Together, they went back to the dormitory.
Xu Wei washed up and changed his clothes. His hands kept shaking as he tried to pick up his phone.
Qin Yue picked it up for him.
"Let's go."
They all put on face masks and walked out. After taking a taxi outside the school, Xu Wei numbly reported an address.
The driver stopped outside and Bai Jinhai paid the fare. With Xu Wei leading, they successfully entered the gated community.
However, when they about to enter to hall, they were stopped outside.
"Young master, outsiders are not permitted."
Qin Yue frowned.
"Since when was that rule made?"
"This is the masters rule. If you have any questions, you can take it up with him young master."
Qin Yue noticed that while the man addressed Xu Wei respectfully, there was nothing but disdain in his eyes.
Thinking of what Xu Wei said previously about his father having an illegitimate child, he guessed that with his mom gone, Xu Wei probably wouldn't have an easy life.
"Go inside and we'll wait for you here. It'll be awkward with us being there since we don't know most of the people here anyways."
Xu Wei knew Qin Yue was giving him a step down and clenched his fists. His eyes grew hot but he forced himself not to cry.
He couldn't show weakness here. Not today, not in front of these wolves.
He gave Qin Yue a grateful nod and walked inside.
Being left alone with nothing to do, Qin Yue and Bai Jinhai both felt awkward and stared off into space in different directions.
Hours later, Xu Wei finally came out. He looked even worse than before.
Instead of directly taking a car back to school, Bai Jinhai proposed they stroll for a bit.
They walked back toward the main street after leaving the gated community, leaves crunching under their shoes.
Xu Wei's hands were shoved deep into his pockets, clearly lost in thought. Bai Jinhai kept an eye on him, occasionally nudging him or offering small words of encouragement, though Xu Wei barely responded.
"Hey, look where you're going!"
Qin Yue said suddenly, grabbing Xu Wei by the arm.
Xu Wei flinched, startled, and stepped off the curb without noticing the car speeding toward him.
"Xu Wei!" Qin Yue shouted, yanking him back.
But in the struggle, Qin Yue lost his balance as his legs buckled under him and he stumbled forward into the street.
Bai Jinhai reacted immediately, grabbing Xu Wei's arm and pulling him out of the way.
The car screeched, making a drift and leaving them in exhaust fumes. Qin Yue hit the pavement, pain shooting through his head.
"Qin Yue!" Xu Wei shouted, rushing to his side.
His eyes were closed and the blood from his gash quickly dyed the concrete floor red.
Fear spread through Xu Wei's heart and his hands shook uncontrollably.
Bai Jinhai pulled him back and called an ambulance.
Xu Wei's eyes were blank but his hands kept clenching and unclenching.
Bai Jinhai was also at a loss. He never thought that a simple visit would end up this way.
The wail of sirens filled the street minutes later, and they helped Qin Yue onto a stretcher.
Xu Wei held his hand tightly, refusing to let go so he was allowed to ride in the back while Bai Jinhai took a taxi.
At the hospital, the doctors quickly assessed Qin Yue's condition.
After scans, they pulled Xu Wei and Bai Jinhai aside.
"Your friend has a large blood clot in his brain," the doctor said gravely.
"It's pressing near the optic nerve, which could affect his vision. If he gets surgery, he'll have a higher chance of recover. However, he might recover naturally, or he could face permanent vision loss. But we'll have to take more tests to be sure"
After that, came another flurry of tests to which the doctor finally gave them a more defined answer.
"Surgery is extremely risky, so we recommend monitoring. The position of the blood clot is way too risky and any sudden attempt to remove the clot could disrupt surrounding brain tissue, not only leaving him partially blind but causing other severe complications."
Xu Wei's face paled.
"So.. there's no surgery?"
The doctor shook his head.
"Too dangerous. We'll support him and hope the clot resolves on its own. He'll need rest and careful observation."
When the doctor left, Xu Wei stared blankly.
"Is it my fault? I shouldn't have said anything. If I had been paying more attention to the road, none of this would have happened."
"Don't blame yourself."
"But it's all my fault. I'm the reason Qin Yue is lying on that hospital bed now and might even loose his sight in the future."
Xu Wei's eyes were red rimmed and he suddenly raised his hand, slapping himself across the face.
Bai Jinhai quickly held both his hands to stop him from more self harm.
Beads of tears fell down from Xu Wei's eyes.
"Clearly he shouldn't be like this. If it wasn't for me.."
"It's not your fault. No one could have predicted something like this would happen. Don't beat yourself up. Qin Yue would want you to be strong."
Xu Wei's breathing turned uneven, his chest rising and falling quickly.
"Xu Wei," Bai Jinhai said softly, "you can't fall apart here. Qin Yue needs you to be steady."
Xu Wei pressed his forehead into his palms, shoulders hunched as if trying to make himself smaller. "How am I supposed to be steady? He wouldn't even be here if not for me. I—" His voice cracked, and he shook his head, not able to finish the rest of his words.
Bai Jinhai sat beside him, not too close, giving him enough space to breathe.
"Listen. You didn't push him into the street. You didn't make the car come. Accidents happen. Although right now things might seem unbearable, it'll be over and one day, we can look back to this day and joke about it."
Xu Wei didn't respond. His fingers tightened around the fabric of his pants, knuckles turning white.
After a long pause, Bai Jinhai stood.
"Come on. Let's go see him."
Slowly, Xu Wei pushed himself up, and they made their way to the ward.
Qin Yue lay unmoving on the hospital bed, pale against the white sheets. A bandage wrapped around the side of his head, and the steady beep of the monitor sounded shrill in the quiet room.
Xu Wei approached on unsteady feet. He reached out, hovering his fingers above Qin Yue's arm before lowering them gently.
"I don't know what to do Qin Yue . You've frown on me. How am I supposed to survive without you now?"
Bai Jinhai stood by the doorway, watching silently.
Xu Wei pulled a chair closer and sat at Qin Yue's bedside. He didn't speak for a long time, just bowed his head.
"I don't care what they say. Whatever happens, I'll make sure to cure you. If you go blind, I will find you the best doctors in the world. I promise."