SITS CH6

Chapter 06: Caught a Cold

Once spring passed, summer was due to arrive.

The first summer rain fell, pattering against the soil with the wind, producing a faint, rustling sound.

It was fine weather for sleeping.

Xu Zhouye knocked on the door and heard a muffled “come in” from inside. He stepped into Shen Man’s room and found him dozing off in a rocking chair on the balcony.

Shen Man wore loose, light-brown pajamas made of a plush, fleece material that softened his aloof aura considerably. Having seemingly just been woken up, his eyes were still clouded with a misty drowsiness. He pointed vaguely at the adjacent chair and mumbled, “What’s up? Have a seat.”

Xu Zhouye sat down obediently.

Silence settled between the two of them, leaving only the rustle of the drizzling rain.

Xu Zhouye lifted his gaze toward Shen Man, only to find he had drifted off again.

Leaning against the chair with his limbs slightly curled, his long eyelashes rested peacefully like fluttering butterfly wings, casting pale shadows across his cheeks. The tiny mole beneath his eye was very faint, visible only from up close. Staring at Shen Man’s features, Xu Zhouye’s fingers twitched involuntarily before falling still again—he suppressed a certain emotion that had abruptly surged in his chest.

Shen Man was having a dream.

It was a chaotic mess: one moment he turned into a sheep, the next he was soaring through the sky. As he flew, someone suddenly told him to go fight the Bone-Armored Serpent King. He struggled to fly above the Serpent King’s head, only for Xu Zhouye’s face to pop up right before his eyes, holding a butterfly net. Smiling warmly, Xu Zhouye said, Captain, let me help you fight it, and slammed the net right over him.

Shen Man snapped his eyes open, struggling to sit up in the chair as he gasped for breath. Turning his head, he genuinely saw Xu Zhouye sitting right beside him. Shen Man’s eyes widened. He reached out to brace himself, caught only empty air, and tumbled sideways in a panic.

The very next second, his arm was caught firmly and pulled into a solid, unyielding embrace. Shen Man caught the warm scent of sunlight. He tilted his head back, meeting Xu Zhouye’s eyes.

“Are you alright?” The voice was deliberately kept low, as if fearful of startling a butterfly resting on his fingertip.

“Mm…” Shen Man gathered his wits, still slightly out of sorts. “Why are you here?”

Xu Zhouye looked a bit aggrieved: “I’ve been here for a while. You gave me permission to come in.”

Shen Man: “…”

He pondered for a moment before remembering: Xu Zhouye had knocked, and he had given permission to enter. It was just that he had been so groggy he couldn’t tell dream from reality.

“Oh.” Now fully awake, Shen Man asked, “What is it?”

“The manager asked me to let you know that we’re shooting a promotional video tomorrow afternoon,” Xu Zhouye said. “He told you not to wander off.”

Shen Man said, “Couldn’t he just message me on WeChat?”

Xu Zhouye said, “He said he texted you, but you didn’t reply.”

Shen Man: “…”

Xu Zhouye added, “He also said the sponsors are watching this time, so you can’t run away.”

Shen Man: “…”

Xu Zhouye: “Captain?”

He watched Shen Man silently lie back down, looking like an exquisite doll whose batteries had run out.

A smile crept onto the corners of Xu Zhouye’s lips.

“Go back,” Shen Man curled into a ball like a snail retreating into its shell. “I got it.”

Xu Zhouye smiled, “Okay.”

He stood up, took two steps toward the door, then turned back, draping a light blanket over Shen Man’s legs as he said softly, “Keep this on, don’t catch a cold.”

Shen Man let out a faint hum.

Seasonal transitions were indeed prime time for catching colds.

Xu Zhouye’s words proved prophetic. That evening, during Shen Man’s stream, he already felt something off—an itchy, slightly scratchy throat.

He was a man of few words to begin with, but now he barely made a peep. Viewers wailed that they were being subjected to the cold shoulder, strongly urging Seafood TV to mandate a minimum hourly word count in his next contract renewal.

Shen Man said, “Stop messing around, my throat hurts.”

[You said the exact same thing when you gave us the cold shoulder last month.]

Shen Man: “It’s real this time.”

[Meaning it wasn’t real last time?]

[Scumbag, pure scumbag.]

[Don’t tell me you’re gonna use this excuse next month too?]

Shen Man: “…”

Where had the basic trust between human beings gone?

By the time he ended the stream, his symptoms had worsened, his throat burning as if swallowing razor blades. He listlessly took some medication, hoping he would feel better by morning.

Yet things did not go as planned.

When he opened his eyes the next morning, the world spun. Shen Man climbed out of bed, feeling like he was treading on cotton, and promptly collapsed back under the covers.

Come lunchtime, someone finally noticed Shen Man was missing.

“Where’s Shen Man?” the manager demanded warily in the dining hall. “Has anyone seen him?”

“Nope, didn’t see him all morning,” Zhao Rui muttered around a mouthful of steamed bun.

“Don’t tell me he ran back to his hometown again?!” the manager barked in exasperation. “Didn’t I tell you guys to keep an eye on him?”

“He’s not a convict, how are we supposed to watch him?” Liu Shishi grumbled defensively. “Manager, didn’t you already notify the security guard?”

“Notifying him is useless,” Zhao Rui added coolly. “It’s not like he hasn’t hopped the fence before.”

Xu Zhouye kept quiet as he listened, until the group suddenly turned their collective gaze onto him. Bewildered, he pointed at himself: “Why are you looking at me?”

The manager said, “He didn’t pick up his phone. Go knock on his door.”

Xu Zhouye answered obediently, “Okay, I’ll go then.”

He stood up and left. The others watched his retreating back with suspicious glances, muttering among themselves: “Bizarre. Did Shen Man actually open the door and let him in?”

“Truly a first in history.”

Xu Zhouye knocked for quite a while, but heard no sound from within.

Normally that would suggest an empty room, but Xu Zhouye had an uneasy feeling. He banged hard a few more times, calling Shen Man’s name. Only after a good while did a faint rustling come from inside.

With a creak, the door swung open.

Xu Zhouye saw Shen Man standing behind the door. Dressed in loose pajamas, his fair face was flushed crimson, an ice pop tucked in his mouth. Those usually calm, sharp eyes were clouded with a thin mist—moist, glassy, and soft. Seeing Xu Zhouye, he mumbled indistinctly, “What?”

“They said you didn’t reply to their messages and sent me to check on you,” Xu Zhouye said.

“Oh.” Shen Man turned to head back to bed, but his feet wobbled, nearly sending him sprawling. Fortunately, Xu Zhouye reacted swiftly, steadying him: “Captain, are you okay?”

“Fine,” Shen Man muttered.

“The coach wanted to ask about this afternoon’s shoot…” Though Xu Zhouye hadn’t finished the question, he already knew the answer.

Shen Man sat on the bed with his head down, having bitten off a piece of the ice pop, letting it melt on the tip of his tongue. Hearing Xu Zhouye’s question, he said sluggishly, “Not eating.”

Xu Zhouye: “Huh?”

Shen Man looked up. At such close range, Xu Zhouye noticed a tinge of red at the corners of his eyes, making him look breathtakingly delicate, as though wearing makeup. Then he heard Shen Man mumble in a petulant, almost whiny tone: “Not having lunch. You guys go ahead.”

Xu Zhouye: “…”

Finally realizing something was wrong, he reached out and pressed the back of his hand to Shen Man’s forehead.

Unsurprisingly, it was scorching hot.

“You have a fever,” Xu Zhouye said. “Rest first, I’ll call the doctor.”

Shen Man, however, grabbed a corner of his shirt: “No need, I really won’t eat.”

Xu Zhouye didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Shen Man couldn’t comprehend Xu Zhouye’s expression. His entire body ached, his ears buzzed, and he couldn’t process what Xu Zhouye was saying, stubbornly assuming the other had come to drag him to lunch.

“Captain, I’ll be right back,” Xu Zhouye coaxed gently. “Really, right back.”

Shen Man gave him a dull look and let go.

Xu Zhouye bolted out immediately, afraid that if he lingered a second longer, Shen Man would grab him again and he genuinely wouldn’t be able to bear leaving.

Shen Man remained baffled, muttering to himself about why anyone would be so eager over a simple lunch.

By the time the IV drip was set up, Shen Man’s temperature had surpassed forty degrees Celsius.

Lying in bed and staring at the ceiling, he blurted out, “Why is the ceiling spinning?”

Everyone present couldn’t help bursting into laughter. Zhao Rui chimed in, “Is it possible that the ceiling isn’t spinning, but you are?”

Shen Man: “…”

Oh, so it’s just that I’m dying. Scared me to death, thought the ceiling was actually spinning.

“Ah, Man, if you really don’t want to shoot the promotional video, forget it. There’s no need to torture yourself like this,” the manager sighed helplessly. “Look at that little face, burned red enough to be served for dinner.”

Shen Man: “…You talk too much.”

The manager said, “Alright, alright, we won’t bother you. Get some good rest, we’re leaving.”

Everyone cleared out of the room.

The room grew quiet. Shen Man’s mind was an incoherent fog, incapable of thought. He closed his eyes, vaguely sensing a figure settle beside him, and a cool sensation was pressed against his scorching forehead. It felt incredibly soothing…

He drifted into a dazed slumber.

Being young, his physical resilience pulled through. After a few IV bags and a long sleep, the high fever subsided quickly.

Shen Man woke in the middle of the night. He lay staring into the dark for a good while before his brain pieced together what had happened. He reached out to fumble for the light switch on the wall, but before his fingers found it, the light clicked on.

“Captain.”

Someone was actually sitting by the bed. Seeing him wake, the person turned on the lamp: “Awake?”

Shen Man coughed, his throat painfully parched. Before he could speak, a cup of water was pressed to his lips.

Turning his head, Shen Man saw Xu Zhouye. He rasped out a faint thank-you: “Thanks…”

“Drink some water first,” Xu Zhouye said.

Shen Man took several sips, finally feeling somewhat better. Curious, he asked, “Have you been sitting here the whole time?”

Xu Zhouye said, “No, I timed when your IV drip would run out and just came by.”

Shen Man: “Oh. Thanks.”

“Hungry? Want something to eat?” Xu Zhouye asked.

Shen Man said, “It’s fine, I can order takeout myself.” He wasn’t that fragile.

“No need. The kitchen auntie made porridge for dinner, I just need to heat it up for you,” Xu Zhouye stood up. “Hang tight.”

Without waiting for Shen Man to decline, he slipped out of the room.

Shen Man was left staring blankly at the empty room.

The window was open, and the afternoon rain was still drizzling outside. With the needle lodged in the back of his hand, the chilly fluid seeped into his veins, making his entire arm throb with cold.

Perhaps people were naturally more vulnerable when sick. Shen Man recalled a few old memories, let out a slow breath, and slid open the bedside drawer.

Holding a bowl of warmed porridge, Xu Zhouye pushed open the door, only to be greeted by the scent of tobacco. Shen Man, who was supposed to be resting in bed, was standing by the bedside, the IV needle already pulled from his hand.

Xu Zhouye: “…Captain, you pulled it out yourself?”

“Yeah,” Shen Man said. “Looked like it was almost done, so I pulled it.”

“Still, you can’t be smoking,” Xu Zhouye said. “Your fever just broke.”

Setting the tray down, he walked over to Shen Man and naturally plucked the lit cigarette from his lips.

Shen Man froze slightly as he watched Xu Zhouye bring the cigarette to his own mouth: “Can’t let it go to waste, I’ll finish it for you.”

It all happened too fast, his movements and tone so effortless that Shen Man was given no time to object.

Before Shen Man could open his mouth, Xu Zhouye steered him by the shoulders toward the desk: “The porridge was just heated, eat it quickly. I’ll smoke outside.”

With that, he turned and stepped into the hallway.

Shen Man: “…”

This kid’s combo chain was way too swift.

The porridge was at the perfect temperature, accompanied by a few refreshing side dishes. As it settled into his stomach, warmth returned to his body. Out in the hall, Xu Zhouye—who didn’t even know how to smoke—somehow finished the cigarette and walked back in, patting the smoke from his clothes.

“Full, Captain?” Xu Zhouye asked.

“Mhm,” Shen Man said. “It’s late, head back and rest. Thank you.”

Xu Zhouye said, “It’s nothing, I’m usually awake at this hour anyway. Did the needle mark on your hand stop bleeding?” He hadn’t expected Shen Man to yank the needle out himself.

Shen Man dismissed it casually: “It stopped.”

Xu Zhouye looked as though he wanted to say something, but held back.

Missing his expression, Shen Man finished the last spoonful of porridge and stood up to clean up the bowls, only to be stopped by Xu Zhouye.

“I’ll handle it, you rest,” Xu Zhouye said. “You just recovered, your legs might give out and make you fall.”

Shen Man didn’t argue and thanked him again.

“Get some more sleep, then,” Xu Zhouye said. “See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow,” Shen Man replied.

Xu Zhouye carried the tray out, and the room fell silent once more, save for the gentle pitter-patter of the rain.

Shen Man pressed his lips together. Just as he lifted his arm, the door creaked open again.

Xu Zhouye poked his head in. Their eyes met, and Shen Man felt inexplicably guilty: “What? Forget something?”

Xu Zhouye said, “Captain, I don’t feel like smoking anymore.”

Shen Man: “…”

Xu Zhouye added, “You understand what I mean, right?”

Shen Man: “…”

Seeing Shen Man say nothing, Xu Zhouye actually acted aggrieved: “Captain, say something. Why are you giving me the cold shoulder?”

Fair enough. The guy looked after you half the night and just served you food; giving him the cold shoulder was hardly fair. Benefiting from someone left one’s mouth soft, so Shen Man relented: “Fine, I won’t smoke.”

Xu Zhouye: “My nose is very sharp!!”

Shen Man sighed helplessly: “I keep my word.”

Xu Zhouye nodded, finally satisfied, before closing the door and leaving.

Shen Man thought to himself that this kid was truly a handful, pulling a feint like that just to double-check. But keeping his promise, he didn’t touch another cigarette. After sitting on the bed for a while, he drifted groggily back to sleep.