Chapter 15: He’s Terrifying

The Quzhou cuisine Yang Shuheng chose was truly delicious. Those who couldn’t live without spicy food ate with pure, unadulterated joy.

At their table of seven, the biggest spice fiend turned out to be Guan Yu. Gu Shiying could only rank behind him. The two ended up having a profound exchange about the virtues of chili.

It was simply too satisfyingly spicy. Gu Shiying ate until tears streamed down his face. Not only were his eyes red from the heat, but his lips were also red and swollen. He kept gulping down cold drinks to ease the burn.

Fu Huan watched him finish his second bottle of ice-cold drink and silently refilled his water glass.

He questioned Gu Shiying with a skeptical tone. “Are you sure you can handle spicy food?”

“Of course I can.” Gu Shiying pointed at the pile of bones on his plate. “These are all the spoils of Zhen’s conquest.”

Fu Huan looked at his lips, reddened and glossy from the spice, but didn’t say anything more.

Among the seven at the table, aside from Liu Wenqing, who was trying to maintain a slightly demure, ladylike image in front of Fu Huan, whom she had a crush on, everyone else was eating with gusto to varying degrees.

Zhang Zhi was even fighting Guan Yu for the most fragrantly wok-fried chili and pork dish.

“We definitely have to come back to this place again. It’s so good!”

Eating happily with everyone, Yang Shuheng’s mood had recovered for the most part. He also began to check on others, especially the only girl among them.

“Liu Wenqing, can you not handle spicy food? Should we order you a dessert? I saw they have red bean ice.”

Only then did Gu Shiying remember his persona of having a “secret crush” on Liu Wenqing. Although he wasn’t great at observing people, it was true that Liu Wenqing hadn’t touched much food tonight. He also knew from Zhang Zhi that she liked sweets. But being a girl, she might have felt awkward bringing it up herself.

Gu Shiying said considerately, “One for the beautiful Liu Wenqing, and one for me too.”

Guan Yu: “I’ll have one too.”

Yang Shuheng: “Then let’s all get one.”

Only Fu Huan cast a calm glance at Gu Shiying and said, “Don’t count me in.”

Liang Qi: “I won’t have any either. You guys go ahead.”

Gu Shiying didn’t normally crave sweets, usually never eating them. But today was an exception; he had a persona to maintain.

Besides those two, everyone else dug into the icy cold red bean ice.

After tasting it, Gu Shiying had to admit it was actually really good. Not too sweet or cloying, and it cut the spice perfectly. He felt much better after eating it.

Spicy and icy. A wonderfully happy combination.

This one meal effectively gobbled up everyone’s exhaustion and negativity from the day.

Classes tomorrow meant they couldn’t stay out late. Yang Shuheng had announced he was paying, but in the end, Fu Huan had settled the bill ahead of time.

Outwardly, Fu Huan seemed uninterested in anything, completely indifferent. But he still looked out for others’ feelings.

It wasn’t until they’d walked two hundred meters away from the restaurant that Yang Shuheng remembered he hadn’t paid.

Liang Qi patted his shoulder. “Our Brother Huan took care of it.”

Yang Shuheng: “But I said it was my treat.”

Fu Huan glanced at Gu Shiying, who was walking close to Liu Wenqing, and said, “It wasn’t much. You can treat us next time.”

Yang Shuheng was moved once again by his roommates and made a mental note to buy them all gifts later, as thanks for their care during his most difficult moment.

Gu Shiying was deliberately walking alongside Liu Wenqing.

He could also see the dynamic between Liu Wenqing and Zhang Zhi. She treated Zhang Zhi as a friend, but Zhang Zhi was stubbornly persisting in his deep, unrequited love.

That coward.

Always telling him how to pursue someone, but in the end, he’d spent all this time just being friends, zero progress.

When they passed the campus supermarket, Fu Huan headed inside. Liu Wenqing followed suit. Gu Shiying, bound by his persona, naturally had to go in too. Zhang Zhi, seeing his crush and his best bro go in, followed inexplicably.

Finally, only Liang Qi and the other two were left standing there. They, too, tagged along.

It wasn’t until the blast of supermarket air conditioning hit him that Yang Shuheng asked Guan Yu, “Wait, why did we come in?”

Guan Yu: “No clue. I saw them come in, so I came in too.”

Gu Shiying certainly hadn’t come in because he needed anything. He didn’t have anything particular to buy. Spotting the freezer section, and still craving the red bean ice from earlier, he grabbed a red bean popsicle for himself and even asked if anyone else wanted one.

Zhang Zhi: “Nah, I’m good. Too full.”

Gu Shiying then asked Liu Wenqing, who had followed Fu Huan in. “How about you, beautiful?”

Liu Wenqing was briefly amused. “Thanks, but no, I won’t have one.”

Yang Shuheng and the others also declined. In the end, Gu Shiying just got one for himself.

Fu Huan had come in for cigarettes. He saw Gu Shiying’s smiling face aimed at Liu Wenqing, taking it all in. But when paying, he still threw Gu Shiying’s popsicle in with his own purchase.

Gu Shiying had his principles. “I’ll transfer the money.”

“Suit yourself.” Fu Huan instantly accepted the payment, his fingers tapping on his phone screen with soft, short clicks.

On the way back, the group of seven split off in different directions.

Fu Huan and Liang Qi wandered off and disappeared somewhere. Gu Shiying, Yang Shuheng, and Guan Yu headed straight back to the dorm. Zhang Zhi made an excuse to walk Liu Wenqing back to the girls’ dormitory.

Back at the dorm, exhausted from the day, everyone went about their business: showering, spacing out, or scrolling on their phones.

After his shower, Gu Shiying started feeling drowsy. Lying in bed playing on his phone, he fell asleep.

At one in the morning, Gu Shiying was jolted awake by a wrenching pain in his abdomen.

He didn’t even have his eyes fully open when he fumbled for his phone’s dim screen light and hurried out of bed to the bathroom.

After one trip, not even half an hour passed. Just as he was drifting off again, his stomach started acting up once more. This repeated over and over. He went countless times, to the point of near collapse.

He barely slept the latter half of the night. Not only was he running to the bathroom constantly, he also threw up twice.

He poured himself some water, but it was cold. The moment he drank it, the nausea surged again, sending him back to the toilet to vomit twice more.

Three a.m. He needed to go again. This time, he forgot his phone. His foot missed the step coming down from the bed. He nearly fell, only catching himself on Fu Huan’s desk. He was okay, but he knocked over Fu Huan’s desk lamp. He couldn’t even steady it in time; it made a clatter.

When Gu Shiying emerged from the bathroom yet again, Fu Huan was climbing down from his bed.

Fu Huan kept his voice low. “What’s wrong with you? I’ve been hearing you go to the bathroom constantly.”

Gu Shiying slumped weakly into his chair. “Diarrhea. Probably ate something bad tonight.”

Fu Huan: “Mixing cold, hot, spicy, and icy food all together. You’re really something.”

Gu Shiying knew Fu Huan was being sarcastic, but he still had to offer a defense. “I’ve eaten like that before and been fine.”

Fu Huan turned on his desk lamp to its dimmest setting and bent down to put on his shoes.

“You’ve been eating bland food while sick. Suddenly eating something this heavy, of course, it wouldn’t agree with you. Probably acute gastroenteritis.” He pulled a set of keys from his drawer. “Get changed. I’m taking you to the hospital.”

Gu Shiying was in his pajamas. “What?”

Fu Huan: “To the hospital. You want to literally shit yourself to death in the dorm?”

“No…” Gu Shiying replied weakly. He really did feel like he was about to pass out from dehydration.

Seeing how dazed Gu Shiying was as they left, Fu Huan even went back to his bed to grab his forgotten phone and jacket.

Fu Huan’s dark eyes were grim. “Can you still walk?”

“I can.” Gu Shiying felt himself getting even weaker.

Fu Huan wasn’t one for delivering lectures. He simply and efficiently got Gu Shiying to the nearest hospital. Gu Shiying completely lacked the energy to speak. He didn’t even ask why the car they took this time was different from last time.

They went straight to the emergency department. The nighttime ER was surprisingly crowded; there weren’t even any seats left.

While standing in line, Fu Huan scanned a wheelchair for him.

Fu Huan: “Sit here.”

Gu Shiying’s lips were pale, but he still argued stubbornly, “Is it really that serious…? I can actually still sta…nd.”

“Does your stomach still hurt?” Fu Huan pressed him down into the chair with considerable force, more than the current Gu Shiying could resist.

Gu Shiying obediently sat. “It hurts.”

Fu Huan: “Then sit.”

“Fine.” Gu Shiying didn’t dare make a peep. Fu Huan right now was somewhat forceful, but he knew it was for his own good.

He truly felt awful, too miserable to even speak. His body was so weak, the chair offered no support. He wanted something to lean against, but spots against the wall were either occupied by people or hospital equipment.

“Lean on me.” Fu Huan stood behind him, pressing Gu Shiying against himself, letting him lean his weight on his abdomen.

Gu Shiying ended up with his temple resting sideways against Fu Huan’s lower abdomen. It felt strange, but he didn’t have the energy to move. Every part of him was steeped in misery.

After a moment, Gu Shiying, trying to distract himself, mumbled, “Your abs are pretty hard.”

Fu Huan: “…”

A nurse came over calling their number and handed a thermometer to Gu Shiying.

“Take your temperature first. When your number’s called, give the thermometer to the doctor.”

“Okay.”

Gu Shiying could only tuck the thermometer under his arm. He felt his own forehead; he didn’t know if he had a fever or not.

The PA system finally called his number.

He had a low fever, diarrhea, and vomiting. The diagnosis: acute gastroenteritis.

The doctor ordered an IV drip and arranged a temporary bed for him.

Gu Shiying lay on the bed, the IV drip started. Fu Huan ran around doing everything for him, even getting a paper cup and pouring him some hot water.

Probably due to the physical exhaustion from diarrhea and the slight fever, Gu Shiying fell asleep while the IV was still running.

When he woke up again, daylight was streaming through the hospital windows. He still had the IV port needle taped to the back of his hand, but the drip was finished.

Gu Shiying: “Was I out for long?”

Fu Huan: “Not too long. Just three hours.”

Gu Shiying: “I should be fine now, right? Stomach doesn’t hurt. Probably no fever anymore.”

Fu Huan reached out and felt his forehead. “Indeed.”

Gu Shiying: “Don’t…” touch.

It was too late.

【Gu Shiying doesn’t know… my Second Brother is even harder than my abs.】

Gu Shiying: ???

What on earth?

It took him a full two seconds to process it. Fu Huan, that utter sex fiend!

He’d casually mentioned the thing about Fu Huan’s abs being hard at four in the morning.

He deeply regretted running his mouth. If he ever opened it unnecessarily again, he’d ask the doctor to sew his mouth shut.

What on earth went through Fu Huan’s mind? This thought couldn’t have just appeared now. How could he let such a thought persist in his brain for so long?

Starting tomorrow, he wouldn’t just wear his jacket. He’d be wearing a hat, gloves—the whole ensemble.

Fu Huan saw Gu Shiying staring at him blankly and waved a hand in front of his face, leaning forward a bit. “Still not awake?”

Gu Shiying’s gaze inadvertently flicked down past Fu Huan’s abdomen. He instinctively pressed his back tighter against the headboard, wanting to use sheer force to embed himself into the wall.

He’s terrifying!