Chapter 8

Is L suspecting him of conjuring friends out of thin air?

【Zhizhi Doesn’t Know: Of course not me!】

【L: Mm.】

Liang Zhixia stared at L’s reply, completely baffled. He had noticed that L had been acting strangely these past few days, spouting all sorts of baffling things.

Had L’s conscience finally awakened?

Belated kindness is cheaper than grass!

If L’s behavior got even better after this, he might consider giving him a five-star review at the end.

His palm suddenly vibrated.

L had sent a photo.

The photo showed only a tall, slender figure holding an umbrella. Raindrops fell into puddles, sending ripples across the water’s surface.

【L】: It’s raining.

This was the first time he had glimpsed what L looked like, even if it was just a silhouette. L appeared pretty tall, though the shadow might have stretched it out.

The patter of rain was muffled beyond the window. He slipped on his slippers, pushed open the window, and let his gaze fall on the large tree behind the dorm. He opened his camera, lined up the shot, and snapped a picture.

【Zhizhi】: What a coincidence. It’s raining here too.

The photo captured a few tree leaves, drooping and dejected from the rain.

【L】: So cute (voice message)

Liang Zhixia closed the window and burrowed back into his nest of blankets.

He arched an eyebrow, leaned in close to his phone, blinked a few times in quick succession, and tapped the brief voice message.

The man’s voice was magnetic and low, carrying the damp chill of rain, with a slight uptick at the end that made it sound both ambiguous and tender.

Was L calling those leaves cute?

He had taken the photo himself, so of course they were!

【Zhizhi】: You’ve got good taste!

【Zhizhi】: Kitten gives thumbs up.jpg

【L】: Shy kitten makes heart hands.jpg

If it weren’t for that familiar voice, he might have suspected someone else was on the other end.

【L】: Does your arm still hurt? Send me a photo to check.

As if a photo would reveal how serious it was.

Even so, he obediently snapped one and sent it over.

His long sleeves were casually rolled up, exposing a length of pale arm wrapped thickly in gauze. A closer look revealed blood seeping through the center.

【L】: If only I were there with you.

Liang Zhixia read the message, wiggled his pale, tender toes, and curved his eyes into smiles.

【Zhizhi】: But you’re not. Someone else is keeping me company, so don’t worry.

【L】: Mm.

L’s mood seemed even worse now.

Switching to his alt account, he saw that Xu Cheng had sent him a message ten minutes ago.

[Lu Quan will be back at the dorm soon. Please keep an eye on him—I’m not entirely at ease.]

[Transferring 1000 yuan. Note: Fee for watching Lu Quan]

His eyes flew wide open. He counted the zeros several times to confirm he wasn’t hallucinating.

Had Xu Cheng accidentally added two extra zeros?

He tapped his finger and accepted the transfer.

[Got it, Senior. I’m in the dorm.]

No reply came. He set his phone aside and got ready to finish the last commissioned avatar.

He occasionally took on couple portraits, and this one was for a pair of lovebirds. The requests were minimal, so he wrapped it up quickly.

He had just sent it off when he heard a noise at the door.

With a click, the door swung open.

Lu Quan’s hair was slightly damp. His long, pale hand gripped the handle of a black umbrella, faint veins standing out on the back. He glanced up at Liang Zhixia with casual indifference.

Liang Zhixia stood by his bed and noticed the obvious scrapes on Lu Quan’s knuckles. Somehow, they only heightened his raw sex appeal.

His heart started pounding again. Couldn’t Lu Quan model for him?

Xu Cheng lingered in the doorway without coming in. He pointed cautiously at his phone, then pressed his palms together in a silent plea.

Liang Zhixia had no choice but to nod.

Xu Cheng waved in relief and departed.

As he looked up, his gaze locked with Lu Quan’s. His heart clenched, and he stammered, “Senior Lu, do you want to treat that wound?”

Lu Quan glanced faintly at the boy’s arm, hidden beneath the long sleeve, before dropping his eyes to his own fingers. He seemed utterly unconcerned.

To Liang Zhixia, it was abnormal for someone to neglect medical care just because of a breakup.

While Lu Quan was in the shower, he rummaged in his drawer and pulled out some iodine and bandages.

He was about to set them on Lu Quan’s desk when he recalled their first meeting. To help soothe the guy’s heartbreak, he grabbed two clean tissues and placed them underneath first.

When Lu Quan emerged from the shower, he spotted the unfamiliar items on his desk. His indifferent gaze swept over the tissues beneath them, and his eyes narrowed slightly. “Thanks.”

Hiding behind his bed curtain, Liang Zhixia widened his eyes in shock. He regretted not recording that.

What a missed opportunity!

He parted the curtain just enough to poke out his eyes, grinning until they bent into crescents, like the moon hanging in the sky.

Lu Quan kept his gaze lowered, his fingers flying across the keyboard. He showed no sign of tending to the wound.

The fresh scrapes, scalded by the hot water, looked even redder and more swollen. They had to hurt.

With his low pain tolerance, Liang Zhixia couldn’t bear to see an untreated injury. He pursed his lips. “Senior Lu, aren’t you going to put on some medicine?”

The crisp clacking of keys halted. As Lu Quan’s gaze flicked toward him, he ducked back behind the curtain, blocking out that icy stare.

Reminded of the thousand yuan in his pocket, he mustered his courage. “Senior Lu, if you leave that hand injury untreated, someone might worry.”

Like all his admirers, for instance.

Silence fell outside. He peeked through a crack and saw Lu Quan slouched lazily in his chair, his lowered gaze fixed on a cute bandage that clashed hilariously with his aura as he applied it.

Who knew the School Grass cared so much about his image.

The weather forecast predicted heavy rain again tomorrow. Liang Zhixia lay in bed, peeking stealthily at Lu Quan through the gap. Even though it was well past his bedtime, he forced himself to stay awake.

He had taken the money, so he had to see the job through.

Unless Lu Quan went to sleep first, he wasn’t closing his eyes!

…

Lu Quan sent the final file to his assistant. As he glanced up, he caught sight of the sleeping Liang Zhixia. The boy’s pretty face was smooshed shamelessly against the bed curtain.

In the dim light, he could even make out the red mark imprinted on his fair skin.

After the assistant’s reply came in, he shut down his computer and pulled up his chat with Zhizhi.

He zoomed in on the photo from earlier that afternoon. A faint figure was reflected in the glass, but the face was indistinct.

He stepped out onto the balcony, earbuds piping a woman’s voice into his ears as he gazed at the lush tree in the distance.

“I can’t sleep lately. Can you tell me a bedtime story?”

“I like you the most. Can you like me just a little more?”

“Why do so many people like you?”

“You can’t say yes to them. You can only be mine.”

“Do you like someone like me? I can give you everything.”

“Baby, I’ll always be watching you. You can’t not like me.”

“Boy…friend.”

The faint curve of his lips slowly flattened. His distinct knuckles trailed across the window.

If you like him so much, why get a boyfriend?

A low, magnetic voice rumbled out, laced with barely concealed chill. Dark possessiveness churned in his deep eyes.

“Zhizhi isn’t being good at all.”

“Can he take proper care of you?”

When Liang Zhixia woke up, he habitually replied to L first.

[Baby good morning^-^]

He blinked his sore eyes. His head swam with dizziness, and his fingers felt limp. The phone dropped onto the bedding without a sound.

After climbing out of bed, he realized he had no energy at all. While brushing his teeth, he stared into the mirror and saw that his face was flushed red.

He touched his forehead in a daze.

It was burning hot.

Oh. He had a fever.

In their three-person group chat, Jiang Ling was griping about how heavy the rain was. He’d gotten soaked just buying breakfast.

Liang Zhixia whipped his head toward the window. The downpour looked even worse than yesterday’s.

His temperature kept climbing, but there was no thermometer in the dorm. He pursed his lips and scrolled through his contacts.

After a long slide, he realized Lu Quan’s name wasn’t there.

Right—they hadn’t added each other as friends.

He messaged Xu Cheng instead.

[Senior, can you ask Senior Lu if there’s a thermometer in the dorm?]

Xu Cheng didn’t reply.

He sank into a chair, ate a small pack of bread, and then swallowed a fever reducer.

Just as he finished the pill, Xu Cheng’s messages came through.

[No.]

[You have a fever?]

[How bad is it? Should you go to the hospital?]

He laid his phone flat on the desk and slumped over his bread hug pillow, fingers lazily tapping out a response.

[I’m fine. Thanks, Senior.]

He spent the morning alternating between chills and sweats in bed, but his temperature only rose higher. That single pill had done nothing.

His breaths came hot and ragged, his nose was stuffed, his mouth bone-dry. Even buried under a thick comforter, he shivered uncontrollably.

His mind felt like mush, unable to string two thoughts together.

The rain outside poured relentlessly. He struggled into his clothes and grabbed a jacket from the closet, but Lu Quan’s shirt tumbled out and hit the floor.

The floor wasn’t dirty, but he’d have to wash it again anyway.

The fever’s weakness had plunged his mood to rock bottom. He shoved the shirt back into the closet haphazardly.

At the dorm building’s entrance, he gulped down the cool air and yanked up his collar. His slender, pale fingers clutched the umbrella handle as he shuffled slowly into the rain.

This time, he made it to the school gate without issue.

The bus stop was right nearby. Under his umbrella, his brain fogged over completely, devoid of any energy.

Then a passing car—driven by someone with no manners—splashed him head to toe with filthy water.

Liang Zhixia looked up, glaring furiously at the car that drove off arrogantly. A flush of red tinged the upturned corners of his eyes, and his light tea-colored pupils were glazed over from the fever, shimmering like lake water under the autumn moon—pure and clear.

He grumbled softly to himself in his heart.

Only a few scattered people lingered on the bus stop platform in the rain. He folded his umbrella, let out a deep breath of stale air, and sat down on the bench with his head lowered, waiting for the next bus.

His phone showed there were still ten minutes to go.

Fine raindrops blew into the shelter with the wind, brushing across his fever-hot cheeks. He licked his lips and reached up to loosen his collar. So hot.

A sleek black luxury car—understated yet opulent—passed by on the opposite road and came to a slow stop at the zebra crossing. Xu Cheng glanced in the rearview mirror and said, “I wonder if Yizhou will even recognize me anymore?”

“He was only gone for half a year, not three years,” Lu Quan replied coldly, staring at him. “Say one more word, and you’re out.”

Xu Cheng shook his head regretfully and muttered, “You have no heart.”

The red light at this intersection dragged on forever. Bored, he glanced around idly before suddenly speaking up. “Liu’er, that looks like your roommate over there.”

Lu Quan followed the direction of his finger. He had no idea why Xu Cheng always managed to spot Liang Zhixia in a crowd.

“You like him?”

Xu Cheng pointed at himself, looking puzzled. “Me? I’m straight.”

Lu Quan looked away. “You always seem to notice him first.”

He was the roommate, after all.

It left him feeling a bit annoyed.

Xu Cheng went on regardless. “He’s probably heading to the hospital.”

Gripping the steering wheel, he added, “It’s on the way to the airport. Let’s give him a ride. The underclassman’s so skinny, and he’s got that injury on his arm. What if he passes out on the bus?”

Lu Quan’s eyes narrowed slightly. His fingers brushed against the band-aid in his pocket, and he murmured, “Mm.”