Five, I am truly not ill.

By the time the two of them arrived at the hospital, it was already noon.

The old man pulled two two-meter-long chains from his pocket, wrapping them round and round the bicycle’s wheels before locking it to the nearby railing. Only then did he detach the seat, tuck it under his arm, and, satisfied, lead Su Wan into the hospital.

Hospitals in those days were small, just two three-story inpatient buildings, with crowds of patients milling in and out of the entrance. Su Wan coughed as soon as she walked in, the sharp smell of disinfectant stinging her throat. The further they went, the more pungent the mix of odors became.

While waiting in line outside the consultation room, a woman in her fifties coughed thunderously, and after each fit, took a hearty bite of the chive pancake in her hand, filling the corridor with the aroma of chives. Unabashedly, Su Wan covered her nose, but the woman, oblivious, approached with curiosity and asked, “What’s wrong with the old man?”

Holding her breath, Su Wan backed away a step. “My grandfather isn’t sick. I hit my head and we’re here to have it checked.”

At this, the old woman’s brows knotted instantly, and she called out to the old man, “Why waste money for no reason when everything’s fine?”

He ignored her, hands clasped behind his back, waiting for the doctor to call their number. The woman hobbled closer, “It’s just a tiny scrape. Is it worth coming to the hospital for that? And for a girl, no less. You must really have money to burn.”

Su Wan stared at her in disbelief. What kind of person was this—did she have something wrong with her head?

The woman continued to shout at the old man’s back. Perhaps it was the smell from her mouth that finally got to him, because he spun around and glared, “I have money and want to spend it on my granddaughter. Is that any of your business?”

His forceful presence silenced her instantly. She shrank back, glared venomously at Su Wan, and hobbled off. Su Wan didn’t take it lying down; she winked at the woman in mock provocation and stuck out her tongue. The woman clenched her pancake in anger but dared not protest further, settling into the line behind them.

All the while, she kept staring at Su Wan with a resentful fixation, as if Su Wan had stolen something from her. The look made Su Wan’s back go cold. She edged closer to her grandfather, then glanced again at the woman.

Just then, the doctor called out from inside the consultation room, “Feng Zhaodi! Is Feng Zhaodi here?”

The woman hobbled quickly into the room. A few minutes later, she emerged as if her soul had left her body, her expression blank, clutching a slip of paper, swaying as if she might collapse at any moment.

A nurse called after her, “Auntie, the payment counter is over there.”

But the old woman waved her off without turning around. “I’m not getting treated.”

Watching her retreating figure, Su Wan couldn’t help but ask, “What was wrong with her? Why won’t she get treated?”

The nurse sighed, “Tuberculosis. It can be cured nowadays.”

Su Wan felt a sudden pang of sorrow, unsure why she was moved by this.

Just then, the doctor called her name, and she followed her grandfather into the consultation room.

The doctor was a young man who quickly treated Su Wan’s wound and told her grandfather it was nothing serious.

But the old man was unconvinced. “Young man, is this how you treat patients? My granddaughter’s injury is on her head. What if she turns out simple-minded?”

The doctor smiled helplessly and held up two fingers to Su Wan. “How many, little girl?”

Su Wan couldn’t help rolling her eyes. “Two.”

“No problem; she’s sharp as anything,” the doctor replied, ready to send them off.

The old man’s stern face showed his disapproval. “Are you even qualified? Isn’t there a more experienced doctor?”

“My granddaughter is clearly not right.”

Su Wan tugged at her grandfather’s sleeve, not understanding his obstinacy. “Grandpa, I’m fine.”

But the old man looked at her with deep meaning in his eyes, all the more convinced that Su Wan was unwell.

The old Su Wan had never been this lively, always dull and silent as a block of wood, never making a sound even when pricked by a needle. He had once fervently wished she would show more spirit, but now that she had changed, he found himself afraid.

The doctor sighed, “There’s a whole crowd of patients waiting outside. I can write you a guarantee: if anything happens to your granddaughter, you can come find me. My surname’s Chen, Chen Tianyu.”

Chen Tianyu? Wasn’t that the second brother of the female lead? Such a coincidence?

Su Wan looked at the doctor. “Do you have a sister named Chen Wanjun?”

Dr. Chen glanced at her in surprise. “You know my sister?”

Before he could finish, the consultation room door was flung open. A beautiful girl in a pale yellow dress with two braids stepped inside. “Brother, time for lunch.”

Her lips were red, her teeth white, and her bright eyes sparkled with the unique innocence and vitality of the era.

But even in the presence of such beauty, both Su Wan and her grandfather’s eyes landed immediately on her wrists.

She wore a pair of delicate silver bracelets—the very ones the original host’s mother had left her. The original host had worn them since she was fourteen, but later, when Wang Luo couldn’t afford his tuition, she’d given them to him out of infatuation. Who would have thought Wang Luo would shamelessly offer them to the female lead as a token of affection?

Fury welled up in Su Wan, and she stood abruptly, ready to demand the bracelets back. But the system’s voice chimed in: “Warning: Cannon fodder supporting characters are not qualified to fight the female lead for anything.”

Su Wan could only swallow her anger.

Just as she was about to let it go, her grandfather spoke up, his tone severe as he glared at the girl. “Where did those bracelets come from?”

Startled by his imposing manner, Chen Wanjun shrank behind her brother. Chen Tianyu quickly extended his arm to shield her. “This is a hospital, please don’t make a scene.”

Su Wan, abandoning any concern for being out of character, stood up as well. “The bracelets on your sister’s wrist were left to me by my mother. That’s why my grandfather asked.”

Chen Tianyu was unconvinced. “There are many bracelets like these. How can you be sure they’re yours?”

For a moment, Su Wan didn’t know how to prove it, but her grandfather’s deep voice sounded from behind her. “Look at the inside of the bracelet. Is it inscribed with, ‘Willow branches bend gently in the pavilion, hearts entwined, longing to send them forth’?”

Chen Tianyu took his sister’s hand and examined the bracelet closely. His expression changed instantly. Still, he refused to believe it—his sister was pure and upright; she would never accept someone else’s things.

“Maybe all bracelets of this design have that line of poetry,” he argued.

The old man snorted again. “Then perhaps you should check the other bracelet as well.”

In silence, Chen Tianyu took his sister’s other hand and examined it minutely, gripping her wrists so firmly the skin reddened beneath the pressure.

After a long moment, his whole body stiffened. When he finally looked up, his eyes had turned cold. “Where did these bracelets come from?”