Her deskmate looked at Hua Yan with a peculiar expression and asked surreptitiously, “What… happened yesterday?”
Hua Yan, who had been yawning and pulling out her textbook, immediately felt her face heat up. “Nothing, nothing at all.”
Her deskmate sighed, “I thought I’d have to worry about you, but I didn’t expect…”
Hua Yan had a bad premonition and quickly asked, “Didn’t expect what?”
Hua Yan found out soon enough.
Lu Chengsha—took a sick leave!
“It seems like it’s his first time taking leave, because usually he gives a speech during the Monday morning flag-raising ceremony. The news is spreading wildly over at Tingjian, it’s so exaggerated… So, what really happened? I’m so curious!”
Hua Yan, who had been feeling embarrassed, now felt completely bewildered.
Oh right, it rained last night, he got drenched, and even lent her his coat. Later, they lingered in the pavilion for quite a while. It’s not surprising he got sick, but…
Her heart suddenly clenched, and she pulled out her phone.
**A Little Flower:** Are you… sick?
Lu Chengsha didn’t reply to her until school ended in the afternoon.
Carrying the coat she had dry-cleaned, Hua Yan nervously slipped in with the residents, recalling the floor and location of his apartment. She went up level by level, finally reaching the door, and pressed the doorbell nervously.
The waiting felt exceptionally long, and she almost wanted to run away.
Her mind was already in a mess, she hadn’t sorted out her feelings, and had planned to see him in a few days. But now she was worried. In this nearly contradictory state of mind, the door opened.
Her face instantly turned red again. Without looking at who opened the door, she raised the coat in front of her and said, “I’m here to return the coat!”
After a moment, she heard Lu Chengsha’s voice say, “Oh.”
It was somewhat slow and… unusually lazy.
“…Are you sick?”
Lu Chengsha hesitated and said, “…Probably.”
Only then did Hua Yan look up at him.
The boy in front of her was wearing a loose black T-shirt. His usual cold and hard demeanor was gone, his cheeks and forehead were unnaturally red, his lips were pale, and he looked fatigued. This lent him an odd sense of dazedness. He took the coat, lowered his eyes, and seemed at a loss for words.
Hua Yan couldn’t help but ask, “Do you have a fever? Have you taken any medicine? Did you have lunch?”
Lu Chengsha looked up at her again.
“No big deal,” he said weakly. “I’ll be fine after some sleep.”
Hua Yan immediately understood, “So you haven’t eaten anything…” At that moment, her concern overpowered her shyness. “Don’t move, I…” Before she could finish her sentence, she noticed Lu Chengsha swaying.
Hua Yan quickly reached out to support him and found that he was burning up.
A mix of guilt and heartache filled her. “If you hadn’t lent me your coat, you wouldn’t have…”
“It’s not that…”
Lu Chengsha struggled to stand upright, but his head was still spinning. He couldn’t possibly tell her that he had spaced out and stood outside for an extra half hour yesterday, didn’t sleep all night, and couldn’t get up in the morning.
He leaned against the door frame and coughed. “You should go back.”
There was no way Hua Yan would leave now!
She quickly stood on her tiptoes and touched Lu Chengsha’s forehead, exclaiming angrily, “Your forehead is so hot you could fry an egg on it.” She grabbed him. “We’re going to the hospital now!”
“No need,” Lu Chengsha insisted stubbornly.
They stood there in a stalemate.
Unfortunately, Lu Chengsha’s eyelids soon drooped, and his mind became foggy. He had forced himself up just to open the door for her, and now he had no strength left.
Seeing this, Hua Yan, without thinking, yanked Lu Chengsha hard. He lost his balance and nearly fell on top of her. Luckily, he managed to brace himself against the door frame in time, though the coat he was holding fell to the floor.
“Why are you so stubborn!” Hua Yan shouted angrily, her face red. “Fine, we won’t go to the hospital, but someone needs to take care of you.”
Lu Chengsha indeed had no energy left to argue.
So, he watched helplessly as the girl he had kissed early that morning stormed into his home, pushed him onto the sofa, and then asked him, “Do you have a thermometer? Fever medicine? You must have some cold medicine at least!”
Lu Chengsha genuinely couldn’t remember; it had been so long since he last got sick.
Hua Yan didn’t want to rummage through his things, so she called someone to deliver the medicine. In the meantime, she went to the bathroom, soaked a towel, and placed it on his forehead. She had intended to help him to his bedroom, but he seemed too weak to move, so she brought a large pile of blankets and wrapped him up on the sofa.
During all this, her heart was beating rapidly.
Especially when she entered Lu Chengsha’s bedroom earlier, seeing his deep blue bedding in disarray, and the pillow showing signs of recent use—it was clear he had just gotten out of bed. The moment she picked up Lu Chengsha’s blanket, her face started to redden.
Lu Chengsha soon couldn’t hold on any longer and fell back into a deep sleep. When he woke up, he had no idea what time it was.
On the table beside the sofa were a glass of water and fever and cold medicine, with two pills missing. His head felt clearer, and as he struggled to sit up, the towel on his forehead slipped off. He then saw Hua Yan on the other side of the sofa, her head resting on her arms, appearing to have fallen asleep too.
Lu Chengsha froze.
Her sleeping profile was peaceful, and Lu Chengsha suddenly felt a calmness wash over him, as if he were still floating in a cloud. Then, he remembered the sensation by the corner of her mouth and his body tensed up.
“You’re awake?” Hua Yan rubbed her eyes, with a faint red mark from sleep still on her cheek. “…How do you feel? Do you have the strength to eat some porridge? I bought some, but it might need reheating now.” She wasn’t experienced in taking care of others, so she had looked up what to do on the spot.
Lu Chengsha dazedly nodded.
She quickly came over and touched his forehead. “Ah… the fever really seems to have gone down.” She then slipped into his kitchen, and before long, a bowl of steaming porridge appeared in front of him. Pointing to the glass of water beside it, she said, “You can rinse your mouth with this first.”
Pleased with her attentiveness, Hua Yan noticed Lu Chengsha staring at her.
“…What is it?”
Lu Chengsha didn’t know what was wrong with him. From the moment he kissed her early that morning to now, he felt off. No, even earlier, from the first time she called out to him in front of the tree-lined path at the school gate, he had started feeling off, developing uncontrollable thoughts.
There was no logic to it.
For instance, he suddenly had a strong urge to pull her into his arms.
This thought came as quickly and strongly as the impulse he had when he leaned down to kiss her.
But Lu Chengsha had no strength left. He silently began eating the porridge. After a while, he suddenly asked, “Have you had dinner?”
Hua Yan let out a small “ah,” realizing she had forgotten about herself while preparing for him.
So Lu Chengsha put down his spoon.
Hua Yan quickly said, “No need to save any for me, I’ll just go out to eat later.”
Lu Chengsha didn’t respond, but he was surprised at the slight unhappiness he felt at the thought of her leaving.
After finishing the porridge and regaining some strength, Lu Chengsha stood up and said, “There are noodles in the kitchen.”
“Huh?”
“I can cook.”
Hua Yan was shocked, “…You can cook?”
“It’s just cooking noodles.”
With that, he went into the kitchen. Hua Yan peeked in from the doorway, watching as Lu Chengsha skillfully lit the stove, boiled water, and added the noodles. He even cracked an egg into the pot and, just before taking it off the heat, sprinkled some pepper and salt, then drizzled soy sauce and added chopped green onions.
When he brought it out, it looked incredibly appetizing.
Hua Yan stared at him in amazement.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Lu Chengsha turned his face away, checked his phone, and then opened his workbook to start working on some problems.
Hua Yan, eating her noodles, thought, “…He’s too diligent!”
She couldn’t tell if it was because of Lu Chengsha’s cooking skills or her hunger, but the noodles tasted exceptionally delicious.
Hua Yan quickly finished the entire bowl, not even leaving any broth.
Then, after some thought, she pulled out her own workbook and began working on the assignments the teacher had handed out that afternoon.
After all, she had already taken the evening off.
Whenever she got stuck on a problem, Lu Chengsha would look up and ask, “Where are you having trouble?”
With his fever gone and strength returned, his mind seemed sharp again. He explained the problems more thoroughly and meticulously than before.
Usually, Hua Yan would occasionally mess around during evening self-study, but this time she earnestly finished two entire workbooks and even completed the leftover homework assignments. It was both painful and gratifying, knowing she could go to bed early that night.
She packed up her things and reminded Lu Chengsha to take another pill that night. Just as she was about to leave, she heard him say, “I’ll walk you out.”
“…No need, it’s just a few steps.”
But Lu Chengsha insisted.
He changed his clothes and accompanied her downstairs. By then, the sky was already dark. Out of the corner of her eye, Hua Yan saw the pavilion in the distance, shrouded in the night. Remembering what had happened there, her cheeks inevitably flushed a bit.
She glanced at Lu Chengsha, only to find him also looking thoughtfully at the pavilion.
Her face turned even redder.
Lu Chengsha seemed to notice her gaze and turned to look at her. Hua Yan then saw that his face was also a bit red, but his deep black eyes were filled with an intense and indescribable emotion.
The atmosphere seemed to return to that early morning moment.
Lu Chengsha suddenly said, “…I’m sorry.”
“Hmm?”
“This morning…”
Hua Yan looked down at her shoes, taking advantage of the darkness to speak more freely, her face turning even redder. “There’s nothing to apologize for. Actually, I… didn’t mind… and…”
She had also tugged at Lu Chengsha’s collar…
As she stammered, she suddenly felt Lu Chengsha lean down again and quickly kiss her cheek.
Her eyes widened in surprise.
Lu Chengsha’s face turned just as red as hers, even his earlobes were flushed. He continued, “…Sorry, I… couldn’t help it.”
At that moment, Hua Yan didn’t know what she was thinking anymore. Her head was hot, and all her rationality, shyness, and concerns flew out the window. She grabbed his collar again, stood on her tiptoes, and quickly kissed him on the lips, faster than he had kissed her.
“There, we’re even now.”
After saying that, she left a stunned Lu Chengsha behind and dashed back to her house at lightning speed.
It was exhilarating.
***
Some time later.
“You two must be together by now!” Her deskmate stared in shock at Lu Chengsha, who had crossed half the campus, snuck into Zhengyi High School, and was waiting outside their classroom.
He wore a black down jacket, his tall frame leaning casually against the corridor wall, holding a book. The first half of the title was obscured by his long fingers, leaving only the large characters “Collected Essays” visible. The breeze gently lifted the fringe of his hair.
Ignoring his presence, he looked like a literary youth straight out of a poster.
Hua Yan paused and thought for a moment, “I don’t know if we count as together, but… oh well, it doesn’t matter!”
She happily packed her backpack, ready to go eat with Lu Chengsha.
Winter had arrived.
Most of the students had switched to their winter uniforms, and the row of sycamore trees outside the school corridor was left with only bare branches, looking desolate and bleak. However, Hua Yan’s mood was the complete opposite.
“How’s your lyrical essay coming along?”
Lu Chengsha put away his book and handed her his latest Chinese test paper.
Below was a large red comment from their Chinese teacher, written with a mix of frustration and tears—”I suggest this student avoid writing lyrical essays in the future. Try argumentative or expository essays instead.”
Hua Yan burst into laughter.
Lu Chengsha’s expression was a mix of calmness and helplessness.
“It’s okay, keep at it,” Hua Yan said, still laughing.
Lu Chengsha retrieved the test paper, his expression even more composed as he said, “For the finals, can you get into the top fifty?”
Hua Yan’s smile froze, “…”
Lu Chengsha continued, “It’s not hard, you can do it.”
“Actually, I…” She smoothed her long hair, trying to explain, “My grades are okay now, I’m not aiming for Qinghua or Beida, so there’s no need to…”
Before she could finish the word “strive,” Lu Chengsha suddenly stopped walking and turned to look at her.
“Why?”
Puzzled, she asked, “Why what?”
His expression was unusually serious, “Why not aim for them?”
Hua Yan stammered, “…??? It’s not like I can get in just because I want to!”
Lu Chengsha replied, “If you try, you can.”
Are you some kind of motivational speaker?
Hua Yan had to tell him, “I can’t! I really don’t plan to, it’s too difficult!”
For some reason, Lu Chengsha lowered his eyes and, after a moment, said, “Then we will be separated.”
Ah…
Hua Yan hadn’t thought that far ahead. She froze for a moment, then pondered Lu Chengsha’s words, and suddenly understood his meaning. Her heart softened instantly, and so did her temper. “But it’s really very…”
“It’s okay. With me, you can do it.” Lu Chengsha’s gaze was steady as he looked at her.
Why are you so determined, damn it!
Hua Yan could only sigh deeply and say, “Alright, alright, I’ll try my best.”
Lu Chengsha’s lips curved into a slight smile. “Okay.”
The winter sun shone along the corridor windowsill, and Hua Yan raised her hand to shield her eyes from the blinding light. Lu Chengsha subtly stepped forward to block the light for her.
They had a long future ahead of them, so there was no rush now.
Campus Extra End