CTJM - 13

Chapter 13: Falling Ill

...Unfortunately, Yin Mengxi fell ill the very next day.

The rain during the transition from autumn to winter was indeed too cold. By the early hours of the morning, her temperature began to rise. When she climbed down from her upper bunk in the morning, her legs nearly gave way. Thankfully, Min Rui caught her just in time. Feeling her forehead, Min Rui realized something was wrong and fetched a thermometer. It read 38.2°C.

“You shouldn’t go to class today—I’ll help you ask for leave?”

Ren Weiwei and Wang Xueru were also worried about her. One fetched medicine while the other brought hot water, both advising her to skip class.

“Forget it—what’s so great about Shen Niuniu’s class anyway? He brags every day about meeting Bush,” Min Rui rolled her eyes. “Just stay in bed, sweat it out, and sleep—you’ll feel better soon.”

After a pause, she complained, “I don’t get you. You had an umbrella yesterday—how did you end up soaking wet?”

Yin Mengxi didn’t have the strength to attend class, but thinking about her agreement with Xiao Zhi the previous day, she felt she had to go out. If she skipped class in the morning and then showed up at the library in the afternoon, her roommates would find it strange. It was better to go out in the morning and act normal.

In the end, despite feeling unwell, she forced herself to attend her journalism class. Wang Xueru marveled at her dedication, betting that Yin Mengxi’s GPA this semester would soar to 4.0, and the national scholarship would surely be hers. Feverish and weak, she couldn’t muster the energy to respond. The sound of Teacher Shen lecturing passionately about channel specialization grew muffled in her ears.

After lunch, she slept for a while. By the afternoon, her temperature had dropped to 37.8°C. Feeling slightly better, she requested leave from the Youth League Committee and skipped the internal training session that day. At 3 PM, she got out of bed, combed her hair, and prepared to head to the library.

While looking in the mirror, she examined her appearance for the first time with care. She wasn’t bad-looking—many had complimented her beauty before. Her features were balanced, though not particularly striking or sharp like those with bold, dramatic looks. Her most distinctive feature was her eyes—long, narrow phoenix eyes with slightly upturned corners, somewhat unique.

—Should she learn how to apply makeup?

She was in college after all... going out bare-faced every day didn’t seem right.

Who should she learn from? Min Rui?

And cosmetics... they were probably a bit expensive.

She pursed her lips, troubled by her pale reflection in the mirror. No matter how much she rubbed her cheeks, they wouldn’t redden. Finally, she gave up, silently slung her bag over her shoulder, and headed out.

When she arrived at the library, he was already there, seated in his usual spot, seemingly busy writing a paper.

She thought for a moment and decided it wouldn’t be appropriate to disturb him so abruptly. So, she sat nearby and waited, planning to let him notice her presence and bring up returning the umbrella himself. It wasn’t hard to pass the time—she could simply borrow a book and flip through it. However, with a low-grade fever, her energy was lacking. That afternoon, she felt listless, her head dizzy, and waves of coldness swept over her body. After waiting for less than half an hour, she unknowingly dozed off at the table.

...Until he woke her up.

It was 4 PM, and the rare autumn sunlight filtered through the library windows, casting a warm orange glow. He stood beside her, bending down to look at her, his brows slightly furrowed. One hand rested on the back of her chair—a gesture of concern.

“Do you have a fever?”

His voice and breath were close, stirring her thoughts into a muddled haze.

“...Hmm?”

Once again, she found herself tongue-tied.

“Let’s go to the campus clinic,” his brows furrowed further. “Then you should rest in your dorm.”

Her mind still sluggish, she was too stunned to respond.

“Not feeling well?” He bent lower. “Can’t stand up?”

Was it really that serious?

It was just a mild fever.

Coming to her senses, she quickly stood up from her chair, as if trying to prove to him that she was fine. She even added unnecessarily, “N-No, it’s alright...”

Again, she became a stuttering mess.

He hummed softly, seemingly reassured, watching her gather her things and pack her bag. Then, stepping aside, he gestured for her to exit her seat. “Let’s go.”

—Did this mean he intended to accompany her to the campus clinic?

...Suddenly, she felt even dizzier.

The campus clinic wasn’t far from the library—it was more of a formality than anything else. Its only real functions were dispensing medicine and issuing referral slips. The small, empty building housed just a few on-duty doctors, making it feel quite desolate.

Her condition was merely a mild fever caused by catching a chill—it didn’t necessarily require a visit. But she didn’t know how to refuse him, and secretly, she wanted to spend a little more time with him. He even went to the registration desk to check her in, acting as though they were close friends, which made her feel like she was getting an unexpected bonus.

“Second door on the right,” he said, returning to her side with the registration slip. “Outpatient care will suffice.”

She nodded blankly, following his lead without a word as they walked quietly through the dim, quiet corridor. Entering the examination room, they saw a female doctor, likely in her forties or fifties, chatting on the office phone. She reluctantly hung up when they entered.

“Who’s seeing the doctor?” the doctor asked briskly.

Before Yin Mengxi could respond, Xiao Zhi answered, “Her,” then gestured for her to sit next to the doctor, as if... he were her guardian.

Her face subtly reddened as she obediently sat down. The doctor immediately asked, “What’s wrong?”

Being honest, she replied, “Dizziness, sore throat, maybe a slight fever...”

The doctor glanced at her, then swiftly used an electronic thermometer to take her temperature by holding it near her forehead. It beeped almost instantly.

“38.1°C,” the doctor scribbled hastily on the medical record. “I’ll prescribe some fever-reducing medication and cold medicine. Take one fever pill per day and two cold pills three times a day.”

Finishing, she routinely asked, “Do you need a sick leave note?”

Clearly, she was accustomed to students coming in for such excuses.

“No, thank you,” Yin Mengxi quickly shook her head, instinctively glancing at Xiao Zhi before awkwardly adding, “I never skip class or ask for leave...”

...What was she saying?

Why did she say that?

Feeling flustered, she tightened her grip on her hands, wondering if he thought her strange. Before she could dwell on it, she heard the doctor chuckle teasingly, “Your boyfriend is quite attentive.”

Ah.

—Boyfriend?

Hers...?

Her face flushed crimson, all the way to her ears. Though she wanted to deny it, her tongue tied itself in knots. It was he who clarified first, explaining to the doctor that he was merely her senior, nothing more.

The doctor didn’t care about their relationship, giving them a quick once-over before signaling for them to leave—likely eager to resume her phone call. Not wanting to overstay their welcome, Yin Mengxi promptly stood up and followed Xiao Zhi out of the examination room.

Soon, he had finished collecting her medication.

“The medicine and case file are inside,” he handed her the bag. “Remember to take them on time.”

Simple words, delivered in a calm tone, yet somehow they stirred her heart, leaving her feeling both sweet and awkward.

“...Thank you,” she carefully accepted the bag with both hands, almost bowing deeply. “I’ve troubled you, Senior.”

He raised an eyebrow, perhaps unaccustomed to such formality, and after a pause, said, “No need to be so polite. I’m only a few years ahead of you.”

Indeed. Subtracting the year he graduated early, he was only three years ahead of her.

She responded with an “Oh,” nodding obediently, looking even more endearing. This reminded him of how she had told the doctor earlier that she never skipped class or took leave, and an involuntary smile flickered across his eyes.

“Which dorm do you live in?” he asked casually. “I’ll walk you back.”

As an eighteen-year-old girl, Yin Mengxi had certainly fantasized about romance.

She had little experience—during high school, she had focused solely on studying, rarely watching dramas or reading romance novels. Her current understanding of relationships mostly came from her roommate Min Rui, who had many admirers. Several boys vied for her attention, but only a select few were acknowledged as her boyfriends—and those lucky ones earned the privilege of walking her back to her dorm.

“Walking back to the dorm with a guy = dating.”

She had already deduced this overly simplistic equation.

At that moment, Xiao Zhi was accompanying her back. Handsome and striking men like him were always the center of attention on campus. She could feel the eyes of passersby following him, and being by his side, she inevitably became part of their gaze as well.

She even overheard some whispers—

“Is that Xiao Zhi?”

“Damn, he’s so handsome...”

“Who’s the girl walking next to him? His girlfriend?”

“What? No way, no way—does Senior Xiao have a girlfriend?”

“That girl doesn’t look that great...”

...

The murmurs swirled around them.

Yin Mengxi wasn’t unfamiliar with being talked about—she had been a subject of attention in her small hometown. But she had never been scrutinized under such judgmental and appraising gazes before, which made her feel awkward and uneasy. Yet, honestly, that wasn’t the only emotion stirring within her. Amidst all the discomfort, there was an inexplicable sense of joy and excitement bubbling up inside her. She wasn’t sure if it was vanity, but she couldn’t deny that being gossiped about alongside him felt oddly gratifying and exhilarating.

Even though... none of the gossip was true.

Her emotions seesawed wildly, making the short walk from the campus clinic to the dormitory feel like an epic journey full of twists and turns. Only the person beside her remained calm and steady—his very presence seemed like proof that the world could be beautiful.

“...I’m here.”

She reluctantly said to him amidst the watchful eyes of many coming and going at the dorm entrance.

“Mm,” he replied, his tone still gentle. “Go upstairs and rest.”

She pursed her lips, knowing that midnight was approaching—the carriage would soon turn back into a pumpkin. No matter how reluctant she felt, she had to part ways with him. All she could do was quietly nod and thank him.

She turned and walked toward the building, swiping her student ID to unlock the door, trying hard to conceal how difficult this small farewell was for her. It wasn’t easy—timing even a backward glance required careful consideration. Halfway up the stairs, she finally dared to peek back cautiously. By then, he had already turned and was walking away, his tall, upright figure looking particularly striking in the warm orange glow of dusk. Even through the glass doors of the dormitory, his image was imprinted clearly in her mind.

What should she do?

She really... liked him.