His Addiction - Chapter 26

“Take your medicine, please,” Xu Zhi pleaded, feeling a little frustrated. “If you don’t, what if… what if…”

She remembered a rumor she’d heard about a classmate in elementary school who had a high fever of over 40 degrees Celsius and ended up with brain damage, becoming mentally impaired.

She blurted out, “What if you become brain-damaged?”

She thought, No one wants him even when he’s normal, let alone if he becomes stupid.

Liang Jinmo finally reacted. He sat up, looking at her as if she were the idiot.

Xu Zhi, ignoring his look, quickly popped the pill into his mouth.

Liang Jinmo only felt a small, swift hand. Her fingernail even grazed his lips before quickly retreating before he could react.

Bitterness spread through his mouth.

Xu Zhi held the glass of water to his lips. “Drink some water. It’s bitter.”

Liang Jinmo didn’t move.

“Doesn’t it taste bitter?”

He turned his face away, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed the pill.

The bitterness spread from his mouth to his throat, but he didn’t react much.

Xu Zhi urged him again, “Drink some water. You need to stay hydrated when you have a fever.”

This time, Liang Jinmo didn’t resist, taking the glass from her hand.

Xu Zhi withdrew her hand, fidgeting with her fingers.

Just now, her fingertip had brushed his lips. The sensation lingered, refusing to dissipate. She wanted to wash her hands.

It wasn’t because she believed Liang Mushi’s nonsense about an illegitimate child’s bl00d being dirty. It was simply because she had never had such close contact with a boy before. A wave of girlish squeamishness washed over her, making her feel uncomfortable.

Her finger had touched a boy’s lips. The thought made her cheeks burn.

Liang Jinmo, however, didn’t seem to care. After drinking the water, he slumped back onto the table.

He didn’t speak. After being ignored for so long, Xu Zhi felt dejected. Her mind raced with chaotic thoughts. How long would it take for the medicine to work?

Hopefully five minutes… no, one minute, and his fever would break, and she could send him away.

Even though her parents weren’t home, it wouldn’t be good if the housekeeper saw him.

The early summer afternoon was breezy and peaceful under the flower trellis. She didn’t know how much time had passed when the housekeeper called out to her from the main house.

The trellis was covered with vines, obscuring the view from the house.

Xu Zhi’s back stiffened. “Coming!”

She hurried back inside. It was her phone ringing.

It was an old-fashioned feature phone. She took it back to the trellis to answer. It was Liang Mushi.

Liang Mushi had gone roller skating and was inviting her to join him.

Xu Zhi hesitated, glancing at Liang Jinmo.

He was no longer slumped over. He was sitting upright, staring at her.

She felt uneasy, not wanting to spend any more time with this strange boy. Worried that the housekeeper would discover him, she agreed to Liang Mushi’s invitation. “Okay, I’ll be right there.”

Hanging up, she cautiously said to Liang Jinmo, “Um, I have to go out…”

She was subtly hinting that he should leave too.

Liang Jinmo opened his mouth but didn’t speak.

She touched her head, unsure how to be more direct. She was a people-pleaser by nature.

Liang Jinmo stood up, swaying slightly.

Xu Zhi’s heart tightened. “Can you… can you walk by yourself?”

“If I said I couldn’t,” he said, his dark eyes fixed on her, “would you let me stay here a little longer?”

Xu Zhi bit her lip and remained silent.

“Liang Mushi called you, didn’t he?” he asked again.

Xu Zhi still didn’t speak.

Their roles seemed to have reversed. He was the one asking questions, and she was the silent one.

Liang Jinmo didn’t ask again. They both knew the answer.

He gritted his teeth and walked towards the gate.

Xu Zhi followed, walking him to the entrance.

Neither of them spoke. He just walked away.

Xu Zhi watched his figure grow smaller and smaller, finally disappearing around the corner.

The Liang family had deleted his fingerprints and changed the gate code at some point. He couldn’t go back to the Liang house now.

Xu Zhi went back inside to gather her things, preparing to meet Liang Mushi. Thinking of the cold, closed gate, she wondered where the sick Liang Jinmo would go.

Her attempts to help him were always hesitant and cautious. She couldn’t offend the Liang family for his sake, but she felt she had done her best.

After all these years, a thought suddenly struck Xu Zhi.

Liang Jinmo never said anything, but being kicked out like that… he must have resented them, right?

Her non-major courses were scheduled for the following week. These courses had fewer credits and weren’t difficult, so everyone passed easily.

During that week, Yang Xue found time to ask Zhou He about the requirements for translators in Liang Jinmo’s team and even submitted her resume through an internal channel.

“Liang Corp.!” Yang Xue’s eyes sparkled with excitement. She told Xu Zhi, “Do you know how many graduates want to work there? It’s so hard to get in. Unless you’re a genius like Cheng Yu, they require extensive relevant work experience.”

Xu Zhi asked Yang Xue, “Are you really going to follow Cheng Yu to Liang Corp.?”

“Following him is a bonus,” Yang Xue explained. “Liang Corp. is a great platform. I heard from Cheng Yu that the team has excellent prospects. If I can get in, I’ll definitely learn a lot. And of course, chasing my idol isn’t a bad perk either.”

Then she asked Xu Zhi, “Are you really not considering it? Zhou He told me to ask you too.”

The mention of it made Xu Zhi’s heart clench. “I’ll think about it.”

After all these years, she hadn’t made any progress. She was still tormented by guilt towards Liang Jinmo.

Because of the drunken incident, she felt like she owed him even more. But she couldn’t join his team as a translator. That would be a direct betrayal of Liang Mushi. Not only that, but Fu Wanwen and her own parents wouldn’t be happy either.

She suddenly envied Yang Xue.

Yang Xue didn’t try to please anyone. Even when pursuing Cheng Yu, she always expressed her true feelings, without considering whether he would like it or not.

Xu Zhi, on the other hand, always worried about what others might think. She didn’t want to upset anyone. But in the end, her passive choices always ended up upsetting Liang Jinmo.

After the semester ended, students gradually left campus. Xu Zhi lingered. She had packed her things, but she didn’t want to go home.

Xu He Ping and Zhao Nianqiao’s constant arguing was exhausting, and she was afraid that if she went back, Xu He Ping would ask about her and Liang Mushi again.

As she was agonizing over it, Liang Mushi sent her a WeChat message: Xiao Zhi Zi, are you done with your exams? When are you going home? I’ll pick you up.

Xu Zhi noticed that Liang Mushi’s calls had become less frequent recently. Although they still contacted each other every day, he mostly sent text messages now.

She replied: I’m done. I don’t have much luggage, and I’m leaving now, so you don’t have to pick me up.

She decided to leave immediately, so Liang Mushi wouldn’t have time to come.

Liang Mushi: What a coincidence! I’m at the south gate of your school right now. Come on over.

Xu Zhi: “…”

Young Master Liang, always so assertive and inconsiderate.

Xu Zhi sighed deeply and resignedly dragged her suitcase towards the south gate.

Liang Mushi was driving his flashy blue Ferrari. Before Xu Zhi reached the car, someone got out of the back seat.

It was Chen Jing. She walked towards Xu Zhi. “Xiao Zhi Zi, let me help you with your luggage.”

Liang Mushi also got out of the car, smiling. “It’s okay, Chen Jing. I’ll get it. You’re too weak to carry anything.”

Xu Zhi’s expression stiffened. She didn’t want to get in the car anymore.