Mint
Lin Jingshang breathed a sigh of relief, yet also felt a strange, indescribable feeling. Holding his water bottle, he stood in the center of the living room, unsure whether to return to the guest room, or…
"What do you want to watch?" Xie Dang picked up the remote control from the sofa and turned on the TV. "Or, do you want to continue resting?"
"I... I'll just take a look." Lin Jingshang sat down at the other end of the sofa, keeping a polite distance from Xie Dang.
Xie Dang handed him the remote control and continued working.
Lin Jingshang hugged a cushion, curled up in the corner of the sofa, his gaze occasionally shifting from the TV screen to Xie Dang. This space was clearly unfamiliar, filled with another person's presence, yet he felt incredibly at ease.
Illness comes like an arrow, but recovers like a thread.
Although Lin Jingshang's high fever had subsided, he still had cold symptoms: cough, nasal congestion, and he was listless and lacked energy.
Xie Dang seemed to have made taking care of him a regular part of his schedule. Every morning at 7:30, he would knock on the guest room door on time, carrying a thermometer and warm water.
"Take your temperature."
Lin Jingshang groggily stretched out his arm, watching Xie Dang look down and read the numbers on the electronic thermometer, recording them in his phone's memo app.
"37.1℃, persistent low-grade fever, take your medication on time." Xie Dang announced the results and handed over the pills and water.
During the day, Xie Dang needs to go to the company to handle necessary matters, so he always orders takeout for lunch and dinner in advance, or prepares the ingredients and attaches a note indicating the heating time and precautions.
[Lunch: Yam and pork rib soup, microwaved on high for 2 minutes. Lightly seasoned with side dishes. Make sure to finish it all.]
[Tomato and egg noodles for dinner. Cooking for 3 minutes yields the best texture and provides a good source of Vitamin C.]
Lin Jingshang looked at these sticky notes, feeling a mix of emotions.
He never imagined that one day he would see Xie Dang's handwriting appear on such a reminder.
The following night, Lin Jingshang's cough suddenly worsened, his throat became dry and sore, and he couldn't sleep well.
In a half-dreaming, half-awake state, he felt a slightly cool hand touch his forehead.
He struggled to open his eyes. In the dim light of the night lamp, Xie Dang stood by the bed in dark pajamas, his brows slightly furrowed.
"It's on fire again."
Xie Dang turned and went out, and soon returned with a basin of water and a clean towel.
A towel soaked in cold water was wrung out until half-dry and gently placed on Lin Jingshang's forehead. The cool sensation helped clear his muddled consciousness.
"Thank you..." he said, his voice hoarse.
Xie Dang didn't speak, but sat on the chair by the bed, looking at him in the dim light of the night lamp.
After a while, Xie Dang reached out to test the temperature of the towel, flipped it over, and applied it back to his face.
Lin Jingshang closed his eyes, feeling the coolness coming from his forehead.
The vulnerability after falling ill is magnified at this moment, but it is also firmly supported by this care.
He suddenly recalled the romantic scenes the system had forcibly pushed to him—cuddling under cherry blossom rain, domineering and forceful care. Compared to the scene before him, they seemed so empty.
"I disturbed your rest..." Lin Jingshang felt a little guilty.
"It's alright, I don't sleep much," Xie Dang said calmly.
He stayed by Lin Jingshang's side for about ten more minutes, then checked his forehead again. Feeling that his temperature had dropped a bit, he picked up the basin of water and whispered, "Go to sleep. Call me if you need anything."
The door was gently closed.
Lin Jingshang lay in the darkness, his forehead still feeling the chill of the blanket. He curled up and pulled it up a little higher.
---
Lin Jingshang's low-grade fever and cough have finally subsided, but he is still a bit weak and easily fatigued.
Saturday morning, the sun was shining brightly. He stayed in the guest room reading for a while, but felt a bit stuffy, so he strolled to the balcony in the living room to get some fresh air.
Xie Dang's balcony was large and enclosed, offering a wide view. Several potted plants were placed against the wall. Lin Jingshang hadn't looked at them closely before, but now that the sunlight was streaming in, he found one of them particularly familiar.
It was a pot of thriving mint, with thick, lush green leaves and a refreshing scent. It was the exact same variety as the several pots he had killed on his windowsill at home.
Lin Jingshang was staring intently at the pot of mint when he heard footsteps behind him. Xie Dang also came to the balcony, carrying two glasses.
"Awake?" Xie Dang handed him one of the glasses of water, his gaze also falling on the pot of mint.
"Hmm." Lin Jingshang took the water glass and couldn't help but point to the pot of mint and ask, "Mr. Xie, do you also grow this?"
Xie Dang watered the other plants one by one, and only then did he water the mint. He was very careful to make sure the water seeped into the soil evenly.
"Hmm." He responded, finished watering, straightened up, looked at the water droplets rolling on the mint leaves, and added, "They're relatively easy to grow."
Lin Jingshang felt a little ashamed when he thought of his several pots of mint that had inexplicably withered.
"Really? I think it's quite difficult to grow. Too much water will cause the roots to rot, and too little water will cause it to dry out and die."
Xie Dang turned to look at him, a faint smile flashing in his eyes: "Just control the variables: light, water, and soil pH."
Lin Jingshang: "..."
Well, discussing this with a top student is just asking for trouble.
He took a sip of water, looked at the vibrant mint in the sunlight, and suddenly said, "This mint is growing really well. It should be great for making tea or cooking."
Xie Dang's gaze lingered on his face for a second before shifting to the distant city skyline: "Yes, you can take it off if you need to."
These words were spoken calmly, but Lin Jingshang's heart stirred slightly.
He remembered the mints in the glove compartment and that Xie Dang had said he didn't eat sweets and that the mints were for stimulating his senses.
And what about this pot of mint? Was it planted because it's easy to grow?
He looked down at the clear water in the glass.
In the afternoon, Lin Jingshang felt much better and offered to help clean the guest room, since he had been bothering him for so many days.
Xie Dang did not object and gave him a clean set of sheets and duvet cover.
While changing the sheets, Lin Jingshang felt a small object under the pillow. Upon taking it out, he discovered it was a familiar, individually packaged lavender eye mask—the very same one that the system had gifted him before, which Xie Dang had criticized as having "inadequate light-blocking capabilities."
Lin Jingshang held the blindfold and froze.
Xie Dang wasn't using it, so how did it end up under the pillow in the guest room?
He walked out of the guest room with the blindfold in hand. Xie Dang was replying to emails in the living room. He shook the blindfold in his hand, somewhat puzzled: "Mr. Xie, this..."
Xie Dang looked up from the computer screen, saw the eye patch, and his expression didn't change.
"Forgot to process it, you can use it if you need it."
Lin Jingshang placed the eye mask on the coffee table and smiled, "I don't need it. I sleep perfectly well in normal light."
Xie Dang hummed in response and said nothing more, refocusing his attention on the computer screen.
Lin Jingshang walked back to the balcony and looked at the pot of mint leaves unfurling in the sunlight. A gentle breeze brought a refreshing coolness, and he took a deep breath, feeling much more relaxed.
---
Lin Jingshang's body had fully recovered, his complexion had regained its rosy hue, and his spirits were high. He stayed in Xie Dang's guest room for a short time. A few of his clothes were hanging in the previously empty wardrobe, his notebooks and pens were scattered on the desk, and two sets of toiletries were placed side by side on the bathroom sink, one black and one blue.
On Monday morning, Lin Jingshang and Xie Dang left for work together.
Inside the elevator, Lin Jingshang watched the numbers steadily decrease, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "President Xie, I'm all better now. Tonight..."
"Hmm." Xie Dang interrupted him, looking straight at the elevator door. "Whatever you want."
His reaction was indifferent, revealing no emotion.
Lin Jingshang's remaining words were stuck in his throat. He nodded and said, "Okay, I'll pack my things when I get off work."
Lin Jingshang was somewhat absent-minded all day.
He found himself getting used to seeing Xie Dang with a thermometer every morning when he opened the door, used to the notes with instructions on them on the dining table, and used to the time they spent in the living room at night, each occupying their own space.
After get off work, he returned to Xie Dang's apartment and packed his things.
He didn't actually have much stuff, and he quickly tidied it up. Looking at the now empty wardrobe and the neatly restored desk, he felt a strange emptiness in his heart.
Xie Dang hasn't returned yet.
Lin Jingshang sat on the living room sofa waiting for him, thinking that he should at least say goodbye in person and thank him sincerely once more.
Around seven o'clock, the sound of a key turning came from the doorway.
Xie Dang returned, carrying a familiar brown paper bag—it was takeout from that Cantonese tea restaurant.
He paused for a moment when he saw the neatly packed suitcases in the living room, then placed the takeout bag on the dining table.
"Have a meal before you leave," he said in his usual tone.
"Okay." Lin Jingshang stood up and went over to help set the table.
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