TLDMDTBS Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Ji Ruan caught a cold again.

Waking up in the morning, things didn’t feel right; the mosquito net above him swayed more violently than when he had low blood sugar. Ji Ruan closed his eyes to pause for a moment, then opened them again, but it didn’t help much. His head was spinning, and his temples throbbed painfully.

He popped a lozenge in his mouth, sat up with his back against the wall for a while, and the dizziness eased a bit, so he slowly got out of bed.

Because he felt dizzy, Ji Ruan was very careful with each step. However, he still misstepped once, which scared him enough to cling tightly to the staircase. His heart raced, but his mind was a bit clearer.

Han Xiaolin got up and heard Ji Ruan coughing intermittently, sometimes bending over to support himself against the table.

“Ji Ruan, are you alright?” asked Han Xiaolin, with toothpaste foam still in his mouth as he came out of the bathroom.

Ji Ruan waved his hand. He had just taken a throat-soothing lozenge and drank a lot of hot water, so his throat finally felt a little better. He slowly said, “Brush your teeth; you’ve gotten foam all over your shirt…”

Han Xiaolin looked down and saw a blob of white foam on his black T-shirt, screamed, and rushed back into the bathroom.

Ji Ruan watched him fussing about, shaking his head with a smile, and casually picked up his phone to scroll through.

Mr. Gu had gotten up at five-thirty again and sent a message at five-thirty-five: [How are you feeling?]

Ji Ruan glanced at the time; it was seven o’clock now. Gu Xiuyi probably just finished exercising and was still in the shower, so he calmly replied:

[Caught a cold. Are you okay?]

To his surprise, he received an immediate response: [I didn’t get caught in the rain yesterday.]

In truth, even if he had gotten soaked, Gu Xiuyi’s physique wouldn’t allow him to catch a cold. He only said this to avoid creating a disparity for Ji Ruan.

Wiping his hair dry with one hand, he typed back. A droplet from his wet hair fell onto the screen, which he quickly wiped away with his thumb:

[I’ll have Xiao Ya bring the medicine over. Which entrance is convenient for you?]

Ji Ruan would need to go to the library to select his courses soon, thought for a moment, and replied: [Main entrance, I’ll be at the library around eight.]

[Okay.]

Ji Ruan turned off his phone. He had already finished washing up, and was resting his forehead while waiting for Han Xiaolin to finish and go have breakfast.

Once Han Xiaolin was done hastily fussing in the bathroom, he stormed out in a different outfit and came to Ji Ruan, “Are you alright? Do you want to take a sick leave?”

Ji Ruan coughed twice and smiled, “It’s just a cold; selecting courses is more important—it relates to the whole semester.”

“Speaking of which…” Han Xiaolin looked at Ji Ruan’s complexion and felt it was a bit risky, “Do you know how pale you look right now?”

Upon hearing this, Ji Ruan opened his phone’s front camera for a glance. He indeed looked a bit alarming; his lips had no color, and his eyes seemed dull, as if he might faint at any moment.

Even he couldn’t help but laugh at how bad he looked and put on a mask: “I just look scary because I’m sick; it’s actually no big deal. Let’s go, I’m hungry.”

Han Xiaolin doubted him but didn’t know how to argue. He still went to the dining hall with Ji Ruan.

The two ordered a basket of steamed dumplings together, but Ji Ruan, who had been complaining of hunger, only ate one. Instead, he repeatedly pushed at his temples as he drank soybean milk with little enthusiasm.

A cold could indeed cause a loss of appetite, which Ji Ruan was experiencing. The steamed dumplings from the second dining hall were famous, and many from nearby schools would ask friends at Jing Da to help buy them.

When he was feeling well, Ji Ruan could eat four for breakfast, but today, after swallowing one, he couldn’t choke down anymore; his stomach felt a bit sour, but the hot soybean milk was somewhat soothing.

Han Xiaolin had classes after breakfast and had to part ways with Ji Ruan. It was drizzling outside, and he held an umbrella while frequently looking back at Ji Ruan: “Are you really okay?”

“If you’re not feeling well, go to the health center!”

“Take your time… No, wait, hurry up a bit; selecting courses is important too…”

Ji Ruan was exasperated, knowing that if he continued to linger, Han Xiaolin would be late, so he simply waved and turned to leave first.

The weather recently had shifted into an odd period between summer and autumn, being cold when it rains and warm when it doesn’t. There was drizzling rain, and Ji Ruan felt a chill even in the long-sleeved shirt he wore.

After last night’s rain, the tree-lined path was covered with paulownia leaves, damply glued to the ground, and the humid air carried a hint of decaying leaves, which didn’t smell nice.

The wind made Ji Ruan feel a bit headachey, and his stomach wasn’t feeling great either. He pressed his mask down and quickened his pace.

When he arrived at the main entrance, Xiao Ya was already waiting outside, cheerfully waving at him.

Ji Ruan approached and put away his umbrella, smiling at Xiao Ya through the card reader: “Sister Xiao Ya.”

“Hey, Xiao Ruan, are you feeling alright?” Xiao Ya was dressed in a smart outfit and handed Ji Ruan a medicine bag. “The boss wanted to deliver the medicine himself, but the company is quite busy today, so he sent me instead.”

Ji Ruan gratefully accepted the bag, coughed a couple of times, and frowned as his throat hurt: “Thank you, Sister Xiao Ya. If the company’s busy, you should hurry back; don’t delay your work.”

“It’s nothing; I won’t be delayed.” Xiao Ya tried to assess Ji Ruan’s appearance, but with the mask covering most of his face, she could only catch a glimpse of his tired expression through his brows and eyes.

“By the way,” she reminded him on Gu Xiuyi’s behalf, “The boss said to take these medicines three times a day after meals. If you don’t feel better by the end of today, just call him; he’ll take you home.”

“Home?” Ji Ruan was checking the medicine in the bag and looked up upon hearing this.

“Yeah,” Xiao Ya smiled. “Today is Thursday, and the Mid-Autumn holiday starts this weekend. The boss said if you’re feeling unwell, just take a leave tomorrow; that way, you can rest for four days.”

Ji Ruan thought taking four days off for a minor cold was a bit exaggerated, but he indeed needed to go back for Mid-Autumn Festival. Aunt Zhao had already been calling several times, saying she missed him.

Tomorrow, he only had classes in the morning, and he originally planned to head back to the villa right after class to catch Aunt Zhao’s lunch.

Thinking this way, Ji Ruan didn’t argue, closing his lips into a smile: “Got it. Please tell Mr. Gu thank you for me.”

“Understood,” Xiao Ya glanced at her watch, “Oh, I really have to head back now. Take care of yourself!”

“Okay,” Ji Ruan waved, “Bye, Sister Xiao Ya.”

The campus library was not far from the main entrance. It opened at eight, and it was just past eight now. The line at the entrance began to move steadily.

When Ji Ruan arrived, he caught up with the busiest rush. After scanning his campus card to enter, he tried to put the card back in his bag, but someone bumped into him, causing it to drop to the ground.

Bending down to pick it up, a sudden sharp ringing filled his right ear, and he instinctively raised a hand to steady himself against the railing. His vision blacked out for two seconds.

Fortunately, the moment of darkness and the ringing in his ears passed quickly; it might be due to the cold.

Once his vision cleared, a pair of hands had already picked up the dropped campus card. Ji Ruan looked up and stood straight along with the person.

“Hey, your card,” said a tall, handsome guy standing in front of him.

“Thank you,” Ji Ruan reached out to take it but found that the other person wouldn’t let go.

“?” Ji Ruan frowned in confusion.

After the initial surge of people when the library opened, the entrance gradually became less crowded, with only a few students passing by occasionally.

The boy who picked up the card looked at Ji Ruan for a few moments before finally releasing his grip: “You’re Ji Ruan?”

Ji Ruan was taken aback and placed the card into his bag: “You know me?”

The boy smiled, “Of course, you’re quite famous.”

Not really wanting to be a celebrity, Ji Ruan averted his eyes: “Is that so…”

The boy seemed to have not noticed Ji Ruan’s avoidance and extended his hand with a smile: “Hello, I’m Bai An Ge.”

The name sounded familiar; Ji Ruan blinked and suddenly recalled a conversation among his roommates at the hotpot restaurant. Their school’s current campus heartthrob seemed to go by that name.

Ji Ruan glanced at the person in front of him; he was tall and undoubtedly handsome, likely that legendary campus heartthrob.

Bai An Ge noticed Ji Ruan hesitating and smiled more broadly: “Looks like you’ve heard of me too?”

The library’s air conditioning was giving Ji Ruan a bit of a headache. His smile faded slightly as he politely replied, “You’re pretty famous too.”

Bai An Ge smiled wider, waving his phone: “So, can famous people be friends with other famous people? I think we’ll get along great.”

Ji Ruan wasn’t too keen on that.

Bai An Ge’s deep-set eyes held an intensity different from Gu Xiuyi’s indifferent gaze toward everyone. When Bai An Ge looked at someone, it was especially serious, with a strong and direct stare lingering on Ji Ruan, exerting an unintentional pressure with no chance for breathing space.

He had the appearance of a friendly senior, but his gaze gave off a sense of estrangement that Ji Ruan found very uncomfortable; he instinctively rejected that stare.

“Sorry,” Ji Ruan took a half-step back, organizing his hair with his ringed hand, “My husband doesn’t like me getting too friendly with others.”

Bai An Ge seemed momentarily silenced by the ring, staring at Ji Ruan in silence.

The person in front of him had soft, long brows that didn’t possess the sharp features of other boys, resembling a gentle crescent moon. His expression seemed a bit tired, perhaps from not feeling well, and his eyes were slightly reddened.

Bai An Ge smiled: “You look better than the rumors suggested, and you’re more interesting.”

Ji Ruan managed a twitch of his lips, choosing not to explore how he might have been found more attractive through the mask.

Since they began talking, Bai An Ge hadn’t diverted his gaze elsewhere; Ji Ruan didn’t know if this was his habit in communication or just how he treated him.

A nerve behind Ji Ruan’s ear twitched, pulling on a headache. He gently furrowed his brow.

“An Ge,” a girl’s voice called from a distance, “Why are you still here?”

Ji Ruan turned his head toward the sound. The girl had long hair draping over her shoulders and was wearing a modernized light purple qipao, exuding a very pleasant aura; it was Cheng Zizhang.

Ji Ruan felt a slight relief and smiled, “Senior Zizhang.”

Cheng Zizhang was his direct senior. They had met during orientation, and they often bumped into each other in the same building for classes, gradually developing a relationship in which they could greet each other.

Seeing him, Cheng Zizhang looked a bit surprised, tucking loose hair behind her ear with a smile: “Xiao Ruan, you’re here too.”

She poked Bai An Ge’s elbow: “Do you know each other?”

Ji Ruan quickly spoke before Bai An Ge had a chance to respond: “My campus card dropped just now, and this senior helped me pick it up.”

Cheng Zizhang didn’t seem to mind much and suddenly remembered something and said to Ji Ruan: “Oh right, Xiao Ruan, today’s your course selection day, isn’t it?”

Ji Ruan nodded.

“Then hurry and go,” Cheng Zizhang pointed upstairs, “I just came from there, and the computers are nearly all taken.”

“Really?” Ji Ruan tightened the strap of his shoulder bag and waved to Cheng Zizhang, “Then I’ll head out first, Senior.”

After escaping Bai An Ge, Ji Ruan went up the stairs to the second floor. Just as Cheng Zizhang had said, it was very crowded, and from a distance, there were almost no vacant computers.

Ji Ruan waited in line for a while and finally managed to grab a relatively easy elective from what was left.

Because of the time he spent with Bai An Ge, Ji Ruan was almost late for class and had to run a few steps to reach the classroom.

Fortunately, it was a general course that crossed majors, packed with a crowd in a large lecture hall. The teacher at the podium wasn’t paying much attention to what was happening in the back.

Han Xiaolin had saved a seat for him at the back row. Ji Ruan carefully sat down, letting out a long sigh of relief.

“What happened? Did it take you so long to select a course?” Han Xiaolin casually played on his phone, placing it on the desk.

“Don’t mention it,” Ji Ruan wiped the sweat from his forehead, “Did they call the roll?”

Even though the temperature wasn’t high, Ji Ruan was still sweating, and the air conditioning behind him made him break out in goosebumps.

Han Xiaolin handed him a piece of paper: “They called it; I shouted your name.”

“Thanks.” Ji Ruan took off his mask and weakly wiped his sweat with the paper.

“Are you really okay?” Han Xiaolin leaned in closer and whispered, “You look worse than you did in the morning.”

“I’m fine.”

Ji Ruan rummaged through his bag to take out a thermos cup and, slightly bending to avoid the teacher’s line of sight, popped a pill in his mouth. Gu Xiuyi had only brought him some regular cold medicine; he wasn’t sure if it would work.

“Just now, I ran into Bai An Ge in the library,” Ji Ruan mentioned, only to break into a fit of cough.

“Bai An Ge?!” Han Xiaolin patted him on the back and widened his eyes, “He knows you? What did you two talk about?”

Ji Ruan took another sip of warm water and leaned on the desk: “He said he wanted to be friends with me.”

“What?!” Han Xiaolin exclaimed, shocked. “Isn’t that just flirting? So he is indeed bent!”

Ji Ruan tugged at the corners of his mouth: “Who knows?”

The phrase “be friends” was quite crafty; how could a boy and a boy simply becoming friends automatically mean one was bent?

Ji Ruan didn’t care about other people’s sexual orientations; it was just that his first impression lingered on, leaving him with no fondness for Bai An Ge and unwilling to pursue further contact.

Han Xiaolin also leaned over the desk: “Did you add each other as friends then?”

Ji Ruan shook his head: “I told him Gu Xiuyi doesn’t like me getting close to others.”

Han Xiaolin immediately laughed: “You’re something else!”

Ji Ruan managed a chuckle, half-closing his eyes without saying anything.

The air conditioning behind him dried his sweat but also intensified his headache. Ji Ruan leaned on the desk for a while, coughing intermittently.

As the class continued, he started to feel a chill, yet his ears felt burning hot, and he was experiencing severe dizziness accompanied by intermittent ringing in his ears.

Ji Ruan felt something was off and touched his forehead—he felt numb and couldn’t sense it properly.

He nudged Han Xiaolin’s arm.

Han Xiaolin turned his head: “What’s up?”

Ji Ruan spoke in a weak voice, struggling to muster strength: “Do I feel hot to you?”

Han Xiaolin immediately touched his forehead with a grave expression: “You’re burning up!”

Ji Ruan closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh.

“I told you your state isn’t good; you wouldn’t believe me,” Han Xiaolin sounded a bit anxious. “So what do you say? Should we head to the health center now?”

Ji Ruan glanced at his phone; there were still half an hour until class ended: “Now?”

“Yeah,” Han Xiaolin was already packing his bag, “It’s just a filler class; what’s more important than your health? Anyway, you’ve already signed in, so they won’t notice if you slip away.”

Ji Ruan thought for a moment. He still had a bit of strength left, but if he stayed in front of the air conditioning for another half an hour, he might not even be able to move after class.

“Okay,” he gently propped himself up on the desk, “Let’s go.”

But Ji Ruan’s legs were still weak; he eventually needed Han Xiaolin to support him to the campus health center for an IV drip.

Lying on the sickbed, Ji Ruan had exhausted all his strength and felt as limp as a puddle, unable to move.

Han Xiaolin sat with him for a while and later bought a bowl of congee from the dining hall for him to settle his stomach.

Ji Ruan actually couldn’t eat; his stomach burned painfully, but he knew that if he didn’t eat, he would feel even worse later.

Taking a moment, he stared at the rotating ceiling and gritted his teeth to sit up under Han Xiaolin’s supervision, drinking a few spoonfuls of congee.

That was already his limit.

Afterwards, Ji Ruan leaned against the head of the bed, clutching his stomach, making an effort not to vomit. His throat constricted, and a thin layer of sweat coated his neck as he closed his eyes and said to Han Xiaolin, “You have classes this afternoon, you should go.”

“What? That’s impossible,” Han Xiaolin, unsettled, replied, “How can I leave you alone here?”

Ji Ruan slowly opened his eyes, a smile at the corner of his lips: “There are doctors here.”

The fever made Ji Ruan’s eyes cloudy, and the corners of his eyes reddened as if he had been crying. Han Xiaolin glanced at him for a bit, then couldn’t help but curse in his heart.

How can someone be so good-looking even while being sick?

Damn it, and that person was his brother.

What’s worse was that his brother’s beauty couldn’t be shared.

“Alright,” Han Xiaolin stood up, speaking in a lower voice, “You rest a bit; I’ll bring you dinner in the evening.”

Ji Ruan shut his eyes; that was the most he could respond.

After Han Xiaolin left, the campus doctor came to give Ji Ruan a sip of water. Ji Ruan knew he had full classes in the afternoon too. After resting for a while, he took out his phone to message his teachers for leave.

A friend request popped up on the screen—it was Bai An Ge. Ji Ruan frowned and hit reject.

Before long, another request popped up.

Ji Ruan’s burning eyes ached, and staring at the phone made him feel a bit nauseous. He rubbed his temples and directly ignored this request.

·

“Buzz buzz—”

Han Xiaolin had been in class all afternoon when he suddenly received a text from Gu Xiuyi. His dazed mind became alert instantly, and instead of pondering how Gu Xiuyi had gotten his phone number, he cautiously opened the message.

[Hello, Han Xiaolin, I am Gu Xiuyi. I can’t reach Ji Ruan; is he with you?]

No matter how friendly Mr. Gu tried to act, there was always an underlying sense of intimidation. Even through the screen, Han Xiaolin felt his hands tremble slightly, and he quickly replied:

[He has a bit of a fever; I accompanied him to the campus health center this morning. He might be asleep after getting an IV. I’ll check on him after class.]

There was a brief pause on the other end for two minutes, and Han Xiaolin was so focused on the screen that he barely noticed the teacher.

[Got it; I won’t disrupt your class. I’ll pick him up to go home.]

Upon reading that line, Han Xiaolin immediately envisioned a scene where his good friend, under everyone’s gaze at school, was carried off by a handsome man into a luxury car; he couldn’t help but let his lips curve up.

[Okay, Mr. Gu. Then I won’t go to the campus health center later.]

The response came back quickly: [Thank you.]

·

Ji Ruan wasn’t sure when he fell asleep. He slept uncomfortably, feeling as if his ears were blocked and his chest heavy, yet he was unable to wake up.

Someone was tapping his arm and shaking his shoulder. Ji Ruan inhaled sharply and finally opened his eyes, as if someone had pulled him out of a dark swamp. His consciousness was hazy, and his vision wouldn’t focus.

The campus doctor stood by his bed, her lips moving as if she was speaking to him, but the glaring incandescent light overhead made it hard for Ji Ruan to see her face.

Ji Ruan closed his eyes again, attempting to listen carefully to the doctor’s words, but a sudden wave of pain shot through his ear, bringing about a strong ringing. It felt as if a volcano erupted deep within his ear canal, and the pain made Ji Ruan cry out, with white flashes dancing before his eyes.

The campus doctor pressed down on his arm to comfort him, but Ji Ruan couldn’t hear what she was saying; the nerve behind his ear was jumping chaotically, causing a splitting headache.

“What’s happening to me…”

Ji Ruan opened his mouth but found himself frozen.

He realized he couldn’t even hear his own voice anymore.

There were sounds in his ears, but they resembled the crackling noise of an old black-and-white television, alternately strong and muffled, accompanied by rumbles.

The campus doctor patted his back, then quickly typed on her phone: [Can I call your family to take you home?]

Ji Ruan felt warmth in his eyes, desperately sniffing back tears and blinking.

His head was encouraged with a gentle pat from the campus doctor.

He reached out to dial Gu Xiuyi’s number, but the interface suddenly displayed an incoming call—it was Gu Xiuyi.

The campus doctor glanced at him with a questioning look; Ji Ruan nodded, and she directly answered the call.

All Ji Ruan could see was her lips moving, but he couldn’t hear a thing, so he raised his hand to shield his eyes.

For the first time since coming to this world, he felt a sense of overwhelming panic.

It turned out that not being able to hear was truly frightening, like being isolated in a vacuum bubble, permanently cut off from the world.

Ji Ruan could just imagine how strange the tone of his voice would sound if he spoke; the words he attempted to say could hardly be called speech—more like a series of unpleasant notes.

He didn’t know how long it had been, but it seemed Gu Xiuyi had arrived. When he opened the door, the damp air from outside wafted onto Ji Ruan’s face, followed closely by a warm hand covering his ear.

“He’s had the IV drip for an entire afternoon, and his temperature has dropped a bit, but the fever hasn’t gone down at all,” the campus doctor was saying to Gu Xiuyi. “I noticed he’s wearing a cochlear implant. If he continues to have a fever, it might affect his hearing. Our facilities aren’t sufficient; the family should take him to the hospital for a check-up.”

The man at the bedside wore a simple black coat, appearing unapproachable, yet his gentle motion of caressing the young man’s ear was tender. His voice was low as he expressed gratitude.

Ji Ruan was no longer on the IV drip; the blood had returned when he struggled with his ear pain, and once the campus doctor removed the needle, she treated his wound, placing a medical adhesive bandage on his hand. Still, some blood seeped out now.

Gu Xiuyi gently grasped Ji Ruan’s wrist, pulling his hand down from where it shielded his eyes, only to discover that Ji Ruan was crying.

He looked frightened, his face streaked with tears, his eyelids slightly swollen, and his lashes damp.

The campus doctor noticed that the man before her had stiffened, his lips pressed tightly together, yet he reached out with his fingertip to lightly caress the reddened corners of the young man’s eyes.

Then, he picked Ji Ruan up.