In the narrow two-bed ward, the other bed was empty. At this moment, there was only Duan Jiaxu in the ward. The room was unnaturally quiet, giving off a sense of emptiness and loneliness. He lay flat on the bed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, but he didn’t say anything.
His lips were straight, and his face showed little expression. It was hard to tell what he was thinking.
Without hearing his approval, Sang Zhi didn’t dare to enter. She could only ask again, “Is it okay?”
Only then did Duan Jiaxu speak, softly asking, “Have you eaten?”
”I just bought a sandwich nearby.” Sang Zhi blinked, hesitating as she walked to his side, handing him the bag. “I also got a box of oolong tea.”
”Eating this will fill you up?” Duan Jiaxu glanced at it. “Order some takeout.”
Sang Zhi shook her head. “I’m not very hungry.”
Duan Jiaxu: “And you haven’t eaten anything yet. How come you’re not hungry?”
”I’m just not hungry.” Sang Zhi put the bag on the nearby table, then turned to move a chair from the end of the bed to its side, her movements slow and deliberate. “I’ll eat if I feel like it. I’m a grown-up, I won’t starve myself.”
Duan Jiaxu stared at her and suddenly chuckled, not saying anything further.
Sang Zhi sat down on the chair, took out the sandwich, and whispered, “I asked the nurse just now. You have to lie flat for six hours and then can get out of bed twelve hours after that.”
”Yeah.”
Sang Zhi took a bite of the sandwich and mumbled, “And you can’t eat anything right now. You’ll have to have a liquid diet for the whole week. It seems like this IV drip has to be administered for three days.”
Duan Jiaxu listened absentmindedly and responded with a casual “Hmm.”
Afterward, the room fell silent.
Only the faint rustling sounds of Sang Zhi eating her food could be heard.
The ward was heated, and Sang Zhi started feeling a bit warm after sitting for a while. She stood up, took off her coat, and folded it a few times before hanging it on the chair.
Noticing her actions, Duan Jiaxu glanced over, his gaze lingering for a few seconds before he casually remarked, “Why are you wearing a skirt in the middle of winter?”
The silence was suddenly broken.
Sang Zhi looked up, her gaze meeting his slightly raised eyes.
The tone he used was reminiscent of her mom catching her not wearing thermal pants in the fall.
To some extent, this person was like a combined version of her dad, mom, and older brother. Back at home, she was always told what to wear. She didn’t want to go somewhere and still be told what to wear.
”This is a long skirt,” Sang Zhi lowered her head, continuing to nibble on the sandwich. “You can wear one if you want.”
”…”
Duan Jiaxu turned his head to look at her.
The way she ate was just like before, her cheeks puffed up like a small pufferfish. He felt a slight urge to laugh but was worried about his wound. He spoke softly, “It’s colder on this side compared to Nanwu. Just be careful and take care of yourself; being sick is no fun.”
Upon hearing his words, Sang Zhi inexplicably remembered the last time she came to Yihe. The food in her mouth suddenly became hard to swallow. She didn’t look at him, picked up the oolong tea, took a sip, and nodded.
After reluctantly finishing the sandwich, Sang Zhi checked the time and said, “Brother Jiaxu, do you want to sleep?”
”What time is it?”
”It’s almost eleven.”
Duan Jiaxu: “How are you going to sleep?”
Sang Zhi thought for a moment. “I’ll go rent a companion chair; it won’t cost much.”
”Sitting on a companion chair should be uncomfortable for you,” Duan Jiaxu frowned, clearly disagreeing. “The bed next to mine is empty. You can rent that one.”
”No need,” Sang Zhi muttered. “I didn’t come here to enjoy life.”
”…”
Without waiting for him to say anything else, Sang Zhi got up and walked out. “Alright, Brother Jiaxu, you start getting ready to sleep. I’ll go ask.”
Renting a companion chair for a day only cost a little over ten yuan. After paying, during that time, Sang Zhi also went nearby to buy a set of toiletries.
When she returned to the ward, Duan Jiaxu was looking at his phone, as if sending a message to someone.
Sang Zhi glanced at it but didn’t say anything.
”Why did you take so long?” Duan Jiaxu put down his phone and asked, “What did you buy?”
”Toothpaste, toothbrush, and a towel,” Sang Zhi took out the items. “I want to freshen up a bit.”
Duan Jiaxu nodded. “Sure, go ahead.”
After taking a couple of steps, Sang Zhi suddenly remembered something and hesitated before turning back. “Brother Jiaxu, would you like to wash your face? Brushing your teeth might not be possible yet.”
There were quite a few items, so Sang Zhi simply brought the whole bag with her. The restroom wasn’t crowded, and she placed her belongings on the counter. Taking a deep breath, she began to freshen up, her mind considering how to bring up the matter.
She had asked impulsively.
It was because she felt that if she didn’t initiate, he wouldn’t make any requests. But it shouldn’t be a big deal, right?
He had helped her before when she fell and treated her wounds. He didn’t mind getting a little dirty. He had even wiped her face for her.
Moreover, he was the one who was currently ill and unable to do things on his own. Her staying here was meant to take care of him. It wouldn’t be right to suggest such a thing and then regret it later, would it? That would seem too petty.
Sang Zhi didn’t linger any longer. She took the towel out of the bag, used hot water in the shower area to clean up, and then returned to the ward.
Sang Zhi found a spot to place her things, then walked over to Duan Jiaxu’s side and informed him in advance, “Brother Jiaxu, I’ll wipe your face for you.”
”No need.” Duan Jiaxu seemed to have no intention of letting her do it. “Just hand it over, I’ll do it myself.”
”How are you going to do it yourself?” Sang Zhi was already feeling a bit embarrassed, and his rejection at this moment ignited a sense of annoyance in her. She furrowed her brows, sat down at the edge of the bed, and her tone became stern and cold, “If you accidentally disturb your wound, you’ll end up staying in the hospital for a few more days.”
Duan Jiaxu paused for a moment, then chuckled, “Why are you in such a bad mood today?”
”…” Sang Zhi didn’t look into his eyes, folded the towel a bit smaller, and began wiping from his forehead down, “I’m not in a bad mood. I always talk like this.”
She didn’t hesitate anymore and started working. The towel glided from his forehead to his eyes.
Duan Jiaxu instinctively closed his eyes.
She didn’t get too close to him, her movements were careful and gentle, and her hands didn’t touch him.
Duan Jiaxu had hardly been taken care of like this before.
Nor had he ever imagined that he would be cared for like this. He didn’t like to trouble others, and besides, even though she was already an adult, he still felt like she hadn’t grown up yet, like a little kid who needed protection and care from many people.
Subsequently, the warm sensation of the towel moved to his nasal bridge, then to his cheeks and chin.
Duan Jiaxu opened his eyes.
His gaze met Sang Zhi’s eyes.
Peek-Aboo 
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