Half an hour later, the IV drip on the left side of Ji Mian's hospital bed was completely empty, with even the medicine in the infusion bottle above the pump finished.
The system had to remind him: [The blood is backing up.]
The pressure in the slender plastic IV tube was insufficient, causing blood to back up, staining about ten centimeters of the tube a crimson red.
Ji Mian propped himself up, realizing that even sitting up was a strenuous effort for this body.
He reached out to adjust the pump to its lowest setting and pressed the call button for the nurse.
"Bed 24?" A voice came through the intercom.
"Please help me change the medicine."
Ji Mian's actions were unusually calm, almost as if he were a different person compared to the confusion he had when he first arrived in this world.
The system couldn't help but marvel at how much more mature its host had become. Many of Ji Mian's emotions had been left behind with Duan Zhuang in the previous world. This was, of course, a good thing for completing tasks.
As for what it meant for Ji Mian personally, the system couldn't make any rash conclusions.
While waiting for the nurse, Ji Mian took a moment to observe the environment of the hospital room.
It was a private room, equipped with more advanced facilities than a regular one, and the floor was so clean it reflected the light.
From the looks of it, the original owner of this body must have been in quite good financial standing.
The window was only slightly ajar, allowing a faint warm breeze to drift in, brushing against Ji Mian's right hand, which lay on the pristine white bedding.
It was a pair of hands that were quite beautiful, with long, slender fingers and clearly defined knuckles. The pale skin almost matched the color of the medical blanket, making it hard to tell which was colder.
The skin on this body seemed thinner than normal, with veins on the back of his right hand standing out in deep blue, easily visible through the thin layer of skin. The pronounced veins, exposed so openly, might evoke discomfort in some people.
The door to the room opened, and a nurse pushed in a medical cart, efficiently changing the IV.
"You're all set, Mr. Xu. If you need anything, feel free to call." Her attitude toward Ji Mian was polite.
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me, I'm just doing my job," the nurse said, then suddenly blushed and lowered her voice. "If Mr. Qin comes by, could you help me ask him for Wen Yu's autograph?"
Ji Mian, not quite sure of the situation, instinctively smiled. "Sure."
Receiving the affirmative response, the nurse left the room delighted, her steps light as she exited.
[Would you like to receive the plot now?]
[Yes.]
Unfamiliar memories surged forward like a tide.
Ji Mian closed his eyes.
There were two main characters in this world. One was the "Mr. Qin" the nurse had just mentioned, Qin Yan, the protagonist of this world, while the other was the protagonist Xu Zhixia, who was also Ji Mian's character's younger brother.
Ji Mian's current identity was Xu Chiqiu, the sickly, black-hearted supporting villain of this world.
Xu Chiqiu had been frail since childhood. Although his parents doted on him, their attention noticeably waned after the birth of their second child.
The Xu family was a small but wealthy household in the area, never stingy in providing for Xu Chiqiu. However, his emotional needs were often neglected.
It was during this time that the young master of the neighboring Qin family, Qin Yan, noticed the situation of this boy, who was the same age as himself.
At that time, Qin Yan was still young, only about eleven or twelve, not yet the calm and composed figure he had become. Xu Chiqiu, quiet and constantly sick, seemed particularly endearing to someone of Qin Yan's age.
Naturally, they became friends.
Even though they were the same age, Xu Chiqiu's frail appearance made it seem like he needed to be protected. Qin Yan took on the role of an elder brother, caring for him in many ways.
But in Xu Chiqiu's heart, Qin Yan became the only one who could fill the emotional void in his life. As the years passed, this bond grew unshakeable, becoming his emotional anchor.
Their friendship, however, took a different turn for Xu Chiqiu.
He developed feelings for Qin Yan.
Due to his frail condition, Xu Chiqiu was accustomed to enduring pain from a young age. "Endurance" was as normal to him as eating and drinking. Xu Chiqiu knew that Qin Yan didn’t love him and only treated him as a good friend, so he kept his feelings hidden.
He had suppressed his emotions for so long. His unspoken love for Qin Yan, combined with the torment of his illness, gradually twisted Xu Chiqiu's heart.
His unhealthy mindset began to manifest as early as middle school.
When he was in the second year, his ten-year-old younger brother, Xu Zhixia, accidentally broke a vase at home.
Xu Chiqiu was in his room when he heard the sound of the vase shattering. His emotions surged with joy.
Their father was an avid collector of antiques, and many of the family's decorations were expensive items he had purchased at auctions. Even the servants had to be cautious while cleaning them.
Xu Chiqiu had long harbored resentment toward his younger brother. When he heard about the broken vase, he naively thought their father would love his brother less because of it.
He waited for about ten minutes before stepping out to check.
But when he saw the shattered vase, he realized it was nothing special, just an ordinary decorative vase worth only a few thousand yuan from a department store.
Xu Chiqiu was deeply disappointed.
As he turned to head back to his room, his gaze fell on a few sharp, shiny fragments still on the floor—pieces that Xu Zhixia, in his panic, hadn’t fully cleaned up.
Xu Chiqiu stared at the shards for a few seconds, then took off his shoes and stepped on them barefoot.
The fragile skin was pierced, and crimson blood flowed instantly, spreading like a maze of winding paths that covered most of the white tiles beneath him within two minutes.
Even now, the scars from that injury were still visible on Xu Chiqiu’s foot. The outcome was satisfactory: since then, his parents had been more protective of him, and Xu Zhixia, out of guilt, had never disobeyed him.
Xu Chiqiu reveled in the satisfaction of revenge, all the while fearing that Qin Yan would notice the flaws in his behavior.
He was the embodiment of obsession and contradiction.
Later, both Xu Chiqiu and Qin Yan were admitted to the same prestigious local university. However, Xu Chiqiu had to suspend his studies because of his deteriorating health, which required long-term hospitalization.
In Xu Chiqiu's obsessive mind, he believed that all the changes in his life began when he took a break from school.
Not long after his withdrawal, his younger brother, Xu Zhixia, finished his college entrance exams and was successfully admitted to A University, the same school Xu Chiqiu and Qin Yan attended. Although four years younger, Xu Zhixia had skipped a grade due to his excellent performance in middle school, so he was only three years behind them.
After that, Xu Chiqiu noticed that Qin Yan's visits to the hospital became less frequent, and he often came with Xu Zhixia. Even after Qin Yan graduated two years ahead, while Xu Zhixia was still in his third year of university, they would still make plans to visit the hospital together, which made Xu Chiqiu feel uneasy.
Yes, he did not like this younger brother, who stole their parents' attention and love, even though Xu Zhixia had always admired him as his elder brother.
A few days ago, Xu Chiqiu finally noticed something unusual: the way Qin Yan looked at Xu Zhixia. Having loved Qin Yan for many years, he immediately realized that Qin Yan had fallen for his younger brother. Xu Chiqiu was devastated, and intense jealousy followed, burning his already shattered heart, which had been eaten away by illness, even more twisted.
Driven by this emotion, he did many extreme, even insane, things to try to sabotage the relationship between Qin Yan and Xu Zhixia, but Qin Yan eventually saw through him.
His malicious actions were finally recognized by his parents, friends, and Xu Zhixia as well. It was truly a case of reaping what he had sown.
The current timeline takes place on the third day after Xu Chiqiu discovered Qin Yan's feelings for Xu Zhixia.
The system said, "Due to the special character setup in this world, you need to hide your feelings for Qin Yan in front of the main characters until the truth is revealed at the end. Since you must conceal your love, there will be fewer opportunities to earn affection points in this world. Therefore, the affection points you gain will be doubled."
It seemed that even with double points, it wouldn’t be easy to earn affection in this world.
Ji Mian replied, "I understand."
The door to the hospital room opened again, but this time, it wasn't a nurse.
The person who entered was dressed in a dark suit, tall and upright, with an imposing air and a cold, stern expression. But when he saw the person on the hospital bed, the frost in his eyes slowly melted.
"Chiqiu."
Ji Mian had already sensed his presence the moment the door opened, but only looked up when Qin Yan spoke. "You're here."
He discreetly glanced at the spot beside Qin Yan. Xu Zhixia wasn’t there — the bothersome person hadn’t come this time.
"Feeling better lately?" Qin Yan walked closer and placed the gifts he had brought on the cabinet beside the bed.
On the bed, Ji Mian forced himself into character.
He smiled faintly, a lively expression appearing on his pale face. "I’m not sure if I’m better, but I know that if I stay here any longer, I might suffocate."
Qin Yan chuckled softly.
He took an orange from the fruit bag on the cabinet, turning to ask, "Want some fruit?"
Ji Mian wasn’t really hungry. In fact, this body never had a good appetite at any time of the day.
But when it came to Qin Yan's offerings, he always accepted.
He nodded slightly.
Qin Yan sat down with the orange, cutting off both ends before skillfully scoring five lines across it. He peeled off the skin along the cuts and cut the fruit into sections, handing a slice to Xu Chiqiu.
Ji Mian took one piece and placed it in his mouth. The sweet juice of the orange slid down his throat, making him feel slightly nauseous.
It was the natural reaction of this body. Even Ji Mian himself was surprised by the discomfort in his stomach. He asked, "Can’t I even eat fruit?"
He knew that people often felt queasy eating greasy food when they were sick, but who ever got sick from eating fruit?
The system responded, "Yes, otherwise Xu Chiqiu wouldn’t be so thin."
Ji Mian glanced down at his own body — indeed, it was too thin, almost excessively so.
His wrist bones protruded, and his arms were so frail that the skin barely clung to the bones. Fortunately, the hospital gown covered up his unattractive limbs.
Qin Yan handed him another piece of orange, and Ji Mian forced himself to take it despite the discomfort.
"If you're feeling stifled..." Qin Yan began, watching Ji Mian quietly chew, "there's a banquet the day after tomorrow. The second son of the Lin family is getting married, and they've invited many celebrities and elites. It's going to be on a cruise ship. I received an invitation too."
But then, as if realizing something, Qin Yan shook his head, dismissing his own idea. "Never mind. It’s not suitable. The banquet will be too noisy, and being on the sea for three days might affect your recovery."
Though the cruise would have medical facilities, Xu Chiqiu's frail condition posed a risk if anything went wrong.
"Three days?" Ji Mian tilted his head, seemingly intrigued. "It’s all on the sea?"
What interested him wasn’t the banquet itself but the opportunity to spend three whole days with Qin Yan.
"Yes, but your body..."
"I want to go," Ji Mian said, looking at him with hopeful eyes.
"...Fine." Qin Yan sighed in resignation. "I’ll bring Zhixia along too. He’s still in school and will probably enjoy the excitement. You two brothers can spend some time together."
Ji Mian's smile froze.
"Chiqiu?" Qin Yan frowned when he didn't respond.
"Huh? Oh... Of course, that sounds great," Ji Mian forced a smile.
After that, he no longer felt like speaking.
The two sat in silence for a while, and Qin Yan began to feel uneasy.
Unlike his younger brother, Xu Zhixia had always been a little ray of sunshine — energetic and innocent, with eyes so bright they could lift the spirits of anyone around him.
Xu Chiqiu, on the other hand, was a bit too reserved. Although Qin Yan had been closer to Xu Chiqiu when they were younger, he had always preferred spending time with the lively Xu Zhixia. It was only out of pity for Xu Chiqiu's fragile health that he spent more time with him.
Looking at Xu Chiqiu, who hadn’t even managed to swallow a single piece of the orange, Qin Yan found himself tapping his fingers on his knee, growing restless.
Despite their long-standing friendship, Qin Yan's patience had gradually worn thin over the years.
Outside the window, the clouds parted, and bright sunlight streamed into the hospital room, casting its light onto Xu Chiqiu's bed.
"Xu Chiqiu" lowered his head, his hand resting quietly on the blanket as he gently cupped a beam of sunlight, as though he had caught a butterfly dancing in the spring breeze.
Seeing this, Qin Yan was momentarily lost in thought.
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