Chapter 118: So It Was an Illusion

Chi Qingya felt an inexplicable heaviness deep within her heart.

She curled up, trying to retreat into a corner to find some semblance of safety.

But her head was foggy and heavy, and even though she had the thought, taking any action was incredibly difficult.

In the end, she merely lifted the unfinished cup of water and silently made her way toward the room, like a walking corpse.

“Su Li…”

Chi Qingya murmured Su Li’s name softly, her entire being muddled and dazed.

She kept wiping at the corners of her eyes, but it felt as if the tears would never fully dry, no matter how much she wiped.

So many things had happened these past few days that weighed heavily on her mood.

Coupled with her body feeling unwell, Chi Qingya felt like a machine running nonstop, now reaching its breaking point.

She didn’t know how long it took before she finally reached the bed and lay down.

Her eyelids grew heavier, making it impossible not to want to close her eyes, but no matter how much she tossed and turned, sleep refused to come.

Eventually, Chi Qingya sluggishly pulled out her phone.

She opened the Sister Group, but the chat interface looked blurry and distant, as if she were in a different world altogether—a surreal feeling.

It was as if she and everyone else existed in separate realms.

A strong loneliness washed over her, and she curled her body tighter, wrapping the blanket around herself, but still couldn’t fend off the isolation.

【Ya Su Gong Shang: I have a fever. Can someone come over to take care of me?】

Chi Qingya didn’t know how long it took before she finally typed out the message, staring at the words over and over to make sure there were no mistakes.

After confirming everything was fine, she hesitated for a long moment before slowly tapping the send button.

That unreal sensation lingered as she stared at the screen, which still showed the previous chat history.

–

It was from when she left the restaurant and it started raining; she asked if any sisters were around to help with an umbrella.

But a long time had passed since then.

No one in the chat group had replied.

She stared at the chat like she was dreaming.

Chi Qingya forced herself to stay alert, quietly stroking her phone, occasionally glancing at the screen to see if any sisters had replied.

But there was nothing…

No matter how many times she woke from her drowsiness to check the group chat, no messages came through.

–

“She’s so melodramatic, just like the Big Miss.”

“Yeah, it’s just a little illness, yet she wants us to go take care of her at home? What a dreamer.”

“She scared me just now—she suddenly replied in the chat while I was talking to someone else. I almost replied by mistake. If she finds out I saw her message and didn’t respond, I’ll have to come up with some excuse.”

Three female university students, their hair dyed different colors, sat in the back row of the classroom, playing games together and chatting about the group chat messages.

“She messaged around noon too. Good thing I didn’t reply, or I’d have to run errands and bring stuff to her.”

“Hehe, I saw it too. Just pretend you didn’t see it. If she asks, just say you were sleeping and didn’t check your phone.”

“Seriously, Chi Qingya is so rich. Can’t she just hire a nanny? She can buy anything with money, yet she puts on this act and expects us to serve her. Who knows what she’s thinking.”

Finally, the dormitory leader, a girl with green hair, came up with a plan: “If Chi Qingya asks us, we’ll just say the afternoon classes are too busy and we have no time to look at our phones.”

“Yanxi, why do you think Chi Qingya is feeling so miserable but isn’t asking Su Li for help? I heard Su Li has been skipping classes day after day.”

Purple-haired Chen Tangguan asked Wei Yanxi beside her.

–

“Who knows? Maybe Su Li is busy taking care of another Big Miss.”

Su Li often took leave from classes, and even they didn’t know what she did in her daily life.

Though Su Li looked exquisitely delicate and doll-like, she rarely talked to others or mingled.

Everyone talked a lot about Su Li, but she was like a ghost—barely connected to anyone.

They mostly learned about Su Li from Chi Qingya.

“But I think Su Li is a rare person—she can tolerate Chi Qingya.”

The three stopped talking about Chi Qingya and focused on the game instead.

–

“Su Li, I was wrong. I really know I was wrong.”

“Can you, can you not leave?”

Chi Qingya opened her eyes and looked at the figure before her, reaching out to grasp the other’s hand.

But she couldn’t hold on.

The figure faded away the moment her fingers brushed it.

A sharp pain pressed against her forehead but was soon ignored.

She felt herself burning with fever, delirious, just now seeing Su Li come to care for her.

Now it seemed it had all been a dream…

A wave of despair flooded Chi Qingya’s heart as she hastily took out her phone.

But there was still no reply in the Sister Group.

“It must be that everyone’s busy with class and didn’t see the message.”

Chi Qingya whispered, still feeling utterly downcast.

She desperately hoped that upon waking from this dream, someone would send her a message on her phone.

Even if it wasn’t a caring one, it would be enough.

But there was nothing.

Dazed, Chi Qingya sat up from the bed, clutching her phone tightly, wanting to find some medicine.

The illness she thought a good sleep would cure had only worsened when she woke.

She struggled to pace the room again and again, but no matter what, she couldn’t find the Medicine Box.

She couldn’t even remember where it was.

She had never paid attention to such things before…

A strong sense of helplessness overwhelmed her, and she sniffled.

【Su Li, where are you?】

【Do you know where the Medicine Box is? Why can’t I find it?】

【I’m sick. Can you please come back to see me?】

【I know I was wrong. I really know I was wrong.】

【Please, please just come see me once, just once.】

【It hurts so much, I feel so awful.】

【What should I do?】

【Su Li】

【Su Li】

【I miss you so much.】

【I’m sorry, I was wrong.】

【I was wrong.】

【Please come see me, alright?】