Chapter 168 - 168 The Observation Room
168 The Observation Room
Pushed aside by the swarms of female students latching onto Zheng Huai, Guan Lei beat a hasty retreat, dragging away one of the other school doctors who had come to Zheng Huai’s rescue.
“You want me to write a note for you to stay in the observation room?” Wang Nan, the school doctor, asked in surprise.
Zhuo Ying High School boasted a large, well-equipped infirmary. It had many observation rooms available. Injured students could stay in the school’s observation rooms instead of being transferred to a hospital since it was as good as any hospital.
Guan Lei nodded enthusiastically. “Yes!”
Wang Nan sized up Guan Lei. He looked a little spiritless, but nothing that would warrant bed rest in an observation room.
Guan Lei showed Wang Nan the permit he had gotten from the school’s principal, Li Hai. “The principal approved my request. Please have a look. If you have any doubts, feel free to call the principal.”
Wang Nan accepted the document, muttering, “Guan Lei and Shen Xi? Why would the principal ask me to arrange for them to be placed in the same room…?”
Wang Nan could not help but squint at Guan Lei, who nodded expressionlessly. Eventually, the doctor gave in and wrote him a memo.
Shen Xi soon received a slip, which caused her mouth to twitch. “So this is the method you were going on about… Why do you want me as your roommate?”
Guan Lei was on top of the world, his mood soaring to new heights. He had gone through the proper channels, so he would not cause any trouble for Shen Xi while attaining his desired outcome.
Then, why was Shen Xi staring at him with that constipated look? Was there something wrong?
“Don’t you think it’s a good idea?” Guan Lei ventured hesitantly.
Shen Xi rolled her eyes, “At least your reason for staying in an observation room doesn’t sound as bad as mine. Why couldn’t you have had him write that I broke an or a leg? Instead, it says I’m recovering from surgery to remove my piles. Don’t you think that’s a little insensitive?”
Guan Lei snatched the memo from Shen Xi’s hands. When he got to the part Shen Xi had pointed out, his eyes widened comically, and his face alternated between shades of red and black.
He did not check the memo after the school doctor signed off, resulting in his present mortification.
Guan Lei coughed into his fist, trying but failing to cover up his embarrassing mistake. “Hold on a second. I’ll have the doctor right up a new one.”
Shen Xi quirked an eyebrow but nodded. She could barely restrain herself long enough for Guan Lei to make a beeline for the doctor’s office before she burst into laughter.
Still, she had to give it to him. Guan Lei was very capable. Getting the school doctor to sign off on a memo so easily meant he was not as simple as he tried to appear.
A mysterious smile drew an arc across her lips as she left, heading back to her dormitory.
When she received the new memo, it read that she was experiencing an irregular heartbeat; hence, she was asked to remain for observation. It certainly sounded better than having her piles removed.
Staying in the school’s observation rooms was a matter of public record; anyone could find out that Shen Xi and Guan Lei were staying in the same room because they had their piles removed. If word got around, they would become a laughing stock!
Shen Xi did not move her things into the observation room they were supposed to share. Instead, she decided she would only make her way there after washing up every night. She would then wake up a little earlier the next morning, returning to her dormitory to prepare for the new day.
Although it was a little troublesome, she felt more comfortable adapting to this practice.
Shen Xi followed Guan Lei to the observation room they were supposed to share. As soon as she entered, she was stunned by the décor.
What should have been a plain hospital bed had been changed into two large Simmons beds, the bedding neatly folded and put to one side. Next to each of their beds was a dressing table. In a corner, an incense burner chuffed out plumes of white smoke, filling the air with the scent of lavender. There was no hint of the smell of disinfectant one would normally smell in an infirmary or a hospital.
A fluffy pink carpet covered the floor from end to end. A small tea table and futon framed by an elegant set of translucent curtains were by the window. The whole setup made one feel warm and fuzzy yet refreshed.
Meanwhile, facing the two beds was a matching sofa spread.
“I was in a hurry, so I couldn’t tidy up as much as I would have liked. You don’t mind, do you?” Guan Lei asked.
It was Guan Lei’s first time staying in the same room with a girl. He had sought Xue Li’s advice, and she had said that girls usually preferred clean and homely environments. Shen Xi probably fell into that category.
Shen Xi offered Guan Lei a faint smile. “Didn’t you say that your family is very poor? I also recall you mentioning the summer job you took at the Auspicious Dragon Hall to earn some money to pay for your school fees. The room’s décor would suggest otherwise. It doesn’t look like a room someone poor could afford to tidy up.”