"I said if I wasn’t worried about you, I wouldn’t be sitting here." Noticing Cheng Shuoning’s odd expression, Han Tian assumed it was due to his injury and repeated himself.
Cheng Shuoning stared at him without moving. "That’s not what I meant."
Han Tian looked slightly puzzled. "I didn’t say anything else."
Cheng Shuoning fell silent.
The words that had seemed vague before, calling him troublesome and delicate, didn’t quite sound like something Han Tian would say upon reflection.
Could it have been a hallucination from his fall?
His thoughts were jumbled, and no matter how long he pondered, he couldn’t make sense of it. His head throbbed faintly.
There was no bathroom in the hospital room, so he had to get out of bed, pick up the IV bag, and head outside. "I’m going to the bathroom."
"I’ll go with you. You can’t manage alone." Han Tian stood up, ready to help him with the IV bag.
Cheng Shuoning reflexively avoided his hand. "No need, I can do it myself."
The room fell into an awkward silence.
Cheng Shuoning looked up to see Han Tian frowning slightly, as if displeased, and explained, "I just want to go alone."
He turned and left the room.
In the bustling corridor, with voices all around, Cheng Shuoning leaned against the cold wall, his eyes lowered to the hospital gown he was wearing, feeling a bit dazed.
He feared he might have hit his head, causing him to hear those voices, yet he also feared that nothing was wrong and the voices were real.
Neither outcome was what he wanted.
After spacing out for a while, Cheng Shuoning finally went to the bathroom.
He turned on the faucet, carefully washed his hands, and looked at himself in the mirror.
His features were pale, sickly, and the distracted look on his face was not like him at all.
Cheng Shuoning exhaled, deciding he couldn’t dwell on the strange voice any longer.
He had known Han Tian for so long and knew that he wasn’t the type to secretly criticize him.
Before returning to the room, Cheng Shuoning heard indistinct voices from inside before he could open the door.
"Yeah, staying at the hospital with him."
"Don’t make a fuss, it’s just one night. Li Shengfei will be back tomorrow, and I’ll have him come over, then I’ll go back to you."
"I keep my promises. Even if Li Shengfei doesn’t come, I’ll go back. Of course, you’re the most important, how could he compare to you."
"It’s quite troublesome, but there’s no choice."
"…"
Cheng Shuoning didn’t catch what was said earlier, only the last sentence, as it was louder and tinged with impatience and irritation.
He lowered his gaze to the doorknob, his long lashes trembling slightly, concealing all his emotions.
The "troublesome" Han Tian mentioned was likely referring to his fainting and being hospitalized.
Once Han Tian finished his call, Cheng Shuoning pushed the door open.
With his back to the door, Han Tian put away his phone when he heard it open, turned around, and took the IV bag from Cheng Shuoning’s hand to hang it back up.
Sitting on the bed, Cheng Shuoning looked at Han Tian and asked, "Do you have someone you like?"
"The person I like most is Ning Ning, don’t you know that?" Han Tian held Cheng Shuoning’s hand, lowering his head to kiss the back of it.
Hearing this before might have made Cheng Shuoning’s heart flutter, but now, looking at Han Tian’s gentle smile, he only felt awkward, so awkward that he pulled his hand away.
Han Tian’s expression stiffened for a moment but quickly returned to normal. He looked up and said, "I’ve arranged for you to take a week off. Stay in the hospital until your wounds heal before going back to class. I’ll help you catch up on any missed lessons, so don’t worry. As for the person who hit you, I’ve already sent someone to find them. I won’t let them get away with hurting Ning Ning."
Despite the gentle tone and indulgent expression, Cheng Shuoning looked into his eyes and heard a voice completely different from his surface demeanor: ‘What a temper tantrum again, such a nuisance. When will you stop being so troublesome?’
That voice again.
Cheng Shuoning felt as if his blood had frozen, unable to speak for a long time.
From that angry voice, it was clear Han Tian misunderstood, thinking he was throwing a tantrum and was unhappy.
He wanted to convince himself otherwise, but he couldn’t.
"Ning Ning? Why do you look so pale? Is your head hurting?" The prolonged silence made Han Tian uneasy. He quietly observed Cheng Shuoning, noticing his increasingly pale face with concern.
Cheng Shuoning shook his head, his voice a bit hoarse. "It’s nothing. Han Tian, you should go. I can manage here alone."
"How could I leave you here alone? Lie down and rest. I’ll stay here with you, not going anywhere." Han Tian said, looking at him.
He should have looked away, but Cheng Shuoning seemed frozen, staring directly into Han Tian’s eyes.
He saw the worry in Han Tian’s eyes and heard the unspoken thoughts: ‘Only I would put up with you like this. Who else would have such patience? If you had any sense, you’d stop giving me the cold shoulder and throwing tantrums for no reason.’
Cheng Shuoning’s lips moved, wanting to explain something, but in the end, he lay down, covering himself with the blanket, not wanting to see Han Tian or hear the voices that were driving him to the brink.
"Please go. I want to be alone here."
The overly distant tone panicked Han Tian. He pulled the blanket away, looking at the curled-up Cheng Shuoning, and grabbed his shoulder. "Ning Ning, what’s wrong? Are you in pain and hiding it? I’ll get the doctor. Ning Ning? Ning Ning!"
‘Is he pretending to be pitiful to trick me? Telling me to leave while playing hard to get? Tsk, too bad he’s not like Cheng Meng.’
The grip on his shoulder was too strong. Cheng Shuoning opened his eyes, listening to those absurd words, and turned his head to look out the window, asking numbly, "Are you close with Cheng Meng?"
Though he and Cheng Meng were brothers, their personalities were completely different, and people’s attitudes towards them were worlds apart. Han Tian was almost the least fond of Cheng Meng among their group, getting irritated and agitated at the sight of him.
He had talked to Han Tian about changing his attitude towards Cheng Meng. After that, Han Tian went from being openly dismissive to ignoring Cheng Meng when they met.
Hearing Han Tian think about Cheng Meng was indeed rare.
The abrupt question caught Han Tian off guard, his expression changing slightly. He held Cheng Shuoning’s hand, speaking softly, "Of course not. You know I can’t stand him. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t even want to be in the same room with him. Ning Ning, what’s wrong with you today? It feels like you’re upset with me."
The boy lying on the bed didn’t pull away, letting Han Tian hold his hand. Even while sick, his face was so strikingly beautiful that it was hard to look away.
Han Tian, worried by his strange behavior, temporarily put his mind at ease.
"No." After a long pause, Cheng Shuoning finally spoke.
He glanced at the IV bag and withdrew his hand. "Call the nurse to change the medication."
The events happening to him were too bizarre, and he needed to confirm something.
The nurse soon came in, her eyes smiling, looking particularly cheerful. While changing the medication, she asked Cheng Shuoning if he felt any discomfort.
Cheng Shuoning shook his head and suddenly said, "Are you going out for barbecue with your colleagues after your shift?"
The nurse was surprised. "How did you know?"
Cheng Shuoning replied, "I overheard it when I went to the bathroom. I wanted to ask which barbecue place nearby is good."
Nurse: "Dong’s Barbecue is pretty good."
The owner is quite fierce, with a bad attitude, but the food is excellent.
"I remember the owner is quite fierce? With a bad attitude." Cheng Shuoning looked at the nurse.
"Yes, yes." The nurse was shocked at how he seemed to know exactly what she was thinking.
Cheng Shuoning smiled and said, "Thank you."
The nurse left with a flushed face.
Han Tian had been ignored the whole time, feeling a bit frustrated, but he didn’t throw a tantrum. Once the nurse left, he poured Cheng Shuoning a cup of hot water. "Ning Ning, do you want barbecue? You can’t eat it now, but once you’re discharged, we’ll go together."
Cheng Shuoning didn’t take the cup.
The voices he heard weren’t hallucinations but the real thoughts of others.
So while Han Tian said all those nice things, he actually thought Cheng Shuoning was a nuisance.
Thinking about how Han Tian might have felt this way for years, Cheng Shuoning felt a chill in his hands and feet.
Why didn’t he say anything if he had such a problem with him? If he had, Cheng Shuoning wouldn’t have stayed close and been a bother.
"Ning Ning?" After calling him several times without a response, Han Tian’s grip on the cup tightened.
Just as he was about to stand up, unable to control his anger, Cheng Shuoning turned to look at him.
Those clear, black-and-white eyes were so pure they made one’s heart tremble.
Han Tian sat back down, speaking gently, "Ning Ning, if there’s anything, we can talk about it, okay? Don’t ignore me. It makes me sad."
Cheng Shuoning took the water, drank it, and placed the cup back on the table. "Thank you."
He didn’t say anything else.
Han Tian was left speechless by his "thank you," taking a long time to respond. "Don’t say thank you to me. With our relationship, there’s no need for thanks."
"You have your own things to handle. You don’t need to stay with me." Cheng Shuoning said calmly.
"Nonsense," Han Tian replied warmly. "Ning Ning, don’t push me away. Nothing and no one is more important than being with you."
With a bitter taste in his mouth, Cheng Shuoning didn’t feel like talking. After a while, he finally said, "Okay. I want some lemon slices…"
"I’ll go get them for you." Han Tian responded eagerly before he could finish.
‘He really needs coaxing to show a good face, such a temper, so annoying.’
Cheng Shuoning lowered his long lashes, recalling the many times he mentioned wanting something, and Han Tian would volunteer to get it for him.
Back then, he was full of gratitude, thinking Han Tian was so good to him, and he should be even better to Han Tian. So he saved up his allowance for months to buy something Han Tian liked.
Did Han Tian also think he was annoying back then?
Han Tian left.
Finally, in the quiet, Cheng Shuoning closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, dreaming many dreams but remembering none upon waking.
Outside, the sky had turned dark. A packet of lemon slices lay on the bedside table. Cheng Shuoning glanced at it and looked away, noticing the IV was finished, with a clear needle mark on the back of his hand.
Han Tian returned, saying the person who hit him had been found.
A man with a bruised face, carrying a basket of fruit, trembled as he entered the room, looking fierce but shaking all over, repeatedly apologizing to Cheng Shuoning.
"Forgive me, please forgive me. I don’t want to be beaten anymore."
"I know I was wrong, I really know I was wrong."
"I’m sorry, sobbing, I really know I was wrong. You must forgive me."
"…"
After speaking, he knelt with a thud, kowtowing several times and slapping himself.
Afraid he might continue doing something strange in the room, Cheng Shuoning accepted his apology and let him leave.
"Did you have someone beat him?" After the man left, Cheng Shuoning looked at Han Tian, thinking the man seemed like he had been beaten into coming to apologize.
"No, I sent someone to find him, but they couldn’t. He came on his own." Han Tian explained.
The phone rang. He glanced at it, smiled at Cheng Shuoning, and walked outside. "It’s a call from my mom. I’ll take it."
It was clearly a WeChat voice call, yet he said it was a phone call.
There was no need to lie unless Han Tian deliberately didn’t want him to know who was calling.
Thinking of this, Cheng Shuoning picked up the phone on the table, checked Han Tian’s mother’s WeChat, and saw her avatar was all black, while the recent call was from a blue avatar.
Coincidentally, Cheng Meng’s avatar was a blue sky.
Cheng Shuoning got out of bed, put on his shoes, and left the room, seeing Han Tian standing at the end of the corridor by the window, slowly walking over.
The closer he got, the clearer Han Tian’s voice became:
"You miss me that much? Even calling me on video."
"I won’t tell him, even if you don’t want to, you’ll have to bear it."
"Just teasing you. When the time is right, I’ll definitely tell him."
"…"
The affectionate, gentle tone was the same as when he spoke to him. Cheng Shuoning paused, afraid Han Tian would notice, and didn’t go any further, standing with his back to Han Tian, quietly listening.
A few minutes later, the surroundings quieted down, and Cheng Shuoning heard the voice of the person on the video call with Han Tian.
It was so familiar that he couldn’t help but turn to look.
Just as Han Tian raised his phone to show himself, jokingly asking, "Do you miss me or my body more? Why suddenly want to see my body?"
Although he had somewhat guessed, seeing the familiar, delicate face of the boy on the screen still left Cheng Shuoning stunned.
It was Cheng Meng.