Chapter 56

“38.7 degrees, it’s alright, not too high.”

Dr. Lan in the infirmary was a woman in her forties, seemingly well taken care of by time, as there weren’t many traces of it on her face.

She gently scanned the two with her eyes and kindly said, “No inflammation in the throat, it should be caused by seasonal flu. I’ll prescribe some fever-reducing medicine for you.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Yu Nian obediently took the fever-reducing medicine. She was about to get up when Li Xiang stopped her.

She looked up at this person in confusion, “What’s wrong?”

“Rest in the infirmary. With such a high fever, you won’t be able to focus in class even if you go back. I’ve already asked for leave.”

Before Yu Nian could respond, Li Xiang glanced at Dr. Lan and said, “Dr. Lan, sorry to trouble you.”¹Polite use of you.

Dr. Lan shook her head, pointing to the curtain behind her. “It’s fine. If you feel tired, you can go inside and take a nap.”

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“Go ahead, your friend seems quite worried about you,” Dr. Lan said with a smile.

With that smile, Yu Nian felt even more embarrassed. She quickly got up, thanked the doctor, and went into the inner room.

Li Xiang had already made the bed, pulling the curtains halfway open so that sunlight refracted through the thick glass, preventing the room from feeling too gloomy.

Yu Nian walked over to the bed and sat down. She noticed that Li Xiang had prepared a cup of warm water by the bedside at some point, which made her feel a little warmth inside.

At that moment, the faint sound of the bell signaling the start of class came from afar. Yu Nian sneakily glanced at Li Xiang, uncertain if he was still upset. She resorted to a trick she had used before.

She lightly tugged on the hem of Li Xiang’s school uniform, looking up at him with innocent and sincere eyes. “Chi Yao, I can manage by myself. You should hurry back to the classroom. Class is about to start.”

“Then rest. If you need anything, just message me. I’ll come find you after the next class,” Li Xiang said as he handed the cup of warm water to Yu Nian.

Seeing that the situation seemed to have improved, Yu Nian gathered her courage and was about to say “no”. However, she met Li Xiang’s unquestionable gaze, and her refusal got stuck in her throat. She simply replied softly, “Okay.”

Once Li Xiang left, Yu Nian drank the medicine and lay down to sleep.

In her drowsiness, Yu Nian felt someone approaching her side, gently touching her forehead.

The person opened the window slightly, allowing the warm breeze from outside to enter.

In her slumber, Yu Nian felt her body temperature gradually decreasing. A gentle breeze, accompanied by warm sunlight, brushed across her rosy cheeks, bringing a sense of comfort.

As the fever subsided, Yu Nian broke out in a sweat, feeling sticky all over and unable to change into fresh clothes. She had to endure it.

When she opened her eyes again, she heard low laughter in the small room.

“Nian Nian, you’re awake,” Liu Manman, who had been chatting with someone else, turned around upon hearing movement from the bed. She got up and walked over.

As this was said, Zhang Chuanze, who had been chatting outside, also came in. “Hey, you woke up just after Chi Yao left.”

Hearing this, Yu Nian thought to herself: So, it wasn’t just a figment of my imagination that I felt a hand on my forehead while I was asleep ah.

“Why are you all here?” Yu Nian asked, feeling refreshed after her nap and regaining her usual energy, pleasantly surprised.

“This class got changed to a physical education class. When they announced free activities, we thought of coming over to check on you. Seeing you sleeping so soundly, we didn’t want to disturb you,” Zhang Chuanze explained.

“Yeah, Nian Nian, are you feeling better now?” Liu Manman asked with a worried expression.

Meeting Liu Manman’s concerned gaze, Yu Nian felt a pang of guilt. She realized that not only had she failed to play her part well, but she had also complicated their relationship. She felt sorry. Hastily nodding, she replied, “Thank you, Manman. I feel much better after the nap.”

“That’s good. Do you want to get up? The weather is nice today, we can go outside and soak up some sun,” Liu Manman suggested.

“Okay.”

Seeing that Yu Nian was fine, Zhang Chuanze headed straight to the basketball court as soon as they left the infirmary.

The few other classmates who had tagged along were only there out of consideration for Liu Manman’s feelings, showing some curiosity as they watched for a while. However, when they realized nothing interesting was happening, they made excuses and left.

Now, only Yu Nian and Liu Manman were left strolling around the field.

Yu Nian walked beside Liu Manman, engaging in casual conversation. Unknowingly, they gradually distanced themselves from the surrounding crowd, and Liu Manman eventually stopped in her tracks.

“What’s wrong?” Yu Nian asked, tilting her head.

“Nian Nian, I’m really upset.”

When Liu Manman turned to face Yu Nian again, her eyes were rimmed with red, silently gazing at her.

Yu Nian’s heart panicked for no reason, and her fingertips, hidden under her sleeves, instinctively curled up.

“What happened?” she asked, feigning calmness.

“Thank you for helping me deliver the love letter earlier,” Liu Manman seemed to be trying to hold back her emotions, but eventually couldn’t. Her clear eyes welled up with a few glistening tears. She gently wiped the corners of her eyes and forced a smile at Yu Nian.

As Yu Nian looked up, she saw Liu Manman’s fair and radiant face under the sunlight, with a faint furrow between her eyebrows and a hint of redness around her eyes, evoking sympathy.

Even before Liu Manman spoke, Yu Nian could almost guess what she was going to say next.

“Nian Nian, do you think I’m really terrible ah.” Liu Manman lightly bit her red lips, glancing at Yu Nian from the corner of her eye, looking sad and helpless.

Upon hearing this, Yu Nian quickly denied, “How could that be possible, Manman? You’re very outstanding. You’re not only beautiful, but you also excel in your studies, and you have a good personality. How could you not be outstanding? Don’t overthink it.”

“Then why doesn’t Chi Yao like me?”

Seemingly a casual question, but Yu Nian didn’t know how to respond. She could only lower her head awkwardly and say, “Well, uh, he just lacks taste.”

“Maybe… You know, Chi Yao told me he has someone he likes,” Liu Manman sighed lightly, her face filled with deep disappointment.

Words spoken without intention can still deeply affect the listener.

Those words felt like a heavy stone, landing squarely on Yu Nian’s chest, almost making it hard for her to breathe.

Could it be that she already knows?

She looked up, hoping to detect even a hint of a clue from Liu Manman’s face, but there was nothing to be seen.

“Is… is that so?” Yu Nian tried to feign surprise, but she found herself unable to disguise her true feelings. Perhaps it was due to just recovering from the fever, her throat feeling somewhat dry. She coughed lightly a few times before replying with a blank face.

Liu Manman glanced suspiciously at Yu Nian, sensing that she might know some insider information. With a hint of probing, she asked, “Nian Nian, since you and Chi Yao are so close, do you know who he likes?”

As soon as the question was asked, Yu Nian froze. Liu Manman seemed to still be complaining about something, but Yu Nian couldn’t focus on it at all.

All she could think about was what to do. Manman has been so kind to me, she even came to see me when I was sick. Should I hide this from her?

Intuition told her that she shouldn’t tell the truth, otherwise she was afraid that she wouldn’t even be able to be friends with Liu Manman.

“Nian Nian, are you listening?” Seeing Yu Nian spacing out, Liu Manman patted her shoulder gently and asked softly.

“Ah! I…” Yu Nian raised her head in panic. “I’m sorry, I… I’m not sure.”