Summer's Rose

Chapter 12: Thank You for the Medicine, Little Classmate

Her gaze fixed on Alvin, who was still groggy from just waking up. His face was shadowed, eyes squinting against the light that filtered through the curtains. The headache was brutal, pounding behind his eyes like a relentless drumbeat. As he rubbed his temples, trying to regain some composure, he broke the silence."Why are you sitting here and not going inside?"

"Who's Jessica?" Rachel sat across from him, her tone sharp as she fired the question.

Alvin paused for a moment, confusion evident in his features. He let out a low groan, rubbing his temples more vigorously. The words felt foreign, and for a split second, he was too disoriented to understand what was happening. But when his eyes met hers, the truth began to filter through.

"You went through my phone?" Alvin glanced at her, his voice low but his expression darkening.

"I only wanted to make you some honey water. Just as I set the cup down, your phone wouldn't stop lighting up.So answer my question, who tf is Jessica?!"

Alvin repeated, this time more forcefully, "You went through my phone?"

"Yes, I did."

"You b***h! Who the hell gave you the right to touch my phone?"

Rachel didn’t flinch. She stood up and threw her phone at him in a single, quick motion. It landed on the ground with a loud thud, and the screen cracked.

"You've got a lover outside, and you're asking me why I touched your phone? That’s freaking hilarious! I must have been blind to ever fall for someone like you."

Alvin's expression hardened as his temper flared. "Rachel, are you delusional enough to think you matter?? Let me tell you something—you were nothing but a pretty face to me. Did you really think I loved you? With my current asset, do you know how many women I can have? Why would I settle for a second-hand woman like you?"

Rachel felt the venom in his words, each one cutting deeper than the last. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing, couldn’t believe the man she once trusted with her heart could say such horrible things. Her vision blurred with the sting of tears, but she blinked them back.

“You were the one who said you loved me.” Rachel's voice quivered with rage as she looked at her husband in disbelief. Tears had unknowingly started to fall from her eyes, and in a trembling voice, she said, "You were the one who promised you would love me forever."

"Rachel, stop acting like you're some innocent young girl. You think you're a virtuous lady? I married you because having you by my side made me look good. For years, you've eaten, drank, used, and lived off of me. What have I done wrong? Just because I had some fun outside, you blow it out of proportion?"

The words made Rachel’s blood boil. She felt the anger inside her bubble up, threatening to consume her. She grabbed the ashtray from the table and hurled it at him. But before it could hit him, Alvin caught her wrist in a vice-like grip, yanking her backward with force.

A loud cry interrupted their heated exchange. "Mom, Dad, stop fighting! Ranran is scared!"

Rachel hit her head against the corner of the table during the scuffle, and blood began to flow from the wound.

Alvin’s face shifted when he saw the blood. He squatted down to her level.

"I didn’t mean to. Are you okay? Let me take you to the hospital."

Rachel shoved his hand away. "F**k off," she snarled. "I told you to leave!"

Seeing her stubbornness, Alvin sneered. "Fine, Rachel. Be tough now. Don’t come begging me later." He slammed the door behind him as he left.

Rachel remained on the floor, blood dripping from her forehead, her body trembling with a mix of fury and pain. She wiped her forehead with the sleeve of her shirt, slowly standing up, her legs unsteady.

"Mommy, you're bleeding so much!"

"Mommy, are you going to die?"

Rachel knelt down and cupped her son’s tear-streaked face. "Mommy’s fine," she said gently.

The little son, Ranran quickly ran to the kitchen, returning with the first aid kit. He opened it with shaky hands, his small fingers fumbling as he tried to help her. "Mommy, we need to sanitize it."

Standing in front of the mirror, Rachel carefully cleaned her wound with Dettol, her hands trembling slightly as she applied the iodine.

Rachel smiled weakly, her heart breaking at the sight of her son trying to care for her. He leaned over, gently blowing on her wound, a small, sweet gesture meant to comfort her.

"If Ranran blows on it, Mommy won’t hurt anymore." His big, tearful eyes brimmed with concern, and Rachel felt a pang of sorrow as she hugged him tightly.

"Mommy doesn’t hurt," she whispered.

Meanwhile, Zhou Nan had been standing outside his classroom for two periods before finally walking in.

"Zhou Nan, I left some food in your drawer. It’s cold now, though. Eating it might upset your stomach. Let me buy you something warm next break," Yong Ming said as Zhou Nan took his seat.

"No need. I’m not hungry," Zhou Nan replied flatly.

"But you can’t skip meals! Your stomach’s already bad. If you don’t eat, it’ll just get worse. Remember how pale you were last time your stomach hurt? You—"

Before Yong Ming could finish, Zhou Nan fixed him with a cold stare, silencing him immediately.Yong Ming bit his lip nervously, realizing he might have overstepped.

But before he could retreat, Zhou Nan added, "I’m not hungry."

"...Okay," Yong Ming mumbled, retreating to his seat.

Zhou Nan grabbed a cold drink from his desk and took a sip. He absentmindedly played with his phone, but his fingers occasionally paused as if suppressing some discomfort.

Toward the end of the lesson, a sharp pain twisted through his stomach. He pressed a hand against it, his movements small but telling.

Wen, seated nearby, noticed his discomfort. Her gaze swept over the condensation-covered drink on his desk, then back to his slightly pale face. She hesitated briefly before standing up.

A minute later, she placed a box of pills on his desk.

"For your stomachache," she said softly.

Zhou Nan turned his head to meet her eyes, his expression puzzled. "How did you know?"

"I saw you rubbing your stomach just now," Wen replied, her tone matter-of-fact.

Zhou Nan was silent for a moment. Her observant nature caught him off guard. He hesitated before murmuring, "Thank you."

Wen nodded and turned back to her book, her attention seemingly unfazed.

Zhou Nan studied her face quietly. Her side face was serene, completely absorbed in her notes. It amazed him that she’d noticed such a small gesture amidst the noise of the classroom.

As Wen paused in her writing, she turned to him again. "Take one pill at a time. But the pill only alleviates the symptoms. You should still eat something."

Was this... a lecture? Is she lecturing me?

Zhou Nan found himself faintly amused. She spoke with such sincerity that he couldn’t bring himself to argue. Her earnestness made her seem even more endearing.

"Thanks," he said again, his tone softer this time.

Yong Ming, sitting in front, had overheard their exchange. He turned to Zhou Nan with a grin. "Zhou Nan, I’ll grab you some warm water for the medicine."

Before Zhou Nan could refuse, Yong Ming had already dashed off with a cup.

As he stood by the water cooler, Hao Ming passed by. "What are you doing with warm water in the middle of summer? Are you feeling unwell or something?"

"Mind your own business," Yong Ming snapped. "This is for Zhou Nan."

"Zhou Nan’s stomach acting up again? I can run out and grab some more medicine. Just tell the teacher I stepped out for a minute."

"No need," Yong Ming replied, pointing toward Wen. "She already gave him some. And she even told him medicine’s just a temporary fix—he needs to eat properly."

Hao Ming raised an eyebrow. "She’s quick. If a girl that pretty gave me advice, I wouldn’t argue either."

"Stop dreaming," Yong Ming shot back, rolling his eyes as he brought the cup back to Zhou Nan.

Placing it on Zhou Nan’s desk, Yong Ming said, "I couldn’t find a new cup, so you’ll have to use this one. Take the medicine now, Zhou Nan."

Zhou Nan popped a pill into his mouth and washed it down with the warm water. He set the remainder of the pills on Wen’s desk.

"Thanks for the medicine, little classmate," he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Wen tucked the box into her bag, pretending not to notice the teasing nickname. She didn’t like being called "little classmate"—it made her feel infantilized. But arguing about it felt pointless, so she simply replied, "You’re welcome," her voice calm and composed.

Zhou Nan’s thoughts lingered on her for a moment longer. He realized he couldn’t remember the last time someone had treated him with such quiet care, with no expectation of anything in return.

It made him feel something he hadn’t in a long time: a strange, fleeting warmth.