Chapter 77

Chapter 77

"Brother Heng... you're something else!"

Xie Hang's lips curved slightly, "You're up next."

Only one student remained in line at the window, and Ji Mian quickly turned back to order from the lady.

They didn’t have any classes in the afternoon, and after lunch, Ji Mian asked, "Brother Heng, are you going back later?"

Xie Hang thought for a moment and asked, "Are you going back to the dorm?"

"Nah, I’m heading to the court later to shoot some hoops. I’m not coming out tonight; it’s been pretty chilly lately, and I just want to stay in bed at night."

March weather is always all over the place. Just a couple of days ago, a hoodie was enough to head out, but now it’s suddenly gotten colder, and they had to put on their jackets again.

"Then I’ll tag along."

"Wait, Brother Heng, you play basketball?"

"No."

Ji Mian was surprised, "So... you’re just gonna stand there and watch?"

"Yeah, just watching."

Ji Mian thought to himself, Xie Hang’s idea of fun was pretty lame.

"Ready to go?"

Xie Hang shot him a look. Back then, Song Yu didn’t know how to play either, and he’d jumped at the chance to teach him. He was really into it.

"Sure."

"Affection Points +100, courtesy of Xie Hang."

Ji Mian hesitated for a second with the tray in hand, then got up to return the tableware as if nothing had happened.

Xie Hang's Affection Points were indeed strange.

*

After lunch, the court was packed.

Ji Mian quickly picked out a few familiar faces and was about to head over.

"Brother Heng, there are seats over there."

Xie Hang followed the direction Ji Mian pointed, but he didn’t sit down.

Maybe because it was daytime, there were more people on the court than Xie Hang had ever seen before.

He quietly watched the students running after the ball.

Most guys seemed into basketball, but Xie Hang was part of the special minority. Just like Ji Mian didn’t enjoy long-distance running, Xie Hang couldn’t understand why so many people liked playing basketball.

Xie Hang leaned against the fence a bit away from the court, watching the most dazzling young man on the court.

Ji Mian's basketball skills were excellent; he intercepted the ball, twisted his waist, and agilely passed through the center, passing the ball to an unguarded teammate at the midline, all in one smooth motion.

His messy hair caught the sunlight, and the hint of brown in his black hair became particularly noticeable at that moment.

Xie Hang found himself unable to look away from Ji Mian. The same heart-racing feeling he had when he kissed Ji Mian's hair returned.

This time, without the noisy cheers of students in the classroom, the intense heartbeat in his chest was extremely clear.

"Wow, he's so hot!"

"He's really good-looking, and he's a junior in our department, right? My roommate's talked about him a bunch."

Behind Xie Hang, outside the court fence, came the voices of two girls.

"Yeah, I think his name is Lu Zhou?"

"His name's cool too. Wonder if he's single, huh?"

"Probably. Guys like him have been popular since high school—bet he’s been dating for a while. Ugh."

Xie Hang finally looked away from Ji Mian. He glanced at the two girls and then looked around.

Most of the onlookers, guys and girls alike, were staring at Ji Mian in the middle of the court.

Those girls were right—he’s always had people chasing after him.

Whether from our department or others, just last semester, Xie Hang heard about four people confessing to Ji Mian.

And that was just what he’d heard—there were probably more.

Ji Mian never talked about his admirers. He’d reject them privately but always let them save face. In reality, way more than four people were into him.

Xie Hang’s grip on the fence tightened suddenly.

He wished Ji Mian were a player, but instead, Ji Mian was hung up on Song Yu, acting like he was the only one who mattered.

Loyalty was supposed to be a good thing, but on Ji Mian, it just made Xie Hang frustrated.

"Affection Points +200, courtesy of Xie Hang."

Ji Mian was about to jump for the block when he heard the prompt, hesitating just enough to throw off his timing.

A taller guy behind Ji Mian jumped up first, grabbing the ball but not noticing Ji Mian below—his elbow slammed into Ji Mian’s shoulder.

The hit left Ji Mian dazed for a second.

He was jumping up as the guy came down, doubling the force of the hit.

Before the pain even registered, he lost his balance, stumbling as he landed and almost falling.

Everyone on the court stopped moving.

"Shit… The guy who got the ball froze, then tossed it aside and rushed to help Ji Mian up. 'Sorry, man—you okay, Xiao Zhou?'"

Ji Mian’s shoulder hurt like hell, but he forced a calm expression and said, "I’m fine."

The guy was still worried: "Damn, that looked like it hurt…"

Ji Mian was about to say something when his left wrist was grabbed, and then his left shoulder bumped against someone's chest.

He turned his head and saw Xie Hang's furrowed brow.

"Brother Heng." Seeing it was him, Ji Mian unconsciously relaxed, leaning his weight slightly towards Xie Hang. Ji Mian thought the pain would subside after a short while, but when he moved his right shoulder, he found that even his arm was numb, probably because the hit had affected a tendon somewhere.

He raised his left hand and waved to the people on the court, "You guys go ahead, I’m gonna take a break."

Xie Hang pulled him over, and he sat down on the bench by the court.

The guy who bumped into him stopped playing and walked off the court with Ji Mian, still worried: "Xiao Zhou, you sure you’re okay?"

"Yeah, I just zoned out for a sec."

The guy finally relaxed, "Alright, take it easy. If you’re still feeling off later, I’ll take you to the infirmary."

Hearing Ji Mian’s response, the guy turned back to the court.

"Does it hurt bad?" Xie Hang asked in a low voice after the guy left.

It did hurt, but Ji Mian thought it wasn’t a big deal, so he said, "It’s fine, just my arm’s a little numb, no big deal."

"Brother Heng," Ji Mian said, sounding conflicted, "What’s been on your mind all day?"

Why do these Affection Points keep popping up every now and then?

Xie Hang didn’t get what he meant and didn’t press further.

His mind was stuck on Ji Mian’s injury: "Let’s hit the infirmary, even if it’s nothing, icing it won’t hurt. I’ll go with you."

Ji Mian felt a headache brewing. In his previous life, he had stayed in the hospital for several years, and now just hearing the word "infirmary" made him uncomfortable.

He really didn’t want to step foot in a place reeking of disinfectant.

"I... I just wanna rest for a bit," he tugged at Xie Hang’s sleeve, almost pleading, "Brother Heng, let’s skip it, okay?"

Xie Hang, whose sleeve he was tugging, was clearly caught off guard.

To Xie Hang, this whole act was pretty much Ji Mian being cute.

He always figured he couldn’t stand people acting cute. Every time someone acted cute, guy or girl, Xie Hang would cringe.

But now, the feel of Ji Mian’s sleeve brushing his wrist sent a shiver up his spine, making his waist twitch.

—Shit.

For a second, he lost all sense, his brain forcing his mouth to go along with Ji Mian, no fight left in him.

"...Alright, we won’t go."

*

Skipping the infirmary meant Ji Mian couldn’t even lie flat that night, the spot near his right shoulder blade pressed into the bed, making it worse than during the day.

He had to switch positions, rolling onto his side.

But the next morning, when Ji Mian woke up, the spot where he’d been hit wasn’t just sore—it was swollen too.

"Seriously?"

He immediately got up, pulled open the loose collar of his pajamas, and tried to twist his neck to look at his shoulder.

Near his shoulder blade, there was a red and blue lump.

It was really swollen.

"It looks pretty bad. You should get it checked out," the system urged.

With the swelling this bad, even though Ji Mian hated hospitals, he had to give in.

He grabbed his phone from the pillow and checked the time—it was already after seven.

He had an 8 a.m. class, so there was no way he could hit the infirmary for meds before then.

He would have to wait until after class.

He scrambled out of bed, powered through his morning routine, and threw on a loose jacket over his crewneck to hide the swelling on his back.

Since his backpack hurt his shoulder, Ji Mian had to sling both straps over his left shoulder, giving him a kinda edgy teen vibe.

With that, Ji Mian headed out.

He got to class, ate the breakfast Xie Hang brought him, and then plopped back into his seat a few minutes before class, same old routine.

"Class rep... Xiao Zhou?"

The Class 4 monitor called out to Ji Mian from behind, but the room was too loud, so he tapped Ji Mian’s back.

"Ow—" Ji Mian practically leaped out of his seat.

"Whoa..." The monitor was shocked and yanked his hand back.

Xie Hang’s eyes snapped to Ji Mian, his brows knitting together.

"It’s nothing, just got banged up yesterday..." Ji Mian turned around, wincing. "What’s up?"

"Oh, yeah," the monitor was still a bit out of it. "The Counselor wants all monitors and class reps to meet tonight. Probably about the psych class meeting. He just sent the notice in the group chat."

"Got it. What time?"

"7:30."

Ji Mian tried to give a thumbs-up with his right hand, but it yanked his back, so he winced and switched to his left.

The monitor laughed, "Hurt yourself playing ball, huh?"

"Yeah, no big deal." When Ji Mian turned back, he caught Xie Hang’s intense stare.

"What happened? It wasn’t this bad yesterday."

Xie Hang’s tone was concerned, but his darkening eyes made Ji Mian’s skin crawl.

"I checked this morning, and it’s... kinda swollen?" Ji Mian’s voice wavered under Xie Hang’s icy glare.

"..."

Without a word, Xie Hang grabbed his wrist and yanked him up. "Let’s hit the infirmary."

"Now? What if the teacher takes roll?"

"Probably not."

"Didn’t you say not to take risks?"

Xie Hang’s eyes locked onto him, and Ji Mian shut up fast.

Xie Hang pulled him along, and he obediently followed, wisely keeping quiet until they entered the infirmary.

After checking in at the infirmary, Ji Mian grabbed the slip and walked into the exam room, with Xie Hang accompanying him and standing by his side.

"Where are you hurt? Take off your shirt so I can take a look."

"My back, near the shoulder," Ji Mian said as he slipped off the loose jacket.

Right before pulling up his sweatshirt, he glanced at Xie Hang beside him and bit his lip.

Ji Mian wasn’t comfortable being shirtless around others, always feeling a bit uneasy.

He still lifted his shirt, baring his back to the doctor and Xie Hang, from his lower back to his shoulder, completely exposed.

Ji Mian's waist was striking, slightly narrower than most boys', toned with a thin layer of muscle, with clear and smooth lines.

Because his back rarely got any sun, it was even paler than the rest of his body.

Above the beautiful waistline, a broad patch of pale skin, facing the light, was almost blinding.

Xie Hang only glanced once and instantly felt off, hurriedly averting his gaze.

But when Ji Mian revealed the injured area on his shoulder, the ugly bruise pulled Xie Hang's gaze back, making his heart tighten.

Ten minutes later, the doctor confirmed that there were no bone or tendon injuries and handed him an ice pack and some ointment, telling him to ice the swelling and then apply the ointment.

Ji Mian headed back to the dorm.

Xie Hang, too worried, didn’t go to the classroom and accompanied him back to the dorm.

Ji Mian wrapped a towel around the ice pack, climbed into bed with it, and lay down to ice the area for over half an hour.

When Xie Hang reminded him of the time, he got up to check the wound, which had indeed reduced in swelling significantly.

"Brother Heng, it seems almost healed!" he said, clambering down the ladder from the bed.

Xie Hang was sitting on Ji Mian's chair, waiting below his bed, and upon hearing this, he tapped the ointment box prescribed by the school doctor lightly on the table, indicating there was still medicine to apply.

Almost healed? No way.

He opened the medicine box, took out a piece of ointment, and unwrapped it. The pungent smell of herbal medicine quickly filled the entire dorm.

Ji Mian took the ointment patch from his hand, fumbled with his hands a few times, and then stopped.

How was he going to put this on his back?

"I'll do it."

The ointment patch returned to Xie Hang's hands.

He stood up, "...your clothes."

"Oh." Ji Mian turned his back, hiked up his sweatshirt, and leaned against the ladder, waiting for Xie Hang to act.

In the infirmary, with people coming and going, it didn’t feel as strange.

Now, with the dorm door tightly closed and only Xie Hang and Ji Mian inside, the privacy felt more intense, especially with the latter's back right under Xie Hang's eyes, within easy reach.

The smell of herbal medicine filled the air, making one feel a bit dizzy. Xie Hang tried his best to focus only on Ji Mian's injury and not on anything else.

He peeled off the waterproof patch and pressed one corner of the medicated patch onto the upper right side of the wound. As he worked, his knuckles accidentally brushed against the delicate, warm skin of Ji Mian's back.

Ji Mian leaned his forehead against the ladder's handrail. Applying the medicated plaster inevitably irritated the wound, making his breathing unsteady.

If Xie Heng weren't here, he would have cried out.

Xie Heng felt the skin under his hand trembling slightly, like snow-laden branches swaying in the winter breeze.

He suddenly realized that the situation was very awkward.

If he weren't holding the medicated patch, it would almost feel like...

His mind began to wander involuntarily, and Xie Heng instantly felt his mouth go dry and his blood rush.

He sped up his movements, eager to escape the strange atmosphere. But in his haste to smooth the edges of the patch, he applied too much pressure.

"Ugh..." Ji Mian's eyes nearly welled up with tears from the pain.

Xie Heng's legs nearly gave out at the sound of Ji Mian's stifled moan.

"Sorry—" he began, but his voice was hoarse, so he quickly shut his mouth.

"It's okay." Ji Mian took a moment to collect himself, holding back the tears. "Is it on?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks, Brother Heng." Ji Mian tugged his shirt down and started to turn around.

Xie Heng didn't know what his expression was at that moment, but he instinctively knew he couldn't let Ji Mian see his face. He muttered, "I'm off to class," and quickly walked past Ji Mian, leaving.

By the time Ji Mian realized what had happened, the dorm door had already slammed shut.

Ji Mian: "..."

In a rush?

Ji Mian thought Xie Heng was in a hurry to get to class and felt a little guilty for holding him up.

He moved his shoulder slightly. The patch had some ingredient that made the wound feel cool, unlike the sharp pain before.

After all the fuss, it was still not even nine o'clock. But if he was going to skip class, he might as well skip the entire period.

For the remaining hour, Ji Mian simply rested his head on the desk.

About twenty minutes later:

"Affection Points +100, contributor Xie Heng."

"Affection Points +80, contributor Xie Heng."

The sound of Affection Points being added started echoing in his mind. He wondered what Xie Heng was thinking about now.

"System."

The system responded, "I'm here."

"Don't you think Xie Heng's points are a bit strange?" Ji Mian recalled that at the end of the last world, the system suspected that Duan Zhuo and Lu Ge's Affection Points were abnormal data. He asked, "Is there abnormal data in this world too?"

"It's unclear at the moment. We'll need to report to the main system after this small world ends. But I also think Xie Heng's Affection Points are a bit high."

After the system finished speaking, it paused for a moment.

It actually had a seemingly ridiculous idea.

If the unusual Affection Points from Duan Zhuo and Lu Ge in the last two worlds were just coincidences, it could grudgingly accept that.

But now, with abnormal data showing up in this world too, it’s hard to believe there’s no connection.

"Let’s not stress about this for now. The abnormal data is actually positive, so it’s a good thing for both of us."

"Mm."

Ji Mian turned and stared at the dorm door for a moment.

"I don’t get it..."

*

Ji Mian waited until the second period before heading back to class. After that, Xie Hang, who sat next to him, barely spoke until the end of the last class.

Xie Hang usually skipped dinner, only occasionally grabbing a bite with Ji Mian when they were together.

After the six o’clock class, Xie Hang headed to the library to study. By the time he left the library and finished his run on the field, it was already after nine.

He slowed down, walking half a lap to catch his breath, and glanced over at the basketball court.

Tonight, the basketball court was missing its usual player. Ji Mian was still injured and wouldn’t be playing for the next week.

He was probably moping in the dorm right now.

At the thought, a small smile tugged at Xie Hang’s lips.

Suddenly, he remembered something and came to a slow stop.

When he picked up the medicine that morning, he’d read the instructions on the ointment—it needed to be changed every twelve hours.

Knowing Ji Mian, he either didn’t read the instructions or would put it off until morning.

Xie Hang turned and left the field.

When he got back to the dorm, only Chen Xu was there, sitting by his bed.

"Oh? Xie Hang, you’re back," he said, sounding surprised.

"Yeah. Where’s Lu Zhou?"

"He’s in the shower, probably almost done."

Xie Hang shut the door and could hear the faint sound of water from the bathroom.

He waited by his bed for a few minutes, and soon Ji Mian came out of the bathroom with a towel on his head, wearing buttoned-up pajamas.

Seeing someone else in the dorm, he froze for a moment. "Brother Heng, what are you doing here? Are you staying over tonight?"

"You could’ve just texted me. Why’d you come all the way here?"

"..."

Xie Hang frowned, annoyed at himself for being foolish. Why hadn’t he thought of sending a message?

Chen Xu leaned out: "Xiao Zhou, you got injured?"

"Ah, it's no big deal. Brother Heng, you can go back. Xu Zi can help me with the dressing."

"What medicine?" Chen Xu stood up from his chair and walked over.

Ji Mian took a piece of medicated plaster from the table and handed it to him, "Help me put it on my shoulder, at... never mind, you'll know where to put it when you see it."

With that, he turned his back to Chen Xu and pulled up his pajama top.

They say the first time's the hardest, but it gets easier. This morning, Ji Mian still felt uncomfortable exposing his upper body in public, but after lifting it twice, he got over his shyness.

Chen Xu was stunned when he saw his back, silently amazed at how a man's back could look so good.

He was about to tear off the waterproof sticker on the plaster when the patch was suddenly snatched from his hand.

"I'll do it," Xie Hang said coldly.

Chen Xu's hand hung in mid-air, bewildered. He turned to see Xie Hang's icy, frost-covered eyes.

What's up with him?

"...Oh, sure," he mumbled.

Ji Mian glanced back, meeting Xie Hang's icy gaze, his thoughts similar to Chen Xu's.

What's wrong?

Xie Hang grabbed Ji Mian's left wrist and yanked him aside.

He gripped so tightly that Ji Mian's wrist ached.

Combined with the force Xie Hang used when applying the plaster this morning, Ji Mian now had only one impression of him: Brother Heng doesn't know his own strength.

He was a little nervous, "Brother Heng, take it easy, okay?"

"..."

Xie Hang stayed silent for a while.

With his back to Xie Hang, Ji Mian could only hear his heavy breathing. After a few moments, there was only a soft, drawn-out sigh.

...

...

The next morning, at 8 AM sharp, Ji Mian bumped into Xie Hang on his way to class and hurried over and slung an arm around Xie Hang's neck.

"Morning, Brother Heng."

Xie Hang's neck dipped slightly under Ji Mian's arm. Once Ji Mian released him, he straightened up and said, "Morning."

Ji Mian gave him a concerned once-over, "Brother Heng, didn't sleep well last night?"

Xie Hang seemed a little out of it, though his eyes were sharp. But the faint dark circles under his eyes indicated he didn't sleep well last night.

"Yeah."

"Insomnia?"

"No. I woke up in the middle of the night and didn’t want to go back to sleep."

Ji Mian nodded, understanding. "Did you have a nightmare?"

Xie Hang glanced at him, his lips pressed together.

Ji Mian raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I did."

Usually, when someone mentions having a nightmare, the listener would curiously ask about the dream.

But Ji Mian, scared of ghost stories, didn’t push it.

Entering the classroom, Ji Mian was about to walk up the steps when Xie Hang suddenly stopped. "I’m sitting in the first row."

He walked straight to the first row without any intention of discussing it with Ji Mian.

"Ah?" Ji Mian followed, and when he saw where Xie Hang stopped, his expression turned complicated.

Right in the center of the first row, facing the teacher’s podium.

They’d call someone sitting here a werewolf—tougher than the toughest.

"You sure, Brother Heng?"

"Yeah. I’m really into today’s class."

"Really? College health ed... that’s... interesting, huh?" Ji Mian gave him a wary look, unsure if this was the same cold, serious Xie Hang he knew.

"..."

Xie Hang hadn’t checked the course name, and now, hearing Ji Mian, his jaw tightened.

He knew Ji Mian must think he looked like a creep.

"Yeah, interesting," Xie Hang muttered, giving up.

Ji Mian sighed. Alright then.

Ji Mian hesitated; he didn’t want to be in the teacher’s line of sight, where he’d likely get called on.

"You can sit in the back," Xie Hang offered kindly.

Ji Mian hesitated, then closed his eyes, bracing himself. "No need!"

"It’s just the first row. Let’s do it!"

He set his backpack down with determination and sat next to Xie Hang, facing the podium.

For his bro, he was all in.

Xie Hang sighed.

He looked down, sighing inwardly.

Ji Mian, sitting in the front row for the first time, felt anxious with the limited view.

All he could see was the podium and screen—no one to hide behind if he wanted to nap.

He took a pen and twirled it twice in his right hand to ease his anxiety.

The black pen was twirled between Ji Mian's fingers, the stark contrast between black and white strikingly vivid.

Ji Mian didn’t notice that Xie Hang had, at some point, turned his gaze and was staring intently at his hand.

Xie Hang had always known that Ji Mian’s hands were beautiful, so flawless that even the most discerning hand enthusiasts couldn’t find a single flaw.

The faint blue veins on the back of his hand were faintly visible, and the tips of his fingers were tinged with a slight redness. Ji Mian was a bit of a germaphobe; after touching something in the dorm, he would always meticulously wipe his hands with alcohol wipes.

Last night, after waking up from a dream, the last image lingering in his mind was the scene of Ji Mian slowly wiping his fingers with a wet wipe.

Xie Hang must have recalled something, and his ears turned bright red within seconds, the redness spreading all the way down to his neck.

Ji Mian turned his head, and the pen in his hand fell onto the desk with a clatter.

"Brother Heng," Ji Mian’s eyes widened in shock, "You’re bleeding from your nose!"

"..."