Food Supplements - Chapter 11

When Qin Cheng casually glanced through the mirrored wall at the three people who had caused the small commotion, she never expected her heart to start pounding so violently in the next second.

Had she suffered from heart disease instead of pancreatic cancer, she might already have collapsed from an attack.

In truth, even without any structural heart condition, her chest felt far from comfortable.

Her heart raced, yet she hardly dared to breathe. When that familiar figure appeared in the mirror without warning, Qin Cheng’s entire mind went blank.

For one brief moment, she even felt as though her secret had already been exposed and she was about to face judgment.

Fortunately, the elevator doors closed and it began moving in time.

Apart from the faint hum of machinery, everyone in the confined space seemed to freeze, no longer shifting around or glancing carelessly in every direction.

This gave Qin Cheng, pressed into the deepest corner, a faint sense of security.

Clinging to that tiny reassurance, she finally managed to steady her heartbeat and force herself to calm down a little.

Why was she here?

Once Qin Cheng recovered a trace of composure, thoughts began surfacing uncontrollably one after another.

Her initial fear had naturally been irrational. Chu Qinyi could not possibly have come here because of her. This was probably nothing more than coincidence.

But why had she appeared at this hospital?

Admittedly, this was one of the country’s leading top-tier hospitals. Otherwise, Qin Cheng would never have gone to such lengths to choose it for her treatment.

But one of the very reasons she had selected it was because it lay far outside Chu Qinyi’s usual circle of activity, several districts away.

Reality had unfolded exactly as Qin Cheng expected.

For years, unless she deliberately arranged otherwise, the two of them had moved like planets in separate orbits, with no possibility of suddenly colliding.

That was precisely why this unexpected encounter inside the elevator instantly covered her in cold sweat.

Could it be that someone had been hospitalized and she was visiting them?

That was Qin Cheng’s first guess, but it did not seem very reasonable.

She knew that Chu Qinyi’s family did not live in this city. And if some less important acquaintance had been hospitalized, even if propriety required her to visit, Chu Qinyi would never rush over during the busiest daytime hours and squeeze into a crowded public elevator.

Then… had she come for medical treatment?

No.

Impossible.

Qin Cheng rejected that possibility even faster than the first.

She shook her head, stole another quick glance at the reflection, then immediately looked away again like a guilty thief.

Given Chu Qinyi’s current wealth and resources, she certainly had a permanent private physician. She would never visit a hospital for some minor illness, much less cross several districts to come here.

Unless…

Unless it was something beyond the ability of a private doctor.

Something that required the large-scale equipment of a top-tier hospital for diagnosis, or even treatment.

The moment the thought appeared, Qin Cheng’s heart tightened painfully.

This time, she forgot her guilt entirely. She raised her head and stared fixedly at the reflected figure, desperate to discover some clue.

The elevator continued rising slowly and had already passed the third floor.

It stopped at every level, with large numbers of people entering and leaving.

However, protected by the young doctor, the two women standing beside the elevator buttons were barely disturbed. They remained facing the doors, waiting with calm composure.

Because of their position, Qin Cheng, trapped in the innermost corner and facing the mirrored wall, had only glimpsed Chu Qinyi’s full face during the two or three seconds when she first entered.

For the rest of the ride, Qin Cheng could see only the back of her head and part of her profile.

Even that was enough.

As she stared at the tall, graceful back reflected in the mirror, her desire to examine Chu Qinyi for signs of illness gradually faded.

Even the many emotions churning inside her slowly receded without a sound.

So clear.

So close.

This was the nearest they had been since separating.

Less than two meters lay between them.

They were even breathing the same air.

She really had lost weight.

Her back looked too tense.

And she was wearing high heels. Had she remembered to get regular massages?

Was she still addicted to coffee?

Qin Cheng’s gaze gradually became lingering and unfocused.

For a while, she nearly drifted out of herself and forgot where she was.

Perhaps even through a reflection, her stare was too heated and intense.

The tall woman standing calmly near the elevator doors suddenly frowned and turned her head, casting a cold glance behind her.

For an instant, Qin Cheng imagined their gazes meeting in the mirror.

Her heart nearly leapt out of her throat.

She immediately lowered her head, avoiding any angle from which she could be seen.

She wished she could clutch the hairpin and vanish on the spot, but with people pressed together on all sides, she could only think about it.

The woman did not merely glance once.

“President Chu, is something wrong?” the short-haired woman beside her asked quietly.

Chu Qinyi did not answer.

Her sharp, scrutinizing gaze continued sweeping repeatedly across the densely packed heads inside the elevator.

Under that inspection, Qin Cheng—normally calm under pressure and unafraid even of death—could only close her eyes, draw in her neck, and lower her head.

Pressed tightly against the wall, she nearly curled herself into a tiny quail.

Fortunately, the scrutiny was so sharp and obvious that many people in the elevator shifted uncomfortably.

A few even coughed unnaturally in protest, unintentionally providing Qin Cheng with cover.

Even more fortunately, the elevator soon reached another floor.

After a brief pause and a soft chime, the doors slowly opened again.

“President Chu, this is our floor,” the short-haired woman reminded her.

The searching gaze finally withdrew.

Then all three people, including the young doctor, stepped out of the elevator and disappeared from view.

The fourth floor.

Internal medicine, surgery, and the specialist outpatient department.

Qin Cheng opened her eyes.

Although she felt as though she had escaped a disaster, the doubt and worry in her heart returned—stronger than before.

Afraid of exposing herself, she had not dared to leave the elevator with them.

But Qin Cheng was familiar with many parts of the hospital.

When the elevator reached the fifth floor, she stepped out immediately and hurried toward the stairwell.

Before long, she reached the fourth-floor outpatient department from another direction.

Where were they?

Where had they gone?

By now, Qin Cheng had completely forgotten her own plans.

She hurried around, searching in every direction, focused only on finding the three people again.

But the floor was enormous.

Once they left her line of sight, finding them again among countless men, women, children, and elderly patients was nearly impossible.

Qin Cheng moved through the crowds, anxiously searching while also trying not to attract too much attention.

She repeatedly checked the names displayed on the registration and waiting screens.

In the end, she found nothing.

After wasting so much time, she estimated that even if Chu Qinyi had undergone an examination, it might already be over.

Qin Cheng waited near the elevators for a long while.

Eventually, she even went directly to the underground parking garage.

Still, she discovered nothing useful.

More than an hour passed as she went back and forth.

After making one large circuit, Qin Cheng finally returned to the hospital entrance and sat on a bench tucked into the corner of a flower bed.

All right…

After sitting there for a while, she slowly exhaled.

She looked at the bustling stream of people, rubbed her temples, and admitted that once again, something had begun without reaching any conclusion.

She casually touched her back.

At some point, a fine layer of sweat had formed there. When the light breeze touched it, a chill ran over her skin, making her deeply uncomfortable.

Her heart felt equally unsettled.

Too many questions were lodged inside it with nowhere to go.

Since Chu Qinyi had left the elevator on the fourth floor, her visit was most likely connected to medical treatment.

Did she truly need some large hospital machine for an examination?

Had she encountered some difficult condition that her private doctor could not handle, requiring a specialist?

What was wrong with her?

No.

She could not think recklessly.

Qin Cheng had replayed the birthday video countless times. Other than looking thinner, Chu Qinyi’s complexion had not seemed especially poor.

She had also appeared energetic inside the elevator just now.

Even if something was wrong, it could not be serious.

Besides, seeking medical treatment did not necessarily mean anything severe.

Sometimes a minor but puzzling condition required specialist care.

And perhaps there was no difficult condition at all.

She should stop cursing Chu Qinyi with ominous thoughts.

Qin Cheng repeatedly rubbed her temples, but the headache only worsened.

She had no choice but to remind herself over and over not to overthink or fall into pessimism.

A phone call finally pulled her out of the spiral.

“Hello, daughter. We’ve finished eating and come home. Why aren’t you here? Where did you go?”

Hearing her mother’s familiar voice, Qin Cheng suddenly realized that it was already close to three in the afternoon.

Regret immediately rose in her chest.

She had missed her appointment.

It was now too late to register for another consultation.

It seemed nothing more could be done today.

“I’m fine… The weather looked good, so I went out for a walk. I also thought I might buy some fruit on the way. I’ll be home soon,” she replied.

“Oh, I see.”

Her mother did not sound suspicious.

Perhaps because she was in a good mood, there was even a smile in her voice.

“Then, if it’s convenient, bring back some spring onions too. The same kind you bought last time. Choose carefully—they have to be fresh and tender.”

“Mm, all right. How much do you need? Okay, I’ve got it. Don’t worry. Bye, Mom.”

After ending the simple call, Qin Cheng stood, brushed off her clothes, temporarily pushed aside her distracting thoughts, and forced herself to recover before heading home.

When she passed a fruit shop, she deliberately went inside and selected several red-fleshed dragon fruits.

For one thing, they supported the excuse she had given.

For another, the fruit was uncommon in her hometown. Even if it was available, knowing her mother’s frugality, the older woman probably would not buy it.

This would let her try something new.

As for the spring onions, Qin Cheng planned to find an empty place near home, enter the lake realm, and harvest them there.

Taking them straight from the soil and immediately using them for cooking would make them as fresh as possible.

Her mother would certainly be satisfied.

That was the plan.

But plans rarely survived reality.

Before she even reached the area near home, Qin Cheng realized she would have to find somewhere private sooner than expected.

Perhaps she had exhausted herself running around earlier.

Halfway home, the pain that had remained quiet for several days returned with sudden ferocity.

It caught her completely unprepared.

Worse, she had accomplished nothing during her hospital visit.

Drenched in sweat, Qin Cheng forced herself to turn into a familiar shopping mall nearby.

After several turns, she found a secluded restroom, entered the last stall, and locked the door.

In that brief amount of time, the pain had already become severe.

When she appeared beside the lake, her entire body was weak and she could barely remain standing.

The plastic bag in her hand fell heavily to the ground, and the fruit rolled everywhere.

Honestly, even in the middle of an attack, Qin Cheng still cared about the expensive fruit she had carefully selected.

Forcing herself to stagger several steps away from the scattered pieces, she finally collapsed onto the ground as stars filled her vision.

After that, she had no strength to care about anything.

She had already used up all the scattered old pills.

There was nothing she could do except endure the pain until she reached her limit and fainted.

When she finally woke from her daze and checked her phone again, nearly five hours had passed.

Five hours.

Unless she had calculated incorrectly, that should equal…

About half an hour in the real world.

The pale-faced woman gave a bitter smile.

At least she had found one satisfying thing today.

After resting a little longer, Qin Cheng struggled upright.

She patted her cheeks, forcing a faint trace of color back into them.

Then she found a second small consolation amid the misery.

The expensive fruit she had remembered to protect despite everything had cooperated.

Most of it was unharmed.

At worst, a few pieces were bruised, but they would still be fine if eaten quickly.

She hurriedly collected everything and put it back into the bags.

Then she cut several handfuls of spring onions and added those as well.

After returning to reality, she stepped out of the restroom stall carrying two full bags of fruit and vegetables.

Ignoring the startled gaze of the cleaning attendant, she calmly left the restroom.

The place might have been cleaned thoroughly, but next time…

Unless absolutely necessary, she should probably choose somewhere private other than a restroom.

Even with the advantage of the time difference, she had still been delayed for more than half an hour.

So when Qin Cheng hurried back to the building, she was mildly scolded.

It turned out the two mothers had already rolled out the dough and completed all the other preparations. They had only been waiting for her to bring back the spring onions.

“The two of us old women came back full and satisfied, only to find that little Nuonuo had eaten nothing but a bit of rice cake. How could that be enough? Since we had nothing else to do, I thought I’d make one of our hometown snacks for her to try.”

Mother Qin explained cheerfully.

She took the spring onions with one hand and brushed dust from Qin Cheng’s clothes with the other, sounding half reproachful and half concerned.

“Besides, I guessed that you wouldn’t eat properly either, would you? Go wash your face and hands. We’ll finish together, then eat.”

As a result, no one paid attention to the expensive fruit Qin Cheng had bought.

Instead, she was forced to join her mother in a familiar session of handmade cooking.

Fortunately, whatever they made, Qin Cheng only had to assist, so it was not especially tiring.

The dough had already been kneaded and rested.

It looked plump, white, and inexplicably adorable.

Mother Qin skillfully pinched it into small portions, dusted them with dry flour, and rolled each into a large, thin wrapper.

They were extremely thin yet tough and springy, smooth as soft white silk.

Once the wrappers were ready, they spread on the filling.

The filling was simple, consisting mainly of spring onions and meat.

The onions were crisp and fragrant.

The meat was minced pork with a balanced amount of fat and lean meat.

After adding minced ginger, sesame oil, light soy sauce, and other seasonings, the mixture was stirred until sticky, then spread generously over the wrapper in a thick, substantial layer.

Only after the filling was added did the difficult part begin.

The thin dough had to be folded layer by layer, with the edges pressed firmly closed.

Then it was lightly flattened with a rolling pin.

Too little pressure, and it would not hold together properly.

Too much, and the filling would quite literally burst out.

Once the technical step was complete, Qin Cheng could handle the rest.

She heated a flat pan, added a little oil, and slowly fried each pastry over low heat until both sides became golden brown.

The snack was not exactly a local specialty.

It was simply something Qin Cheng had eaten often since childhood.

Its name was equally simple: spring onion meat pancakes.

They were not unique, but every family prepared them a little differently.

Mother Qin’s version had crisp, fragrant layers, thin pastry, and generous filling.

Naturally, they tasted excellent.

Qin Cheng cooked the first few.

When they emerged golden and fragrant, they looked so tempting that even the landlady, who had returned full from the buffet, repeatedly insisted on trying one.

As she tasted them, she ended up swallowing two whole pancakes.

When Mother Qin later took over the frying, she worked even faster.

Before long, seven or eight had been cooked and carried upstairs so the two younger women could eat together.

Things were easier the second time around.

The autistic girl behaved better than she had during the previous meal.

Perhaps the pancakes were simply too fragrant.

The spring onions not only added pleasing touches of green and a rich aroma, but also made the meat filling juicier, softer, and more flavorful.

Even Qin Cheng, who had just suffered an attack and forced herself to take the first bite, had to admit that it was delicious.

One daughter ate while thinking quietly.

The other kept her head lowered and ate without stopping.

Under their mothers’ affectionate gazes, the two young women finished one pancake after another.

Before long, only two remained.

“I ate something outside, so I’m already full,” Qin Cheng said.

Then she wiped her hands and naturally pushed the plate toward the other girl.

In a gentle, conversational tone, she asked, “So could you take care of the last two?”

She truly could not eat any more.

Although the food tasted good, perhaps because of the recent attack, or because something continued weighing on her heart, her chest still felt slightly tight no matter how she tried to adjust.

However, the gesture probably looked different to everyone else.

Mother Qin smiled with satisfaction.

The landlady smiled as well.

She seemed about to say something, but in the end, she did not.

Before she could, a tiny voice, soft as the buzz of a mosquito, spoke first.

“…Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Eat more if you like them,” Qin Cheng replied with a smile.

She answered entirely out of habit and did not think anything of it.

Only when she noticed the landlady’s overjoyed, deeply moved expression did a faint feeling stir in her heart.

A premonition that something was about to happen.

Sure enough, that evening, after the older woman pulled her newly made friend aside and whispered with her for a long time, Mother Qin returned to the room and announced a new decision.

“Your Aunt Xu wants to pay me to cook for her daughter. Five thousand a month, and she’ll waive your rent too.”

The thrifty, practical mother smiled cheerfully.

“So I’ve decided to stay for a few more months and keep you company.”

For many reasons she could not speak aloud, Qin Cheng naturally tried to object.

But her reasons were too weak.

Her objections failed.

In the end, Qin Cheng pressed a hand to her forehead, once again feeling the helplessness and powerlessness of being toyed with by fate.

It seemed she had indeed been thinking too much when she imagined her luck had improved.