Shu Ci: “I’m done for now, just wait a little longer!”
Shu Ci: “Little cat peek.jpg”
Lu Xianyan, probably looking at his phone, immediately replied: “Okay.”
His messages were always short and concise. Shu Ci was about to switch to something else when another message popped up:
A photo from Lu Xianyan—his coffee half-drunk.
Lu Xianyan: “Waiting for you.”
To anyone else, it might seem trivial, but Shu Ci didn’t see it that way.
He felt Lu Xianyan had changed.
Less cold.
Their dynamic seemed to be slowly returning to how it was in the “middle period.”
Shu Ci had been especially dependent on Lu Xianyan during that time. The helplessness he felt in the restroom earlier turned into a wave of frustration, and he couldn’t help but vent:
Shu Ci: “I don’t think the treatment is working.”
He rested his face in his arm, speaking in short bursts, waiting for Lu Xianyan’s responses before continuing:
Shu Ci: “I just had a flare-up… feeling uncomfortable.”
The sensation in his mouth wasn’t fully relieved.
But he just wanted to vent, not make the other person worry.
Shu Ci had always been a well-behaved child.
Shu Ci: “But it’s okay now, all better.”
Shu Ci: “I’ll be done in a few minutes.”
Just after sending that, Ming Li arrived. Shu Ci turned off his phone, thanked Lu Xianyan, and put his books in his bag.
He had wanted to say goodbye to the silently sitting Fu Zhiheng, but seeing his serious expression, he didn’t dare.
Carrying his bag, he almost reached the corridor’s end when someone suddenly tugged at his jacket from behind, then let go quickly—
Shu Ci turned.
Fu Zhiheng stood very close.
The man’s cold, sharp features and proximity created a strong sense of pressure.
Shu Ci instinctively stepped back.
“Something wrong?” he asked, confused.
Fu Zhiheng, in his usual nonchalant tone: “You forgot something.”
He handed over the smoothie.
Oh, right—he’d forgotten that.
Shu Ci took it, politely thanked him.
Just as he was about to leave, Fu Zhiheng added: “Also…”
Huh?
A medical record appeared in front of him.
Seeing it was his own psychologist visit, Shu Ci hurriedly snatched it from him.
“…Thanks.”
Praying Fu Zhiheng hadn’t noticed what was written, his hopes were shattered:
“You have this condition?”
Shu Ci stiffened, hands clenching his clothes.
Fu Zhiheng continued: “Was that why earlier in the restroom?”
Shu Ci wanted to deny it but eventually whispered a small “yes.”
He wanted to leave, but Fu Zhiheng kept asking:
“Do you miss family a lot?”
“Yeah… biting,” he admitted. Not just people—anything could be bitten.
“Biting people?”
Fu Zhiheng stood like a wall, blocking him firmly.
Later, Lu Xianyan’s expression seemed even more troubled.
After a pause, his tone stiffened slightly: “He can’t talk to you like that.”
Shu Ci froze, unaware his cheeks were heating up.
The feeling of being protected was strangely comforting.
Back home, Shu Ci immersed himself in editing comics on his computer.
He often lost track of time until his stomach started aching faintly.
Before he could prepare a meal, someone knocked at the bedroom door.
Shu Ci didn’t move; Lu Xianyan came over instead: “Dinner’s ready.”
Shu Ci muttered a perfunctory “Mm” without looking up: “You eat first, I’ll be there soon.”
A couple minutes passed. Noticing the door hadn’t closed, he glanced up—Lu Xianyan was still standing there, eyes fixed on him.
Realizing he couldn’t ignore him, Shu Ci immediately got up.
Dinner was eaten quickly, with Shu Ci unconsciously finishing more than usual. Afterwards, he didn’t return to the bedroom immediately, choosing to help Lu Xianyan clean the table.
Two guys in the kitchen was a bit crowded; Shu Ci bumped his back several times. After tidying up, Lu Xianyan went straight to shower, likely to escape the lingering food smells.
Shu Ci sank into the sofa, playing games on the TV, when he received a message from Fu Zhiheng—not about work.
Fu Zhiheng: “How do you treat that condition?”
Fu Zhiheng: “Do you need someone to help?”
He seemed genuinely concerned.
Shu Ci hesitated. First, biting people was embarrassing to talk about; second, he worried Fu Zhiheng would misunderstand his intentions.
But ignoring it would be rude.
He stared at his phone, unsure how to reply.
While he was typing, another message popped up:
Fu Zhiheng: “I can help you with treatment.”
Shu Ci widened his eyes in surprise.
Fu Zhiheng wasn’t as cold as he seemed—he actually seemed willing to help.
However, Shu Ci already had Lu Xianyan to assist him.
He politely declined: “Thanks, I’ve already found a friend to help.”
Fu Zhiheng instantly replied: “Today?”
Shu Ci sent an emoji.
Fu Zhiheng: “Boyfriend?”
Shu Ci didn’t know how to respond.
He found it strange—he clearly said friend, so why was it misunderstood as boyfriend?
Ignoring it, he clarified politely: “Treatment together requires spending a lot of time together. We don’t live together, so it’s inconvenient and would take up too much of your time.”
Seconds later, Fu Zhiheng: “You and your boyfriend already live together?”
After repeatedly mentioning a boyfriend, Shu Ci worried Fu Zhiheng might think he was planning marriage.
“I don’t have a boyfriend.”
Finally, no more questions. Shu Ci exhaled, returning to his game—until another message popped up:
Fu Zhiheng: “Really don’t need my help?”
Shu Ci: “I didn’t want to say, but some men outside are really bad, taking advantage.”