☆、Twenty-eight、The Virus Strikes (2400 words)
Zhou Yang was transferred to Class 12, which was in a different building from Feng Zihao and the others. Except for the physics lab class on Mondays, when they had to go to Zhou Yang's building, they rarely saw each other.
Zhou Yang had thought that after spending over a decade by Feng Zihao's side, the initial anger would have subsided, and even if things couldn't return to how they were before, they wouldn't be complete strangers. So when Feng Zihao brushed past him, Zhou Yang still held a glimmer of hope. But instead, he was doused with a bucket of cold water. Seeing the doting look in Feng Zihao's eyes as he gazed at Li Yaxi, Zhou Yang's nails dug deep into his palms, not even noticing the blood.
Feng Zihao saw him, but he avoided seeing those he had designated as quarantined. Li Yaxi thought that their relationship of over ten years would end like this, and even if she didn't say anything, she would still feel sad, so she hugged Feng Zihao's arm and rubbed against him.
Feng Zihao looked amusedly at the person comforting him like a kitten, a warmth spreading through his heart. He patted Li Yaxi's hair and said, "It's alright."
Li Yaxi swatted his hand away, saying, "Ugh, you're ruining my hairstyle!" and then ran off in a flash.
Feng Zihao chased after him and pulled him along slowly, saying, "Don't run, you'll fall."
Li Yaxi lay sprawled on the sofa, swinging her legs back and forth. Seeing the comments, supportive remarks, and clicks on her author's column, Li Yaxi's eyes lit up with joy. She realized how exciting it was to be recognized, even in the virtual world.
Feng Zihao placed a plate of washed fruit beside him. "What are you looking at, laughing so happily?"
Li Yaxi picked up a grape and threw it into her mouth, pretending it was a novel.
He ruffled Li Yaxi's hair. "Don't watch that kind of mindless stuff all the time. Take a break; it's bad for your eyes."
Li Yaxi retorted, "How is it pointless? Are all novelists incompetent? If you don't understand, don't spout nonsense!"
Feng Zihao didn't expect Li Yaxi to react so strongly. "What's wrong? I was just saying it casually. Why are you reacting so strongly? I'm just worried that you might see some bad things and learn bad habits."
Li Yaxi rolled her eyes at him. "Are you raising me like your son? We're classmates, equals. Don't always treat me like an immature child!" She then snorted, grabbed her laptop, and ran upstairs. Halfway up, she turned back and took all the grapes with her. "I bought them, you can't have any."
Feng Zihao shook his head helplessly. If someone is so childish, what is he if not a child?
When the first cold wave hit, Li Yaxi fell ill. While on an IV drip, he wondered why he, who had never had any minor illnesses or pains for so many years, was now so frail. Finally, when he saw Feng Zihao bringing over a bowl of porridge, he came to a conclusion. He had never eaten anything from outside before; of course, he was healthy and painless since he never touched grains. Looking at Feng Zihao with a resentful expression, he thought, "It's all your fault. If I had always eaten food from my space, I wouldn't be sick."
Feng Zihao clearly misunderstood the meaning behind that pitiful look in her eyes. "Sweetie, eat a little, or your stomach will feel uncomfortable later."
After feeding Li Yaxi, Feng Zihao gently rubbed her hand, which was cold, in his palm to warm it. "Are you cold?"
Li Yaxi was drowsy, her eyelids drooping, and she gave a soft "hmm" in response. Feng Zihao picked her up and placed her against his chest, and soon she fell asleep in his arms. During this time, Feng Zihao had started a growth spurt, growing to 183.84 meters tall. Li Yaxi, on the other hand, was still hovering between 75.76 and 77.6 meters.
Coughing and wiping of noses filled the classroom; even Zhan Xiaoyu had caught it. Li Yaxi, who had been sleeping, suddenly had a flash of inspiration: this period seemed to be the peak of the virus's spread, especially in City B, which was at the top of the country.
Li Yaxi suddenly panicked. Although she knew Feng Zihao would be alright, she was still worried. Li Yaxi took out a lot of fruit from her spatial storage, went to the supermarket to buy a lot of food, and poured out a large basin of water from her spatial storage to wipe the entire house inside and out.
Li Yaxi collapsed onto the bed, completely exhausted. He was even a little worried that his poor health might lead to infection. After thinking for a moment, he went to his spatial dimension and took a bath. Then he sent a text message to Feng Zihao saying that he wasn't feeling well and asked him to come back quickly.
Feng Zihao was in class when he received a text message. He jumped up in a panic, grabbed his bag, and rushed home. Li Yaxi rarely texted him while he was in class; it must be so serious that she wanted him to come home. How distressed she must be. When Feng Zihao arrived home, he found Li Yaxi lying on the sofa, the TV on, but she was asleep. Feng Zihao touched Li Yaxi's forehead; thankfully, her temperature was normal.
Li Yaxi woke up the moment Feng Zihao touched her, and clung to him playfully, whimpering. Feng Zihao frowned; something was wrong with Yaxi. "Yaxi, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Does your head hurt?"
Li Yaxi nestled comfortably in Feng Zihao's arms and sighed. "Zihao, I have a headache, chest tightness, and feel unwell all over."
Feng Zihao lifted Li Yaxi a little, reached inside her clothes to check her temperature; it was a bit high. "Yaxi, let's go to the hospital for another injection."
"No way!" she thought. "These days, you can't just go to any hospital. What if I get infected?" She immediately refused, then hugged Feng Zihao's neck and pleaded, "Zihao, I'll give you two choices: one, take a vacation and stay home with me; two, let's leave City B and go abroad for a while."
Feng Zihao lifted Li Yaxi's face. "Yaxi, what's wrong? Why do you suddenly want to go abroad? Final exams are coming up soon. Your teacher had to approve your sick leave, but I need a reason to ask for leave too."
Li Yaxi pushed Feng Zihao away and sat on the other side of the sofa. "You just don't want to be with me. What reason do you need to ask for leave? Just say you don't want to go to class, and which teacher wouldn't grant you leave? Humph, I'm sick and not feeling well, and you still leave me alone at home. I don't want to stay here anymore, I want to go back to my little courtyard house."
He got up and was about to leave when Feng Zihao quickly hugged him and coaxed him, "Okay, okay, be good. I'll stay with you. I'll call the teacher right now to ask for leave, okay? Come back to bed quickly, don't catch a cold again."
Li Yaxi then quietly leaned against Feng Zihao's chest, nuzzling her face against his chest, "Zihao~~"
Feng Zihao felt a tickle in his chest, wishing he could meld the person into his own body. "Sweetie, I'm here. Besides the headache and chest tightness, is there anything else that's bothering you?"
Li Yaxi's voice sounded a little tired, "My head hurts~"
Feng Zihao rubbed Li Yaxi's temples, and she quickly fell asleep; she was exhausted from the day. In the afternoon, Li Yaxi developed a fever again, but stubbornly refused to go to the hospital. Two pills didn't bring the fever down. When Feng Zihao got impatient with her, Li Yaxi started crying pitifully. Already feeling dizzy from the fever, the crying made it even harder for her to breathe.
Feng Zihao was too frightened to force him any further. He kept applying cold compresses to his head with a towel until the fever finally subsided in the middle of the night. Looking at Li Yaxi, whose cheeks were flushed and who was sleeping soundly, Feng Zihao felt both pain and pity in his heart. How had she endured all these years alone with such poor health?
If he had caught up with him that year and met him, perhaps he could have suffered fewer years. Unfortunately, he missed his chance. Feng Zihao sighed, then snuggled into the covers and fell asleep, holding Li Yaxi in his arms.
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