“Are you Ji Wei? Nice to meet you.” The three people who had been left behind by Liu Yimian approached the two of them. Although Zhao Mianguang had seen Ji Wei before, he hadn’t spoken to him then.
Now was a different time, and with things weighing on his mind, Zhao Mianguang lost his composure upon seeing Ji Wei and couldn’t help but speak up first.
Seeing there were outsiders present, Ji Wei stood up from the ground, which was rather inappropriate. He pushed himself off the stone bench, pulled Liu Yimian up with him, and turned to face the three. “I’m Ji Wei. May I ask your names?”
“I’m Zhao Mianguang. You can just call me by my name.” Zhao Mianguang’s gaze circled around Ji Wei, examining him from head to toe. He thought to himself that aside from being a bit taller and sturdier than the average person, Ji Wei didn’t seem particularly different from anyone else.
He couldn’t understand why Liu Yimian always talked about him, never failing to mention “Brother Ji” in every other sentence.
Zhao Mianguang felt a bit annoyed but was careful not to let it show. After greeting Ji Wei, he stepped aside and didn’t say anything more, his eyes occasionally drifting toward Liu Yimian.
However, with Ji Wei present, Liu Yimian’s attention was completely focused on him. Even when Zhao Mianguang spoke, Liu Yimian didn’t glance in his direction; he simply gazed at Ji Wei’s face, as if trying to take in every detail of their ten-day separation without blinking.
“I’ve heard Wen Xuan mention you many times. It’s great to finally meet you!” Ji Baoshan cupped his hands in greeting Ji Wei, his expression full of gratitude. “Thanks to you, I was able to help before the Mid-Autumn Festival. My mother was sick, and the money for medicine came from your generosity. If you ever need anything, please let me help!”
“The money was earned by your hard work; it’s not my merit. If you want to thank someone, thank Wen Xuan; he mentioned you and suggested you come help.” Ji Wei picked up the cake and snack pack from the table, gesturing for the three to follow him. “I brought a cake for you all to try.”
“A cake? I’ve never heard of that before! Hurry, Liu brother, go open the door!” Lin Tai urged eagerly, and Liu Yimian had no choice but to take out his keys and go ahead to open the door.
“Is it this box or this package? Can I see it first?” Lin Tai circled around Ji Wei, eyeing the items in his hands with a look of anticipation.
“You’ll find out in a moment; there’s no need to rush,” Ji Wei said, taking a few steps. He felt a bit lightheaded and dizzy, and beads of cold sweat began to roll down his forehead.
He wiped his brow with his sleeve, attributing his discomfort to the stress of recent business matters and a lack of good sleep.
As he climbed the stone steps, Ji Wei suddenly felt a wave of darkness wash over him, his body losing strength as he leaned against Lin Tai. Fortunately, Lin Tai was close enough to catch him, preventing Ji Wei from tumbling down the stairs.
“Ji Wei, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me!” Lin Tai shouted in panic. Hearing Ji Wei’s weak groan, he relaxed a bit, but fearing Ji Wei might drop the box, he quickly pulled it from his hands.
“I should hold this; I don’t want you to drop it.”
“Hey, help me out instead! Why are you just standing there?” Lin Tai grumbled. Zhao Mianguang, snapping out of his daze, reached through Ji Wei’s armpit, lifting him up with effort as they ascended the steps together.
Once they reached the top, Ji Wei regained his strength and was able to walk on his own. However, the cold sweat on his forehead was coming faster and more abundantly, dripping down in such a way that it nearly obstructed his vision.
“Brother Ji, do you want some water—” Liu Yimian, seeing the three of them hadn’t come inside for a while, rushed out and held onto the door frame, wanting to ask if Ji Wei wanted some water. But when he saw Ji Wei’s pale face and white lips, he hurried over to grab his hand, his voice trembling with concern.
“What happened? Do you feel unwell? Are you dizzy? Do you feel weak? Did you get heatstroke on the way here because of the sun?” Liu Yimian, usually quiet, spoke rapidly, his expression looking more worried than if he himself were seriously ill.
“It’s all my fault; if Brother Ji hadn’t come to see me, he wouldn’t have gotten heatstroke.”
Ji Wei reassured him, “Don’t think too much about it. Scholar Zhang asked me to deliver books to you; it has nothing to do with you.” It was only then that he remembered he hadn’t brought the books; they were still strapped to the donkey.
“The books aren’t here. I’ll go get them later…”
“No! I can get them myself. You need to rest and not tire yourself out anymore.” Liu Yimian helped him inside.
Seeing this, Ji Baoshan quickly approached, wanting to help, but Liu Yimian waved him off.
“Just sit and relax. These are the pastries Brother Ji brought. You should all try them.” Liu Yimian went to pour some water but discovered the kettle was empty. In a rush to get Ji Wei some water, he took the kettle to fill it up.
There were many residents in the school, and they had set aside a room for students to boil water and cook. Although not many were cooking, everyone needed hot water, so people came and went frequently.
As soon as Liu Yimian stepped outside, Zhao Mianguang found an excuse to follow him.
He entered the kitchen and saw Zhao Mianguang had come too.
“Mianguang, what are you doing in the kitchen?” Liu Yimian ignited the embers that had not yet completely gone out, tossed in a few pieces of wood, and poured a small amount of water into the pot to make it boil faster.
“I was afraid you might need help, so I came to check on you.” Zhao Mianguang stood three steps away from Liu Yimian, intently watching his slender and upright figure. When Liu Yimian turned around, Zhao Mianguang quickly averted his gaze.
“What help could I need? I’m just boiling water.” Liu Yimian pulled out a small stool, sat next to the stove, resting his chin on his hands.
At times he appeared deep in thought, while at other times, he wore a smile, as if he remembered something joyful.
Zhao Mianguang felt a pang of bitterness. “Ji Wei is here; you must be really happy.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Yimian quickly lifted his head but then shyly lowered it again. “I didn’t expect him to come so soon. Brother Ji is busy with his business; I thought it would take one or two months before I could see him again.”
“One or two months between meetings just shows you’ve been forgotten. He hasn’t been thinking of you at all!” Zhao Mianguang raised his voice slightly.
“Mianguang, what’s wrong with you? I was just speculating. It’s only been ten days, and he has come already. This shows Brother Ji still thinks of me…” The last few words slipped out softly and quickly, making it hard for Zhao Mianguang to hear.
But seeing Liu Yimian’s face filled with uncontainable joy made him realize what Liu Yimian had meant.
“But he came to deliver books, not specifically to see you.” Zhao Mianguang felt an inexplicable sense of dissatisfaction rising in him.
Even though Liu Yimian had only been at the academy for ten days, the two of them had been inseparable every day, and they both knew very well the details of Ji Wei and Liu Yimian’s relationship.
Ji Wei clearly didn’t think much of Liu Yimian; otherwise, how could it be that after a year of interacting with each other, they still lacked any official status, and Ji Wei sent him to the county school?
Once at the academy and living in the dormitory, meeting once a month was common. If Ji Wei truly cared for Liu Yimian, he wouldn’t have come up with such an idea.
Zhao Mianguang mulled over these thoughts and asked more questions, which led him to this conclusion.
He felt convinced in his heart, and it showed in his words.
“Whether he came here specifically or not doesn’t matter,” Liu Yimian said, tilting his head to look at Zhao Mianguang. “If Ji Ge didn’t want to come, he could have just sent someone with it. Why would he make the trip himself and risk getting heatstroke?”
Zhao Mianguang faltered, a bit awkwardly responding, “Maybe he had business in Daxi Town…”
“Regardless, I’ve seen him now, and that’s enough for me.” Liu Yimian pondered to himself. Since coming to the academy, he hadn’t had any milk or jumped rope. He wondered if he would still grow to the height they had agreed upon.
Thinking of this made him a bit anxious.
“Mianguang, am I really short? All of you are much taller than me.”
“You’re a boy, and we’re men. Our physiques are naturally different, so we’re taller than you. You’re only an inch shorter than Lin Tai, so you’re actually pretty tall for a boy.” There weren’t many boys around, and Zhao Mianguang had only seen two others, but he knew that boys tended to be slender and shorter than ordinary men.
Someone like Liu Yimian was already quite tall.
“I’m still far from it…” Liu Yimian sighed softly.
“What?” Zhao Mianguang asked suspiciously.
“Nothing.”
After waiting for a moment, steam began to rise from the pot’s lid.
Liu Yimian stood on his tiptoes to lift the lid and found the fruit had indeed boiled.
He used a spoon to pour the hot water into the kettle, extinguished the fire with ashes, and returned to the room with Zhao Mianguang.
Ji Baoshan waited inside for a long time but didn’t see the two return. He stepped outside to find them just as Liu Yimian came in, carrying the kettle.
He stumbled a few steps but managed to steady himself. However, Liu Yimian, trying to protect the kettle, didn’t reach for the doorframe and fell backward.
“Watch out!” Zhao Mianguang quickly stepped forward, opening his arms to catch Liu Yimian, holding him securely in his embrace to prevent both him and the kettle from falling.
“Thank you, Mianguang. I’m fine now.” Liu Yimian, startled, took a moment to relax, his gaze lowered as he struggled to pull away from Zhao Mianguang’s hold.
“There’s no need to thank me.” As Zhao Mianguang let go, Liu Yimian took two steps forward, anxiously looking up at Ji Wei and locking eyes with him.
Though Ji Wei didn’t say anything, Liu Yimian, being perceptive as he was, understood that it wasn’t right to be held in another’s arms in front of Ji Wei. So, he poured a cup of hot water and brought it over to Ji Wei.
“Ji Ge, cool down from the heat.”
Ji Wei took it, their fingers brushing against each other. He naturally grasped Liu Yimian’s hand, looked into his eyes, and smiled, saying, “I’m fine. Thank you for boiling water for me.”
“There’s… nothing to it. It’s just boiling water; it’s not a hassle!” Liu Yimian focused intently on the fingers entwined, his cheeks warming up as he felt flustered and didn’t know where to look. He said weakly, “Anyway, Mianguang and the others need to drink too.”
“Oh?” Ji Wei looked up and spotted Zhao Mianguang still standing by the door, not moving. He smiled and asked, “Why aren’t you coming over, Mianguang? Yimian just said you need a drink.”
“I’m parched!” Lin Tai exclaimed, just finishing a donut and feeling thirsty. He quickly poured himself a bowl of water.
The hot water had just been boiled and hadn’t cooled down, making Lin Tai stick out his tongue from the heat. “If you two didn’t come back, Ji Wei wouldn’t let us have any cake! I’ve been starving while waiting!”
“Now that they’re back, you can cut it. Just cut four pieces; I won’t eat any,” Ji Wei replied.
“No need; I won’t eat. You all go ahead,” Zhao Mianguang said as he sat down on a bench, casting a subtle glance at the two clasped hands with a sour feeling in his heart.
Of course, he knew Liu Yimian was Ji Wei’s boy, but since they hadn’t become engaged after a year, Zhao Mianguang couldn’t help but hold onto a sliver of hope that Ji Wei might not be interested in Liu Yimian.
However, this hope shattered when he saw their hands tightly clasped.
Zhao Mianguang sighed again.
“Lin Tai, you’ve cut the cake; why aren’t you eating?” Ji Wei turned his attention away and released Liu Yimian, ruffling his hair.
“I won’t eat. Ji Ge should,” Liu Yimian shook his head, hiding his withdrawn hand behind him and clenching it into a fist.
“Fool! I brought it all the way here for you to eat.” Just then, Lin Tai handed over a small piece of cake, and Ji Wei grabbed it with his hand, asking, “Am I supposed to feed you?”
Lin Tai, with his mouth full, wore an exasperated expression and complained, “You two should pay attention! There are three other people here! Don’t treat us like we’re invisible!”
Ji Baoshan snickered.
Zhao Mianguang clenched his sleeves, feeling no appetite as he looked down at the outer garment he was wearing.
It was still the one Liu Yimian had mended; it was a dark gray color, and if one didn’t look closely, the stitches wouldn’t be noticeable.
His family had suggested he change into a new one, but Zhao Mianguang felt this one was different. He washed it and wore it again, reluctant to part with it.
But today, he suddenly felt quite foolish. Why was he wearing a tattered garment? It only served to make him a laughingstock and was utterly useless.
He decided to go back and change into something new that would fit better.
“Why aren’t you eating, Mianguang? Ji Ge’s cake is even praised by Lord Lu, the county magistrate,” Liu Yimian said, slightly furrowing his brow as he looked confusedly at Zhao Mianguang, who wasn’t touching the cake. “If you’re thirsty, I can pour you a glass of water—”
If it were any other time, it wouldn’t matter, but Liu Yimian believed Ji Wei’s cake was the best in the world and couldn’t imagine anyone not liking it.
Thinking this, he glanced secretly at Ji Wei, only to meet his gaze directly.
Ji Wei reached out, grasped Liu Yimian’s wrist, and shot a look at Zhao Mianguang. He smiled and said, “Not everyone likes cake, you know. If Mianguang is thirsty, the kettle is right there. He can pour himself some. Why are you trying to force him to eat?”
“Ah, no!” Liu Yimian shook his head, glancing between Zhao Mianguang and Ji Wei. “I just…”
“Is the cake not good?”
“How could it be?!”
“Then why can’t you just sit still?”
Liu Yimian was caught off guard by the question and didn’t dare to move again.
wannaberecluse On SRTT Chapter 50.1