Chapter 61 Be careful this medicine doesn't turn you into a fool

Early in the morning, contrary to her usual habit of lingering in bed, Qiu Yiyao changed her clothes and prepared to head out.

Just as she reached the main entrance, she saw Qiu Shengming returning with a vegetable basket. She hurriedly stepped forward and linked her arm through his. "Dad, take me to the hospital, please. I feel like the medication I've been taking isn't working anymore. These past two days, the hallucinations have been non-stop, and I've been having nightmares."

Before Qiu Shengming could speak, Li Zhen, who had followed closely behind, interjected, "Hallucinations? Yiyao, you really need to get that checked out by a doctor properly."

Qiu Yiyao frowned and pointed at her own eyes. "Sister Zhen, look at these dark circles. I'm being tortured every single night and can't even sleep."

"Well, we can't have that!" Li Zhen wore an expression of utmost concern. "Old Qiu, hurry up and take Yiyao to the hospital. Nothing is more important than a child's health. Young people aren't like us; you can't drag your feet on this."

"I know." Qiu Shengming wore a worried look. He let out a soft sigh, carried the vegetable basket into the house, and did not forget to call out to Qiu Yiyao, "Yiyao, come with me for a moment."

"Sister Zhen, my dad is calling me."

"Go ahead, go ahead. Congcong is still waiting for me at home."

Seeing the father and daughter go upstairs one after the other, Li Zhen glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention to her, then slipped quietly into the house, peered toward the stairwell, but ultimately chose not to go up.

"Yiyao, I got these pills from the doctor at the hospital a few days ago, just in case."

Qiu Shengming handed the two boxes of medication in his hand to Qiu Yiyao.

Qiu Yiyao took them nonchalantly. Sure enough, these were the exact pills she had seen in Qiu Shengming's room the other day.

A birth father was still not truly a father. No matter how affectionate and kind he usually appeared, he would always be an outsider.

"Thank you, Dad. You're so good to me."

Qiu Yiyao smiled on the surface, but her heart turned utterly freezing cold.

The number of people who could help her had dwindled once again. Now, her only option was to bet everything on Bai Peiyu, hoping he wouldn't "betray" her.

As she thought this, she saw Bai Peiyu coming up from downstairs. He walked over to Qiu Yiyao, looked at the medicine in her hand, and sneered, "Be careful taking those pills, or you'll turn into a fool. That would really be—"

"Xiao Bai," Qiu Shengming barked harshly, cutting him off. "Think about what you said to me back then, and then look at what you're doing now. If you truly care about Yiyao, stop those impractical thoughts in your head."

"Ha! At least they're more practical than certain selfish people."

Bai Peiyu pulled Qiu Yiyao along. "Let's go, I have something to say to you."

...

"The woman you saved last night will be fine. Don't worry."

Guessing that Qiu Yiyao must be dwelling on this matter, Bai Peiyu spoke up first to comfort her.

"That's good. Then who are we going to rescue today?"

Qiu Yiyao could hardly wait.

Bai Peiyu glanced at her, a trace of helplessness flashing in his eyes. "Even heroes need rest. Aren't you afraid, charging forward without a moment's pause?"

"Afraid of what? Didn't you say they wouldn't dare touch me?"

Qiu Yiyao thought for a moment and decided to ask clearly, "You guys... no, them. What on earth do they want to use me for?"

She figured that just in case she couldn't escape in the end, she needed to mentally prepare herself.

Bai Peiyu let out a soft sigh instead. "You don't need to know. I won't let it reach that point."

Looking at his profile, Qiu Yiyao felt for the first time that he could actually be so dashing and charming.

Although the path ahead remained uncertain, having someone say such words to her made her heart swell with deep emotion.

"Actually, you're quite handsome when you're not being cynical."

Hearing this, the corners of Bai Peiyu's lips curved upward slightly. "How handsome? Handsomer than the campus heartthrob at your school?"

Qiu Yiyao chuckled, never expecting that a casual remark she made would be remembered by him until now.

"Handsome, much handsomer than him."

"Just fishing for compliments."

Bai Peiyu smiled, unable to hide his delight.

"Did you guys hear? Something happened near the wasteland last night. It was a man in his thirties, beaten up like a pig's head. Who knows whose toes he stepped on to get such a vicious beating."

Several people walked past behind them, chattering away.

"Really? That's terrifying."

"Even men aren't safe walking outside anymore. Us women need to be even more careful from now on."

As they spoke, several of them cast scrutinizing glances at Qiu Yiyao.

Qiu Yiyao paid their gazes no mind whatsoever. She patted Bai Peiyu's arm and said, "Let's go, I'll treat you to bubble tea."

...

It was still early, and apart from the staff, there was hardly anyone in the shop.

Lin Xiaoning stood alone behind the counter, holding a rag and meticulously wiping down every edge and corner.

The other staff members were busy with their respective tasks.

Seeing people enter the shop, they all raised their heads and greeted them politely, "Welcome."

Lin Xiaoning echoed the greeting mechanically without raising her head.

Seeing a staff member walking toward them, Qiu Yiyao quickly said, "You guys go ahead and be busy, I'll just look around myself."

Hearing that familiar voice, Lin Xiaoning froze for a split second, but still kept her head down.

"You sit down first, I'll go order."

Qiu Yiyao gave Bai Peiyu a meaningful look and walked toward the counter.

Feigning an interest in the menu board above, she gently tapped her fingers on the counter and calmly tapped out two English letters: "O-K".

Lin Xiaoning looked up at Qiu Yiyao in confusion.

"I'd like two glasses of lemon juice, please."

"Sure, please wait a moment."

Lin Xiaoning forced down the doubt in her heart and turned to get to work. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, revealing a very distinct red mark on the back of her neck.

Qiu Yiyao knew it must have been inflicted by that so-called boyfriend of hers. Her hatred for these supernatural beings intensified even further.

"Miss," a staff member approached and slipped a promotional flyer into Qiu Yiyao's hand, "We have a wide variety of items in our shop. You can take your time looking, and feel free to try something else next time."

The employee kept smiling, but it gave off a rather unsettling vibe.

"Okay, I understand."

Seeing Lin Xiaoning turn around with two glasses of lemon juice, Qiu Yiyao took out cash from her wallet and handed it to the clerk.

The two of them walked out of the bubble tea shop one after the other.

The more Qiu Yiyao thought about it, the angrier she got. "Let's go beat up that scumbag today, shall we?"

Naturally knowing who she was referring to, Bai Peiyu lowered his head to take a sip of his lemon juice before speaking slowly, "And then? What do you plan to do next?"

"Naturally, rid the world of a pest and send them all..."

Qiu Yiyao made a slashing motion across her throat.

"Are you in that much of a hurry?" Bai Peiyu's gaze shifted slightly. "Don't forget what you promised me: send them away, but you must stay."

"I haven't forgotten." Qiu Yiyao's expression turned solemn. "There are so many people in our train carriage, and so many families waiting for them outside. But I only have my dad. If they can all leave safely, I am willing and content."