novelraw Chapter 561: Heavy Thoughts
Chapter 561: Heavy Thoughts
"Grandpa Zhuge."
"Master."
Just as Zhuge Zhi appeared, he heard some sobbing. It turned out to be his two apprentices.
"Why are you crying? Nothing will happen." Zhao Guangran noticed Zhuge Zhi’s expression wasn’t great and immediately scolded them.
Sigh, under the mentorship of Grandpa Zhuge, Gong Ruini just fainted, surely nothing major happened, yet they started crying just like that.
Not bad, this kid can hold the situation, but he sometimes gets too jumpy. Zhuge Zhi previously said Zhao Guangran wasn’t fit to learn medicine from him, not only because he had no talent but also because he really wasn’t steady enough.
Being a doctor is quite lonely actually, most of the time you’re just learning those boring things over and over, and constantly identifying medicinal herbs, and even then you might not truly learn well.
Master Grandpa was dissatisfied, Zhan Banxia and Zhan Zisu noticed Zhuge Zhi’s displeased expression and immediately stopped crying, "Sister, she... she fainted."
Ah, she fainted, Gong Ruwen was surprised and stupefied. Just earlier, seeing his sister’s condition wasn’t good, yet how could she faint in such a short while? Gong Ruwen was taken aback.
Zhao Guangran grabbed Gong Ruwen, "Brother Ruiwen, are you okay?" He had never seen Gong Ruwen so powerless before.
Gong Ruwen held tightly onto Zhao Guangran’s arm, "I’m alright, I’m alright."
"I’m fine, thanks, Guangran."
Zhao Guangran shook his head, "I’m fine, Bro, take it easy, you can’t have anything happen to you."
Indeed, nothing could happen to him, with mom already stressed out, if he fell too, he couldn’t imagine how much chaos it would cause at home.
Gao Yanan, Gong Ruwen kept this name in his heart; if it weren’t for this guy, how would mom be so stressed, and his sister wouldn’t have fainted either.
"I’m fine." Gong Ruwen indicated he was okay, "Grandpa Zhuge, please check on my sister."
Zhao Xuran noticed Gong Ruwen’s distressed face, feeling tense within himself, if Gong Ruwen collapses too, how anxious would Gong Ruini be upon awakening.
"Alright, alright." Zhuge Zhi looked at Gong Ruwen’s difficult expression, "You mustn’t rush, take care of yourself too."
He then headed to the bedroom, "Follow along; you never know how bad the conditions of the patients you’ll encounter might be later on."
Always considered Zhan Banxia and their group as kids, thinking there was no need to expose them too early, but now Zhuge Zhi felt he couldn’t let them study at home just because they are young; with such timidity, how could they be doctors? Zhuge Zhi was really troubled.
"Oh." Zhan Banxia and their group realized their behavior was inappropriate, and upon hearing Zhuge Zhi ask them to follow, they immediately did so, not knowing Zhuge Zhi planned to rigorously train them.
Upon entering the room, Zhuge Zhi was startled to see Gong Ruini lying on the bed, "How did this happen?"
Just fine a moment ago, how did she turn pale and lie on the bed so suddenly, what happened?
Zhuge Zhi sat down, started taking Gong Ruini’s pulse from under the covers, and gradually Zhuge Zhi’s expression darkened.
Noticing Zhuge Zhi’s unpleasant expression, Gong Ruwen felt a pang of anxiety inside, unsure if his sister’s condition was not good, otherwise why Zhuge Grandpa’s expression was so grim.
Zhao Xuran was even more tense, wanting to ask but not daring, afraid he might hear bad news.
Zhao Guangran was also worried; these past days, although Gong Ruini hadn’t shown any problems, he always felt this desk mate had become much quieter. Before, if someone told a joke, Gong Ruini would always laugh, but now she rarely did.
Zhuge Zhi sighed inwardly, realizing this girl seemed troubled lately, yet didn’t expect the issue to be so severe, gently tucking her arm back under the covers.
"How is she?" Gong Ruwen rushed forward, asking worriedly.
"Rest assured, it’s nothing serious, yet..." Zhuge Zhi turned his gaze to the girl, face scrunched up despite her eyes being closed.
What a heavy-hearted child, only a few years old and carrying such burdens. This was typically seen in children from affluent families facing complex situations, yet Gong Ruini was different.
"Yet what?" The real kicker was what came after, and Grandpa Zhuge paused at the crucial moment, not realizing how anxious he was to know the answer?
"Your sister has a heavy heart, did you know?" Zhuge Zhi questioned how they, having grown up with Gong Ruini, hadn’t noticed this.
Even if girls are more careless, it shouldn’t be this obvious.
A heavy heart, Gong Ruwen knew, "I know, I know, it’s been a hectic few days."
It’s true, one thing after another came flooding in, making his sister feel pressured, as she wasn’t someone who liked to share her burdens, keeping it all inside, how could there not be repercussions?
Gong Ruwen regretted focusing only on his own anger and venting, without realizing Gong Ruini was also troubled and uneasy.
First comforting mom and then trying to soothe him as her brother, Gong Ruwen really wished to slap himself, seeing how poorly he managed as an elder sibling compared to Zhao Xuran.
"Just these few days?" Zhuge Zhi didn’t really think it was just these days, though likely recent events piling up overwhelmed the child.
Not just the past few days? Zhao Xuran glanced at the uneasy Gong Ruini, equally puzzled.
"No, her stress has been considerable over these years," Zhuge Zhi noted their expressions, inwardly sighing once more at the boys’ obliviousness.
Over the years, what pressures did his sister face? Gong Ruwen was utterly baffled.
Suddenly, he remembered something, "It must be this; Gong Xiaoyu used to say my parents going to the Northeast was Ni Zi’s fault, yes, definitely."
Since his sister went to the Northeast and faced displeasing situations, except for the Gong Family, there was nothing else to consider.
Zhao Xuran felt guilt too, berating himself for not noticing Gong Ruini’s abnormality.
However, he was equally at a loss, wondering how Ni Zi carried so many concerns, thus committing Gong Ruwen’s words to memory.
Zhuge Zhi had suspected some tales within Gong Tao and his wife’s silence about family matters, but he didn’t expect to hear such from Gong Ruwen.
Back then, when Gong Tao and his wife headed to Northeast as Zhiqing, Gong Ruini was so young. How could she have caused their departure? This so-called Gong Xiaoyu was either thoughtless or corrupt due to adult influence.
Perhaps the comment was offhand at the time, but to Gong Ruini, it was no trivial matter, something etched within her heart.
"Brother, how could they say that?" Gong Ruwen didn’t cry but his eyes turned red, "I’m really useless, truly useless."
If he were a competent brother, his sister wouldn’t be bullied by Gong Xiaoyu and others.
Why would his sister bottle it up rather than share it with him? It’s all his failure as a brother.
Seeing Gong Ruwen drowning in remorse, Zhao Xuran pondered how to console him, knowing words wouldn’t suffice for Gong Ruwen’s self-realization.
Getting Gong Ruwen to come to terms might only be possible once Gong Ruini awakens.
Yet, when his sister will wake is a source of anxiety for Zhao Xuran too.