Apply medicine
The car stopped at the side entrance of the hospital, where there were fewer people. Jiang Yibai got out first, then turned around and carefully leaned in.
Lin Xiyan was already awake, or rather, he hadn't slept soundly at all. The anesthetic hadn't completely worn off yet, and the wound on his arm was throbbing with dull pain, reminding him of everything he had just experienced. He looked at Jiang Yibai outside the car, his eyes still a little dazed.
"Come here." Jiang Yibai stretched out his hand towards him and said softly, "Be careful."
Lin Xiyan hesitantly offered his uninjured left hand. Jiang Yibai took it, his fingertips warm and strong, and steadily helped him out of the car. When his foot touched the ground, his injured ankle took the weight, and a sharp pain pierced through him. He couldn't help but let out a soft hiss, and his body swayed.
Jiang Yibai noticed it immediately, his brows knitted together. "Does it hurt?" he asked, his arm quickly wrapping around Lin Xiyan's back, almost holding her in his arms to support her. "Don't push hard, lean on me."
Lin Xiyan's cheeks felt a little hot, partly from the pain and partly from the overly intimate position. He struggled slightly and whispered, "...I can walk."
"What's possible?" Jiang Yibai's tone was unquestionable. He tightened his arms around him, almost bearing most of his weight. "The doctor said that you need to put less stress on this foot in the near future. Be obedient."
He uttered the last two words so softly and lowly that it felt like a feather scratching an eardrum. Lin Xiyan fell silent, letting him half-hold her as she slowly moved into the hospital.
The smell of disinfectant hit him. Jiang Yibai was clearly familiar with the place and took him directly to the third floor, where he entered a private consulting room. A middle-aged doctor, who looked amiable and refined, was already waiting inside.
"Uncle Chen." Jiang Yibai greeted him with a familiar tone, but still respectful.
Doctor Chen nodded, his eyes falling on Lin Xiyan's bandaged arm and the foot he was hesitant to use. Without asking any more questions, he said gently, "Come, sit down and let me take a look."
The process of treating the wound was meticulous and lengthy. Cleaning, disinfection, application of medicine, and rebandaging. Lin Xiyan kept biting her lip, her face paler than before, a fine layer of cold sweat oozing from her forehead, but she remained silent.
Jiang Yibai stood nearby, never leaving. Every time Dr. Chen moved, his brows furrowed, his lips pursed until pale, as if the gauze were wrapped around his heart. He kept one hand gently resting on Lin Xiyan's uninjured left shoulder, silently conveying strength and warmth.
Many times, Lin Xiyan's fingertips trembled in pain and he subconsciously wanted to curl up. Jiang Yibai would put a little force on his shoulder and rub his thumb lightly, as if to say "I'm here".
After the ankle bruise was treated and an anti-inflammatory and analgesic aerosol was applied, Dr. Chen prescribed oral medication and carefully instructed on precautions. Jiang Yibai listened very carefully, as if every word was engraved in his mind.
"Thank you, Uncle Chen." Jiang Yibai thanked him solemnly, then picked up the medicine bags and turned to Lin Xiyan again.
Before Lin Xiyan could react, Jiang Yibai had already bent down and skillfully and carefully lifted him up sideways. This time, he was more steady and careful than before, completely avoiding any injuries.
"!" Lin Xiyan cried out in shock, her hand subconsciously grabbing Jiang Yibai's collar, "I... I can do it myself..."
"No." Jiang Yibai looked down at him, his eyes brooking no rebuttal, but his tone was soft, "Uncle Chen said you should move around less. Be good, okay?"
He used that tone again. Lin Xiyan's ears instantly turned red, and all the words of resistance were stuck in her throat. She could only turn her burning cheek slightly towards his chest and acquiesce.
He was carried all the way out of the hospital and into the car. Jiang Yibai placed him in the back seat, carefully adjusting his position to ensure he was comfortable, before walking around to the other side and getting in the car.
The car started again and drove back to the old residential building.
Silence stretched through the carriage. Lin Xiyan watched the rapidly receding street outside the window, his heart a tangle. The medical bills… He had just glanced at the number on the receipt; it was an astronomical sum for him. And then there was Jiang Yibai's absence from school today, his care, his… hug. It all felt like an unreal dream, heavy and warm, weighing down his chest, yet he was too eager to wake up.
"That... money..." He mustered up his courage, his voice as soft as a mosquito, "I will... pay you back later..."
Jiang Yibai was looking down at his phone, seemingly texting someone to arrange something. He raised his head and frowned, "Who asked you to pay it back?"
"But……"
"No buts." Jiang Yibai interrupted him, put down his phone, turned sideways and looked at him, his eyes a little unhappy, but more helpless, "What's mine is yours, why make such a distinction?"
These words were too natural and too intimate. Lin Xiyan was stunned, and her heart seemed to be hit by something suddenly, and a sour and numb feeling spread instantly.
Jiang Yibai saw his stunned look, sighed, and moved closer. He lowered his voice with a hint of grievance, "If you mention money to me again, I will...I will be really angry."
He said he was angry, but his eyes were wet, like a big abandoned dog, he didn't look angry at all.
Lin Xiyan looked at him, unable to utter any more words about "repayment" and "drawing a clear line". He lowered his head and uttered a very soft "hmm".
Jiang Yibai seemed satisfied then, the corners of his mouth curled up, and he sat back down.
The car stopped in front of the old building. Jiang Yibai picked her up without hesitation, carried her upstairs steadily, opened the door, and entered the house.
The room still had that stale smell, but it seemed that a breath of fresh air had come in because of the hurried departure just now.
Jiang Yibai gently placed the person on the bed, carefully covering him with a thin blanket, even tucking in the corners. Then he turned around, picked up the old electric kettle on the table, went to the sink to fill it with water, and boiled it.
The humming sound of boiling water echoed in the small space.
Jiang Yibai took out the medicine prescribed by the doctor, carefully measured the dosage according to the instructions, and poured a cup of warm water. He tested the water temperature and found it was a little hot, so he blew on it gently before bringing it to the bedside.
"Take the medicine first." He helped Lin Xiyan sit up a little, handed the pill to his mouth, and brought the water cup closer.
Lin Xiyan looked at his close, focused eyes, and his heartbeat began to beat uncontrollably again. He lowered his head obediently and swallowed the medicine from his hand. The warm water flowed down his throat, bringing just the right warmth.
After he finished taking the medicine, Jiang Yibai asked him to lie down again. He then pulled over the creaky old chair, sat beside the bed, and looked at him.
"Go to sleep," he said. "I'll wait until you fall asleep before I leave."
Lin Xiyan lay there, covered tightly with the quilt, revealing only his pale face and amber eyes. He looked at Jiang Yibai, who sat beside him, and saw the worry and tenderness in his eyes. An unprecedented sense of security enveloped him. His wounds still ached, but his heart felt filled with something.
He didn't really want to sleep, nor did he want Jiang Yibai to leave. But he knew he had delayed him for too long.
He closed his eyes gently, and his long eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyes.
The room was quiet, with only the sound of their shallow breathing. Sunlight slanted in through the window, falling on Jiang Yibai, outlining his clear silhouette.
After a while, Jiang Yibai thought he had fallen asleep, so he stood up very quietly and prepared to leave.
The corner of his clothes was gently pulled by someone.
He looked down and saw that Lin Xiyan had opened her eyes at some point and was looking at him, her fingers timidly pinching a small piece of fabric on his school uniform jacket. There was a subtle sense of dependence and... uneasiness in her eyes.
"You..." Lin Xiyan's voice was very low, slightly hoarse from having just taken medicine, "Are you going to school?"
Jiang Yibai felt like he had been stabbed in the softest part of his heart by that look and those words. He sat down again, leaned down, and moved closer to Lin Xiyan's face. His voice was very low, as if he was sharing a secret: "Well, I have to go to report for work, otherwise the teacher will nag me."
He paused, and lightly brushed away the strands of hair on Lin Xiyan's forehead with his fingertips. His tone was so soft that water could drip out of it: "I'll come right after school and bring you something delicious, okay?"
Lin Xiyan looked at his face so close, at her own clarity in his purple eyes, and her fingers slowly loosened the corner of his shirt. He nodded gently and closed his eyes again. This time, the corners of his mouth curved ever so slightly, reassuringly.
Jiang Yibai watched him finally sleep peacefully. He sat there quietly for a long while before standing up very quietly, as if afraid to disturb a fragile dream. He took one last look at the person on the bed before turning around, closing the door quietly and leaving.
His footsteps, which were gradually fading away, were heard in the corridor.
On the bed, Lin Xiyan's eyelashes trembled slightly the moment the door closed. He didn't open his eyes, but simply buried his face deeper into the quilt that smelled of sunshine, and fell into a deep sleep like a little animal that had finally found its nest.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
