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Chapter 82: Sick
Chapter 82: Sick
Teacher Zhang looked at her frail body and pale face and said, "A painting like this would fetch around 20,000 yuan on the market."
Lu Jiaxin was dissatisfied as this amount was far from what she had expected.
She knew that she would have to pay for the appraisal, but Teacher Zhang refused to accept any money and returned the envelope to her. "Many cultural relics have been lost and are now in the hands of others. Young lady, I know you are in a difficult situation, but I hope you won't sell this painting recklessly. Otherwise, if it falls into the hands of those who are only interested in profit, it may be sold abroad and never retrieved."
Knowing that Lu Jiaxin was going through hard times, he didn't want to dissuade her from selling the painting, but he felt distressed at the thought of so many treasures being treated as mere commodities for profit.
Lu Jiaxin saw the sorrow in his eyes and said solemnly, "I won't sell the painting recklessly. When I have the money in the future, I will do my best to retrieve the lost treasures."
A smile appeared on Teacher Zhang's face for the first time since they arrived. Although he believed that Lu Jiaxin might not be able to fulfill this promise, he was touched by her sincerity.
As they were leaving, Lu Jiaxin bowed deeply to Teacher Zhang and said, "Professor Zhang, thank you."
Teacher Zhang was initially startled but then smiled and said, "It was just a small favor; you don't need to be so polite."
Then, he added earnestly, "Child, after selling this painting, go back to school as soon as possible. You are still young, and the most important thing for you right now is to study hard and get into a good university to learn useful skills."
Lu Jiaxin nodded firmly.
Professor Zhang also looked tired and returned to his room to rest. It was already past three in the morning, and it was chilly outside. Concerned about Lu Jiaxin's health, Gu Wenfeng didn't take her back immediately but waited until dawn.
Once they were outside, Gu Wenfeng noticed that she still seemed preoccupied. He asked, "Now that the painting has been authenticated as genuine, why do you still look unhappy?"
Lu Jiaxin shook her head and said, "I knew it was real without the appraisal. Sun's ancestors wouldn't have gone through so much trouble to hide fake paintings in the secret passage. Gu, Brother Gu, people like Professor Zhang are truly great. I feel... I feel ashamed."
In her eyes, antiques and paintings were only worth money. Even if she bought antiques in the future, it would be for the purpose of increasing their value. Unlike Professor Zhang, who dedicated himself to preserving cultural relics and heritage.
Gu Wenfeng understood. This young lady had been impressed by Professor Zhang's character, and he smiled, "You can be like that too."
Lu Jiaxin was clear that she couldn't. She was a self-centered person who only wanted to enjoy life and have a comfortable life. She couldn't imagine sacrificing herself the way Professor Zhang did. However, she decided that once she earned enough money, she would recover lost artifacts from overseas and donate them to museums.
When they reached the hostel, Lu Jiaxin couldn't help but sneeze loudly, and her head felt heavy. She felt unwell and quickly poured herself a cup of hot water when she returned to her room. Unfortunately, her body couldn't handle it, and her fever worsened.
Gu Wenfeng was worried and called out to her from the window a couple of times. When he received no response, he started knocking on her door. As there was still no answer, he grew anxious and called for the attendant. Since the door was locked from the inside, it had to be kicked open.
Seeing Lu Jiaxin burning with fever and delirious, Gu Wenfeng felt regret and distress. He blamed himself for agreeing to let her come along yesterday, and now she had fallen ill.
The attendant exclaimed, "We must rush her to the hospital!"
Gu Wenfeng placed Lu Jiaxin's suitcase and canvas bag in his room, then rushed back to pick her up and take her to the hospital. As he held her in his arms, he noticed how light she felt.
Usually, a common cold or fever could be treated with medication, but when the doctor at the hospital took her temperature, they found it to be 40 degrees Celsius and immediately arranged for her to be hospitalized and given intravenous fluids.
As the doctor prescribed the medication, he also reprimanded Gu Wenfeng, "You have to see a doctor when you have a fever. If you had delayed it any longer, the person could have been burned into an idiot?"
A low-grade fever could be endured for a couple of days, but a fever this high could potentially damage the brain if it persisted. Some parents were just too careless, ultimately leading to irreversible tragedies.
Gu Wenfeng didn't explain, and instead took the prescription to pay for the medication. While Lu Jiaxin was receiving her intravenous drip, he stayed by her side.
The infusion was highly effective, and after a bottle of fluid, Lu Jiaxin felt much better. In fact, she had been conscious before, but she felt too groggy to speak.
"Thank you, Gu Dajie," Lu Jiaxin said.
Lu Jiaxin felt sore all over her body, and any slight movement caused unbearable pain. She wanted to get up, but even that seemed impossible. In her previous life, she would catch a cold once or twice a year and occasionally had a fever, but never had she felt as miserable as she did now.
Gu Wenfeng didn't blame her, but instead reminded her, "You should take better care of yourself from now on and stop pushing yourself so hard. Otherwise, you'll regret it if you end up with a chronic illness."
"I won't do that again," Lu Jiaxin replied.
Lu Jiaxin knew she had made a mistake. If she had known it would take so long, she would have left the painting with them yesterday and picked it up this morning. Sighing, she blamed her own greed for wanting to cultivate a better relationship and learn more, which ultimately led to her falling ill.
Gu Wenfeng asked, "Are you hungry? I'll go and get you something to eat."
Earlier, when Lu Jiaxin was in a semi-conscious state, he hadn't dared to leave her side. Now that she was awake, it was time for her to eat something. However, as a precaution, he asked one of the nurses to keep an eye on her while he was gone.
Gu Wenfeng returned after about ten minutes and brought Lu Jiaxin a meat bun and some egg porridge. "Can you eat by yourself? If not, I can feed you," he offered.
Lu Jiaxin definitely didn't want him to feed her; it would be too embarrassing.
"Where did we put our things?" Lu Jiaxin asked quietly as she drank the porridge. If their belongings were lost, it would be like cutting her flesh.
Gu Wenfeng reassured her, "Don't worry, I put them in my room."
After the drip was finished, Lu Jiaxin prepared to leave, but she was informed that she had been admitted to the hospital, "The doctor said that even though your fever has subsided, it might recur, so we'll keep you under observation for a day. If you don't have a fever today, we'll get some medicine tomorrow and go back to the hostel."
Lu Jiaxin also didn't dare to be stubborn anymore. She had felt a cold coming on last night, but she never expected it to be so severe. Although she had been taking medication, she now realized that it had only treated the symptoms and not the underlying issue.
Leaning against the head of the bed, Lu Jiaxin anxiously asked, "Gu Dajie, are our things safe at the hostel?"
"Don't worry," Gu Wenfeng replied. "The hostel is well-managed, and they don't allow people to stay without an introduction letter. We're also dressed simply, so thieves won't target us. But if you're still worried, I can go over this afternoon and bring our things here."
Seizing the opportunity, Lu Jiaxin suggested, "It might take some time to find a buyer. Gu Dajie, let's rent a place! It doesn't matter if it's a bit expensive, as long as it's convenient and in a safe neighborhood."
Gu Wenfeng hesitated but eventually said, "Miss Lu, I think you should give up on the idea of doing business. You don't have any experience, and you don't have anyone to support you. You won't make any money. Save the money from selling the painting, and it will last you until you graduate from university."
Lu Jiaxin was honest with him, and after spending so much time together, she had come to trust him completely, "I plan to make a batch of leather shoes that are waterproof, warm, and fashionable. There aren't any such products on the market right now, so I'm sure they'll be well-received."
"Waterproof and warm isn't difficult, but fashionable? Are you sure the leather shoes you make will look good?"
"Of course," Lu Jiaxin replied confidently.
(End of Chapter)
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