ITC Chapter 22

Since Bai Xizhou had already said that much, Wen Ruqing had no reason to refuse anymore. He finished the hot water in his hands before standing up and followed behind Bai Xizhou, dutifully playing the role of a little tail.

He followed Bai Xizhou deeper into the building and arrived at an office. Bai Xizhou told him to go in first and wait for a while. Wen Ruqing obediently did as told, but Bai Xizhou didn’t go in—he just stood at the door.

The two, newly reunited, had little to say.

Bai Xizhou leaned against the doorway, glancing inside from time to time. All he could see was Wen Ruqing’s back. He was wearing many layers, looking a bit bulky, but beneath those layers was a thin, bony frame. The back of his neck, exposed, showed jutting bones. Bai Xizhou looked away, deep in thought.

From the end of the hallway, Qu Qingchen walked quickly toward them. Soon, he was by Bai Xizhou’s side. He peeked into the room, preparing to enter, but Bai Xizhou stopped him.

“Whatever condition he’s in, make sure he’s admitted tonight,” Bai Xizhou whispered in Qu Qingchen’s ear, speaking softly enough so Wen Ruqing inside wouldn’t hear.

He didn’t explain why, but fortunately, Qu Qingchen wasn’t the type to probe for details. He simply nodded and entered the office.

Wen Ruqing heard the sound and turned his head, momentarily confused. The man looked familiar—he thought he’d seen him before. Maybe it was the illness fogging his mind, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t quite remember where.

“I appeared once in one of Bai Xizhou’s videos,” Qu Qingchen said, meeting Wen Ruqing’s gaze. “I’m Qu Qingchen.”

“Dr. Qu.” Wen Ruqing remembered now—he’d seen him on Bai Xizhou’s computer screen before. But back then, Bai Xizhou had quickly closed the laptop, and he hadn’t gotten a good look at their faces.

He only remembered that Qu Qingchen was sitting next to another man, and their manner seemed a bit too close—more than just friends.

But maybe that’s just how close some friendships are. Even though Wen Ruqing thought it odd, he didn’t say anything.

Qu Qingchen began asking about his symptoms, and Wen Ruqing answered everything—talking about the medications he’d been taking and the state of his life recently. Qu Qingchen asked very thoroughly, writing things down in handwriting that Wen Ruqing couldn’t read.

Wen Ruqing thought to himself, Isn’t this a bit much? He just needed the same meds as before, maybe another box of painkillers, then he could go home, sleep it off, and be fine the next day. That’s how he’d been getting through it all along.

During a quiet moment while Qu Qingchen was writing, Wen Ruqing’s gaze fell on the ring on his fourth finger. It was a simple band, but beneath it, you could see a faint mark where it had clearly been worn long-term. Distracted, Wen Ruqing found himself wondering—This guy looks to be around Bai Xizhou’s age… already married, huh?

“All done. Take this slip to the nurse station—they’ll bring you to your room,” Qu Qingchen said, handing the form to Wen Ruqing.

The handwriting on the slip was wild and barely legible, making Wen Ruqing’s headache just looking at it. He couldn’t understand—did his condition really require hospitalization? Wasn’t this making a mountain out of a molehill?

But he didn’t dare question the doctor. Holding the form, he walked out. Bai Xizhou was still standing at the door. Their eyes met for a brief moment—neither spoke. Wen Ruqing quickly lowered his gaze, bypassed Bai Xizhou, and headed straight to the nurse’s station.

After Wen Ruqing left, Bai Xizhou entered the office.

“What’s his condition?” he asked Qu Qingchen. “Is it serious?”

“Preliminary assessment suggests gastritis caused by irregular eating and excessive stress. This has probably been going on for a while. It’s hard to say how severe it is right now. I recommend a gastroscopy tomorrow to get a clearer picture,” Qu Qingchen replied while tidying up his things. He was on duty tonight, but not in this area—he had come over because Bai Xizhou had called him.

“He also has a bit of hypoglycemia. I’ve prescribed a glucose IV. As you requested, we’ll keep him overnight. But make sure you ask him tomorrow if he agrees to the gastroscopy.”

“Got it. Thanks.”

“No need to thank me. I’m off now.” Qu Qingchen waved and left.

By the time Bai Xizhou came out, Wen Ruqing was no longer at the nurse’s station. After asking a nurse, he found the room where Wen Ruqing was staying. He was already hooked up to a glucose drip and talking on the phone. His smile looked a little weak, but it was clearly genuine.

“I’m doing fine, Auntie,” Wen Ruqing said. Then he noticed Bai Xizhou standing at the door and immediately looked a little guilty. His voice softened. “I’m feeling a bit tired, Auntie. Let’s talk next time.”

This hospital room only had Wen Ruqing in it. After the call ended, the room became dead silent. The air felt a little heavy.

Bai Xizhou walked over and sat by his bedside without a word, quietly observing him. His gaze was unreadable. Wen Ruqing started feeling nervous under that look and instinctively avoided eye contact.

“The doctor suggests you do a gastroscopy to determine the severity of your condition. What do you think?” Bai Xizhou was the first to speak. His tone was calm—no emotion, no sign of inquiry either.

“No…” Wen Ruqing began to refuse, but the moment he saw Bai Xizhou’s furrowed brows, he faltered. “Okay, I’ll do it. It’s good to check anyway.”

He didn’t even know why, but the current Bai Xizhou was kind of intimidating. Since they’d met again, he hadn’t smiled once, and that stern expression looked downright fierce. Wen Ruqing didn’t dare to go against him.

Gastroscopy? Sure, if he says so. Whatever he says, he’ll just go with it.

Bai Xizhou didn’t know what was going through Wen Ruqing’s head, but he was relieved to hear his agreement.

“It’s late. Get some sleep. I’ll keep an eye on the IV,” Bai Xizhou said, his tone much gentler now.

Hearing that, Wen Ruqing obediently lay down and closed his eyes.

Partly, he didn’t want to face Bai Xizhou like this—he wasn’t sure what to say to him. And partly, he really was tired. Ever since the exam ended, he’d felt exhausted every day.

When the IV finished, Bai Xizhou called a nurse to remove the needle. Wen Ruqing seemed to be truly drained—he didn’t even wake up during the process. The nurse asked Bai Xizhou to press down on the injection site for a while, and he followed the instructions.

Wen Ruqing’s hand was a little cold. After pressing the spot, Bai Xizhou tucked his hand under the blanket. That movement made Wen Ruqing stir a bit—he shifted to sleep on his side, his face now facing Bai Xizhou, eyelashes trembling slightly as if he were about to wake up.

“Lawyer Bai…” he murmured softly, the words unusually clear in the quiet hospital room.

“Hm?” Bai Xizhou leaned in a bit to hear him better.

And in that moment, he caught a scent—besides the usual disinfectant, there was also the familiar smell of the medicated patches Wen Ruqing always used.

“I got… I got into the graduate program for ancient book restoration… don’t be mad at me.”

It was probably sleep talk—mumbled and unclear—but luckily, Bai Xizhou could still make out the words.

“Then congratulations. I also got promoted to senior partner. Aren’t you going to congratulate me?” Bai Xizhou leaned in closer.

He didn’t know if Wen Ruqing could hear him, but he still wanted to tell him. The person he had been longing to confide in was now right in front of him.

They were very close—just a little bit closer, and he could touch Wen Ruqing’s nose. The freckles on his face were clearer now… though it turned out not all of them were freckles. Just beneath his eyes, there was a small brown mole. Bai Xizhou suddenly remembered someone once told him that fair-skinned people are more prone to freckles. Wen Ruqing was indeed very fair—but now it was kind of pale tinged with illness.

“So nice…” Wen Ruqing must’ve been having a good dream. His lips curved up faintly, and he even let out a couple of silly chuckles.

If Qu Qingchen were here, he’d probably be surprised at the tenderness in Bai Xizhou’s eyes. He gently brushed aside Wen Ruqing’s bangs, revealing a pale, smooth forehead. His bangs had grown quite long, almost covering his eyes.

The hospital room was heated, but it still felt a little chilly. Bai Xizhou tucked the blanket around him more securely, then looked up at the window—beyond it, only darkness.

He sat quietly by the bedside for a long time. Whatever he was thinking, perhaps only the night knew.

All the emotions swirling inside him eventually dissolved into a single sigh swallowed by the silence.

 

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The next morning, Wen Ruqing woke up in the hospital bed feeling much better. His stomach no longer hurt. He looked around but didn’t see Bai Xizhou.

Well, of course. The man had work. Taking him to the hospital yesterday was already a lot—how could he expect him to stay?

According to the schedule, the nurse took him to get a gastroscopy. This time, the doctor wasn’t Qu Qingchen, but someone unfamiliar—he looked older than Qu.

“Dr. Qu is a neurosurgeon. He was just on duty yesterday,” the nurse explained, probably noticing Wen Ruqing’s confusion.

After the exam, the doctor warned him to eat and rest regularly. His condition was already a bit serious, and if he didn’t start taking care of his stomach, he’d regret it later.

Maybe because he had seen too many cases like this, the doctor even tried to scare him—saying that if he kept going like this, it might eventually develop into stomach cancer.

Wen Ruqing silently listened, keeping his mouth shut. He felt uncomfortable after the procedure. After the doctor prescribed some medication, he was finally allowed to leave.

And the moment he walked out, he ran into Bai Xizhou—who was holding breakfast in his hand. Seeing him come out, Bai Xizhou asked how it went, and Wen Ruqing answered honestly.

“Mm, got it.” Bai Xizhou didn’t say much, just handed him the breakfast. “Come to my car. After you eat, I’ll drive you home.”

Home…

No way.

“No need. I can go back on my own.”

His current home was small and remote, and messy too. What if Bai Xizhou insisted on going up?

“Someone else at home? Not convenient for me to come up?” Bai Xizhou raised an eyebrow. “Got a boyfriend?”

“No.” Wen Ruqing flatly denied it.

“Then can’t I, as a friend, care about where you’re living?” Bai Xizhou bit down hard on the word friend, like he was deliberately emphasizing it.

Wen Ruqing couldn’t outtalk him. Well, Bai Xizhou was a lawyer—someone who made a living with words. They were different types of people.

He finished the breakfast in Bai Xizhou’s car, and they drove toward his place—taking several turns and gradually leaving the city center—until they arrived at a run-down neighborhood.

The outer walls of the building were peeling, stained with black streaks. Under the stairwell, piles of junk were stacked.

You didn’t need to go inside to know what kind of place it was.

Wen Ruqing got out of the car. Seeing Bai Xizhou’s dark expression, he figured he didn’t want to go upstairs. So he thanked him and turned to head up. But after only a few steps, Bai Xizhou grabbed his wrist.

“Wen Ruqing, how long has it been since we last met?” he asked in a low voice. “Why are you in such a hurry to leave?”

“More than half a year,” Wen Ruqing said. His wrist ached a little from the grip.

“Eight months,” Bai Xizhou corrected. “I thought I made myself clear before I left. Maybe you didn’t want to stay friends. Is that why you’re not even wearing the watch anymore?”

“No, I just put it away so I wouldn’t lose it.” That watch had been well kept by Wen Ruqing—didn’t even have a speck of dust on it.

Bai Xizhou gripped his wrist tightly, trying hard to control his emotions. There were things he had wanted to ask since yesterday, but because Wen Ruqing had been sick, he held back. But now, standing in front of this building, he couldn’t hold it in anymore.

He had been here before. He knew everything about this place. The rent was cheap, but the living conditions were terrible—small space, and if you wanted to cook, you had to set up a stove outside. Winters in Xincheng were brutal, and this place didn’t even have heating.

Even like that, Wen Ruqing had never once asked him for help.

“Wen Ruqing, is it really that hard to ask a friend for help? Even if I had nowhere to put you, I wouldn’t have let you live here.”

His voice wasn’t loud—not even clearly angry—but Wen Ruqing knew: Bai Xizhou was very, very angry.

The words hit his ears like cold water. Under his sleeves, Wen Ruqing’s hands clenched into fists.

How was he supposed to explain? He felt wronged too.

He wanted to say, You didn’t contact me either. Why is all the blame on me?
And didn’t they agree? That once they left Cloud Town, they’d forget that whole chapter. Wasn’t that their original agreement?

But none of that came out.

He knew Bai Xizhou cared. But he didn’t want to owe him too much.
And from the day he came back to Xincheng, he never intended to ask for help.

“Lawyer Bai, it’s because we’re friends that I didn’t want to trouble you. Living here is fine—it’s not as bad as you think.”

Wen Ruqing tried to speak lightly, with a relaxed expression, to show Bai Xizhou that he wasn’t doing so badly. But he knew it was a lie—during the whole exam prep period, his life had been a mess.

“I’m giving you two options now,” Bai Xizhou said.

“One: I have an empty apartment. It’s not big, but definitely better than here. Go pack your things and move there. If you feel uncomfortable, you can pay the same rent you’re paying here.”

He paused, voice lowering.

“Of course, if you refuse, you still have the second option. And that is—we…”

Bai Xizhou didn’t let him speak. He looked into Wen Ruqing’s eyes and finished:

“…never see each other again. Go our separate ways. I’ll pretend I never went to Yundaun Town, never met you, never became your friend.”

A forced multiple choice question, laid out in front of Wen Ruqing.

He stared at Bai Xizhou, eyes wide, filled with confusion.

So many words. So much apparent anger.

But in the end, it was all because he still cared.

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Author note:

Frozen Starlight:

Bai Xizhou, so angry he’s completely incoherent.

Wen Ruqing, trembling and too scared to say a word.