Accident
The campfire in the campsite was emitting a warm orange light, and the aroma of barbecue mixed with the unique scent of burning pine wood drifted in the cool night breeze. Lin Yang had just opened another can of beer, his cheeks slightly flushed. With the help of the alcohol and the relaxed atmosphere created by the campfire, he turned sideways and looked directly at Gu Yansheng with bright eyes.
"Brother Gu," Lin Yang's voice was filled with a subtle hint of nervousness and anticipation. "Actually... I really admire you. From the first day I met you on the project team, I felt that you were professional, handsome, and had a good personality. I'm so happy that we can hang out together this time."
He took a deep breath and mustered up his courage. "Can I...can I pursue you? Give me a chance?"
Gu Yansheng was holding a beer can, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the cold surface. Lin Yang's sudden and straightforward confession caught him off guard, and the alcohol seemed to slow down his thinking.
However, just as he was trying to form words to respond to this sudden enthusiasm, an extremely familiar, creepy feeling of strangeness suddenly gripped him.
Without warning, the skin on the side of my neck felt a sharp sting, as if pricked by countless tiny needles at the same time. Then, it was as if all the pores in my body were forcibly stretched open, and each pore became a sensory receptor magnified several times. The heat from the campfire, the cool night breeze, the texture of the rough folding chair fabric, and even the touch of clothing fibers rubbing against my skin all became extremely clear and unbearable, stimulating my nerves.
“Oh no…” Gu Yansheng’s mind went blank in an instant, leaving only one cold realization: It’s going to rain!!!
He didn't even have time to look up to confirm the changes in the sky, nor did he bother to respond to Lin Yang's eyes that were still waiting for an answer. He just felt that the blood vessels under his skin seemed to be ignited.
Under the thin T-shirt, starting from the side of the neck, it quickly spread to the chest, arms, waist and abdomen... Large patches of small and dense red papules emerged like a prairie fire, appearing an ominous dark red in the firelight.
"Well……"
He let out a suppressed groan of pain from his throat, and his body trembled slightly uncontrollably. This time, the attack did not seem to immediately impact the respiratory system, and he did not feel the horror of suffocation. However, the intense itching and stinging of his skin being gnawed by billions of ants and rubbed by rough sandpaper was enough to make him lose all his strength and ability to think in an instant.
"Brother Gu?" The anticipation on Lin Yang's face froze instantly. He was frightened by Gu Yansheng's suddenly pale face and the painful curled posture. "What's wrong with you? Are you feeling uncomfortable?"
Gu Yansheng bit his lower lip tightly, trying to control his body trembling, but it was of little use. He squeezed out a word from between his teeth with difficulty, with an unconcealable sob and eagerness, "Bag...my backpack...is in the tent...it's blue...help me get it...there are medicines in it...anti-allergy medicine...quickly..."
Only then did Lin Yang notice the rapidly spreading red rash on Gu Yansheng's exposed neck, and he jumped up in shock. "Are you allergic? How come it suddenly became so serious! Let me help you hide in the tent first!" As he said this, he was about to reach out to support Gu Yansheng's arm.
“Don’t touch me!!!”
Gu Yansheng almost screamed and shook off Lin Yang's outstretched hand. Her reaction was so intense that Lin Yang was startled. He hugged himself tightly like a frightened hedgehog, and his body shook even more violently.
“Don’t touch it!…Please…go get your bag…quickly get your bag…”
He spoke incoherently, his voice filled with pain and nearly collapsed pleading. Every time he had an attack, the touch of others was like torture to him, which only made the "ant bite" feeling on his skin a hundred times more severe.
Lin Yang was confused by his fierce resistance and stood there at a loss. "But...you are like this..."
In this chaotic and stagnant moment, the once brilliant starry sky above vanished, and thick, dark clouds descended. Fine, cold rain began to fall. It was just a drizzle at first, but when it hit Gu Yansheng's now hypersensitive skin, it felt like countless red-hot steel needles piercing him fiercely!
"ah--!"
Gu Yansheng finally couldn't help but let out a short cry of pain. He curled up even tighter and almost slipped off the chair.
The severe pain brought by the raindrops completely shattered the will he was trying to maintain. He felt dizzy and his feet were as soft as if he was stepping on cotton. Not to mention walking to the tent, he didn't even have the strength to stand up.
"It's raining! Brother Gu, no, you have to go into the tent!"
Lin Yang was also anxious. He ignored Gu Yansheng's previous resistance and reached out again to force him up. "It will be worse if you get wet in the rain like this! Go in first and take the medicine later!"
“Let go…don’t touch me…!”
Gu Yansheng struggled and pushed with his last bit of strength, his voice broken and desperate. The cold rain mixed with physiological tears slid down, and the burning and itching on his skin brought him to the brink of collapse.
In his current perception, Lin Yang's intention of touching was tantamount to adding fuel to the fire.
Just as the two men were tugged at each other, and Gu Yansheng was in agony, a tall, swift figure, like a cheetah, suddenly rushed out from the darkness at the edge of the camp! Bringing with it a sharp breath of wind and rain and an undeniable sense of oppression.
"Get out of here!"
A low, suppressed roar, yet filled with the wrath of thunder, rang out! Before Lin Yang could react, a large hand suddenly grabbed the back of his collar, and an irresistible force hurled him backwards!
Lin Yang screamed, staggered back several steps, and fell awkwardly on the wet grass.
In the flickering light of the bonfire, Gu Yansheng's blurred tearful eyes saw the person coming with disbelief.
It’s Jiang Lin!
He was wearing a black windbreaker that was soaked by the rain, outlining his tall silhouette with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His hair was a little messy from the wind, with a few wet strands sticking to his forehead, and his breath was hurried and unstable from running.
He was holding a high-intensity flashlight in his hand, and the dazzling beam swept across Gu Yansheng's face, which was covered with rashes and twisted in pain, in the chaos.
Jiang Lin didn't even look at Lin Yang who was thrown away, as if he was just an obstacle. He stepped in front of the curled up Gu Yansheng and squatted down without hesitation. His eyes, which seemed particularly deep in the rainy night, were fixed on Gu Yansheng.
"Which tent is it?" Jiang Lin's voice was low and hoarse, carrying an unquestionable command, like a dose of sedative forcibly injected, penetrating Gu Yansheng's fog of pain.
A voice so familiar to the core! And that unique aura that belonged to Jiang Lin, still clearly identifiable despite the wind and rain!
The huge shock and unspeakable grievance and dependence instantly broke down Gu Yansheng's last defense. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He just stared at the face in front of him, which looked particularly unreal in the interweaving of firelight and rain, and tears burst out of his eyes.
Jiang Lin's brows knitted tighter, the anxiety in his eyes almost overflowing. He no longer waited for an answer, his eyes swept across the surrounding tents like lightning, and asked again in a deep voice, with an oppressive feeling of impending storm.
"Speak! Which tent?!"
Lin Yang, who was knocked unconscious in the mud, subconsciously pointed to a two-person tent closest to the campfire. "That... that blue one!"
Jiang Lin immediately leaned over, his movements astonishingly fast. He passed one hand through Gu Yansheng's knees and the other hand around his back. His arm muscles flexed, and he effortlessly lifted up the soaked Gu Yansheng and held him horizontally!
Gu Yansheng instinctively buried his face in Jiang Lin's chest, which was wet with rain but exuded a sense of security at this moment. The tense resistance in his body miraculously relaxed a little the moment he touched this familiar embrace.
Jiang Lin held him and strode towards the blue tent. He unzipped it and got in, blocking out the annoying rain outside and Lin Yang's astonished gaze.
The space inside the tent was small and filled with the smell of new canvas and moisture-proof mat. Jiang Lin carefully placed Gu Yansheng on the moisture-proof mat, his movements quick and orderly.
He quickly opened Gu Yansheng's familiar blue backpack and, with pinpoint accuracy, dug out a small, frosted bottle from among the miscellaneous items—it was the anti-allergy medication Gu Yansheng always carried with him. Simultaneously, he pulled an unopened bottle of mineral water from the side pocket of his backpack and neatly unscrewed it.
The whole process was done in one go, as if it had been rehearsed thousands of times.
"medicine."
Jiang Lin spoke briefly and stuffed the medicine bottle and mineral water bottle into Gu Yansheng's cold and trembling hands.
Gu Yansheng's fingers were stiff and numb due to the allergic reaction, and he could hardly hold the medicine bottle. The mineral water bottle was even more shaky. Seeing this, Jiang Lin immediately wrapped his big hand around Gu Yansheng's hand to stabilize the medicine bottle, and held the bottom of the mineral water bottle with his other hand to help him tilt the bottle mouth.
Gu Yansheng took Jiang Lin's hand and tremblingly poured a few pills into his mouth. He then took a few big gulps of water with difficulty before he could barely swallow the medicine.
The cold liquid slid across the burning throat, bringing a brief relief, but the heart-wrenching pain on the skin still surged.
Outside the tent, the sound of rain gradually became clearer. The light from the campfire filtered through the canvas, illuminating Jiang Lin's tense profile and Gu Yansheng's painfully curled figure.
Lin Yang sat blankly on the cold mud ground, looking at the swaying figures in the tent, his face full of shock, confusion and a hint of indescribable loss.
He suddenly understood that Gu Yansheng's fierce resistance just now was not directed at him personally, but because of the existence of another person, which had long become a redemption instinct engraved in his bones.
He silently took out his cell phone and deleted the carefully taken photo of Gu Yansheng smiling by the campfire.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
