Chapter 49: She Even Had A Boyfriend Who Spoiled Her To The Heavens, And Yet…

In the blossoming month of March, Jiang Qi had just completed his first round of treatment at the hospital.

After reviewing Jiang Qi’s recent medical reports and psychological assessments, his attending physician, Liu Yong, smiled and said to the young man sitting across the desk, “Congratulations, you can be discharged. From now on, you just need to continue with your medication.”

To be honest, when Jiang Qi was first admitted, he was diagnosed with severe bipolar depression. It was expected that at least two rounds of treatment would be needed to stabilize his emotions. Surprisingly, after just one round, his evaluation results already met the criteria for discharge.

This was not only due to the hospital’s treatment but also closely related to the patient’s own mindset.

“Jiang Qi, I’m quite curious,” Liu Yong said, fingers interlaced, with genuine interest. “When you came in three months ago, your mood was extremely irritable and nihilistic, even showing signs of self-harm. Why have these emotions almost completely disappeared in such a short time? May I ask what the turning point was?”

As a neuropsychologist, it was part of Liu Yong’s job to show concern and curiosity about his patients’ daily lives—this was valuable for future treatment and research.

Jiang Qi thought for a moment and answered seriously, “Would falling in love count as a turning point?”

His turning point was simply Zhi Qi.

…

While feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sweetness, Liu Yong suddenly remembered the young girl who often came to visit Jiang Qi.

Of course, he should’ve guessed.

There are three things that can heal a man most effectively: love, family, and career.

If one of these is fulfilled to the extreme, a person’s entire outlook can change dramatically.

Liu Yong also knew that this patient was once a wildly popular celebrity, a rising star. But he felt there was still something he needed to remind him of.

“After you’re discharged…” Liu Yong asked hesitantly, “what kind of work do you plan to do?”

Jiang Qi hadn’t expected such a casual question from his doctor, but after a brief pause, he answered frankly, “Fixing cars, I guess.”

During his time in prison, he had to do a lot of hard labor, most of it unskilled. But occasionally, he could apply to learn more specialized, demanding tasks—something that might help him make a living after release.

Auto repair was one of the “skills” Jiang Qi had picked up back then.

Chen Yong nodded and let out a breath of relief.
There were some things he didn’t say out loud, but he was genuinely glad that this young man had a clear sense of direction.

Given Jiang Qi’s current mental state, the entertainment industry—with all its chaos and pressure—was clearly not a suitable place for him to return to.

As for auto repair, though it was tough and exhausting, at least it didn’t involve constant scheming and manipulation. Earning money through honest labor would help him eat well and sleep soundly.

“Well then…” Chen Yong paused, then smiled and nodded. “Take your medication properly after discharge. Hopefully, in time, you won’t even need the meds anymore.”

That was perhaps the most sincere blessing a doctor could give a patient.

At this time, Zhi Qi’s school had already started the new semester. Her major was quite specialized, and she had gone with her research team to a remote area in Qinghai—reportedly to observe the habits of Tibetan antelopes.

After sending her a message letting her know he’d been discharged, Jiang Qi returned to his hospital room to pack up his things from this period of treatment.

To be honest, when he first agreed to check into the hospital at Zhi Qi’s urging, he had been quite reluctant.

In Jiang Qi’s mind, only people with serious illnesses or lonely elderly folks would stay in a place like this for observation. Why should he?

But one sentence from the doctor had shut down all his resentment and frustration:

“How do you know you’re not seriously ill?”

Yeah… how would he know?

He was sick too. But now, at least, it wasn’t “serious” anymore.

Jiang Qi drove back to his apartment in the eastern part of the city. The place hadn’t been lived in for two months, and the first thing he noticed upon entering was how dusty it felt. Frowning, he cleaned the entire place thoroughly. Just as the windows sparkled and the rooms felt fresh again, Zhi Qi’s call came through.

“I just finished here,” the girl said, sounding tired. “Are you home yet?”

“I am,” Jiang Qi replied, pausing with the mop in hand, softening his voice. “Are you very tired?”

He remembered Zhi Qi once telling him about her school’s fieldwork trips—they were always grueling. Sometimes they had to climb mountains all day or camp out on the grasslands.

“Super tired,” Zhi Qi said in a lazy, almost playful tone. “But it’s also really interesting. We even got to try milking sheep at a sheep pen. Ugh, but that fresh sheep milk was awful—way too gamey.”

She had never liked drinking plain milk since she was little—unless it was yogurt, milk tea, or fruit-flavored.

Jiang Qi couldn’t help but smile. “Where are you staying at night?”

“Still camping out in the wild, sleeping in sleeping bags,” Zhi Qi replied cheerfully. “But lying on the grass and looking up at the stars is amazing. The sky here is vast and endless—it’s nothing like Lin Lan. I’ll take a picture for you.”

She was the impulsive type. As soon as she said that, she hung up.

A moment later, Jiang Qi received a photo on WeChat.

It was a high-resolution image Zhi Qi had taken—a sky full of stars, dazzling and endless.

Jiang Qi replied seriously:
[It’s beautiful.]

Zhi Qi responded:
[It’d be even better if we could watch it together.]

She was a master of sweet talk—her words always came naturally, effortlessly stirring Jiang Qi’s heart.

Why… couldn’t they watch it together?

After all, he was now discharged from the hospital. His one-year parole period after release from prison had also ended. He was finally in a state of freedom—able to go wherever he wanted.

So naturally, he could go to Qinghai to find Zhi Qi.

Even though, after a round of treatment and paying off various compensations, his bank account was nearly empty—Jiang Qi had always been carefree and bold. Without hesitation, he booked a flight to Qinghai.

He’d take this trip first—then figure out how to make money later.

After booking a flight for the next morning, he messaged Zhi Qi:
[Qi Qi, send me your location.]

A while later, she sent him a location pin, followed by a message:
[What do you need this for? Don’t worry about me.]

Jiang Qi smiled and replied:
[I want to come find you.]

…

There was a long pause on her end—then a string of question marks came through.

Jiang Qi was instantly confused.
He wasn’t sure if the girl’s response meant she was upset. After a moment of hesitation, all he could do was send back a simple:
[?]

Zhi Qi called him right away, half-laughing, half-exasperated:
“Why are you coming all the way here? We’re heading back the day after tomorrow.”

“It’s fine,” Jiang Qi replied seriously, unfazed by the trouble. “I just want to watch the stars with you.”

Zhi Qi was momentarily speechless. If she had known Jiang Qi would take her so seriously—so unconditionally—that he’d book a flight just because of a casual, playful comment, she might’ve thought twice before saying it.

But honestly? Having a boyfriend who spoiled her this much… felt amazing.

So after just a minute of hesitation, Zhi Qi smiled and let it go.

“You’re right. Let’s watch them together. We can even stay in Qinghai for a couple more days.”

She made a playful kissing sound into the phone: “Mmwah! I’ll wait for you!”

After that sweet surprise, they chatted a bit more before Zhi Qi finally hung up.

One of the girls sharing her tent noticed her dreamy smile and teased knowingly:
“Talking to your boyfriend?”

“Mm-hmm.”
Zhi Qi had only come to understand the mindset of people who loved showing off their relationships after falling in love herself. Like now—she couldn’t help but proudly share:
“He said he’s flying to Qinghai to see me tomorrow.”

“Hehe,” the girl chuckled with a meaningful look. “What’s he coming for, huh?”

“I told him the stars in Qinghai are beautiful,” Zhi Qi said, gazing up at the transparent top of the tent. Her dark eyes sparkled like the night sky. She tilted her head innocently and leaned on her shoulder.
“He said he wants to watch the stars with me.”

“Oh my god, you actually believe that?”
The girl burst out laughing, nearly falling over. “Babe, how are you this pure?”

…

Zhi Qi had no idea what she meant. Her big eyes were filled with innocent confusion.

“Ah, really.” The girl seemed a little embarrassed to say more, but raised an eyebrow teasingly:

“I’ll just give you two the tent tomorrow when I leave.”

At this point, if Zhi Qi still didn’t understand what she was hinting at, she’d have to be a fool.

The girl froze for a moment, then her face suddenly turned bright red. Her watery eyes looked at the other girl as she stammered,

“Ying—Yingying, what nonsense are you talking about?”

“How can you say that? We are all adults now.” Wu Ying shrugged and smiled at her with narrowed eyes: “Tell me the truth, how far have you and your boyfriend gone?”

“What are you saying?” Zhi Qi shot back, pouting playfully. “Stop talking nonsense!”

“Oh come on, what are you being shy about?” Wu Ying teased playfully, her shoulders shaking with laughter. “Come on, tell me, tell me!”

“Uh, just, just,” Zhi Qi’s eyes dodged and her voice was as soft as a mosquito: “We just kissed.”

“Uh, just, just…” Zhi Qi avoided eye contact, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s whisper. “We’ve only kissed, that’s all.”  

“Holy shit, really?” Wu Ying’s eyes widened. “You guys haven’t done it?”  

Most guys in their early twenties are at the peak of their sexual drive, let alone when their girlfriend is a stunning beauty like Zhi Qi, with a figure to die for? That slender, soft waist of hers—even Wu Ying couldn’t help but feel a little tempted just looking at it. How could her boyfriend resist?  

Zhi Qi pouted. “Why would I lie to you?”  

“No, I’m just curious how your boyfriend manages to hold back…” Wu Ying said bluntly. “My boyfriend can’t keep his hands off me the second he sees me. Guess not all guys are like that, huh? Your boyfriend must really cherish you! But let me tell you, that thing… it actually feels amazing. It’s a completely different kind of pleasure.”  

“Ugh.” Zhi Qi covered her ears and curled up like a snail, refusing to continue the conversation. “No more, no more.”  

But her fair cheeks were still burning.  

Wu Ying’s words had stirred up something in the inexperienced girl, who had never even thought about that level of intimacy before. She felt restless all over.  

Doing that with Jiang Qi? God, just the thought was overwhelming.  

Zhi Qi wasn’t pretending to be innocent—she genuinely had been single all these years, never even watched a single adult film. She simply couldn’t imagine such things.  

The young girl felt nothing but embarrassment and fluster, so she pulled her sleeping bag over her head to hide.

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