Chapter 5 I Hate You So Much

All the energy Ji Tong had mustered throughout the night was poured into those words, "You won."

Despite being the victor, they eagerly and without restraint move towards the "loser".

Suddenly, Ji Tong felt a drop of rain fall on her neck.

It's warm.

Damp.

Did Anjing experience a warm rain?

Ji Tong looked up at the sky when Gu Lin's voice rang in his ear, just like it had been back in his second year of high school.

"Carry me on your back or hug me?"

During Ji Tong's high fever, thinking back to that year, she instinctively and without thinking, said, "Hug."

Cui Mingying: "..."

Zhou Tian: "..."

Shall we go?

Gu Lin took the coat from Li Yuan and draped it over Ji Tong.

Cui Mingying answered a phone call: "Brother Lin, the driver is already waiting at the East Third Gate. Let's go over there quickly."

The East Third Gate is the closest gate to the dormitory; you can get there by turning a small path.

Ji Tong was delirious with fever, but the moment those familiar, warm hands touched his waist, his mind suddenly cleared for a moment.

He took a step back.

In his line of sight were rows of sycamore trees, standing there reminding him that this was not Anjing No. 1 Middle School.

Ji Tong frowned again.

Gu Lin didn't say anything, but simply pulled Ji Tong's coat collar tighter, turned around and squatted down.

Ji Tong's eyes were sore from the heat that they became dry.

He looked down at Gu Lin's broad back.

I don't want to hug you, and I don't want to carry you on my back.

But then he realized something.

Although he's still quite capable, why not make things difficult for Gu Lin if he can?

Anyway, it's not him who's tired.

With that thought, Ji Tong finally felt no psychological burden and even wrapped her arms around Gu Lin's neck in a retaliatory manner, letting go of her strength as she leaned on him.

Gu Lin's movements of bending down and standing up were very skillful.

"Have you been drinking?" Gu Lin smelled a faint scent of alcohol on Ji Tong.

Ji Tong remained silent until a long time before finally replying.

"Mind your own business."

The weather was bad; there were only a few scattered people on the path, and the continuous rain made the air damp and heavy.

Gu Lin carried the person on his back at a steady pace, though his steps weren't slow.

Even though his nose was terribly stuffy, Gu Lin's breath kept swirling around the tip of his nose, making Ji Tong's eyes sting, as if something was about to burst out from inside.

"It's probably sweat," Ji Tong thought.

-

The drive from Anhui University to the First Affiliated Hospital, which normally takes half an hour, turned into almost an hour due to Friday evening rush hour.

Ji Tong slept for as long as the car drove.

During the hour he slept, his temperature rose by 0.2 degrees Celsius, and there was no sign of the fever subsiding. The medicine that Gu Lin had given him halfway through the journey had no effect.

"Tongtong, wake up," Li Yuan called softly.

When Ji Tong opened her eyes, the scent of Gu Lin that once filled her nostrils had been replaced by the cold smell of disinfectant.

"Your temperature is so high? Are you allergic to any medications?" asked the nurse drawing blood at the third window.

"Allergic to penicillin."

Ji Tong's eyelashes twitched.

Whose voice is that?

His rising body temperature, along with the lingering effects of the alcohol, surged up, and in this hazy state, he turned his face away—

What are you doing here?

Ji Tong looked at Gu Lin blankly.

I used to dream about being at school, but this time I'm in a hospital.

Gu Lin stood just a step away from him, very close.

Ji Tong raised his hand, about to touch—

"Tongtong, you're the one who asked me to call Brother Lin, have you forgotten?" Li Yuan's voice suddenly rang out.

Ji Tong's hand froze in mid-air.

Oh, right, he seemed to have had another dream before this one.

In his dream, Gu Lin admitted defeat to him.

"I think... ouch."

The pain of the long needle piercing the skin came over me.

Do you experience pain even in your dreams?

Ji Tong frowned and turned around, only to see a syringe gleaming with a cold, silvery light.

He finally came to his senses from the chaotic and restless "dream".

The blood test results came back quickly, and after the doctor reviewed them, he prescribed medication and started the IV drip—all in one go.

The drug's effects were more astonishing than expected; in just over half an hour, the redness and heat on Ji Tong's face caused by the high fever had dissipated.

After waking up from the "dream," Ji Tong didn't speak again, and when she did, her voice was a little dry.

"What time is it?"

He looked at Li Yuan as he spoke, but Gu Lin answered him instead.

"9:30."

Ji Tong paused for a moment, then asked without looking at him, "Where are A-Tian and Ming-Ying?"

This time, Li Yuan answered him: "It's inconvenient to have one car, and we'll be checking the dorms later, so let Lao Zhou stay in the dorm first, and Mingying will go downstairs to the supermarket to buy some things."

As if to verify Li Yuan's words, Cui Mingying returned carrying a large bag as soon as he finished speaking.

"The hospital supermarket only has some basic items, but it's enough."

"I bought some bottled water and food, a thermos, a small blanket, and a small trash can. The trash bags are already in place, so I won't have to run to the toilet if I feel like throwing up later."

Ji Tong looked at Cui Mingying, who was meticulous about everything, and felt a lump in her throat: "I'll treat you to dinner when we get back."

"Tongtong...uh...actually, it was all Lin Ge who asked me to buy them, the blanket and the trash can. He said that if you have a fever, you will feel cold and nauseous."

"..."

Ji Tong withdrew a meal.

The atmosphere froze again.

Just as Li Yuan was about to offer some advice, Ji Tong, who hadn't given Gu Lin a single glance, rang.

Li Yuan turned his head to look and saw an alarm notification.

Li Yuan: "You're definitely going to cause trouble..."

Cui Mingying pressed his hand down and answered the alarm clock: "Computer? Yes, it's on my computer."

Li Yuan: "?"

"So urgent? Can't you do without us? Okay, Tongtong is already on the IV drip. Li Yuan and I will be right there," Cui Mingying said, then put down the phone and said to Ji Tong, "Tongtong, Teacher Huang needs some materials urgently. Li Yuan and I have to go back and work on them right away."

Ji Tong didn't think much of it and immediately nodded upon hearing this: "Okay, I'm fine now, my fever has gone down. You guys should go back quickly, A-Tian must be worried about being alone in the dorm."

Li Yuan was still confused when Cui Mingying pulled him away.

"No, you're just leaving because you need to answer an alarm, why did you drag me along? Leaving Lin-ge all alone..."

Li Yuan suddenly stopped talking.

Cui Mingying: "Understood?"

Li Yuan nodded: "Let's go quickly."

Cui Mingying and Li Yuan's figures disappeared completely around the corner.

There was only one person left beside him.

Ji Tong didn't want to talk to him anymore, so she turned her head to look in the other direction.

There weren't many people in the infusion room late at night at the First People's Hospital. They were sitting in a corner, with only a young couple holding a child next to them.

The child probably had a fever, as there was a penguin-shaped cooling patch on their head.

Ji Tong was eager to distract herself and ignore the breathing of the person next to her, so she absentmindedly counted the penguin heads on the children's cooling patches.

Three, five, seven...

I can't count them all.

Ji Tong lowered his head and kicked the trash can in frustration before finally speaking.

"You go too."

"I'll go back by myself after my IV drip is finished."

The person who had been silent for a long time finally moved and stood up after hearing the words, "I'll go back by myself."

Ji Tong's hand tensed up instantly. The next second, a pair of slender hands and a blanket appeared in the corner of her eye.

"It hasn't been washed, so just make do." Gu Lin lifted the newly bought blanket and draped it over Ji Tong.

“The mineral water is too cold. I’ll go wash the thermos and get some hot water,” Gu Lin said, his gaze lingering on Ji Tong’s taut knuckles. “Is that alright?”

Ji Tong still refused to answer.

Gu Lin silently stood up, picked up his thermos, and was about to walk towards the water dispenser when someone tugged at his clothes—

Gu Lin lowered his eyes.

Ji Tong's gaze remained fixed on the trash can.

"...I'll just drink it cold."

Gu Lin stood there quietly for a while, then looked up at the water dispenser on the corner not far away, lost in thought.

A few seconds later, Ji Tong heard Gu Lin making a phone call.

His voice wasn't loud, and the hospital was a bit noisy, so Ji Tong couldn't hear him clearly. She only vaguely heard something like "second floor" and "infusion room".

"Okay, thank you." Gu Lin hung up the phone and turned back to his seat.

Despite the noise around him, Ji Tong felt a profound sense of quiet, so quiet that he felt disoriented.

Ji Tong never imagined that one day the word "awkward" would appear between him and Gu Lin.

The urge to take the medicine and receive the IV drip on an empty stomach surged up at that moment, and Ji Tong's throat tightened. Before he could even lower his head—

Feeling nauseous?

Gu Lin had somehow walked up to him and squatted down. He stretched out his long arm, took the trash can that had been kicked aside, placed it in front of him, and looked up at him from that position.

Ji Tong: "..."

So annoying.

Ji Tong forced herself to suppress the urge to vomit.

He couldn't tell whether he was annoyed that Gu Lin could still see through his habits at a glance and that "everything was as usual," or that Gu Lin wanted "everything to be as usual" without explaining anything.

It's been half a year.

Why should everything be "as usual"?

He was determined to go against Gu Lin.

Ji Tong didn't say a word, and then suddenly turned his face to the left.

I won't vomit.

Gu Lin just stared at him silently for a while, then lowered his head and moved the trash can from the middle to the left.

Ji Tong turned her face away again.

Gu Lin twitched his fingers slightly and changed the trash can again.

Ji Tong got into a fight with him and turned her face away again.

The trash can was moved again.

After going back and forth several times, the trash can was gently put down with a "thump".

Gu Lin's emotionless voice rang out.

"Ji Tong".

The person whose name was called trembled very slightly.

He still dares to call him?

How dare that bastard yell at him?!

Ji Tong felt a surge of heat rise from his stomach to his head. He turned his head sharply, about to erupt—

"She's throwing a tantrum. Try to soothe her."

A gentle and calming female voice suddenly came from the side.

Ji Tong was taken aback and subconsciously looked over.

The little penguin was thrashing about in his father's arms, perhaps because he was uncomfortable. He was uncooperative and wouldn't take his medicine. When the spoon was used to feed him on the left, he would turn his face to the right, and when it was used to feed him on the right, he would turn his face to the left.

“They get fussy when they’re sick,” the young mother said while cooling some boiled water. “Hold them and comfort them.”

The father had no choice but to pick up the child, kiss his forehead, and call him "baby, baby."

The children quieted down.

The young mother had just finished cooling the boiled water and turned her face, her gaze sweeping over the trash can.

Ji Tong suddenly fell silent without warning.

The young father was still frantically trying to soothe the child.

Gu Lin's gaze had already lightly swept over that area before returning to his own.

"Do you still want to vomit?"

Ji Tong didn't want to vomit anymore, but that didn't mean the matter was over.

He heard "Ji Tong" very clearly just now.

Ji Tong stared at the trash can, as if afraid of being overheard from the other side, and spoke in a low but firm voice.

"What are you being so arrogant about?"

"You still dare to raise your voice at me."

Ji Tong became increasingly choked with anger as he spoke, his whole body boiling with rage.

"Gu Lin, I'm telling you."

"I hate you so much."

Gu Lin stared at him intently, the time seeming to stretch out for an eternity, yet also as if it had only lasted a second or two.

"Don't speak loudly." Gu Lin raised his hand and tucked the blanket that had slipped halfway off Ji Tong back in.

“It’s okay to be angry with me, it’s okay to lose your temper,” Gu Lin paused for a moment, “It’s okay to hate me.”

Perhaps it was the intense emotion conveyed by the word "hate" that finally made Ji Tong look up.

He heard Gu Lin's last words.

"Don't torture yourself."