Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Half an hour later, the medicine in the IV bottle on the left side of Ji Mian's hospital bed was completely empty, even the infusion pot above the pump was empty.

The system had to remind him: "The blood is backing up."

The pressure in the slender plastic IV tube was insufficient, and the blood began to flow back, with about ten centimeters of the tube turning a deep crimson.

Ji Mian sat up, realizing that even sitting up was quite a struggle for this body.

He reached out and turned the pump down to the lowest setting, then pressed the intercom to call the nurse.

"Bed 24?" A voice came from the intercom.

"Please help me change the medicine."

Ji Mian's actions were unusually composed, a stark contrast to his earlier confusion when he first arrived in the first world.

The system was impressed by how much its host had matured. Many of Ji Mian's emotions had remained in the previous world with Duan Zhuo. Of course, this was a good thing for completing tasks.

As for what it meant to Ji Mian, the system couldn't make a hasty judgment.

While waiting for the nurse, Ji Mian scanned the room.

It was a single room, and the equipment was more advanced than a standard ward. The floor was spotless.

It seemed that the original host's financial and social standing were quite high.

The window was cracked open, and a soft, warm breeze drifted in, brushing Ji Mian's right hand resting on the pure white bedding.

It was a pair of elegant hands, with long fingers and distinct knuckles. The pale skin tone nearly matched the white of the blanket, both equally cold.

The skin seemed unusually thin. The veins on the back of the right hand were a deep blue, clearly visible through the skin. They were so pronounced they seemed to lie just beneath the surface, potentially unsettling to some.

The door to the ward opened, and the nurse pushed a medical cart in, quickly replaced the IV.

"All done, Mr. Xu. Let me know if you need anything," she said politely to Ji Mian.

"Thank you."

"No need to thank me, it's my job," the nurse replied, then blushed and whispered, "If Mr. Qin comes, could you ask him for Wen Yu's autograph for me?"

Ji Mian, who was still piecing things together, instinctively smiled and said, "Sure."

With the affirmative answer, the nurse left cheerfully, her steps light.

"Would you like to receive the plot now?"

"Yes."

Unfamiliar memories rushed in.

Ji Mian closed his eyes.

There were two protagonists in this world: one was the "Mr. Qin" mentioned by the nurse, whose full name was Qin Yan, the protagonist gong of this world. The other was the protagonist shou, Xu Zhixia, who was also the younger brother of Ji Mian's current body.

Ji Mian's current identity was Xu Chiqiu, the frail and cunning male supporting character in this world.

Xu Chiqiu had been in poor health since childhood. Although his parents cared for him deeply, their attention towards him noticeably decreased after they had their second child.

The Xu family was considered a minor local wealthy household, with substantial financial resources. They never deprived the original host of food, clothing, or daily necessities, but Xu Chiqiu's emotional needs were never a priority for them.

At that time, Qin Yan, the young master of the Qin family, who had just moved next door, noticed the situation of this neighbor boy who was the same age as him.

At the time, Qin Yan was also very young, only about eleven or twelve years old, and had not yet grown into the composed and aloof person he is today. Xu Chiqiu was quiet and frail, seeming extremely well-behaved, which particularly appealed to kids his age.

They naturally became friends.

Although Qin Yan and Xu Chiqiu were the same age, Xu Chiqiu seemed naturally like someone who needed protection. Qin Yan took on the role of an elder brother, taking care of him in every aspect.

But in Xu Chiqiu's heart, Qin Yan was the only source that filled his emotional void. This sole source became unshakable over the years, gradually becoming his spiritual pillar.

Thus, their friendship became one-sided in Xu Chiqiu's eyes.

He fell in love with Qin Yan.

Due to his health issues, Xu Chiqiu had been accustomed to enduring pain since childhood. For him, enduring was as natural as eating and drinking. Xu Chiqiu knew perfectly well that Qin Yan didn’t love him but treated him merely as a good friend, so he always hid his feelings.

He had endured for too long, and the intense love he had suppressed for Qin Yan, along with the suffering brought by his illness, slowly warped Xu Chiqiu's mind.

Xu Chiqiu's unhealthy mindset had shown signs as early as middle school.

In his second year of middle school, his ten-year-old brother, Xu Zhixia, accidentally broke a vase at home.

Xu Chiqiu was in his room when he heard the sound of the vase shattering, and he felt ecstatic.

Mr. Xu loved collecting antiques, and many of the decorations in their home were expensive items he had acquired at auctions. He’d even get furious if the servants didn’t use the right tools for cleaning.

Xu Chiqiu had long been jealous of his brother, and upon hearing that Xu Zhixia had broken their father's cherished treasure, he naively thought Mr. Xu would love his brother less because of this incident.

He deliberately waited for more than ten minutes, until Xu Zhixia had nervously cleaned up the fragments, before going out to check.

But when he went out to inspect, he discovered that the broken vase was not a valuable item at all, just an ordinary decorative vase, a supermarket product worth a few thousand yuan.

Xu Chiqiu was crushed.

As he was about to return to his room, his eyes caught the shiny, sharp fragments on the floor—Xu Zhixia, in his panic, hadn’t fully cleaned up the broken vase.

Xu Chiqiu looked down at the fragments for a few seconds, took off his shoes—and stepped on them barefoot.

His fragile skin was cut, and blood immediately gushed out, like aimless maze lines converging together, turning the white tiles beneath his feet red within minutes.

To this day, those wounds still leave marks on Xu Chiqiu's feet, and the result was quite favorable. Since then, the Xu parents have always been very caring towards Xu Chiqiu, and Xu Zhixia, out of guilt, has always been obedient to Xu Chiqiu, never defying him in any matter.

Xu Chiqiu relished the thrill of revenge but worried Qin Yan might notice his scars.

He was a mix of obsession and contradiction.

Later, Xu Chiqiu and Qin Yan both passed the college entrance examination and were admitted to the same top local university. However, before Xu Chiqiu could finish his university studies, his health deteriorated day by day, forcing him to take a long-term leave of absence and be hospitalized.

In Xu Chiqiu's obsessive mind, all the changes in his life began from the time he took a leave of absence.

Not long after he took a leave of absence, his brother Xu Zhixia also finished his college entrance examination and successfully got into University A, the same university where Xu Chiqiu and Qin Yan were studying. Although he was four years younger than them, he had skipped a grade in middle school due to his excellent academic performance, so he was only three grades behind them.

After that, Xu Chiqiu noticed that Qin Yan's visits to the hospital gradually became less frequent, and he often came with Xu Zhixia. Even later, when Qin Yan had graduated from university for two years and Xu Zhixia was still in his third year of university, they would still arrange to visit the hospital together, which made Xu Chiqiu feel very uncomfortable.

Yes, he did not like this brother who had taken away his parents' attention and love at all, even though Xu Zhixia had always held great respect for him as an elder brother.

Until a few days ago, Xu Chiqiu finally noticed that the way Qin Yan looked at Xu Zhixia was very off. Having been in love with Qin Yan for many years, he immediately sensed that Qin Yan had fallen for his brother. Xu Chiqiu was extremely embarrassed, and what followed was a fierce jealousy that further twisted his already illness-ravaged heart.

Motivated by these feelings, he took many extreme and irrational actions to hinder the progress of Qin Yan and Xu Zhixia's relationship, but was eventually figured out by Qin Yan.

His harmful actions were finally acknowledged by his parents, friends, and Xu Zhixia. You could say he got what he deserved.

It’s now the third day since Xu Chiqiu discovered Qin Yan's feelings for Xu Zhixia.

The system said, "Because of the unique character dynamics in this world, you need to keep your feelings for Qin Yan hidden from the main characters until the truth is revealed at the end. Since you need to hide your admiration, there are very few ways to earn Affection Points in this world, so the Affection Points you earn here will be doubled, meaning you’ll receive double the points."

Even with double points, earning Affection Points in this world won’t be easy.

Ji Mian said, "I understand."

The hospital room door opened again, but this time it wasn’t a nurse who entered.

The man, dressed in a dark suit, stood tall and straight, his eyes icy and commanding, exuding authority. But when he saw the person on the hospital bed, the ice in his eyes began to thaw.

"Chi Qiu."

Ji Mian seemed to sense his arrival the moment the door opened, but only looked up when Qin Yan spoke, "You’re here."

He subtly glanced beside Qin Yan—Xu Zhixia wasn’t there. That annoying guy didn’t show up this time.

"How have you been lately?" Qin Yan approached, putting the gifts he brought in the room’s cabinet.

On the hospital bed, Ji Mian forced himself to play the part.

He gently smiled, a lively expression appearing on his pale face, "I’m not sure if I’m better, but I know if I stay here any longer, I’ll suffocate."

Qin Yan chuckled.

He casually grabbed a bright orange from the fruit bag in the cabinet and turned to ask, "Want some fruit?"

Ji Mian had little appetite—or rather, this body rarely felt hungry during the day.

But when Qin Yan offered something, he always accepted without hesitation.

He nodded in agreement.

Qin Yan sat down, cut the ends off the orange, made five quick cuts, peeled it, and handed the segments to Xu Chiqiu.

Ji Mian took a segment and put it in his mouth. The sweet orange juice slid down his throat, making him nauseous.

This was the body’s natural reaction, and even Ji Mian was surprised by the discomfort in his stomach. He asked, "Can’t even eat fruit?"

He knew that when people are sick, eating greasy food can make them nauseous, but who feels like vomiting after eating fruit?

The system replied, "Yes, otherwise Xu Chiqiu wouldn’t be so thin."

Ji Mian glanced at his body—it was indeed very thin, excessively so.

His wrist bones protruded, and the flesh on his arms barely covered the bones. Fortunately, the hospital gown covered his unsightly arms completely.

Qin Yan handed him another segment of the orange, and Ji Mian reluctantly accepted it, suppressing his discomfort.

"If you’re feeling cooped up..." Qin Yan looked at his quiet profile as he chewed, hesitatingly said, "There’s a banquet the day after tomorrow. The second son of the Lin family is getting married, and many celebrities and elites have been invited. It’s being held on a cruise ship, and I’ve received an invitation."

As soon as he finished speaking, he shook his head, dismissing the proposal he had just made, "Forget it, it’s not suitable. The banquet is too noisy, and staying at sea for three days would affect your recovery."

Although the cruise ship would be equipped with medical resources, Xu Chiqiu’s body was too weak, and there would still be risks if something happened.

"Three days?" Ji Mian tilted his head, seemingly intrigued, "Out at sea the whole time?"

What intrigued him wasn't the three-day sea banquet, but the opportunity to spend three full days with Qin Yan.

"Yes, but your health..."

"I want to go." Ji Mian gazed at him with hopeful eyes.

"...Alright." Qin Yan sighed helplessly, "Then I'll bring Xu Zhixia along too. He's still in school and would probably enjoy such a lively event. You two brothers can catch up."

Ji Mian's smile froze.

"Xu Chiqiu?" Seeing his silence, Qin Yan frowned slightly.

"Oh? Ah... sure, that's fine." Ji Mian forced a smile.

After saying that, he lost the desire to speak further.

The two sat quietly for a moment. Qin Yan found the atmosphere increasingly uncomfortable.

Xu Chiqiu wasn't like his sibling. Xu Zhixia had always been a ray of sunshine, full of energy since childhood, with clean and innocent eyes that could easily brighten the mood of those around him.

As for Xu Chiqiu, honestly, he was a bit too reserved. Although Qin Yan had been closer to Xu Chiqiu in their childhood, he actually preferred playing with the lively and cheerful Xu Zhixia. It was only out of concern for Xu Chiqiu's health that he had spent more time with him.

He glanced at Xu Chiqiu, who hadn't managed to eat a single piece of orange for a while, and tapped his fingertips on his knees, growing restless.

Although Qin Yan and Xu Chiqiu had been friends for many years, over time, Qin Yan had gradually lost the patience he had in his younger days.

Outside, the clouds cleared, and sunlight poured into the ward, landing precisely on Xu Chiqiu's bed.

"Xu Chiqiu" lowered his head, quietly resting his hands on the blanket, palms facing up, gently cupping a beam of sunlight that came through the window, as if catching a butterfly fluttering in the spring breeze.

Seeing this, Qin Yan couldn't help but lose himself in thought for a moment.