The once spacious hospital room felt cramped with so many people seated. Besides Ye Yun and Madam Ye, He Ning, He Yuan, and Mo Xuan were also lined up.
Ye Mu showed no embarrassment as Luo Qi personally helped him onto the bed like a patient with partial paralysis.
He Yuan, on the other hand, found it too much to watch. With no one to peel fruit for him, he had to take matters into his own hands. He took a few fruits and shared them with He Ning and Mo Xuan.
The fruits had purple skin and were slightly larger than a palm. They were soft, glutinous, and sweet. Since they couldn't be grown on Earth, they were clearly brought by Luo Qi.
For the sake of these fruits, He Yuan felt he could tolerate the strong, bull-like Ye Mu acting weak and pitiful in front of him.
However, Mo Xuan beside him couldn't stand it. As Luo Qi was carefully patting and arranging the pillow behind Ye Mu, He Yuan caught a glimpse of Mo Xuan crushing the fruit in his hand with his bare hands.
"Whoa," purple juice flowed all over his hand.
He Yuan: "..."
He asked softly, "What's wrong?" He wasn't close to Mo Xuan. He only knew that Mo Xuan, Luo Qi, and Ye Mu had attended the same kindergarten, and he hadn't heard of any conflicts.
Mo Xuan forced a smile and said, "Disgusting, utterly shameless!"
He Yuan: "..."
He decided to play deaf and pretend he heard nothing.
After finishing the fruit, he wiped his hands with two tissues and asked, "So, are we continuing this act tomorrow? Many people are indeed watching us, both openly and secretly. Some even came to ask about your condition."
Luo Qi, holding Ye Mu's hand as he sat by the bed, nodded. "Yes, the more ambiguous we appear, the more anxious that person will become."
He Yuan nodded, patted He Ning's shoulder, and stood up. "Then we'll be leaving for today. Ye Mu, rest well."
Since earlier, Ye Mu's gaze had been fixed on Luo Qi, paying no attention to their conversation. Only now did he deign to spare them a glance.
"Hurry back and rest."
He Yuan's mouth twitched. The expression made him feel that Ye Mu was actually saying, "Get lost."
He Ning blinked, acting like a fruit-eating machine. He inexplicably liked these fruits, his eyes squinting with pleasure as he ate.
Luo Qi stood up and packed the entire plate of fruit, handing it to He Ning. He was charmed by the unexpected foodie nature of the usually cold young man, looking at He Ning with a motherly smile.
Mo Xuan also stood up and was the first to walk out of the room. Luo Qi thought he had left too and escorted He Ning, He Yuan, Ye Yun, and Madam Ye to the door.
Not sure if anyone was watching at the entrance of the school hospital, Luo Qi didn't go far, only escorting them to the corridor before turning back.
Upon returning to the room, he saw Ye Mu and Mo Xuan glaring at each other.
Luo Qi, holding a small backpack he had brought from who knows where, looked at Ye Mu expressionlessly but spoke to Luo Qi. "Luoluo, Ye Mu is injured. As his good friend (emphasis), I'll stay with you tonight, okay?"
Luo Qi: "...Huh?"
Ye Mu pulled at the corner of his mouth. "Thank you, Mo Xuan, but there's no need..."
Mo Xuan had already tossed his backpack onto the small sofa beside him. "You're welcome."
Ye Mu: "..."
Luo Qi looked at Mo Xuan, then at Ye Mu, feeling that these two were a bit off, but it seemed like Mo Xuan was just concerned about his friend... right?
Mo Xuan's face showed no hint of emotion. He forcefully reached out and pushed Ye Mu to one side of the bed, opened his backpack, and placed the quilt between Ye Mu and Luo Qi.
"There are no other beds here either, so you don't mind if I squeeze in here, do you?"
Luo Qi subconsciously shook his head, then realized, his expression turning a little strange. "You really want to stay with Ye Mu?"
In his impression, Mo Xuan and Ye Mu never got along well. Perhaps now that they've grown up, they've started to care about others?
Mo Xuan's dark eyes fell on Ye Mu, his gaze full of provocation. "Yes, Ye Mu must be very uncomfortable, right?"
*Hmph, I am Luoluo's best friend. Do you think I'll let you shamelessly monopolize him?*
*You even want to sleep alone with him. You're quite ugly, but you have grand ambitions!*
Ye Mu looked back without yielding, gritting his teeth. "I am indeed a bit uncomfortable. Thank you, Mo Xuan."
*Who is the shameless one! Don't you know in your heart who Luoluo's good friend is? And you shamelessly squeeze between us?*
Luo Qi looked from side to side and then punched his palm. "Then it's perfect! Mo Xuan, you stay with Ye Mu tonight. I'll sleep in the room next door!"
Mo Xuan: "?"
Ye Mu: "???"
Luo Qi ran to the bedside, pulled off his own quilt, and said, holding it:
"I've asked the doctor. The room next door is empty now, so I can stay there.
You two sleep together tonight. If anything happens, just come and call me!"
Luo Qi instructed with satisfaction, then walked out of the room with his small quilt. The "deep gaze" between Mo Xuan and Ye Mu kept replaying in his mind, and he nodded with relief.
What could be happier than his two good friends, who originally didn't get along well, suddenly becoming amicable?
Luo Qi considered himself an understanding and qualified friend. The friendship between Mo Xuan and Ye Mu would be protected by him, little Luo!
The door to the ward was carefully closed, and the atmosphere inside became stagnant.
"It's all your fault!"
"It's all your fault!"
They both spoke at the same time, then snorted simultaneously, and finally turned their heads away from each other, lying down on opposite ends of the bed, a clear boundary between them.
Luo Qi, who had a large bed all to himself, rested very well that night. He woke up in a good mood the next morning. After washing up, he hummed a little tune and went to Ye Mu's room.
Mo Xuan and Ye Mu were sitting on the bed and the sofa respectively, both with identical dark circles under their eyes, as if neither had slept well last night.
Luo Qi slowly formed a "?".
Seeing Luo Qi arrive, Mo Xuan abruptly stood up and said, "Luoluo, I'm going back to class first."
He wasn't in the same class as Luo Qi, and their schedules were slightly different.
After speaking, he got up and left directly, not giving Luo Qi a chance to ask.
Luo Qi turned to look at Ye Mu and saw Ye Mu pulling the quilt over his head, his voice muffled. "You don't care about me anyway, so go with Mo Xuan."
Luo Qi: "..."
What was with that resentful tone, as if he had been abandoned by a scumbag?
The thought surfaced but was quickly suppressed by Luo Qi. Wasn't he also scolding himself?
"What exactly is going on?"
After painstakingly coaxing Ye Mu, Luo Qi walked out of the school hospital, slowly letting out a sigh of relief. For some reason, even at his young age, he felt as if a heavy burden was placed on his shoulders.
He had to be responsible for comforting his good friend's psychological health.
He looked up to discern the direction and walked off.
A few minutes later, someone emerged from the shadows of the bushes and quietly followed Luo Qi.
Luo Qi's brow furrowed slightly, his lips pressed into a thin line. He didn't stop, continuing to walk forward.