Bone-Attached Disaster - Chapter 15:

Chapter 15: Lychee

Fu Jia’an was examined in the infirmary. Thankfully, it was nothing serious, just low bl00d sugar. The school nurse gave him a lollipop and instructed him to finish the candy and then take his bl00d sugar again.

Fu Jia’an remained silent after taking the candy, while the school nurse had already turned to attend to the student who had just been brought in after collapsing on the field.

With the curtain drawn, only Lu Jie and Fu Jia’an were left in the partitioned space.

“What are you contemplating?” Lu Jie said, crossing his arms. “Don’t tell me you’re still a picky eater at a time like this, and the lychee flavor doesn’t suit your taste?”

“No,” Fu Jia’an shook his head. “My hands are shaking. I don’t have the strength to open it.” He raised his arm, but not too high, directing it toward Lu Jie.

“You’re quite handy at bossing me around,” Lu Jie reached out and took the lollipop.

Fu Jia’an sat on the edge of the examination bed. His lack of energy made him look even smaller. His legs were so thin that even the smallest size of the school uniform pants looked baggy, and sitting hunched over like that, both his feet were nearly dangling in the air.

Lu Jie easily tore open the red plastic wrapper. Then, teasing him like a child, he crouched down and held the candy in front of Fu Jia’an.

He was smiling broadly, a little bit mischievous.

Lu Jie couldn’t explain why, but he felt very relaxed. Maybe it was because it was raining lightly outside, and he liked the rain and the fresh, earthy smell of the air that came with it. Or maybe it was because he had just redeemed himself, not only winning a 3000-meter long-distance run championship but also defending a territory—something he was skilled at and proud of.

Or perhaps it was because right now, he didn’t feel the need to win; just teasing Fu Jia’an was enjoyable enough. Fu Jia’an was not usually this compliant.

Lu Jie’s gaze traveled upward. From this angle, Fu Jia’an truly looked like a child, with a slight baby fat on his cheeks upon closer inspection, completely harmless. For a moment, Lu Jie even felt that Fu Jia’an wasn’t so annoying after all.

But when Fu Jia’an slightly lowered his head, the mole on his nose became visible. Lu Jie had always felt that the mole was the most prematurely mature feature on Fu Jia’an’s entire face, like a flaw in his seemingly innocent disguise. His intelligence, calculated nature, and slyness were all exposed in that delicate dot, a deliberate reminder from heaven.

Just as Lu Jie thought Fu Jia’an was about to take the lollipop, Fu Jia’an suddenly and naturally leaned forward, lowered his head, and licked it.

……

Lu Jie had never met a child so vengeful! Tease him once, and he’ll surely pay you back tenfold.

“Do you take me for your servant?” Lu Jie lost interest, stood up, and shoved the lollipop into Fu Jia’an’s hand. “You’re a real high-maintenance brat. Hold it yourself and eat it.”

“Jia’an.” A woman’s voice came from outside the curtain. The woman seemed to be walking and searching, tentatively calling out at the outside of each curtain.

“Mom, I’m here.”

It turned out to be Fu Jia’an’s mother. Lu Jie saw a woman lift the curtain and enter. She was very elegant and well-preserved; one could imagine she must have been incredibly beautiful in her youth.

“Since your mother is here, I’ll head back,” Lu Jie regained his composure for addressing elders, bowing slightly to Fu Jia’an’s mother. “Auntie, hello.”

The woman smiled gently at Lu Jie. “Yes. Hello, student.”

There was no one else in the infirmary. The student who fainted had probably been taken to the nearest hospital for examination, and the school nurse had gone with them. Lu Jie walked outside the door but could still hear the conversation between Fu Jia’an and his mother behind the curtain.

“Was that student your friend?”

Fu Jia’an: “Yes, he carried me to the infirmary just now. See, low bl00d sugar.”

Who’s your friend? Lu Jie thought. How interesting, and he didn’t even correct her.

“That’s so nice. You’ve made a friend so soon after coming to Yao Chen,” the woman’s voice sounded pleasantly surprised. “This young man is good. He’s tall…” The woman lowered her voice slightly. “If you ever get into a fight, he can help you beat people up.”

The voice contained laughter, clearly just teasing. Lu Jie suddenly changed his mind, leaning against the outside wall of the school infirmary as if compelled, continuing to listen to the chat between the mother and son inside. Just by listening, he could tell the atmosphere was relaxed and happy.

“I won’t get into fights, Mom. Why do you always encourage me to fight?”

“Boys will be boys, they grow up with a few bumps and bruises. Like you signing up for the long-distance run today, I was very happy. When your homeroom teacher called me, I immediately cleared my schedule. I didn’t expect the drive over after my clinic hours to be this congested…”

“Um, why didn’t my brother come? Is he angry?”

Standing just on the other side of the wall, Lu Jie thought, I thought Fu Jia’an didn’t care about anyone’s opinion, but he does have someone he’s afraid of. So he’s scared of his brother.

“Don’t worry, your brother is cooking dinner for you at home,” the woman said. “He’s not angry this time.”

“Really?” Fu Jia’an sounded noticeably relieved. “That’s good.”

Lu Jie didn’t linger. He walked out in a daze, descending a few steps. There was a small window ledge between the second and third floors of the school infirmary, where he stopped, listening to the rain and spacing out.

So Fu Jia’an has such a good relationship with his family. His mother is beautiful, gentle, and open-minded. He suddenly wished he could have stayed and listened for a while longer. Are there families like this in the world, this kind of mother-son relationship? It was both warm and filled with respect, like talking to a friend.

And his brother… Lu Jie remembered that Fu Jia’an’s brother would specifically come to pick him up after school and even prepare a thermos for him. Although putting iced beer in it was a bit unconventional, Fu Jia’an seemed to care a lot about his brother’s opinion, so it must be a very close sibling relationship.

Even though he knew Fu Jia’an’s tragic background, he still felt a bit envious, even jealous of him at this moment. How ironic. Lu Jie felt like he was losing his mind.

“Lu Jie!”

His chaotic thoughts were interrupted by an angry shout. He turned around, seeing Jiang Yan, who had arrived at some point, looking at him with an expression of accusation and grievance.

“Huh? Jiang Yan? What are you doing here?”

“You think I don’t know?!” Jiang Yan was furious, having specifically come to settle accounts. “I saw it all from upstairs. You carried Fu Jia’an to the infirmary on your back! Are we good brothers or not? I can handle you teaching him to play basketball, but you carried him! You’ve never carried me!!”

“……” Lu Jie didn’t want to deal with this lunatic. He covered his ears with his hands, turned, and walked down the stairs.

After dinner, Fu Jia’an crept to Shen Rufēi’s room door and knocked twice.

“Brother, are you asleep?”

“Come in,” Shen Rufēi’s voice replied.

Pushing the door open, Fu Jia’an was slightly hesitant to enter. Usually, he and Shen Rufēi were very open with each other, but having concealed the long-distance run, he felt a bit guilty.

Shen Rufēi was looking at a research paper at his desk. He took off his glasses as he gestured for Fu Jia’an to come in. “Little Young Master Fu, did you enjoy your dinner?”

Fu Jia’an closed the door and sat on Shen Rufēi’s bed. “I still don’t like cauliflower in my curry.”

“You rascal. How many days have you been committed to eating well? And you’re already being picky again.” Shen Rufēi walked over and gently pinched both sides of Fu Jia’an’s cheeks, playfully venting a little. Then, he sat down next to his brother and addressed the main issue: “Mom said you came in last place in the long-distance run?” He knew Fu Jia’an had come to talk about this tonight.

“Yes, last place.”

“Got it.”

“That’s it?” Fu Jia’an was a little hesitant, turning his head to observe Shen Rufēi’s expression. “I thought you would definitely scold me.”

“Then can you tell me why you suddenly wanted to participate in the long-distance run this time? Running isn’t a sport you like.”

Fu Jia’an smiled faintly, having thought of something. “I don’t like it, and I’m not good at it, but I just wanted to push myself a little.”

Not wanting Shen Rufēi to worry, he quickly added, “But I never intended to win from the start. I was just wondering, for 3000 meters, how far can I run with my stamina? If 1500 meters is my limit, could I try to run 2000 meters this time? It may not mean much, but my goal this time was just to understand my limit, without getting hurt, fainting, or causing trouble for anyone else. So, Brother, you have to believe me. I really cherish my body and won’t push myself like I did when I was a child…”

After speaking, Fu Jia’an anxiously waited for Shen Rufēi’s reaction.

He waited, but Shen Rufēi didn’t say anything.

Shen Rufēi recalled being called into Fu Jia’an’s homeroom teacher’s office last week. Outside the door, he heard a boy say:

—If it’s genuine care, then you’re seriously underestimating Fu Jia’an. He’s more confident than he looks, and a smart child won’t put himself in danger.

He suddenly felt a little regretful, regretting the argument he had with Fu Jia’an when he was younger. Shen Rufēi thought that he had probably been too fragile in his assessment of his younger brother. Even though Fu Jia’an’s medical reports since he turned ten indicated he could start exercising, Shen Rufēi still didn’t trust him to know his own limits.

He knew that his brother feared nothing more than getting sick and collapsing and causing trouble for others, yet he had used that incident against him in an argument, making him afraid to run or jump again. Since then, his brother had never done anything that could be considered rebellious.

Shen Rufēi gave a slightly teasing smile. “A 16-year-old child, who lives his life with the composure of an old man, is quite worrying. Now that you’re finally starting to be willful, that’s a good thing.”

“Shen Rufēi, who are you calling an old man!” Fu Jia’an pounced and tickled his brother.

Shen Rufēi burst into laughter from the tickles, quickly flipped over to counterattack, and the two wrestled like they did when they were kids.

Shen Rufēi had actually only understood well into adulthood that sometimes those seemingly meaningless things were the very essence of life’s fun. His younger brother had been overly mature and sensible since a very young age, taking everything in stride.

Grades didn’t matter, the future didn’t matter. Nothing was worth trying, and nothing was worth holding onto tightly. At only sixteen, he was so detached he was almost like an immortal.

It’s truly wonderful that he is now willing to “push himself.”

Jia’an, stay firmly anchored in this world. Tie another rope for yourself. Don’t be blown away by the wind.

“Lu Jie, you seem troubled today?” After turning off the dorm lights and preparing to sleep, Jiang Yan asked Lu Jie’s bed in the dark.

“Am I?”

“You’re not still worried about Fu Jia’an, are you? Come on, he just had low bl00d sugar.”

“Did I say I was worried about him? You bring up Fu Jia’an the most all day long. Are you secretly in love with him?”

This time it was Jiang Yan’s turn to say, “Crazy.”

Silence returned to the dorm room.

Lu Jie had run 3000 meters today and still attended evening self-study. Lying in bed, he was truly sleepy, and his eyelids soon began to droop.

One second, two seconds, three seconds. Lu Jie suddenly opened his eyes, drenched in cold sweat from a scene that had replayed in his mind during his half-sleep.

Damn it, why did I think of that?

—Fu Jia’an’s tongue extended and licked the outside of the lollipop. A small patch of glistening moisture was left on the semi-transparent, lychee-flavored candy sphere.