Forbidden love

Chapter 18: The Hidden Note

The burning summer sun beat down mercilessly upon the open university courtyard, turning the white concrete floor into a scorching furnace.

Jow stood completely motionless in the center of the vast area for nearly two agonizing hours, his head lowered as his long eyelashes cast soft shadows over his pale, sweat-drenched cheeks.

Every breath sent a sharp wave of pain across his bandaged ribs, but he forced his fragile feet to stay rooted to the hot ground.

Suddenly, his vision began to fragment into chaotic dark spots, the heavy sound of his own racing heart ticking in his ears like a time bomb. His knees buckled violently, his breath catching entirely in his throat as his beautiful eyes slowly rolled back and his entire frame turned limp.

Jow collapsed heavily onto the burning concrete, his face resting against the dusty stone as he became completely senseless, the physical agony finally pulling him into a silent void.

Within moments, a few university students noticed his fallen body, rushing forward in panic to carefully lift his fragile frame and carry him straight toward the quiet sanctuary of the campus infirmary.

A few hours later, the heavy curtains of the infirmary rustled softly as Jow slowly opened his eyes, blinking weakly against the harsh white light.

The room was completely empty and silent, the comforting scent of antiseptic surrounding him as he pushed himself up against the clean white mattress. His body was still incredibly weak, his bruised ribs radiating a dull ache, but his fever had miraculously stabilized.

As he turned his head, his bright eyes instantly locked onto a small, folded piece of white paper resting right beside a fresh bottle of water and a pack of emergency fever medications on his bedside table.

Jow cautiously reached out his trembling fingers, unfolding the secret note to discover a short, handwritten message in bold, calm handwriting.

It simply read: "Take these medicines right now, and stay extremely careful."

Jow stared blankly at the words, his mind experiencing a sudden wave of deep confusion.

"Who could this be...?" Jow whispered softly to himself, trying to figure out the identity of this hidden benefactor.

Without spending another second dwelling on the mysterious note, Jow quietly folded the paper and tucked it deep inside his pocket, refusing to let the confusing incident distract him from his pressing reality.

His heart was completely hardened against further fear, and he simply viewed this unexpected assistance as a natural blessing from his destiny, much like that night three days ago when he had found a warm travel blanket wrapped around his shivering shoulders on the dark alleyway.

He adjusted his white university shirt, packed his history notebook into his backpack, and slowly stepped out of the infirmary, bypassing the crowded university corridors entirely. He didn't turn around to see if Teng or his gang were watching, nor did he care about their cruel psychological games anymore.

Driven by the absolute necessity of supporting his sick grandmother and keeping his life moving forward, Jow silently left the university gates behind and walked directly toward his familiar part-time workplace, his mind completely focused on starting his evening shift at the grocery store.

The neon lights of the grocery shop flickered with a dull, buzzing hum as Jow slowly pushed open the employee entrance, his entire body trembling from lingering exhaustion.

Every lift of a heavy grocery basket or scan of a barcode sent a sharp, burning wave of pain across his bandaged ribs, but he forced his fragile limbs to move with ethereal grace.

He instantly forced an exceptionally soft, polite, and sweet smile onto his pale lips as he took his position behind cash register number three, his long eyelashes casting gentle shadows over his bright eyes as he thanked each neighborhood customer with humble manners.

He had quietly resolved to accept his background as his inevitable destiny, refusing to let the cruel memories of the elite university distract his mind from his pressing reality.

Jow carefully organized the cash drawer, his broken body running entirely on raw adrenaline, but his pure soul remained completely unbroken as he focused entirely on completing his evening shift to buy his grandmother's medications.

As the night progressed and the flow of customers slowly thinned out, the interior of the shop fell into a peaceful, quiet routine that offered strange comfort to Jow's aching frame. He carefully wiped down the plastic conveyor belt, his movements exceptionally gentle and steady as he placed remaining items back onto neat shelves.

Jow didn't care about his own severe bruises, nor did his mind wander back to Teng's arrogant threats; his entire fragile soul was completely wrapped in a state of profound, absolute stillness.

He felt a deep sense of relief knowing that despite the brutal physical warfare he had faced under the sun, he had successfully protected his grandmother's hidden sanctuary from further destruction today.

This silent, humble endurance became his new shield, allowing his fragile beauty to look completely unyielding under the dim fluorescent lights of the shop, fully focused on his duty while his mind remained a fortress that their toxic presence could never conquer.

Jow quietly finished his evening shift and counted the cash, completely blind to the reality that beneath the peaceful silence of the shop, the invisible strings of his living hell were already tightening for the next cruel storm.