A fierce gale howled outside, rattling the small window in Xu Yan’s bedroom with a persistent creak.
Little Xu Yan clutched the corner of his blanket, pulling it up until only his wide, frightened eyes were visible, staring anxiously at the swaying window.
Don’t be scared, don’t be scared. Mom said she’s expecting a baby now. I’m eight years old—a big boy—I have to take care of myself! Little Xu Yan patted his chest to reassure himself, then tiptoed out of bed and approached the window.
Stretching out his chubby little arm, he struggled to hoist his short leg onto the desk, straining his body to reach the blown-open window.
“Xu Yan! What are you doing!” Gu Xiaorou shouted, her pregnant belly protruding. Little Xu Yan flinched and withdrew his hand, his eyes wide with confusion.
“Mom, the window opened…” Xu Yan shrank his neck and pointed timidly at the window.
Gu Xiaorou, hands on her hips, scolded angrily, “Can’t you let me worry a little less? Always causing trouble! You’re eight years old—can’t you be more sensible?”
Little Xu Yan fell silent, bewildered. He had tried to close the window precisely so his mom wouldn’t have to worry. Why was she saying he wasn’t sensible?
“Xu Yan, you really live up to your name—so annoying.”
A torrent of harsh words washed over little Xu Yan. The small boy hugged himself tightly, curling into a ball to shield against the verbal onslaught. The surrounding darkness felt terrifying. Burying his head between his knees, he thought to himself, It’ll be better when I grow up.
It’ll be better when I grow up.
“Xu Yan.” A familiar, cool voice sounded above little Xu Yan’s head. In the darkness, he cautiously looked up. A sliver of light suddenly broke through. Seizing the chance, he stretched out his short, chubby hand and grabbed it!
Xu Yan jolted awake on the sickbed in the school infirmary.
His eyes met the familiar ceiling with its sterile fluorescent light. The pungent smell of disinfectant churned his stomach, making him nauseous.
Shifting his gaze downward, he realized his right hand was gripping Ji Ran’s hand tightly.
For a moment, Xu Yan was dazed. Just as he was about to let go, Ji Ran immediately seized his hand again and asked in a low voice, “Where are you going?”
“I…” Xu Yan couldn’t find the words. He just felt awkward—a grown guy clinging to his deskmate’s hand because he was sick.
“To the bathroom,” Xu Yan finally blurted out after a long pause, his face flushing bright red. Whether it was from the fever or the awkwardness, he couldn’t tell.
Ji Ran immediately stood up, walked around to Xu Yan’s left side, and took down the IV drip that was slowly trickling. Looking at Xu Yan on the bed, he said, “I’ll go with you.”
“I can manage on my own,” Xu Yan refused. As a seventeen-year-old, somewhat awkward high school boy, he didn’t want his desk mate watching him use the bathroom.
Ji Ran frowned, stating the facts, “Your fever is 39.7 degrees.”
“Still, no,” Xu Yan insisted stubbornly. He threw off the blanket, ready to go by himself, but the moment he stood up, his legs gave way and he stumbled. Fortunately, Ji Ran caught him steadily.
Was his fever really that bad?
“You just fainted. Are you planning to faint in the bathroom too?” Ji Ran said calmly.
But Xu Yan sensed Ji Ran was a bit angry and retorted unhappily, “I won’t faint in the bathroom. I don’t need you to worry. I’ll go by myself.”
“Or do you want the school nurse to go with you?” Ji Ran’s shocking remark left Xu Yan speechless.
The school nurse was a woman!
Xu Yan’s mouth opened and closed, opened and closed again as he stared at the composed Ji Ran before him, exclaiming in shock, “How can you talk to me like that?”
Ji Ran looked puzzled and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“You’re so fierce today.” Xu Yan’s tone carried a hint of grievance he himself hadn’t even noticed, but to Ji Ran, it sounded almost like a whimper.
“Hmm. My bad.” Ji Ran lowered his gaze to look at Xu Yan beside him. Even his round earlobes were flushed red from the fever. Unable to resist, Ji Ran gave one a gentle pinch and said, “Shall we go then?”
The pinch left Xu Yan looking even more dazed. Combined with the urgent pressure in his bladder that was already scattering his limited attention, he didn’t react immediately and simply agreed, “Oh, okay, let’s go.”
Ji Ran gave another soft chuckle at Xu Yan. To Xu Yan, that laugh seemed to carry a hint of smug satisfaction, as if some scheme had succeeded.
Ji Ran was getting stranger and stranger.
The infirmary at No. 3 High School was separate from the main teaching building, located in a standalone laboratory building. This place was usually deserted, so even the restroom felt exceptionally quiet.
Quiet, and a little awkward.
Inside the well-ventilated restroom, Xu Yan and Ji Ran were locked in a standoff.
Xu Yan gritted his teeth and insisted firmly, “Get out!”
Ji Ran found this utterly baffling. “Why?”
“Are you really going to watch me pee?” Xu Yan said urgently. “Bro, just hand me the IV bag and get out, please. I’m begging you, I can’t hold it anymore.”
“Why can’t I watch?” Ji Ran shot back. “Qiu Muyang can?”
Ahhh, what on earth was Ji Ran talking about?! Xu Yan was completely defeated. He decided to throw caution to the wind—closed his eyes, opened them again, unzipped his pants, and went.
Xu Yan thought to himself, he really was just an innocent high school boy. It was Ji Ran who was far from innocent.
With a dark expression, Xu Yan returned to the infirmary and sat on the bed, glaring coldly at Ji Ran. He was angry. He decided he wouldn’t speak to Ji Ran for a whole day.
His fever had subsided now, his head wasn’t dizzy anymore, and his legs felt steady. But time was passing too slowly—the IV bag still hadn’t finished dripping!
Feeling bored, Xu Yan stared at Ji Ran and was about to speak when he remembered the promise he’d just made to himself and shut his mouth.
“What did you want to say?” Ji Ran asked from beside him.
“Why aren’t you going back to class?” Xu Yan couldn’t hold back. “I’m feeling much better now. You could actually go back.”
“Not comfortable leaving you alone,” Ji Ran stated bluntly.
“Oh.” Xu Yan felt a twinge of guilt. He realized his attitude toward Ji Ran just now had been pretty bad. Maybe he should start talking to him again after all.
Clearing his throat, Xu Yan sat up straight and said formally, “I’m feeling perfectly fine now. You should go back. I’m counting on you for the class notes.”
“We’ll talk after the IV finishes.”
Xu Yan: “…”
Fine. He wouldn’t say another word.
During evening self-study, Xu Yan kept his eyes glued to the IV bag and finally saw the last drop slowly fall. Excited, he called out, “Nurse! Nurse, I’m done!”
The young school nurse walked over to Xu Yan’s bed, removed the needle, and said gently, “Next time you have a fever, don’t try to tough it out alone. You could pass out without even realizing it.”
“I recommend resting for another couple of days, and it would be best to go to the hospital for a proper check-up. I’ve given you two days’ worth of medication temporarily—your friend has it all. Go ask him for it.”
Xu Yan nodded. He definitely wasn’t going to the hospital.
Once outside the infirmary, Ji Ran was already waiting at the door and had even fetched a cup of hot water for Xu Yan.
Xu Yan took it casually and smiled. “Ji Ran, thanks for today.”
“You’re welcome.” Ji Ran replied, hands tucked in his school uniform pockets, giving a slight nod. In the quiet campus night, Xu Yan looked at Ji Ran’s demeanor and felt he was putting on an act.
He had been talking a lot and strangely this afternoon, and now with his hands in his pockets like some cool guy, Ji Ran really was a weird person.
“Are we going back to class?” Xu Yan asked. A cold breeze sneaked into his clothes, making him shrink his neck and his teeth chatter uncontrollably.
Seeing this, Ji Ran took off his own school uniform and draped it over Xu Yan’s shoulders. Startled by the sudden gesture, Xu Yan looked at Ji Ran in confusion. “Dude, what are you doing?”
“You looked cold.” Ji Ran said, then added, thinking Xu Yan might not understand, “I’m not cold.”
“But draping a school uniform won’t block much wind.” Xu Yan suppressed the strange feeling rising in his heart, automatically categorizing Ji Ran’s behavior as normal friendly interaction between desk mates.
So he silently pulled the uniform off and stuffed it back into Ji Ran’s hands, smiling. “Here, take it. And Ji Ran, I don’t want to go back to evening self-study.”
Ji Ran tensed up as if facing a great enemy because Xu Yan had dragged out his tone again, sounding like he was whining.
“Stop whining.” Ji Ran turned his head away, no longer looking at Xu Yan.
Xu Yan was momentarily speechless. When was he whining?
“I’m not whining, I just don’t want to go to evening self-study. Ji Ran, let’s skip class.”
Xu Yan waited for a long time, but Ji Ran didn’t say anything.
“Fine, if you don’t want to”
“Let’s go, to the sports field.” Ji Ran interrupted Xu Yan, grabbing his wrist and pulling him toward the sports field.
“Since we’re going to the sports field anyway, why don’t we just climb over the wall and leave!” Xu Yan blinked excitedly as he suggested.
He had never climbed a wall in his life, and this was the perfect chance to try it while pretending to be sick. At worst, he could just tell Old Du the next day that he had a bad cold and stayed in the infirmary until evening self-study was over.
Xu Yan thought he was incredibly clever, but Ji Ran frowned, as if suddenly realizing something, and said in a low voice, “We can just leave directly.”
“Huh?” Xu Yan tilted his head, confused.
“I got a leave slip from Old Du this afternoon. We don’t have to attend evening self-study anyway.”
Xu Yan: “…”
So annoying. Why didn’t he say so earlier? He got all excited for nothing.
“Do you really want to climb?” Ji Ran asked.
Xu Yan shook his head, pursing his lips. “Not really.”
So he did want to. Ji Ran calmly analyzed and made a decision. “I’ll climb with you.”
Xu Yan’s eyes immediately lit up.
The watery moonlight made the fence beside the sports field reflect a faint, eerie glow.
Only when Xu Yan reached the bottom of the fence did he realize how high the fence at No. 3 High School was—it was like a prison.
He was puzzled. How did the habitual wall-climbers manage to scale such a high wall?
Ji Ran seemed to sense his confusion and pulled him by the wrist straight to the farthest corner.
In the corner, several tall stones were piled up.
“How did you know there were stones here?” Xu Yan bent down and curiously touched them.
“I’ve climbed before.” Ji Ran replied coldly.
Immediately, Xu Yan watched as Ji Ran stepped onto the stones effortlessly, grabbed the fence, pushed himself up, and gracefully cleared it, landing steadily on the other side.
He moved so fast that Xu Yan only caught a glimpse of his fluttering school uniform.
Shocked but trying to stay calm, Xu Yan stepped onto the stones, mimicking Ji Ran’s movements—pushing with his hands and lifting his leg. Then he got stuck on top of the fence.
He straddled the railing and looked down—it was so high.
Xu Yan trembled with fear. If he fell and didn’t land properly, he might end up with a broken face.
Ji Ran stood below the railing, looking up to see Xu Yan half-sitting, half-straddling the railing, frozen in hesitation.
Was he scared?
“Don’t be afraid. I’ll catch you.”
Xu Yan, still wrestling with his fear, retorted stubbornly, “I’m not scared!”
With a determined heart, he jumped down. The sudden weightlessness from the rapid descent made him realize things had gone wrong—but the next second, he landed steadily in Ji Ran’s arms.
Ji Ran had caught him.