Chapter 17 Almost Died

Chapter 17: A Close Call

Gu Shiying's illness had drained him, body and soul.

Back in his dorm, Gu Shiying slept through the entire afternoon.

He woke up at 5 p.m., just in time for the school's dinner service.

Zhang Zhi's message arrived simultaneously with the end of classes.

Zhang Zhi: Feeling better? Want me to bring you some food?

Gu Shiying was about to reply that he could go to the cafeteria himself when Fu Huan walked in, carrying a takeout container.

Fu Huan: "Gu Shiying, I brought you dinner. It's light, so you don't need to go to the cafeteria."

Gu Shiying quickly revised the message he was about to send to Zhang Zhi: "Thanks. How much do I owe you? I'll transfer it."

"Just give me twenty," Fu Huan said, having already gauged Gu Shiying and even set a price he knew he'd accept.

"..." Gu Shiying glanced at the exquisite container, knowing it cost more than twenty. "Are you sure?"

Fu Huan maintained a straight face: "Yeah, it's just porridge and some light snacks. Plain and simple, perfect for you. No meat, so it's cheap."

Gu Shiying wasn't naive: "Tell me which shop it's from. I'll go buy it myself tomorrow."

Fu Huan hadn't anticipated that move: "I was out on an errand and bought it on the way back. Forgot where it was."

Gu Shiying was taken aback by his blatant lie. He was out of options. Fu Huan insisted on looking after him, constantly making him feel indebted. Gu Shiying didn't even dare bring up the meals he owed anymore—it would take forever to repay all these favors.

But the porridge was genuinely fragrant, with a hint of minced meat, some snacks, and vegetables—a proper meal for an adult man. Fu Huan truly knew his tastes.

It felt like Fu Huan had him completely figured out.

Gu Shiying's acute gastroenteritis brought him a wave of concern from everyone. Yang Shuhang bought him expensive imported fruits, Guan Yu made him hot water, and Zhang Zhi found time to drop by, sharing notes from the day's classes and picking up their unfinished conversation from the morning.

Zhang Zhi: "Ying Er, let me tell you—at the last local meetup I went to, there was this really pretty underclassman. She shares the same hobby as you. Want to get to know her?"

Gu Shiying: "Same hobby?"

Zhang Zhi: "Yeah, she's also volunteered at Ren'ai Welfare Home. Didn't you go there a few times last year too?"

Gu Shiying: "Is she from our school?"

Zhang Zhi: "Of course! She's a year below us. She's talented—sings, dances, great at jazz, and plays the piano beautifully. Around 170 cm tall, just right next to you. Tall and slim, with a sweet face. A bunch of guys from our alumni group added her on WeChat. Why not get to know her? Just as friends!"

Hearing Zhang Zhi's enthusiastic pitch, Gu Shiying nodded: "Alright."

Zhang Zhi, acting like a matchmaker, happily messaged the girl and even sent over a photo of Gu Shiying. She agreed to let Zhang Zhi share her contact info with Gu Shiying.

Just then, a loud crash interrupted Zhang Zhi. The sound of a flowerpot shattering came from the balcony.

Fu Huan walked in from the balcony to grab the trash can.

Gu Shiying looked up and asked, "What happened?"

Fu Huan: "Accidentally knocked over the flowerpot."

Their dorm had a pothos plant left by a senior. Whoever had time would water it, and the resilient plant had thrived.

Gu Shiying went to the balcony and saw the ceramic pot was indeed broken: "Should we buy a new pot?"

"Yeah, I'll get one later." Fu Huan crouched down to clean up the broken pieces, his eyes scanning the smooth, evenly shattered fragments.

Since Fu Huan was handling it, Gu Shiying didn't intervene.

However, Zhang Zhi's roommate called him out for badminton, and he left before Gu Shiying even stepped back inside, shouting from the doorway:

"Ying Er, I forwarded the underclassman's WeChat contact to you. Add her when you have time! Lao San's calling me, I'm heading out!"

Gu Shiying called back from the balcony: "Okay!"

What a good brother!

He sneakily observed Fu Huan, who was still focused on picking up the pieces, expression unreadable. Had anything changed?

Even though Fu Huan had helped him a lot recently, some boundaries needed to be kept. He needed to make certain things clear. Now Fu Huan should understand—he liked girls, not guys.

But even as he thought about using Zhang Zhi's words to signal his preferences, when he picked up his phone again, he forgot about adding the girl and instead started browsing for flowerpots online.

Fu Huan walked past him from behind, carrying a trash bag.

Gu Shiying expected him to say something, but Fu Huan simply left the dorm with the trash. What Gu Shiying didn't see was Fu Huan grabbing a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his desk on the way out.

"You're trying to kill this tree with secondhand smoke," Liang Qi said as he came downstairs after receiving Fu Huan's message.

Behind the boys' dorm was a small grove and a lake, carefully maintained by the school. Lanterns hung from the lampposts along the path, still decorated with Labor Day flags.

Fu Huan was sitting on a bench often used by couples, smoking. A few cigarette butts were already scattered in the nearby trash can, one still glowing faintly.

Liang Qi sat beside him and noticed Fu Huan staring blankly at the calm lake, his eyes unfocused. The usual aloof expression was gone, replaced by a look of despair, as if he might jump into the lake at any moment.

"Fu Huan." Liang Qi slapped his shoulder firmly. "What's with the spacing out?"

That expression was seriously unsettling.

Fu Huan snapped out of it and asked, "Want one?"

Liang Qi had no choice but to join him for a smoke. After finishing one, he asked, "Not keeping an eye on your roommate anymore?"

Fu Huan snorted coldly, his eyes lifeless: "He's about to go meet a new girl."

Liang Qi leaned back on the bench: "Honestly, I have to admire your patience. You've liked him for a while, right?"

Fu Huan didn't hide it: "Yeah."

Liang Qi: "Haven't thought about pursuing him?"

Fu Huan: "He's straight."

Liang Qi: "So straight guys can't be pursued?"

Fu Huan glanced at him: "It'd scare him."

"What era is this? People aren't as homophobic as the old-fashioned types anymore." Liang Qi hinted meaningfully, "Fu Huan, happiness is something you have to fight for. What if you succeed? Slowly warming him up like a frog in boiling water isn't realistic—you need to take the initiative."

Fu Huan: "How do I pursue him?"

Gu Shiying's life was pretty simple—just studying, part-time jobs, and volunteering. He'd never been in a relationship. Fu Huan had thought there might be a chance, even felt a bit hopeful. But now Gu Shiying seemed interested in a girl, and Zhang Zhi kept introducing him to more. The idea of him meeting other girls made Fu Huan increasingly uneasy, especially since they'd been interacting more lately. He couldn't just ignore it.

Liang Qi: "You're asking me? My approach wouldn't work for you."

Fu Huan: "True."

Liang Qi: "But the most important thing in pursuing someone is sincerity. Chasing girls is different from chasing guys. Why don't you try this first... and then this..."

Fu Huan thought it sounded crazier by the minute: "Will that work?"

Liang Qi: "How will you know if you don't try? It's better than wasting time here moping around."

Fu Huan lit another cigarette, disagreeing with Liang Qi's suggestion: "You're full of bad ideas."

Liang Qi: "What bad ideas? Then you'll just have to watch Gu Shiying get all lovey-dovey with a girl, all sweet and happy together, and when they get married and have kids, you can give a big red envelope."

Fu Huan: "..."

Gu Shiying noticed that Fu Huan had been gone for quite a while and hadn't returned, leaving the potted plant to sit scattered and forlorn on the balcony.

He remembered two pieces of colored cardboard left over from last year's volunteer work and thought he could make a temporary flowerpot.

Good with his hands, he quickly found the cardboard and folded it into a colorful paper pot, then placed the pothos plant inside. As long as the bottom didn't get wet, it should hold up until Fu Huan bought a new pot.

After recovering from intestinal inflammation, Gu Shiying had been eating bland, boring food for several days, which made life feel pretty dull, and even classes uninteresting.

On Thursday afternoon, the last two periods were P.E. class. At the start of the semester, Gu Shiying had foolishly taken Zhang Zhi's bad advice and signed up for swimming class with him. However, he had no talent for swimming, and even after more than half a semester, he was still terrible at it.

The two changed into swim trunks and came out of the boys' locker room.

Zhang Zhi walked while flexing his right arm to show off his biceps to Gu Shiying.

He boasted, "I've been playing badminton every day lately. What do you think of my progress? Can you smell this amazing masculine energy?"

Gu Shiying pushed him away in disgust: "Get out of here, stay away from me."

The P.E. teacher led them through warm-up exercises. Those who could swim practiced freely, while those still struggling continued under the teacher's guidance.

The teacher reminded them that the final exam would require swimming a specific distance.

Gu Shiying frowned. Why was he the only one who couldn't get it?

Was he really that uncoordinated?

The P.E. teacher warned them, "Students who aren't comfortable swimmers yet should avoid the deep end. Stay safe."

After that, it was free practice time.

Zhang Zhi had already started racing with other classmates, while Gu Shiying practiced kicking while holding a kickboard. Maybe more practice would help?

Actually, Gu Shiying wasn't the only one struggling—a girl was also struggling in the water.

As she struggled, she drifted toward him, and they nearly collided.

Gu Shiying quickly moved away: "Sorry."

The girl: "Haven't you learned either?"

Gu Shiying: "Yeah, I'm a slow learner."

The girl sighed: "I can't figure it out either. I feel like the teacher has given up on me."

Gu Shiying smiled: "He'll probably give up on me first. You swim better than I do, and your form is much more standard."

The two beginners compared notes for a while and gained confidence.

The girl suggested: "Want to try swimming together? Let's see if we can make it to the center line."

Gu Shiying: "Sure."

The P.E. teacher had said he thought Gu Shiying was actually doing okay—he'd learned to breathe, and his kicking and arm movements were standard. He was just afraid of the water and wasn't confident enough.

Gu Shiying and the girl encouraged each other. He let go of the kickboard and tried swimming on his own.

At first, he swam a bit and then paused, but gradually, he gained more confidence. This time, he didn't choke, and his breathing was fine. His efforts paid off—he started to get the hang of it, and his movements became much smoother.

However, while lost in the joy of being able to swim, Gu Shiying unknowingly swam past the midline and headed toward the deep end. When he tried to stop and stand on the pool bottom as usual, he found himself sinking, unable to touch bottom. His head gradually submerged.

Crap! It's the deep end!

His fear of water took over, and Gu Shiying forgot what the teacher had taught him. He swallowed several mouthfuls of water, inhaled some through his nose, and flailed wildly in the water.

How could he get back to the surface?!

Gurgle...

Just as his entire body sank underwater, an arm wrapped around him and pulled him up. A reassuring voice said,

"Gu Shiying, you idiot, can you stop scaring me like this?"

You're the idiot, I almost died!

A few seconds after Gu Shiying was rescued from the water...

"He has a red heart-shaped birthmark on his waist. Damn it."

"Pfft."

Gu Shiying couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of water onto Fu Huan's face.

Fu Huan: "..."

Author's Note:

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Fu Huan: [Dog emoji with rose] My wife's beautiful—every part of him!