RKNDL chapter 23

“But I… I’m not very good at cooking,” Xie Zhinan said weakly.

“Let’s wait and see,” Wen Yun replied, raising an eyebrow.

Xie Zhinan didn’t say anything else. He buried the lower half of his face in the blanket, his expression turning inexplicably strange.

He sneaked a glance at Wen Yun, only to find Wen Yun looking right back at him. Startled, he quickly lowered his eyelashes.

A few seconds later, he snuck another glance, only to meet Wen Yun’s dark eyes again. Flustered, he averted his gaze once more.

When he looked for the third time, Wen Yun finally broke the silence and said, “If you really don’t want to treat me to a meal, forget it.”

Xie Zhinan shook his head vigorously under the blanket.

Wen Yun then asked, “What are you trying to say?”

Xie Zhinan hesitated for a long time, his hand—the one with the IV needle—resting on the bed’s edge. It twitched slightly and accidentally brushed against Wen Yun’s warm hand, which was resting nearby. The warmth was oddly comforting.

After a brief pause, Xie Zhinan tried to pull his hand away, but Wen Yun naturally clasped his cold fingertips.

Xie Zhinan’s hands were beautiful—slender and delicate, with well-balanced proportions. Even when pressed together, they were so small.

Wen Yun frowned slightly and gave his fingers a gentle squeeze.

Xie Zhinan’s arm weakened, and his fingers reflexively curled, lightly scratching Wen Yun’s palm, causing a faint ticklish sensation.

After holding his hand for two seconds, Wen Yun gently placed it back down and asked, “Are your hands cold?”

His hands were cold from the IV drip, but it was bearable. Xie Zhinan replied, “It’s fine.”

Wen Yun observed his expression for a moment to confirm he wasn’t lying before asking, “Then what’s wrong?”

After two seconds of silence, Xie Zhinan blushed to the tips of his ears and awkwardly mumbled, “…I need to use the bathroom.”

Wen Yun finally understood.

Xie Zhinan had been too embarrassed to ask for help but couldn’t hold it anymore.

He had been watching him to see if he was leaving.

When awake, he was always so hesitant and disobedient.

And yet, if Wen Yun left, he would feel aggrieved.

Wen Yun sighed, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He stood and reached for the IV stand. “Let’s go.”

As expected, Xie Zhinan looked flustered. “I-I-I… I can do it myself.”

While speaking, he reached with his free hand for the IV stand, but Wen Yun lightly swatted it away.

“Don’t move,” Wen Yun said, casting him a sideways glance.

Xie Zhinan immediately retracted his hand, looking like a scolded child. He glanced at Wen Yun nervously and mumbled, “Okay.”

Wen Yun didn’t argue further. He simply nodded toward him and said, “Put on your shoes.”

Xie Zhinan obediently followed, moving one step at a time. But as he got out of bed, his vision went dark, and his legs gave out. He nearly fell.

Fortunately, Wen Yun caught him.

Xie Zhinan ended up in Wen Yun’s arms, his nose instantly filled with his cool, woody scent.

Wen Yun’s lips were close to his ear, and Xie Zhinan heard him let out a soft chuckle, as if mocking his foolish attempt to act tough.

The warm breath tickled the outer part of his ear, leaving it burning and itching at the same time. Flustered, Xie Zhinan pulled away from Wen Yun’s embrace, blushing furiously. This time, he behaved, letting Wen Yun accompany him without protest or further fuss.

The private hospital room was a single-occupancy suite, clearly a high-end one. It even came with a bathroom that looked like it belonged in a luxury hotel. The environment was pristine.

Standing in front of the toilet, Xie Zhinan froze. Not only did he not move, but he kept sneaking glances at Wen Yun.

Wen Yun, showing no mercy, caught his hesitant looks with a downward glance. His cold, indifferent eyes met Xie Zhinan’s, and he asked, “Do you need me to take off your pants for you?”

Xie Zhinan shook his head furiously.

Wen Yun replied with mock seriousness, “I wouldn’t mind if you did.”

Xie Zhinan’s face turned bright red. After a long silence, he stammered, voice barely louder than a whisper, “C-could you…step out for a moment?”

Wen Yun: “…”

He was momentarily speechless, but he found Xie Zhinan’s reaction genuinely amusing. With a chuckle, he teased, “What, are you a little girl now?”

Xie Zhinan clamped his mouth shut, turned his face away, and refused to look or speak to him again.

Seeing how stubborn he looked, Wen Yun decided not to push further. He didn’t want to make things harder for him, so he sighed, “Fine. Call me when you’re done,” and walked out.

Xie Zhinan mumbled an indistinct acknowledgment, and only after hearing the soft click of the door closing did he let out a relieved breath.

Awkwardly, he fumbled with one hand to unbutton and unzip his jeans, his movements clumsy and hesitant. Finally, he managed to adjust himself properly, albeit with considerable effort.

He thought it was just a fever, not as if he were paralyzed and incapable of taking a single step on his own. So, without calling Wen Yun, he pushed the IV stand by himself, enduring the dizziness and weakness in his legs, and walked out of the bathroom.

As expected, Wen Yun was waiting outside. When he saw Xie Zhinan emerge, lips pale and steps unsteady as he leaned on the IV stand, Wen Yun’s eyebrows twitched slightly. It was a helpless expression, as though he had already guessed that Xie Zhinan would never call for his help.

Clicking his tongue softly, he said, “So stubborn.”

His tone didn’t sound like criticism—there was even a hint of affection in it. Xie Zhinan’s face started heating up again, and he instinctively whispered in defense, “…I’m not.”

Wen Yun countered, “You are.”

Xie Zhinan tried to suppress his frustration but couldn’t help retorting, “I’m really not.”

Wen Yun’s face remained expressionless as he replied coolly, “You really are.”

Xie Zhinan wanted to argue that it wasn’t that serious, but his face turned bright red, and he didn’t continue. He felt this childish back-and-forth shouldn’t be happening between him and Wen Yun.

When Wen Yun saw that Xie Zhinan had gone quiet, he stopped teasing him and sighed lightly, saying, “Go back to bed and rest.”

Xie Zhinan murmured a soft “Okay,” supporting himself on the IV stand as he walked back to the bed. This time, Wen Yun didn’t follow closely behind or stay by his side like before. It seemed as though he truly didn’t plan on helping. Unable to resist, Xie Zhinan turned his head to glance back.

—Wen Yun was walking behind him after all, his arm hovering protectively near his back, ready to catch him if he faltered.

When Xie Zhinan’s gaze met his, Wen Yun didn’t seem to think there was anything unusual about his actions. He asked calmly, “What is it?”

It was strange.

There wasn’t even any physical contact this time, nor were they as close as before, yet Xie Zhinan’s heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and his stomach felt as though butterflies were fluttering inside.

He silently shook his head, his bright red ears giving him away as he returned to the hospital bed.

By now, it was already three in the afternoon. Wen Yun had long ordered congee to be delivered, which was kept warm in a thermal container. Seeing that Xie Zhinan looked a little better, he brought over the congee and urged him to eat.

Xie Zhinan wasn’t particularly fond of congee, and his upset stomach left him with no appetite. He frowned at the bowl of perfectly cooked red bean congee, the rice grains soft and fragrant, yet it still looked unappealing to him.

However, he hadn’t eaten breakfast after waking up late in the morning and hadn’t had a single meal in over ten hours. Combined with a high fever, it was no wonder he felt dizzy and weak.

He knew he had to eat something.

Wen Yun, aware of his picky eating habits, coaxed gently, “Recover faster, and you can eat whatever you like.”

Only kids need to be coaxed into eating, Xie Zhinan thought, feeling embarrassed. He quickly took small bites and finished the sweet congee. Once he was done, drowsiness overcame him again. His head drooped, eyelids drooping and struggling to stay open, until they finally closed.

Wen Yun’s fingers itched. After hesitating for a long moment, he couldn’t resist lightly pressing down on Xie Zhinan’s head and saying, “Sleep.”

Xie Zhinan closed his eyes again and sank into a deep slumber.

…..

By the time the IV drip was finished, it was nearly six in the evening. Wen Yun drove Xie Zhinan back to his apartment complex.

Wen Yun had covered the medical expenses, and Xie Zhinan insisted on reimbursing him. This time, Wen Yun didn’t refuse.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Xie Zhinan looked at the numbers on the receipt and widened his eyes in amazement.

It would have been better to just go to a small clinic for an IV, staying in this private hospital for a few hours was so expensive.

Wen Yun glanced at him from the side and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xie Zhinan, while reluctantly transferring money, muttered, “Nothing, just thinking my value has really skyrocketed.”

Wen Yun smiled. “This is what you call skyrocketing?”

Xie Zhinan casually said, “Since I was a kid, I’ve never spent more than two hundred on medical bills.”

Probably because he’d been with Wen Yun all afternoon, Xie Zhinan’s attitude softened a bit toward Wen Yun, and he became more talkative. After speaking, he thought for a moment and added, “Usually, around thirty bucks is enough for two days’ worth of medicine, and some medicines are both cheap and effective. We usually kept some at home so we didn’t even need to go to the clinic. But those kinds of medicines were usually not sold in pharmacies.”

Afterward, he seemed a little proud, yet smiled modestly. “But I can get them.”

Wen Yun stayed silent for a long time.

Xie Zhinan waited for a while, but when he didn’t hear him speak, he turned to look at him.

Wen Yun was quietly watching him, his dark eyes filled with the sight of Xie Zhinan’s tired face from his illness.

His face looked so worn, yet Xie Zhinan’s eyes were bright, as if taking care of himself while sick was a remarkable thing to him.

It didn’t matter if no one cared, if no one was concerned; he was making an effort to take good care of himself.

A burning emotion surged in Wen Yun’s throat. He swallowed, suppressing the pain in his throat, maintaining calm on his face, and quietly said to Xie Zhinan, “…Mm, that’s impressive.”

Xie Zhinan, realizing he had said too much, blushed a little and smiled awkwardly.

“The doctor’s medicine today needs to be finished. You can’t stop just because you feel better, got it?” Wen Yun instructed.

“I know,” Xie Zhinan said softly. “I’ll finish it.”

Wen Yun hummed in response, saying, “Go home and rest early. If you’re not feeling well tomorrow, take the day off.”

Xie Zhinan slowly responded with an “Oh,” then sluggishly reached for the car door handle. As the door opened halfway, he hesitated, as if uncertain about something.

Wen Yun kept watching him, observing his retreating figure and then the way he paused at the car door.

This time, Xie Zhinan didn’t leave. Instead, as if he had made up his mind about something, he slowly turned back, like he had finally poked his head out of a closed shell. His eyes held a soft, inviting look.

Wen Yun’s heart jolted, hot and numb, a certain premonition rising within him, stirring an indescribable desire.

He kept his eyes fixed on Xie Zhinan, his black pupils deepening with hidden, subtle allure, and hoarsely asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xie Zhinan, completely unaware of Wen Yun’s unusual behavior, nervously and perhaps a little anxiously asked in a low voice:

“…Do you want to come up and sit for a while?”