However, after a few nights of late-night snacks, Qiqi felt something was off with her body—while studying late at night, she would easily get drowsy, and on several occasions, she even fell asleep directly on the desk. Rumor had it that Rong Yi, when turning off the lights at night, would carry her to bed.
How embarrassing! Could it be due to the cold medicine?
Qiqi decided to stop taking the calming cold medicine at night and switched to drinking coffee to stay alert, because time was truly running out.
But after trying a few times, it still didn’t work. Qiqi’s brain would inexplicably slip into deep sleep. Although her body grew more energetic each day with this ample rest, how would she manage the exam at this rate?
In this state of struggle, she finally made it to the eve of the exam.
Qiqi was extremely nervous, as if facing a formidable enemy.
Actually, she had always been a good student in the past, with excellent academic performance in the first three years, earning first-class scholarships every time. However, due to the relocation issues she had to deal with over the past year, she had to spend a lot of time on these trivial matters, causing her grades to drop.
She had missed many classes, and despite her diligent review, she still felt uncertain about this exam.
After neatly organizing her student ID, exam admission card, and review materials into her backpack, Qiqi sat blankly at the desk.
The more uncertain she felt, the more nervous she became, and she couldn’t fall asleep.
A soft knock came from outside the door again—Rong Yi was bringing her a late-night snack.
“Qiqi, go to bed early tonight. Since the exam is tomorrow, staying up late won’t help anymore,” Rong Yi advised.
Qiqi nodded, letting out a soft “mm,” but still sat motionless.
Rong Yi set down the snack, sat beside her, and looked into her eyes. “Qiqi, are you very nervous?”
Qiqi nodded and replied, “I’m afraid I won’t do well.”
“What happens if you don’t do well?”
“The hospital internship spots for next semester largely depend on the fourth-year grades, because this exam is a comprehensive assessment of the knowledge from previous years… But I haven’t studied well recently, and I’m afraid I’ll mess up. If I don’t do well, I won’t get into a good hospital; without a good hospital, I won’t have a good job in the future… That would take me further and further from my goal.”
“What’s your goal, Qiqi?”
“To become a good doctor.”
“Why did you choose to become a doctor in the first place?”
“Doctors can save lives and heal the wounded.”
“Anything else?”
Qiqi fell silent. Dark circles under her eyes cast heavy shadows, making her look like a national treasure panda.
Rong Yi said nothing, just quietly watching her, waiting for her answer.
In the stillness of the night, a faint floral scent drifted in through the window, stirring a desire to confide.
Finally, Qiqi answered in a low voice: “My father was sick, and the doctors couldn’t cure him. He fought against the illness for a long time, but in the end, he left us… My mother couldn’t bear the blow and soon passed away from grief… I was alone again. Back then, I thought, how wonderful it would be if I were a doctor. If I were a doctor with superb skills, I could save my father, and my mother wouldn’t have left me…”
She lowered her head, tears streaming down, her small shoulders trembling gently.
Rong Yi sighed softly and gently pulled her into an embrace. “It’s okay, Qiqi. Parents can’t stay with you until the end—that’s the normal cycle of life and death for you humans.”
Qiqi choked out, “But I don’t want to be alone.”