Love Rival

"Dong Hua, are you awake yet? I'm leaving now to meet Ye Qingti at the cafeteria. I'll be back shortly."

Dong Hua had his eyes closed, and he was lying in bed with his back facing her. He didn't respond, so she left for the cafeteria.

Dong Hua feigned sleep because he didn't know how to make her stay. He was feeling bitter and jealous about them meeting, but he didn't want her to know.

Out of a sudden, he came up with a great plan in his head. He decided to follow Feng Jiu secretly, acting like it was a coincidence, and then find out what is going on between them.

He smiled to himself and tip-toed to the door to check if Feng Jiu was gone. After realizing that she was long gone, he slowly left the room.

He headed straight for the cafeteria, knowing fully well that Feng Jiu was there.

Upon reaching the cafeteria, he sneakily hid around the corner. He scanned the area to try to find his Jiu-er and Ye Qingti, and he spotted them sitting at a far corner of the cafeteria.

"How secretive." He bitterly thought to himself.

He straightened his shirt and made sure that his hair was neat before walking over to them. He didn't want to lose out to Ye Qingti, and he wanted to look his best even though he was dressed in hospital clothing.

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Feng Jiu went quiet instantly after noticing Dong Hua coming their way. She stood up immediately and exclaimed, "What are you doing here, Dong Hua?!"

"Oh... What a coincidence, Jiu-er! I didn't expect to see you here. I woke up, but you were gone. It was stuffy in the room, so I came out to breathe some fresh air. And, who is this man beside you?" Dong Hua smiled with an innocent look on his face.

Feng Jiu gave a half-smile, and thought to herself, "Dong Hua is so shameless! He knew that I was meeting Ye Qingti today. I know he wanted to come along, but I didn't expect that he would come up with such a silly excuse. I'll forgive him this time because he looks so cute when he's acting this way!"

Then she replied to Dong Hua, "If you're feeling stuffy, you should go ahead and take a stroll in the park downstairs! We are talking about something important now. I'll come to find you later."

Dong Hua's smile instantly turned to a frown. He felt hurt because Feng Jiu didn't want him to be there.

Ye Qingti then stood up to shake Dong Hua's hand and introduced himself.

"Hey! I'm Ye Qingti, Feng Jiu's best friend. And you are?"

"Oh. I'm Dong Hua, Jiu-er's boyfriend."

"What?! Boy... Boyfriend?!" Feng Jiu exclaimed in shock.

"I didn't know you had a boyfriend despite knowing you for so long, Feng Jiu." Ye Qingti said while trying to hide his sadness.

"Yes, Jiu-er. The nurses had already told me about our relationship. They mentioned that you're my girlfriend, and you took great care of me all night when I was unconscious." Dong Hua turned to stare at Ye Qingti with a smirk on his face.

"Umm... About that, I'll explain that to you later on. Go on, continue your walk. I'm busy here." Feng Jiu said while pushing Dong Hua away, trying to make him leave.

Dong Hua pouted, and said with sadness in his voice."Fine... I'll leave. I'll wait for you at my ward, Jiu-er."

"Don't worry. I'll make it quick. Go get some rest now!" Feng Jiu patted Dong Hua's back, trying to reassure him.

Dong Hua bowed his head and walked away sadly. He couldn't stop thinking about what Feng Jiu said.

"Why did she not want me to be there? Why did she not admit that I was her boyfriend in front of Ye Qingti? Does she like him too?" These thoughts flooded his mind as he slowly walked back to his ward.

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"Qingti, hear me out. It's a misunderstanding. I only claimed to be his girlfriend because I needed to sign the consent form for his surgery, and it was an urgent situation." Feng Jiu then told Ye Qingti everything about her past with Dong Hua and Tai Chen Group.

"Don't worry, Feng Jiu. I know you're trying to make it up to Dong Hua because he saved you. I'll be there for you whenever you need me." Ye Qingti reassured Feng Jiu.

Then they smiled at each other and continued to talk about their daily lives. They finished their lunch quickly before parting ways, as Feng Jiu didn't want Dong Hua to wait too long.

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Feng Jiu walked into the ward to see Dong Hua all curled up in bed, with the blanket over his head.

"I'm back now, Dong Hua!" Feng Jiu excitedly exclaimed.

"......"

"Dong Hua, are you asleep? Lian Song and Si Ming will be coming over to visit you tonight. Do you still remember them? They are your good friends." Feng Jiu walked over to check on Dong Hua because he didn't respond.

"No... I'm not. I'm just thinking." Dong Hua pulled down his blanket and said softly.

Feng Jiu then noticed Dong Hua was pouting, and she realized that something was bothering him.

"What's wrong, Dong Hua? Are you upset because I didn't let you join us at lunch?"

Dong Hua instantly sat up and asked Feng Jiu, "Who do you like more? Me or Ye Qingti?"

"What..? Why are you asking me this? Ye Qingti is my best friend, and you're my ...."

Feng Jiu stuttered because she didn't know what to say. Her relationship with Dong Hua was complicated. They weren't friends; in fact, they were strangers before this incident.

"My what? Who am I to you, Jiu-er? Why didn't you admit that I'm your boyfriend, in front of Ye Qingti?" Dong Hua interrupted her.

"Listen, Dong Hua. I'm sorry that I lied about being your girlfriend. The hospital needed your next of kin to sign the consent form for your surgery. I was panicking, and I didn't know who to contact at that time."

"I don't care, Jiu-er! You said that you're my girlfriend, so you have to take full responsibility for me!" Dong Hua was acting like a child, and her heart melted.

"Don't be silly, Dong Hua. Although you're not my boyfriend, you're still important to me." Feng Jiu smiled and patted Dong Hua's head.

Dong Hua's face brightened, and his eyes lit up as he broke into a wide smile upon hearing what Feng Jiu said. He was pleased to know that he was important to her.

Deep inside Feng Jiu's heart, she also wished that she was Dong Hua's girlfriend. But she knew that this isn't real. She sadly thought to herself that once Dong Hua recovers his memory, he would return to his own life and leave her behind again.

Dong Hua, how can I resist you when you look at me like that?