After saying this, Fan Jun fell asleep. It was hard to tell whether he was simply exhausted or the anesthesia hadn’t fully worn off, but either way, he looked like he was sleeping incredibly deeply.

Zou Yang sat by the edge of the bed and watched him quietly. Only now did he realize that because his own sleep quality had always been far too high in the past, he hadn’t really seen Fan Jun truly asleep very often.

He didn’t know what Fan Jun looked like asleep before, but right now he was sleeping very peacefully, looking almost like a high schooler. Even the fierce, menacing scar on his face seemed to have softened and turned well-behaved.

Zou Yang glanced at the time, hesitating over whether to skip just one class or simply skip the subsequent one as well.

After deliberating for five minutes, he ultimately decided to return to school honestly for class.

Aside from the first two weeks, there weren’t many classes left this semester. Moving forward, they would be starting various practical applications—things like teaching observation, internships, educational research, micro-teaching, and the like…

Can’t let oneself be distracted by beautiful looks… Tsk.

Do not yearn for this, nurture the dantian, temperance grants a long life… Tsk tsk.

Zou Yang picked up his phone and sent Fan Jun a barrage of messages.

【Zou yang】I’m heading back to school for class. I’ll come back to see you after dismissal. If you don’t want to drink the soup Champion brews, text me what you want to eat and I’ll bring it over.

【Zou yang】By the way, is anyone taking care of Xiao Bai and Da Hei? If not, I’ll head over to He Chuan’s shop first after class.

【Zou yang】I’m sitting right by your bedside now. I don’t really have anything left to say to you, but I just don’t want to leave yet.

【Zou yang】You’re actually pretty well-behaved when you’re asleep.

After sending the messages, even though he still felt like writing more, he had no choice but to stop.

The caregiver arrived—an older uncle who had taken care of Fan Jun once before.

“The surgery went pretty smoothly this time, right?” the uncle asked.

“Mm.” Zou Yang nodded.

“Weren’t you the one who got injured alongside him back then?” The uncle looked him over. “My fellow townsman was the one caregiving for you at the time, right? I saw you when I went to look for him.”

“That was me,” Zou Yang said with a smile.

“You’ve recovered quite well,” the uncle observed, eyeing him. “Young people really do heal fast.”

Zou Yang briefed the uncle on Fan Jun’s current situation: “When he wakes up, could you please tell him to check his phone? I’ll head straight over after class.”

“Alright, you go on to class. Leave things here to me,” the uncle said.

He barely managed to make it to the afternoon class. Even though he sat in the classroom completely absentminded, Zou Yang still wanted to maintain a normal rhythm of studying.

Ever since middle school, he and Liu Wenrui had continuously mocked those young puppy-love couples who got so utterly swept up in romance that they would skip classes just to cling to each other day and night.

Now that he was starting a relationship as an adult, he absolutely could not fall into the exact state he had ridiculed as a minor.

Fan Jun didn’t text him back by the time class ended; he was presumably still asleep. Zou Yang returned to the dorm to grab a few books, then took a taxi straight to Commercial City.

【Respect】Where are you?

【Zou yang】In a cab, heading to Commercial City.

【Respect】Coming back tonight?

【Zou yang】If I don’t come back, where am I supposed to sleep?

【Respect】An extra cot for caregivers at the hospital, obviously.

【Zou yang】I’ll pass. I wouldn’t be able to sleep.

【Respect】Excellent. You haven’t completely lost your mind to love yet.

【Zou yang】Get lost.

Both He Chuan and He Lu were in the shop, along with a few people Zou Yang didn’t recognize—either clients or friends.

“Have you eaten yet?” He Chuan immediately stood up and walked over the moment he saw him enter.

“I have,” Zou Yang said. “I just came over to see if the dog and cat need…”

“I’ve already scooped the litter box and fed them,” He Lu called out from the tea table. “Xiao Bai has been fed too. My brother and I don’t dare walk her, so we found someone else to help walk her yesterday and this morning.”

“I’ll go walk her,” Zou Yang said with a smile. “She’s actually very well-behaved.”

“We’re just a little bit afraid of dogs, it’s fine, you don’t need to make a special trip,” He Chuan said. “The pet shop owner comes over every day to help walk her anyway.”

“Mm.” Zou Yang walked to the backyard.

Xiao Bai’s tail was wagging so hard it was practically about to fly off, her entire rear end twisting along with it.

“Xiao Bai, sit.” Zou Yang grabbed the leash.

Xiao Bai sat up properly, extending her head to prompt him to attach the leash quickly.

“Is Fan Jun’s surgery done? Did it go smoothly?” He Chuan asked, leaning against the backyard doorframe.

“Yeah, smoothly. He’s already awake, though he’s probably still sleeping right now.” Zou Yang secured the leash on Xiao Bai.

“Then visiting hours should be allowed tomorrow, right?” He Chuan asked. “I plan to head over in the morning.”

“They are, but there’s no real need. He should be discharged in a few days,” Zou Yang said.

“It’s still necessary. Even if he were just a regular employee of mine, I’d have to visit him for a surgery, let alone given who he is,” He Chuan said.

“Isn’t he just a regular employee?” Zou Yang led Xiao Bai toward the exit.

“Of course he isn’t!” He Chuan instantly shifted into an impassioned state. “He’s my friend, my coach! He’s also my bodyguard, and the very reason I have the confidence to open another branch this year.”

Zou Yang tutted.

He recalled He Chuan’s custom-made reserved bottles, wondering how much of what this man said was true or performative.

However, he believed the first half of He Chuan’s statement wasn’t a lie. Fan Jun seemed to have very few friends, yet the people around him treated him remarkably well—the neighbors in Nanzhouping, the trainees at the gym, the owners and managers of the shops next door in the mall…

Fan Jun possessed an indescribable charm. He seemed entirely detached from everyone, yet when something actually happened, everyone felt he was completely dependable.

If it weren’t for Fan Gang, he would probably be living in an entirely different world right now.

Zou Yang let out a soft sigh, scratching Xiao Bai’s head. Though if that were the case, he might never have had the chance to know that version of Fan Jun.

Just as he finished walking Xiao Bai, Fan Jun’s phone call came through.

“You can make calls now?” Zou Yang answered. “Didn’t I tell you to just reply to my messages?”

“Between calling and texting, which one do you think is easier?” Fan Jun’s voice was still somewhat raspy. “Are you out of class?”

“I’ve already finished walking Xiao Bai,” Zou Yang said, picking up Da Hei who was circling around his feet. “I’m in your room right now. Is there anything you need me to bring over?”

“No, I brought everything when I came over,” Fan Jun said.

Zou Yang gave a soft hum, remaining silent.

“Bring the eye mask over for me, it’s sitting right by the pillow,” Fan Jun said in a low voice. “The hallway lights are too bright at night, I can’t sleep.”

Zou Yang hummed again without speaking. He set Da Hei down, picked up the eye mask from beside the pillow, and examined it.

This eye mask… seemed to be the prize from the boxing arcade game during their trip to the amusement park.

The quality was mediocre at best, and it wasn’t particularly good-looking either. To his surprise, Fan Jun had been using it all this time.

Zou Yang put the eye mask over his own eyes to test it out—it leaked light!

“Replace this piece of junk,” he said. “It doesn’t block out anything anyway. I’ll buy you a better one.”

“Mm,” Fan Jun responded softly. “But this one needs to be kept too.”

The moment Zou Yang heard this phrase, it instantly clicked… unfortunately, the words “piece of junk” couldn’t be taken back anymore…

Was anesthesia contagious or something?

“Is there anything you want to eat?” Zou Yang hurriedly changed the subject. “I’ll bring it over.”

“Uncle Lu and the others have all arrived,” Fan Jun said in a low voice. “They brought food.”

“Huh?” Zou Yang froze for a moment. “My mom went too?”

“Yes,” Fan Jun said.

“Damn,” Zou Yang inexplicably began to feel awkward. “I… got it.”

Just as he was about to hang up, he suddenly remembered how Fan Jun looked right after exiting the operating room, so he quickly added a follow-up: “Are you back to normal?”

“…Am I not normal?” Fan Jun asked.

“Not quite… normal. Well, I suppose you’re slightly more normal than I was back then.” Zou Yang said.

“Is that so?” Fan Jun sounded somewhat skeptical.

“Are you fully conscious?” Zou Yang asked in a low voice. “Who am I?”

Fan Jun fell silent.

“Well…” Zou Yang stroked Da Hei. “Looks like you’re cons—”

“My boyfriend,” Fan Jun said in a very low voice.

Zou Yang lost his voice entirely.

“Come over,” Fan Jun said.

“Oh,” Zou Yang complied.

Fan Jun’s description over the phone hadn’t been fully comprehensive. When Zou Yang pushed open the ward door, he felt an overwhelming sense of a grand family reunion during New Year’s dinner.

Aside from Uncle Lu, Lu Ze, and his mother, Lu Ze’s girlfriend was also sitting on the sofa by the window, and the caregiver uncle was there too.

“You’re out of class?” His mother walked over.

“Yeah,” Zou Yang felt a bit dazed. Although it was a private room, it wasn’t particularly spacious. Right now, everywhere he looked seemed to be filled with people. “You guys all… came?”

“The last time Jun’er was hospitalized… we didn’t take proper care of him,” his mother said softly. “Of course we had to come over.”

Zou Yang didn’t quite know what to say. He could only pat his mother’s arm, greet Uncle Lu and the others, and smile toward Lu Ze’s girlfriend: “Sister Xiao Yi.”

Lu Ze had mentioned his girlfriend’s name during the New Year. He hadn’t been in the right headspace to memorize it back then, only remembering it contained the word ‘Yi,’ which sufficed to string together a greeting right now.

“The doctors are doing rounds in a bit,” Uncle Lu said. “We’ll eat once they’re done with rounds and leave.”

“Mm.” Zou Yang nodded, looking at Fan Jun on the hospital bed.

Fan Jun was looking right back at him.

It felt as though they were separated by thousands of mountains and rivers; he felt too self-conscious to walk straight over under everyone’s eyes.

“Zou Yang,” Sister Xiao Yi stood up, gesturing toward him. “You must be tired right after class? Come over to the sofa and rest for a bit.”

Thank you, sister!

With Sister Xiao Yi’s timely intervention, Zou Yang finally managed to guide his steps over to the bedside.

Only when he heard his mother and Uncle Lu launch into a discussion about the shrapnel pieces did he lean down close to Fan Jun: “How are you feeling?”

“Pretty good. Fully conscious,” Fan Jun said.

“I didn’t bring your eye mask over,” Zou Yang pulled out the eye mask he had bought from a supermarket along the way from his bag. “I bought a better one. This one is silk.”

“Mm.” Fan Jun took the eye mask and slipped it on to test it out.

“Does it fit well?” Zou Yang asked.

“It fits,” Fan Jun said.

“What’s wrong, are you going to sleep? Are you feeling unwell?” His mother immediately piped up with a question.

“No,” Fan Jun hurriedly pulled the eye mask down. “Just trying out the new eye mask.”

“Zou Yang bought it?” Uncle Lu asked.

“…Yes.” Zou Yang nodded.

“Oh… then use it, keep using it,” his mother said.

Zou Yang was profoundly embarrassed. He took a step backward and sank into the sofa.

Under these circumstances, even if every single person present was entirely aware of their relationship—and perhaps even imagined their dynamic to be far more intense than it actually was in reality—sitting together in the exact same room like this was still exceptionally awkward.

Particularly when he thought about how, in the eyes of these elders, he and Fan Jun might have already… Granted, if one were to actually analyze it, it wasn’t far off, but they hadn’t crossed the final line after all…

This made even casting a single glance at Fan Jun feel like he was committing an act of public indecency.

Even the doctor was startled when he came in for rounds. Back when Fan Jun and Zou Yang had injuries severe enough to land them in the ICU, there hadn’t been this many visitors.

“The shrapnel extraction was very successful. Only the deepest piece was positioned too close to the subclavian artery,” the doctor explained patiently, likely assuming the family had misunderstood the severity of Fan Jun’s current procedure. “But it was extracted smoothly! It went well, it won’t cause any lingering impact on his body, so don’t worry, don’t worry… He’ll be discharged in a few days.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”

“Thank you so much.”

“You’ve worked hard…”

Everyone chimed in simultaneously. While stating there was no need for thanks, the doctor swiftly escaped the ward.

During dinner, Zou Yang fared well enough since he could grab some food and retreat to the side to eat. However, because the dinner table was just the small overbed tray attached to Fan Jun’s hospital bed, Fan Jun had to eat while surrounded by a spectating audience.

Zou Yang leaned against the window. Whenever Fan Jun cast an awkward glance over, he found himself struggling to suppress his laughter.

However, he couldn’t quite laugh anymore once dinner ended. Everyone tidied up and chatted for a bit longer. As they prepared to leave, his mother cast a glance at him: “Xiao Yang, you…”

“Oh,” Zou Yang quickly stood up. “I’m… heading back to school.”

“Are we heading out together… or…” his mother asked.

“Together,” Zou Yang said, glancing at Fan Jun. “I’m heading out.”

“Mm.” Fan Jun nodded.

Once they stepped out of the main hospital gates, he pulled out his phone and tapped away haphazardly, pretending to hail a ride.

Uncle Lu and the others’ car arrived, while his ride-hailing app still hadn’t matched him with a driver.

“My car is five hundred meters away, it’ll be here in a moment,” Zou Yang assisted his mother into the vehicle. “You guys head off first.”

“There’s an empty taxi right over there…” His mother pointed to a vehicle driving up from behind.

“My ride is already coming, it’s not right to cancel it at this point,” Zou Yang quickly pulled the car door shut. “Driver, you can go ahead!”

Watching their car drive away, Zou Yang glanced at his phone again, peering toward the “direction the ride was coming from” for a brief moment. Once he was certain their car had thoroughly disappeared from sight, he dialed Fan Jun’s number, turned on his heel, and sprinted back toward the inpatient building.

“Hmm?” Fan Jun answered the phone.

“I’m back,” Zou Yang chuckled as he ran. “Didn’t expect that, did you? Wait for me.”

“Zou Yang,” Fan Jun paused. “You…”

“No need to be too moved,” Zou Yang ran up to the elevator bank. “I’m almost…”

“Zou Yang,” Fan Jun let out a sigh. “Visiting hours are over.”

“Huh?” Zou Yang stared at the descending floor numbers on the elevator panel. “The elevator hasn’t stopped running.”

“Nonsense, of course the elevator hasn’t stopped,” Fan Jun said. “The door to the floor ward has already been locked.”

“I don’t believe it.” Zou Yang stepped into the elevator and pressed the floor button.

The elevator doors slid open. He stepped out and immediately spotted the glass doors that had already been shut tightly, with the visiting hours schedule clearly posted on them.

“Holy shit,” he walked over in utter tragic indignation. “It wasn’t closed when we walked out earlier.”

“By that time, they were letting people out but not letting anyone in,” Fan Jun said.

“And here I thought I’d give you a surprise,” Zou Yang sighed.

The nurse on duty at the nurse’s station inside spotted him and walked over: “What’s wrong? Didn’t you just leave?”

“Sister, I want to go inside,” Zou Yang said.

“Come back tomorrow, the time has passed, you can’t go in anymore, it will disturb the patients’ rest,” the nurse said. “He just finished surgery, no matter how good his physical constitution is, he still needs to rest.”

Zou Yang wanted to say something more, but he suddenly realized this appeared to be the exact nurse who had helped wheel Fan Jun back to the ward earlier. Feeling too embarrassed to push further, he turned around and walked away.

“Wait for me in the hallway,” Fan Jun instructed over the phone.

“What?” Zou Yang stopped in his tracks.

“There’s another door on the hallway side—the door to the fire escape,” Fan Jun’s voice sounded slightly breathless. “Wait for me at that door.”

“What are you doing?” Zou Yang noticed his voice didn’t sound right. “You got out of bed?”

“I was already capable of getting out of bed in the first place,” Fan Jun said. “I can’t sleep anyway, just getting some movement.”

“Holy shit,” Zou Yang lowered his voice as he walked toward the fire escape. “Don’t force it, you…”

“Go wait for me over there.” Fan Jun hung up right after saying this.

The fire escape stairwell wasn’t completely isolated; people passed through from time to time. When a nurse walked past, Zou Yang felt so guilty he almost wanted to turn around and face the wall.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long before Fan Jun emerged from the half-open fire escape door, dressed in hospital scrubs with a long coat slung over his shoulders.

Through the unbuttoned collar of the scrubs, the gauze and bandages were still clearly visible.

“Holy shit,” Zou Yang stepped forward to meet him, rubbing his arm. “There really is a secret passage! You can access the ward from here?”

“Yeah, go up one floor first, loop through half the corridor, and come down from here,” Fan Jun nodded with a smile. “But it passes by the nurse’s station.”

“Did the nurse say anything to you when you came out?” Zou Yang asked.

“I just told them I was stretching my legs,” Fan Jun said.

Zou Yang didn’t speak. He reached up to touch Fan Jun’s face. While Fan Jun’s complexion couldn’t be described as poor, a certain degree of exhaustion was still visible.

“Is it cold?” Zou Yang asked. “Alright, you should head back.”

“It’s not very cold,” Fan Jun looked at him. “Summoned at a whim, dismissed at a glance.”

“When did I ever… Right now, aren’t you the one who arrives unsummoned and refuses to be dismissed!” Zou Yang kept his voice hushed.

“Then I’m heading back,” Fan Jun chuckled.

“Mm, rest up properly,” Zou Yang glanced to both sides. Seeing no one around, he stepped in swiftly and gave him a gentle embrace. “There’s a draft here, hurry back to the ward. I’ll come see you tomorrow after class.”

Fan Jun tilted his head to plant a swift kiss on the tip of his ear, then turned around and stepped back into the fire escape.

Zou Yang didn’t leave immediately, standing in place for a short while longer before returning to the elevator bank. He didn’t even dare glance past the glass doors, wondering what the nurse would think if she saw him again.

It didn’t matter.

Even though the meeting had been brief, it could be considered a fulfillment of the regret of being able to look but not touch all evening.

It even carried a subtle thrill of a secret tryst.

Pervert.

“Thought you wouldn’t be back until midnight,” Liu Wenrui remarked, sounding somewhat surprised to see Zou Yang walk into the dorm before lights out.

“Visiting hours are restricted,” Zou Yang said. “Besides, patients need their rest too.”

“Going tomorrow?” Liu Wenrui asked.

“Yeah.” Zou Yang glanced at the class schedule. He could head over before noon tomorrow, meaning they could even have lunch together.

Taking care of a patient.

It sounded like it would be quite enjoyable.

However, Zou Yang forgot that He Chuan was going the next morning, Lu Ze and Bighead Fish went in the afternoon, and on the third morning, Lao Si brought Sun Xulei and those other kids. Couldn’t this bunch of neighbors coordinate and come together?

Following them were Tan Ru and the Iron Gang, and later on, Rongrong. No matter what time Zou Yang went, there was always someone in the ward, interspersed with Lu Ze, Uncle Lu, and his mother dropping by from time to time to deliver meals…

By the fourth day, finally, no one went to visit anymore.

But the timing for the Teacher Qualification Exam had arrived.

9:00 AM to 11:00 AM in the morning, 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM in the afternoon, and 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

By the time he finished the exam, mingled with his roommates, and had a meal, visiting hours would already be over.

Son of a gun.

“Too tragic,” Liu Wenrui sat by the desk, holding Zou Yang’s phone to order food while lamenting. “It’s been a whole week, and you two haven’t managed to get a single moment of privacy.”

“Shut up.” Zou Yang leaned against his chair. “Can’t you use your own phone to scan the code and order?”

“What’s the rush, he hasn’t replied to your messages anyway,” Liu Wenrui said. “I’m ordering the fatty beef and mutton as I see fit, we can add more later if it’s not enough.”

“Sure,” Li Zhiyue looked at Zou Yang. “Can he be discharged now?”

“Mm,” Zou Yang grunted in a muffled voice.

“Don’t bring up this heartbreaking subject,” Liu Wenrui laughed. “He actually wanted to experience taking care of a patient, but he never got the chance. He goes every day, and every day the place is packed.”

“Shut up,” Zou Yang said.

“Why do I feel like I didn’t pass?” Zhang Chuanlong blanked out for a moment before suddenly speaking up.

“Shut up,” Zou Yang said.

“Are we having oysters?” Liu Wenrui asked.

“Yes,” Zhang Chuanlong nodded.

“Alright, that’s about enough,” Liu Wenrui placed the phone back in front of Zou Yang. “Stop waiting, just give him a call.”

Zou Yang picked up his phone, stood up, and walked over to the window. Just as he was about to dial Fan Jun’s number, Fan Jun’s call came in.

“Finished the exam?” Fan Jun asked.

“Yeah,” Zou Yang smiled, though he quickly felt a bit downcast. “I’m eating with the guys from the dorm. I probably won’t be able to head over after we finish eating.”

“No need to come over,” Fan Jun said. “I just went to the doctor’s office. Discharged tomorrow.”

“Discharged in just five days?” Zou Yang asked.

“It wasn’t a major issue to begin with, and the doctor agreed,” Fan Jun said. “Staying here is making my brain ache.”

“Then should I come pick you up for discharge tomorrow? What time?” Zou Yang asked.

“No,” Fan Jun said.

“What did you say?” Zou Yang’s eyebrows instantly knitted together. “Say that one more time.”

“What time are you out of class,” Fan Jun said. “I’ll go pick you up.”

“Huh?” Zou Yang was stunned.

“I… have never picked you up before,” Fan Jun said. “Suddenly I really want to go to your school and pick you up once.”

“Okay,” Zou Yang responded, feeling his voice pick up a slight nasal tone. “11:30 AM.”

“Wait for me at the spot where we waited for the bus last time,” Fan Jun said.