Just a cold
As time passed, Chen Zihan often came to find Cheng Xiaorui after evening self-study, sometimes treating him to midnight snacks or stuffing candies into his mouth, which surprised Cheng Xiaorui again and again.
When he was free, Chen Zihan would be curious about Cheng Xiaorui's past, but in the end he knew nothing. Cheng Xiaorui certainly wouldn't tell him, and he didn't like to talk about his past. One time after class, Chen Zihan came to the door of Class 3 and happened to see Zhao Dakun pouring water on the test paper that Cheng Xiaorui had just finished.
This was unbearable. Chen Zihan rushed into the classroom and accidentally tore Zhao Dakun's shirt. He used the torn piece of fabric as a rag to wipe the moisture on the table.
In the end, the two of them ran out shyly under the strange looks of the whole class.
Zhao Dakun “?”
…
The commendation ceremony arrived. In the auditorium, the creaking sound of the ceiling fan mixed with the rhythmic applause. Cheng Xiaorui stood on the podium, his eyes narrowed slightly under the spotlight. As he took the envelope containing the scholarship, his fingertips touched the banknotes inside.
Chen Zihan suddenly stood up from the audience, standing out in the quiet auditorium. He was wearing a neatly ironed school uniform, his chestnut hair glistening like honey under the light. When he gave Cheng Xiaorui a thumbs-up, the watch on his wrist reflected a tiny ray of light that caught Cheng Xiaorui's eye.
Cheng Xiaorui unconsciously raised the corners of his mouth, and this smile suddenly made his pale face lively. He saw Chen Zihan's pupils dilate slightly, and then he returned a bright smile.
"What are you going to use your scholarship for?" During lunch, Chen Zihan used chopsticks to poke the runny center of an omelet, letting the golden liquid flow onto the rice. "It doesn't matter to me. I'm not really in need anyway..."
Cheng Xiaorui carefully put the envelope into the compartment of his schoolbag and rubbed the fabric with his fingers twice: "Leave it for Mom." He spoke softly, as if afraid of disturbing something.
Chen Zihan's chopsticks stopped in mid-air. "That's a good idea." Chen Zihan's voice softened unconsciously. "Your mother must be very good to you, right?"
"Well, very good." Cheng Xiaorui paused and continued, "No one can be better than her." The last sentence was almost squeezed out from between his teeth.
"Oh, not like my mom." Chen Zihan sighed exaggeratedly and deliberately tapped the plate with his chopsticks. "She just nags me every day. It's so annoying."
"You have such good grades." Cheng Xiaorui looked up and found that Chen Zihan's eyelashes were almost transparent in the sunlight. "She still said something about you?"
"She said I—"
Suddenly, Zhao Dakun's inexplicable ridicule came: "You go and collude with others every day..."
“Bang!”
The sound of chopsticks clapping against the table silenced the two people nearby for a moment. Lu Ziyi didn't give Zhao Dakun a chance to say more. His gloomy gaze lingered on Cheng Xiaorui and Chen Zihan's clasped hands for a second before he turned and left.
When Chen Zihan saw him, his face became stiff.
"Why does Brother Lu look so angry?" Zhao Dakun's voice was filled with confusion.
"What do you think?" Zhou Mingxuan dragged out his tone meaningfully, "He must have lost his appetite after seeing Cheng Xiaorui."
Cheng Xiaorui spat out the soup he had just finished. Chen Zihan's fingertips tapped the tabletop, the rhythm getting faster and faster. He suddenly stood up, the sunlight casting a long shadow behind him. "I always feel like there's a lot of gossip here. Why don't we change seats?"
"No need." Cheng Xiaorui stood up first, his hands shaking slightly as he cleared the plates. "Let's go."
The sky above the playground was gloomy, and muffled thunder could be heard in the distance. Chen Zihan walked backwards in front of Cheng Xiaorui, his sneakers trampling over a few dead leaves.
"Who is talking? It's so confusing." He suddenly asked, his voice as light as a feather.
"They are just the MVP of presence in the class. Don't pay attention to them." Cheng Xiaorui replied.
"Haha, you can say that. Do they bully you often? Lu Ziyi, is it him?" Chen Zihan was obviously a little angry, and then asked.
Cheng Xiaorui continued, "It's just that I have a lot to do, but don't worry, I'm fine."
"Are you really okay?" Chen Zihan suddenly stopped and reached out to touch Cheng Xiaorui's neck. "Here..." His fingertips stopped at the bruise on the edge of his collar. "Why are there so many wounds?"
Cheng Xiaorui tilted his head. The bruise looked even more shocking under the gray sky. "You'll get hurt in a fight, but it'll heal in a few days."
Chen Zihan's pupils suddenly constricted. He grabbed Cheng Xiaorui's arm and said, "Cheng Xiaorui," he said slowly, "If you get beaten, you must tell me. Got it?"
"Why?" Cheng Xiaorui said it almost in a low voice. He obviously didn't want other people to get involved in his affairs. Whether it was Chen Zihan or Lin Wanqing, it would be best if they didn't interfere.
"What? What did you say?"
"without……"
A drop of rain fell on Cheng Xiaorui's eyelashes and slid down his cheek like a belated tear.
"Thank you..." he said softly, but made no promises.
"That's a deal, especially Lu Ziyi, stay away from him and ignore him." Chen Zihan actually became serious.
"Do you know him?" Cheng Xiaorui asked doubtfully.
"Of course, he's not normal, because I'm his—"
Before he finished speaking, the rain suddenly picked up. Chen Zihan quickly took off his school uniform jacket and covered them with it. The fabric had a faint scent of lime.
"What's going on! It's raining so heavily! I'm going to get soaked!" Chen Zihan complained loudly.
They ran in the rain, the playground blurring behind them. "Ah! Xiaorui, are you okay? You're soaked, even worse than me." Chen Zihan stood in the first-floor teaching building, water still dripping from his school uniform shirt.
"It's okay." Cheng Xiaorui wrinkled his nose, took a deep breath, and then sneezed.
"You have a cold! Oh my God! Are you... okay? You just... got caught in the rain... Your physical condition is not that good." Chen Zihan put his coat on Cheng Xiaorui's shoulders, and then he realized that he had used it to keep out the rain, and it was completely wet. He then took off the coat embarrassedly.
"Maybe I caught a cold a few days ago and it hasn't healed yet," Cheng Xiaorui sniffed. "It's okay, just change your clothes."
"Why didn't you tell me you had a cold? Do you have any medicine? Or did you get an injection?" Chen Zihan could see that Cheng Xiaorui seemed to be trembling, and he asked anxiously.
After a moment of silence, Cheng Xiaorui still didn't speak. He felt that these words were familiar, and Chen Zihan's hand was already on his forehead. The cold touch made Cheng Xiaorui shrink back.
"Huh? It's a little hot. You don't have a fever, do you?" Chen Zihan took his hand back after taking a look.
"Oh, I don't feel anything. It's nothing." Cheng Xiaorui didn't seem to care much.
“…”
"Are you... always like this?" After a moment's silence, Chen Zihan's voice was not normal, like a very stern question, but also a little cold.
“…”
Silence again.
After an awkward moment, Cheng Xiaorui spoke first: "Um...oh...right, class is about to start, I'll go first----"
"What kind of class are you talking about?! What kind of class are you talking about? Are you going to burn out? And where are you going with wet clothes on?" Chen Zihan took his hand. "Go to the infirmary... No! It's better to go to the hospital!"
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