At ten o'clock in the morning, Yan Shu woke up in a daze. His throat hurt as if he had swallowed a razor blade. He decided to go to the hospital.
After lying in bed for another ten minutes, Yan Shu got up and got ready. He crouched down at the entrance, put on his shoes, and then took a mask from the medicine cabinet.
As he opened the door, his gaze was immediately drawn to a sticky note on the door.
"Hi, you didn't contact me yesterday. I'm wondering how you're feeling today. If you're still feeling unwell, I can go to the hospital with you. Don't worry about troubling me."
Yan Shu was stunned for a moment, then he reacted. He tore off the sticky note and went back into the room. He took out a black marker and wrote a line at the bottom of the sticky note. Then, he returned and stuck it on the opposite door.
With that done, Yan Shu clapped his hands and strode into the elevator.
At eleven o'clock, Xu Chi returned home. At first, he didn't notice anything, but when he took out his keys to open the door, he looked up and saw something stuck on his door.
His hand froze mid-way through turning the doorknob. His gaze then fell upon the unfamiliar handwriting behind the door. He couldn't help but smile, and his heart, which had been hanging, settled.
Xu Chi recognized the handwriting as Yan Shu's. He had seen it many times before. The characters were fresh, elegant, and as beautiful as the person who wrote them.
"Thank you for your concern. I'm feeling much better now, but I should still go to the hospital to recover faster. I'll treat you to a meal when I'm better."
Xu Chi carefully peeled off the sticky note, gently rubbing his fingertip over the words as if there was still a hint of warmth left on the paper.
He held the sticky note in the palm of his left hand and reached out to turn the key again to open the door.
Only a few minutes later, Xu Chi came out of the room with his car keys and stepped into the elevator.
Xu Chi drove to the nearest hospital, hoping it was not too late.
Xu Chi sat in his car, casually resting his arm on the steering wheel. He wasn't sure if Yan Shu had left yet, but he waited for a while just in case.
As he watched, he was still pondering how to start a conversation with Yan Shu in a way that would make him remember both the conversation and Xu Chi's name. Then, the figure he had been thinking about appeared in his line of sight and grew closer.
Xu Chi's heart raced. All the thoughts in his head vanished instantly, and his mouth opened, but he couldn't remember what to say.
Finally, he managed to suppress his inner turmoil. He lowered his car window, leaned out, and gave Yan Shu a smile.
"What a coincidence," he said.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Xu Chi regretted it. Was that opening line too ordinary?
Yan Shu had finished his IV drip and was carrying a bag of medication. His complexion had improved slightly. As he walked out of the hospital, he intended to head towards the bus stop. However, a few steps later, he was stopped by an unfamiliar but gentle voice.
Yan Shu turned his head slightly and met a pair of eyes filled with tenderness. He froze in place, his mind a little dazed.
Recognizing the person, he came back to his senses and replied, "Yeah, what a coincidence. What are you doing here?"
His voice was still hoarse, but not as bad as yesterday.
"Just passing by," Xu Chi replied, his ears turning red from their earlier eye contact. His gaze wavered for a moment before he looked at Yan Shu steadily. "Are you feeling better? What did the doctor say?"
Yan Shu could tell from his tone that Xu Chi wasn't just being polite. He forced a smile and replied, "I'm fine now. I should be completely recovered after another day of rest."
"That's good to hear," Xu Chi said, as if relieved. He subtly averted his gaze from the small needle mark on the back of Yan Shu's hand.
Pausing for a moment, he wiped the sweat from his palms and said, "I'll give you a ride home."
Yan Shu instinctively declined. "Ah? No need to trouble yourself."
Xu Chi quickly replied, "It's no trouble at all. It's on my way, isn't it?"
Saying that, he got out of the car, walked around to the other side, and opened the passenger door.
Yan Shu wasn't one to be coy, so he replied, "Thank you then."
Xu Chi closed the door and curled the corner of his lips in a way that Yan Shu couldn't see.
Xu Chi was feeling very happy but also quite nervous. He got into the car and stole a glance at Yan Shu. Then, almost unconsciously, he leaned forward and reached out towards him.
His hot breath fell on Yan Shu's neck, causing him to shiver and lean towards the car door.
Noticing Yan Shu's reaction, Xu Chi paused his hand mid-air. After a few seconds, he lowered his hand, his ears turning red as he explained, "I just wanted to help you fasten your seatbelt."
"Oh," Yan Shu replied.
Yan Shu felt his body heating up again. He wondered if he was coming down with a fever again.
Yan Shu fastened his seatbelt, pursed his lips, turned to look at Xu Chi and asked, "Can I open the window? It's a bit stuffy."
Xu Chi sat up straight, nodded dumbly, "You can."
Xu Chi lowered the car window. The wind outside carried a slight chill, the dark clouds were gloomy, and rain could fall at any time. Worried that Yan Shu would catch a cold, he only opened it a little.
Fresh air poured in, dispelling the inexplicable heat in the car, and Yan Shu's mind cleared up immediately.
The vehicle started, and Yan Shu turned his head to look out of the window. The hustle and bustle of the street rushed past him.
Xu Chi focused on driving, glancing sideways from time to time. He disguised it well, and Yan Shu thought he was looking at the rearview mirror.
Xu Chi felt that time always passed quickly when he was with Yan Shu.
Before long, Yan Shu stood in front of the door. The motion sensor light in the corridor quietly shone on Xu Chi, making his already gentle eyebrows and eyes even more charming.
Yan Shu looked up at Xu Chi and thanked him again, "Thank you for giving me a ride home today. I'll treat you to dinner sometime."
Xu Chi lowered his eyes, his emotions flickering in his eyes. He curled his fingers and rubbed his palms repeatedly, softly saying, "You're welcome. Take care of yourself and get plenty of rest."
"Mm."
Xu Chi raised his head and stood there staring at the closed door. Remembering that he hadn't told him his name yet, a sense of indescribable loss and frustration suddenly appeared in his eyes.
He must speak up next time.
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