Li Qingyue was Hu Hai’s girlfriend.
When it came to academics, Li Qingyue was very rigorous, and she was extremely dissatisfied that Hu Hai would make such a simple mistake. Before Hu Hai could even finish his corrections, Li Qingyue packed her bag and left on her own.
The girl who had come with her immediately stood up and chased after her. "Qingyue, wait for me!"
Hu Hai stood frozen in place, the pen in his hand trembling. Unable to save face, he lowered his head, packed his things, and bid a quiet farewell to Su Jingming and Wen Yan.
In an instant, only Wen Yan and Su Jingming were left in the classroom.
Su Jingming lazily lifted his eyelids. Leaning back against his chair, he didn't feel like moving. "What was the point of wasting our time here tonight?"
Wen Yan pulled a bottle of yogurt from his backpack and gave it to Su Jingming. Since the start of their intensive training, Su Jingming had begun to feel that Wen Yan’s backpack was like a treasure chest; it seemed to contain every kind of snack imaginable.
He didn't stand on ceremony with Wen Yan, eating whatever Wen Yan gave him.
"You don't get along with Hu Hai?"
Su Jingming took a sip of the yogurt. He was too lazy to even look up, appearing listless. "It’s not a matter of getting along or not."
It was just that Hu Hai had shown hostility from the very first day. Su Jingming had intended to see what Hu Hai was trying to pull tonight.
The two of them walked out of the teaching building one after the other. Su Jingming followed behind Wen Yan, noticing several figures scuffling not far ahead.
Su Jingming instinctively grabbed the corner of Wen Yan’s jacket. "How about we take the long way around?"
Wen Yan paused. "Alright."
Because of Su Jingming’s single sentence, a five-minute walk turned into fifteen.
The two of them even took a deliberate detour past a dilapidated basketball court.
Su Jingming sighed inwardly, pointing at a dent in the hoop's support. "Do you think if I gave that a kick, it would snap?"
The entire basketball hoop was covered in rust, marked by the passage of time, with a deep dent in the middle of the iron pole.
Wen Yan hooked his thumb through his backpack strap. "You could try."
Su Jingming arched an eyebrow. "If it falls and hits you, I won't be able to afford the compensation."
"It’s fine. I’m not worth much," Wen Yan said quite seriously.
This was the first time Su Jingming had met someone like Wen Yan. He crossed his arms over his chest, remembering that their most frequent interaction in the past had been during exams—one sitting in the first seat, the other in the second.
Back then, Su Jingming probably never imagined he would be taking a stroll with Wen Yan on a basketball court.
A dilapidated one, at that.
He had even listened to Wen Yan and hadn't worn those glasses since.
Su Jingming never considered himself someone who placed much importance on emotions, yet he found himself unable to refuse Wen Yan’s words.
It had been a long time since a new person had entered his world, and no one had ever been like Wen Yan.
Sometimes Su Jingming wanted to ask him why he was being so good to him.
But that seemed too sentimental.
Yet Su Jingming was exactly that kind of person.
*If you are good to me, I will find every possible way to be good to you.*
A seventeen-year-old boy still possessed a core of pure sincerity.
Wen Yan’s eyes were beautiful—the color was deep and clear, as if they held stars.
"Wen Yan," Su Jingming called out to him. His voice was very soft, easily scattered by the night wind.
"Yes?"
Su Jingming looked up into his eyes. "Why do you..."
"You two male students over there! Why aren't you back in your dorms sleeping?! And you! That basketball hoop is about to break! Watch out or it'll hit you!!"
Su Jingming realized a problem.
Lately, whenever he wanted to say something serious, someone would always interrupt him.
It left him with no temper at all.
Wen Yan turned to look; it was a security guard.
He still had his hand on his backpack strap. "It is getting late. Shall we finish what you were saying back at the dorm?"
The wind picked up, and the temperature suddenly plummeted.
By the time they returned to the dormitory, Su Jingming felt a dull weight in his chest. The words that had been on the tip of his tongue remained unspoken, stuck in his heart.
He reverted to his state from a while back—listless and cynical.
Once they were back, Wen Yan kept looking for an opportunity to ask Su Jingming what he had wanted to say at the basketball court.
But Su Jingming didn't give him the chance. Wen Yan couldn't quite grasp what this "little hero" was thinking.
His train of thought was sometimes too long, sometimes too short.
It was truly hard to keep up.
Su Jingming took a quick shower and came out. Wen Yan was sitting on his bed looking at his phone. Su Jingming said stiffly, "I'm going to sleep first."
Wen Yan didn't look up. "Mm, goodnight."
This attitude made Su Jingming feel even more uncomfortable.
He pulled up the covers and turned to face the wall.
A moment later, Wen Yan got up to turn off the light and went to the bathroom to wash up.
Hearing the sound of running water from the bathroom, Su Jingming drifted off to sleep without realizing it.
By the time Wen Yan emerged, carrying a faint mist of moisture, he was drying his hair with a towel. He stood by the balcony, leaning loosely against the railing, his silhouette reflected in the window.
His usually clear and bright eyes now looked like bottomless pits.
What exactly had Su Jingming wanted to say?
Wen Yan couldn't figure it out.
Su Jingming had fallen asleep while brooding, and the next morning, he woke up before Wen Yan.
He stared at the ceiling, let out a breath into the empty air, and got out of bed quietly.
After he finished washing up, Wen Yan was still lingering in bed.
Su Jingming walked over with a look of confusion and called out to him irritably, "Still not up?"
There was no response.
Su Jingming leaned down and raised his voice. "Top of the class, wake up!"
Still no response.
Su Jingming clicked his tongue. Just as he was about to straighten up, the person on the bed reached out and pulled him.
He tumbled onto Wen Yan’s bed.
Wen Yan didn't open his eyes. He turned his head slightly, his voice low and raspy with exhaustion. "Don't be noisy... I'm fighting little monsters..."
Su Jingming’s eyes widened slightly. He went stiff, not daring to move.
"Have you slept yourself stupid?"
The only response Su Jingming received was heavy breathing.
Only then did Su Jingming realize that Wen Yan’s body was burning up. Like his breath, he was unnaturally hot.
Su Jingming reached out to feel Wen Yan’s forehead; sure enough, it was scorching.
Over the years, Su Jingming had been left to fend for himself when he was sick, so he had learned to value his own life.
He could handle minor illnesses and pains well enough on his own. Based on his experience of self-preservation, Wen Yan’s high fever was coming on strong; he had to find a doctor.
He propped himself up. At this close range, he noticed a faint flush on Wen Yan’s cheeks.
Remembering how he had led Wen Yan on a detour last night and let him stand in the wind, Su Jingming cursed himself in his head. He got up and called Teacher Tu to ask for leave.
"The teacher at the medical clinic had a high fever yesterday; I’m afraid they won't be able to get up today either."
Su Jingming frowned. "Is there any other teacher?"
Teacher Tu sighed. "No one else."
Su Jingming looked at Wen Yan, who was still frowning in his sleep. "Is there anyone who can take us to the hospital?"
"Yes, but the hospital is quite far from here, and the road is a bit bumpy."
Teacher Tu’s meaning was clear: the journey was long and rough, and he wasn't sure if Wen Yan could handle it.
Su Jingming was silent for a few seconds. "He can."
Teacher Tu approved the leave for both Su Jingming and Wen Yan and arranged for a driver to take them to the nearest town.
The conditions at the training camp weren't great, but they had the necessary facilities.
Of course, that was excluding the clinic doctor, whom Su Jingming had cursed multiple times in his head.
The driver was a man in his late thirties.
Su Jingming and the driver lifted Wen Yan into the back seat. Su Jingming had even thoughtfully brought an extra coat for Wen Yan to wear.
As the car slowly started, Su Jingming glanced at Wen Yan and muttered softly, "You two siblings really know how to find trouble for a hero."
Whether it was Wen Miao or Wen Yan.
Su Jingming felt that he and the Wen siblings were truly the hurdles of his destiny.
His first group fight was for Wen Miao.
His first time taking care of someone was for Wen Yan.
His chest full of righteous, adolescent fervor was being put to full use by these two.
Yet Su Jingming didn't feel any resentment; he even felt a flicker of happiness.
The small town near the training camp wasn't particularly prosperous; it only had one community health service station.
The doctor treating Wen Yan was an elderly man in his seventies. His hands trembled as he moved the stethoscope back and forth across Wen Yan’s chest. Then, he pulled several blood collection tubes and needles from a nearby drawer, his fingers shaking as he tore open the packaging.
Su Jingming looked at the doctor with disbelief, unable to stop himself from asking, "Are you the only doctor here? Isn't there anyone else?"
The old man slowly looked up and took a deep, labored breath.
"No..."
Even speaking seemed to take a great deal of effort.
"..." Su Jingming gave a dry laugh. It was a good thing Wen Yan was unconscious; if he were awake to see this, his feelings would probably be just as complicated as Su Jingming's.
Over the next twenty minutes.
Su Jingming watched with his own eyes as the old man searched for a vein on Wen Yan’s elbow, patting it repeatedly. He frowned, his trembling fingers rubbing against Wen Yan’s fair skin twice, seemingly deciding on a spot.
Su Jingming didn't know medicine, but he knew one thing.
*I can see the vein with my naked eye! Why have you been looking for so long and still can't see it?!*
*Can't you see you've patted Wen Yan’s skin red!*
*Are you sure you can still draw blood for the test?!*
Maintaining his good upbringing, Su Jingming silently stayed by Wen Yan’s side. Lying quietly on the hospital bed, Wen Yan looked completely out of place here.
Though the old man’s movements were slow and his eyes were failing, his aim was surprisingly accurate.
He hit the vein on the first try.
Su Jingming quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
When the results came back, it was confirmed to be a high fever caused by a bacterial infection.
The old man wrote out the prescription at his desk, stood up shakily from his chair, and walked into the pharmacy room. Not long after, he emerged with the medicine and an IV drip set.
After more than an hour of tossing and turning, it was nearly noon.
Wen Yan was now lying peacefully on the bed, receiving his IV fluids.
Su Jingming marveled in his heart; this place was truly strange.
Thinking that the two boys hadn't eaten yet, the driver went to a nearby snack shop to buy some porridge and buns.
The driver sat down next to Su Jingming, glanced at Wen Yan sleeping soundly on the bed, and said to Su Jingming, "You're a warm-hearted kid. I've seen similar situations before, and those other brats were never willing to come along."
"Things like this happened before?"
"Of course. People get sick; we're not made of iron."
"Those kids are so afraid of missing a single class that no one is willing to accompany the sick ones." The driver let out a mocking chuckle, perhaps remembering something. "In times like these, you can really see a person's heart."
Su Jingming didn't think missing a class or two would matter much.
He pursed his lips and smiled slightly, offering no comment.
However, he could understand. Most people participating in this kind of competition were aiming for the national finals.
No one would refuse a ticket to the nationals; it was like standing at the finish line for ordinary people.
At least, that's how Su Jingming saw it.
The driver added, "But I see you and this boy have a pretty good relationship. You've known each other for many years, right? You seem very close."
***
