If the experiment needs a human subject and that person can’t say a single honest word, then the whole thing’s pointless.
Whether or not it actually helps with quitting smoking—after all that arguing, they still didn’t get an answer.
Kissing, honestly, is already one of the most intimate things two people can do. The brain floods with dopamine during the whole thing, and it hits both the body and the heart in ways you can’t really ignore.
Lin Shen was a mess inside, but the kiss? Yeah, it felt damn good.
He had zero interest in breaking it all down with Lu Chengxuan. He didn’t care what the kiss meant, and he wasn’t planning on overthinking it either.
After dropping a casual ‘We’re just bros’ and ‘Don’t expect me to take responsibility,’ Lin Shen basically burned the bridge and knocked out cold, straight-up passed out like nothing happened. Since he was blind anyway, he had a solid excuse to ditch class and crash at the infirmary to catch up on sleep.
Once the split skin at the corner of his mouth stopped bleeding, Lu Chengxuan stepped out to get a form from the school nurse and headed off to ask the homeroom teacher for leave.
Then he came right back to the infirmary and sat quietly at the bedside, reading a book and keeping watch.
Back in the classroom, the sudden emptiness of four seats in the middle row didn’t go unnoticed. The school gossip mill kicked into high gear, spinning out wilder and wilder stories that nobody could seem to stop.
Luckily, Lin Shen’s eyes were fine again by the time he woke up, so he made it to evening study just in time.
Otherwise, the ‘Campus Heartthrob Scandal’ might’ve spiraled all the way into #MysteriousDisappearanceTwoPeopleGoneOvernightRumoredToHaveBookedAHotelRoom# territory.
The second half of senior year was pure chaos, with review pressure squeezing every last bit of free time from everyone. Lin Shen’s sudden blindness from light sensitivity and his sick leave got around pretty fast—started in Class Seven and then spread.
But once the buzz died down, fewer people cared. It mostly became lowkey tea shared in small girls’ group chats.
*
Time passed, and finally, Lin Wangye was discharged from the hospital.
“Did we forget anything?”
“Hmm, I don’t think so? Let me check…”
“What about this bouquet—still want it?”
“Of course I do! It’s so pretty! Yeah, it’s a bit wilted, but I can still press it into dried flowers!”
Lots of people had come to visit Lin Wangye while he was hospitalized, each bringing little gifts or tokens of care. He’d already eaten or used up most of the snacks and drinks, but when it came time to leave, there was still a pile of stuff to carry.
Like the banner Jiang Bowen gave him that said, ‘Survived Disaster, Blessings Ahead.’
Like the ‘Five Years Gaokao, Three Years Mock Exams’ book from Yang Qingsen.
And the delicate bouquet brought by Fu Xuexue when she came to see him.
Even though Lin Wangye had been in the hospital for so long and was mostly better now, he still couldn’t lift anything heavy or use too much strength. He needed more time before he could go back to living normally, just to avoid any aftereffects.
Good thing he was right-handed—his left hand was the one that got hurt.
Even Lin Shen joked that at least it didn’t stop him from doing homework.
The day he got discharged happened to be a Friday. Lin Shen and Lu Chengxuan had school, so only Shi Yuan was there to go with him. Luckily, they didn’t have that much stuff to take, and the car the Lu family arranged was parked nearby. As soon as the two of them walked out of the inpatient building, they got into the car and hit the road.
When they first arrived at the hospital, winter hadn’t fully passed yet. But somehow, just like that, it was already March. People on the streets had ditched their heavy winter coats for light jackets, and little gardens along the road were bursting with spring color everywhere you looked.
Lin Wangye glanced down at the sweater and thick wool coat he was still wearing, let out a breath, and blew his bangs away from his forehead.
“No wonder. It’s already spring… I was wondering why I felt hot.”
Shi Yuan gently adjusted the collar he’d tucked in earlier, carefully reminding him, “It still gets really cold at night. Once you’re home, I won’t be there every day to take care of you, so don’t just toss all your warm clothes aside. You just got out of a serious illness—your immune system isn’t back up yet. Be careful not to catch a cold.”
“Okayyy—”
Lin Wangye dragged the word out, blinking up at him with a sticky, soft look as he leaned closer. “I don’t wanna be apart from you… Can’t I come live at your place?”
“No.”
Shi Yuan pushed up his glasses with one hand, smiling gently but sounding firm—no room for negotiation.
“That guy’s already been caught,” Lin Wangye said in a small voice, trying to reason with him. “He can’t get out, right? Your place should be safe now.”
Shi Yuan lightly pinched his cheek with his fingertips and spoke softly, “That apartment’s not great anyway—it’s not comfortable to live in. Plus, a bunch of debt collectors know the address. It’s not really safe. I already talked to the landlord—we’re not renewing the lease once the contract ends. Nobody’s gonna live there anymore. Once Suihe finishes this round of treatment, I’ll rent a new place near Renmin Hospital.”
“Alright…”
Lin Wangye didn’t push it. He just rested his face on Shi Yuan’s shoulder and rubbed against it like a cat.
“I actually had a little money saved up,” he mumbled, “was thinking of helping you and your grandparents get a nicer place. But that guy took everything… I probably won’t get it back. He’s such a bastard.”
“You being okay is already a miracle.” Shi Yuan sighed. “I’ll figure out the money. You don’t need to worry so much. Whatever was taken, I’ll pay you back.”
Lin Wangye suddenly sat up straight, his brow furrowed.
“I don’t want you to pay me back. That money’s not your fault.”
It was the first time since they met that Lin Wangye had gotten visibly upset like that.
It was over a hundred thousand—his own savings—and that amount definitely wasn’t small. Shi Yuan didn’t immediately understand what he’d said wrong and started trying to explain, “But I…”
Lin Wangye glanced at him, pouting a little, but his tone was dead serious.
“If the money’s gone, then it’s gone. I don’t care if it was blackmail or if you threw it into the ocean—I don’t want it back. What’s the deal between us? You better get rid of that whole ‘borrow and pay back’ idea, like, now. What’s mine is yours.”
And then, as if that wasn’t clear enough, he added softly:
“I’m yours too.”
Shi Yuan froze for a second. Seeing how upset Lin Wangye really was over this, he suddenly didn’t know what to say.
The way this boy loved—openly, fiercely—it hit straight in the heart.
It made him feel like no matter what he gave back, it’d never feel like enough.
Like he’d have to give everything just to even it out a little.
“…You’re right. I was wrong.” Shi Yuan’s eyes were honest, and his voice was gentle but deeply sincere as he apologized. He took a beat to find the right words, then coaxed softly, “When things get better later, I’ll take you out to eat good stuff every day, and I’ll buy you everything you like.”
Truth is, Lin Wangye wasn’t being unreasonable about any of this.
He just had this way of always wanting to give the best of what he had. Everything good in his world, he wanted to share. That’s how Uncle Shi used to be with him. And now, Xu Sui Nian was the same.
But he didn’t want to just sit there taking it all like it was owed to him.
Because when you really love someone, you want to give too.
It’s not about logic. It just is.
As soon as Shi Yuan finished talking, Lin Wangye’s face brightened like a cloudy sky turning sunny. He tilted his head with a big grin, leaned on Shi Yuan’s shoulder again, laced their fingers together, and smiled in that super satisfied way.
“Now that’s more like it.”
Honestly, even the best guys need a little training.
Just moments ago, he’d been visibly pissed off. Now? The way he could be soothed so easily—it was actually kind of cute. Even the driver up front couldn’t help but chuckle quietly, and then covered it up with a couple of serious-sounding coughs.
Lin Wangye peeked up at Shi Yuan, trying not to laugh, and stuck out his tongue quickly.
Shi Yuan couldn’t help smiling too. He reached up and gently rubbed his face.
The Lu family’s place wasn’t far from the hospital, so they pulled up at the front gate pretty quickly. The butler was already waiting outside and came right over to open the car door.
Since Lin Wangye had just been discharged, he still had to rest at home for a few days like the doctor ordered.
And as for Shi Yuan—no matter what, he had to get back to school.
Right before getting out of the car, Lin Wangye looked at him with a reluctant little gaze.
“…I’m going back now.”
“Mm,” Shi Yuan replied, still worried, reminding him over and over, “Watch the wound, don’t move too much. If you feel even a little bit off, you have to tell me right away, okay? Don’t hide it. Got it?”
“Got it.”
Lin Wangye gave his fingers a gentle squeeze, then bent down and got out of the car. He stood by the road and gave a small wave at the back of the car. Only after the sedan turned the corner and vanished from sight did he finally turn around and leave.
The butler followed behind him with the stuff from the hospital and walked with him back home.
Once he got to his room, the first thing Lin Wangye did was rush into the bathroom for a quick shower.
The weather was just right—not too cold, not too hot—perfect for healing.
The wounds on his hand and shoulder had already scabbed over. Light pink scars stretched across what used to be smooth, pale skin—pretty noticeable, honestly.
He hadn’t dared let Shi Yuan see them at all these past few days.
Now, pulling off the bandages and looking at them in the mirror by himself, he couldn’t help but shiver a little as the image of that silver, gleaming knife flashed back in his mind.
Especially the stitched wound just under his collarbone. It was maybe ten centimeters away from his heart, but even from that distance, looking at it in the mirror still made his stomach twist.
Crap. This is bad.
Sure, it’s in a spot that’s mostly hidden unless you’re staring into a mirror, and regular clothes during most of the year would cover it just fine.
But to someone close to you… it’s the first thing they’d see.
Later on… if things ever get there with Shi Yuan, won’t it just hit him like a gut punch every time?
Is his happy-ever-after life totally doomed now?
The more he thought about it, the more he panicked. He quickly rinsed off and didn’t let the wound stay wet for long. As soon as he got back to the room, he grabbed the scar cream the doctor had prescribed and smeared a thick layer over the cut under his collarbone, then carefully wrapped it up with gauze and tape.
He flopped onto the bed and just lay there for a while, but sleep wouldn’t come. So he grabbed his phone and made a call.
The other side picked up almost instantly.
But just as Lin Wangye was about to speak, he suddenly heard the voice of the math teacher coming through the speaker. Something deep in his instincts, wired into his DNA from years of school, kicked in—he tensed up immediately, fully expecting to get called on at any second.
After about five seconds, the call was hung up from the other side.
Not long after, a WeChat message popped up like clockwork:
[A: Still in class.]
[A: What’s going on? You feeling okay?]
Lin Wangye glanced at the rookie badge on the chat and only then realized—it was still afternoon class time. Crap. He quickly started typing back with one hand.
[Xiao Lin Offers Himself: Nope, not okay.]
[Xiao Lin Offers Himself: Miss you so bad my heart hurts QAQ]
[Xiao Lin Offers Himself: Go on with class, this little puppy can play all by himself QAQ]
[A: I already know everything they’re teaching this period.]
[A: I can chat with you.]
[Xiao Lin Offers Himself: The math teacher’s super mean! Be careful your phone doesn’t get confiscated!]
[A: It’s fine ^^]
[Xiao Lin Offers Himself: Hehe, then give little puppy a kiss.]
[A: How am I supposed to kiss you? I can’t reach you.]
[A: So frustrated.]
[Xiao Lin Offers Himself: =3= Kiss like this~]
[A: =3=]
[Xiao Lin Offers Himself: =3=]
[Xiao Lin Offers Himself: Kiss landed! Happy!]
*
[Xiao Lin Offers Himself: Hellooo?]
Lying in bed, Lin Wangye rolled over and checked his Wi-Fi—everything seemed normal. He was just starting to wonder when another notification popped up.
[185 Pure-Hearted Tall Boy: Hahahahahaha]
[185 Pure-Hearted Tall Boy: Xu Suinian just got his phone confiscated and got scolded HARD hahaha you two dumbasses]
[Xiao Lin Offers Himself: ……]
[Xiao Lin Offers Himself: You’re just jealous.]
[Xiao Lin Offers Himself: A phone you can get back. But single dogs? They’re forever dogs! You ain’t got no mouth to kiss with, neener neener neener~]
*
After clapping back with a few lines, the other side went silent.
Lin Wangye scratched his head. Something felt off.
Then—ding. Another message popped up.
[Lu Chengxuan: Lin Shen’s phone just got taken too.]
[Lu Chengxuan: Don’t reply.]
*
Author’s Note:
Lin Wangye: One single WeChat message. Two phones. Two men down.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
