Jing Zheng xuan’s face was filled with worry as he gently circled his hand
over Huai Xu’s stomach.
He feared Huai Xu’s stomach might be acting up.
Huai Xu had suffered from a chronic stomach condition since he was a
child.
Back then, his life was particularly tough—there were so many foods he
couldn’t eat.
He could only watch other kids happily devour their snacks while his mouth
watered,
consoling himself with the thought that those treats weren’t healthy anyway.
Jing Zheng xuan had only seen this once but was heartbroken by it.
He had then spared no effort and gone to great lengths to nurse Huai Xu’s
stomach back to its current state.
Though it wasn’t fully healed, at least now Huai Xu could occasionally indulge
in the foods he craved.
Having worked so hard to make this possible,
Jing Zheng xuan wasn’t about to let Huai Xu go back to those difficult days.
Cupping Huai Xu’s chin, Jing Zheng xuan asked with concern,
“You didn’t eat because I wasn’t here?”
Huai Xu was speechless.
Now that it was mentioned, it was true—since Jing Zheng xuan hadn’t called
him,
he had been so busy rehearsing that he completely missed mealtime.
With Jing Zheng xuan around, Huai Xu never had to worry about what or when to
eat.
Seeing the worry on Jing Zheng xuan’s face, Huai Xu felt a little guilty.
At his age, how could he still make his childhood friend worry about something
as basic as eating?
Blinking his eyes, his dark pupils glistened with a touch of pity.
His voice softened as he said,
“I… forgot.”
Jing Zheng xuan pinched his cheek and sighed.
“You really can’t manage without me. Let’s go.”
Though he said that, his heart was filled with anger.
What kind of celebration dinner was this, making Huai Xu miss his meal?
He swore to never let Huai Xu eat alone again.
“Where are we going?”
Huai Xu, not catching up to Jing Zheng xuan’s thoughts, asked.
“Home for dinner,”
Jing Zheng xuan said, pulling him toward the dormitory door without another
word.
Just as they stepped out, Huai Xu’s roommates returned, surprised to see them.
“Hey, Huai Xu, where are you two going?”
“Your childhood friend… looks even scarier now.”
“It’s already past nine. There are only a couple of hours until curfew. Don’t
forget to come back in time.”
Jincheng University had strict dormitory rules.
The gates were locked at 11 p.m. to prevent students from getting into trouble
outside.
Teachers occasionally conducted spot checks, and unexcused overnight stays
were recorded in the student’s file, with repeated offenses resulting in
penalties.
Huai Xu had always been a model student, excelling academically and following
rules.
Naturally, he’d never been in trouble for staying out overnight.
He explained briefly to his roommates and tried to appear lighthearted.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be back later.”
As soon as he finished, Jing Zheng xuan was already pulling him toward the
stairs.
Noticing his friend’s unusual behavior, Huai Xu tried to placate him.
“Really… don’t worry, I’m fine.”
Jing Zheng xuan gripped his hand tightly and took a deep breath.
“You’re fine now. But what about midnight? Tomorrow? In the future?”
Huai Xu sighed inwardly.
His friend had a knack for turning a small incident into a cascade of
worst-case scenarios.
But who could blame him? Huai Xu’s health had always required special
attention;
neglecting it could lead to serious consequences.
Feeling more remorseful, Huai Xu tugged on Jing Zheng xuan’s hand gently and
said in a soft, sweet voice,
“That’s why I have you. None of those things will happen.”
Jing Zheng xuan’s grip tightened, and he ruffled Huai Xu’s hair.
His face relaxed slightly.
At home, Jing Zheng xuan seated Huai Xu on the couch and handed him a plate of
snacks.
“Have a bite first, but not too much.”
“…Okay.”
Feeling guilty, Huai Xu obeyed without complaint.
“Good boy.”
Jing Zheng xuan went to the kitchen and started cooking seafood congee with
rice.
It was too late for a heavy meal, so he opted for something easy to digest.
As the congee simmered, he noticed untouched dishes on the dining table
prepared earlier by their housekeeper.
His expression darkened as he swept them into the trash.
Jing Zheng xuan never allowed Huai Xu to eat leftovers, nor did he let him
clean up.
Attempting either only made him angrier.
After thirty minutes, the congee was ready.
Jing Zheng xuan served a bowl and brought it to the living room.
When Huai Xu reached out to take it, Jing Zheng xuan moved it away.
He sat opposite, scooped a spoonful, blew on it, and brought it to Huai Xu’s
lips.
Huai Xu hesitated. He was nineteen—surely he didn’t need to be fed like this?
“I can do it myself…” he ventured.
“You just said you need me, and now you want to do it yourself? Are you
planning to abandon me, Ah Xu?”
Jing Zheng xuan’s steady gaze held an inexplicable emotion that made Huai Xu
feel a twinge of guilt.
Huai Xu gave in and opened his mouth.
Simple ingredients highlighted exquisite cooking skills, and the congee was
fragrant and delicious.
Huai Xu’s eyes narrowed in contentment.
“Your cooking is still amazing, Ah Xuan,”
he said, never stingy with praise.
Jing Zheng xuan let out a small huff, his rigid expression softening.
Huai Xu smiled knowingly—this was the first sign of his friend’s mood thawing.
As the congee disappeared spoonful by spoonful, Jing Zheng xuan’s demeanor
gradually returned to normal.
When the bowl was empty, he finally spoke.
“No matter how busy you are, don’t skip meals again.”
Huai Xu nodded vigorously.
“And don’t lie to me.”
“Never again,”
Huai Xu promised, holding up three fingers.
“Good,”
Jing Zhengxuan murmured, patting Huai Xu’s head lightly.
“Message your counselor and say you need to stay out tonight.”
Huai Xu hesitated.
“But… isn’t that against the rules?”
Jing Zheng xuan’s face fell, not in anger but concern.
His warm brown eyes were tinged with worry.
“You just ate. You shouldn’t go outside in the wind or make a long trip back.”
“…Summer breezes count as wind now? And that short walk is a long trip?”
Despite the questionable logic, Huai Xu couldn’t resist Jing Zheng xuan’s
concern.
It was for his sake, after all.
He relented, sending the message.
The counselor, aware of Huai Xu’s health and trusting his character, quickly
approved the request.
Satisfied, Jing Zheng xuan went to wash the dishes, leaving Huai Xu to update
his roommates.
His roommates responded with a mix of concern and curiosity:
Chen Pan: “You two… are you okay?”
Wu Ke: “He looked so pissed when you left…”
Zhang Yilang: “He wouldn’t hurt you, right?”
Shocked, Huai Xu replied:
[Sun.JPG]: [How could he?!]
[Sun.JPG]: He’s never laid a finger on me!”
After a pause, his roommates replied:
Zhang Yilang: “You’re right.”
Chen Pan: “He really does treat you well.”
Wu Ke: “We’ll save you a seat for the 8 a.m. class tomorrow.
Sleep in.”
[Sun.JPG]: [Thanks! <3]
Setting down his phone, Huai Xu went to the master bedroom.
When he had agreed to stay over on weekends, he’d assumed he’d sleep in the
guest room.
But the three-bedroom apartment only had one bedroom—the other rooms were a
shared study and a game room.
It was as if Jing Zheng xuan had always known they’d share the same room.
Not one to protest, especially to Jing Zheng xuan, Huai Xu had gone along with
it.
After all, they’d often shared a bed growing up.
Inside the closet, seeing their clothes intermingled made his brows twitch.
Last time, he had carefully sorted their clothing—his on the right, Jing Zheng
xuan’s on the left.
Now, they were oddly alternating, one of his, then one of Jing Zheng xuan’s.
He reached out to fix it, but Jing Zheng xuan appeared behind him and grabbed
his hand.
“It’s too messy,”
Huai Xu pouted.
“It’s fine,”
Jing Zheng xuan replied.
“…What part of this is fine?”
Huai Xu tried to argue.
“This is how I live,”
Jing Zheng xuan said, holding his arms firmly.
Huai Xu went quiet, realizing the implication.
Sighing, he allowed himself to be led out.
“Let’s play a game before you shower,”
Jing Zheng xuan suggested.
“Okay,”
Huai Xu agreed, forgetting he shouldn’t shower immediately after eating.
After the game, Jing Zheng xuan fetched Huai Xu’s sleepwear.
As he emerged from the bathroom freshly washed, Jing Zheng xuan deftly began
drying his hair.
Watching his strong, tall friend in the mirror, Huai Xu wondered how someone
so capable always managed to get hurt.
When Jing Zheng xuan went to take his own shower, Huai Xu suddenly
remembered.
“Wait! Your wound—how will you shower?”
Jing Zheng xuan turned back, a glint of mischief in his eyes.
“Good question. What do you suggest?”
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