HS Chapter 29

Ye Wenyu: “?”

‘Why does running 1000 meters cause so many discomforts?’

Ye Wenyu felt that something might actually be wrong. He frowned and grabbed Yan Chen’s arm. “I’ll take leave and go with you to the school infirmary for a check-up.”

A flicker of regret flashed through Yan Chen’s eyes. “No need.”

Ye Wenyu: “But you look really uncomfortable.”

“It’s fine.” Yan Chen straightened up a bit. “I felt bad just now, but I’m much better now.”

Ye Wenyu looked at Yan Chen’s face. He didn’t seem like there was anything wrong.

But he couldn’t be sure it was really fine. After all, when Yan Chen said he felt uncomfortable earlier, he had still looked perfectly normal.

Ye Wenyu: “Then does your chest still feel tight?”

Yan Chen was about to say something when Chi Dongting shouted from behind, “Wenyu, it’s our turn! Come on, get ready!”

But Ye Wenyu only responded with a brief “okay” and kept looking at Yan Chen, waiting for his answer.

His gaze was so serious and persistent, like he would drop everything and go to the doctor with him if Yan Chen just said one word about feeling unwell.

He was so good and easy to coax it made people’s hearts itch.

And their hands too.

Yan Chen finally let go. But before he pulled his hand back, he couldn’t help but rub Ye Wenyu’s head twice. “It’s not tight anymore. It’s all good now. Go do your physical test. I’ll wait for you at the finish line.”

No one had ever rubbed his head like that before, and Ye Wenyu was momentarily stunned.

Looking at Yan Chen’s calm expression, as if it was the most normal thing in the world, he quickly adjusted and accepted it.

“Then I’m going.” Ye Wenyu reminded him, “Remember to tell me if you feel uncomfortable again. I’ll go with you to get checked.”

Yan Chen replied lazily, “Mm.”

There were only two or three people from the swim class left who hadn’t run yet. The two teachers briefly discussed and decided to have them run together with the foreign languages department students to save time.

As soon as Ye Wenyu left, Dong Xi strolled over to Yan Chen’s side and looked at him with his head tilted.

Yan Chen’s tone returned to its usual indifference. “What.”

Dong Xi smiled with curved eyes. “Yan-ge, were you really that tired?”

Yan Chen glanced at him.

Dong Xi patted his own shoulder. “Do you still need to rest? My shoulder’s available too.”

Yan Chen ignored him and walked away.

On the other side of the field, Ye Wenyu stood on the inner track, getting ready.

While the teacher went to get the list, Chi Dongting tugged on his sleeve and asked, “Wenyu, how come your relationship with Yan Chen has become so good?”

His tone was a bit sour. A good friend had found a better friend, and classmate Xiao Chi was jealous.

Unfortunately, Ye Wenyu didn’t pick up on it. “Why are you suddenly saying this?”

“He just hung all over you!”

Chi Dongting felt a bit speechless just bringing it up. “There were so many people from his class over there, and he didn’t hang on any of them, just you. He’s so big and tall, and he’s not even afraid of squashing you!”

Ye Wenyu thought for a moment. “Maybe it’s because I just happened to be standing right in front of him.”

Chi Dongting snorted. “Is that so? But wasn’t it because he told you to wait for him at the finish line?”

Ye Wenyu hadn’t thought that deeply about it, but hearing Chi Dongting’s tone, he asked, “Xiao Chi, you don’t like Yan Chen?”

“Huh? Eh, I wouldn’t say I dislike him. It’s not like he’s done anything to me.”

Chi Dongting scratched his head, looking a little awkward. “It’s just that before, didn’t I say I thought he was kind of fierce? I still think so now, but he’s so obedient around you, and you’re so biased toward him…it feels weird.”

“Biased?” Ye Wenyu didn’t quite understand. “Am I?”

Chi Dongting: “Of course you are. I told you before that he’s hard to get along with and I was worried he’d bully you, but you just kept telling me he’s really nice!”

Ye Wenyu: “But he really is…”

“See, see.” Chi Dongting caught him in the act. “Isn’t that right?”

Ye Wenyu: “…”

Chi Dongting: “Also, he tricked you into going to his house before, and when he was sick, he even had you stay overnight to take care of him!”

Ye Wenyu explained again, “He didn’t trick me, I went on my own.”

“Same difference.” Chi Dongting puffed up his cheeks. “You guys haven’t even known each other that long, and you’re already so close. Look how he treats others one way and treats you a whole different way. I seriously suspect he’s cast a spell on you!”

In front of others, he was like Mount Everest, cold and fierce. But in front of Ye Wenyu, he became all soft, and gentle, like spring returning to the earth. It was a blatant attempt to steal someone away.

This Yan Chen wanted to snatch away Wenyu, who was supposed to be best friends with him. Was he not allowed to be a little upset about that?

Ye Wenyu was a bit slow when it came to emotions. Even though Chi Dongting’s jealousy was as obvious as it could be, he still didn’t think in that direction at all.

His attention was still stuck on those two things Chi Dongting had accidentally said.

—He’s so obedient around you.

—He treats others one way and treats you a whole different way. I think he’s cast a spell on you.

Yan Chen had indeed said it before, that to him, Ye Wenyu was someone special, different from everyone else.

But hearing it from Yan Chen was one thing. Hearing it from someone else felt completely different.

He couldn’t put it into words, but it felt like something had been objectively confirmed and validated.

The sunlight was blinding. He half-squinted his eyes and couldn’t help looking toward where Yan Chen was, until his gaze locked onto that familiar figure.

His impure intentions bumped into someone else’s full-hearted sincerity…logically, he should be feeling very ashamed, guilty, and burdened with psychological pressure.

But he was stunned to find that, besides the guilt and pressure, he also felt a faint, subtle sense of happiness.

Ye Wenyu: “…”

‘This is bad.’

His heart sank slightly, and he unconsciously pursed his lips together.

‘When did my sense of morality get this bad?’

“Liu Bingran, you guys come over here and stand on the outermost lane.”

The teacher gave orderly instructions. “Try to run on just these three lanes later, don’t fight for the inner lane with the kids from the other department. Running a couple extra steps won’t kill you, got it?”

After a few half-hearted responses of “Got it”, Ye Wenyu subconsciously turned his head over, only to meet the gaze of a boy who had just looked up.

He had a very distinctive face, and Ye Wenyu immediately recognized him as the classmate who had been hounded by the micro business student outside the track earlier.

Maybe he was annoyed by the micro business student as he didn’t look like he was in a good mood. His face looked bad, and his gaze was a bit intimidating.

But Ye Wenyu couldn’t do anything about that. Just then, the teacher raised his arm and shouted “Get ready”, and he withdrew his gaze to focus on the start.

At the sound of the whistle, everyone at the starting line set off at the same time.

The sports department was indeed the sports department, there was a clear gap from the very beginning. Some from the foreign languages department were unwilling to admit defeat and tried to catch up, but they barely made it to 50 meters before giving up.

The difference in physical ability was obvious, and they had no choice but to admit defeat.

Dong Xi stood there with his hands in his pockets and watched for a while. When he turned back, he found that Yan Chen’s eyes were glued to Ye Wenyu even when he was drinking water, so he raised his eyebrows and smiled mischievously.

“Oh, looks like Wenyu’s stamina isn’t great.”

He stepped back a couple of steps to stand beside Yan Chen. “Yan-ge, what do you think?”

Yan Chen put the cap on the bottle. “He doesn’t usually train. It’s normal.”

“True, but he can’t even keep a proper breathing rhythm. Didn’t their P.E. teacher teach them that?”

Dong Xi raised his chin with strong implication. “Yan-ge, do you want to go run with him? You can coach him a bit while you’re at it.”

‘Run with him?’ Yan Chen’s brows twitched slightly. He considered the suggestion for only half a second before bending down and putting down the water. It seemed that he really intended to run over to accompany the runner.

Dong Xi was happy to stir things up and was about to egg him on a bit more when he suddenly noticed something and frowned. “What’s going on with Liu Bingran? Weren’t they told not to change lanes mid-run?”

Yan Chen followed his line of sight.

Sure enough, Liu Bingran, who had already completed two laps, had switched lanes at some point and was now quickly gaining on Ye Wenyu.

Dong Xi wasn’t wrong. Ye Wenyu was indeed struggling with the rhythm of breathing while running. After just one lap, his breaths had turned erratic and rapid, making it even harder to run.

Internet-addict Chi Dongting was doing even worse. His arms and legs were weak, and he was gasping for breath. “I’m dying, I’m dying, I hate fitness tests, I hate the 1000-meter run!”

Ye Wenyu: “One more lap, talk less, save strength.”

Chi Dongting gritted his teeth and sprinted forward again, but he couldn’t take it anymore. “Forget it, I’ll just walk over. If I fail, I fail. My life is more important.”

Those who failed would have to make up the run at the end of the semester. The pain wouldn’t disappear, it would only be postponed.

Ye Wenyu couldn’t bear the thought of Chi Dongting finishing 1000 meters alone later, so he tried to drag him along to finish it now.

Just as he grabbed his arm, he heard rapid footsteps closing in from behind.

As everyone knew, the inner lane was easier than the outer lane, so it was understandable for someone to take a shortcut.

Ye Wenyu was about to step aside to let the person behind pass, but before he could move, someone slammed hard into his shoulder.

A dull pain instantly spread throughout his body.

He sucked in a breath and his body became unstable. Before stumbling to the ground, he didn’t forget to let go of Chi Dongting.

“…Fuck!”

The accident happened too fast. By the time Chi Dongting reacted, the culprit who bumped into Ye Wenyu had already run far away.

“Are you blind?! Damn it, you hit someone and ran off, what, did you practice hit-and-runs since childhood?!”

Chi Dongting was furious. He wanted to chase the person down and beat him up, but also wanted to help Ye Wenyu. Just as he was caught between the two, someone else beat him to it.

Yan Chen had somehow made his way over from the opposite side. He quickly picked Ye Wenyu up in his arms and said, “Keep running, I’ll take him to the school infirmary.”

The classmates who had witnessed the incident and wanted to rush over to help stopped halfway, staring blankly as Yan Chen carried Ye Wenyu off the track.

The sun had hidden behind thick clouds, and it looked like it might rain. The wind picked up, quickly dispersing the lingering heat.

The asphalt track was not smooth, and a fall, whether big or small, was still an accident.

As the numbness in his knees and palms faded, a sharp burning pain set in. His breathing and heartbeat, still rapid from running, hadn’t calmed down yet.

Ye Wenyu was exhausted and in pain. He didn’t even have the strength to speak for a while. His head drooped weakly onto Yan Chen’s shoulder, eyes closed, breathing shallowly.

Yan Chen looked down at him, his expression even darker.

It was almost dinner time and there weren’t many people at the infirmary. The nurse on duty saw it was only abrasions, so she brought hydrogen peroxide and some external medicine and led them to a consultation room.

But before she finished cleaning the wound on the knee, a student outside was shouting about a fever and needed to register.

The nurse was suddenly overwhelmed. She had to respond to the student outside while hastily continuing her work. In her rush, she pressed too hard with the cotton swab, making Ye Wenyu suck in a sharp breath from the pain.

‘Tsk.’

Yan Chen’s brows, which had been furrowed all the time, became even tighter.

“I’ll do it,” he said, stepping forward.

The nurse asked, “Do you know how? Cleaning and applying medicine and all?”

Yan Chen: “Yeah.”

The nurse figured it wasn’t complicated work, so she handed him the medicine and told him to call her if they needed anything, then left to register the student.

Yan Chen took over the nurse’s job and sat down at the bedside with the medicine bottle and cotton swabs.

Ye Wenyu sat on the bed with his leg propped up and pants rolled above his knee. The area of ​​the abrasion was neither big nor small, but it was swollen and bloody, which looked very gruesome on his fair, clean skin.

It was the same on his hand, and it was even more serious than on his knee. The skin on the palm was torn, and tiny beads of blood were seeping from the scraped skin.

Yan Chen poured hydrogen peroxide over both injuries to disinfect them, then applied the medicine carefully, holding the bottle in one hand and tending to the wounds with deliberate care.

He didn’t say a word the whole time, and his movements were light and gentle, but his face was like it was coated with a layer of frost at below-zero temperatures. His sharp features, deep eyes, and the chilling aura he was exuding made people instinctively afraid to approach.

Ye Wenyu had never seen this side of Yan Chen.

If this was the case, then maybe he could understand why Chi Dongting said Yan Chen was cold and fierce and not someone strangers should approach.

He really did look fierce, and not easy to get along with at all.

But still, Ye Wenyu didn’t find him scary at all.

In fact, this unusually fierce version of Yan Chen looked especially… cute, like a big wolfhound with a bad temper. He looked intimidating, but with a little coaxing, he’d probably whimper and nuzzle up to someone for comfort.

“It’s fine,” Ye Wenyu said softly. “It just looks bad. It’s just scraped skin and it’ll heal in a few days.”

Yan Chen didn’t reply. His expression didn’t improve either.

Soon the wound on the knee was treated. Yan Chen tossed the used cotton swab and picked up a new one, dipped it in the yellow-brown medicine, and continued treating Ye Wenyu’s hand.

The wrist, fingers and fingertips…things that usually caught his eye, were now nothing compared to the messy wound on the palm base.

After cleaning, the wound looked even more fragile. Just when a bit of blood was wiped away, fresh red emerged again. It couldn’t be wiped clean, and one could only wait for it to coagulate and scab on its own.

Yan Chen’s lips were pursed into a straight line. The hand that was supporting Ye Wenyu’s hand was almost without any strength, but the veins on the back of the hand holding the cotton swab stood out clearly.

Once he finished applying the medicine and tossed the last cotton swab, he was screwing the cap back on the medicine bottle when something lightly touched the center of his brow.

His hand paused his movements and looked up at Ye Wenyu.

Ye Wenyu had used his injured right hand. The back of his finger brushed over the crease between Yan Chen’s brows, causing the area to feel slightly warm.

“It’s really nothing. I just fell down.” He retracted his finger a little. “Don’t frown anymore.”

Yan Chen’s gaze followed his fingertip, then rested on his face. He stared at him for a moment, then asked in a low voice, “Does it hurt?”

Ye Wenyu wanted to shake his head, but realized that would be unconvincing. So he changed to a more honest-sounding answer: “Just a little.”

As soon as he said that, his wrist was caught in a warm palm before he could retract it.

Yan Chen closed his eyes and lowered his head, resting his forehead against the back of Ye Wenyu’s hand. He didn’t press down hard. It was a gesture that felt almost like submission, but it made Ye Wenyu’s heart skip a beat for no reason.

“I’m sorry.”

Ye Wenyu heard Yan Chen apologize to him like that.

“What are you sorry for?”

Ye Wenyu felt the warmth of his forehead. His eyelashes trembled slightly, and he felt as if the back of his hand was heating up too. “You weren’t the one who bumped into me.”

Yan Chen: “The one who bumped into you was Liu Bingran.”

When he first heard the name, Ye Wenyu only found it vaguely familiar, and it took him a while to remember it was that unpleasant roommate from their dorm.

“Maybe it was just a coincidence.”

Ye Wenyu didn’t think this had anything to do with Yan Chen and didn’t want him blaming himself over it. “He doesn’t even know me.”

Yan Chen didn’t respond, and it was unclear whether he had listened or not.

After a moment, he lifted his head, turned Ye Wenyu’s hand over with the palm facing up, and carefully examined the abrasion. “Will it leave a scar?”

Ye Wenyu shook his head. Just as he uttered the word “no”, he felt a cool sensation on the base of his palm; Yan Chen had leaned in and gently blown on it twice.

The coolness only lasted a few seconds. Then, the spot he had blown on began to heat up, along with the tips of Ye Wenyu’s ears. It wasn’t the searing pain of the injury, but more like a warm feather brushing back and forth, tickling him.

His Adam’s apple rolled slightly, and the words he was going to say got stuck in his throat.

The blood had already clotted. Yan Chen soon let go of his hand and stood up. “Let’s go, I’ll walk you back to the dorm.”

Ye Wenyu felt a little uncomfortable as his hands were empty, but it was impossible for him to put it back into Yan Chen’s hand, so he curled his fingers into a loose fist, nodded, and made a move to get off the bed.

Before his feet could even touch the ground, his shoulder was pressed down.

He looked up in confusion. “?”

“Two choices.”

Yan Chen helped roll up the right sleeve of his jacket carefully. “Do you want to be carried on my back, or in my arms?”

–

“Did you bump into Ye Wenyu during the fitness test during the day?”

Outside the wall of the sports department dorms, Liu Bingran squatted by the edge of a flower bed and looked up at Zhen Lin expressionlessly. “Yeah, so what?”

Zhen Lin stared at him, his expression turning cold as well. “Why did you bump into him?”

Liu Bingran: “He was in my way. I didn’t like the look of him, so what?”

Zhen Lin: “Was it that you didn’t like him, or that you were mad when I said you’re inferior to Yan Chen in every way, and you couldn’t wait to take it out on someone?”

Liu Bingran sneered, “I’m inferior to Yan Chen in every way?”

Zhen Lin crossed his arms and looked down at him. “Isn’t that the truth?”

Liu Bingran sneered. “I’m not as good as Yan Chen in every way, yet he still doesn’t even look at you. You had to settle for me. All you ever think about is him, and in the end, you still lay flat on the bed and let me fuck you.”

“Exactly,” Zhen Lin didn’t care about the nasty words coming out of his mouth. “It’s only because Yan Chen didn’t want me that you got such a big bargain.”

Liu Bingran suddenly stood up. “Zhen Lin!”

“Liu Bingran!” Zhen Lin lifted his head and stared at him coldly. “If you don’t have brains, don’t ruin my plans. If Ye Wenyu’s still injured and can’t get up in a few days, don’t even think about fucking the leaks.”

Liu Bingran stared at his back disappearing into the night. Unable to calm the violent rise and fall of his chest, he gave the tree trunk next to him a hard kick, then jumped down from the flowerbed with a dark face and strode off.

He hadn’t walked even halfway along the wall when he ran into someone familiar approaching from the other end.

The streetlights in this area were old and barely functioning. The only faint light came from across the road, and visibility was terrible, but that didn’t stop him from recognizing the person by their silhouette.

The fury he hadn’t yet suppressed felt like it was doused in boiling oil, instantly flaring hotter.

He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, and after pausing for two seconds, strode directly toward the figure. When he got in front of him and opened his mouth with a sneer, he was suddenly grabbed at the throat by the other person.

A car sped by, and the flash of headlights lit up the cold gleam in Yan Chen’s eyes.

He didn’t even slow down, dragging the flushed and choking Liu Bingran into a nearby narrow alley.