Want to Have a Relationship with You | Chapter 18 | A Fluttering Heart | Novela.app

Wen Yan didn't dare to imagine what would have happened if he hadn't caught Su Jingming. Fortunately, he had. "Why don't you lift your shirt and let me take a look?" Wen Yan suddenly said, his eyes fixed on Su Jingming's abdomen. Su Qicheng’s kick had been heavy; Wen Yan had felt the force of it the moment he pulled Su Jingming into his arms. "??" Shock flashed in Su Jingming's eyes. What kind of development was this? Wen Yan acted as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "When I held you as we fell, I used quite a bit of strength. I want to see if there's any bruising on your stomach." Su Jingming’s hand slowly moved to the hem of his shirt. He pulled it up a fraction, then felt something wasn't quite right. His hand paused. "If I show you, will it magically get better?" "..." Wen Yan suppressed a smile. "Of course it won't get better just by me looking." "Then what's the point of looking?" This was perhaps the quintessential "straight man" logic. Wen Yan suddenly felt that he had a long, arduous road ahead of him, one that required much more effort. Su Jingming arched an eyebrow and let go of his shirt. He sat back in his chair, looking somewhat relaxed. Wen Miao was a bit surprised to see Su Jingming when she walked in. She set the fruit she had bought on the table. Wen Yan asked her, "Don't you have classes today?" "Mom and Dad are at home looking for things they can't find, but they were worried you didn't have any fruit to eat, so they told me to take a leave of absence to bring some over." Wen Miao curled her lip, then turned to Su Jingming. "You look pretty good today; your color is much better. You should have seen yourself yesterday—you were whiter than the wall. And yet you insisted on staying by my brother's side even after you woke up. Honestly..." Su Jingming suddenly broke into a fit of coughing. Wen Yan raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze landing on Su Jingming with a hint of playfulness. "You stayed by my side again yesterday?" "Again?" Wen Miao was quick to catch the keyword. "Brother, you’re never going to be able to pay back this favor." Wen Yan nodded in agreement. "Indeed, I'll never be able to pay it back." Su Jingming covered his mouth with his hand. His coughing had turned his ears and face a deep shade of red, and he didn't dare meet Wen Yan's eyes. He stood up, made a random excuse, and hurried out of the ward. Wen Yan shook his head helplessly. Wen Miao picked up a pear and gave it a cursory wipe with a tissue. "Want some?" "...Could you at least wash it?" Wen Yan took the pear but made no move to eat it. "Look at you, getting picky." Wen Miao sat in the chair. "That classmate of yours is quite interesting." "How so?" "I don't know how to describe it. I just find him very interesting." Wen Miao hadn't had many interactions with Su Jingming. On the outside, he seemed like a cold, aloof person, but on the inside, he possessed a fascinating soul. "Besides, aren't you quite invested in him?" Wen Yan gave a noncommittal smile, but before he could speak, Wen Miao suddenly asked point-blank: "You like him, don't you?" The direct question struck Wen Yan right in the heart. Wen Miao shrugged. "Just look at yourself. Even a blind person could see that you like him." Wen Yan lowered his gaze, his grip tightening on the pear. Initially, his impression of Su Jingming had been vague; his knowledge of the boy was limited to a name. Later, he discovered that Su Jingming was a skilled fighter with a whimsical, youthful soul—a complete mismatch for his outward appearance. He had been curious—curious about what kind of person Su Jingming truly was. During the intensive training camp, many strange thoughts had surfaced, which he had forcibly suppressed. He admitted it: he was the one whose heart had been stirred. "You should watch fewer of those 'Overbearing CEO Falls for Me' dramas," Wen Yan said, slowly lifting his eyelids. His palms were sweating against the pear. "What does a kid like you know about love?" Wen Miao wasn't about to back down. "And do you know any better, Brother?" Wen Yan froze slightly. Did he? In the end, Wen Yan didn't answer her question. *** Wen Yan's parents arrived to pack some daily necessities and a change of clothes for him. His father said, "Your mother and I have to head back to work this afternoon. We've consulted the doctor; your condition is stable, and you just need to stay for observation. If you need anything, just have Miao Miao get it for you. We've already handled the leave of absence with your school, so just focus on recovering in the hospital." His mother added, "If you really feel unwell anywhere else, remember to call your aunt. We've told her about your situation. In case your father and I can't make it back in time, Miao Miao will notify her. Understood?" Wen Yan nodded. Wen Miao seemed dissatisfied with the arrangement, making faces behind their parents' backs. Only Wen Yan saw her, and he curled his lips in a helpless smile. After seeing their parents off, Wen Miao slumped into the chair. "Mom and Dad are always running around. You're in this state, and they're still okay with leaving." Wen Yan flipped through a few pages of a book his parents had brought, answering without looking up, "It's all to give us a good life. Otherwise, do you think any parent wants to be so far away from their children?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Wen Yan felt a lump in his throat. Wen Miao suddenly said, "Su Jingming's family..." Wen Yan frowned, cutting her off. "I'm not sure. Don't be curious about other people's family matters. If you have the time, you'd be better off looking at your math homework." *** Before returning to the ward, Su Jingming went to see the doctor. The doctor glanced at his abdomen and the test results. "Alright, you can be discharged tomorrow. Just avoid any strenuous exercise." Su Jingming nodded, listening to a few more instructions from the doctor. Just as he stepped out of the office, he ran into Zhou Hong. Zhou Hong had been surprised to learn that Su Jingming and Wen Yan were hospitalized together, and he hadn't had time to ask about the specifics of what had happened. Zhou Hong walked up and circled Su Jingming. "Where does it hurt?" Su Jingming remained expressionless. "I just took a fall." "With Wen Yan?" "Um..." Su Jingming’s expression became unnatural as he spoke. Zhou Hong frowned. He understood Su Jingming's current situation all too well. The trouble at school hadn't died down yet. Seeing the teacher's troubled look, Su Jingming asked, "Teacher Zhou, did you need something?" Zhou Hong hesitated for a few seconds. "The school plans to issue a public disciplinary notice next Monday." Su Jingming gave a flat "oh" and walked past Zhou Hong toward the ward. Zhou Hong followed behind him, wanting to offer comfort but not knowing what to say. In the end, Su Jingming was the one most wronged in this matter, yet the competition team insisted it was him, and there were even witnesses on that side. Zhou Hong stopped in his tracks and asked from behind Su Jingming, "Are you really not going to explain anything?" Su Jingming looked back at him. "Would explaining really do any good?" Zhou Hong fell silent. As a teacher, he unconditionally believed that his student wouldn't do such a thing. He let out a long sigh. Sometimes, he even began to wonder what the purpose of his profession was. Su Jingming was disillusioned with the school; they only listened to one side of the story. Even if he wanted to explain, would the school actually listen? This wasn't just something Zhou Hong had realized—how could Su Jingming not have thought of it? No one would willingly carry such a stigma. "Su Jingming, I believe you wouldn't do something like that," Zhou Hong said before turning to leave the ward. Su Jingming watched Zhou Hong’s departing figure in surprise. For some reason, Old Zhou’s back looked incredibly cool in that moment.