Chapter 13: Allergy

Ning Shuang had originally meant to ask Ji Huaizhi, but unexpectedly, the other man turned the question back on him. That confident gaze, laced with melancholy, seemed to reproach Ning Shuang for even asking.

“I… um…” Ning Shuang racked his brain for an excuse but came up empty.

More than ten seconds passed before he murmured evasively, “Yeah, I was asleep the whole time last night.”

Another lie. Ji Huaizhi lowered his long lashes, the light in his eyes gradually dimming. He picked up his chopsticks again and silently helped himself to the food.

In truth, Ji Huaizhi’s coolness toward Ning Shuang had only lasted from their first encounter. Back then, Ning Shuang had bumped into him, and Ji Huaizhi had been annoyed by his carelessness. But Ning Shuang had apologized so sincerely that the ice had thawed a little.

After Ji Huaizhi moved into Ning Shuang’s home, his demeanor had softened even further. He was no longer aloof and even showed the occasional flicker of concern.

Not like now, sitting there utterly silent, not even bothering with a facial expression.

He seemed genuinely upset. Ning Shuang couldn’t read him at all. After agonizing over it, he ventured, “You… were you looking for me last night?”

Wait—no! Why was Ji Huaizhi mad? Ning Shuang was the one who ought to be furious. How had Ji Huaizhi shown up there in the first place? And when Ning Shuang had gone searching for him, why had he vanished? If anything, those mysteries were far more aggravating than Ning Shuang’s absence last night.

But before Ning Shuang could fire back, Ji Huaizhi nodded. “Yeah, I came to ask if you had any allergy medicine at home. But you weren’t there.”

Ning Shuang blinked in surprise. “Allergy? What happened?”

He jumped up and hurried to Ji Huaizhi’s side.

Ji Huaizhi set down his chopsticks and tilted his head up. His bangs shifted aside, revealing his exquisitely beautiful face. The overhead light danced in his eyes, bright and shimmering like unshed tears—heart-wrenchingly endearing. Ning Shuang sucked in a sharp breath. How could anyone be this stunning?

“The green peppers from last night triggered a reaction. I got these red rashes on my arm.” Ji Huaizhi rolled up his sleeve without prompting, exposing a section of his arm speckled with faint pink blotches. It must have itched terribly—several scratches had broken the skin.

“You’re allergic to green peppers? Why didn’t you say something? I wouldn’t have bought them!” Ning Shuang dashed to the entryway cabinet, grabbed the medical kit, and rushed back.

“I hadn’t eaten them in ages. I figured I was over it,” Ji Huaizhi explained.

He gazed at Ning Shuang, sorrow pooling in his eyes.

“I had to step out last night for something. I had no idea you’d come looking. Sorry—and I forgot to show you where the medical kit is.” The sight of those rashes and scratches on Ji Huaizhi’s pale arm chased last night’s events from Ning Shuang’s mind.

“It’s fine,” Ji Huaizhi said evenly. “I only had a little. It’s mostly cleared up after sleep.”

Ning Shuang sat beside him, fished out the allergy pills, and shook a few into his palm. He poured a glass of water. “Take these first.”

He held his hands out toward Ji Huaizhi.

Ji Huaizhi glanced up, meeting Ning Shuang’s worried eyes. Then he plucked the pills from his palm, took the glass, and washed them down.

Ning Shuang grabbed the iodine solution next and clamped a cotton ball with tweezers. “The rashes should fade now. Let me clean those scratches.”

Ji Huaizhi extended both arms obediently. Ning Shuang rolled up the sleeves and applied the medicine with care.

Ji Huaizhi’s skin was porcelain-pale, the veins beneath it starkly visible. The red scratches crisscrossed his arm, lending it a strangely sensual allure. Lower down, just peeking from under his watch, was a faint pink mark.

Ning Shuang eyed it curiously before asking, “Is that a birthmark?”

“Mm.” Ji Huaizhi’s face remained impassive.

“I’ve got one too—on the back of my neck. Can’t even see it without a mirror,” Ning Shuang said softly.

He bent his head and dabbed patiently at the scratches with the iodine-soaked cotton. His long lashes cast shadows over his eyes. Ji Huaizhi watched him, his gaze softly tracing the lines of Ning Shuang’s face—a hidden tenderness blooming there.

“All set. Good thing it’s just superficial. It’ll heal up fine with some rest,” Ning Shuang said, releasing Ji Huaizhi’s arm and looking up.

Ji Huaizhi eased his long sleeves back down. “Thank you.”

Ning Shuang shook his head—no need. “Scratches only on the arms? Nothing on your back?”

“Just the arms,” Ji Huaizhi replied truthfully.

Ning Shuang nodded. “Good.”

“If there were, no need to be shy. We’re both guys; it’s not a big deal.” He tacked on.

Ji Huaizhi shook his head.

Ning Shuang didn’t press. He packed away the kit. “Any other allergies? Spill them now, so we avoid that stuff.”

“That’s it,” Ji Huaizhi said.

Ning Shuang stowed the kit back in the cabinet. “Got it. No more green peppers.”

He returned to his seat across the table. “Let’s eat—it’ll get cold.”

They ate in quiet. Ning Shuang studied Ji Huaizhi thoughtfully, mulling it over for ages before deciding last night must have been a hallucination.

After all, he was dead certain he’d been hit with gu—he didn’t even know when. So seeing Ji Huaizhi might’ve happened after it took hold.

Ji Huaizhi had simply been in the vicinity.

Ning Shuang felt a pang of guilt for suspecting him earlier. Good thing Ji Huaizhi couldn’t read the convoluted mess in his head.

Since Ji Huaizhi had cooked lunch, Ning Shuang flatly refused his help with the dishes. He handled them solo.

When he emerged, Ji Huaizhi sat on the sofa’s edge, absorbed in a book. A breeze stirred the curtains, lightly tousling his long hair. He looked serene as an ink-wash painting.

Ning Shuang took the seat opposite and poured himself tea. “Hey, Ji Huaizhi…”

Ji Huaizhi paused mid-page and looked up. “Yeah?”

Ning Shuang cleared his throat. “I’m taking Ning Dundun for a walk later. You in?”

“Sure.” Ji Huaizhi nodded.

“Cool. Gonna nap in my room first.” Ning Shuang stood.

Ji Huaizhi murmured agreement.

Ning Shuang started to go, then paused with a grin. “Oh, and I’ll cook dinner—something light to build you back up.”

He left the living room and headed upstairs. Ji Huaizhi watched his retreating back until it vanished from view. Then he closed the book, his gaze withdrawing.

A shadow flickered in his eyes.

Lying to me again, Ning Shuang.

~~~

Back in his room, Ning Shuang locked the door and yanked the blackout curtains tight, shutting out the harsh sunlight.

Now he could deal with last night’s aftermath.

The gu-dissolving medicine from his bag had gone mostly unused. He pulled it all out and stashed it in the wardrobe’s bottom drawer. Truth be told, he wasn’t sleepy. While washing dishes, Lu Yuyang had sent gossip pics tied to the abandoned experimental building, so Ning Shuang had excused himself.

The shots looked predawn. Police cars ringed the building; amid the cops stood a few figures in Miao ethnic attire.

Ning Shuang cocked his head, staring. So the Miao Frontier had sent people after all?

【Lu Yuyang: They’re saying it was hypnosis, smoke and mirrors.】

【Lu Yuyang: Knew there was no guardian god.】

【Lu Yuyang: Internal pics—don’t share.】

Ning Shuang pored over them before typing: 【Got it.】

【Lu Yuyang: School’s gonna demo the building, build us new classrooms.】

Ning Shuang barely cared. They’d be long graduated by then.

【Ning Shuang: You hear everything.】

【Lu Yuyang: Gotta rep those sources.】

Ning Shuang went silent. He sprawled on the bed, scrolling his phone. His mind drifted to last night’s gu-induced vision—an illusion, yes, but also a recurring dream. He had it monthly.

Some memory felt missing, yet his parents insisted otherwise. No motive for lies.

He still couldn’t say if it was nightmare or recollection.

“Sigh.” Ning Shuang sighed.

He fished the golden pendant from the experimental building out of his pocket, snapped a pic, and sent it to Zhao Wei Liang. The phone rang almost immediately.

“Ning Shuang! How’d you end up with my pendant?” Zhao Wei Liang sounded thrilled.

“I hit the experimental building last night. You said wishes work there, so I checked it out.”

“Did you see the guardian god?” Zhao Wei Liang asked, intrigued.

“Nope. But I found this—someone’s offering to it.” Ning Shuang dangled the golden pendant.

Zhao Wei Liang groaned. “Ugh, don’t.”

“Saw the school notice today?”

Ning Shuang said, “I saw the notification, but I haven’t checked the details yet.”

“Then take a look at it now. I can only explain once you’ve seen it.”

Ning Shuang obediently opened the school’s official account and found their rumor clarification post.

It stated that the rumor about a guardian god haunting the dilapidated laboratory building was false. The building had been damaged in a fire and then exposed to rain and snow, which caused a hallucinogenic mold to grow inside. Anyone who entered and inhaled the mold would experience hallucinations, mistaking them for an encounter with a guardian god.

In short, the school would soon demolish the building and construct a new academic structure in its place.

“I’ve read it all, and I think the school is right,” Ning Shuang said. He desperately hoped the matter would be handled this way, without implicating the Miao Frontier people—or dragging him into it.

Zhao Wei Liang continued, “Not only that, but the school also found the items we left behind from exchanging wishes. They’re tracking down the owners one by one to return them. I thought for sure I’d get called in for a scolding! Good thing you picked them up for me, brother—my brother!”

Ning Shuang broke out in an awkward sweat.

“Alright, alright. I’ll bring them to you on Monday,” Ning Shuang said.

Zhao Wei Liang pretended to wipe away some nonexistent snot from his nose and whined his agreement. Ning Shuang had to coax him gently before he finally hung up.

With that, the incident was resolved, and Ning Shuang felt a weight lift from his shoulders.

Glancing at the photo Lu Yuyang had sent—showing several people dressed in Miao ethnic attire—Ning Shuang could guess how the matter had been settled.

The elders must have handled it, keeping things low-key. As a member of the Miao Frontier people, Ning Shuang had escaped involvement.

One thing still puzzled him, though. When he had woken up last night, why had the top floor held only those two unconscious ordinary people, with no one else in sight?

Ji Huaizhi’s presence could be dismissed as a hallucination, but the real culprit behind it all couldn’t have just vanished into thin air. Or had they known he was there and slipped away while he was out cold?

No matter how much he puzzled over it, Ning Shuang couldn’t come up with a satisfying explanation. In the end, he let it go. After all, the chapter was closed.

Now it was time for school, training the freshmen, and… getting along well with Ji Huaizhi!

Autumn was fast approaching, though, and Ji Huaizhi seemed unwell. Ning Shuang sat up, legs crossed as he pondered for a moment. Then he rose, fetched a blanket from the wardrobe, and headed out. He turned right and knocked on the door to Ji Huaizhi’s room.