The Hidden Secret and the Heart’s Warning

The familiar fragrance encroached upon his senses as Chu Ci slowly blinked.

Ji Yanli was too close—so close that if Chu Ci simply lifted his head a fraction, their lips would easily touch.

Chu Ci’s eyes flickered. He swallowed hard before forcing a stiff smile: “I… I like you, of course. In my eyes, you’re definitely… definitely the best.”

He stuttered out the sentence, his breath mingling with Ji Yanli’s. His heart was in such disarray that he couldn’t even summon the “Deep Affection Buff.”

Ji Yanli’s dark pupils reflected Chu Ci’s frantic state. He didn’t speak, merely scanning Chu Ci from head to toe before tilting his head curiously: “If you like me so much, why was the love letter you gave me completely blank?”

The moment those words left his lips, a chill raced up Chu Ci’s spine. He stared at Ji Yanli, eyes wide with disbelief.

‘He really did see it!!!!’

‘Ji Yanli!! You big fat liar!! How dare you act like you didn’t know!’

‘If I ever believe a word out of his mouth again, I’m a dog!!’

He took a sharp breath, his chest heaving. His hands, resting on his lap, gripped his hem so tightly his knuckles turned white as he rubbed the fabric agitatedly.

‘Wait, did he discover something else…’

Ji Yanli lowered his lashes, listening to the persistent internal voice. The youth before him seemed genuinely fuming; a light flush rimmed his eyes, and his lips shimmered with a watery sheen.

“I…” After a long silence, Chu Ci finally spoke, “I just couldn’t find the words.”

He pouted slightly, his brows knitting together in a display of feigned difficulty. He continued in a pleading, almost coquettish tone: “But don’t I confess to you all the time anyway?”

“Or is it that you haven’t heard it enough? Do you want me to write it down and read it to you?”

“I can start right now.”

With that, Chu Ci cleared his throat theatrically.

“It was a warm, sunlit afternoon when you appeared in my sight wearing a white shirt. In that moment, I—”

The clear, youthful voice cut off abruptly. Ji Yanli extended a finger, pressing his soft fingertip against Chu Ci’s lips to stifle the remaining words.

“Enough.” He rubbed his temples, looking slightly pained. “I get it. You don’t need to say more.”

Chu Ci curled his lip and batted Ji Yanli’s hand away: “Weren’t you the one who wanted to hear it?”

Ji Yanli stared at him, his gaze burning and dark, as if he wanted to pull Chu Ci into his very soul: “Save those words for when we’re back home.”

“…I don’t like others hearing them.”

Chu Ci blinked, turning to look at the driver in the front seat.

‘Tch.’

‘Stop acting.’

‘I bet you’re loving this.’

He shook his head, too lazy to keep up the performance. Ending the meaningless banter, Chu Ci leaned his head back against the soft headrest. Watching the clouds retreat outside the window, he gradually felt his eyelids grow heavy.

When he woke up again, the car had stopped at the hospital entrance. Ji Yanli was about to wake him, but Chu Ci opened his eyes of his own accord. Ignoring the youth, he unbuckled his seatbelt and scrambled out of the car.

Ji Yanli pursed his lips, withdrawing his hand awkwardly and following him. It took nearly ten minutes of “cat and mouse” before he successfully caught the disobedient kitten.

“Don’t run around.”

He dropped the four words simply, grabbing Chu Ci by the collar to lead him into the inpatient building on the left.

Even at this hour, the lobby was crowded. Chu Ci kept his head down, trailing sluggishly behind Ji Yanli.

He was still convinced Ji Yanli knew something.

Previously, when he used the buff to confess, Ji Yanli would get shy and tell him to stop. Now, he didn’t seem to care at all.

What exactly had he figured out?

Chu Ci racked his brain but couldn’t find an answer. He felt his acting was top-notch; he shouldn’t have left any obvious clues.

Deep in thought, his mind wandered to the clouds. His footsteps became uneven, light and airy, as if he might trip at any moment.

Suddenly, the sound of rolling wheels echoed through the hall, accompanied by shouts of “Move aside! Emergency!” The crowd parted instinctively. Several doctors and nurses in white coats rushed forward, pushing an emergency gurney that nearly collided with the swaying Chu Ci.

“Watch out!” Ji Yanli’s pupils contracted. He reacted instantly, grabbing Chu Ci and yanking him behind his back. As the gurney sped past them, Chu Ci’s breath hitched. His heart began to pound at a terrifying frequency, vibrating in sync with the floor.

Close.

He was almost hit.

Cold sweat rolled down Chu Ci’s temple. He clutched his chest, trying to catch his breath. The sudden spike in heart rate caused a dull, throbbing pain in his chest. Gritting his teeth, he couldn’t help but hiss in pain.

His hands and feet turned icy in an instant. Sensing the change, Ji Yanli whipped around. Seeing Chu Ci’s pale face and sweat-beaded forehead, panic filled his eyes.

Chu Ci massaged his chest desperately. It felt as though a dull blade was being dragged across his heart. The dull ache sharpened into a piercing pain that radiated through his ribs. He felt as if he couldn’t get enough air.

Normally, when he was startled or emotional, his heart would beat heavy and hard, hurting like hell.

His breathing hitched uncontrollably. He gripped Ji Yanli’s hand like a drowning man clutching a lifeline, struggling to squeeze out the words: “It hurts… Ji Yanli, my… my heart hurts…”

“Your heart?” Ji Yanli’s brow furrowed deeply. He hurried to support Chu Ci, guiding him to a nearby chair. “Wait for me. I’ll get a doctor.”

Ji Yanli bolted toward the emergency room.

Chu Ci sat hunched over, his upper body almost flat against his thighs. Sweat soaked through his shirt. The pain in his chest showed no sign of receding; he bit his lip so hard his teeth ached.

A few minutes later, Ji Yanli returned with a doctor and two nurses. After a quick check of his vitals, Chu Ci was rushed into the emergency room.

As he was laid onto the bed, the world began to spin. In a matter of minutes, he had gone from a visitor to a patient.

The heart monitor beeped rhythmically. The doctor by the bed stared at the irregular waveform on the screen, his frown deepening.

Ji Yanli held one of Chu Ci’s hands while using the other to wipe the sweat from the boy’s forehead. His own face was grim, yet he continued to whisper comfortingly: “Don’t be afraid. You’ll be fine. I’m right here.”

Chu Ci’s vision flickered to black. Before his eyes closed completely, the last thing he heard was: “If you’re tired, just rest.”

“I’ll stay with you the whole time.”

Chu Ci felt as though he had been dreaming for a very long time.

His eyelids fluttered before he slowly opened them, scanning his surroundings in confusion.

The emergency room was quiet, save for the ticking of the monitor. Outside, the sky had turned pitch black. The white fluorescent lights illuminated the room, and Chu Ci’s reflection was visible in the glass window.

He shifted his gaze downward, eventually stopping on Ji Yanli.

The youth was slumped by the bed, his head buried in his arms, his back rising and falling gently. He seemed fast asleep. It was impossible to tell how long he had been there. His usually sleek black hair was messy, with a few stubborn strands sticking up.

Chu Ci blinked and carefully propped himself up. The pain in his chest had subsided significantly, leaving only a dull, lingering discomfort. With his left hand hooked up to an IV, he used his right hand to reach out and poke the tufts of hair on Ji Yanli’s head.

The strands swayed under his touch. Chu Ci looked down at Ji Yanli’s sleeping profile and couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle.

Perhaps he was too loud, as Ji Yanli frowned and snapped awake.

He lifted his head, rubbing his eyes blearily. A red pressure mark lingered on his pale cheek. His expression was dazed and vulnerable—a stark contrast to his usual self.

Though they lived together and had shared a bed a few times, Ji Yanli always woke up earlier. Chu Ci had never seen him like this.

‘This look… is actually kind of cute.’

‘At least he’s not as annoying as usual.’

As if afraid Ji Yanli would notice something, Chu Ci quickly hid his hand behind his back: “Uh… how long was I out?”

Ji Yanli stifled a yawn and glanced at the clock on the wall: “Four hours.”

“Four hours?!” Chu Ci’s eyes widened. “We came here to see Lin Yu. How did I end up being the one in the hospital bed?!”

Seeing his distress, Ji Yanli patted his shoulder: “It’s fine. I already went to see Lin Yu and told him about you.”

“Is he okay?” Chu Ci asked. “Like… he didn’t suddenly develop a terminal illness, or start bleeding for no reason, or have nightmares about being followed by ghosts…?”

Ji Yanli listened to the bizarre questions, tilted his head with a frown, and instinctively reached out to feel Chu Ci’s forehead.

Chu Ci went silent.

‘What does he mean by that?’

‘Does he think I’ve lost my mind?!!’

Chu Ci batted his hand away: “Ji Yanli, I’m not joking.”

The look in Ji Yanli’s eyes softened: “I know.”

“Lin Yu is fine. Nothing happened. He’s being discharged tomorrow, so don’t worry.”

Chu Ci bit his lip, staring at Ji Yanli for a few seconds to ensure he wasn’t lying before finally relaxing.

“That’s good then.”

It seemed changing the plot didn’t have massive repercussions.

Or perhaps it was because Ji Yanli was the protagonist. Since the story revolved around him, anything he did was considered “reasonable” by the world’s logic.

Knowing Lin Yu was safe cleared a major weight from Chu Ci’s mind. He felt like a deflated balloon, leaning back limply against the pillows.

Chu Ci looked up at the IV bag hanging from the stand. The clear liquid dripped steadily into the tube, flowing into his body to mix with his blood.

“Ji Yanli.”

Chu Ci remembered something and spoke up again.

“What exactly is wrong with me?”

The sudden question clearly caught Ji Yanli off guard.

The youth’s lips parted slightly, and for once, he forgot to answer.

Seeing his silence, Chu Ci turned his head to look him in the face.

He had rarely seen Ji Yanli look like this.

Concerned, guilty, and regretful.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, Chu Ci spotted a thin medical report on the nightstand.

His gaze sharpened. He reached out to grab it, but Ji Yanli was faster. He snatched the paper first, nimbly dodging Chu Ci’s reach.

Chu Ci frowned.

“Let me see it.”

His heart hammered against his ribs, making his breathing labored. He reached out to snatch it again, but he was no match for the unrestricted Ji Yanli.

“Why won’t you let me see?”

He was getting angry now, his eyes rimmed with red as if he’d suffered a great injustice. Ji Yanli couldn’t stand seeing him like that. He stopped dodging and asked tentatively: “Do you really want to see it?”

Ji Yanli’s voice wavered at the end.

Chu Ci nodded.

The youth by the bed hesitated for a moment, a flash of heartache in his eyes. Ultimately, he decided to let Chu Ci know the truth about his condition.

The thin medical report landed in Chu Ci’s hands.

Amidst the black ink on white paper, only six words caught his attention.

—Congenital Heart Disease.