“Bipolar disorder… manic depression?”
Lin Youxi nodded gently, "Do you know this disease?"
"I took a minor in psychology in college, so I know a little bit about it..." Mei Fang continued, "The patient will change between two different moods: mania and depression..."
As Mei Fang expressed his understanding, he thought of Lin Youxi's misfortune over the years. The strong dissatisfaction he had accumulated towards Lin Youxi all day soon disappeared because of sympathy. His mood became very heavy, and he apologized to Lin Youxi:
"I'm sorry... I didn't know you were going through this pain."
"What do you have to apologize for? It was me who didn't tell you in the first place."
Lin Youxi, who looked haggard, smiled at Mei Fang. "In fact, I have been reflecting recently on whether I have put too much pressure on you. You are already very busy at work, and I am still forcing you like that."
"Don't say things like that. I play games like this to realize that I'm alive and—"
Mei Fang saw Lin Youxi's eyes opening and closing, and she looked shaky. She immediately remembered that she was still running a fever, so she urged her gently, "Do you want to rest first? You look very sleepy."
"I'm not only sleepy, but also hungry..."
Lin Youxi checked her phone as she spoke, "I don't even remember if I ordered takeout... Ah, I forgot to place the order."
"Stop eating takeout. I'll make you something light and healthy to eat."
Lin Youxi was a little curious after hearing this, "You are so busy at work, but you can still cook for yourself."
"I'll make some myself on the weekends. Eating takeout all the time is not good for your health."
Mei Fang said as she urged Lin Youxi, "Go lie down quickly. I'll get you something to eat. Is there anything in the fridge at home?"
"There shouldn't be anything... Oh, by the way, there seem to be frozen dumplings. I'm pretty good at cooking dumplings."
"What's there to brag about when it comes to cooking dumplings?"
Lin Youxi was urged by Mei Fang to go to bed and rest. Mei Fang poured a cup of hot water for Lin Youxi and placed it on the bedside table. She told Lin Youxi to take antipyretic and anti-inflammatory medicine, and then went to check the refrigerator in Lin Youxi's house.
The garlic in the refrigerator has taken root and sprouted...
Although the exterior looks bright and beautiful, the house is actually quite messy.
Oh.
Mei Fang sighed silently.
The slight noise coming from the kitchen made Lin Youxi, who was lying on the bed, feel inexplicably at ease, but she soon felt sleepy.
She had a deep dream, a very distant dream.
She dreamed that she went back to her childhood. She dreamed that the gentle girl with twin buns was patiently wiping her nose. She dreamed that she pushed the bun-haired girl out of jealousy because she was so close to the bed-wetting boy.
With this push, she pushed the bun-haired girl and the bed-wetting boy far away, to a place where she could not touch them at all. When she came to her senses and wanted to chase them, she only felt that they were getting farther and farther away from her.
!
Lin Youxi suddenly opened her eyes, startling Mei Fang who was putting the porridge aside, "Oh my god... are you so scary when you wake up from sleep?"
Mei Fang was about to say something else, but saw a line of tears sliding down from the corners of Lin Youxi's eyes. He was suddenly at a loss and hurriedly went to the side to get some tissues and handed them to Lin Youxi.
"Are you having a nightmare..."
Lin Youxi wiped her tears and nodded, "I dreamed of Yuanyuan."
"You really like her..."
Mei Fang said as he moved a small stool to sit down beside the bed. "Come, get up and have some porridge. I made some millet porridge, which is good for the stomach. When you have a fever, it's easier to absorb liquid food."
Lin Youxi struggled for a few times but failed to get up from the bed.
"pain."
"Then... do you want me to help you?"
"Um."
It was Mei Fang's first time having physical contact with a girl. He was so nervous that he didn't know where to put his hands. He kept thinking about how to support Lin Youxi without overstepping his boundaries.
Seeing him finding an angle to push her innocently, Lin Youxi found it a little funny. She grabbed Mei Fang's arm and struggled to get up. Mei Fang subconsciously supported Lin Youxi's back and helped her up.
"Come...eat."
Mei Fang scooped the porridge and handed it to Lin Youxi, but she had no intention of taking it. Instead, she stared at Mei Fang.
Lin Youxi didn't blush or feel nervous, but Mei Fang felt embarrassed to be stared at from such a close distance, and she quickly dodged after their eyes met.
"Hey, hey... You don't want me to feed you, do you?"
"I don't want to move."
Lin Youxi just stared at Mei Fang like that. She seemed to enjoy the twisted and shy expression of this grown man.
"This is not good..."
"Then I'd better go to bed."
Lin Youxi was about to lie down on the bed when Mei Fang suddenly became anxious:
"Wait, wait!"
Mei Fang sat beside Lin Youxi's bed, feeding Lin Youxi millet porridge one spoonful at a time. He scooped up a small spoonful and blew on it, then extended the spoon to Lin Youxi. Lin Youxi leaned over and took the porridge in his mouth, looking so cute that she didn't seem like an urban white-collar worker.
“Is it delicious?”
Lin Youxi shook her head. "The porridge you made is not as delicious as the porridge from Wumi Porridge Shop."
“… Then why do you eat so much?”
Lin Youxi said in a gentle voice: "The last time someone fed me was when I was in elementary school. My dad fed me..."
"You're about to cry."
"I don't believe it. Let me see you cry."
Lin Youxi stared at Mei Fang, "If you don't do that, I'll punch you and make you cry."
"You don't even have the strength to hold the bowl, but you still have the strength to hit me, right?"
"Just let me try and you'll know."
Lin Youxi waved his fist to hit Mei Fang, Mei Fang raised his hand to dodge and accidentally spilled porridge on himself.
"Hot, hot, hot!"
"Are you okay..."
Lin Youxi took out a tissue to help Mei Fang wipe it. Mei Fang put the bowl aside. Lin Youxi held his hand, looked at the red mark on his arm, lowered his head, and his voice became subtle:
“Anyone who gets too close to me will end up being unhappy.”
Lin Youxi said softly, "Maybe it's best for you not to contact me again after I delete you."
"This character setting sounds quite childish. I didn't expect that the top student in our Baimei No. 1 Middle School that year was such an interesting girl. It would have been nice if we had known each other since high school."
Lin Youxi smiled at Mei Fang: "So... you don't believe it?"
"I know you want to use the people around you as an example, but I don't think so. Those misfortunes are not your fault. They just happen to happen to you. You are definitely not the one being blamed or feeling guilty. You are the one who should feel sorry for you."
Mei Fang said softly: "Anyway, I don't believe it."
"It's going to be painful to play games with a psychopath like me."
"It's not like I don't know the mechanism and symptoms of bipolar disorder, so you don't have to use this to persuade me."
Mei Fang said seriously, "You finally managed to ignite my dying soul of independent games, but now you want to put it out on your own. Who do you think you are? This game is not just your dream now, do you know that?"
Facing Mei Fang's words, Lin Youxi suddenly couldn't help laughing, "It's rare to see you being so strong, it's not easy."
"This sounds weird..."
Lin Youxi continued the conversation, "Then I will wait until you can't stand it anymore and then abandon me. Although I am very bipolar, I have never thought of taking advantage of you, and I probably won't use violence against you, so you can rest assured about your personal safety."
"I can't be defeated by you, haha..."
Mei Fang sat beside Lin Youxi's bed and talked to her for a long time. Before they knew it, they had been chatting until after ten o'clock in the evening. Mei Fang's stomach began to growl.
"Huh... I was so busy looking for you that I forgot to eat dinner."
"I can cook you some frozen dumplings."
"Just take a good rest. It's better for me to take a taxi back directly."
Mei Fang stood up and wanted to leave. Lin Youxi looked at his back and said, "I remember your home is far from here?"
"Um... it'll still take about an hour. I have to go to work tomorrow."
"In that case, why don't you go back at night?"
Lin Youxi propped herself up on the bed with both hands, "You can use the time you save to work with me on game development."
"You really are... Your body is in such a state, so you should have a good rest today. I'm leaving now, you should go to bed early."
"Well...then I want to sleep? I'm too tired today."
"I have a quilt. You can sleep on the floor at my house. It takes two hours to go back and forth, so you can sleep a little longer."
"… "
Lin Youxi had been trying to persuade Mei Fang to stay overnight, but Mei Fang kept trying to refuse. In the end, Lin Youxi felt a little unhappy and asked Mei Fang:
"Do you dislike me for being mentally ill?"
"How is that possible! I never said I disliked you."
"Then why won't you stay with me overnight?"
"Aren't you afraid that it will spread and have a bad impact on the people around you..."
"You don't have a partner, and neither do I. There's no harm in that."
Lin Youxi stared at Mei Fang, "Or... do you have someone else you love?"
"Where did the others come from? What nonsense are you talking about—"
Mei Fang immediately regretted his answer because Lin Youxi was smiling at him.
What do you mean by another sweetheart
"Okay, okay... If you're not afraid that I'll eat you, I'll stay the night with you."
But Mei Fang also warned Lin Youxi:
"Let's not develop the game today and have a good rest, okay?"
"OK."
late at night.
Lin Youxi and Mei Fang were lying on the bed and the floor respectively, but they ended up talking about a lot of topics related to game development and Lin Youxi's voice could no longer be heard.
Mei Fang didn't expect that living in the same room with a girl for the first time would be such an experience.
Lin Youxi has a chaotic and unfortunate past, and Mei Fang is just an ordinary person. It may be impossible for her to heal her heartache in her lifetime.
But after listening to her experience, he couldn't help but feel like taking good care of her.
I was simply fascinated by her...
Mei Fang thought.
Before this, he had never had the desire and impulse to share all his energy with one person.
But if his existence could bring a little more warmth and light to Lin Youxi's world, he would probably do it without hesitation.
Am I a love-brained person
Mei Fang felt a little unbelievable about what he had done.
Just when he was overwhelmed with emotion and couldn't sleep, Lin Youxi on the bed suddenly talked in his sleep.
"Ah Fang... please don't go... please don't go..."
A—fang
Who is this calling...
You can't be calling me, right? Haha.
However, such a strong female white-collar worker is actually so weak at home. This contrast not only makes people feel very moved, but also makes Mei Fang have a deeper understanding of Lin Youxi.
The next day, Mei Fang and Lin Youxi washed their faces and teeth early and went to work together. After having a fever and sweating all night, Lin Youxi looked much better today. There was no trace of mental illness. The two of them sat together on the bus and chatted. At first glance, they really looked like a young couple in love.
"It only takes 3 bus stops and 12 minutes to get to the office building. It's so convenient. I envy you for having the money to rent such a nice house."
"Penguin has an 8,000 yuan housing subsidy, it would be a waste if you don't use it."
"Ahh! Your big company is so awesome! I want to change jobs now."
"You don't have to go to work. I'll pay you and support you. I can make things quickly in the company and develop my own games."
While talking to Mei Fang, Lin Youxi picked up the hair that was stuck on Mei Fang's shoulders, and then said to Mei Fang:
"How do you say it... do you want to consider it?"
"Of course I have to attend the class... After all, it's not easy for you to make money. We still have to spend a lot of money to outsource the art, and the cost is not small."
"But I think this commute makes you very tired." Lin Youxi thought, "You still waste 2 hours commuting every day, which is unbelievable."
"No way, poor people are like this, time not working is worthless, anyway, I can catch up on sleep in the car, the rent around office buildings is too expensive..."
"Since we're all about saving money, how about selling me your time?"
Lin Youxi said to Mei Fang, "Just move to my house and save two hours of commuting time. I can even give you a discount on the rent."
"Cheap? How cheap is the rent?" Mei Fang said seriously, "I'm really poor."
"Just give it as you see fit. It doesn't matter if you don't give it."
Lin Youxi smiled at Mei Fang. "However, the program I designed has a guaranteed mechanism. Please be aware of this. Mei's plan is that the two hours you save from commuting when you and I rent together will be at my disposal from now on. What do you think?"
It was obvious that Lin Youxi couldn't take care of herself by herself, and no one even reminded her to take her medicine on time. Whether as a fellow villager or as a friend, Mei Fang hoped to take care of this poor girl.
But what does it mean for me to just move in? She didn't even tell me what our relationship is now.
ah.
That's right.
Shouldn't the guy bring this up first
Poor Mei Fang! He is a brother who has been single since birth!
But the opportunity to ask about the relationship was missed—
"If you don't object, I'll take it as your agreement?"
"Well... I'll go home and pack my luggage when I have time."
"Just go and clean it up tonight. I'll go with you to your house and help you clean it up."
"I live in the suburbs. Is it inconvenient to go back?"
"At worst, we can sleep together again and stay at your house overnight. It's not like we haven't slept together before anyway."
"We're just sleeping in the same room, don't confuse the concepts!"
"So what do you want? You want to sleep in my bed, right?"
Lin Youxi kept staring at Mei Fang, making Mei Fang feel embarrassed on the bus.
"My ears are red... You are so cute!"
As Lin Youxi spoke, she stepped forward and pinched Mei Fang's earlobe. Mei Fang had no strength to resist.
"Your helpless expression is similar to that of the brother Afang I saw in the video before."
"You mean that elementary school student who has great facial expressions, right? I'm so old-fashioned and dull, how can I be like that Ah Fang?"
Lin Youxi smiled and said nothing, "The names are very similar. Calling him Ah Fang is very familiar. It makes me feel nostalgic..."
"No one in my family would give me that nickname."
Mei Fang was complaining here, and at the same time he remembered that this was the name Lin Youxi called out in her dream last night.
Is it someone you just happened to like... someone you liked in the past
But she said she was a single mother...
Just as Mei Fang began to have doubts, Lin Youxi suddenly put his arm around Mei Fang's shoulder and looked at him.
Her dark eyes had a charming beauty. Mei Fang couldn't bear to look directly at her but couldn't help but meet her eyes.
Lin Youxi opened his mouth slightly and continued to try to practice using the new nickname he had just given Mei Fang—
"Afang?"
"Afang."
"Afang!"
"Afang..."
"What the hell is this that keeps yelling?"
Lin Youxi's cheerful and cute giggles could be heard continuously on the bus, and outside the window, pink cherry blossoms were falling all over the sky.
When the wind blows gently, the petals sway and fly into the sky, becoming a touch of warmth that embellishes this cold city.
The next time I write about IF will be a long time later!
(End of this chapter)