Chapter 22

Because of an inexplicable little episode, He Xi barely fell asleep until the second half of the night.

When she was woken up by the alarm clock, her eyes were sore. She washed up in a hurry and went out. The road was already crowded with people.

There is generally no mandatory requirement for morning reading in the senior year of high school, and everyone arranges subjects according to their own plans.

He Xi went to the classroom, picked up a few books, and ran to the playground. His feet were so fast that he secretly prayed that his old spot would not be occupied by anyone else.

Passing by groups of people, the sound of reading aloud made her even more anxious.

She hurriedly ran through the small garden beside the playground, turned into a secluded path next to it, and looked around hurriedly several times. Seeing that there was no one in the place where she usually sat, she completely relaxed.

The tall locust tree completely blocks the scattered sunlight, and the several crooked stone benches under the tree can be seen to have been corroded by time.

He Xi took out a tissue and wiped it again before sitting down panting.

I had just flipped through a few lines of the book in my hand when I suddenly heard a light cough from a few steps away.

"cough--"

She frowned and looked up at the voice, only to see Jiang Yue staring at her with a smile on his face, looking calm as if he was just waiting to be discovered by her.

"Here, I brought you breakfast."

Jiang Yue took a few steps forward and put the egg-filled pancake into He Xi's hand.

"How do you know..."

He Xi was a little surprised for a moment, and his expression looked a little dazed.

She had never seen him in this place before, and she always had breakfast at home. Today was an exception.

"Just think of me as a genius."

After Jiang Yue finished speaking, he scratched the back of his head and smiled uncomfortably.

"Eat it quickly, or it will get cold."

After saying this, without waiting for He Xi's reaction, he took a few steps backwards and turned to leave the grove.

Until the boy's figure disappeared from sight, He Xi lowered his eyes and stared at the steaming breakfast in his hand.

The warm touch reminded her that she was not so dazed as to think she was still dreaming.

Forty minutes passed in a flash, and when the shrill bell rang from the playground, she realized that she had only turned a few pages of the book.

On the way back to the classroom, students were everywhere. The playground, corridors, and hallways were a sea of ​​military green, blue, and white.

"It's hot again today. Do you think I can get through today's military training by pretending to faint from heatstroke?"

As they passed each other, He Xi heard the two girls conspiring loudly.

She subconsciously looked up at the sun that was already half hanging in the sky, and felt sympathy for that brat He Xu for a second.

*

Although classes were going on throughout the morning, most students were distracted by the deafening slogans roaring in the stadium.

"Tsk tsk tsk, listen to the voice of the young and energetic, it's good to be young——"

"Alas, as human beings, we should have a little compassion, okay? It's so hot, it's so hard for the younger students!"

He Xi kept writing, and could hear the murmurs of people around him.

"Can you eat sympathy? Then don't cry when you can't get a table for sweet and sour pork later."

"Oh my gosh! I almost forgot about this."

It's not even noon yet, but everyone is already thinking about lunch.

He Xi didn't have any expectations and went home for dinner as usual.

At the dinner table, He Xu's swift eating style earned him a few knocks on the head with his chopsticks from Yan Runqing as expected.

"No one's competing with you, why are you so anxious?"

"Well, no one brought me breakfast, I'm hungry..."

He Xi looked at his meaningful eyes and gave He Xu a glare that said "don't make trouble".

Seeing that the man was looking provocative and was about to ask for death, she stretched out her leg and kicked him.

"hiss--"

"I told you to eat slowly, but you wouldn't listen..."

Yan Runqing hit his son with the chopstick again, and seeing that his son was about to yell with his mouth open, he pretended to raise his arm again.

"I can't even eat a peaceful meal. Sooner or later, you two will drive me crazy."

He Xi gloated and made a face at He Xu.

"After dinner, take your bowls back to the kitchen." Yan Runqing was about to go out, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan. Before leaving, he remembered something and said, "There's Huoxiang Zhengqi Water in the medicine box. You two should grab a few bottles before you return to school."

"Hmm."

He Xi's physical condition has never been good, and heatstroke is a common occurrence in the summer, so she obediently agreed.

"Here, take two bottles." She wanted to give two bottles to He Xu.

"Come on, I'm in great shape, I don't need that stuff."

"You have no respect for your elders, you little bastard, are you itching for trouble again?!"

He Xu was a man of few words, and once he pissed someone off, he would run away as fast as if his feet were greased.

*

During the afternoon break, some students in the class could not sit still and urged a group of people to go to the playground to watch the military training of the freshmen.

He Xi was also walking downstairs with the girl at the table in front of him.

"I heard yesterday that there's a boy named Zhao Lin among the new students who's incredibly handsome!"

"We'll go take a look later and see if it can catch our Xixi's eye."

For a moment, He Xi thought of the inexplicable conversation last night and felt a little uncomfortable. He smiled awkwardly and didn't say anything.

The formations on the playground began to disband and rest one after another, and the dazzling military green was everywhere.

He Xi took a few steps, paused, and looked at the scorching sunlight, not wanting to move any further.

"I'll wait for you here. You know I can't stand the sun."

The girl didn't force her and told her to go back to the classroom if she had anything to do.

He Xi walked along the shade of the corner to the corridor next to the teaching building.

"Are you okay?"

A female voice sounded cautious but clearly worried.

He Xi raised his eyes and went to look for the voice, but he didn't expect to meet a pair of eyes that were completely different from last night.

At this moment, the boy's face was a little pale, and his eyes looked listless and lifeless.

"Can you hold on? Or maybe you should go to the infirmary."

"No need to trouble you."

He Xi had a vague premonition in her heart, and she stared at the boy a few steps away without saying a word.

Their eyes met, and she heard Zhao Lin say to the girl next to her: "You go back first, my sister will take care of me."

"coax--"

He Xi's ears instantly felt burning because of the boy's words, and her face began to sweat, not knowing whether it was because of the heat or something else.

The girl walked away, looking back every few steps.

"Sister, I feel bad."

He Xi wanted Zhao Lin to shut up, but when he saw his weak and wet eyes, he swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth.

Could it be that this person has been stimulated and has become mentally disturbed?

He Xi really couldn't put the man in front of him together with the cold-faced and arrogant Wang before.

"Give--!"

She handed the two bottles of Huoxiang Zhengqi water that she had put in her pocket at noon to the boy.

Seeing Zhao Lin's embarrassed expression, he opened the bottle mouth that had been cut, wrinkled his nose and smelled it two or three times.

"Drink it quickly, or I won't carry you if you pass out."

Zhao Lin forced a bitter smile, closed his eyes and suppressed the feeling of nausea, then tentatively poured it into his mouth. He choked and started coughing after just one mouthful, almost coughing out tears.

There was still two-thirds left in the vial. He looked at it with difficulty, and He Xi stood beside him without saying a word.

After a while, the boy raised the bottle again tremblingly.

"Just close your eyes and pour it into your mouth." She couldn't bear to watch it anymore.

"Okay." Zhao Lin finally softened in front of the girl.

He made up his mind and poured the medicine into his mouth with his eyes closed. In an instant, the bitter taste filled his mouth. He was about to withdraw his hand holding the medicine bottle, but at this moment he felt a warm touch on his right hand. A large amount of medicine rushed into his throat, and Zhao Lin swallowed it hurriedly and passively.

He Xi finally let go of the bottle of medicine after gulping it down. He touched his throat and opened his eyes to see the girl standing upright in front of him.

After being stunned for a few seconds, both of them were speechless.

"Thank you, sister."

Zhao Lin raised his eyes and stared at He Xi, like a wild beast locking onto its prey, staring at her until her face turned red.