They headed up to the second floor and circled to the other side, looking at the hospital entrance to confirm their position. "This should be the second floor across from where we were, right?"
Lai Xinhui and the other two nodded.
Liu Yucong said, "Dahui and I will check the left side. A-Wei and Dabao, you check the right. Give a shout when you find him."
They sprang into action.
Liu Yucong and Lai Xinhui had just finished peeking into one ward and were about to move to the next when someone suddenly tapped them on the shoulder. Both of them jumped in fright. Turning around, they saw it was Li Rongbao and snapped irritably, "Fuck, what are you doing?!"
"I found him! Non Cheng is in Room 203!" Li Rongbao whispered, pointing toward where Li Senwei was standing.
Liu Yucong breathed a secret sigh of relief. "Didn't I tell you to shout? You damn near scared us to death running over like that."
Li Rongbao pointed to a sign posted on the wall. "See that? It says 'No Loud Noises Allowed.'"
Liu Yucong: "..."
The four of them pressed themselves against the door of Room 203 and peered inside. Because of the cold weather, the door was closed, but it had a square glass window that allowed them to see the situation within.
Lai Xinhui said, "Yucong, you lead the way. I'll stay behind you!"
Liu Yucong refused. "Screw you, why don't *you* lead? Those two elderly people look like his grandparents."
Li Rongbao nodded. "Seems like it. Didn't Big Eyes say Non Cheng's grandparents were looking after him?"
Li Senwei, who was being squashed at the bottom of the pile by the other three, struggled and said, "Dammit, are we going in or not? We came all this way."
Just then, Cheng Yifei returned from the restroom. He dried his hands as he sized up the four guys clinging to the door.
"What are you doing here?" Cheng Yifei tossed the crumpled paper towel into a nearby trash can.
Hearing Cheng Yifei's voice, the four of them snapped upright and turned around. They were shocked. "Cheng Yifei! Why are you here?" They exchanged knowing glances. "Where's Yu Qing? Did you sneak out alone? Empty-handed, too—you didn't bring anything?"
Cheng Yifei's gaze shifted downward, landing on the apples they were carrying. Four sleeves of apples... He fell silent for a moment, then opened the door. "Come in. Non Cheng is awake."
Liu Yucong and the others weren't mentally prepared for this. Caught off guard, they stood at the threshold, their limbs stiff.
Cheng Yifei held the doorknob. "If you're not coming in, I'm closing the door."
Lai Xinhui quickly shoved Liu Yucong inside. They were already here; even if they wanted to run, they had to drop off the apples first!
There were quite a few people in the room. Once inside, the boys became inexplicably restrained, obediently following behind Cheng Yifei while stealing glances at the others. They thought to themselves: *Why are all these people staring at us??*
Non Cheng was propped up in bed. His left hand was hooked to an IV drip, while his right hand held a peeled kiwi. He was eating slowly with his head down. His face was pale, and he still didn't look very well.
Non's grandfather and grandmother were stationed on either side of the bed. Seeing Cheng Yifei return, they were about to greet him when they noticed the four teenagers following him like a line of ants. They were all quite tall.
Non's grandmother asked with a kind smile, "Yifei, these are..."
Cheng Yifei stepped aside, fully exposing the group. "Grandma, they're his classmates. They came to visit Non Cheng."
Non Cheng looked up at the sound of his voice. He was quite surprised to see Liu Yucong and the others. He wanted to ask why they had come, but considering Liu Yucong's thought process, he figured the boy might think he wasn't welcome. Instead, he said, "You guys came too. There aren't enough chairs, so just sit on the edge of my bed."
Liu Yucong had no idea how to respond, but Lai Xinhui beat him to it. "It's fine, we can just stand. Are you feeling better?"
Non Cheng smiled and nodded. "Much better."
Liu Yucong thought: *He looks sallow as a wilted leaf and he says he's 'much better'? How much worse was he before?*
Li Rongbao, having learned a thing or two from watching his mother navigate social situations, stepped forward and handed the apples to Non's grandmother. "Grandma, we bought some apples. We hope Non Cheng stays safe and sound and gets well soon."
Non's grandmother was stunned for a moment, then her smile widened until it reached her eyes. She took the fruit and said, "How thoughtful of you all. Grandma thanks you on behalf of Chengcheng. Such good boys. Come over to our house to play sometime; Grandma will cook something delicious for you."
Li Rongbao grinned foolishly. Now that he had presented his gift, the other three followed suit, handing over their apples. "Us too. We hope Non Cheng gets well soon."
Non's grandmother could barely hold them all. Looking at the pile of apples, she said to Non Cheng, "Chengcheng, look how good your classmates are to you, all wishing for your recovery." She pushed a plate of kiwis on the table toward the boys. "Eat and chat, don't be shy. Grandma is going to wash some apples."
The four teenagers quickly nodded and made way for her and Non's grandfather.
Once the grandparents left the ward, the four of them breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Non Cheng found it amusing. "My grandparents don't bite. What are you afraid of?" Then he asked, "Have you guys eaten? Buying so many apples... you're quite the big spenders."
Liu Yucong scanned the room, saying awkwardly that they had already eaten. This was the first time he had ever spoken to Non Cheng so calmly.
Lai Xinhui asked, "When are you getting discharged? The smell here is so strong. Dabao said hospitals are full of bacteria that crawl into your body when you breathe. That's probably why you aren't better yet."
Non Cheng was stunned for a second before he started laughing uncontrollably. "Soon. If I don't have a fever this afternoon, I should be able to leave."
Li Senwei asked, "Are you coming back to school after you're discharged?"
Non Cheng shook his head. "I'm not sure yet. Maybe tomorrow afternoon."
Li Rongbao sighed. "If only we'd let you go home earlier on Friday."
Cheng Yifei finally interjected, "What did you guys do on Friday?"
The group was a bit intimidated by Cheng Yifei.
Non Cheng spun a tall tale. "Last Friday, on my way home, I saw the four of them arguing. They were blocking the path, so I told them to move. They wouldn't let me through and dragged me into it instead. We argued until dark, and once we were tired of shouting, we all had sodas together."
"You were clearly drinking mineral water. We were the ones drinking soda," Li Senwei added seamlessly.
Non Cheng gave Li Senwei an appreciative look and nodded. "That's right."
Cheng Yifei pulled out a tissue to wipe Non Cheng's hands, then picked up a cup of warm water for him to drink. He said tonelessly, "So arguing can actually improve a relationship? You should try arguing with me sometime."
The four boys felt guilty.
Non Cheng gave a light cough and silently sipped his water. He checked the clock. "It'll be two o'clock in an hour. Cheng Yifei has a permission slip, but you four must have jumped the fence, right?"
Lai Xinhui said, "Yeah, we jumped the back wall of the dorms. Big Eyes would never give us permission slips anyway."
Non Cheng: "Then you need to get back before class starts, or you'll get caught."
Lai Xinhui secretly nudged Liu Yucong with his elbow and said to Non Cheng, "We'll head back now that we've seen you're okay."
Liu Yucong looked at his friend strangely. Lai Xinhui shot him a look: *Why the hell aren't you saying anything!*
Liu Yucong stared back: *You said everything already, what the hell am I supposed to say?*
Lai Xinhui continued to glare: *Tell him to get well soon or something!*
Liu Yucong thought about it for a moment, then said to Non Cheng, "Get well soon. We're leaving now."
Non Cheng nodded. "Okay. Thanks."
Liu Yucong's footsteps faltered as he turned to leave, doubting his ears. "You're thanking us?"
Non Cheng nodded again. "Yeah."
"Did the illness make you stupid? We're the reason you got sick... forget it, I'm going. About Friday... th-thanks." Liu Yucong always mumbled the word 'thanks,' looking incredibly awkward. He bolted as soon as he finished, as if a ghost were chasing him.
"We're heading back too. Get well soon, Non Cheng. See you at school!" The other three chased after Liu Yucong.
Non Cheng softly said "See you at school," then turned to look at Cheng Yifei. He scratched his forehead. "Brother Cheng, aren't you going back?"
"No rush." Cheng Yifei sat in the chair by the bed. "Spit it out. What did you do on Friday to make them change their minds so drastically that they'd jump a fence just to see you?"
Non Cheng turned away and covered his mouth as he began to cough. Cheng Yifei immediately stood up to pat his back, but seeing Non Cheng's eyes, he paused and sat back down. He simply watched him cough.
Seeing his lack of reaction, Non Cheng knew he'd been found out. He cleared his throat. "It's not convenient to talk about it now. I'll tell you when I get back to school, okay?"
Cheng Yifei accepted this. Hearing Non Cheng's raspy voice, he handed him more water.
Non's grandmother returned with seven or eight washed apples. Seeing only Cheng Yifei left by the bed, she asked curiously, "Chengcheng, where are your four classmates?"
Cheng Yifei answered for him, "Grandma, class is about to start, so they went back to school."
Non's grandmother placed the washed apples on the cluttered table. "You kids... buying things just to visit Chengcheng."
Non Cheng looked at the pile of apples and rubbed his nose. "Grandma, what are we going to do with all these? we can't possibly eat them all."
"I'll pack some for your classmate to take back as a return gift. Ah, they're such good boys." Non's grandmother began sorting them into bags.
Non Cheng's lip twitched. Right... good boys...
When Cheng Yifei returned to school, he was carrying a large bag of apples and had four ten-yuan red envelopes stuffed in his pocket.
Liu Yucong's group was bewildered when they received them. Did he not like their apples? And what was the deal with the red envelopes?!
Considering they had jumped a fence to visit Non Cheng, Cheng Yifei decided to enlighten them. "These are return gifts to thank you. Just take them."
"You got one too?" Liu Yucong asked, looking at the red envelope. It wasn't even Chinese New Year, yet they were receiving red envelopes.
"Yes," Cheng Yifei said.
The quartet felt relieved. They left the apples on their beds and went to find a spot on the playground to huddle and talk.
"I finally understand why my mom visits people in the hospital. You actually get red envelopes." Li Rongbao held his envelope up to the light, checking it the way one might check an egg for fertilization.
Li Senwei had his envelope tucked in his pocket as he sat on a stone bench under a tree. "Doesn't that mean we didn't spend a single cent? Instead, we got red envelopes and apples? We might as well have not gone to see him."
"A-Wei is right." Lai Xinhui gave Li Rongbao a light kick. "Stop looking at it. You look like you're showing off a treasure."
Li Rongbao finally put the envelope away. "I just thought it was unusual! Ah, I'm bored~ Let's go play ball!"
Liu Yucong watched the people playing basketball in small groups and asked, "That basketball game... did he really play that well?"
Lai Xinhui rested his head on his hands. "He did. After you left the court, the substitute came on, but he couldn't keep up with Cheng Yifei's rhythm at all. Class Three was completely suppressing us, and even Cheng Yifei couldn't do anything about it."
Li Rongbao grew excited. "Then during halftime, Non Cheng filled in. Before he went on, Cheng Yifei even tested his skills. To be honest, I couldn't even see his movements. He intercepted the ball in the blink of an eye. His positioning was amazing; he ran circles around Class Three, haha."
Li Senwei shook his head. "The main thing is, remember that bastard who bumped into you twice? He tried it on Non Cheng once, but the second time, Non Cheng dodged. The guy face-planted and ended up with a mouth full of blood. The way Non Cheng stood in front of him with that smile... it was fucking satisfying to watch."
"Exactly. That day I ran back to the dorm to get my meal card and saw Non Cheng applying medicinal oil. Both his knees were black and blue, but he didn't make a sound. That's why I scolded you when you came back and kept targeting him," Lai Xinhui said with a sigh.
Liu Yucong kicked a pebble at his feet.
Li Rongbao looked up. "Thinking about how we used to bully him makes me feel pretty bad. I wanted to apologize, but when he looks at you, the words just won't come out! Yucong, I'm not hanging out with your cousin anymore. He beat Non Cheng so hard at the start of the term."
Liu Yucong gave an annoyed click of his tongue. "As if we usually hang out with him anyway."
...
Non Cheng didn't return to school until Tuesday after classes were over. He looked much more energetic, though his face still carried a sickly hue and his voice was even raspier.
When Non Cheng entered the dormitory, Chen Tao in Bed One was the first to notice. He froze for a moment, then suddenly jumped up and hugged Non Cheng, shouting, "Boys! Chengcheng is back!"
Non Cheng was nearly deafened.
Cheng Yifei came over and peeled Chen Tao off, leading him back to his bed. He looked at Non Cheng's face and asked, "Are you better?"
Non Cheng rubbed his ears. "Mostly."
"Chengcheng, you're finally back! You have no idea how petty Cheng Yifei is. He actually took a permission slip to see you and didn't even tell me. Fuck, I didn't speak to him for an entire afternoon!" Yu Qing scrambled down from the top bunk and threw an arm around Non Cheng's shoulder to complain.
Cheng Yifei pushed Yu Qing aside too, not letting him touch Non Cheng.
Yu Qing went frantic. "What are you doing? Are you the only one allowed to touch Chengcheng? I'm his brother too!"
Cheng Yifei took Non Cheng's backpack. "Your spit is flying all over his face. Can't you see he's still recovering? Give it a rest."
Yu Qing immediately checked Non Cheng's face. It was indeed... not great. He was pale and looked exhausted.
"Chengcheng, you came back before you were fully recovered?"
"It's only two days of exams. I have medicine. The doctor said as long as I'm careful, I'll be fine."
"Is this really just a cold?"
"Of course." It had just triggered other complications.
Cheng Yifei pulled the medicine out of the backpack. It was a large bag. Just looking at it made Yu Qing's mouth feel bitter; he didn't even dare swallow his saliva. He asked, "Chengcheng, don't lie to me. Is this really medicine for a cold?"
Non Cheng yawned. "There's also anti-inflammatories and cough medicine. I've already eaten, so you guys don't have to wait for me."
Cheng Yifei spread out the quilt. "Then sleep for a bit. Are you going to evening self-study?"
Non Cheng said he was, then kicked off his shoes and crawled into bed.
Yu Qing wanted to crawl in too, but Cheng Yifei kicked him away.
"Is Chengcheng really okay? He looks exhausted," Yu Qing said to Cheng Yifei as they went to the cafeteria.
Cheng Yifei: "He wants to take the exams, and he's confident he'll do well."
Yu Qing worried, "But he's still sick. Even people who usually do well might mess up when they're like this."
Cheng Yifei frowned.
By the time they finished eating and returned, Non Cheng was already asleep. The dormitory was unusually quiet.
One student was holding a basin but didn't have a firm grip. It hit the floor with a loud *clang*. Instantly, several pairs of eyes shot toward him. He stood there frozen. "I-I-I didn't mean to..." He picked up the basin and bolted.
Yu Qing scratched his head in confusion. Since when did Chengcheng become so popular?
***
