See a doctor
The next morning, Jiang Yibai walked into the classroom on time, and his eyes habitually swept towards that corner first.
Empty.
The tabletop was spotless, and the chairs were neatly tucked under the table, as if no one had ever been there.
He paused for a moment, his brows knitted subconsciously. A good student like Lin Xiyan would never be late unless the sky fell.
When the bell rang for the first class, the seat was still empty.
Jiang Yibai was getting restless. His fingers twirled the pen unconsciously, his eyes glancing toward the door. The teacher's voice from the podium seemed muffled, as if through a film.
During the break, he casually walked over to the monitor and asked, "Where's Lin Xiyan? Didn't she come?"
The monitor pushed his glasses: "Oh, he called to ask for leave this morning, saying he wasn't feeling well."
Feeling unwell?
Jiang Yibai's heart skipped a beat. He remembered how he'd wanted to wait for Lin Xiyan after school yesterday, but the homeroom teacher had called him into the office to discuss a competition. When he came out, everyone was gone. He hadn't paid much attention to it, thinking Lin Xiyan had gone home first.
Now that I think about it, something is wrong.
That feeling of panic came back, stronger than ever. He thought of Lin Xiyan's pale face, thin wrists, and eyes that were always filled with panic.
Without hesitation, he turned and walked out.
"Hey? Brother Jiang? Where are you going during class?" Lu Panji shouted from behind.
Jiang Yibai ignored him and walked down the stairs quickly and hurriedly. Skipping class? No problem.
He just knew he had to go and see it. Now, immediately.
Following the vague address he'd memorized from the occasional times he'd dropped Lin Xiyan off, and after a little searching, Jiang Yibai finally found the dilapidated building. The hallway was dark and narrow, filled with a damp, musty smell. He frowned as he climbed up, his heartbeat inexplicably rapid.
He stopped in front of the rusty green iron door and knocked with considerable force.
There was no movement inside.
He knocked a few more times, increasing the force. "Lin Xiyan?"
After a while, there was a very faint rustling sound from inside, as if someone was getting out of bed, followed by hesitant, dragging footsteps approaching the door.
The door lock clicked, opening a tiny crack. Lin Xiyan's pale face appeared behind the door, his eyes drowsy and filled with surprise, as if he hadn't woken up yet, and a hint of panic that he couldn't hide.
"Jiang... Jiang Yibai?" His voice was hoarse, as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper. "Why are you..."
Jiang Yibai didn't answer, his eyes keenly catching the obviously ill-fitting, baggy old T-shirt he was wearing, the unnatural wrinkles on the right sleeve, and the abnormal flush on his face and the weak look on his face.
He simply stretched out his hand, pressed against the door panel, pushed the door open a little with a little force, and squeezed in sideways.
The room was small, dark, poorly ventilated, and smelled unpleasant. The quilt on the single bed was dishevelled, clearly someone had slept there recently.
"Are you sick?" Jiang Yibai turned around and locked his eyes on Lin Xiyan's face, not allowing him to avoid him.
Lin Xiyan subconsciously hid his right hand behind his back, his eyes wandering: "No... I just have a cold, I'll be fine after a good sleep..." He didn't finish his words, because of the movement, his brows wrinkled very slightly, although he quickly relaxed, it didn't escape Jiang Yibai's eyes.
Jiang Yibai's eyes darkened. He didn't say anything, just staring at Lin Xiyan. His purple pupils were emotionless, yet held an invisible pressure.
Lin Xiyan's scalp tingled when he looked at her. She lowered her head guiltily, and her left hand unconsciously clenched the corner of her clothes.
Silence spread in the small space.
Suddenly, Jiang Yibai moved. Without warning, he took a step forward and reached out to pull Lin Xiyan's right arm, which was hidden behind her back.
The movements were quick, but without much brute force.
Lin Xiyan was startled and tried to hide, but she was no match for Jiang Yibai. Warm fingers grasped her wrist and gently pulled it forward.
The sleeves of the loose old T-shirt slid up a bit, revealing the tangled gauze underneath, which was stained yellow by the seeping blood.
Jiang Yibai's breathing paused almost inaudibly.
The air froze instantly.
Lin Xiyan's face turned pale, her lips trembling. She tried to pull her hand back, but Jiang Yibai's grip tightened. The force was not strong, even a little cautious, but it didn't allow her to break free.
"What's going on?" Jiang Yibai asked, his voice low and emotionless. He lowered his head, staring intently at the dirty gauze, his fingertips unconsciously caressing the cold skin on the inside of Lin Xiyan's wrist.
Lin Xiyan turned away in panic, her voice trembling: "No...I just accidentally scratched it...I'm really fine..."
"A scratch?" Jiang Yibai repeated, looking up. Lin Xiyan expected to see anger or questioning, but there was none. In those purple eyes, there was only a heavy, almost overflowing heartache and... sadness?
Lin Xiyan was stunned.
Jiang Yibai didn't ask any more questions. He let go of Lin Xiyan's wrist, but instead gently held his face with both hands, forcing him to look up and look at him.
"Does it hurt?" he asked, his voice hoarse and filled with a tenderness that was almost broken. His thumb lightly rubbed Lin Xiyan's hot cheek.
These three words, like a key, suddenly pried open Lin Xiyan's tightly closed heart. All the pretense and pretense collapsed at this moment.
The tip of his nose suddenly felt sore, and his eyes heated up uncontrollably. He hurriedly tried to lower his head, but Jiang Yibai held his face, preventing him from moving.
"I..." He opened his mouth, but his throat seemed to be blocked by something, and he couldn't utter a complete word. The grievance and fear were like a belated tide, instantly drowning him.
Jiang Yibai looked at his instantly reddened eyes and the moisture gathered inside, and his heart ached like being stabbed by a needle. He took a deep breath, suddenly pulled the man into his arms, and hugged him tightly.
The movement was a bit hasty, but he carefully avoided his injured right arm.
"I'm sorry," he buried his face in the crook of Lin Xiyan's neck, his voice muffled, with a heavy nasal tone and undisguised heartache, "I'm late."
Lin Xiyan was held rigidly by him, his body trembling slightly. The warm, clean embrace wrapped around him tightly, dispelling some of the chill in the room and the chill in his body. A warm, wet touch came from the crook of his neck.
Jiang Yibai...seems to be crying?
This realization left Lin Xiyan completely bewildered. He was the one who was hurt, the one who was in pain, so why... was Jiang Yibai crying?
He froze there, at a loss, and hesitated for a long time with his left hand hanging in the air before he very slowly and gently placed it on Jiang Yibai's back.
"It's...it's okay..." He said in a hoarse voice, as if to comfort the other person, or as if to comfort himself, "It doesn't hurt..."
"You're lying." Jiang Yibai raised his head. His eyes were indeed a little red, but he didn't care. He just looked at Lin Xiyan with a stubborn and distressed look. "It must hurt a lot."
He loosened his arms, but still held Lin Xiyan's left hand, and led him to sit on the bed. He squatted in front of him, looking up at him, like a large dog afraid of being abandoned.
"Let's go see a doctor, okay?" His voice softened, filled with cautious negotiation, completely different from the impatience he had when he knocked on the door just now.
Lin Xiyan shook her head subconsciously: "No, really..."
"You have to see." Jiang Yibai interrupted him, but his tone was unnaturally soft, even with a coquettish tone, and his fingers gently shook Lin Xiyan's hand, "What if it gets infected? It will leave scars... I will be heartbroken."
He moved closer, resting his forehead on Lin Xiyan's knees, and his voice came out muffled: "Xiyan, be good and listen to me, okay? Otherwise, I will cry here until you agree."
These words were completely unreasonable and childish. But when he said them, with his red eyes and soft voice, Lin Xiyan felt a deep pain in her heart.
He looked at Jiang Yibai, who was squatting in front of him with a very low posture, and looked at his purple eyes filled with heartache and worry. All the words of refusal were stuck in his throat.
No one had ever taken his minor injury so seriously... like he was a fragile treasure, worthy of such careful treatment and tension.
"...It's very troublesome." He finally just struggled weakly and softly.
"It's not a problem!" Jiang Yibai immediately raised his head, his eyes lit up, as if he saw hope. "It's not a problem at all! I'll go with you. I know a very good doctor, and you'll be fine soon."
He grabbed Lin Xiyan's hand, shook it gently, looked at him with moist eyes, and begged in a long tone: "Go, go... Let me take you to see it, otherwise I can't eat or sleep today... Xiyan..."
The last word "Xiyan" was tortuous and full of grievance and dependence.
Seeing him like this, Lin Xiyan's heart felt like it was soaked in warm water, warm and swollen. The barrier she had built up out of fear of trouble and money completely collapsed.
He was silent for a few seconds, then finally nodded very softly, his voice so soft it sounded like a sigh: "...Okay."
Jiang Yibai's eyes lit up instantly, as if they were filled with stars. He suddenly smiled, and although his eyes were still red, he smiled like a child who had received candy. He stood up suddenly, carefully avoiding Lin Xiyan's injuries, and hugged him gently.
"Let's go now!" He said cheerfully, as if he wasn't going to see an injured person, but to a long-awaited date. He picked up the thin coat on the bed and carefully draped it over Lin Xiyan's left shoulder, his movements incredibly gentle.
"Be careful with your hands." He whispered, then naturally bent down, picked up the pair of old sneakers that were washed white by the bed, looked up at Lin Xiyan, and said, "Lift your feet."
Lin Xiyan stared at him in a daze. Looking at Jiang Yibai, who was usually cold and arrogant but was now squatting in front of her to help him put on his shoes, her eyes couldn't help but become hot again.
He slowly lifted his uninjured left foot.
Jiang Yibai carefully helped him put on his shoes and tied his shoelaces, and then helped him put on his right shoe with the same care, avoiding his injured arm the whole time.
After doing all this, he stood up and stretched out his left hand towards Lin Xiyan, palm facing up.
"Let's go," he said with a smile, his purple eyes filled with tenderness that seemed to be overflowing, "I'll take you there."
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