SDVPP Chapter 62

The weather was getting colder bit by bit. A heavy snowfall turned the world white overnight.

In the end, Chi Han still moved out of that villa.

There wasn’t any particular reason. It was just that traces of Rong Xu were everywhere in that place. The longer he stayed there alone, the emptier his heart felt.

Ever since Rong Xu left, Chi Han had completely thrown himself into studying. Rain or shine, he was always the first to enter the classroom and the last to leave. Their homeroom teacher watched with a face full of satisfaction, then turned to scold the rest of the class.

Look! Even the top student works this hard!

Study! All of you better stick your butts out and study!

Geng Xue turned her head to glance at Chi Han, a bit worried. The guy was quietly furrowing his brows, his eyes lowered. A test paper lay beside his hand, densely marked up with annotations.

Rong Xu had left so suddenly. Geng Xue still remembered that morning when the homeroom teacher walked in and suddenly announced that Rong Xu was taking a temporary leave from school due to health reasons. The classroom fell silent for a moment. Everyone was stunned, unable to believe it. But as time went on, they came to accept it.

To everyone else, Rong Xu’s departure was just a small ripple on the surface of the water, quickly fading away.

But to Chi Han…

Geng Xue bit her lip and sighed.

Every morning, Chi Han would first wipe Rong Xu’s desk clean, then move the chair away, as if the owner of that desk hadn’t left, as if he were just late today.

Maybe first period. Maybe next period. Sooner or later, he’d come back.

Outside the window, snowflakes filled the sky. Geng Xue sniffled softly, feeling a little sad.

……

The heating pipes had broken over the past few days, and the nights were bitterly cold. The school issued a notice: everyone was to go home immediately after class, especially the third-year students.

As soon as the bell for evening self-study rang, the students all got up and began packing their bags.

Chi Han was no exception.

With his current health, he’d catch a cold even without the freezing temperatures, let alone today, when it was snowing.

Halfway through packing, a male classmate suddenly ran over, face full of envy, and said, “Chi Han, someone’s looking for you at the door!”

Chi Han: “?”

He immediately thought of Father Chi and Mother Chi, and his expression darkened.

If they dared show up…

When he reached the doorway, a tall girl suddenly jumped out from the side, her laughter crisp and clear. “Chi Han, remember me?”

“…Song Yao?” Chi Han froze for a moment, instinctively taking a step back, frowning. “What do you want?”

Song Yao instantly laughed in exasperation. “Hey, do I look that scary to you? Why are you stepping back?”

Of course, there was nothing scary about Song Yao. It was just that the moment Chi Han remembered she and Rong Xu had grown up together, a wave of stifled frustration swelled in his chest.

He tightened his scarf and lowered his voice. “Did you come for something?”

Song Yao tucked a strand of windblown hair behind her ear and smiled. “I came to treat you to a cup of milk tea.”

Before Chi Han could refuse, Song Yao suddenly leaned in and spoke softly: “And maybe… talk a bit about your Rong Xu.”

Passing students glanced over one after another, their eyes full of envy. When would they get a stunning girl whispering in their ear, too?

Then they looked at Chi Han’s face again.

Forget it. Even a trip to Country H wouldn’t get results like that.

…

The two of them went to a milk tea shop by the street.

Chi Han placed the milk tea in front of Song Yao, then sat down on the sofa across from her.

“Speak. What’s going on with Rong Xu?”

Song Yao took a sip of the taro puree. The sweet taste chased away the chill lingering in her body.

Resting her chin on her hand, she gave a soft laugh. “If it were a year ago, I would’ve never believed Rong Xu could like someone this much.”

“What?” Chi Han frowned. Just then, the number caller had gone off, and Song Yao’s voice was soft. He only vaguely caught the words “Rong Xu.”

“It’s nothing,” Song Yao raised an eyebrow slightly. When it came to things between a couple, it was always better for them to figure it out themselves. If she spilled the truth now, who knew—Rong Xu might just come charging back from abroad. She wiped the smile from her face, turned serious, and said, “The main reason I asked you out today is to tell you something. You need to be careful of Fang Jingluo lately…”

Outside the car window, streetlights flashed by one after another, and the snow was falling harder and harder.

Chi Han looked at the heavy, goose-feather snow outside the window, his thoughts drifting uncontrollably.

Back in the milk tea shop, Song Yao had told him everything Rong Xu had done in the time before he left.

No wonder Father and Mother Chi never came looking for him again. No wonder Fang Jingluo kept getting held back…

So everything Rong Xu had prepared was all for him.

Even Song Yao’s return was meant to be used to restrain the Fang family.

Chi Han’s temple was resting against the car window. The cold touch couldn’t extinguish the fire burning in his heart. He took out his phone, wanting to say something to Rong Xu. But just before the message was about to be sent, he suddenly remembered—it should be Rong Xu’s rehabilitation training time right now.

Chi Han lowered his eyes and deleted the typed-out words one by one.

The chat background showed the last photo the two of them had taken together. The sunlight in the photo was just right. Chi Han’s fingertip gently brushed over Rong Xu’s profile, the tenderness in his eyes almost impossible to hide.

When he got home, the heavy snow still hadn’t stopped. The butler was standing at the door with an umbrella, waiting.

Duo Fu’s tail had already wagged itself into the shape of a propeller.

The butler held the umbrella firmly to shield him, but Chi Han raised a hand and pushed the umbrella handle away.

“Young Master Chi?” The butler disapproved and tried to move the umbrella back, but Chi Han put on his hat and tightened his scarf.

“It’s fine. I want to stay outside for a bit. I’ll go back in ten minutes.”

Chi Han took the leash and led Duo Fu to the small garden. He unclipped the leash and rubbed the dog’s head. “Go on.”

Duo Fu immediately dashed in with joy, running around wildly, leaving dog paw prints all over the snowy ground.

Chi Han felt an itch in his heart. It had been a long time since he’d seen snow this heavy.

He looked around and found a patch of snow that Duo Fu hadn’t ruined. He reached out and poked a hole in it with his fingertip.

By the time he came to his senses, he had already written more than half of the character “Rong”.

Chi Han couldn’t hold back a soft laugh. He knelt down on one knee and, stroke by stroke, slowly finished writing the name.

Normally, once the writing was done, the next step would be to stomp a big heart around the name with one’s foot. But Chi Han couldn’t bear to step on it. He slowly stood up, bringing his slightly frozen hands together.

He didn’t know if making a wish in heavy snow would do any good, but if the gods of this world could hear his voice, he prayed that Rong Xu could stand up again.

The original story world had never treated Rong Xu kindly, not even once. All the way until the ending, he was still in a wheelchair, leaving coldly and alone.

Chi Han wasn’t someone who believed in fate, yet at this moment, he wished more than anything that gods truly existed in this world.

He pressed both hands to his lips, his heart crystal clear.

He was willing to give up everything in exchange for Rong Xu’s peace and smooth journey through the rest of his life.

…

After playing in the snow for most of the day, it was no surprise that Chi Han fell ill.

While calling the family doctor, the butler couldn’t help but scold him.

“You were perfectly fine, and yet insisted on playing in the snow…”

Chi Han’s face was flushed bright red, the fever spreading all the way down to his neck. His throat was unbearably dry. The butler had forced him to drink a bowl of ginger soup, and now he was starting to sweat.

“It’s fine. I’ll be okay after taking some medicine.” Chi Han pressed his dry, cracked lips together and forced a faint smile.

The butler took out the thermometer: 38.7°C.

He placed a damp towel across Chi Han’s forehead and, after a while, said softly, “If Young Master Rong finds out, he’ll be heartbroken for sure.”

Chi Han’s eyes turned red the moment he heard that name. He tried to hold back a few times, but in the end, couldn’t stop himself from choking up. “I just… miss him too much…”

The butler felt a lump in his own chest when he heard that. He had seen the name written on the ground in the garden. He had thought that this New Year, Young Master Chi would finally have someone by his side. He hadn’t expected things to turn out like this.

Sigh.

People tend to be more emotional when they’re sick. The butler didn’t want Chi Han to feel worse. After offering a few words of comfort, he quickly changed the subject.

Once the family doctor arrived, he gave Chi Han a fever-reducing injection and made him take a few pills. Only after seeing Chi Han’s temperature begin to slowly drop did he finally leave, feeling reassured.

In the middle of the night, Chi Han woke up groggy and dazed. He reached for his phone and saw a message from Rong Xu.

Rong Xu: [Are you asleep?]

Suddenly, Chi Han felt a wave of grievance. It had been such a long, long time since he last saw Rong Xu. Because of the time difference and Rong Xu’s rehab training, the two of them barely had any time to talk each day.

Often, he’d send a message and have to wait two hours just to get a reply.

Maybe it was because he was sick, but the things he could normally endure suddenly felt like a huge boulder pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.

He turned over in bed, his head heavy and foggy to the point of misery.

He wanted to see Rong Xu. He wanted to hear his voice.

And once that thought surfaced, it became unstoppable.

Chi Han pressed his hand to the screen. His voice was hoarse—so hoarse it hurt—and without realizing it, there was already a trace of tears in his tone.

He sent a voice message.

“Rong Xu… Can we video call? I’m starting to forget what your voice sounds like…”

On the other end, Rong Xu had just finished his rehab. His legs were in intense pain, and even his hands were shaking.

The moment he heard that message, it felt like a dull knife had stabbed straight into his heart.

When the rehabilitation plan was first set, Rong Xu insisted on being able to walk normally within a year. The medical team once believed the intensity was too much for him to endure, but he gritted his teeth and persisted.

The attending doctor once praised to his assistant, “This Chinese boy’s perseverance far exceeds that of ordinary people. To complete training that’s like hell itself is truly astonishing!”

The assistant smiled and replied, “That’s because, in his heart, not being able to stand to meet the one he loves would be the real hell.”

Rong Xu clenched his slightly trembling hand, took a deep breath, and typed: [What’s wrong? Has someone bullied you?]

After a moment, Chi Han sent another voice message. Rong Xu opened it, but before he could finish listening, he felt his heart shatter.

Chi Han said, “No one bullied me. I just suddenly missed you a lot.”

“I’m sick and don’t have the strength to type. I want to see you.”

Chi Han lowered his eyes; the sun behind his eyelids throbbed painfully. The room was so quiet that his heartfelt voice had nowhere to hide.

Just when he thought Rong Xu would still refuse, his phone suddenly rang.

It was a video call from Rong Xu.

Chi Han’s heart instantly pounded wildly. All the blood surged in his chest and eardrums.

He tapped the screen several times before finally pressing the answer button.

The moment the call connected, a familiar face appeared on the screen—sharp and deep-set eyes and brows, just as he remembered.

Chi Han froze, greedily looking at the person as if wanting to memorize every detail.

Rong Xu gently lifted the corners of his lips. In that instant, the cold snow in his eyes melted away: “Chi Han.”

Chi Han stared blankly, and after a long moment, a tear fell.

“You’ve lost weight.”

Although Rong Xu hurriedly tried to hide it, the collar still slipped down, revealing a corner of his hospital gown.

Chi Han looked at him, his throat tightening painfully. He let out a soft sigh, “Lost a lot of weight.”

Rong Xu suddenly found himself speechless, barely able to maintain the calm on his face.

He gripped his phone tightly, his brow trembling.

After a long moment, he smiled faintly, the corners of his eyes slightly red.

“Yes, I’ve lost weight. I’ll gain it back later.”

Though separated by the screen, countless mountains and seas lay between them.

The room suddenly fell silent, and no one spoke.

Rong Xu’s clear, dark eyes fixed firmly on Chi Han. He spoke softly, “How did you get sick? Have you taken your medicine?”

The medicine was starting to work on Chi Han, but he wasn’t ready to hang up so easily. He looked at Rong Xu with some sleepiness, his eyes full of stubbornness: “It snowed today, probably got cold. The doctor gave me an injection. The fever’s not so bad now.”

Rong Xu saw through Chi Han’s forced words. His heart felt like it had a hole, aching badly.

He gently coaxed, “Are you sleepy? Then just sleep. How about I video call you again tomorrow?”

Chi Han’s reaction was slow; only after half a minute did he nod with a bit of joy.

“Go to sleep. I’ll watch you fall asleep before I hang up.” Rong Xu’s voice was so gentle that it felt like it could drip with warmth.

Chi Han unconsciously closed his eyes, feeling as if Rong Xu was whispering right by his ear, and couldn’t help but quietly blush at the tips of his ears.

“Rong Xu…”

Like a whispered murmur spilling out from a dream, Rong Xu brought the phone closer, the corners of his lips slightly sinking.

“Hm?”

“Does your leg hurt…”

In that instant, a thousand blossoms of spring bloomed in Rong Xu’s heart. He gently kissed the one who had already drifted into sleep and softly said, “It doesn’t hurt.”

Chi Han, you are my only medicine.

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