Xiao Yu went back to the dorm and immediately buried his head under the covers. He had caught a chill from the hoodie he wore yesterday, and now his forehead was burning, his mind foggy.
Half-asleep, half-awake, he randomly lifted an arm and placed it across his forehead. It was very hot. Xiao Yu knew he had a fever, so he didn't bother trying to tough it out. He knew it wouldn't get better on its own anyway, so he simply turned over, got out of bed, and went to his cabinet to find some medicine.
Xiao Yu didn't like having a first-aid kit. He felt he was strong enough that having one around would make him seem weak. Xu Qingsong was different—he lived meticulously and had to have everything prepared to feel at ease.
Right now, Xu Qingsong even had several kinds of fever reducers: pills, capsules, granules, liquid, patches—you name it.
Granules were too much trouble; you had to mix them with water. Xiao Yu casually grabbed a capsule, downed it with the bottled water beside him, and went back to lie in bed. He really had to thank Xu Qingsong now; otherwise, he might have burned to death in the dorm and no one would have known.
He kept sleeping until noon when Xu Qingsong and Liu Xu returned. He woke up when he heard them open the door.
Xu Qingsong glanced at the person in bed. He had called him this morning, but Xiao Yu hadn't answered. He knew Xiao Yu would come back today since he didn't want to stay with his father, but they didn't know what time. He just hadn't expected him back so early—and with a high fever, his face flushed red.
"Holy crap, how did you end up down?" Xu Qingsong touched his forehead worriedly. His hand was ice-cold, and Xiao Yu frowned at the sudden coldness, opening one eye. "Are your hands dead or something?"
"Can you shut your dead mouth? You're running a fever and still cursing me. Obviously it's not bad enough." Xu Qingsong shot him a glare, withdrew his hand, and bent down to rummage through the cabinet for the first-aid kit. "Did you take any medicine?"
"Yeah, I took a capsule." Xiao Yu's voice was muffled; it was clear he wasn't feeling well.
"What? Which capsule did you take? Don't take the wrong one. There's a suppository that goes up your butt."
Liu Xu was gulping down water and spewed it all out upon hearing that, choking and coughing.
Xiao Yu couldn't stay calm either. He shot up, pointing at the pack of capsules in Xu Qingsong's hand. "I took this one. Isn't this oral?"
"Oh, then you're fine if you took that. I thought you grabbed the white pack."
He had thrown away the boxes to save space, nearly causing a disaster. He tossed the ibuprofen pack back into the kit. Liu Xu caught his breath and laughed. "If you'd taken the wrong one, you'd really be a joke."
"Scared me to death." Xiao Yu flopped back into bed.
The two on the ground chuckled, then turned to unpack the takeout on the table. They'd ordered fried chicken, still warm. Xu Qingsong looked up at the person in bed and tapped the bed frame. "Can you eat anything now?"
"No, you guys eat." Xiao Yu said with his eyes closed. The greasy smell of fried chicken was too strong; he turned over, bothered by it.
Xu Qingsong didn't press further. Feeding a feverish person greasy food was practically sending them to the grave. So he pulled out his phone, opened a food delivery app, and ordered some light congee. As he scrolled, he teased the guy in bed. "So you went home yesterday. What did your mom say? Did she compliment her handsome eldest son?"
They'd grown up together. Though Xiao Yu pretended not to care about anything, Xu Qingsong knew he bottled things up. If he didn't ask, Xiao Yu wouldn't tell. Sometimes even when asked, he wouldn't.
Xiao Yu really hated his dad, but he still liked his mom, at least a little. Despite Liu Jie not investing much in her son, Xiao Yu was starved for love. Anyone living in such a压抑 environment for so long would waver and cherish even a little concern. And it had been two years since she left. Even though he never mentioned Liu Jie to them, they all knew Xiao Yu missed his mom and hoped she'd come back.
Judging from his reaction yesterday when he learned she was back, he rushed home without a second thought. After all, she carried him for ten months; they were connected by blood—no one could sever that bond.
But the next second, they clearly heard Xiao Yu say, "Don't mention her to me from now on."
Not "less," but "don't."
His tone was utterly annoyed. His voice was a bit hoarse when he said it, probably not just from the cold. It hadn't been like that a moment ago.
Even if they had no tact, they could tell from his words that things had gone badly. The two on the ground exchanged glances, nudging each other with their elbows, each hoping the other would say something to comfort him. But in the end, no one dared to speak.
The air froze. Xiao Yu tightened his grip on the blanket corner. He really regretted running back like a lapdog yesterday, only to find out she hadn't come back to reconnect—she'd come specifically to tell Xiao Qu in person that she refused to let him go abroad.
Xiao Yu still remembered Liu Jie's contemptuous look. She had a new family and couldn't take him with her.
They kicked him away like a dog.
Neither side wanted him.
The atmosphere was too weird. Finally, Xu Qingsong forced a laugh. "Alright, alright. Hey, A Yu, stop putting your phone on silent. Can't reach you when something comes up. Can't even call you."
He'd developed the habit of keeping his phone on silent after Liu Jie left. Back then, Xiao Yu desperately hoped Liu Jie would realize her mistake and call him frantically. The more anxious she was, the more excited he got. But the truth was, every time he checked his phone, there were no missed calls—if there were any, they were from other people.
Until yesterday, when he saw her bring back a kid.
Only then did Xiao Yu understand that Liu Jie and Xiao Qu were the same. They only cared about their own happiness, never considering the feelings of their abandoned son.
Everyone was moving forward, and only he was stuck in place, waiting for them to change their minds.
He was the most ridiculous one.
After a long while, Xiao Yu barely curled the corner of his mouth and reached for his phone on the bedside. "Mm."
When the screen lit up, he saw the messages. Xu Qingsong and Liu Xu had each called him, and their Counselor had messaged asking when he'd be back to class. She asked every few days; Xiao Yu was annoyed, so this time he set her messages to mute.
Scrolling further, he saw the transfer from Ye Qingli.
He frowned and sent her a question mark.
Ye Qingli had just finished lunch with Xu Yan and returned to the dorm. Her phone buzzed. Seeing it was Xiao Yu, she typed an explanation: "The money I spent last night and this morning. Splitting it with you."
"It's only 200 yuan. What's there to split?" Xiao Yu replied and immediately refunded it.
"..."
Stubborn as a mule.
She was looking down at her phone as she entered the room. Xu Yan caught a glimpse of the chat and lightly tapped Ye Qingli on the forehead, laughing. "Qingqing, what were you thinking? Xiao Yu is chasing you. How could he possibly take your money?"
That made sense. Ye Qingli put down her backpack, walked to the chair by the window, and sat down. She thought for a moment and asked Xu Yan, "Then how should I pay him back?"
Xu Yan drew out a long "Hmm..." "Well... unless you take the initiative to pay when you two are together, I don't think you can pay him back." She paused for two seconds, then felt the question was unnecessary anyway. "Oh, don't worry about it. He's rich. He definitely doesn't need your money. Don't let it burden you."
Xu Yan didn't know about Xiao Yu's current situation. Everything she said was based on her memory of him.
The radiator behind her emitted heat. Ye Qingli leaned against it, listening silently. She thought Xu Yan was right. This way, she could return the money Xiao Yu spent on her without seeming deliberate. It was indeed a good idea.
...