"Heng Ge…you’re impressive!"
Heng Ge’s lips curled slightly. "Your turn."
There was only one student left in line, so Ji Mian quickly turned back to order from the cafeteria auntie.
Since they didn’t have classes that afternoon, after lunch, Ji Mian asked, "Are you heading back after this, Heng Ge?"
Heng Ge thought for a moment, then asked, "Are you going back to the dorm?"
"Probably not. I’m thinking of heading to the court to play for a bit. I won’t be going out tonight, it’s been cold lately, and I just want to stay under the covers."
The weather in March was unpredictable. Just a few days ago, a hoodie was enough; now, with the sudden cold, he’d put on a jacket again.
"I’ll join you."
"Huh? You know how to play basketball, Heng Ge?"
"I don’t."
Ji Mian was taken aback. "Then…you’ll just watch from the sidelines?"
"Yeah, I’ll just watch."
Ji Mian mumbled a couple of things to himself, finding Heng Ge’s ways of passing the time a bit peculiar.
“Shall we go?”
Xie Heng looked deeply at him. Last time, Song Yu couldn’t play either, but Ji Mian had eagerly offered to teach him, and he’d gone all out.
“Yeah.”
【Affection Level +100, Contributor: Xie Heng.】
Ji Mian paused momentarily as he carried his tray, then casually got up to return the dishes.
Xie Heng’s affection level really was odd.
—
After lunch, the basketball court was crowded.
Ji Mian quickly spotted some familiar faces and was about to head over.
“Heng-ge, there are seats over there.”
Xie Heng followed Ji Mian's gesture but didn’t sit down.
Perhaps it was due to the daytime, but there were more people on the court than Xie Heng had seen before.
He silently observed the students circling around the basketball.
Most boys seemed to have an interest in basketball; Xie Heng was part of that small group that didn’t get it. Just like Ji Mian didn’t understand why people liked long-distance running, Xie Heng found it hard to comprehend why so many enjoyed playing basketball.
He leaned against the outer fence of the court, watching the most dazzling player inside.
Ji Mian had impressive skills—blocking, pivoting, and deftly weaving past the center to pass the ball to an unguarded teammate. His movements were smooth and fluid.
The soft, short hair danced in the sunlight, the hint of brown in his black locks particularly noticeable at this moment.
Xie Heng found himself unable to look away. The familiar racing heart he felt when kissing Ji Mian’s hair surged again.
This time, without the noisy chatter of students in the classroom, the sound of his pounding heart was distinctly clear in his chest.
“Ah, so cool!”
“He’s really handsome! Is he our junior? I’ve heard my roommate mention him several times.”
Behind Xie Heng, two girls outside the fence commented.
“Yeah, I think his name is Lu Zhou?”
“Nice name! I wonder if he has a girlfriend, cough cough…”
“Definitely has one. A guy like him wouldn’t lack admirers, he probably started dating in high school. Sigh…”
Only then did Xie Heng shift his gaze from Ji Mian and glance at the two girls, then scanned the crowd around him.
The onlookers, both male and female, were all drawn to Ji Mian in the center of the court.
The girls were right; he never lacked admirers.
Whether from his own department or others, Xie Heng was aware of at least four people who had confessed to Ji Mian last semester.
And that was just the number he had heard from others.
Ji Mian never brought up his admirers voluntarily, and after gently rejecting them, he always ensured they saved face. The actual number of people who had feelings for him was undoubtedly far greater than just “four.”
Xie Heng's fingers tightened around the fence.
He almost wished Ji Mian were more flirtatious, but unfortunately, Ji Mian was only interested in Song Yu, with a kind of devotion that seemed exclusive to him.
That admirable loyalty in Ji Mian only made Xie Heng feel frustrated.
【Affection Level +200, Contributor: Xie Heng.】
When Ji Mian heard that notification while preparing to jump for a block, he was momentarily distracted, causing his movement to falter.
A taller boy behind him jumped earlier, caught the ball, and inadvertently dropped his elbow down hard on Ji Mian's shoulder.
Ji Mian was momentarily stunned by the impact.
He had jumped up, but the opposing force from the other boy, combined with his own momentum, caused him to lose balance as he landed, almost falling over.
The game paused as everyone turned their attention to him.
“Whoa…” The boy who caught the ball was also taken aback and hurriedly tossed the ball aside to help Ji Mian. “Sorry, are you okay, Lu Zhou?”
Ji Mian felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder but still managed to force a smile. “I’m fine.”
The boy looked worried. “I think that was pretty forceful…”
Just as Ji Mian was about to respond, he felt a strong grip on his left wrist, and suddenly someone’s chest was pressing against his left shoulder.
He turned his head to see Xie Heng with a furrowed brow.
“Heng-ge.” Seeing him made Ji Mian instinctively relax, leaning slightly against Xie Heng.
At first, Ji Mian thought the pain would ease after a moment, but when he moved his right shoulder, he realized his arm was numb, likely because of the impact on some nerves.
He raised his left hand to the people on the court. “You guys keep playing. I’ll sit out for a bit.”
Xie Heng led him to a bench by the court.
The boy who had bumped into him also stepped off the court, still worried. “Lu Zhou, are you really okay?”
“I’m fine; I was just a little distracted.”
The boy finally relaxed. “Alright, take care. If it still hurts later, I’ll take you to the infirmary.”
After hearing Ji Mian affirm, the boy turned and went back to the game.
“Does it hurt a lot?” Xie Heng lowered his voice, watching Ji Mian carefully.
It did hurt quite a bit, but Ji Mian didn’t think it was anything serious, so he replied, “It’s manageable; just my arm is a little numb. Nothing major.”
“Heng-ge.” Ji Mian’s emotions were complicated. “What have you been thinking about all day?”
Why did those affection notifications keep popping up?
Xie Heng didn’t quite understand his question and didn’t press further.
His mind was currently occupied with Ji Mian’s injury. “Let’s go to the infirmary and get it checked out. Even if it’s nothing, it wouldn’t hurt to ice it. I’ll come with you.”
At the mention of “infirmary,” Ji Mian’s head began to spin. Having spent years in hospitals in his past life, just hearing the words made him feel uneasy.
He really didn’t want to go to a place filled with the smell of disinfectant.
“I… I just want to rest for a bit,” he said, tugging at Xie Heng’s sleeve, trying to sound convincing. “Heng-ge, let’s not go.”
The person being tugged by him clearly froze.
In Xie Heng's eyes, this series of actions and tone was almost equivalent to “acting cute.”
He had always thought he was unaccustomed to seeing others act cute. Every time he saw someone doing it, regardless of gender, Xie Heng would get goosebumps all over.
But now, with Ji Mian pulling on the fabric of his sleeve, that slight touch traveled from his wrist to the top of his head, then flowed down his spine and spread to his lower back, making Xie Heng involuntarily shiver.
—Damn.
For a moment, he couldn’t regain the rationality he had lost. His brain directed his mouth to completely obey Ji Mian’s wishes, igniting no hint of resistance:
“…Then let’s not go.”
—
The consequence of not going to the infirmary was that when Ji Mian went to bed later that night, he couldn’t even lie flat without pain. The weight pressing on the area near his right shoulder blade was more unbearable than during the day.
He had no choice but to change positions, switching from lying flat to lying on his side.
But when he woke up the next morning, Ji Mian discovered that not only was the injured area painful, but it also had a swelling sensation.
“…”
No way?
He immediately got up, pulled open the collar of his loose nightgown, and tried to twist his neck to look at the back of his shoulder.
Near his shoulder blade, there was a red-and-purple bump forming.
It really was swollen.
【It looks quite serious; I suggest you get it checked out,】 the system advised.
With it swollen like this, even Ji Mian, who had been resistant to going to the hospital, had to give in.
He reached for his phone by the pillow and checked the time: it was already past seven.
With an 8 a.m. class coming up, he definitely wouldn’t have time to visit the infirmary for medication beforehand.
He would have to wait until after class.
He quickly got out of bed, managed to wash up, and put on a loose jacket over his crew-neck sweatshirt to cover the noticeable swelling on his back.
Since his backpack would hurt his shoulder, Ji Mian could only carry both straps on his left shoulder, giving him quite the middle-school boy vibe.
With that, Ji Mian headed out.
Upon arriving at the classroom, he ate the breakfast Xie Heng had brought and sat in his seat a few minutes before class started, waiting for the lesson to begin, just like any other day.
“Xinwei… Xiaozhou?”
The class leader from the back of Class Four called out to Ji Mian. However, the classroom was too noisy for the people in front to hear, so he poked the back of the person in front of him with his finger.
“Ah—” Ji Mian nearly jumped out of his seat from the poke.
“Whoa…” The class leader was stunned and quickly withdrew his hand.
Xie Heng turned his gaze toward Ji Mian, his brow furrowing slightly.
“It’s nothing; I got a little hurt yesterday…” Ji Mian replied through gritted teeth as he turned around. “What’s up?”
“Oh, right.” The class leader was still a bit dazed. “The instructor wants all class leaders and representatives to come to a meeting tonight. It’s probably about the psychological counseling class. The notice was just sent in the class leader group.”
“Okay, what time?”
“Seven-thirty.”
Ji Mian raised his right hand to give an “OK” sign, but when he stretched it, he pulled the muscles in his back and immediately grimaced, switching to his left hand instead.
The class leader laughed at him, “You must have gotten hurt playing basketball, right?”
“Yeah, it’s a minor issue.” As Ji Mian turned back, he met Xie Heng’s penetrating gaze.
“What happened? It wasn’t this serious yesterday.”
Though Xie Heng was concerned, his darkening expression made Ji Mian feel uneasy.
“I checked this morning, and it seems… a bit swollen?” Ji Mian’s voice wavered under Xie Heng’s increasingly cold expression.
“…”
Xie Heng grabbed his wrist without further ado and pulled him up, “Let’s go to the infirmary.”
“Now? What if the teacher calls roll?”
“That’s unlikely.”
“But didn’t you just say not to take chances?”
Xie Heng shot him a disapproving look, and Ji Mian immediately fell silent.
He let Xie Heng lead him, obediently following behind, and didn’t speak again until they reached the infirmary.
After registering, Ji Mian took his slip into the consultation room, with Xie Heng standing beside him.
“Where are you hurt? Take off your shirt so I can take a look.”
“My back, near the shoulder.” Ji Mian said, removing his loose jacket.
Just before lifting his sweatshirt, he discreetly glanced at Xie Heng and pressed his lips together.
Ji Mian wasn’t used to being shirtless in front of others; it made him feel uncomfortable.
However, he still lifted his shirt, exposing his back to the doctor and Xie Heng, fully revealing the area from his lower back to his shoulder.
Ji Mian had a nice waist; it was slightly narrower than most boys, with a thin layer of muscle that formed smooth, clear lines.
Due to being hidden from the sun for so long, his back was even whiter than other parts of his body.
Above that beautiful waistline, a large area of pale skin shone under the light, blindingly bright.
Xie Heng glanced once and immediately began to feel flustered, hastily looking away.
But when Ji Mian revealed the injury on his shoulder, the alarming red and purple mark drew Xie Heng’s gaze back, tightening his heart.
Ten minutes later, the doctor confirmed that there was no damage to the tendons or bones, giving Ji Mian ice packs and ointment, instructing him to ice the area to reduce swelling before applying the medication.
Ji Mian then returned to his dorm.
Xie Heng, unable to shake off his worries, didn’t head to class but went with him to the dorm.
Ji Mian wrapped a towel around the ice pack and took it to bed, lying down to cold compress the area for over half an hour.
When Xie Heng reminded him of the time, he finally got up to check the injury, and surprisingly, the swelling had reduced significantly.
“Xiang Ge, it seems to be getting better!” he exclaimed, stepping down from the bed.
Xie Heng was sitting on Ji Mian's chair, waiting beneath his bed. Upon hearing this, he gently tapped the ointment box the school doctor had given him on the table, indicating that there was still medication left.
Getting better? He wouldn’t believe it.
He opened the medicine box, took out a patch, tore open the packaging, and the strong smell of mixed Chinese herbs quickly filled the dorm room.
Ji Mian took the patch from Xie Heng's hands and moved his hands aimlessly for a moment before stopping.
How was he supposed to stick this thing on his back?
"I'll do it."
The patch returned to Xie Heng's hands.
He stood up and said, "…Your shirt."
"Oh." Ji Mian turned away, pulling up his sweatshirt and leaning against the ladder, waiting for Xie Heng to act.
In the infirmary, with people coming and going, it didn't feel that strange.
But now, with the dormitory door tightly shut and only Xie Heng and Ji Mian inside, the sense of privacy increased dramatically, especially with Ji Mian's back right under Xie Heng’s gaze, within arm’s reach.
The smell of the herbal medicine filled the air, making Ji Mian feel a bit dizzy. Xie Heng struggled to focus solely on Ji Mian's injury without letting his eyes wander elsewhere.
Tearing open the waterproof seal, he pressed one corner of the patch onto the upper right area of the wound. As he did so, his fingers accidentally brushed against Ji Mian’s delicate and warm skin.
Ji Mian rested his forehead against the railing of the ladder, feeling the patch press against his wound, which caused his breath to become unsteady.
If Xie Heng hadn’t been there, he might have let out a sound.
Xie Heng felt the skin beneath his palm tremble slightly, like branches covered in snow swaying in the winter wind.
Suddenly, he realized that the situation felt quite strange.
If it weren’t for the patch in his hand, it would be almost like—
His mind involuntarily started to wander, and Xie Heng felt a dryness in his throat and warmth rising to his face.
He quickened his movements, hoping to escape this awkward atmosphere, but in his haste to smooth the edges of the patch, he lost control of his strength.
“Hmm…” Ji Mian winced, nearly on the verge of tears.
Xie Heng found himself weakened by that restrained groan.
“Sorry—” He opened his mouth, but his voice came out hoarse, so he quickly fell silent.
“It’s fine.” Ji Mian took a moment to steady himself, suppressing the tears that almost spilled over. “Is it all done?”
“Yeah.”
“Thanks, Heng Ge.” Ji Mian lowered his shirt and was about to turn around.
Xie Heng had no idea what his expression was at that moment, but he instinctively felt he couldn’t let Ji Mian see his face. He hastily muttered, “I have to go to class,” and quickly walked around Ji Mian to leave.
By the time Ji Mian snapped back to reality, the dormitory door had already slammed shut.
Ji Mian: “…”
So in a hurry?
Ji Mian thought Xie Heng was rushing back to class and felt a bit guilty for holding him up.
He shifted his shoulders a bit; the patch felt cool against his wound, unlike before when any movement caused pain.
After all the fuss, it was still only a little past nine o'clock. But since he had decided to skip class, he might as well miss the entire hour.
For the remaining hour, Ji Mian simply rested his head on the desk.
About twenty minutes later:
【Affection Points +100, Contributor: Xie Heng.】
【Affection Points +80, Contributor: Xie Heng.】
The notifications of affection points ringing in his mind made Ji Mian wonder what Xie Heng was thinking at that moment.
【System.】
The system responded: 【I'm here.】
【Don’t you think Xie Heng’s points seem a bit strange?】 Ji Mian recalled the end of the last world when the system suspected that Duanzhuo and Lu Ge’s affection points were anomalous and asked, 【Are there abnormal data in this world too?】
【It’s unclear for now; we’ll have to wait until the mini-world ends to report back to the main system. But I also think Xie Heng's affection points are a bit too high.】
After a brief silence, the system had a seemingly absurd guess.
If the previous two worlds’ anomalies with Duan zhuang and Lu Ge were mere coincidences, it could still be somewhat acceptable.
However, with this world also showing abnormal data, it didn’t believe there was no connection.
【Let’s not worry about that for now. After all, abnormal data is still positive data, which is good for both of us.】
【Okay.】
Ji Mian turned his gaze to the dormitory door for a while.
“Can’t figure it out…”
—
Ji Mian returned to class by the second period, and until the last class ended, Xie Heng hardly spoke.
Xie Heng typically didn’t eat dinner, only sometimes joining Ji Mian for a snack when they were together.
After their 6 p.m. class, Xie Heng studied in the library for a bit. By the time he left and finished jogging on the track, it was already past nine o'clock.
He slowed his pace, walked a lap around the track to catch his breath, and glanced over at the basketball court.
There were no familiar figures on the court tonight. Ji Mian was still nursing his injury and wouldn’t be playing for at least a week.
He probably felt frustrated in the dorm right now.
Thinking of this, a small smile appeared at the corners of Xie Heng’s mouth.
Suddenly, he remembered something and came to a stop.
This morning, when he got the medication, he checked the instructions for the patch: it was best to change it every twelve hours.
Given Ji Mian's personality, he likely hadn’t read the instructions, or if he had, he would probably delay it until tomorrow morning.
Xie Heng turned on his heel and left the track.
When he entered the dorm, only Chen Xu was lounging under his bed.
“Hey? Xie Heng, you’re back.” Chen Xu looked surprised to see him.
“Yeah. Where’s Lu Zhou?”
“Showering; he should be done soon.”
Xie Heng closed the door and could hear the faint sound of the shower running from the bathroom.
After waiting a few minutes by his bed, Ji Mian emerged from the washroom with a towel draped over his head and wearing a buttoned nightgown.
Seeing an extra person in the dorm, he paused for a few seconds. “Heng Ge, what are you doing here? Are you staying overnight?”
“Not really. Just reminding you to change your patch.”
Ji Mian buttoned the bottom button of his nightgown and said, “You could’ve just texted me. Why come all the way here?”
“……”
Xie Heng frowned, secretly annoyed at his own stupidity. Why hadn’t he thought to just send a message?
Chen Xu poked his head out. “Xiao Zhou, you’re injured?”
“It’s nothing, just a minor issue. Heng Ge, you can head back; Xuzi can help me change the medicine.”
“Change what medicine?” Chen Xu stood up from his chair and walked over.
Ji Mian picked up a patch from the desk and handed it to him. “Can you stick this on my shoulder? Well… you can see where it needs to go.”
After saying that, he turned away from Chen Xu and lifted his shirt.
They say familiarity breeds comfort; this morning, Ji Mian had felt awkward exposing his upper body in public. But after lifting his shirt twice, his mental barriers had completely fallen.
Chen Xu stared at Ji Mian’s back, momentarily stunned, thinking to himself, how can a guy’s back look so good?
Just as he was about to tear the waterproof seal off the patch, a strong hand suddenly snatched it away.
“I’ll do it.” Xie Heng’s cold voice cut through the air.
Chen Xu’s hand froze mid-air, and when he turned to look, he saw that Xie Heng’s expression was as frosty as snow, making him shiver.
What was going on?
“Uh, okay then,” he stammered.
Ji Mian glanced back at Xie Heng’s icy eyes, feeling the same confusion as Chen Xu.
What was up with him?
Xie Heng grabbed Ji Mian's left wrist, pulling him slightly to the side.
His grip was tight, enough that Ji Mian's wrist began to ache.
Combined with the force he had used earlier when applying the patch, Ji Mian’s impression of him was now singular: Heng Ge was heavy-handed.
Feeling a little intimidated, Ji Mian said, “Heng Ge, be gentler.”
“…”
Xie Heng struggled to find his voice.
With Ji Mian’s back turned to him, all he could hear was the rapid breathing from behind. Several seconds passed, and all that followed was a long, soft sigh.
……
The next day, at the early eight o’clock class, Ji Mian bumped into Xie Heng on the way to class and jogged over, wrapping his arm around Xie Heng’s neck.
“Good morning, Heng Ge.”
Xie Heng’s neck bent forward as Ji Mian’s arm looped around him. Once Ji Mian released him, he straightened up and replied with a “morning.”
Ji Mian examined him closely, concerned. “Heng Ge, didn’t sleep well last night?”
Xie Heng looked a bit off; his eyes were bright, but the slight dark circles under them suggested he hadn’t rested well.
“Yeah.”
“Insomnia?”
“No. I woke up in the middle of the night and didn’t want to go back to sleep.”
Ji Mian nodded in understanding. “Had a nightmare?”
“…” Xie Heng glanced at him, pursing his lips.
Ji Mian was puzzled: “?”
“Yeah.”
Usually, when someone mentioned having a nightmare, the listener would be curious to know the details. But Ji Mian was a bit fearful of supernatural ghost stories, so he didn’t press further.
Once in the classroom, Ji Mian was about to head up the steps when Xie Heng suddenly stopped. “I’m going to the front row.”
Without waiting for Ji Mian’s agreement, he walked straight to the front row.
“Huh?” Ji Mian instinctively followed, but when he saw where Xie Heng had chosen to sit, his expression grew complicated.
The center seat of the first row faced the teacher’s podium directly.
Typically, anyone sitting there would be called a ‘werewolf,’ even more ruthless than the ruthless ones.
“Heng Ge, are you sure?”
“Yeah. I’m particularly interested in today’s class.”
“Is, is that so? College Students’ Physical Health Education… is indeed quite… interesting, I guess?” Ji Mian cautiously eyed him, his gaze filled with uncertainty, trying to confirm that this was indeed the usually aloof and serious Xie Heng he knew.
“…”
Xie Heng hadn’t looked at the course title that morning, and now hearing Ji Mian’s words made his eyelids twitch and his jaw tighten.
He realized that he must look extremely perverted in Ji Mian’s eyes right now.
“Yeah, interesting.” Xie Heng replied with a stiff expression, feeling resigned.
Ji Mian: …Well, okay then.
Ji Mian hesitated; he really didn’t want to be under the teacher’s watchful eye. It was easy to be called upon in class.
“Just go to the back,” Xie Heng suggested gently, showing some understanding.
Ji Mian stood there, torn for a moment, then finally closed his eyes with a look of determination: “No need!”
“It’s just the front row; sit!”
With that, he dramatically set his backpack down next to Xie Heng and took a seat right beside him, also facing the podium.
For the sake of brotherhood, he was all in.
Xie Heng: …
He lowered his eyes, letting out a soft sigh in his heart.
It was Ji Mian's first time sitting in the front row, and the close view made him anxious.
All he could see was the podium and the screen; there would be no one to block him if he wanted to take a nap during class.
He twirled a pen in his right hand a couple of times to relieve his anxiety.
The black ink pen contrasted sharply with Ji Mian's fingers, a striking black-and-white comparison.
Ji Mian didn’t notice that Xie Heng had shifted his gaze, entranced as he stared at his hands.
Xie Heng had always known that Ji Mian had beautiful hands—hands so perfect that even a hand fetishist wouldn’t find a flaw.
The faint blue veins were slightly visible on the back of his hands, and the tips of his fingers had a subtle red hue. Ji Mian was a bit of a neat freak; after touching something in the dorm, he always had to meticulously wipe his hands with alcohol wipes.
Last night, after waking up from a nightmare, the last image lingering in his mind was Ji Mian slowly wiping his fingers with a wet wipe.
Xie Heng recalled something, and in just a few seconds, his ears turned bright red, spreading down to the nape of his neck.
When Ji Mian turned his head, the pen slipped from his fingers with a soft thud onto the desk.
“Heng Ge.” Ji Mian’s eyes widened in surprise. “You have a nosebleed!”
“……”
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