Lin Murun spent two days in the hospital. Aside from getting IV drips, sleeping, and doing practice problems, he spent most of his time with Gao Yuan.
This was partly because Gao Yuan was naturally outgoing and frequently dropped by Lin Murun’s ward to chat. It was also because their conversations invariably drifted toward Si Bin. Lin Murun harbored a small, selfish desire to learn more about Si Bin through Gao Yuan’s stories.
From Gao Yuan, he learned about Si Bin’s family situation, his history of skipping school and fighting in middle school, and even that Si Bin’s cousin—the one allergic to cats—had recently broken up with his boyfriend and had come back last time to nurse a broken heart.
Si Bin’s cousin liked men, and this wasn't a secret in Si Bin’s social circle. But what about Si Bin himself?
Lin Murun didn't dare to ask.
"Hey! Teacher Lin, are you listening to me?" Gao Yuan waved a hand in front of Lin Murun’s eyes.
"Hmm?" Lin Murun snapped back to reality. "What?"
"Did you not sleep well?" Gao Yuan asked. "You seem to be spacing out a lot today."
Lin Murun had things on his mind, so he simply nodded and followed the lead. "Sorry, I’m a bit of a picky sleeper when I’m not in my own bed."
"What a coincidence! Me too," Gao Yuan laughed. "But you get to be discharged today. I still have to suffer through this for a while longer."
"Yeah." Lin Murun asked, "What were you saying just now?"
Gao Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Oh, I was talking about Si Bin. He probably likes you quite a bit. When we were chatting yesterday, he even asked how you were doing."
The word "like" made Lin Murun feel inexplicably nervous. Just as he didn't know if Si Bin liked him, he couldn't quite define his own feelings for Si Bin either.
"He asked about me?" Lin Murun looked at Gao Yuan.
"Yeah. I feel like the way he treats you is a bit different from how he treats others..." Gao Yuan rubbed his chin, reminiscing. "On the surface, Si Bin seems to have a lot of friends, but I think he’s actually a 'Master of Impartiality.'"
"A Master of Impartiality?" Lin Murun asked, puzzled.
"Right. From what I’ve observed, Si Bin divides his entire social circle into three categories: those he’s close with, those he’s not, and those he doesn't want to be close with but has to stay in touch with." Gao Yuan counted them off for Lin Murun. "Take the first category, for example. For the friends he’s close with, no matter whose birthday it is or who’s hosting a dinner, he’ll show up. He never misses a gathering. Even if something comes up and he can't make it, he’ll find a way to make it up to them."
Lin Murun nodded, only half-understanding.
"But you see, that’s exactly the problem. Usually, even if someone has three or five close friends, there’s a hierarchy of intimacy. But Si Bin treats all his friends with perfect equality—he keeps the water level perfectly balanced. You could say they’re all his 'good friends,' but none of them is his 'best friend,'" Gao Yuan explained.
"But you seem different. He worries about whether you’re at the piano shop, he goes to see your performances, and even that cat he adopted was one you found." He looked at Lin Murun and joked, "It’s a good thing you’re a guy, otherwise I’d definitely think he was chasing you."
The speaker was careless, but the listener took it to heart. Lin Murun stared at Gao Yuan, stunned.
"Just kidding! Why do you have that expression, Teacher Lin?" Gao Yuan thought Lin Murun was offended, so he laughed and quickly moved past the topic.
That afternoon, Lin Murun’s uncle finished the discharge paperwork and drove him back to school.
"Runrun, are you sure you don't want to go home and rest for a couple of days?"
Before Lin Murun got out of the car, his uncle expressed his concern. "The flu can easily relapse. I asked your teacher, and she said they won't be covering new material this week. It’s fine to take two more days off."
"It’s okay, Uncle. I’m all better now," Lin Murun replied, putting on his backpack. "I’ll make sure to rest once I’m back at school."
"Alright then. If you feel unwell anywhere, you must remember to call your aunt or me." Seeing Lin Murun’s persistence, his uncle finally relented.
"Okay." Lin Murun nodded. "Thank you, Uncle."
"We’re family, there’s no need for thanks," his uncle smiled. "Go on in. Make sure to catch a nap in the dorm after lunch."
"I’m going now. Goodbye, Uncle." Lin Murun stepped out of the car.
"Runrun."
His uncle called out to him.
Lin Murun turned back, waiting for what he had to say.
"Take care of yourself," his uncle said softly after a pause. "Besides your studies, your health is also very important."
Lin Murun turned around, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly before he smiled. "I will. You and Auntie should also watch your health while working."
His uncle smiled and nodded.
Private cars weren't allowed to park for long at the school gate. His uncle watched Lin Murun walk through the gates before turning the car around and driving away.
Back in the dormitory, Lin Murun first organized his daily necessities and workbooks, then threw the clothes he had worn in the hospital into the communal washing machine.
It wasn't quite time for the afternoon nap yet, and the dormitory building was quiet. Lin Murun took a shower and hung up his clean clothes. While blow-drying his hair, the warm air made him squint like a cat, and he let out several yawns in a row, a lingering effect of his medication.
No one else was in the room, and the air conditioner blew a warm breeze—it was the perfect time for a nap.
The blackout curtains hanging from his bed blocked out most of the light as Lin Murun took off his jacket and crawled under the covers.
He was exhausted. As he dizzily rolled over, his fingers brushed against a cold metal box next to his pillow.
Lin Murun didn't react at first and picked it up out of habit.
Once he saw the design on the box, his sleepiness vanished instantly.
Inside this box were the throat lozenges Si Bin had given him.
The candy had been given to him three days ago, but for certain reasons, Lin Murun hadn't had the chance to open the packaging yet.
That day, driven by panic and a touch of avoidance, he had tossed the candy box onto his bed and forgotten about it.
Touching the packaging now made Lin Murun nervous all over again.
Si Bin was coming back.
Lin Murun stared at the candy box, unsure of what mindset he should use to face Si Bin.
The dormitory door opened. Lin Murun hurriedly stuffed the candy box under his pillow.
Cheng Song, who had returned with lunch, felt the warm air as soon as he entered and called out, "Lin Murun, are you back?"
Lin Murun sat up and pulled back the bed curtain. "I just got back."
"Good to have you back," Cheng Song said while changing his shoes. "You have no idea—the wind has been howling these past two nights. It was terrifying to listen to. With you gone, I was so scared I didn't even dare turn off my desk lamp."
He talked as he walked back to his seat. "I’m so glad you’re back... Huh? Is this for me?" He pointed to a bag of snacks on his desk.
"Yeah. A new convenience store opened near the hospital. Everything was twenty percent off, so I bought some things," Lin Murun replied.
"This... I really shouldn't." Cheng Song said the words, but his expression was like a mouse that had fallen into a grain bin.
Lin Murun said, "Those are all snacks you usually eat."
Cheng Song’s eyes lit up, and he hurriedly set down his takeout box to rummage through the plastic bag.
"The potato chips from this brand are amazing!" he said while digging. "And this—this meat floss oatmeal is also delicious. You should try some!" Cheng Song handed a bag of chips to Lin Murun.
"My throat still hurts a bit." Lin Murun shook his head. "Maybe next time."
Cheng Song put the chips down, finally realizing. "Ah! Right, I forgot you’re still sick." He lowered his voice. "Then I won't disturb you. Get some good rest."
"Okay," Lin Murun said.
Cheng Song set the snacks aside happily. "Thanks a lot. I’ll leave these here for now, and we can eat them together when you’re better."
Lin Murun nodded in agreement.
Although Cheng Song’s snoring was loud, he ate quietly. After Lin Murun lay back down, he could barely hear any noise from him.
The nervousness and hesitation brought on by the throat lozenges had been disrupted by Cheng Song’s arrival. Coupled with the fact that he truly hadn't had a peaceful night's sleep in two days, Lin Murun wrapped himself in his quilt and lay down again. Before long, his eyelids began to grow heavy.
He curled up under the covers and fell asleep to the occasional sound of Cheng Song rustling his food.
By the time he woke up, it was almost time for class. Lin Murun hurriedly climbed down from his bed and dressed under Cheng Song’s urging.
Cheng Song had gotten lost in a novel and nearly forgotten the time, while Lin Murun had slept so soundly he hadn't heard his alarm.
The two of them ran into the teaching building just as the preparatory bell rang, narrowly avoiding being late.
When Lin Murun reached the classroom, Teacher Li was handing out test papers. Seeing him, she called out, "You’ve arrived just in time. We’re having an in-class quiz these two periods. Hurry back to your seat."
Lin Murun nodded and walked quickly to his desk.
"Taking a test right after getting better—that’s so tragic," Yu Qianyi whispered from the row behind him.
Lin Murun gave a small smile.
"Oh, right, let me tell you," Yu Qianyi whispered. "During the two days you were in the hospital, a senior who graduated years ago came looking for you. I ran into him at the school gate. He saw me wearing the sophomore grade uniform and asked if I knew you."
Lin Murun hadn't been in H City for long; his social circle was small, and he had even fewer acquaintances. He thought for a moment but couldn't guess who it was. He asked Yu Qianyi, "Did he say who he was?"
"He did. He said he’s Senior Wu Chuchu’s husband." Yu Qianyi wanted to say more, but she was stopped by Teacher Li’s stern gaze.
She stuck her tongue out at the grim-faced Teacher Li and said quickly to Lin Murun, "Let’s talk after class."
Lin Murun nodded and turned around.
Wu Chuchu’s husband?
Lin Murun remembered the man’s name was Bei Fan. But since they had barely spoken, Lin Murun didn't have a deep impression of him, only remembering that Bei Fan was a man who was helpful to an almost excessive degree.
Lin Murun assumed Bei Fan had simply accompanied Wu Chuchu on a visit to No. 1 High School and asked about him in passing. He didn't give it much thought, uncapped his pen, and wrote his class and name on the test paper.
The questions weren't particularly difficult. Lin Murun finished and turned in his paper half an hour early. Taking his scarf and history handbook, he walked out of the air-conditioned classroom.
The sky had turned overcast and gloomy, looking as though a heavy rain might fall at any moment.
The cold wind made Lin Murun cough twice. He simply took off his glasses and buried his nose and mouth in his scarf.
It was still early, with forty minutes left before the third period bell. He headed downstairs with his handbook, planning to go to the library’s self-study room.
To his surprise, as soon as he reached the ground floor, he ran into Si Bin at the corner of the teaching building.
Si Bin must have rushed to the school; he was wearing a brown trench coat and hadn't had time to change into his school uniform. His bangs were slightly tousled by the wind, and a faint weariness was hidden in the corners of his eyes. When he saw Lin Murun, Si Bin was momentarily stunned before breaking into a gentle smile. "Is your body feeling better?"
Lin Murun nodded and replied, "Much better. Did you just get back?"
"Yeah," Si Bin answered. "Just got off the plane. I haven't even had time to go home. I forgot to wear my uniform, but luckily the security guard recognized me and let me in."
"Why didn't you go home to rest for a bit?" Lin Murun asked. "Traveling back and forth must be exhausting."
Si Bin looked down at Lin Murun and answered softly, "It’s alright."
Lin Murun’s eyes were naturally beautiful, but usually, the lines of his eyelids and lashes were mostly obscured by his glasses frames.
Today, he wasn't wearing his glasses, and with his nose and mouth buried in the scarf, his lovely eyes looked even more like light-colored peach blossoms rendered with the fine lines of a traditional brush.
Si Bin remembered the day they first met; a single, accidental glance between them had made his heart race.
"I wanted to make it back before lunch," Si Bin replied.
"You said you wanted to go eat those tofu rice cakes." He looked down at Lin Murun, his voice warm. "I’m sorry... I’m still late."
