Chapter 6

---

Xu Chi had Yan Shu's contact information, but he still preferred to write sticky notes by hand.

Every time Yan Shu went out or came home, he would see a note stuck on the door.

At first, it was just some reminders like dressing warmly in cold weather or bringing an umbrella when going out. Later, he gradually wrote about everything.

"I have a gathering today, so I might be back late. Do you want any late-night sacks?"

When Yan Shu saw this sentence, a smile crept onto his lips without him realising it. He took out his phone, clicked on the WeChat chat interface with Xu Chi, and typed a reply. "No need, be careful on your way back."

Yan Shu tore off the sticky note and had just walked in when his phone vibrated.

"Got it, um... I haven't been drinking, you should get some rest early, good night."

"Good night."

After a while, another goodnight emoji came through.

Yan Shu didn't reply. He knew that if he did, the other person would send another message, and they would go back and forth forever.

He didn't know where this habit of always having to have the last word came from.

Leaning against the door, Yan Shu scrolled through their chat history. He and Xu Chi had only known each other for a little over a month, yet they had more messages than he did with coworkers he'd known for about a year.

He wasn't someone who would actively start conversations, and unless necessary, he would remain silent if he felt uncomfortable during a chat.

Yan Shu always followed Xu Chi's lead in their conversations. As they spent more time together, he found Xu Chi to be very considerate and gentle.

The next day, when Yan Shu was about to leave for work, Xu Chi was already waiting for him at the door with breakfast.

Yan Shu seemed accustomed to this and wasn't surprised, "So early?"

"Just finished my morning run."

Yan Shu looked up at Xu Chi. He was wearing a clean white hoodie, his hair still damp from the shower and hanging over his forehead. If you got close enough, you could smell the faint scent of shower gel.

Knowing that Xu Chi went for a run every day, Yan Shu was genuinely impressed. He knew he could never do it himself. What was the point of running when you could be cozy in bed?

Yan Shu took the breakfast as usual, "Thanks, I'm off to work."

"Okay."

Xu Chi nodded and watched him enter the elevator before turning back into the house.

His phone on the table buzzed.

He unlocked his phone, scrolled to the message box, and returned a call.

Yu Yang stretched his legs, then sat on the edge of the hospital bed, looking out at the traffic outside the window. He asked, "Bro, how's your progress? I'm about to be discharged."

Xu Chi thought for a moment and answered honestly, "It's just like that."

"Like what?" Yu Yang paused, looking a bit exasperated. "You're not still not talking to him like you did in college, are you?"

"How could that be? I've already added his contact information, and we get along really well."

"So when are you going to confess your feelings?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"Come on, man, can you do it? I say you confess tomorrow."

Tomorrow was too soon for Xu Chi. He pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "I know what I'm doing. Why don't you stay in the hospital a little longer? I'll pay the bill."

"Is it a matter of hospital fees? This is a major event in your life. I'm telling you, you have to hurry up, or someone else will snatch him away, and you'll have no one to blame but yourself."

Yu Yang continued to talk for a long time, and every time he paused, Xu Chi would perfunctorily agree, telling him he was listening.

After all, Yu Yang was just trying to help him.

Finally, when Yu Yang had finished speaking, Xu Chi replied and hung up the phone, "I'll keep trying, okay, bye, let's chat again another day."

He sat on the sofa, closed his eyes, and his gaze suddenly fell on the corn on the table. Hesitating for a moment, he leaned over and picked it up, patiently and carefully peeling off the corn kernels and placing them in a bowl beside him, repeating a few words over and over in his mouth.

"Confess."

"Don't confess."

...

"Confess."

The last kernel of corn plopped into the bowl. Xu Chi stared at the bare corncob in front of him, finally made up his mind, and excitedly repeated, "Confess."

Okay, so I'll confess.

But I need to wait a bit. I need to prepare properly.

Xu Chi waited until the middle of the semester.

After the last exam of the morning, Yan Shu went to the cafeteria for lunch when Song Yu suddenly appeared and sat down next to him.

"Why haven't I seen Xu Chi today?"

"He has something to do."

Song Yu smiled, "Tsk tsk tsk, look at you, lost in thought. You're not used to him not being around, are you? You like him so much."

Hearing the second half of Song Yu's sentence, Yan Shu furrowed his brow and looked up at him, "What are you talking about?"

"Don't you think Xu Chi treats you differently?"

"What's different? He's just my neighbour, and we have a neighbourly relationship."

"Oh." Song Yu changed the subject, "So, do you think you feel a little differently about him?"

Yan Shu replied without hesitation, "No, I don't."

"Look at your attitude towards him, and then look at your attitude towards me," Song Yu felt he needed to point this out. "Aren't you the one who's best at keeping men at a distance? But your attitude towards Xu Chi seems a bit indulgent."

Yan Shu retorted, "Where do you see me being indulgent towards him?"

"It's obvious from the way you accept his kindness. Even I, as an outsider, can see that he treats you differently. He cooks for you, picks you up from work, you can't not notice that, right?"

Yan Shu paused for a moment and said nonchalantly, "That's just how he is. We're neighbours, we help each other out."

Ignoring his words, Song Yu continued, "Honestly, I think Xu Chi is a pretty good guy. He's handsome, gentle, and dedicated. You're not getting any younger, maybe you could give him a try."

"You don't even have a partner yourself, why are you so worried about this?"

"Isn't love all about seizing opportunities? Here's your chance."

Yan Shu thought about it. That made sense, but did he like him?

"I have my own ideas, don't worry about it."

Song Yu shrugged, "Alright, alright, let's eat."

Song Yu's words really affected Yan Shu. During his nap, he had a dream. In the dream, he confessed to Xu Chi, but he couldn't remember if the confession was successful.

Yan Shu woke up and opened his eyes, muttering a few words about Song Yu. If it weren't for what he said, he wouldn't have had that strange dream.

But one thing was certain, he felt differently about Xu Chi.

In the afternoon, a heavy rain started to fall. The sky was covered with dark clouds, and the weather was gloomy.

When the last exam ended, the previously quiet school suddenly became noisy.

Yan Shu finished his work and waited for Song Yu in the office. Having forgotten his umbrella, he could only hitch a ride with Song Yu.

As he walked to the school gate, Yan Shu saw a familiar figure walking towards him.

Xu Chi, upon seeing him, quickened his pace and walked up to Yan Shu.

It was quite common for Xu Chi to pick up Yan Shu, as he always claimed to have worked out nearby and was simply on his way home.

Before Yan Shu could say anything, Song Yu pushed him towards Xu Chi, smiling and saying, "You're here to pick him up again? Then please send him back."

With that, he turned around and walked away without looking back, umbrella in hand.

No one knew how much force Song Yu had used, but Yan Shu lost his balance and fell into Xu Chi's arms. Xu Chi quickly reached out to steady him, and Yan Shu collided directly with his chest. His body stiffened suddenly, and his heart raced.

With his chest pressed against Xu Chi's, Yan Shu seemed to hear something. Startled, he quickly stood up and distanced himself from Xu Chi.

Xu Chi suppressed the heat in his heart, pursed his lips repeatedly, and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

Yan Shu feigned calmness, shifting his gaze forward and shaking his head. "I'm fine, let's go."

"Mm."

The two walked side by side in the rain, the umbrella tilting involuntarily.

Neither of them spoke along the way. Yan Shu looked down, secretly glancing sideways several times.

Whose heartbeat was that he had just heard?

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Chapter 5

---

It was Friday afternoon, and Yan Shu was the only one left in the office after school. He planned to finish grading the assignments before heading home.

Knock knock knock

Yan Shu looked up. Who could it be at this time?

"Come in."

Yan Shu looked towards the door and saw Xu Chi standing there. He put down his pen and asked, "Is there something you need?"

Xu Chi leaned against the door, his gaze soft and gentle as it rested on Yan Shu. "I'm waiting for you to finish work."

Yan Shu was a little puzzled, "Hmm?"

"I wanted to treat you to hotpot. I'm sorry about that day, I disturbed you."

Yan Shu remembered the sticky note, "It's okay."

“There’s something I need to do to make it up to you.”

Seeing that Xu Chi was so insistent, Yan Shu didn’t say anything else. He pulled over a chair and said, “Then wait for me a moment, have a seat.”

Xu Chi sat quietly to the side, pretending to play on his phone, but his eyes were constantly on Yan Shu.

Noticing that Yan Shu was going to get some water, Xu Chi immediately stood up and said, “Let me help you.”

“Thank you.”

“Hot water or warm water?”

“Warm water.”

“Okay.”

While Xu Chi was out getting the water, Yan Shu had already finished grading the assignments.

Yan Shu took the water cup and said, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Xu Chi looked down and his gaze rested on Yan Shu’s notebook. The handwriting was beautiful and the thoughts were clear. He couldn’t help but exclaim, “You’re so amazing.”

“What’s amazing?” Yan Shu took a sip of water and, hearing Xu Chi’s words, pointed to the notebook. “This?”

“Yeah.”

Yan Shu smiled. “What’s so amazing about that? It’s my job after all.”

Xu Chi looked at the dense writing and frowned slightly. “That’s still amazing. I can’t understand it at all.”

Yan Shu put down his water cup and said seriously, “Everyone is good at different things. You’re very good at sports.”

Being praised like that, Xu Chi’s face turned a little red. He scratched his head with a smile.

Yan Shu closed his textbook, packed up his things and said to him, “Let’s go eat.”

"Okay."

There was a hotpot restaurant near the school that Yan Shu and Song Yu had been to several times before. The food was pretty good.

Yan Shu liked spicy food, but he would often cough from it. Xu Chi reminded him to slow down and kept a glass of water ready for him.

Xu Chi looked at Yan Shu eating messily in front of him and couldn't help but smile. His gaze was soft and clear, his dark eyes reflecting a clear image.

The moonlight quietly fell.

Xu Chi and Yan Shu left the hotpot restaurant and walked home together.

As they passed the gym, they happened to run into Song Yu who had just finished working out.

Song Yu saw Yan Shu at a glance and walked towards him, "It's rare to see you out and about after work. How about it? Interested in coming in and playing?"

"Not interested." Yan Shu replied, then leaned over and whispered to Xu Chi, "Let's go."

Although Xu Chi didn't understand, he still followed Yan Shu and quickly slipped away.

Song Yu stood with his hands on his hips, watching their backs with a somewhat helpless expression. "Was there any need for that? Could I really have dragged you in?"

Wait, the person beside him just now looked a bit familiar. Was it that underclassman from university?

After returning to school, Song Yu followed Yan Shu around and sure enough, met Xu Chi again, just like in university.

He greeted Xu Chi, "Hello, do you remember me?"

Xu Chi was stunned for a moment, then honestly called out, "Senior Song."

Song Yu sized him up for a while, then nodded in satisfaction. "Looks like you've decided to pursue Yan Shu?"

Xu Chi nodded in acknowledgment, "Mm."

“If I hadn’t accidentally found your book, I wouldn’t have known you had a crush on Yan Shu.”

Since then, Song Yu had always seen Xu Chi’s shadow around Yan Shu. He thought that a crush would only end when it came to light. With such a subtle crush, he wanted to see when Xu Chi’s would be revealed.

Unfortunately, even after graduation, he hadn’t seen any progress. When he asked Yan Shu about Xu Chi, Yan Shu hadn’t even heard of him. Song Yu was starting to lose patience with Xu Chi. Let him do whatever he wants.

That’s right, Xu Chi had had a crush on Yan Shu since his freshman year. He hadn’t told anyone back then.

Crushes are always so delicate. He was afraid that others would find out and even more afraid that Yan Shu would know.

Yan Shu was a senior, the heartthrob of the Mathematics department, with excellent grades and a great personality.

While Xu Chi was just an ordinary freshman who had gotten into the same university through his athletic abilities. To him, Yan Shu was too dazzling.

Throughout university, his only interaction with Yan Shu was running errands for him around campus, taking low-paying jobs, and only accepting jobs from him.

But Yan Shu didn't know him. Before graduation, Yan Shu wanted to meet the person who ran errands for him, but Xu Chi refused.

He was afraid that if Yan Shu saw him now, he would be disappointed.

So he decided to wait until he became a better person before getting to know him. By then, he thought he would have the courage to introduce himself to Yan Shu.

Waiting is for us to become better people. If it's meant to be, what does a little delay matter?

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Chapter 4

---

The rain, which had been pouring for several days, finally stopped. The sky cleared up, and the sunlight gently wiped away the dampness left behind by the rain.

Physical education class was moved back outdoors from indoors. Unable to contain their excitement to go outside, the students rushed towards the door as soon as the bell rang.

“I heard our old PE teacher fell and injured his leg. We have a new one this time.” “Ah...no! Our old PE teacher was so handsome. I really don’t want him to be replaced.”
“The new teacher is also very handsome.”
“Really, really. And he’s very gentle too.”

... This was completely different from the listless mood of the previous few days.

Yan Shu looked back at the timetable on the blackboard thoughtfully.

As expected.

The weather is so nice, it’s time to go out for a walk.

However, Yan Shu recalled how much he hated physical education classes when he was a student. He would rather stay in the classroom and work on a few more maths problems.

Unfortunately, physical education was a required subject, even in university, so he had to endure each class under the stern and indifferent gaze of the physical education teacher.

All these years later, he was still most afraid of physical education teachers. They always reminded him of the time when he was forced by his teacher to run laps.

Returning to his office, Yan Shu finished preparing his afternoon lessons and the timing was just right. He put down his pen, got up, and prepared to go out for lunch.

The warm sunlight lazily fell on Yan Shu, seeming to dispel the fatigue of the morning. He stretched and stepped into the sunlight.

Yan Shu took a different route to the cafeteria. As he passed the sports field, a familiar figure made him stop in his tracks.

He stood under a shady tree, gazing at the person in the middle of the field.

Xu Chi was standing there in a white casual outfit, looking serious and focused as he watched several of the class's sports students train. His brows would furrow and then relax, and he would even demonstrate the correct form when necessary.

So he really was the physical education teacher.

But isn't this physical education teacher a bit too gentle?

Just as he was thinking this, a sudden loud shout from a distance pulled his thoughts back to reality.

Alright, he's still pretty fierce.

Yan Shu took a step forward, but after a few steps, it felt like something was stuck to his back.

He turned around in surprise and found Xu Chi staring straight at him, but quickly averted his gaze.

Yan Shu felt inexplicably uneasy, probably because he had just made a comment about him.

Yan Shu turned and walked towards Xu Chi, then stopped outside the running track.

Xu Chi noticed him out of the corner of his eye, gave the students a few more instructions, and then turned to greet Yan Shu with a smile, "Teacher Yan."

Those clean eyes reflected nothing but a smile and Yan Shu's image, completely different from the stern look he had just had.

Yan Shu's heart skipped a beat, and he flashed a charming smile. "Teacher Xu, so we're colleagues."

"Yeah, what a coincidence."

Yan Shu raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you busy after class? If not, let's go out for dinner?"

"Sure."

"Then I'll wait for you after class."

Xu Chi glanced at his watch. "Wait for me a moment."

After saying that, he walked to the centre of the field, raised the whistle hanging around his neck, and blew it once. The scattered students on the field quickly gathered.

After dismissing the students, Xu Chi jogged over to Yan Shu. "Let's go."

"Okay." Yan Shu walked towards the school gate and said, "What do you want to eat?"

"I said I'd treat you to a meal after you recovered, and of course, you get to decide."

Xu Chi looked conflicted, his eyes fixed on the ground. "I just started working here. Are there any good places to eat nearby? Or where do you usually go?"

Yan Shu thought for a moment and said, "How about hot pot?"

Xu Chi looked up, frowning slightly. "You've just recovered from your cold. Maybe we should wait a few more days. I know a place."

Having given up the decision-making power, Yan Shu ended up at the entrance of a restaurant with Xu Chi. If he remembered correctly, it was a health food restaurant.

Yan Shu glanced at Xu Chi beside him without showing any emotion.

No wonder he's a physical education teacher; he's so health-conscious.

But since he was treating him to dinner, he might as well go along with it.

Xu Chi didn't know what Yan Shu was thinking. He led Yan Shu inside and found a relatively quiet seat.

A waiter came over and handed them the menu, which Xu Chi pushed towards Yan Shu.

The person looked up at Yan Shu very seriously and said in a solemn tone, "I like maths, and I don't dislike you."

Yan Shu was surprised by his intense reaction and was about to speak, but when he met the other person's expressive eyes, he simply replied, "I understand."

The atmosphere suddenly became quiet.

Xu Chi lowered his head, his eyes fixed on the table. His fingers kept rubbing the side of the cup as he blinked. "Then do you dislike me?"

Yan Shu could see his carefulness, as if he was afraid that Yan Shu really would dislike him.

Yan Shu lowered his gaze, feeling inexplicably nervous. "No, I don't. I was just joking earlier, but to be honest, I really didn't like physical education teachers before."

"Why?"

"Because I've been lazy since I was young. I hate sports the most. For me, physical education class was torture."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Shu heard a soft chuckle. He looked at Xu Chi and frowned involuntarily, "What? Are you laughing at me?"

Xu Chi immediately suppressed his smile and shook his head. "No, I just think you're cute."

"Cute?"

Yan Shu furrowed his brow even deeper. Was that really the right word to describe him?

Perhaps realising that he had said too much, Xu Chi coughed awkwardly, trying to figure out how to explain.

Just then, the waiter came over with the dishes.

Xu Chi quickly said, "You heard wrong. Let's eat first."

Yan Shu didn't really mind. He had been called cute by others before, and those people were all guys who liked him.

Hearing the word again, he couldn't help but feel a little strange.

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Chapter 3

---

Having hastily dealt with lunch and taken his medicine, Yan Shu returned to his room to rest.

When he awoke, dusk had already fallen. He picked up his phone from the nightstand and glanced at the time.

Six in the evening.

Yan Shu placed his hand on his forehead. His temperature was normal, and his head didn't feel dizzy. He got out of bed and went to the living room to pour himself a glass of warm water.

Just as he was carrying the water towards the sofa, there was a knock at the door.

Confused, Yan Shu walked over to the door and looked through the peephole. He recognized his next-door neighbour and opened the door.

Xu Chi stood at the door, withdrawing his hand from knocking. His eyes flickered as he looked at Yan Shu.

"Is something the matter?" Yan Shu asked, puzzled.

Xu Chi hesitated for a moment, his eyes wandering. He stammered, "Um...can I borrow your kitchen?"

Yan Shu furrowed his brow. "Huh?"

Xu Chi quickly explained, "It's like this, my kitchen hasn't been renovated yet, but I don't want to order takeout, and I've already bought groceries, so I don't want to waste them."

As he spoke, he observed Yan Shu's expression, his palms sweating nervously.

After Xu Chi finished speaking, Yan Shu simply responded indifferently, "Oh."

There was no discernible emotion, and even his expression was flat.

It wasn't that Yan Shu agreed reluctantly, but rather that he had just woken up and wasn't quite clear-headed. After he realised what Xu Chi was asking, he thought it was no problem.

After all, they were neighbours, and Xu Chi had been quite considerate of him.

Seeing that Yan Shu agreed, Xu Chi happily thanked him and then brought out two bags of fresh ingredients from his own home.

Yan Shu stepped aside, gesturing for Xu Chi to come in. He poured a glass of water for him. "The kitchen is on your left. Feel free to use it."

"Thank you."

Yan Shu waved his hand, went back to his room, and came out with his laptop. He sat cross-legged on the sofa in the living room and started working on his school assignments.

Xu Chi glanced at Yan Shu, looking hesitant. Finally, he interrupted, feeling a bit embarrassed, "Do you have any dietary restrictions?"

Yan Shu looked up from his computer, not understanding why he asked that. He pointed at himself questioningly, "Me?"

"Yeah," Xu Chi nodded. "I can't just use your kitchen for nothing."

Yan Shu understood. But since someone was cooking for him, why be picky? "I'm not very picky. Just do whatever you want."

The doubt in Xu Chi's eyes didn't diminish; instead, it was tinged with a bit of sadness. "Alright."

In the end, he used the ingredients he bought to cook three dishes and a soup.

The aroma of the food made Yan Shu's stomach growl, urging him to drop his computer immediately. Without hesitation, he sat at the dining table, his eyes fixed on the braised pork in front of him, eager to taste it.

This looked much better than takeout.

Xu Chi served the rice and came out of the kitchen. Seeing the slight anticipation in Yan Shu's eyes, he smiled contentedly.

He handed the chopsticks to Yan Shu and said with a smile, "Eat up. I hope it suits your taste."

Xu Chi sat opposite Yan Shu, not in a hurry to eat. He simply looked at Yan Shu quietly but nervously, waiting for his evaluation.

After taking a bite, Yan Shu exclaimed in satisfaction, "I didn't expect you to be such a good cook."

Xu Chi relaxed, his smile widening. "As long as you like it."

His gaze swept across the dishes on the table. Yan Shu thought to himself that he had to get along well with this neighbour, otherwise he wouldn't have the chance to eat such delicious and healthy food in the future.

So he smiled at Xu Chi and said, "Neighbour, let's get to know each other. Let's be friends. If you ever need any help, feel free to ask me."

Xu Chi was eager to agree, immediately nodding and saying, "Sure."

Yan Shu introduced himself casually, "My name is Yan Shu. I'm a maths teacher at Jinjiang Middle School."

Xu Chi clenched his fingers under the table, suppressing the excitement in his eyes. He forced himself to appear calm and said, "My name is Xu Chi. It means 'late'. I'm currently a physical education teacher."

Xu Chi looked up at Yan Shu, his lips curving into a slight smile. Finally, he dared to mention his name in front of you. This was a good start.

Yan Shu didn't notice his expression. He continued in a consultative tone, "How about you come over to my place to cook sometime? I'll provide the ingredients. What do you think?"

Xu Chi came back to his senses and quickly nodded, "Sure."

Before he could finish, Yan Shu frowned and asked, "Wouldn't that be too much trouble?"

Who would be so kind as to cook for their neighbour for free?

Seeing that Yan Shu was about to go back on his word, Xu Chi widened his eyes and quickly said, "It's no trouble at all. I'm happy to do it, really."

Yan Shu opened his mouth, about to say something, but the fleeting expectation in Xu Chi's eyes stopped him.

He didn't understand why at that moment.

Yan Shu looked away and lowered his head to eat, "Okay."

After the meal, Yan Shu stood up and volunteered to clean the dishes, but the next second he was pushed back onto the sofa.

"I'll do it. How can the host do the dishes?"

"?" Yan Shu looked confused, shouldn't it be the guest who shouldn't do the dishes? Besides, is it really okay for me to do nothing?

But he couldn't resist Xu Chi, so in the end, it was Xu Chi who washed the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen before leaving.

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Chapter 2

---

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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