The Secret in the Infirmary

“Hiss…”

A sharp, dull pain radiated from his forehead. Chu Ci frowned and groggily opened his eyes.

The sky outside the window was dark, and the rain seemed much heavier than before. The streetlamps standing by the window cast a pale light, illuminating the fine threads of rain clearly.

Chu Ci retracted his gaze and raised a hand to touch his head. After his fingertips brushed against a patch of rough gauze, he froze for a moment.

Then, Chu Ci used one hand to prop himself up. The lingering, thick smell of disinfectant wafted around his nose. His gaze moved from the white ceiling to the light blue bed curtains nearby; without thinking, he knew he was in the school infirmary.

The last time he had been here was because of heart discomfort.

Chu Ci leaned against the headboard and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as his mind began to recall the events before he lost consciousness.

“Host!!”

Xiao Ba’s voice exploded in Chu Ci’s ear without warning, directly cutting off his thoughts. Chu Ci lifted his eyelids, but before he could see clearly, a black blur rushed straight at him and unceremoniously slammed into his head.

The wound was jostled again, and the pain shot from the top of his head throughout his entire body. Chu Ci felt his spine go numb, and an uncontrollable groan escaped his throat.

In the eyes of others, the system was something without physical form, but as the host bound to it, he could not only feel the system’s weight but also the physical impact when the system attacked him.

“Host!!!”

Xiao Ba’s fluffy body rubbed against the tip of Chu Ci’s nose. The tiny fur tickled his nostrils, making Chu Ci feel like he was about to explode from the itchiness.

“You’re finally awake! Xiao Ba thought something happened to you! Although I monitored that your heart rate was normal, if you accidentally died in your sleep, my mission would have been for nothing!!”

Xiao Ba spoke tearfully, though it was unclear if it was worried about Chu Ci’s life or more worried about losing its job. Its eyes instantly turned into two diagonal white arrows.

Chu Ci reached out to push it off his face, but the moment he opened his mouth, it was filled with fur from Xiao Ba’s body. He spit out the fur while uncontrollably sneezing.

“Get… get away—Achoo!!”

Suddenly, with a sharp swish, the closed bed curtains were yanked open from the outside, followed by a flurry of hurried footsteps.

The sound approached quickly and clearly. Xiao Ba, who had been stuck to Chu Ci’s face like a noisy bandage, vanished without a trace, and the itchiness on his face disappeared with it.

Xiao Ba’s disappearance was fast and strange. Chu Ci tilted his head in confusion. Just as he was about to open his eyes to see who the newcomer was, his other hand resting on his lap was suddenly gripped tightly. A steady stream of warmth was transmitted over, scaring Chu Ci into a subconscious shiver.

He quickly opened his eyes and happened to meet the gaze of the person looking down at him.

It was Ji Yanli.

The youth’s pupils appeared deeper in the shadows, yet they couldn’t hide the concern reflecting in his gaze. His brow was slightly furrowed, his thick, crow-feather eyelashes fluttered twice, and the naturally drooping corners of his eyes made him look exceptionally gentle.

Ji Yanli leaned over, instantly shortening the distance between him and Chu Ci. He looked Chu Ci up and down before his gaze finally settled on Chu Ci’s bandaged forehead.

“Student, how are you feeling?”

His voice was always warm, carrying an irresistible affinity. The palm holding Chu Ci’s hand felt like it contained a ball of fire, causing the heart beneath Chu Ci’s chest to start thumping wildly.

The original owner’s instinctive reaction was acting up again. When Chu Ci remembered why he had been injured and fainted, he felt a cold sweat break out on his back.

He stiffly curled his lips, reached out to forcibly pry Ji Yanli’s fingers away, and then shook his head.

“Are you really okay?”

Ji Yanli didn’t seem to believe him. He leaned even closer, and a faint fragrance drifted into Chu Ci’s nose.

“Does the wound still hurt? Are you dizzy? The teacher said that person hit you quite hard; there might be some aftereffects…”

While he was muttering to himself, he raised his hand to touch Chu Ci’s forehead. Chu Ci sensed his intention and instinctively dodged backward.

Ji Yanli’s hand was forced to hang in the air. He blinked his eyes helplessly and eventually withdrew his hand awkwardly.

Chu Ci continued to watch him guardedly. He was suppressing the original owner’s desire to be near Ji Yanli. Since this instinct could rush out to take a beating for Ji Yanli at such speed, Chu Ci couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t lose control and do something else under these circumstances.

“You… don’t have to be afraid.”

Ji Yanli seemed to notice the defensiveness in Chu Ci’s eyes.

“To be honest, I don’t quite understand why you suddenly rushed over to save me, but your injury was indeed caused because of me, so… thank you.”

He straightened up and clasped his hands in front of him, his slender fingers intertwining, the tips tinged with a faint pink.

Chu Ci kept his mouth shut and stared straight at him, giving no response.

Ji Yanli looked at the reflection in the other’s eyes. The atmosphere gradually became awkward. He raised a finger to lightly scratch his neck, attempting to break the tension: “Um, what is your name? You look a bit familiar.”

He spoke very quickly, as if afraid the youth on the bed would be repelled by him. After the last syllable vanished, Ji Yanli nervously pursed his lips.

Silence returned to the infirmary, leaving only the sound of rain outside being infinitely magnified.

The youth still didn’t speak, only watching him silently. Ji Yanli felt strange and even began to suspect if the aftereffects of being hit on the head had caused the other to lose his speech.

Then, following a muffled roll of thunder outside, Ji Yanli unexpectedly heard a sentence—

‘Who came to save you? Don’t be so full of yourself.’

The voice carried a hint of coldness. Ji Yanli’s pupils shrank, and he twisted his head to look left and right.

There was no one.

He had watched the infirmary teacher clock out and leave with his own eyes, so there was only him and this unfamiliar youth here.

But the other hadn’t opened his mouth at all.

He just stared at him in silence, though his gaze was gradually filled with a bit of resentment.

Ji Yanli swallowed.

The sentence he had just heard had barely ended when an even more intense voice followed.

‘Are you just going to stand there and play Red Light, Green Light? If you want to thank me, kneel down and kowtow twice to see if you’re sincere.’

The somewhat ethereal and cool tone echoed in his ears several times. Ji Yanli stared at the cold youth on the bed and stepped forward a few paces in disbelief.

“Student,” he spoke tentatively. “What did you say?”

Chu Ci knit his brows in confusion.

He hadn’t spoken.

With the Deep Affection Buff on him, Chu Ci didn’t dare to open his mouth randomly, fearing he would blurt out something that would make people uncomfortable.

‘Is this person crazy? If you have hallucinations, go to a hospital and get your brain checked.’

Ji Yanli took a breath. This time, he was completely certain—he really could hear things that others couldn’t.

The thunder outside made the scene even more eerie. A timely bolt of lightning struck from the sky, its dazzling white light illuminating both Ji Yanli’s and Chu Ci’s profiles.

Chu Ci raised his head, facing off against Ji Yanli. They remained at a standstill for a long time until his eyes began to feel sore and numb, and he couldn’t help rubbing them.

‘No, really, what exactly does Ji Yanli want to do!’

‘Is he playing a game of who blinks first loses? I don’t have time to play this with you!’

‘If you’re smart, you’ll hand over your clothes yourself so I can finish the mission… wait, why am I so wet?’

Chu Ci lowered his head in confusion, only then noticing that his school uniform had somehow become soaked in a large patch. The thin fabric clung to his body, and the damp sensation made him extremely uncomfortable.

It was probably from the restroom, and he had been caught in the rain when Ji Yanli brought him to the infirmary. Chu Ci thought this way, turned his head to look out the window, and let out a resentful sigh.

‘The rain is so heavy. How am I supposed to get back? The original owner’s home is quite far away…’

Hearing this, Ji Yanli followed Chu Ci’s gaze out the window. Then, Chu Ci heard Ji Yanli say: “The rain is too heavy outside, and your clothes are wet. You’ll catch a cold if you wear them. Why don’t you stay at school today?”

Chu Ci turned back and met Ji Yanli’s gaze again. He frowned, his expression looking troubled: “But I don’t live on campus.”

The original owner’s family background wasn’t good, and the dormitory fees at this school were very high. No matter how far the home was, the original owner could only wake up early every day to commute.

In other words, he had no dorm to stay in.

“So you can speak,” Ji Yanli suddenly interrupted.

Chu Ci twitched the corner of his mouth.

‘Is that the point, please?’ ‘If I can’t speak, does that mean I’m a mute?!’

The fluctuating and dramatic tone perfectly portrayed the owner’s impatience.

Ji Yanli blinked, staring with wide eyes as the silent Chu Ci’s thin lips moved slightly. When Chu Ci looked up at him again, his dark pupils flickered.

“Because your voice is like a clear spring in the mountains, I’m afraid I’ll… drown in it.”

Chu Ci gritted his teeth, suppressing a wave of goosebumps.

‘Brother, I swear, I’m really going to puke.’

‘Believe it or not, I’ll pour 200-degree boiling water down your throat.’

Ji Yanli’s expression turned from dazed to shocked.

“I-is that so.”

His mouth twitched a couple of times, and he silently took two steps back as if Chu Ci were already holding a 200-degree kettle.

Ji Yanli: “But you can stay at my place. Although I’m a commuter, the teacher still left an empty room for me as a backup.”

Ji Yanli’s family was wealthy, and his father even owned shares in this school. Many facilities had been prepared with his father’s help.

Additionally, because Ji Yanli had good grades and was well-bred, everyone from the principal down to the teachers liked him immensely.

Of course, this didn’t exclude his inherent heartthrob attribute.

Thinking about the broken rental house he lived in, Chu Ci’s fists tightened.

D*mn upper-class people.

He closed his eyes again and eventually agreed to Ji Yanli’s suggestion in humiliation.

Chu Ci put on his clothes and flipped out of bed.

At that moment, perhaps because he had slept too long or because his brain really had been damaged, the moment his feet touched the ground, Chu Ci felt the strength drain from his body. His legs went soft, and he began to sink toward the floor.

Just as his knees were about to make intimate contact with the ground, Ji Yanli, standing beside him, acted quickly and caught Chu Ci’s arm.

The other’s warm body pressed close, his skin feeling it through the damp fabric. Ji Yanli’s scent instantly enveloped Chu Ci completely. Chu Ci’s eyes widened, and the blood throughout his body seemed to flow at extreme speed.

Ji Yanli’s head leaned close to his ear, and a gentle, magnetic voice entered Chu Ci’s ear.

“You can’t even stand steadily, yet you wanted me to kowtow to you.”

He let out a light chuckle.

“Do you want me to carry you?”