MM | Chapter 46

Sick Leave

Gao Tianyang’s brilliant suggestion was not adopted. He shook his head, mumbling as he returned the wheelchair. Jiang Tian carried Sheng Wang up the ramp.

This was one of the quietest corners of the school. The ramp was flanked by lush trees, with flowering vines stretching out from the evergreen shrubs, hanging at varying lengths along the way.

Sheng Wang felt a bit uneasy, and Jiang Tian didn’t need to look back to know his expression must be amusing.

“Why didn’t you want me to carry you?” he asked.

Sheng Wang shifted slightly and said, “It’s embarrassing.”

Jiang Tian couldn’t quite understand the logic. Falling in front of the whole school wasn’t embarrassing, but being carried with a limp was? However, he couldn’t say that, or the peacock on his back might just jump off the edge of the ramp.

He knew his words could be a bit sharp, but he didn’t bother to change. Sometimes he did it on purpose to tease someone, but mostly he just didn’t care.

The person on his back moved again, adding, “It’s just a matter of male pride.”

“Where do you get so much male pride?” Jiang Tian replied nonchalantly.

“Isn’t that normal? Don’t you have it?”

“No.”

Jiang Tian answered decisively. Whether he had it or not, he wasn’t going to agree with him.

As expected, Sheng Wang was left speechless for a while, then tightened his grip and said, “You know your neck is in my hands right now, right? You should be a bit more aware.”

Jiang Tian tilted his head back slightly, calmly stating, “You’re in my hands.”

Maybe it was the movement of his Adam’s apple as he spoke that made Sheng Wang’s wrist uncomfortable. He felt Sheng Wang quiet down for a few seconds and loosen his grip a bit. Not only that, but his whole upper body lifted slightly, as if trying to minimize contact.

Jiang Tian’s brow furrowed lightly, so briefly he didn’t even notice it himself.

“Tired?” Sheng Wang asked.

“If you move less, I won’t be.” Jiang Tian replied.

“Oh.” Sheng Wang responded awkwardly.

A breeze brushed past the bend, gently swaying the flower branches extending from the roadside. Jiang Tian tilted his head to avoid them and suddenly, on a whim, asked, “Are you tired?”

“Me?” Sheng Wang was puzzled. “Why would I be tired?”

Jiang Tian slightly turned his head, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. “Holding your neck so stiffly, isn’t it tiring?”

Sheng Wang suddenly fell silent. Jiang Tian turned his head back, his gaze falling straight ahead. His steps were unhurried, treading on the dappled light and shadow of tree branches and flower vines.

After a moment, the boy on his back slowly relaxed, like a sloth hanging on, his chin resting in the crook of Jiang Tian’s shoulder.

Jiang Tian’s eyes flicked to the right and then back.

He suddenly remembered walking through the alleys of Wutongwai as a child, when “Captain” unexpectedly fell from the sky, rolling at his feet, its thin, fluffy tail brushing past his ankle.

The feeling in that moment was hard to describe.

He just felt time moving slowly, and the road ahead seemed long and peaceful.

*

There were already people in the clinic. A refined, handsome male teacher with glasses was looking down, texting someone. Hearing the door, he looked up.

The male teacher was named Zhuang Heng, recruited by the Affiliated High School two years ago. Since joining, he hadn’t changed grades, only teaching chemistry to Grade 3 Senior, Class A. Among the predominantly middle-aged teaching staff, his handsomeness stood out, earning him the title of a male god among many students. Quite a few girls worked hard to get into Class A for him.

Sheng Wang had heard some gossip from Gao Tianyang and Song Sirui, saying he seemed to be pursuing Yang Jing. However, he was rather reserved, and Sister Jing’s romantic instincts might be dead, as there hadn’t been much progress after a year.

“What happened here?” Zhuang Heng put away his phone and came over to lend a hand. Sheng Wang jumped off Jiang Tian’s back, hopping on one foot to sit in a chair.

Sheng Wang chuckled awkwardly and said, “I was hurdling and got hurdled.”

“You really are…” Zhuang Heng shook his head.

“Teacher, where’s Teacher Lu from the clinic?” Jiang Tian asked.

“He went to the back to get some medicine for me,” Zhuang Heng said. “He’ll be back soon.”

As they spoke, a plump female teacher from the clinic came over from the corridor, handing two boxes of anti-inflammatory medicine and a pack of throat lozenges to Zhuang Heng. She then turned to Sheng Wang and asked, “Are you sick?”

“No, I twisted my ankle.” Sheng Wang patted his left leg.

“Let me see.” She squatted down, gently pressing around Sheng Wang’s ankle. Her technique was similar to Jiang Tian’s, but Sheng Wang didn’t feel ticklish or try to pull away.

“It’s already swollen.” She demonstrated a movement and asked, “Does it hurt when you move like this?”

Sheng Wang moved up and down a bit. “It’s okay.”

“And when you turn it?”

“Hiss—” Sheng Wang gasped. “Can’t really turn it.”

“It’s not too bad, probably didn’t hurt the bone,” Teacher Lu said.

But she still had Sheng Wang go to the other end of the corridor for an X-ray, only then confirming, “The bone is fine, just needs some rest. I’ve prescribed some medicine for you. These two boxes are anti-inflammatory, twice a day. This one is for promoting blood circulation and removing stasis, three times a day. And there’s an ointment, apply it morning and night.”

Sheng Wang carefully read the medication instructions and then asked, “Is one tube of ointment enough? Teacher, could you prescribe another one?”

Teacher Lu, encountering such a student who cherished himself so much for the first time, said with a laugh, “You’re just applying it to your ankle and the surrounding area, not using it as body lotion all over. You won’t run out that fast.”

But seeing how likable the boy was, she still gave him two more tubes, then pulled out a form to fill out a slip.

“Teacher, can we leave now?” Sheng Wang stood up.

Zhuang Heng had been waiting there, ready to help Jiang Tian give him a hand. But then he heard Teacher Lu say, “Why are you rushing? I’m signing a slip for you.”

“What slip?” Sheng Wang, with one leg in the air, couldn’t stay still and hopped back with Jiang Tian’s support.

“Can you be a bit more obedient?” Jiang Tian said. “I’ll look for you.”

“No way, I need to retain my right to know.” Sheng Wang hopped to the desk, seeing Teacher Lu writing a sick leave note.

He stared at the mysterious handwriting on the note for a few seconds, then honestly asked Jiang Tian for help, “I’m done for, I can’t read this.”

Jiang Tian moved his lips, and after a moment, read aloud, “Suggest the student rest at home for 15 days.”

“Rest at home?” Sheng Wang refused without thinking, “No, staying in the dorm is fine.”

“What do you mean no?” Teacher Lu said, glaring. “Let me ask you, what floor is your dorm on?”

“…” Sheng Wang opened his mouth and sheepishly said, “Sixth floor.”

“Oh, I thought you lived on the first floor with that kind of confidence. If you don’t go home, how are you going to get to the sixth floor?”

He actually wanted to say he could hop up, but Jiang Tian definitely wouldn’t let him. And he didn’t want Jiang Tian carrying such a heavy person up such a long staircase.

“Also, how are you going to handle going to the bathroom, showering, getting dressed, and undressed? Have your roommates serve you?” Teacher Lu said bluntly. “The school has showers, and while the tiles are anti-slip, what if something happens? What if you fall while doing your single-legged stance? Falling on the floor or hitting the door is one thing, but what if you fall into a pit?”

Sheng Wang quickly stopped her, rubbing his nose and saying, “I was just saying.”

“Weren’t you quite protective of yourself when you asked for the ointment? Now you’re not?” Teacher Lu said with a hint of exasperation.

Zhuang Heng advised, “It’s indeed more convenient to stay at home. I heard from Yang… your English teacher that your home is in the city?”

“Yeah.”

Sheng Wang nodded, then looked at Jiang Tian.

The other had been silent. When their eyes met, Sheng Wang suddenly had a random intuition. He felt Jiang Tian didn’t want him to go home either.

But in the end, Jiang Tian took out his phone and made a call.

“What are you doing?” Sheng Wang asked.

Jiang Tian said, “Calling Uncle Xiao Chen to pick you up.”

Zhuang Heng glanced between the two of them. “Are you two really from the same family?”

Sheng Wang replied, “Yeah.”

“No wonder you’re so close.” Zhuang Heng said, then seeing Sheng Wang’s dejected look, couldn’t help but laugh. “If other students could get a 15-day leave, they’d be hopping around even with a limp. Why are you so unwilling?”

When he asked this, Sheng Wang himself wasn’t sure why. He just didn’t really want to go back. And he realized this only five days later.

Actually, Teacher Lu from the clinic wasn’t wrong. Staying at home was much more convenient.

Housekeeper Auntie Sun cooked nourishing soups for him three times a day. Sheng Mingyang and Jiang Ou flew back immediately after buying tickets that day, and since then, Sheng Wang didn’t even have to go downstairs.

Whatever he wanted to eat or drink, Jiang Ou and Auntie Sun would bring it up, even washing, cutting, and skewering the fruit. Sheng Mingyang was a bit rough, but Jiang Ou was meticulous. She remembered clearly how each medicine should be taken and when, reminding Sheng Wang on time.

If it weren’t for the young master firmly refusing, she might have applied the ointment herself.

Sheng Wang was quite touched but still felt she was overreacting. Until he accidentally saw Jiang Ou staring into Jiang Tian’s room, he suddenly realized she was compensating.

She was trying to make up for what she owed her son when he was young, giving it out in double now. Both to Jiang Tian and to Sheng Wang.

In that moment, Sheng Wang suddenly understood why Jiang Tian softened when he encountered her.

He would too.

Sheng Mingyang retained some fatherly rationality. Besides keeping an eye on Sheng Wang’s foot, he remembered to ask, “Are you going to fall behind in school?”

That was also Sheng Wang’s initial concern.

He wasn’t really worried. It was only 15 days. Even if he fell behind by a whole book, he could catch up quickly. It wasn’t like he hadn’t done it before.

But he soon found out he was overthinking. The day after the sports meet, during evening self-study, he received recordings from all the teachers, covering the entire day’s lectures without missing a beat.

Taking advantage of his good relationship with Yang Jing, he replied when he received the English recording: Sister Jing, you don’t even bring your worksheets to class, yet you remembered to record?

Yang Jing first retorted: Get lost, feeling itchy?

Sheng Wang chuckled and replied: Thank you, teacher.

Not long after, he received three WeChat messages from Yang Jing—

Yang: I’m quite careless. I didn’t actually remember to record. It was Jiang Tian who came to the office and told me. You should thank him.

Yang: Oh right, you two are from the same family.

Yang: Even if he’s your brother, remember to say thank you.

Jiang Tian had no idea he had been sold out again. Sheng Wang knew he was stubborn, so he spent the whole evening teasing him, laughing so hard he almost fell off the bed and got injured again.

Maybe he teased too hard that day, as Jiang Tian didn’t pay much attention to him for the next few days. Cold and distant, Sheng Wang felt both amused and anxious, scratching his head trying to build a bridge until last night, when Jiang Tian finally came down from his high horse.

His phone buzzed until nearly 1 AM, and today it was quiet again.

Today was the Affiliated High School’s weekly exam. Sheng Wang didn’t have to participate due to special circumstances, but Jiang Tian and the others were locked in the exam room all day, from morning till night.

No recordings, no worksheets, and suddenly a lot of free time.

Sheng Wang worked through a few sets of problems, then lounged in bed playing games for half the day, watched a movie, and chatted with the Eight-leg Crab for two hours, yet still felt a bit listless.

Even the Eight-leg Crab noticed his absent-mindedness and asked: Are you in a bad mood?

Eight-leg Crab: Weren’t you always happy during breaks?

Sticker: I don’t know

Sticker: Can’t say

Sticker: Just feels a bit boring

Even though he used to spend every break like this, these past few days felt empty, like something was missing.

Outside, the sky had already darkened. Sheng Wang sat at his desk, his uninjured foot on the footrest, slowly rocking his chair.

The evening at this time of year was clear and bright, making the streets and alleys glow with lights. Although there were voices in Baima Alley, he still felt everything was too quiet, the second floor too empty.

The clock on the wall pointed to 7 PM. Sheng Wang glanced at it, thinking the evening exam had already started.

He exited the chat with the Eight-leg Crab and opened Jiang Tian’s, slowly typing as he rocked his chair.

Sticker: I told you I shouldn’t have gone home

Sticker: So boring

Sticker: I’m going moldy

He playfully sent several complaints, not thinking them through. When he got to the fourth message, he suddenly paused.

Because the message waiting to be sent was too thoughtless.

He typed: What are you doing

Sheng Wang chuckled self-deprecatingly, muttering “idiot,” and then deleted the words.

He rocked back and forth, staring out the window in a daze, the smile on his face slowly fading.

He suddenly realized it wasn’t that the second floor was too empty, or that outside was too quiet, but that someone was missing next door.

Strangely, he seemed to… miss Jiang Tian a bit.