MTLY | Chapter 13

◎”Don’t move.”◎

After the weekend passed, the weather in Jiangbei warmed up. Spring light was bright and beautiful, and the tender willow branches were sprouting buds.

As soon as she got to school in the morning, Song Tinghuan felt that her eyes were uncomfortable. They were a little dry, and itchy.

Guan Linlin said, “Are you allergic?”

Song Tinghuan wanted to raise a hand and rub them, but Guan Linlin stopped her. “Don’t rub them. They’re already red.”

Just then, a classmate by the door turned around. “Song Tinghuan, someone’s looking for you.”

At the door of Class 3, Grade 1, Song Tinghuan stood there with red eyes, looking at the three girls in front of her.

“Junior, could you help me give this to Senior Jiang Yu?”

“…”

Her eyes itched. The moment tears welled up, she hurriedly lifted a hand to wipe them away.

The girl across from her looked shocked and at a loss. “Y-you… why are you crying?”

Song Tinghuan: “…”

She didn’t want to either, but she couldn’t control it.

The girl quickly waved her hands. “If you don’t want to, then forget it, j-just pretend I was never here. D-don’t cry, okay?”

Song Tinghuan: “…?”

Only after the people had walked away did Song Tinghuan remain blankly confused. She raised a hand and rubbed her eyes.

Her eyes itched so badly, and she still wanted to cry.

*

Across half a sports field, in Class 9, Grade 2.

Li Yiliang had just come back from the basketball court, drenched in sweat. As soon as he leaned toward Jiang Yu, Jiang Yu pushed him away with visible dislike. Jiang Yu was building a model, his long fingers tapping lightly at the keyboard.

“What the hell is this?” Li Yiliang asked casually. He tilted his head back and gulped down more than half a bottle of water. He wasn’t expecting Jiang Yu to answer him anyway, since even if Jiang Yu did answer, he might not understand it.

Before long, a group of boys swarmed into the classroom again, three or five of them, all wearing basketball uniforms, clearly just done exercising. The one in front was polite and fair-skinned, precisely Liang Shiyi.

Li Yiliang had just been blocked on the court, so seeing the culprit naturally made him unhappy. But he wasn’t as skilled, so he had nowhere to vent his anger.

“Why haven’t you been playing basketball lately?”

Li Yiliang was trying to get Jiang Yu to join in. Aside from the specially recruited athletic students, among all the 1v1 players at Qinde, probably only Jiang Yu could beat Liang Shiyi.

“Busy.”

“Still messing with that competition thing of yours?”

“Mm.”

“Didn’t you already withdraw from the competition… though.”

Li Yiliang spoke without thinking. His voice was loud too, and only after saying it did he realize the atmosphere in the classroom had gone a little stiff.

Sure enough, one of the boys who was usually close with Liang Shiyi spoke first. “Everyone’s competing fairly. Jiang Yu missed the match because he got in a fight. What are you being so sarcastic about?”

The boy paused, then looked at Li Yiliang with some contempt. “Besides, you’re from Class 8. Why are you always running over to our Class 9?”

Class 9 was the key science class for the second year of high school, while the neighboring Class 8 was one of the weakest in the parallel classes. In front of underachievers, many top students naturally had a sense of superiority.

Li Yiliang was stabbed hard right through the spine.

Thud, the basketball was slammed heavily to the floor, then bounced high again. Li Yiliang said indignantly, “When the hell did I say anything sarcastic? If it weren’t for Yu-ge…”

“Yiliang.”

Jiang Yu’s flat voice cut off the words that were about to spill out of Li Yiliang’s mouth.

Li Yiliang was angry. His bronze-colored face flushed red. Being mocked like that himself was one thing, but his Yu-ge couldn’t be misunderstood like this.

Jiang Yu lifted his eyes, then casually raised a foot and stepped on the basketball rolling on the floor, nudging it over to Li Yiliang’s feet. It was a tacit understanding from childhood. They didn’t need words, just one movement was enough for them to understand each other.

Li Yiliang suppressed his temper and bent down to snatch up the ball. Jiang Yu’s gaze was steady and direct as it collided with Liang Shiyi’s, while Liang Shiyi also held his friend beside him back.

Their eyes met. Neither of them spoke.

Some of the students studying by themselves looked over at them. It was strange, really. Jiang Yu might be arrogant, but his personality was good, and he got along with anyone, could talk to anyone. Liang Shiyi was also naturally gentle, so by rights there shouldn’t have been such open hostility between them, but somehow, their auras just didn’t mesh.

The atmosphere was obviously tense. Just when some students thought the two might come to blows, Jiang Yu curved his lips slightly and lowered his head to continue building the model.

The onlookers awkwardly withdrew their gazes.

But Li Yiliang still had a knot in his chest. Hugging a basketball, he sat in the seat in front of Jiang Yu with a face full of resentment.

He knew best about Jiang Yu missing that competition back then. He had been delayed by those bastards from No. 8 High.

Li Yiliang was just unhappy. If Jiang Yu hadn’t missed the competition, Liang Shiyi wouldn’t have been able to take the championship at all. Why did Liang Shiyi get to build up his straight-A student image, while Jiang Yu had to be pointed at and gossiped about by people who didn’t know the truth?

Jiang Yu glanced at him and saw right through Li Yiliang’s little thoughts.

“Where’s the water Dad asked you to buy?”

“Huh? Shit, I forgot it was with Li Kuo.” Li Yiliang paused. “Right, Yu-ge, there’s something else. I think I should tell you.”

Jiang Yu’s fingertips kept moving without stopping.

“About your little niece… no, that junior girl–”

Jiang Yu looked up and gave Li Yiliang the first serious look he had gotten since entering the classroom.

“She got blocked by three girls at the classroom door. I don’t know what happened, but the little girl kept her eyes red and was crying,” Li Yiliang frowned. “Shit, she wasn’t bullied, was she?”

Jiang Yu stopped what he was doing and looked at the half-built model, feeling irritated for no reason.

Then he heard Li Yiliang take a breath and say, “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

Jiang Yu: “…”

Seeing Jiang Yu’s somewhat speechless expression, Li Yiliang raked a hand through his hair. “Then I definitely couldn’t agree. Your niece is my sister too… no, wait, is she even really your niece?”

“Get to the point.”

“Oh. Those girls who like you couldn’t find a breakthrough with you, so they went to harass that little girl instead. Damn it, I even went to ask around. Two huge boxes, two whole huge boxes. Yu-ge, tell me honestly, just how many girls have you been flirting with, openly and secretly?”

Jiang Yu frowned. “Why were her eyes red?”

Li Yiliang: “?”

Was that the point?

“Maybe, possibly, perhaps… some sand got in her eye?”

Jiang Yu: “…”

*

It wasn’t until after school that Jiang Yu saw the person with the “sand in her eye.” Song Tinghuan’s dark eyes were still red. Jiang Yu’s brows drew together. What kind of sand could get in like that? He really had been fooled by Li Yiliang’s nonsense.

“What’s wrong with your eyes?”

“Ah?” Song Tinghuan didn’t know why he was asking that and hadn’t yet come back to herself when the boy’s cool fingertips had already touched the corner of her eye. Song Tinghuan gasped softly.

“Hurts?”

“Itches.” Song Tinghuan’s brow furrowed, her whole little face scrunching up.

“Didn’t you go see the school doctor?”

“I didn’t have time.” Song Tinghuan answered softly. She had been busy memorizing and doing problems during every break. She had originally planned to go see the school doctor, but she got so into the exercises that she forgot.

“Studying is more important than your eyes?”

“…” Song Tinghuan was left speechless by the question. She puffed out her cheeks. “I… I was planning to buy some medicine at the pharmacy after school.”

She thought Jiang Yu would keep lecturing her, maybe even use some sarcastic line to leave her unable to respond, but Jiang Yu only frowned, as if observing her eyes, then gave a low mm and took her schoolbag.

Song Tinghuan hurried to follow. Then she heard Jiang Yu say, “Go to the hospital and get it checked.”

The hospital?

The place Song Tinghuan feared most since she was little was the hospital.

Song Mingcheng said that when she was young and went to the hospital for vaccinations, the needle was so tiny it hadn’t even touched her yet, and she could already cry as if the sky were falling, once frightening the nurse小姐姐 so badly her face had gone pale.

“I don’t really need to go to the hospital, right?”

Jiang Yu turned his head. The corner of his lips hooked slightly as he dropped two words that left no room for discussion. “No.”

Though Song Tinghuan was extremely unwilling, she was still pressed by Jiang Yu into going to the hospital. They hadn’t even reached the outpatient building when the smell of disinfectant instantly awakened Song Tinghuan’s childhood memories. She stopped walking and swallowed.

Jiang Yu looked over sideways.

Song Tinghuan asked timidly, “Can we not go?”

Jiang Yu’s gaze fixed on her, assessing her. The girl’s eyes hid nothing. Right now, those red-rimmed eyes were filled with refusal.

“Scared?”

Song Tinghuan nodded.

Jiang Yu: “…”

“You never went to the hospital before?” Jiang Yu asked.

“I did.” Song Tinghuan paused. “My dad went with me.”

“Then just pretend I’m your dad.”

“But my dad would hold me.”

Jiang Yu’s gaze suddenly froze, fixed on Song Tinghuan. Only belatedly did Song Tinghuan realize that might not have sounded quite right. “I, I didn’t mean that.”

She really didn’t mean it that way.

Looking at the bright red characters above the outpatient building, Song Tinghuan took a deep breath. If Song Mingcheng wasn’t by her side, then she had to learn how to grow up on her own.

Once she grew up, once she really could take care of herself, her dad wouldn’t have to worry, wouldn’t have to be concerned.

As soon as she took a step forward, through the soft fabric of her school uniform, her wrist was suddenly caught. By her ear came Jiang Yu’s infuriating voice. “I’m taking you to see a doctor, not to your execution.”

His tone carried a bit of mockery that was almost obnoxious, but the boy’s palm was warm, firmly wrapping around her wrist. Through the thin layer of fabric, that warmth pressed against her skin and gave Song Tinghuan an inexplicable sense of steadiness.

She decided to forgive his nasty mouth.

There weren’t many people in the hospital at this hour. Jiang Yu registered her for urgent care. The doctor on duty was a middle-aged auntie. Her gaze landed on their wrists, and she coughed lightly.

Jiang Yu let go and explained to the doctor in a serious tone, “Doctor, my little sister’s eyes seem to be a little allergic. Could you take a look?”

He deliberately stressed the words little sister.

The doctor nodded. “Come sit down. Let me take a look.”

Song Tinghuan didn’t understand what was going on and walked over a little dazedly. Her eyes were itchy, and she wanted to rub them again, but Jiang Yu caught her hand. “Don’t rub them. Let the doctor look at you.”

The doctor smiled kindly. “Your brother’s right. Don’t rub them. Let me take a look.”

Song Tinghuan blinked. Brother?

After giving Song Tinghuan a routine checkup, the doctor said that there was a lot of willow fluff this season and many people were allergic. She prescribed anti-inflammatory, anti-allergy eye drops and told her to keep her diet light.

After leaving the hospital, Song Tinghuan’s curiosity still hadn’t faded. “Why did you tell the doctor you were my brother?”

Jiang Yu glanced at her.

This little girl was also quite sensitive. When she was slow to react, she looked a bit silly. If he didn’t call himself her brother, then what should he say? The doctor had practically written the words “teenage romance” across her face when looking at the two of them.

“Didn’t want her to misunderstand,” Jiang Yu explained lightly.

“Misunderstand what?”

“…”

The girl’s gaze was clear and pure, with a trace of curiosity hidden in it when one looked closely, not a hint of thinking in the wrong direction.

Jiang Yu suddenly wasn’t sure whether he should explain it to her clearly.

After a moment, under Song Tinghuan’s inquisitive gaze, Jiang Yu lifted a hand and roughly rubbed the top of her head. “Misunderstand that I’m your dad.”

Song Tinghuan: “…”

*

Meng Shutang had an engagement tonight. By the time Song Tinghuan and Jiang Yu got back, the auntie had just finished making dinner and was preparing to leave.

There wasn’t much noise at the dining table. Song Tinghuan noticed that Jiang Yu ate very politely. His slender knuckles held the chopsticks, and most of the time he was looking at his phone, only occasionally taking a bite.

Song Tinghuan wasn’t a very talkative person either. If no one asked her anything, she could stay quiet forever, and the meal passed without making a sound.

After dinner, Song Tinghuan wanted to help clear the table, but Jiang Yu refused. She wanted to go into the kitchen and give him a hand, but he drove her out. In the end, she wanted to go get a box of milk, but Jiang Yu silenced her with one sharp look.

Song Tinghuan had no choice but to sit on the sofa and fiddle with the medicine she had just gotten from the hospital.

Her eye sockets were a little itchy. She wanted to put in a few drops to ease it, but the eye drop bottle seemed to be deliberately working against her. Several times in a row, the drops missed and landed outside her eyelids.

When Jiang Yu came out of the kitchen, he saw the girl with her head tilted back, battling the eye drops, and there was already some medicine trickling down from her fair cheek to the tip of her chin.

“Song Tingting, you really are…” Jiang Yu was somewhat speechless. The moment his knee pressed into the sofa, he took the eye drops out of Song Tinghuan’s hands.

The leather sofa sank in slightly. Jiang Yu said gruffly, “If you can’t put in eye drops, can’t you call for help?”

Song Tinghuan’s eyes were red. When her long eyelashes fluttered, tears fell.

Her eyes were so itchy, and now the eye drop bottle had irritated them even more. She wasn’t really trying to cry.

“You’re so fierce.”

Jiang Yu: “…?”

The tears stung her nose. Song Tinghuan sniffed and continued stating the facts. “I just wanted to ask you for milk earlier, and you drove me out.”

What she meant was, how dare I ask you to help me with eye drops now?

Yet her eyes were red as she said it, her voice muffled and soft, as if she really had been wronged.

Jiang Yu felt a little wronged himself. Lately he had been babysitting like some old mother. When had he been fierce?

“Who drinks milk right after dinner? Are you trying to mess up your stomach and end up in the hospital again?”

Song Tinghuan looked at him pitifully, her soft red lips pressed together, saying nothing.

Combined with her already reddened allergic eyes, she looked even more like she had suffered a huge grievance.

“Close your eyes.” Jiang Yu dropped the two words coldly.

Song Tinghuan pouted and obediently closed her eyes.

The girl’s eyelashes were thick and long, with a slight upward curl, lying together and casting a small patch of shadow under her pale eyes.

Her thin bangs covered her smooth forehead. For no reason at all, Jiang Yu thought of what Li Yiliang had said, wow, your little niece really does look like a doll.

“Jiang Yu?” The doll’s voice was soft.

Jiang Yu’s throat moved. He gave a low mm.

“Hurry up,” Song Tinghuan urged.

“Mm, be good and keep your eyes closed.”

“Oh.”

Jiang Yu was still maintaining the posture of kneeling on one knee on the sofa. He lifted a hand and gently covered the girl’s pale eyelids with his fingertips. Song Tinghuan reflexively blinked, wanting to dodge.

“Don’t move.”

Those two slightly hoarse words fell beside Song Tinghuan’s ear.