Dong Yin didn’t kiss her.
First, suddenly leaning in like that would be rude; she didn’t have the nerve.
Second, Xie Mingjun had already turned her head away, face angled toward the sofa.
Dong Yin took things out of her backpack. She went to Xie Mingjun’s kitchen first. There were pots and bowls, the counter was tidy and clean, but when she opened the fridge there were only some instant noodles and a few drinks.
You need something fresh when you have a cold.
Luckily, she’d thought of that on the way over and bought some vegetables.
Dong Yin closed the soundproof door. She rinsed the rice and let it soak for a bit before putting it on to cook. She took out greens and fresh pork and slowly chopped them up. Once the pot was boiling, she threw in a few slices of ginger. The hard grains of rice softened and turned thick and sticky. She fished out the ginger, added the pork, adjusted the seasoning, and finally sprinkled in the vegetables.
The smell was great, warm and fragrant.
Dong Yin carried the small pot out. Xie Mingjun pushed herself up on her elbow to sit. She got up, went to the kitchen, came back with bowls and chopsticks, and handed them to Dong Yin. The two of them sat at the coffee table and ate congee.
It wasn’t that the congee was anything amazing. It was just that when you have a cold, nothing tastes good. This bowl was just right. Each spoonful was still hot, soothing her sore throat.
As she ate, Xie Mingjun swiped through her phone.
Dong Yin picked up her own phone and took a peek. There was nothing new in their game group chat. She suddenly wondered what Xie Mingjun was looking at.
Could she be chatting with Zou Yuxi?
After all, Zou Yuxi was good at putting on a show. Since he was the one who’d begged her to come over, he definitely wouldn’t just leave it at that. He’d go say a few lines in front of Xie Mingjun. What if he took all the credit?
Dong Yin carefully thought about how she should badmouth Zou Yuxi. She took a sip of congee, held her bowl, and said softly,
“We’re here eating plain congee, but I bet Zou Yuxi is eating like a king, all the best food and drinks.”
Xie Mingjun tilted her head back to look at her, lips curling up into a smile.
“I’m not chatting with Zou Yuxi.”
“Oh.”
Dong Yin’s face burned. She felt so awkward she almost tipped the bowl over onto her face.
They finished the pot in no time. Color had returned to Xie Mingjun’s cheeks. She put her bowl down.
“Now that you’ve eaten, you can go back.”
“I’ll wash the dishes first. You don’t touch cold water.”
A few minutes later, Dong Yin had all the dishes washed. She came back, drying her hands.
“Xie Mingjun, you’re feeling a lot better now, right?”
“Yeah.”
She didn’t look as drowsy as before.
“Then… let’s go to the hospital.”
“Hm?”
Xie Mingjun looked at her in confusion.
Dong Yin said, “You’re in much better shape now, and you’re not that uncomfortable anymore. If we go to the hospital and get checked, you’ll get better faster.”
“I don’t like going to doctors either. But think about it. If you don’t see a doctor, you might be sick for a week. If you go once, maybe you’ll only be sick for a day.”
Her voice was gentle, not nagging, but she could be stubborn. If Xie Mingjun didn’t get up, she would just keep talking, edging closer, tone softer and softer, like she was coaxing a kid having a tantrum.
Xie Mingjun frowned.
“So you cooked congee just now because…”
“You need to be full to have the strength to walk.” Dong Yin said. “And I didn’t lie. I said once you finished eating I’d leave. I just meant, when I leave, I’m bringing you with me.”
“You really dare to say anything.”
Xie Mingjun stared at the pattern on the sofa cover.
Half a minute passed. She suddenly got up and headed for the bedroom. Dong Yin followed behind, thinking she was going in there to lie down, and reached out to tug at the hem of her shirt.
“I’m changing clothes and you’re following me? Want to watch?”
“I won’t follow.”
Dong Yin’s face turned faintly red.
“Then put on a bit more, don’t dress too thin.”
She let go. Xie Mingjun shut the door in her face.
Dong Yin touched her own cheeks.
So hot.
She’d never even dared imagine things like this before.
But not daring before didn’t mean she wouldn’t dare in the future.
She had seen Xie Mingjun in a camisole: sharp right-angled shoulders, deep collarbones, proud curves outlined by thin, clinging fabric.
Back then she’d only looked with admiration and envy.
What a sexy woman. How could someone look that good?
She wouldn’t dare say it out loud, only bury it in her heart.
Someone who’s insecure doesn’t necessarily dare look up at the sky, even standing in bright sunlight.
But her inner world can still be vast.
Dong Yin sat down on the sofa. The spot where Xie Mingjun had been lying was clearly higher than the rest. When she pressed her palm there, she could feel the lingering warmth through the fabric.
The door opened, and Xie Mingjun came out. She was wearing a light khaki knit top. The V-neck was white, a color block design. She’d tucked the hem in a little. In her hand she held a thin cardigan that didn’t really match—red and white, looking a bit like a Christmas pattern.
Dong Yin stood up.
“Are you ready, Xie Mingjun?”
Xie Mingjun flicked her hand, tossing the cardigan at her. Dong Yin didn’t react in time and watched it fall to the floor.
She quickly picked it up, hugging the clothes as she followed her out. After locking the door, they headed for the elevator. When the elevator reached the first floor and the doors opened, a chill washed over them. Xie Mingjun didn’t ask for the cardigan. She was bundled up; Dong Yin only had on a long-sleeved shirt.
Slowly, Dong Yin caught on and slipped the cardigan on herself.
They waited by the entrance for a bit. When the car they’d called arrived, they got in. The cab was cramped; the two of them sat side by side. The driver turned on the traffic radio. The DJ was talking about road conditions nearby and the weather over the next two days.
The driver uncle sighed.
“A cold wave’s coming. There’s a saying: if it’s chilly on the morning of Start of Autumn, the whole autumn’s cold; if it’s hot in the afternoon, you’ll freeze to death all winter. This year’s gonna be cold.”
He used their local dialect. Dong Yin had to think for a moment before she understood. She tucked the saying away in her mind. This year will be really cold. Better drink more hot water.
Yesterday’s rain had come so suddenly that the hospital was packed today. Registering, getting blood drawn, then waiting for tests took them more than half an hour.
Dong Yin had Xie Mingjun sit and rest while she lined up alone. She even brought back a cup of hot water for her.
She might be timid, but she was very good at taking care of people.
Aside from the blood draw, which Xie Mingjun had to do herself, whenever Xie Mingjun tried to get up and do something, Dong Yin would grab her sleeve.
“Don’t move. I’ll do it. You just stay still.”
“What next, you going to help me go to the toilet too?”
With all the hot water she’d been forced to drink, Xie Mingjun’s stomach felt sloshy.
“I’m not disabled.”
“But you’re a patient.”
Dong Yin said.
Xie Mingjun stared at her for a few seconds, then lowered her head and sat back down.
“Not going to the restroom?” Dong Yin asked.
“I’ll hold it.”
“You’re getting three IV bags. It’s going to feel pretty bad.”
“Then why did you keep forcing hot water on me?”
“I brought it to warm your hands. But you seemed to like drinking hot water so much… I grabbed a few more cups…”
It wasn’t even winter yet, but her last name was Dong—“winter.”
When Xie Mingjun came back from the restroom, she quieted down, waiting for the nurse to come start the IV. She messaged the group chat.
[Xie Mingjun]: Anyone around to talk? My head hurts.
[Chu Ning’an]: You caught a cold?
[Xie Mingjun]: Yeah.
[Chu Ning’an]: To be fair, yesterday’s rain was brutal. Felt like that icy rain was slapping my soft, delicate face.
[Chu Ning’an]: You at the hospital alone?
Her fingers paused over the screen. She tapped her nails on the phone case before typing back.
[Xie Mingjun]: Yeah.
[Chu Ning’an]: Lu Hanchiu’s sick too. I’m here to pick up meds. I’m at the hospital as well. I’ll come find you, we can hang out.
[Xie Mingjun]: Wait, you’re getting meds at a hospital? Aren’t drugstores enough for you?
[Xie Mingjun]: Don’t come over.
“Hey, Xie Mingjun!”
Chu Ning’an arrived incredibly fast—she’d been in the building opposite. Then she froze.
“Dong Yin’s here too?”
Dong Yin was sitting in the inside seat; you couldn’t see her unless you walked right up. Chu Ning’an clicked her tongue twice in her mind, and the look in her eyes toward Xie Mingjun immediately changed.
Dong Yin tilted her head, sneaking a look at Xie Mingjun first. Xie Mingjun leaned back, looking like her head hurt. Dong Yin said,
“Yeah, I caught a bit of a cold, so I came to get meds. Ran into Xie Mingjun here. What about you, are you sick too? What a coincidence.”
“It’s not me, it’s Lu Hanchiu,” Chu Ning’an said.
“Then why’d you come alone? If she’s not with you, how are you going to get her treated?”
Chu Ning’an shook her head.
“Her courage is microscopic. She’s terrified of injections, can’t stand her. Sigh. Fragile and sickly and still hates doctors.”
Dong Yin asked with concern,
“Does she have a fever? If she has a fever she definitely needs to see a doctor. And if she doesn’t come herself, you probably can’t even get her meds, right?”
“Exactly.” Chu Ning’an sighed. “Made me come all this way for nothing.”
“Then tell her to come. You shouldn’t drag out a cold. Get it checked early.”
“True. If even Xie Mingjun is here, what’s Lu Hanchiu got to be scared of? What’s she chickening out for…”
They chatted back and forth. Dong Yin glanced at Xie Mingjun—she was back on her phone, ignoring them.
Talking to Chu Ning’an, Dong Yin was doing it a bit on purpose. She wanted Xie Mingjun to pay attention to her. When she didn’t feel that attention on her, a faint sense of loss crept into her chest.
“By the way, Chu Ning’an.”
Dong Yin softly called her name. She could feel that Xie Mingjun was looking at her, so she deliberately took her time adding,
“I’ve got something I want to tell you.”
“Hm?” Chu Ning’an looked over.
Dong Yin lowered her voice on purpose.
“Help me thank Lu Hanchiu. Just tell her… thanks for grabbing my bag for me.”
“Your bag? She didn’t.” Chu Ning’an blinked. “Last night she just helped me hold the plastic sheeting all night…”
“Ahem!”
From her slouched position, Xie Mingjun suddenly straightened up.
“How about I leave and give you two my seat so you can really talk?”
“No need. I can’t possibly let you give up your seat for me,” Chu Ning’an said, pressing her lips together, falling silent.
With that look, Xie Mingjun seemed a bit fierce. Her presence was intense. Dong Yin shrank her head back too, then after a while she turned away and laughed quietly to herself.
Chu Ning’an got up and walked off to make a phone call. Then she waved back at them and said she was going to pick up Lu Hanchiu.
Xie Mingjun let out a breath and leaned back again, returning to her earlier posture. From there she had a perfect angle to see Dong Yin’s smile.
“What are you laughing at?”
Since she’d been caught, Dong Yin laughed a little more boldly.
“You totally looked jealous just now. Like you didn’t like me talking to Chu Ning’an. Do you… maybe like me a little bit?”
She blinked at her, looking a bit sly, pressing her advantage. Xie Mingjun had originally planned to mock her and tell her she was dreaming, but the words stuck in her throat.
She really hadn’t expected…
That a girl so weighed down by her own inferiority could have an expression like that.
“Jealous?” Xie Mingjun echoed.
“Yeah. Why else did you get mad just now?”
“I…”
She bit her lip. Dong Yin stared at her, eyes round and full of expectation.
“I had a headache from you two being so noisy.”
“Oh. So that’s it.”
Dong Yin nodded, like she bought it—then smiled even brighter.
Just a while ago this girl still went around with her head down, stammering whenever she spoke. Now she was almost dazzling.
She sat on the blue row chair, fingertips tapping lightly on the armrest.
The nurse came over with the mixed IV meds and called out for “Xie Mingjun.”
Dong Yin shot her hand up.
“Here, here! Over here!”
When the nurse approached with the little IV stand, Dong Yin pointed at her.
“She’s Xie Mingjun.”
When the nurse was about to insert the needle, she whispered,
“Could you be a bit gentler?”
The nurse snorted.
“Who’s actually scared here, you or her?”
When the needle went in, Dong Yin was the one who turned away first. When the nurse left, she heard a soft snort.
Xie Mingjun was laughing at her.
While Xie Mingjun laughed at her, Dong Yin just watched the smile on her face.
She was so, so pretty when she smiled.
Dong Yin leaned closer, wanting to be a little nearer to her.
They had three IV bags to get through. It was a long process. Sitting there side by side without talking got boring fast. Halfway through the first bag, Xie Mingjun pulled out her phone and searched up a movie.
A sci-fi one, the kind that played around with time.
Dong Yin watched along. At first, Xie Mingjun held the phone, but with one hand tied up to the IV, it was awkward. Dong Yin offered to hold it for her; it was hard to use a phone one-handed. Xie Mingjun didn’t refuse.
As they watched, a notification banner popped up. It was from Zou Yuxi, asking how she was doing. Dong Yin stared straight at the screen.
“Don’t move,” Xie Mingjun said. “I can’t see.”
When the notification disappeared, Dong Yin handed the phone back.
“Sorry, I got too into it.”
She scooted closer, angling the screen toward her again, thinking to herself:
There’s nothing wrong with her. She’s just leaning on me watching a movie.
They were there nearly three hours. They’d gotten to the hospital at six; by the time they left, it was nine at night.
By the time they got back to Xie Mingjun’s apartment, it was already ten.
Dong Yin set the medicine the doctor had prescribed on the table, grabbed her bag, and got ready to head back to campus. If she left any later, the buses would stop running. The dorm might even be locked.
She was just about to say goodbye and tell Xie Mingjun she’d come by again tomorrow when she heard her phone ring. Xie Mingjun answered. Zou Yuxi’s voice drifted out.
“Mingjun, how are you feeling? Is your cold any better? I’m about to call a cab and come see you.”
His tone was gentle, concern almost spilling over.
“Dong Yin went to take care of you, right? I begged her forever.”
At the entryway, bending down to change shoes, Xie Mingjun’s lips twitched. She answered carelessly,
“I’m okay.”
“Then I’ll come over and check on you?”
His voice dropped, faintly suggestive.
Dong Yin had been planning to leave. She felt it wasn’t appropriate to spend the night at Xie Mingjun’s place; she’d just be a bother. But now Zou Yuxi had unintentionally given her courage…
She put her bag back on the table instead of slinging it over her shoulder.
She walked to the entryway and looked up at Xie Mingjun.
Softly, she said,
“I clearly came here on my own. He’s so shameless, grabbing all the credit like that. Never does a thing himself. Just stays home filming videos, laughing with other girls. He’d rather flirt with his fans than come take care of you.”
“Unlike me… I skipped my homework to go with you to the hospital.”
“It’s not even safe for me to go back alone.”
“Why should he get to say that?”
Her voice was very low, almost muttering. On the other end of the line, Zou Yuxi didn’t catch it.
“Is that Dong Yin talking?” he asked. “She’s been taking care of you all day. You better thank her properly.”
Xie Mingjun lifted the phone to her mouth.
“Dong Yin says, ‘My cold’s none of your damn business. Get lost and go home.’”
“Huh?”
Zou Yuxi froze.
She hung up on him right there.
Dong Yin slid her slippers back on the shoe rack and changed back into her own shoes while she grumbled,
“I took care of you all day and he’s so shameless. I came on my own. If it were anyone else, even if he got on his knees and begged me, I wouldn’t go.”
“Then say it to him. Why are you mad at me?”
Arms crossed, Xie Mingjun said,
“You’re something else. Just now, on the phone with Zou Yuxi, your voice was as small as a sparrow. The second I hang up, you’re yelling and throwing a fit.”
That quiet, self-effacing temperament of Dong Yin’s—now she just leaned against the wall, lips pressed tight, saying nothing. It was almost infuriating to look at her, made you anxious. Zou Yuxi was good at manipulating people, and just like that, Dong Yin’s words had turned impulsive.
Outside, the night was a heavy, inky black.
“Enough. I never said you had to go back. You can leave tomorrow morning.”
She kicked a pair of indoor slippers toward her and turned to head back into the living room.
Dong Yin lowered her head and changed shoes again.
Nervous, fingers clenching and unclenching to force her mood down. But there was a tremor of excitement too. She lifted her head to look at Xie Mingjun’s back—and smiled.
