He thought for a moment, then took out his phone from his pocket and made a call.

Accompanied by a ringtone that lasted about ten seconds, the call connected.

The greeting that reached his ears was gentle.

"Hello? Senior Beichuan?"

This familiar voice made Beichuan Si's eyebrows twitch, "Miss Ying?"

Yes, the person answering the phone was Qianye Ying.

After Beichuan Si treated her legs, she had temporarily joined the staff at Kyubei High School. The reason they hadn't seen her for a long time was because Qianye Ying took her sister, Qianye Cang, to Europe for an art exhibition. Judging by the timeline, they must have just returned.

That meant Nakajima Michika's phone was by her side which means...

On the other end, Qianye Ying softly acknowledged,

"Mm, it's me. Senior Beichuan."

"Is Michika with you?" Beichuan Si asked.

"Uh... to say she is with me isn't quite..." Qianye Ying faltered, glancing at Nakajima Michika who was in the middle of a bone marrow aspiration.

Earlier, Nakajima Michika had specifically asked not to worry Beichuan Si and the others and had hoped Qianye Ying would keep her medical examination a secret.

But now that Beichuan Si had called... how was she supposed to cover it up?

As Qianye Ying was pondering this, Beichuan Si on the other end seemed to have realized something and spoke as if he had a notion, "Are you at the hospital?"

"Cough Cough Cough Cough..."

Qianye Ying coughed violently.

She hadn't even answered yet, and Beichuan Si had already guessed it.

What was this all about?

Qianye Ying could only mentally apologize to Nakajima Michika, who was undergoing the bone marrow procedure, and helplessly replied,

"...Yes, Michika is undergoing a medical examination... The entire process is almost complete now, but... she probably won't be able to return home for three to five days."

"Is that so?" There was a moment of contemplation from Beichuan Si on the phone, then he asked, "Did that Salty Egg celebrity ask you to keep it a secret, saying she didn't want us to worry?"

"..." Qianye Ying.

I don't know how to respond to that, Senior Beichuan.

Sensing Qianye Ying's helplessness, Beichuan Si didn't press her to continue, simply saying, "I already know pretty much everything, how is Michika's condition?"

You already know pretty much everything...?

Hearing this, Qianye Ying massaged her temples.

Perhaps that's the difficulty in communicating with smart people; before she could say anything, he had already figured everything out.

"Michika's condition is stable, the doctors suggest having the surgery earlier, after all, there's not always a suitable time for surgery like this for her. Ah... and this is also thanks to Senior Beichuan's meticulous care."

"You can spare me those kind of compliments." On the phone, Beichuan Si's voice remained unchanged, "What does Michika herself think?"

"...If possible, Michika also hopes to have the surgery earlier."

Qianye Ying relayed Nakajima Michika's wish.

"I understand." Beichuan Si responded promptly, "Since that's Michika's decision, let's proceed accordingly... Is the exact time for the surgery scheduled yet?"

"No, it seems we need to wait for the doctors to meet and discuss before setting a time."

"..."

After that, Beichuan Si asked about which hospital Nakajima Michika was in, her room, and other information.

With a major surgery like Nakajima Michika's, the doctors indeed needed to have a meeting to finalize the timing.

Regardless of when the date was set, Beichuan Si would certainly be there to watch over her.

It didn't matter whether the necrosis treatment would have any effect on Nakajima Michika's postoperative rejection reaction, but it was still something worth trying.

Before then, all they could do was to wait quietly for the results.

Beichuan Si exchanged a few more pleasantries with Qianye Ying before hanging up the phone.

He couldn't believe something so important had been kept from him; was this indeed typical of Nakajima Michika's style?

On the other side, Beichuan Huili had unknowingly moved closer while sitting on the couch.

She spoke incredulously, "Brother Temple? Is Sister Shihua going to have surgery?"

"Mm."

Beichuan Si put his phone back in his pocket and turned to answer.

Hearing Beichuan Si's confirmation, Beichuan Huili also scratched her head, "Sister Shihua didn't tell us about such an important thing! She's being too distant!"

Distant was distant, but for Beichuan Huili, the whole situation still felt rather abrupt.

To suddenly hear that she was to undergo surgery, how could it not make one worried?

Seeing Beichuan Huili's worried face, Beichuan Si also reached out and touched her little head, comforting her with a sentence, "I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry about her, but it's true that it's a bit strange... Whatever you want to say, you can wait until after we visit her at the hospital tomorrow."

As he spoke, he turned his head to look at the dinner plate he had sealed with cling film.

He had no idea how Nakajima Michika was doing now.

Beichuan Si touched the rattan under the sofa cushion again.

Since she was about to have surgery, she definitely wouldn't be able to be disciplined with the rattan...

…

The next day, in the hospital, lay Nakajima Michika.

Nakajima Michika currently lay in bed, having a half-hearted conversation with Qianye Yuki at her side, while her gaze kept darting toward the hospital room door, as if she feared Beichuan Si might suddenly burst through and target her behind with a rattan cane.

Her sense of guilt was natural; after all, aside from Qianye Yuki and Qianye Cang, she had told no one about the health check-up, and yesterday, when Beichuan Si had made a phone call, Yuki had blown her cover.

That was Beichuan Si!

Would he come today with a rattan in hand?

Her guilty expression naturally caught the eye of Qianye Yuki, who said nothing but simply kept her head down, peeling an apple for her.

Compared to Nakajima Michika's silly fantasies, Qianye Yuki was more concerned about her medical condition.

The doctors had told her they should be able to set a date for Nakajima Michika's surgery within three days.

For a major surgery like this, even if it were delayed a month to let Nakajima Michika adjust her physical condition, it would be normal.

This made Qianye Yuki a bit nervous.

On one hand, she hoped Nakajima Michika would make it through the surgery; on the other, she worried it might fail.

These complex emotions were churning in her heart, making it difficult for her to continue thinking.

Just as Qianye Yuki's mind turned to mush, Nakajima Michika suddenly cried out:

"Meat! You're carving all the flesh off the apple! Yuki!"

"Eh..." Qianye Yuki blinked and then looked at her hand.

The once plump and round apple in her hand had now been peeled so much that only a thin layer of its white flesh remained.

"Sorry. I was distracted."

Qianye Yuki apologized.

As she reached out her hand to get another apple ready for Nakajima Michika—

"Yuki, are you worried?"

Nakajima Michika's voice rang out.

These words made Qianye Yuki raise her head unconsciously.

Nakajima Michika was looking at her with a serene expression.

"..." Qianye Yuki.

Qianye Yuki let out a soft sigh and nodded in admission, "Yes, I do feel a bit uneasy... Michika... I've been thinking all night... Are you maybe rushing things?"

Yes... Though the doctor said Nakajima Michika's condition was suitable for surgery... Nakajima Michika had agreed far too quickly, almost without any deliberation.

Qianye Yuki continued:

"Shouldn't we still discuss this kind of thing with your parents... and with Senior Beichuan?"

"Haha... What's there to discuss?" Nakajima Michika waved her hand dismissively, her androgynous face breaking into a dashing smile, "What difference does consulting with my parents make? The doctor has already recommended undergoing surgery soon. As for Beichuan...? That guy basically doesn't meddle in these affairs. Even if you went to talk to him, he'd probably give you the same look."

Saying so, Nakajima Michika put on an expressionless face, her voice cool and calm, "This is your own matter; no one can make these decisions for you. Avoiding these issues and not making a choice is absolutely irrational."

Should one say she deserved her queenly status? Her impression was so spot-on that it felt like Beichuan Si was there.

Even Beichuan Si—who was standing beside the bed at some unknown time, maintaining an expressionless face—acknowledged in an even tone:

"It does look a bit like me."

At the familiar words, Nakajima Michika, who had been messing around until then, stiffened.

Then.

She turned around stiffly and looked beside her.

And then—

She showed a smile uglier than crying.

"Beichuan, Beichuan..."

"Hm?"

"Can you not hit my butt?"

She, thus, pleaded.

(Tonight's New Year's Eve dinner party... So there will only be one update for now, and I'll make up for it tomorrow. If I don't make up for it tomorrow, I'll cross-dress.)

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