There were many cases of influenza in spring. Mi Yang endured the entire winter break without going to the hospital, but he finally succumbed to the influenza.
Cheng Qing took him to get the injection when he went to work, and sent him back at noon. After preparing the meal, he fed him and kept saying, "Yangyang, eat more. Let's take a nap after you're full. You'll be fine after the medicine takes effect. Don't read books at home. It's too tiring to study so much every day."
Mi Yang felt bitter in his mouth and didn't want to eat. He turned his eyes to look at the table and said, "Mom, I want to eat an apple."
Cheng Qing said, "Eat three more spoonfuls of rice. Mom is counting. When you finish, I'll give you an apple."
Mi Yang had no choice but to continue opening his mouth to eat. Cheng Qing counted carefully for him, and really stopped feeding him after three spoonfuls. He washed the apple, cut it, put it on a small plate and brought it to him, letting him eat it in bed.
"Mom has already asked for leave for you from school." Cheng Qing tucked the corner of the quilt for him and touched his forehead. "It's not as hot as it was this morning. Just sleep at home for a while and don't go anywhere, okay?"
Mi Yang nodded, Cheng Qing hurriedly ate a few mouthfuls of food, and then hurried back to the hospital to work.
Mi Yang slept for a while at home, and suddenly felt someone touching his hair. His eyelids became heavy, and after a long while he said, "Mom?"
The person who was holding the wet towel to wipe his forehead did not stop and whispered, "Aunt Cheng is cooking in the kitchen and will be here soon. Do you want some water?"
Mi Yang recognized Bai Luochuan's voice, nodded, and drank half a cup in one breath from his hand. Bai Luochuan wanted to give him some water, but Mi Yang shook his head and said, "No more."
Bai Luochuan took the water cup and took a thermometer to test his temperature. The thermometer was placed outside and it was cold. The moment it touched his skin, Mi Yang couldn't help but shiver. Bai Luochuan felt a little distressed and touched his forehead and said, "It will be fine in a while."
Mi Yang looked listless and didn't talk to him as usual. He just curled up in the quilt.
It took several minutes to take the temperature. Bai Luochuan asked him what he wanted to eat. Mi Yang had no appetite. He huddled in the thick quilt with a red face and said, "Well, apples."
Bai Luochuan went out and brought back a big red apple. The apple had been stored for a winter, so it had less moisture, but was sweeter. Bai Luochuan took out a hand-cranked peeler from his schoolbag and fiddled with it for Mi Yang to see: "Look, Aunt Wu used it to peel apples at noon today. It was very fast. I brought it to you because it was fun."
This kind of small machine has become very popular recently. You insert a whole apple into it, control the hand crank and turn it a few times, and the apple skin will be evenly peeled into long strips, revealing the snow-white and fragrant flesh inside.
Bai Luochuan used it more as a toy. He knew that Mi Yang liked to eat apples, and he took it here to appease the sick child.
When Mi Yang saw it, it indeed brought back some memories and he looked at it a few more times.
After Bai Luochuan gave him the apple, he also pushed the little toy to him and said, "Leave this for you to play with." Without waiting for Mi Yang to speak, he took out today's notes and homework from his schoolbag and said to him, "I have taken notes and understood everything the teacher said. I will teach you. Don't worry, I won't let you fall behind in any homework."
Mi Yang said while chewing an apple: "Leave your notes here, I'll read them myself, you can go back."
Bai Luochuan was stunned for a moment and asked, "You want me to leave?"
Mi Yang was afraid of infecting him, so he nodded and said, "Yes, I can just look at it myself. If I don't know, I'll call you and ask."
Bai Luochuan said: "I can teach you now..."
Mi Yang said: "No, I'm so sleepy now and don't want to attend the class."
Bai Luochuan didn't want to leave and was hesitant, but the people in the Bai family obviously knew his habits better. The guard knocked on the door and came over, saying that they would take him back for dinner. Bai Luochuan looked unhappy, thinking that they all thought Xiaoguai was sick and not "good enough" and that's why they didn't let him have much contact with him. He pursed his lips and was not very happy, but the guard dispelled his concerns with just one sentence.
The guard said, "I didn't intend to call Luochuan back so early. Teacher Wei is back and is eager to see the students."
The expression on Bai Luochuan's face eased a lot. Although he was still a little reluctant, he held Mi Yang's hand and said a few words before reluctantly going back.
After dinner, Cheng Qing also saw the notes left by Bai Luochuan. She touched Mi Yang's head and whispered to him, "Yangyang, Mom knows that you can't go back to school and is very anxious, but health is the first priority. Mom doesn't want you to get good grades, being healthy is enough."
Yonezawa Hai also comforted him, "You are really great now. Really, your dad has never won first place since I was a child, except for this time when I took the military academy entrance exam!"
Mi Yang said: "No, there is one more time."
Mi Zehai himself couldn't remember, and said, "When did I win first place?"
Mi Yang blinked and said seriously: "Play basketball, the schoolbag I'm carrying is a prize!"
Mi Zehai walked forward and patted his son's head, then laughed out loud. Even Cheng Qing next to him couldn't help laughing.
There was no pressure from his family, and Mi Yang was not a person who particularly liked to stand out. He skipped a grade just to do what he liked a few years earlier. But now he thought it was not bad to live his life leisurely. He liked the kids in Class 1, Grade 3 very much, and slowly integrated into this small group.
Mi Yang had a small regret in his previous life, that is, he did not choose his favorite major when he was studying, but listened to the advice of his parents and teachers and chose a major with relatively good employment. Although he found a job smoothly after graduation, he always felt that something was missing. This time, he decided to follow his heart and do what he wanted to do.
Anyway, the housing prices are still low now. Whether he waits a few years to persuade his parents or think of ways to scrape together some money, he can always buy a small house in advance. This is equivalent to completing the survival mission in the past. He will not have to worry about food and accommodation, and he can support himself by finding any job. It’s a wonderful thought.
The next day, Mrs. Bai had some nutritional supplements sent over. The health care product market had just started to develop these days, and there were several advertisements on TV and in newspapers. There were quite a lot of nutritional supplements for children and the elderly. The ones Mrs. Bai sent were "Sun God" and "Wahaha", saying that they could help children improve their immunity.
Bai Luochuan reports on time every night, sometimes bringing some fruits from the south, sometimes bringing two bottles of bird's nest with rock sugar. Mi Yang flipped through the ingredient list and guessed that there hadn't been a severe crackdown on the market yet, because they dared to write anything on the list of ingredients, even ginseng and deer antlers were listed.
When Bai Luochuan faced the adults of Mi Yang's family, his little face was quite serious, but when he and Mi Yang were the only ones left in the room, his true nature as a young master was exposed, especially when Mi Yang urged him to go home, he looked unhappy.
Bai Luochuan looked at him with an accusing look on his face, and said unhappily, "You've been chasing me away lately."
Mi Yang thought, nonsense, I’m just afraid of infecting you!
But he couldn't say this directly. If he said it, Young Master Bai would definitely say "I'm not afraid" and then take off his clothes and climb onto his bed to sleep with him.
Mi Yang half-lying on the bed, said in a gentle voice: "I'm sick, I don't feel well."
When he said that, Bai Luochuan's temper disappeared. He came close and touched his forehead. It was still a little hot. He couldn't help but said, "It's all Teacher Wang's fault. She was the one who made you stand outside as a punishment. That's why you got cold."
Mi Yang didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and said, "Don't blame others for everything. It's been a long time, and I caught a cold myself."
Bai Luochuan didn't listen, and sat on Mi Yang's bed, moving closer to him, rubbing his feet and trying to take off his shoes. Mi Yang saw through what he meant and pushed his shoulder, saying, "No."
Bai Luochuan raised his eyebrows again, "I'll just lie down for a while."
Mi Yang shook his head and pushed him again: "No, go home and sleep."
Young Master Bai groaned for a long time, but when he saw that Mi Yang didn't soften at all, he put his shoes back on angrily.
Probably because of what Young Master Bai had done, Mi Yang had a long dream when he slept at night, and he dreamed of Bai Luochuan.
In the dream, he was first a child, sitting on the carpet in the second-floor bedroom of the Bai family, packing up a box of toys.
Young Master Bai's favorite game console was thrown aside, looking like it had been abandoned.
When he saw it, he couldn't help but ask, "Isn't this your favorite? Don't you want it?"
Xiaobai Luochuan curled his lips and said, "I'm tired of playing. It's boring."
He was terrified by what he heard in his dream. He looked down and felt inexplicably panicked, as if he had become the game console.
The dream was discontinuous, like some things from his previous life. It seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't remember clearly.
In a daze, he returned to the hospital, but this time he was a teenager.
He pushed open the door of the ward and walked out slowly, and saw Bai Luochuan, who was also about 16 or 17 years old. Bai Luochuan was sitting on a chair in the hospital corridor, playing a video game. He took two steps and the other party looked up at him, revealing his beautiful eyes that were slightly raised. He looked at him and snorted, "Idiot, why are you going for a long-distance run when you have a cold?"
Mi Yang heard himself in the dream say with a little fatigue: "I can't help it, class honor."
Bai Luochuan put the game console aside and said disdainfully: "Just tell me and I'll go for you."
Mi Yang subconsciously wanted to follow his words and give him some compliments. At this time, Master Bai was hard on the outside but soft on the inside, so he should just stroke his fur. But the me in the dream just smiled and didn't say anything.
Bai Luochuan looked at him with a pair of eyes that were slightly raised, sharp and beautiful, revealing the charm of a young man, but he raised the corners of his mouth and sneered, and his words were like thorns: "You are always like this, so what if you owe me a little? Do you have to be so careful?"
Mi Yang's heart skipped a beat, as his worries were hit home. He was being so cautious on purpose.
—Because I’m afraid.
Mi Yang was in a trance in his dream, frowning and trying hard to think about what he was afraid of... But he suddenly couldn't remember...
In his dream, he was pressed more and more by this question, and was so troubled that he wanted to struggle to wake up, but he was unable to move, as if he was entangled by vines. After being pushed twice by someone with great difficulty, he immediately woke up with heavy breathing, and a fine layer of sweat on his forehead.
"What's wrong with you? Are you having a nightmare again?"
The child who woke him up looked at him worriedly. Mi Yang's eyes met his and as if to confirm, he asked carefully, "Bai Luochuan?"
Young Master Bai nodded and said curiously, "It's me."