The next few days passed relatively peacefully.

Jiang Xiaoyao’s condition wasn’t serious, but just to be safe, she stayed in the hospital for observation. Pneumothorax wasn’t life-threatening, yet a relapse could be a real hassle.

Despite Jiang Xiaoyao’s constant protests that she was fine, Chen Yuzhe insisted she stay put.

“Why?” Jiang Xiaoyao couldn’t understand. “It’s not a big deal anymore. Wouldn’t it be better to get discharged early?”

Chen Yuzhe just shot her an annoyed glance. “The observation period isn’t over. Even if it were and you were confirmed fine, if I tell you to stay one more day, you stay one more day. Got it?”

“Hmph…” Jiang Xiaoyao could only pout, roll her eyes, and make faces. She didn’t dare disobey him.

Truth was, Chen Yuzhe wanted her to stay longer to lie low. Even he hadn’t expected things to blow up this big.

—

—

“What?”

“AIDS? Did my prediction really come true?” Chen Yuzhe stared at Han Cheng in disbelief.

“You can say that again,” Han Cheng sighed. “Not only that, almost all the diseases you guessed earlier turned out true.”

“Syphilis has reached stage three. AIDS has passed the incubation period. And senior Li Wanmei is already one month pregnant…”

Wow. This was intense. Chen Yuzhe couldn’t help but marvel.

Honestly, when he’d first threatened Huang Yanchen with syphilis as a bluff, he’d casually added, “What if you caught some other incurable disease?” He had no proof—just a wild guess.

But now, after the hospital tests confirmed AIDS, everything had spiraled out of control.

Everyone knew what AIDS meant. For college students like Huang Yanchen and Li Wanmei, their futures were already half-ruined at such a young age.

That was the conservative view. Saying their lives were completely ruined wouldn’t be wrong either.

AIDS was something ordinary people desperately avoided. Even if Huang Yanchen and Li Wanmei returned to campus life, nothing would ever be the same.

Huang Yanchen could be called self-inflicted.

But Li Wanmei…

Anyone with basic knowledge knew AIDS wasn’t hereditary but easily transmitted to infants. Now, burdened by illness and carrying an innocent life inside her, the mental pressure on this young woman was unimaginable.

What a tragic girl.

“By the way, how did you find out?” Chen Yuzhe asked curiously. “Has this blown up so much that even outsiders know?”

“Sigh. It’s a mess,” Han Cheng’s expression darkened. “It started because they got tested at this same hospital. When I was running errands for Jiang Xiaoyao, the lobby was staging the ultimate soap-opera drama.”

“Li Wanmei’s parents and Huang Yanchen’s parents were screaming at each other, hurling insults, even coming to blows. Huang Yanchen was bruised all over—probably beaten up a lot. Li Wanmei just sat alone, crying.”

“Normally, family scandals stay private. But in a crowded hospital, reporters showed up within hours…”

Chen Yuzhe’s eyes narrowed.

That was game over.

“Reporters don’t care about your feelings or privacy,” Han Cheng sneered. “They smell news like rabid dogs, rushing over to ask everything.”

“You know, this drama is perfect clickbait. Headlines like ‘Shocking! College students’ messy affairs: unmarried girl pregnant and HIV-positive’—stuff like that draws massive clicks.”

“So…” Chen Yuzhe hesitated. “This has completely blown up? Everyone knows now?”

“It peaked at number two on Weibo’s hot search. What do you think?” Han Cheng gave him a look.

Yeah. Chen Yuzhe rubbed his temples, a headache brewing.

The scandal wasn’t good. Jiang Xiaoyao, previously rumored to be involved with Huang Yanchen, might face some backlash. But her clean medical report would clear her once the storm passed.

For the two at the center, though, it was total ruin.

Logically, this had nothing to do with Chen Yuzhe. He hadn’t caused the AIDS or pregnancy—no one could blame him.

Yet lately, the whole ordeal kept replaying in his mind, leaving him with mixed emotions.

—

—

After watching variety shows with Jiang Xiaoyao all evening and finally coaxing her to sleep, Chen Yuzhe headed out to buy a drink before returning to his dorm.

A can of cola rolled out of the vending machine. He pulled the tab and gulped it down.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a thin, familiar figure nearby.

Li Wanmei.

She wore a hospital gown, looking extremely frail. Her hair was dry, her face sallow, her eyes deeply sunken—utterly unrecognizable from before. Heartbreaking.

In just two or three days, a vibrant girl had been reduced to this. Chen Yuzhe sighed.

Past ten at night, the ward corridor was nearly empty. Only the nurse’s station light glowed. No one noticed Li Wanmei’s movements.

Glancing at her direction, Chen Yuzhe shook his head helplessly. He downed the rest of his cola, tossed the can into the trash, and turned to follow her.