu Ge.

She slowly opened her eyes, and her gaze fell upon Jiang Ran, who was fast asleep by her legs.