Chapter 43: A Night in the Hospital

But just a few seconds later, Li Xiao suddenly smiled.

That smile started at the corners of his mouth, slowly spreading across his entire face, finally reaching his eyes, which gleamed with amusement.

In an instant, he shifted from the tough, irritable, even slightly wounded state he had been in, back to his usual easygoing, slightly roguish demeanor.

“I don’t believe you.”

Li Xiao raised an eyebrow, sat back down on the chair by the bed, leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, and got close to Jiang Yu:

“If you didn’t like me, why did you block that bottle for me just now?”

Jiang Yu was taken aback by his sudden change of expression and the question. His ears uncontrollably turned red:

“…That was a reflex. Any normal person would have blocked it.”

“Subconscious actions reveal true feelings.”

Li Xiao smiled like a sly fox:

“Because you were afraid I’d get hurt. Because just like I care about you, you care about me too.”

“I do not!”

Jiang Yu’s cheeks were completely red, even his neck was tinged with pink:

“I just… just didn’t want to cause trouble for the bar!”

“Sure, let’s say that.”

Li Xiao looked at his flushed face, his smile deepening. In his heart, the barren wasteland that had been there for over twenty years suddenly burst into bloom.

Jiang Yu felt utterly uncomfortable under his gaze and glared at him angrily:

“It’s true!”

To Li Xiao, the way Jiang Yu looked right now was simply adorable to the point of being maddening.

The curve of Li Xiao’s lips refused to drop.

He glanced at the time. It was already past three in the morning.

“Let’s sleep.”

Li Xiao stood up and laid the headboard flat behind Jiang Yu:

“I’ll stay here with you.”

Jiang Yu lay down, adjusting his position:

“Don’t you need to go back?”

Li Xiao dimmed the hospital room lights:

“I’m not going back.”

He sat down on the accompanying chair, his long legs folded somewhat awkwardly:

“How could I leave with your hand injured like this?”

Jiang Yu watched his tall frame squeezed into that small chair, and something in his heart softened.

He shifted over to the other side of the hospital bed:

“…You can come up and sleep.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Jiang Yu wanted to bite off his tongue.

What was he saying?!

Li Xiao was stunned too.

After a few seconds, he laughed, his eyes extraordinarily bright in the dim light:

“Is that an invitation?”

“No! I mean… this bed is pretty big, you, you can sleep on the other side…”

Jiang Yu’s voice grew quieter until it was almost inaudible.

Li Xiao watched him, wishing he could bury himself in the blanket, and let out a low laugh.

He stood up, walked over to the bed, and under Jiang Yu’s nervous gaze, leaned down and gently pressed a kiss to his forehead.

“Go to sleep.”

Li Xiao’s voice was unbelievably tender:

“I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Jiang Yu froze completely.

That kiss on his forehead was so light, a mere brush that parted instantly, like a feather grazing his skin.

But the skin there felt like it was on fire, burning all the way into his heart.

He closed his eyes, forcing himself to sleep.

But his heartbeat was terrifyingly loud, pounding against his eardrums, one beat after another, in the quiet hospital room.

After who knows how long, when Jiang Yu was on the verge of sleep, he felt someone push open the door, walk in, and remove the IV needle from the back of his left hand.

Soon after, someone gently grasped his left hand.

A warm palm wrapped around his fingers, carefully avoiding the spot where the needle had been.

Then, he heard Li Xiao’s voice, very low, as if talking to himself or to him:

“Jiang Yu, I’ll make you understand…”

“With me, you never have to feel small, never have to feel like you’re not good enough.”

“I want you to stand tall and proud by my side.”

Jiang Yu’s eyelashes fluttered.

He didn’t open his eyes, but the fingers of his left hand, within Li Xiao’s palm, curled very, very slightly.

…

Jiang Yu didn’t sleep deeply. The pain in his arm and the unfamiliar environment woke him several times.

Every time he groggily opened his eyes, he saw Li Xiao leaning back in that chair that was too small for him, eyes closed but with a slight frown, as if he too was sleeping restlessly.

Li Xiao had draped his own coat over himself, his long legs tucked up uncomfortably.

Outside the window, the snow was gradually stopping.

Just as dawn was breaking, the phone on the bedside table vibrated.

It was Jiang Qing.

Jiang Yu fumbled for the phone with his left hand, cleared his throat, and answered.

“Bro!”

Jiang Yu’s voice carried the nasal quality of just waking up and obvious worry:

“You didn’t come home last night? Where are you?”

Li Xiao was also woken by the phone vibration. He opened his eyes and looked at Jiang Yu.

Jiang Yu made a ‘shh’ gesture to Li Xiao, trying to make his voice sound normal:

“Mm, I got off work too late last night, and the snow was heavy, so I just slept in the bar’s break room.”

“Really? Nothing happened, right?”

Jiang Qing was suspicious.

“No.”

Jiang Yu glanced at Li Xiao, who was watching him with a smirk. He quickly looked away:

“Hurry up and get ready for school. Don’t be late. I’ll be back later.”

“Oh… then take care, and remember to eat breakfast.”

“Got it. Go now.”

After hanging up, Jiang Yu sighed in relief. When he looked up, he met Li Xiao’s smiling eyes.

“You’re pretty slick at lying.”

Li Xiao stood up, stretching his stiff neck and shoulders, which gave a slight crack.

“What else was I supposed to say?”

Jiang Yu put the phone back:

“Tell her I ended up in the hospital blocking a bottle for you?”

“She’ll see your injury when she gets home from school tonight anyway.”

Li Xiao walked over to the bed and naturally reached out to touch Jiang Yu’s forehead to check for fever.

Jiang Yu turned his head away from his hand:

“At least then I’ll be in front of her, and she’ll see I’m fine, so she won’t worry too much.”

“But if I told her I’m in the hospital now, she’d definitely skip school and come straight here.”

“By the way, if she asks, I’ll say I slipped on the way home from work. Don’t you let it slip later.”

Li Xiao laughed and nodded:

“Hungry? What do you want to eat? I’ll go buy it.”

“Whatever.”

“‘Whatever’ is not an option.”

Li Xiao picked up his coat and put it on:

“Porridge? Xiaolongbao? Soy milk and fried dough sticks?”

“…Porridge then.”

“Wait here.”

Li Xiao quickly left the room.

About half an hour later, he returned carrying two insulated bags. Inside were not only steaming hot chicken porridge and several light side dishes but also steamed egg custard suitable for a patient.

He set up the bed table, arranged the food neatly, then naturally sat on the edge of the bed, picked up the bowl of porridge, and gently stirred it with a spoon to cool it down.

“I’ll do it myself.”

Jiang Yu reached out his left hand to take the spoon.

“Your left hand isn’t convenient.”

Li Xiao avoided his hand, scooped up a spoonful of porridge, blew on it, and brought it to his lips:

“Open up.”

Jiang Yu looked at him, not moving.

“What, afraid I poisoned it?”

Li Xiao raised an eyebrow:

“Or… are you embarrassed?”

“…I can eat by myself.”

Jiang Yu insisted, reaching for the spoon with his left hand.

Li Xiao looked at his stubborn expression and didn’t push further. He handed him the spoon and picked up another bowl of porridge, drinking it slowly, but his gaze never left Jiang Yu.

Jiang Yu scooped the porridge with his left hand, his movements clumsy, and a bit of porridge clung to the corner of his mouth.

Li Xiao took a tissue and naturally reached over to wipe it off.

His fingertips brushed against the skin, carrying warmth.

Jiang Yu paused, lifting his eyes to look at him.

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