The next day, before dawn, the sky was still wrapped in thick, ink-like darkness.
Lin Sui moved slightly and raised his head from inside a solid chest. Almost every second half of the night, he would be unconsciously pulled into Meng Chengyuan’s arms.
Listening to the steady, powerful heartbeat of the person on his pillow, Lin Sui felt peaceful and grounded.
Lin Sui checked the time, then slowly extracted himself from Meng Chengyuan’s embrace.
Next, he gently lifted the covers. The moment his feet touched the floor, a piercing chill instantly surged from his soles through his entire body. He knitted his brows slightly, but ignoring the cold, he quietly walked toward the bathroom.
After a quick wash, Lin Sui went to the kitchen and started busying himself with Meng Chengyuan’s breakfast.
He opened the cupboard and pulled out a few somewhat worn bowls and plates. As the dishes clinked together, making a faint sound, Lin Sui’s heart immediately leapt into his throat. He nervously turned his head to glance toward the bedroom, and only after ensuring he hadn’t awakened Meng Chengyuan did he slowly let out a sigh of relief.
After preparing the breakfast and placing it in a thermal container, Lin Sui went out for work.
His early morning part-time job was helping out at a breakfast shop.
The cold wind blew wildly through the air, and the atmosphere felt as though it had frozen into solid ice. Every breath Lin Sui took sent piercing cold straight down his nasal passages into his lungs, making his body tremble slightly against his will.
Hunching his shoulders, he walked along the road to the breakfast shop.
There were many small breakfast stalls setup along the roadside. Various snacks emitted enticing aromas, making Lin Sui swallow his saliva involuntarily.
His stomach also seemed to protest, letting out a low growl, but he couldn’t bring himself to spend money to buy a portion to fill his belly.
He had to save every single penny and work hard toward Meng Chengyuan’s medical expenses.
Lin Sui quickened his pace and finally arrived at his part-time job destination.
Just as he approached the entrance, a burst of sharp scolding reached his ears.
It was Zou Yu, the owner’s son. Ever since Lin Sui came to work here, he seemed to have made targeting Lin Sui a daily routine.
“Arriving so late; why didn’t you just not come at all?” Zou Yu’s brows were tightly knitted as he scolded with a face full of displeasure.
“Drooping your head with a long face all day, anyone who didn’t know better would think we owed you something.” Crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes remained firmly fixed on Lin Sui.
Ever since seeing Lin Sui, Zou Yu had been talking non-stop. His behavior was much like those childish boys who tease female classmates, seemingly just wanting to draw Lin Sui’s attention.
However, Lin Sui had no energy to tangle with him. Fatigue and helplessness intertwined in his eyes; he sighed, then walked silently into the back kitchen to help.
After two consecutive hours of hectic work, once the breakfast rush passed, Lin Sui finally had a moment to rest.
Zou Yu had been sent out by the shop owner to buy something, so Lin Sui’s ears were temporarily at peace.
The owner and his wife were actually quite nice people. Seeing that Lin Sui looked pale, the landlady handed him a bottle of milk and said gently, “Did you skip breakfast again? You can’t keep doing this at your young age; drink some milk to coat your stomach.”
Lin Sui hurriedly declined, waving his hands awkwardly: “No need, ma’am. I am not hungry.”
Insisted on by the landlady, however, he ultimately accepted the milk.
He indeed felt physical discomfort; after all, he had endured this kind of life for a whole month.
Even a body made of iron couldn’t withstand such strain.
There were no customers left at this point. After finishing the milk, Lin Sui began clearing the garbage off the dining tables and organizing the tables and chairs.
His movements were somewhat slow, as if every single action required immense effort.
After this, he could end his morning work.
Stepping out of the shop, Lin Sui stood by the roadside waiting for the bus. The discomfort in his body seemed to grow increasingly noticeable, and his head began to feel groggy.
He closed his eyes slightly, trying to ease the uncomfortable sensation, because he still had to go to his next workplace shortly.
Just then, Zou Yu happened to show up at the bus station. Spotting Lin Sui, he immediately trotted over and greeted him with forced familiarity: “What a coincidence, running into you even out here.”
Lin Sui didn’t like dealing with Zou Yu, so he merely gave a faint nod of acknowledgment without making a sound.
This attitude easily aroused Zou Yu’s temper instead. He took another step forward, shoved Lin Sui’s shoulder with his hand, and berated him: “Why are you acting like a mute all day? Don’t you know how to speak?”
Zou Yu hadn’t actually pushed very hard, but Lin Sui fell to the ground due to the heavy weakness in his body.
When his body hit the ground, it produced a dull thud. His head happened to knock against the roadside bus station sign, bringing a sharp wave of pain.
Clenching his teeth, Lin Sui tried to stand up from the ground, only to find that his body seemed to have lost all strength, unable to exert any force.
His hands pressed against the rough ground, his fingers trembling slightly as he struggled to prop up his body. Yet this frail body was like it had its spine pulled out, entirely limp.
Seeing Lin Sui’s pained expression after falling, a trace of panic surged in Zou Yu’s heart. Hesitating for a moment, he reached out his hand, intending to help Lin Sui up.
However, before his hand could touch Lin Sui, he was shoved away forcefully by another hand, accompanied by a restrained shout: “Get lost!”
Hearing the familiar voice, Lin Sui snapped his head up, only to realize that the person who had appeared by his side was Meng Chengyuan.
Lin Sui called out in pleasant surprise: “Brother Yuan, how come it’s you?” At the same time, the pain in his head and body seemed to disappear.
Meng Chengyuan scooped Lin Sui up. Unnoticed even by himself, his unconscious actions were gentle yet firm, making Zou Yu standing nearby feel as if Meng Chengyuan was holding a precious treasure.
Zou Yu stared blankly at Meng Chengyuan’s movements. When he looked up, he met the man’s sharp gaze.
With just a single glance, the culprit was awed into silence, freezing in place for a long time without recovering his senses.
Meng Chengyuan hailed a cab at the curb and got in together with Lin Sui in his arms.
Coming back to his senses, Lin Sui said anxiously: “Brother Yuan, I still have to go to work! I’m almost late.”
The faint irritation inside his chest was expanding. Meng Chengyuan took a deep breath and said, “Take the day off to rest today. Don’t go.”
Lin Sui was about to protest, but when he met the sharp severity in the man’s eyes, he timidly swallowed the remaining words back down. He knew that once Meng Chengyuan made up his mind, it was very hard to change it.
Meng Chengyuan continued: “It’s time you rested. Falling sick costs money too.” As he spoke, Meng Chengyuan raised his hand to gently rub Lin Sui’s head, right on the spot that had just been bumped, and his eyebrows unconsciously softened.
And Meng Chengyuan’s appearance here was no coincidence. In his free time, he would personally or send people to linger near Lin Sui, holding every action of this person firmly in his own grip to ensure the plan went without a hitch.
Moreover, Lin Sui’s older brother, Lin Mian, had fled abroad out of a guilty conscience and hadn’t dared to show himself under Meng Chengyuan’s nose to this day. Meng Chengyuan made such arrangements simply to kill two birds with one stone, while casually searching for traces of Lin Mian.
Hearing the phrase “costs money,” Lin Sui instantly snapped alert. He nodded obediently: “Mm, Brother Yuan is right. I can’t let myself fall sick.”
There was already one patient at home, pushing them near the end of their rope; he couldn’t make bad circumstances even worse.
And so, Lin Sui was brought back by Meng Chengyuan to rest.
However, Lin Sui ultimately fell sick anyway. After returning and lying in bed to rest, he ran a high fever.
At first, he didn’t realize it himself, assuming it was just whole-body exhaustion caused by overwork.
It was only when Meng Chengyuan came over to call him up to eat something that Lin Sui realized he seemed to have passed out asleep.
His head felt shrouded in a heavy mist. Meng Chengyuan’s figure swayed before his eyes, sometimes blurry and sometimes clear. He wanted to open his mouth to respond, but found his throat painfully dry, unable to utter a single sound.
Realizing Lin Sui’s abnormality, Meng Chengyuan fetched a thermometer to measure his temperature; Lin Sui was running a fever of 39.2°C.
Meng Chengyuan’s gaze instantly turned solemn. He tucked the corners of the quilt tight around Lin Sui, leaned down, and whispered gently in his ear: “Lie still and wait for me a moment.”
Lin Sui heard Meng Chengyuan’s request hazily and fell into a deep sleep once more.
Meng Chengyuan turned and went to the living room, dialing Xu Zhi’s phone: “Go buy fever medication and pork rib porridge. Bring them over immediately.”
At this moment, Meng Chengyuan did not notice that inside his eyes, which were usually adept at calculation, there was nothing else except worry.
Perhaps betrayed by his anxious tone, Xu Zhi thought it was Meng Chengyuan who was sick. Just as he was about to express concern, he was cut off by an urgent urge: “Hurry up.”
Xu Zhi’s heart chilled; he hurriedly replied: “Understood, Mr. Meng.” Not daring to delay for a second, he went quickly to fulfill Meng Chengyuan’s orders.
After buying the fever medication and pork rib porridge, Xu Zhi waited for Meng Chengyuan downstairs. Seeing the man appear completely fine, Xu Zhi roughly understood in his heart and asked further: “Mr. Meng, is Lin Sui sick?”
Meng Chengyuan took the items, turned, and walked off, leaving behind only a cold response and his fast-departing figure.
Xu Zhi pondered on the spot for a moment, but not daring to be meddlesome, he returned to handle the important matters at hand.
Holding the fever medication and a glass of warm water, Meng Chengyuan hurried back into the bedroom.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at Lin Sui’s flushed cheeks and tightly closed eyes, anxiety arose spontaneously in his heart.
He gently supported Lin Sui up, letting him lean against his chest.
Lin Sui’s body was soft and limp, his burning temperature pressing against Meng Chengyuan’s body.
Meng Chengyuan’s arm held him tightly, afraid he might slide down.
Meng Chengyuan picked up the fever medicine, carefully read the instructions, and after confirming the dosage, fed the tablet into Lin Sui’s mouth.
Then, he lifted the water glass, brought it carefully to Lin Sui’s lips, and said softly: “Come, take the medicine.”
Lin Sui heard Meng Chengyuan’s voice in a daze and opened his mouth slightly. Meng Chengyuan slowly poured the water into Lin Sui’s mouth, watching him swallow the pill.
Water droplets trickled down from the corner of Lin Sui’s mouth. Meng Chengyuan hastily wiped them away with his fingers. Lin Sui turned slightly, burying his cheek against Meng Chengyuan’s chest, and murmured: “Brother Yuan, you’re so good to me. I like you so much.”
Meng Chengyuan’s breath hitched, absently counting the chaotic, overlapping heartbeats ringing in his ears, one after another.