Mu Yinyin and the others felt a little speechless.
However, her intention was good.
Thus, the few of them chatted and laughed, and another two hours passed.
Gu Xiaoqi immediately spoke, "How many days are you leaving tomorrow? It's past eleven now, you should all go back and rest."
As she spoke, she looked at Li Chuan again, "Achuan, you've been accompanying me these past two days. You should go back and rest too. You'll have to support the company alone tomorrow. I'll have my assistant look after me."
Mu Yinyin smiled faintly, "When you say tomorrow, it means after midnight."
"Ah? Leaving in the middle of the night?"
"Yes, our flight is at one. If we stay any longer, we really have to go." Jiang Ling's voice was still steady. He paused, then looked at Gu Xiaoqi again, "These few days, just focus on recovering. Don't worry about anything else. We'll handle everything."
"Mhmm... alright. Then you all be careful on your journey. If anything interesting happens over there, you can tell me some gossip!" Gu Xiaoqi said with a hint of anticipation in her voice.
Heaven knew how stifled she felt right now. She was a person who loved gossip, and being confined like this, she wanted to know more about the outside world even more.
"Okay, if there's anything fun, I'll tell you," Mu Yinyin said with a slight smile on her lips.
And so, after chatting for a while longer, Mu Yinyin and Jiang Ling left.
Li Chuan did not see them off, he stayed in the ward to accompany Gu Xiaoqi.
Gu Xiaoqi looked at him with a hint of heartache, "Achuan, you really don't need to accompany me like this. You still have work to do, you'll wear yourself out. I'll have my assistant come, really."
Li Chuan sat back beside Gu Xiaoqi and took her hand.
Gu Xiaoqi's eyelashes trembled slightly, and her eyes showed a hint of shock.
The two of them had never done this before.
In an instant, Gu Xiaoqi's heart began to race.
Li Chuan looked at her earnestly, his voice soft as he said, "Xiaoqi."
Gu Xiaoqi blinked, suddenly afraid to speak. She was afraid that if she spoke, her voice would tremble.
Because, Li Chuan was very different today.
He had never held her hand before...
Even though they were close, their closeness was different from that of ordinary friends.
But...
Ultimately, the unspoken barrier between them had not been broken. And now... what did Achuan mean now...
Gu Xiaoqi was starting to feel nervous.
Before she could think too much, Li Chuan spoke again, "Xiaoqi, actually, I've been thinking about telling you this for a while. It's just that the timing never felt right. But this time, I don't want to wait anymore."
Gu Xiaoqi's heart seemed to beat even faster. She looked at the handsome man in front of her, completely speechless at this moment. Her facial expression was one of utter confusion.
She might have guessed what this man was about to say, so she was a bit stunned, her mind was a mess, and she was even more flustered. This series of emotional reactions made her seem foolish.
"Xiaoqi." Li Chuan looked at her earnestly, tightened his grip on her hand, and said softly, "Will you be my girlfriend?"
Gu Xiaoqi was completely stunned!
Even her eyes showed unprecedented shock.
"You..."
At this moment, she didn't know what to do. She was still in a state of panic.
She had no idea what to say.
She really was like a fool.
Li Chuan held her hand, not letting go, and continued to look at her devotedly. "Xiaoqi, I know that saying this might surprise you for a moment, but I don't want to wait anymore."
There were some things he couldn't say to Gu Xiaoqi. This illness had truly frightened Li Chuan.
Before, he thought they were still young. He wanted to become more accomplished and wanted Gu Xiaoqi to know him better, to feel secure.
But now...
After her illness this time, he truly felt that if certain things were left unsaid, it would be a great regret.
He didn't even dare to imagine the worst-case scenario.
He knew in his heart that Xiaoqi also liked him, but because she was a girl, perhaps out of shyness, she was afraid of being rejected by him.
But now, he didn't want to consider things like future prospects anymore. He just wanted to be with her and not have any regrets between them.
"Xiaoqi, be my girlfriend, okay?" Li Chuan suddenly repeated the question. He looked at her on the hospital bed with deep affection, his voice exceptionally gentle, yet laced with a profound solemnity.
"It might not be possible to prepare much for you in the ward. When we go out, I'll make it up to you, okay?"
Gu Xiaoqi finally came back to her senses this time.
Although her heart was still pounding, it didn't stop her from understanding.
After her initial panic and confusion, Gu Xiaoqi's feelings turned to感动 (gǎndòng - being moved/touched) and anticipation.
She took a slight breath and squeezed Li Chuan's hand back, "Achuan, do you know how long I've been waiting for you to say this?"
A deep sense of guilt flashed across Li Chuan's eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm saying it too late. But I've loved you for a long time, it's just... I wanted to give you something better. I was afraid my current situation wasn't good enough, and I was afraid of making you suffer."
Gu Xiaoqi immediately shook her head, her voice earnest, "How could that be?"
Tears of emotion welled up in her eyes.
Li Chuan instantly raised his hand and wiped away her tears, saying anxiously, "Xiaoqi, don't cry."
She wasn't feeling well right now, and he couldn't let her feel distressed.
Li Chuan hadn't expected Gu Xiaoqi to cry.
For a moment, he felt a little at a loss.
Gu Xiaoqi immediately smiled and shook her head, "No, these are tears of感动."
She was truly moved.
Li Chuan's eyes flickered, a hint of complexity in them, but the next moment, he softly said, "Xiaoqi, I will definitely treat you well."
Gu Xiaoqi immediately nodded, "I know, you will always treat me well."
The person she trusted the most was Li Chuan.
Li Chuan tightened his grip on her hand a little more, but then, afraid of hurting her, he slightly loosened it.
Gu Xiaoqi smiled and held his hand tighter, "Then, you must never let go of my hand from now on. You must hold on tight, just like today!"
"Okay!" Li Chuan nodded solemnly, at the same time lifting his other hand to gently wipe away her tears.
Gu Xiaoqi smiled softly, but tears still fell uncontrollably.
"Don't cry, Xiaoqi, don't cry."
Gu Xiaoqi nodded, controlling herself to not sob, and after a pause, she spoke again, "I'm really moved. And sometimes, I really wondered if you never told me... was I misunderstanding? Did you treat me like a brother, just like Brother Jiang..."
"Do you think I treat you the same as I treat Yinyin?" Li Chuan looked at her and asked earnestly.