The clock on the wall made a clear ticking sound, and the time was getting later and later.
Unfortunately, the rain outside the window is still pouring down, with no sign of stopping at all.
After Xia Bairan helped Zi Xin with the ice compress, he stood quietly in front of the window, looking at the relentless rain outside, his brows slightly furrowed.
"Just stay here today." Zi Xin said softly, looking at his back.
Xia Bairan was stunned for a moment. After he came to his senses, a wicked smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. He turned his head and said, "You should know that it is very dangerous to say such things to a boy." His slender fingers gently touched the wing of his nose, as if he was hiding something.
Zi Xin glanced at him and said, "Really? That depends on who the target is." Then she said in a lazy voice, "I know you are not a bad person."
"Does silence mean you agree? Well, come upstairs with me now." Zi Xin smiled playfully and walked towards the stairs naturally.
Zi Xin had one foot on the first step, but there was no sound of his footsteps behind him. Looking back, he saw that he had stopped there and had not caught up with her, so he turned back.
"It's not like you to be so slow in doing things!"
Then, while Xia Boran was still in a daze, Zi Xin had already pulled him up to the second floor.
The stairs were a bit narrow, and with two people walking one after the other, the space seemed a bit cramped.
After walking up 16 steps, you will reach the attic upstairs.
The roof was a little low, so Xia Boyan had to bend down slightly.
This is obviously a girl's room.
It is still a blue hue, like the clearest lake, making people feel refreshed and comfortable.
Close to the window is a bookshelf that takes up an entire wall, neatly filled with various books. On the left side of the bookshelf is a pink princess bed.
The quilt was neatly folded. On top of the aqua blue quilt, a cute little Winnie the Pooh was sitting there, looking very adorable.
He was staring blankly at everything in front of him, when suddenly, a white furry thing jumped down from the chair and ran towards him at a very fast speed.
It turned out to be a puppy——
In an instant, Xia Boyan's eyes were filled with astonishment, his brows were tightly furrowed, and his body seemed to tremble slightly because of nervousness.
Damn, he's allergic to animal hair.
A hint of slight disgust appeared in his eyes as dark as black jade.
The girl next to him greeted him happily——
Zi Xin gently picked up Maomao, held it in her arms and stroked it tenderly: "Maomao, you have been at home for so long, do you miss your sister?"
"Woof woof woof!" The puppy barked softly a few times, looking very docile.
"What a good child." Zi Xin patted Maomao's head gently with a sweet voice.
Turning his head to the side, he caught a glimpse of the fleeting disgust in Xia Boyan's eyes.
That light brought her memories back to the day when she first met him.
That day, she accidentally entered his garden in order to find Maomao who was running around. At that time, he had a stern look, but the same light was flowing in his eyes.
Her heart sank and her voice became a little strange.
"Do you hate animals?"
Xia Bairan looked at her without saying anything because he didn't know how to answer this question.
"It is said that 100% of people who don't like small animals are unloving and loners." Zi Xin raised his eyebrows and started talking to himself.
"It is said that 5% of people who are not close to animals are allergic to their hair." His voice was light and he seemed to be nonchalant.
"Ah?" Zi Xin raised her head and looked up at him, her eyes filled with surprise.
"So... you belong to that 5%?" One could hear the surprise implied in the voice.
"What else?" He raised his eyebrows at her and shrugged slightly.
So that’s how it is…
Zi Xin suddenly had a sense of enlightenment. No wonder he had shown such resistance that day. It turned out that she had wronged him.
Zi Xin's expression became a little embarrassed because of shame. She paused and said, "Fortunately, you are not a strange and unique existence." She turned around and picked up the lake blue velvet quilt on the bed.
The quilt was very large, so Zi Xin behind it looked even smaller. She looked fragile, and people wanted to protect her.
Xia Bairan was puzzled: "Why are you holding the quilt?" He frowned and looked at her.
It was really heavy. Zi Xin turned her head and spoke: "Do you think we should sleep here together?" Her voice was very naughty.
"As long as you are willing, I don't mind." Xia Bairan smiled lightly, and the corner of his mouth once again curled up with an evil light, that light seemed to be extremely tempting.
"You wish." She rolled her eyes at him.
"You sleep on the bed, and I'll sleep on the sofa outside." She announced her plan to him.
"It's better for guys like us to sleep on the sofa." Xia Bairan's tall figure approached Zi Xin and wanted to take the quilt from her hand.
Zi Xin rolled her eyes again and said in a loud voice, "Our sofa is very small. Do you think you can sleep on it with your height?"
"Huh?" Xia Bairan's hand froze in the air, maintaining this stiff posture, which looked really funny.
"So," Zi Xin paused and continued, "My arrangement is the most feasible. Besides, even if you can, I have to consider the sofa in our house."
She is such an eloquent girl.
Xia Bairan narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched the pretty figure disappear at the stairs of the attic.
The lights dimmed and silence filled the air.
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night. Xia Bairan lay quietly on Zi Xin's bed, with a light and refreshing scent lingering between his nostrils. He knew that this smell belonged to Zi Xin.
This feeling was wonderful, as if... as if she was lying next to him at this moment...
Such an assumption made him feel a little emotional. Thinking of this, his heart seemed to be grabbed by something and began to beat violently.
He turned over gently, looking towards the door of the room, his eyes were bright and his breathing was light and even.
The door was ajar.
He knew that she was lying on the sofa downstairs at this moment.
Sleeping quietly on the sofa, not too far from him...
The room was so quiet that he seemed to be able to feel the girl's subtle and even breathing.
Is she asleep already?
A strange feeling suddenly surged in his heart, and he didn't know what words to use to describe his mood at the moment. This was a wonderful feeling that he had not experienced in more than ten years.
However, what he didn't know was that Zi Xin was also not asleep on the sofa downstairs.
She was clearly exhausted after a whole day, but now she was completely sleepless. She didn't even know what was wrong with her...
The boy who shines like a prince, the boy who has won the favor of almost all the girls in Jinfeng College, is lying in her room at this moment.
This is like a crystal dream!
Her bright eyes flickered, and what lingered in her mind was the scene of Xia Boran hugging her tightly in the alley.
The warmth surrounded her tightly at that moment, with a power that made people sink quickly.
It really was a bit of a long night.
It seemed like centuries had passed before she slowly closed her eyes.
When Xia Bairan woke up, it was already daybreak.
He didn't even know when he fell asleep. He only knew that he slept very deeply and felt strangely at ease, so he woke up when the sun was already high.
The sunlight is warm but not scorching, and it dances in every corner of the room like golden diamonds.
The sky is clear after the rain.
Xia Boyan sat up, the sunlight shining on his angular face, outlining an extremely gentle curve.
The room was silent.
He got out of bed. Downstairs was still very quiet. Could it be that she hadn't woken up yet? She was really a lazy cat. He smiled and shook his head. His movements became more cautious because of caution.
He was obviously afraid of waking her up.
He gently opened the door and walked out.
Walking carefully to the sofa, he noticed that she had her eyes quietly closed, her butterfly-wing eyelashes were long, thick and curled, and she looked very cute.
She breathed softly and evenly, still looking like she was sleeping soundly, and the redness and swelling on her face had indeed subsided.
He slowly squatted down, his eyes full of pity, and her delicate face gradually enlarged in his eyes——
Her thin body curled up on the sofa, like a rabbit in need of protection. She looked so cute that he couldn't help but stare at her in amazement.
The air was filled with an ambiguous atmosphere. He just looked at her, and time passed by gently like flowing water.
After a while, he finally discovered that something was wrong with her——
Her face was flushed, but this flush made people feel that something was wrong.
Xia Bairan was thinking this when Zi Xin suddenly mumbled something. Her voice was so unclear that he couldn't hear clearly what she said.
She was indeed a little abnormal. Her fair face had an abnormal blush, her lips were a little dry, and there was a thin layer of sweat on her forehead. All these signs seemed to prove that she had a fever.
Xia Bairan frowned slightly, slowly reached out his hand and placed it on her forehead, and then his brows frowned even more tightly.
Her forehead was indeed very hot, she really had a fever——
An anxious look immediately appeared on Xia Bairan's face. Because of his worry, his voice was urgent: "Hey, wake up! Wake up!"
In response to his repeated calls, Zi Xin opened her eyes hazily.
She was indeed sick, and her once clear eyes were now filled with haggardness and fatigue.
Xia Bairan's heart paused.
"It feels so uncomfortable." Zi Xin's voice was soft, mixed with abnormal hoarseness.
"Where do you feel uncomfortable?" Xia Bairan asked urgently, his fingers slightly bent.
"I feel like my whole body is not feeling well." The weak voice still answered.
Xia Bairan picked up Zi Xin from the sofa without giving any explanation.
"Ah? What are you doing?" Zi Xin frowned and asked in confusion. She was extremely weak, her voice was very soft, and she couldn't even exert a single bit of strength in her body.
It was as if all the strength was drained away in an instant.
"Silly boy, if you are sick, of course you should go to the hospital immediately." Xia Bairan replied.
"Don't..." Just one word, spoken in a small voice, but it contained a strong sense of resistance.
Xia Bairan was stunned.
Zi Xin's eyes were full of pleading: "Don't go to the hospital, okay?" His expression was earnest.
He frowned tightly, not knowing what to do with her for a moment.
"Actually...actually it's just a cold. There's no need to go to the hospital." Zi Xin pleaded with her face, and said in a low voice, "I really feel fine."
Eyes met.
The two men confronted each other.
After a while, Xia Bairan finally gave up: "Fortunately, today is the weekend, otherwise, Chen Zixin, you are really in trouble." He sighed and continued, "But, you can't sleep on the sofa anyway."
Then he picked her up and walked towards the attic room, carefully as if he was holding a fragile piece of crystal.
He was so close to her.
The sound of breathing was right beside her ear.
Zi Xin's cheeks turned even redder and she lowered her head to his chest.
After a moment, he put her on the bed in the room and covered her with the quilt carefully and considerately.
She obeyed his instructions meekly.
Then, he took her key and went out. After a while, when the door opened again, Xia Bairan had a few more boxes of cold medicine in his hand. He quickly went to the kitchen to pour boiling water, and then went upstairs. When he saw Zi Xin squinting at him, he raised the cold medicine in his hand, and the corners of his mouth curved into a relieved arc.
He walked quickly to the bed and sat down, then helped her sit up with one hand and handed her the cold medicine.
"If you don't go to the hospital, you have to take your medicine obediently."
She nodded quickly and took the transparent glass from his hand like a kitten.
"Be careful with the heat, Zixin."
"ah……"
"Is the water temperature okay?"
"Yeah." She answered softly, nodding her head. Because she was weak, her words seemed very few.
After taking the medicine, he let her lie down on the bed again and covered her with the quilt again.
The lake blue cotton quilt exudes a faint and refreshing scent.
Xia Boyan considerately pulled the curtains, gently blocking the strong sunlight outside the window.
The room suddenly became dark.
"Okay, now just be good and have a good sleep." He gently tidied up her hair on her forehead, then stood up, gently closed the door, and walked out.
The room fell silent instantly.
There was only the sound of footsteps of the clock hand on the wall.
Zi Xin slowly closed her eyes. After an unknown amount of time, her consciousness began to become blurred, and soon, she fell into a deep sleep.
Then, a huge dream overwhelmed her...
Like a dream that started from the sea water.
Zi Xin heard the sound of waves echoing in his ears.
The vast expanse of sea water seems to have a mysterious power to swallow everything. Its vastness is truly frightening.
She moved her steps carefully and walked slowly on the beach...
Sudden--
A familiar voice rang in her ears, calling her name.
“Xinxin.”
Zi Xin turned around when he heard the voice.
She was stunned.
What gradually enlarged in the clear eyes was actually my mother's face!
There was mist in his eyes, and his vision quickly became blurred. His slender white fingers were trembling slightly because he was too excited .
She cried out in a trembling voice: "Mom...is that you? Mom!"
But what was heartbreaking was that she blinked gently, and the reflection in her eyes suddenly disappeared.
That position was empty, as if no one had ever stood there.
Sadness spreads silently in my heart, like a huge eagle circling in the lonely sky...
She ran in the wind, her long hair flying in the air. Tears could no longer be suppressed and overflowed from her eyes, blurring her vision.
So...she saw the entire process of the world going from clear to blurry.
They are tears of sadness.
"No, Mom, don't go!" Zi Xin stretched out her hand, as if trying to grab something.
But what she caught was just a hint of air.
Empty, nothing.
Just like her empty heart at this moment.
"No!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face... She struggled and finally woke up in tears.
She opened her eyes and what she saw was Xia Boyan's handsome face, which looked nervous and worried.
His brows were furrowed, and the delicate contours of his face became more distinct under the sunlight.
"What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" A low and pleasant voice, slender fingers gently clenched together, eyes full of worry.
A moment’s silence.
After a while, Zi Xin looked steadily at Xia Boyan who was sitting next to her.
"I dreamed of my mother." Her voice was filled with sadness and her eyes were full of longing.
"Is your mother...out of town?"
"No." Zi Xin shook her head, "Mom went to heaven five years ago."
He was stunned, not knowing how to respond for a moment.
"I haven't dreamed of her for a long, long time." Zi Xin's voice became choked.
Xia Bairan continued to remain silent, but raised his hand and gently wiped the fine beads of sweat on her forehead with a tissue.
The movements are gentle and so tender.
"She must have sensed your longing for her. Maybe she missed you too, so you dreamed about her." This was a comforting reassurance, and then she continued, "So, don't be sad, you should live happily."
"Is it really because she missed me too that I dreamed about her?"
"certainly."
At this moment, Zi Xin seemed to feel much relieved. She raised her head and looked at Xia Boyan with gratitude, and suddenly smelled a pleasant fragrance.
Zi Xin sniffed gently, and the rich fragrance immediately entered her nasal cavity.
It seems... to be the fragrance of rice porridge.
Her sense of taste was quickly aroused, and her stomach began to growl.
It was really embarrassing... But she was indeed a little hungry.
Zi Xin looked at Xia Boyan embarrassedly, only to find that he was holding a bowl of steaming porridge in his hand.
The color of the bowl of porridge looked extremely tempting. It was still steaming, and waves of tempting aroma kept wafting from it.
She swallowed softly.
Xia Bairan raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and a gentle smile appeared on his lips.
"Are you hungry?"
Zi Xin nodded repeatedly, her eyes full of anticipation.
He smiled gently, then moved his slender fingers, scooped up the porridge in the bowl with a spoon, and gently handed it to her lips.
This action stunned Zi Xin, and she just stared at him blankly with her eyes wide open.
"You won't open your mouth?" It was a commanding tone with a hint of dominance.
Surprise quickly grew in Zi Xin's eyes.
"You...you...are you going to feed me porridge?" She was so surprised that she even started to stutter.
Xia Bairan raised his eyebrows slightly and asked in a rhetorical tone: "What else?"
"Ah?" Zi Xin was completely stunned, looking at Xia Boran in front of her in confusion.
His beautiful face was so close to her that she could almost see every one of his eyelashes.
Her consciousness was a little fuzzy, and she stared at his face blankly, looking stupid.
It’s really hard to imagine…
This boy who was as shining as a star was so close to her at this moment, and even considerately wanted to feed her porridge.
Is this a gorgeous and beautiful dream?
If so, then she would rather not wake up.
Let her indulge in her dreams...
Zi Xin stared blankly at Xia Boyan's delicate face, completely forgetting to open her mouth to drink the porridge.
Xia Bairan frowned slightly: "Chen Zixin!"
A very stern voice.
"Ah?" Zi Xin finally came back to her senses from her slight shock.
"You're not going to open your mouth?" He squinted his eyes in a somewhat dangerous way.
"I can do it myself." As she said that, Zi Xin reached out to the bowl in Xia Boran's hand, with a flattered expression on her face.
It was an irresistible gesture. He held the bowl and did not let go. He just looked at her steadily without saying a word.
Zi Xin's heart was beating wildly, and after a while, she pulled her hand back.
"Thanks."
The voice was thin and her face was already flushed.
Xia Bairan stretched out his hand and carefully blew on the porridge in his hand. After making sure that it was not too hot, he fed her the first mouthful of porridge.
The warm feeling seemed to overflow into my heart.
The voice was still small: "Thank you."
Xia Bairan raised a smug smile at the corner of his mouth: "Don't you think it tastes good?"
"Ah? Oh. Where did you buy it from?"
She was answered with a sneer.
Xia Bairan curled his lips and said in a clear voice: "I made it myself. How stupid." It was a tone of reproach.
"Ah?" Zi Xin's eyes were filled with surprise again, and the surprise was magnified several times, "What...what? Did you do it?" It was really unbelievable! Or ...did I hear it wrong?
Xia Bairan's eyes were full of pride: "There are many things you can't imagine."
After he said this, he said nothing more and quietly fed her porridge in small mouthfuls.
She drank carefully, taking small sips.
There is a sweetness that penetrates the heart.
Xia Boran, this mysterious and beautiful boy, has so many sides of him that she doesn't know about. It's so surprising and surprising.
It seemed as if her whole heart was filled with this name. Her heart was beating so fast that she had to lower her head to avoid his sight to hide the excitement in her heart at the moment.
It was a warmth she had never experienced before.
Only the sunlight is singing quietly.
time flies.
Soon a month passed.
A month later, the atmosphere in the entire Jinfeng College became increasingly enthusiastic.
the reason is simple.
This month, the martial arts club of Jinfeng College will represent the school in the annual martial arts competition held in the city. In previous competitions, Jinfeng College's performance has always been far beyond the reach of other colleges.
then--
This month, no matter where you go in the school, you will hear a few people talking about this competition.
The focus is naturally the famous martial arts club leader Ouyang Xi.
Because of this, Ouyang Xi's popularity ranking in the school forum soared rapidly.
After lunch that day.
Yang Liu held Zi Xin's arm intimately and walked in the school garden.
At noon, the sun hung lazily in the sky, and the warm atmosphere became more and more intense.
Zi Xin raised his wrist and looked at his watch.
30 minutes.
A full 30 minutes.
Yang Liu started talking about Ouyang Xi's martial arts competition 30 minutes ago, but now 30 minutes have passed, she still looks very excited and does not seem to be tired at all.
I was really defeated by her.
"Zi Xin, do you know? Last year, Senior Ouyang represented our school in the martial arts competition held in the city and won the championship with a far ahead score!"
Come on, I've just said this twice.
"Also, do you know which martial arts move was the most beautiful when he defeated his opponent?"
The girl had a speechless expression on her face.
Come on! You just showed me a bad posture 20 minutes ago...
"Zi Xin..." Yang Liu still looked very excited.
Zi Xin stood up, with a hint of intolerance in his eyes.
"Student Yang Liu?"
"ah?"
"The time now is 12:55. If you keep talking like this, I think we will not be able to make it to the club meeting at 1pm." She spread her hands, looking innocent.
"Ah? No way!" Yang Liu suddenly had a look of sudden enlightenment on her face, and slapped her forehead heavily with her hand, "Oh no, why have I become more and more forgetful recently!" While blaming herself, she urged in an anxious voice, "Zi Xin, let's go quickly, it will be too late if we are late!"
Why didn’t I see her so neat just now?
then--
Yang Liu held Zi Xin's hand tightly and ran quickly.
Zi Xin was passively led by her and had to run very fast.
The wind blew past my ears, as if I was about to fly.
That's record-breaking speed.
It usually takes me a quarter of an hour to walk to the martial arts club classroom, but today I only took a few minutes.
Yang Liu ran up to the fifth floor in one breath, and only stopped when he saw the sign of the martial arts club.
Zi Xin was breathing heavily, feeling as if he was suffocating and couldn't catch his breath.
"Yang Liu, are you sure it's the right decision for you to join the martial arts club? And not some other sports club? For example, sprinting or something like that." Zi Xin asked in a serious tone while panting.
"Ah?" Yang Liu widened her eyes and immediately understood the meaning behind Zi Xin's words.
"If you want to try, I will definitely accompany you as a friend." Zi Xin blinked cunningly and emphasized the word "friend".
Yang Liu rolled her eyes.
When his breathing finally stabilized, Zi Xin continued, "This is the consequence of making the wrong friends."
Yang Liu was still smiling, seemingly unaffected at all.
Zi Xin was completely speechless, spread his hands, and continued, "The most accurate description should be the best friend."
"Ah? Thank you for the compliment, Zixin." Yang Liu's eyes were curved with a smile, and she looked very cute.
I was really defeated by her...
Yang Liu gently knocked on the door of the martial arts club.
Bang bang bang.
After receiving the response "come in", she immediately grabbed Zi Xin's hand and gently pushed open the door of the classroom in front of her.
"Brother Ouyang!" Her voice sounded very cheerful, "Sorry, we are late." She sounded extremely guilty.
"It turns out to be Xiao Liu and Zi Xin." Ouyang Xi's lips curled up into a smile, looking particularly sunny. When his gaze stayed on Zi Xin's face for a moment, there was a fleeting glimmer of surprise in his eyes.
He waved his hand tolerantly: "It's okay, the time is just right." He pointed to the seat beside him and said, "Hurry up and sit down and join the discussion."
"Yeah!" Not being scolded, they finally breathed a sigh of relief, and the two of them sat on Ouyang Xi's left.
"This year, Brother Ouyang will represent our school in the city's martial arts competition, right?" Yang Liu asked with a look of longing, with pink stars dancing in her eyes.
"No suspense at all." Before Ouyang Xi could respond, a boy wearing black-framed glasses next to him spoke up.
"That's great!" Yang Liu's eyes sparkled with admiration, "Brother Ouyang is one in a hundred."
"How can it be so exaggerated..." Ouyang Xi suddenly spoke, looking disapproving, "But..." He paused, but a hint of worry appeared in his eyes.
"What's different from the past is that this year the city has added a team competition," he said word by word.
"So what?" Zi Xin looked at Ouyang Xi and blinked her clear eyes. When her eyes collided with the warm light in the boy's eyes, she hurriedly avoided them.
There was an unintentional flash of loneliness in Ouyang Xi's eyes.
He continued: "So for this team competition, we have to continue to recruit some outstanding members."
"Is there anyone who wants to participate now? How do we recruit them?" Yang Liu asked doubtfully, with confusion in his eyes.
"How about... a competition?" Zi Xin suddenly suggested, "This method is novel, interesting and eye-catching. The most important thing is that the people who are selected in the end will definitely be the best talents!" She looked sure.
"Yes, yes! Zi Xin is right! The competition recruitment method will be very lively, and the students in the academy will definitely be very enthusiastic about participating!" Yang Liu looked very excited, and his right hand was clenched into a small fist.
"Well, this is a really good idea!" Voices of approval immediately rang out around me.
The boy with glasses turned his head and looked at Ouyang Xi: "Boss, what do you think?"
Everyone's eyes immediately focused on Ouyang Xi's face.
The sun shone down, and he stood up, his body enveloped by a gentle light. A smile of approval appeared on the corner of his mouth, and then he nodded: "I also think this idea is feasible." After he said that, he looked at Zi Xin eagerly.
Eyes met.
Zi Xin could clearly feel the obvious difference in the boy's eyes when he looked at her.
It was an extremely ardent light, like a burning flame, so hot that it seemed to burn something in an instant...
Or melt.
She avoided his gaze, as if it was an unintentional action, and it looked very natural.
Ouyang Xi nodded: "No matter who wins or loses the game, let's all work together and cheer for each other!" Then he made a "come on" gesture.
"Yes! We will definitely win the championship!" Yang Liu stood up and shouted excitedly, looking very confident.
How could her brother Ouyang let the martial arts club lose?
That is something that is simply impossible to happen.
So they're going to win, right? Over and over and over.
Yang Liu thought secretly and looked up at the handsome face of the boy in front of her.
The sun shone on him, and he looked like the most noble and sacred king.
It is a height that people look up to and admire.