Chapter 58: Chapter 58 “Are You Drunk?”…

"Chapter 58: Are You Drunk?"

The evening breeze carried a faint warmth, blowing wave after wave into Chi Chen's heart, leaving him feeling hot and restless.

The boy before him wore a brilliant smile, his eyes sparkling like stars—clear, bright, and captivating. His beautiful, peach-blossom shaped eyes seemed to hold only Chi Chen in their gaze.

Who wouldn’t be moved when pursued by such a blazing Little Sun? The sincere, fervent emotions threatened to overwhelm Chi Chen entirely.

His lips curved slightly, and he lowered his gaze gently, his eyes brimming with love that was almost impossible to conceal.

They say that seeing someone beautiful by lamplight makes every smile and frown captivating.

Lu Zhishi’s pupils widened slightly, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He froze for a moment, his gaze growing flustered as he turned away to look at a small wildflower at his feet.

His cheeks felt a little itchy, but his hands were full, so he couldn’t scratch. Actually, his ears were itchy too.

What to do? His head felt like it was about to puff out steam, and his heart was racing like a little deer. What should he do?

"Lu Zhishi."

"Huh?" Lu Zhishi instinctively looked up into Chi Chen’s eyes.

Chi Chen bent down to take the fat fish and watermelon from his hands, then turned to carry them inside. Before leaving, he glanced back and said, "Wait for me a moment."

"Oh, okay."

Lu Zhishi finally freed up his hands to scratch his itchy cheeks and ears. He rubbed his ears—they were warm.

Before Chi Chen returned, Lu Zhishi paced back and forth a couple of times, his nails digging into his palms.

That was close; he almost lost control.

After pacing twice, Chi Chen still hadn’t come out, so Lu Zhishi crouched down and played with the petals of the small wildflower.

He knew it was wrong—as he fiddled, he couldn’t resist picking the wildflower and began plucking its petals.

"Can, can't, can, can't, can..."

When he reached the last petal, Lu Zhishi held the stem, staring at the final small white petal, and grinned widely.

Perfect. Luck was on his side.

"What are you doing squatting there?" Chi Chen walked out of the house, gently holding his arm to pull him up.

Lu Zhishi’s legs had gone numb from crouching, and he stumbled unsteadily as he stood, automatically grabbing Chi Chen’s wrist.

Once he steadied himself, he slowly let go. Lu Zhishi held up the small wildflower and showed it to him. "I was pulling petals just now."

"Did you get a good answer?"

Chi Chen carried a wine jar and walked with Lu Zhishi back toward the Lu residence.

"The goddess of fortune says my wish will come true."

Lu Zhishi tucked the wildflower, now with only one petal left, into his pocket.

No wonder his eyes were sparkling.

A faint smile flickered in Chi Chen’s eyes as he glanced at Lu Zhishi’s fluffy hair, every strand seeming to radiate joy.

Lu Zhishi asked him, "Brother Xiao Chen, what kind of wine is this?"

"Ginseng wine. It’s good for your health."

"Can I drink it?"

Chi Chen glanced down at him, his expression neutral but his voice carrying a hint of laughter. "It’s high-proof. I don’t recommend it."

Lu Zhishi pressed his lips together, his ears turned red.

Well, everyone knew he couldn’t hold his liquor.

The distance was short, and they arrived after a ten-minute walk. Chi Chen handed him the wine jar at the door.

"Go inside."

"Mm, see you tonight, Brother Xiao Chen." Lu Zhishi hugged the wine jar, his fingers moving slightly in a way of saying goodbye.

Hearing this, Chi Chen’s expression softened. "See you tonight."

Lu Zhishi had planned to wait until Chi Chen left before going inside, but Chi Chen remained standing at the door, clearly waiting to see him enter first.

Lu Zhishi had no choice but to carry the wine jar inside.

"From Grandpa Chi?" Father Lu came over to take a look.

"Probably. Brother Xiao Chen helped bring it over. It’s ginseng wine."

"Well, that old man—finally giving this wine away today." Father Lu was quite pleased and invited Father Song to have a drink that evening.

Father Song said, "I still have a jar of pine needle wine. If you like it, take it."

"A gentleman doesn’t take what’s dear to others." Father Lu declined.

"What ‘dear to others’? It’s just a jar of pine needle wine." Father Song chuckled. "What I cherish is that jar of peach blossom wine from back then. Didn’t you already drink it?"

Lu Zhishi, overhearing, went to the kitchen to ask his Grandma Song, "Grandma, what peach blossom wine?"

"On your grandpa’s 100-day celebration after birth, your great-grandfather buried a jar of peach blossom wine. It wasn’t dug up until your grandpa and I got married, and we used it as wedding wine."

Lu Zhishi was surprised. "Our family has that custom?"

"Not just ours. All the established families in City A have this tradition." Mother Lu chimed in from the side.

"So, do my dads have theirs too?"

"Your two fathers’ peach blossom wine was finished a long time ago." Father Song, returning after examining the wine, overheard the conversation and took the spatula from Mother Song. "Now we’re just waiting to open the jars for you and your brother."

Lu Zhishi flushed red but couldn’t help grinning.

Father Lu ruffled his hair. "Stop laughing. It’s still a long way off. Go call your dads for dinner."

Lu Zhishi beamed and left the kitchen to fetch his two fathers for the meal.

The family of eight included seven who could enjoy a glass of ginseng wine—only Lu Zhishi drank milk, standing out awkwardly.

"Don’t envy them. One sip, and you’d have to take tomorrow off to lie at home." Lu Zhiyu tousled his younger brother’s hair.

Lu Zhishi thought about his low alcohol tolerance, shook his head, and decided against it—better not risk it.

Since the whole family had been drinking and the only one who hadn't drunk was still underage, Mrs. Lu called a driver to take the four of them home.

Lu Zhishi had to admire his two fathers and his lousy brother's alcohol tolerance — he'd seen them drink two glasses, yet they weren't dizzy, their vision wasn't blurry, and they weren't unsteady on their feet.

Lu Zhishi asked, "Dad, do you want me to make some hangover soup for you?"

Song Qinian waved a hand. "No need, this little bit of alcohol doesn't call for hangover soup."

Lu Zhishi, the lightweight, said, "Alright."

Having promised to see Chi Chen that evening, Lu Zhishi headed over after showering, bringing a jar of honey.

"Brother Xiao Chen, did you drink? Do you want some honey water to soothe the alcohol?"

Lu Zhishi placed the honey on the table in the room's sitting area and glanced at Chi Chen's face, noticing it hadn't turned red.

"I drank a little, but I'm not drunk."

Perhaps because he'd been drinking, Chi Chen's voice was deeper and huskier than usual, making his ears tingle.

Lu Zhishi rubbed his ears twice.

Settling back into the sofa, Chi Chen rubbed his temples and waved him over. "Come here."

"Brother Xiao Chen?"

Confused, Lu Zhishi walked over and sat beside him. His left hand was gently lifted as Chi Chen slid a red cord bracelet onto his wrist.

Hanging from it were four red jade beads with gold chains. Lu Zhishi raised his hand for a closer look — on the red beads, the words "May all your wishes come true" were engraved in gold dust.

Chi Chen said, "Wearing it on your left wrist, it won't get in the way when you write."

Lu Zhishi touched it — it wasn't cold at all, instead feeling warm. The beads were actually made of heated jade.

"Thank you, Brother Xiao Chen! I really like it!"

"Glad you like it." Chi Chen leaned back on the sofa, propping his head up lightly with his hand, his brow unconsciously knitted — perhaps without him even realizing it.

"Brother Xiao Chen, are you really not drunk?"

"Not drunk," Chi Chen replied briefly.

Lu Zhishi called out, "Chi Chen."

Chi Chen lifted his eyes, his brow quirked slightly. He looked at Lu Zhishi for a few seconds before letting out a short, soft laugh, his voice barely audible. "That's disrespectful — you should call me Brother Xiao Chen..."

Lu Zhishi's heart began to race again. Keeping his expression neutral, he said, "I was checking to see if you were drunk."

Lu Zhishi didn't know if his cheeks were red, but he definitely felt flushed, and his ears were burning.

"Not drunk," Chi Chen repeated. "There's a scarf in the wardrobe on the far right. Go get it."

It took Lu Zhishi a moment to straighten up. For some reason, he could feel a burning gaze on his back, and he nearly walked out of step.

"Is this it?" Lu Zhishi held up an off-white wool scarf, turning to show Chi Chen.

Chi Chen nodded.

Lu Zhishi brought it over to him, but Chi Chen didn't take it, only saying, "Try it on, see how it looks."

Lu Zhishi asked excitedly, "Is it for me?"

"Mm." Chi Chen gave a slight nod. "It'll get cold soon. You can wear it to school."

Eagerly, Lu Zhishi wrapped it around himself and went to look in the full-length mirror in the room, already thinking about what clothes to pair it with.

"Brother Xiao Chen, did you buy it or knit it?" Carefully taking it off and folding it, Lu Zhishi walked back to sit beside Chi Chen. Noticing his eyes looking increasingly out of it, he decided to make him some honey water.

Chi Chen took a sip, his mouth filling with sweetness. His voice was low and husky as he asked, "Do you want it to be bought or knitted?"

Without hesitation, Lu Zhishi said, "Knitted, of course."

"Mm." Chi Chen downed the drink, set the cup back on the table, and said, "I'll knit you one next year."

"Okay." Lu Zhishi nodded. "Next year, I'll knit one for you too."

Chi Chen's lips curved slightly. "Then I'll wait for it."

His eyes grew even more dazed, shiny with a faint gloss — clearly drunk, yet still insisting he wasn't. Lu Zhishi supported him when Chi Chen stood up.

Chi Chen gently pressed down on the hand supporting his arm. "No need to hold me, I'm not drunk."

Alright, if he said he wasn't drunk, then he wasn't drunk.

Lu Zhishi watched as he steadily made his way to the bathroom and closed the door. Soon, the muted sound of water came from behind the door.

Rubbing his cheek, Lu Zhishi hesitated between leaving and staying, ultimately choosing to stay.

At the very least, he needed to see Chi Chen get out of the bathroom safely and into bed with his eyes closed before he felt comfortable leaving.

And he still claimed he wasn't drunk — had he even remembered to take his pajamas?

Lu Zhishi suddenly remembered.

He knocked on the bathroom door. The sound of water stopped, and Chi Chen's low, magnetic voice came through. "What is it?"

"Brother Xiao Chen, did you forget your pajamas?"

There was a brief silence inside. "Yes."

Lu Zhishi asked again, "Then which set do you want to wear today?"

"Any will do."

So Lu Zhishi went to the wardrobe and picked out a folded set of light gray silk pajamas. Honestly, it didn't matter which set he chose — all Chi Chen's pajamas were in dark colors.

He knocked on the door again. A hazy figure moved closer, and Lu Zhishi slightly turned his head to avoid looking directly.

The door opened a crack. The pajamas were taken by a pair of damp, cool hands, and the door closed again.

Lu Zhishi returned to the sofa in the living room and sat down, mentally berating himself — a pervert with nerve but no guts.

He pulled out the foreign language composition book he kept at Chi Chen's place.

Studying could purify the soul — especially when getting stuck on unfamiliar words, it made it impossible to think about strange things.

By the time he managed to get through memorizing two foreign language essays, Chi Chen finally emerged from the bathroom. His hair, freshly blow-dried, was slightly messy, the tips still a bit damp.

He stood at the bathroom door for a moment, quietly watching the back of Lu Zhishi's head, then a bit awkwardly pulled back the covers and got into bed.

Once he was settled in bed, Lu Zhishi put down his composition book, poured a cup of honey water, and placed it on the bedside table on Chi Chen's side, in case he woke up thirsty in the middle of the night.

"Brother Xiao Chen, good night."

"Good night."

Turning off the room light, Lu Zhishi left, gently closing the door.

After staring at the ceiling for a few minutes, making sure he'd left for home, Chi Chen sat up in bed and turned on the bedside lamp.

He got out of bed, walked to the wardrobe, took something from the drawer next to the neatly folded pajamas, and went into the bathroom, coming out a moment later.

Taking a small sip of the sweet honey water, Chi Chen sat by the bed, staring blankly at the carpet by his feet.

After a while, he took a gift box from the bottom drawer of the bedside table. He didn’t open it, just held it in his hand.

As the alcohol's effect set in, his eyelids grew heavy. Chi Chen set down the cup, returned the gift box to the bottom drawer, lay back in bed, and closed his eyes.

……

Lu Zhishi was completely unaware of what happened after that night. He was busy with his studies, out early and back late every day for extra classes.

As the end of the semester approached, Lu Zhishi was losing weight noticeably. During the autumn-winter transition, he even fell ill and stayed home to rest for a few days.

Song Qinian prepared many nutritious meals for him, managing to restore just enough of the weight he had lost. His complexion no longer looked as pale and weak as it did when he first fell ill.

His illness had everyone worried.

The pace at Yizhong was fast. By the time of the New Year holiday, the experimental class had already begun its second round of review.

After finishing another school's mock exam, the teacher reviewed the answers before the end of the school day.

As the final bell rang, a wave of cheers followed, and classmates gradually left the classroom.

Lu Zhishi stayed at his desk, packing up his things.

The next day was the New Year holiday, and the school was being unusually generous, with no evening classes for once.

"Cough, cough..."

Unable to suppress the itch in his throat, Lu Zhishi put his hand to his mouth, coughing muffledly, the corners of his eyes red and moist.

He pulled his mask up a bit, feeling listless and drained.

"Quick, drink some honey loquat water." Zhao Xiaoxing was the first to pour him a cup, handing it to Lu Zhishi, as if ready to feed it to him.

"Cough, cough..." Lu Zhishi's voice was hoarse. "We're about to go home, maybe I'll skip it now?"

"Don’t be stubborn, drink it quickly."

Lu Zhishi took the cup, pulled down his mask, and quickly drank it. The honey loquat water eased his throat, and his coughing subsided a bit.

Too weak to do much, Zhao Xiaoxing helped him pack his backpack, wrapped his scarf properly, and took him downstairs to go home.

Zhao Xiaoxing asked, "Are you going to the hospital tomorrow or staying home?"

"Cough... at home. My dad asked the family doctor to come give me two IV fluids," Lu Zhishi replied, muffling coughs a couple of times.

"Then I’ll come see you tomorrow morning."

"No need to visit me. Take advantage of the holiday and rest properly for a day," Lu Zhishi shook his head. "You look really pale too."

Lu Zhishi appeared weaker than others due to his illness and coughing, but Zhao Xiaoxing wasn’t much better—his face was pale, and his lips had lost their color.

They went their separate ways to different cars. Zhao Qiyun came to pick up her brother, while Lu Zhishi got into Lu Zhiyu's car to go to the hospital for a check-up.

Lu Zhishi didn’t have a fever, but his cough was severe. Prolonged coughing made his chest ache a little, and he occasionally felt dizzy.

The doctor gave him an injection, prescribed two IV fluids, and prescribed medication, advising him to rest more.

Lu Zhiyu took notes on the doctor's instructions and asked about additional precautions. After the doctor left, he placed a hand warmer in Lu Zhishi's hand, which was exposed from the IV.

Whether it was due to the medication or exhaustion, Lu Zhishi drifted off immediately after the injection, lying on the hospital bed with his eyes closed.

His sleep was fitful and hazy. He woke up when the needle was removed, the slight sting on the back of his hand startling him awake.

"Awake? Don’t be scared." Lu Zhiyu placed a hand on his forehead, both checking his temperature and comforting him.

Lu Zhishi blinked slowly, his eyes glazed, not fully awake yet.

The medication he received this time was different from the previous days. Not only did Lu Zhishi feel dizzy, but his arms and legs also felt weak.

Lu Zhiyu helped him into his down jacket and scarf, but Lu Zhishi put on his own shoes—he couldn’t let his older brother bend down to help him, as he wasn’t a child anymore.

However, Lu Zhiyu carried him downstairs.

Lu Zhishi's legs were too weak to walk properly, so Lu Zhiyu carried him step by step into the elevator and down to the underground parking lot.

His brother’s back was broad and solid, even more reassuring than when they were children. Lu Zhishi rested against it and drifted back to sleep.

They arrived home just in time for dinner. Lu Zhishi ate half a bowl of food, took his medicine, and went upstairs to sleep.

He slept soundly until the next morning when Song Qinian came to wake him for breakfast and medicine. After eating, he went back to sleep.

Lu Zhishi had a bowl of greens porridge, took his medicine, and returned to his room for another nap.

By noon, aside from still coughing, he felt much better than before, no longer as weak and listless.

After lunch, Lu Zhishi called his friend: "Chubby Xing, how are you doing?"

"I’m okay, just getting a nutritional IV at home."

From the background, Zhao Xiaoxing appeared to be lying in bed receiving an IV. His face was still somewhat pale, but he seemed in better spirits than the day before.

After chatting for a bit and noticing Zhao Xiaoxing’s eyelids drooping as he nearly fell asleep, Lu Zhishi hung up, saying they’d see each other tomorrow.

Usually busy with practice exams or review classes, suddenly having free time to recuperate left Lu Zhishi feeling a bit lost, unsure what to do.

Just as he was about to take out some exam papers to work on, Lu Zhiyu knocked and entered, carrying a cup of warm water.

"Fat Cheese, it’s naptime now."

"?" Lu Zhishi looked even more confused. "Brother, I just woke up. I’m not sleepy."

"You’ll get sleepy after taking your medicine," Lu Zhiyu said, giving him his medicine.

"??"

Lu Zhishi was skeptical yet hopeful, downing the pills in one go, then drinking several sips of hot water to suppress the bitter and strange taste in his mouth.

He held a cough drop in his mouth and asked, muffled, "Brother, did Brother Xiao Chen stop by last night? I think I heard his voice."

"He did. He came right after you fell asleep, and again this morning, but you were still asleep and didn’t wake up."

Lu Zhishi sucked on the cough drop, the cool mint flavor spreading faintly in his mouth. He blinked and asked, "Then is he coming again at noon?"

"I didn’t ask about that." Lu Zhiyu tucked him into the bed, tucking the blankets firmly over him. "Sleep now."

Lu Zhishi nodded. The medicine took effect very quickly; not long after lying down, he began to feel drowsy and foggy-headed.

Half-asleep, he caught the familiar sandalwood scent and felt a cool, broad hand gently touch his forehead.

Lu Zhishi opened his eyes. As Chi Chen took his right hand, which was outside the covers, and tucked it back in, his fingers moved slightly, lightly grasping Chi Chen’s pinky.

Chi Chen paused, then looked up, his voice soft and low, "Did I wake you?"

"No." Lu Zhishi shifted slightly, feeling achy and weak—whether from the cold or from the pills, he wasn’t sure.

Chi Chen helped him sit up, placing a pillow behind his back. "Hungry? Your brother is making congee downstairs; it’s almost ready."

"Hungry. I want chicken noodle soup." Lu Zhishi touched his lips—they were dry—and his stomach was growling; he hadn’t eaten much for lunch.

Noticing his gesture, Chi Chen got up and poured a cup of hot water from the adjacent sitting area.

It was a bit hot, so Lu Zhishi sipped it slowly.

Chi Chen didn’t sit back down. Instead, he turned and headed downstairs, saying before he left, "I’ll go make you chicken noodle soup."

Lu Zhiyu wasn't the best cook—he could manage simple congee, but his chicken noodle soup might not taste quite right.

Lu Zhishi watched him leave the room, set down his cup, and leaned against the headboard, breathing somewhat laboredly.

He’d been coughing a lot lately, and maybe because of the prolonged coughing, he often found it a bit hard to breathe.

Tilting his head back, he glanced at the three charms on the wall out of the corner of his eye before calmly looking away.

Three charms—he remembered only praying for two originally, one for scholarly success and one for protection…

He suddenly turned his head, staring at the extra charm, and reached out to take it down.

Looking closely, the appearance of this charm was indeed different from the protection and scholarly success charms hanging by his bed, but Lu Zhishi couldn’t tell what kind of charm it contained.

As he was still wondering, Lu Zhiyu came in with a bowl of lean pork congee and placed it on the small table by the bedside.

First, he felt Lu Zhishi’s forehead, then sat on the small sofa by the bed. "Xiao Chen said you wanted chicken noodle soup, so have this bowl of lean pork congee to hold you over. It’ll take him a while to finish cooking."

"Thank you, brother. Thanks for taking care of me."

Lu Zhishi held his wrist briefly, then picked up the bowl of congee that had cooled off a bit. He took a spoonful—the temperature was just right.

Lu Zhiyu tweaked his nose affectionately. "Don’t say that. Just get better soon."

Knowing Lu Zhishi wanted chicken noodle soup, Lu Zhiyu had only served a small half-bowl of congee.

Lu Zhishi finished it spoon by spoon, wiped his mouth, and looked much more energetic than when he first woke up.

At least his eyes had some sparkle now, not dull and listless as before, and his complexion had some healthy color.

"Brother, who brought this extra charm?" Lu Zhishi pointed to the third charm that had been hung back up on the wall.

Lu Zhiyu glanced up and said, "Xiao Chen brought it."

Sure enough, it was Chi Chen who had brought and hung it there. Lu Zhishi had already guessed as much, since he hadn’t noticed it when he woke up from his nap earlier.

"Is it also a protection charm?"

Lu Zhiyu smiled. "I’m not sure. You can ask Chi Chen when he comes."

Not long after, Chi Chen came up with a bowl of chicken noodle soup. As soon as he entered the room, he saw brothers looking at him.

Chi Chen paused mid-step, walked over with the bowl, and asked deadpan, "What’s wrong?"

Lu Zhishi pointed to the charm on the wall. "We were just talking about this charm. Thank you, Brother Xiao Chen!"

"Mm."

Chi Chen gave a noncommittal grunt, pulled out a bed tray, and placed the aromatic, hearty chicken noodle soup on it.

Lu Zhishi took a bite and was nearly blown away by how good it was.

After a couple of mouthfuls, Lu Zhishi returned to their earlier topic. "Brother Xiao Chen, is the charm also a protection charm?"

"No."

"Hm?" Lu Zhishi looked up.

Lu Zhiyu also turned to look. "Then what is it?"