The feeling of drunkenness and a high fever was somewhat similar.

Dizzy, as if on a boat, head heating up, thoughts not flowing smoothly.

In the middle of the night, the hospital only had the emergency room, unable to make an immediate diagnosis, so they could only provide some emergency treatment first.

After a lot of fuss, finally getting hooked up to the IV, it was already 3:30 in the morning.

Jing Tian leaned back on the reclining chair in the infusion room and soon fell into a heavy sleep. But even in his sleep, he didn’t feel at ease, constantly dreaming and waking up from time to time.

He dreamt that he woke up in the school infirmary, and the teacher told him that he had slipped on the stairs and slept for half an hour. If he didn’t feel any other discomfort, he could go back to the classroom.

Entering the classroom, everyone had their heads buried, their faces blurred, and the desks piled high with books. The only sound he could hear was the rustling of writing.

There was no Zheng Xunqian, no Yang Yue, and he wasn’t at University A. All there was looming was the impending college entrance examination and his thick glasses.

Standing in front of the classroom podium, he vaguely wondered, is everything just a dream, a figment of his imagination?

But why would he think of those things? His world was so narrow, with just studying and textbooks occupying most of his time. How could someone like him, dream of getting tattoos, kissing, and making love with a strange yet alluring guy?

Due to resistance and intense sadness, he quickly woke up. Then he realized, there was someone holding his hand.

That hand wasn’t holding tightly, but it was warm, giving him a lot of comfort and ease, causing him to unconsciously relax.

Before confirming who it was, his consciousness fell into chaos again.

In the chaotic dream, he held someone’s hand tightly, but that person impatiently shook him off.

“You need to stop.” The other person told him.

He looked down at his empty hand, asking, “Why do you dislike me?”

“You’re overthinking it,” the other person’s tone was extremely calm, even indifferent, “we’re not familiar at all.”

He looked up at the other person.

After seeing the other person’s face clearly, he felt a moment of daze.

Not familiar? Zheng Xunqian, how could we not be familiar.

Zheng Xunqian’s expression was not as cold and heartless as his tone, but it was enough to make Jing Tian feel sad.

“You’re really annoying.” Zheng Xunqian said unreservedly.

Jing Tian wanted to apologize, wanted to say, please don’t hate me. But what came out of his mouth were insincere words.

“You’re right, I’m annoying,” to bluff, he deliberately raised his voice, “I just don’t want you to be comfortable.”

After speaking, he turned and walked away.

Just a few steps away, he heard Zheng Xunqian calling his name from behind, “Jing Tian, Jing Tian!”

He quickly turned around, but saw nothing. Zheng Xunqian was gone.

In his bewilderment, the calling sounded again.

“Jing Tian? Are you okay?”

Once again opening his eyes, his hand was still being held, but this time, it was held tightly.

Zheng Xunqian frowned, looking at him with concern, “Having a nightmare?”

Jing Tian shook his head, wanting to speak, but couldn’t because his throat was too dry.

Zheng Xunqian lifted his hand and touched his forehead, saying, “The fever has gone down, are you still uncomfortable?”

Jing Tian looked at his face, slowly breathed a sigh of relief, and shook his head again.

Zheng Xunqian smiled at him. It was a completely different expression from the one in his dream, making Jing Tian feel extremely relieved.

“Get some more sleep.” Zheng Xunqian said.

Jing Tian obediently closed his eyes.

After a moment, when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in the small study room of the library.

It was a familiar and comfortable place for him, but on the desk in front of him were not the usual tablet and exercise books he was accustomed to.

He quickly remembered why he was here.

With the sports meeting approaching, he had promised Zhao Qinqing to help make banners and props for cheering, but ended up playing games with Yang Yue and losing track of time. After that, he was stopped outside the library because he was holding bubble tea.

When he finally came in, the production was nearing completion. To express his apologies, he took on the final work alone and was busy in the small study room by himself.

Jing Tian looked at the neatly folded banners and cardboard boxes on the desk in front of him, then looked a little further away, seeing someone sitting at the table, dozing off with their eyes closed.

Zheng Xunqian was asleep.

He propped his chin with one hand, books in front of him, nodding off.

Jing Tian quietly walked up to him, circled him for a half-circle, then bent down to carefully look at his face.

Even in the dream, he could feel the restless beating in his chest.

The whole world was extremely quiet. He raised his hand, covered his left chest, trying to suppress the only disturbance.

After that, he held his breath, approached step by step, cautiously and reverently pressed his lips against Zheng Xunqian’s skin. He closed his eyes as he got closer because he was too nervous to determine whether he was touching Zheng Xunqian’s cheek or chin.

After a brief pause, he retreated quickly with panic and joy, opening his eyes to see Zheng Xunqian’s surprised expression.

In his dream, he exclaimed in panic, then abruptly opened his eyes again.

“What’s wrong?” The hand holding his tightened slightly, “Another nightmare?”

Jing Tian turned his head. Zheng Xunqian was sitting on the seat beside him, squinting, looking tired.

Seeing Jing Tian silent and dazed, Zheng Xunqian yawned, adjusted his posture slightly, and reached out with his other hand to touch his cheek.

“If you can’t sleep well, just sit here for a while. The drip is almost finished,” he told Jing Tian.

Jing Tian raised his head, and indeed, there wasn’t much left in the hanging IV bag.

“In less than an hour, the outpatient department will be open for registration,” Zheng Xunqian told him, “Let’s wait a bit, and then we’ll go back after the formal check-up, okay?”

Jing Tian still didn’t say anything, just staring blankly at his face.

Zheng Xunqian tapped his forehead, “Dazed?”

Jing Tian quickly shook his head.

“Not feeling well?” Zheng Xunqian asked again.

Jing Tian finally spoke, his voice hoarse, “No.”

The fever should have subsided by now, and there was no obvious discomfort in his stomach. The effects of alcohol had gradually faded over these few hours. He was just tired, lacking energy.

Zheng Xunqian thought of something else and tentatively asked, “Do you remember what happened yesterday?”

Jing Tian hesitated briefly.

Just like last time, his memory wasn’t too clear, but it was mostly complete. However, there were some parts he didn’t want to recall.

He hoped Zheng Xunqian would forget quickly too.

“Really can’t remember?” Zheng Xunqian asked.

Jing Tian bit his lip.

After a moment of silence, seeing him not saying anything, Zheng Xunqian asked again, “What do you remember?”

“A lot of things,” Jing Tian said.

Zheng Xunqian’s movements paused.

“…I know I’m really annoying,” Jing Tian’s voice was small, “It’s normal if you can’t stand it.”

No little girl would like a boy who was always pulling her pigtails. No matter what the original intention was, that was ultimately a very annoying way to express oneself.

Zheng Xunqian’s annoyance and indifference would make him sad, but he had no choice.

It’s normal for him to dislike him.

What was really strange was that Zheng Xunqian was so good to him now.

“I did annoying things back then,” Jing Tian said softer and softer, “like I was crazy.”

“You were not that bad,” Zheng Xunqian glanced at him again, “just a bit childish in expressing your emotions.”

Jing Tian turned his head away.

What he remembered wasn’t just the surprised look on Zheng Xunqian’s face in the dream, but also his own stupid actions in panic afterward.

He fled in a panic, only to realize after leaving the library that he still had the key to the small study room in his hand and had to force himself to go back.

Pushing open the door to the small study room, Zheng Xunqian was still there, standing at the door, about to leave.

He nervously walked in with his head down, and Zheng Xunqian leaned against the door frame, quietly watching.

After a moment, Zheng Xunqian abruptly asked, “Do you like me?”

In panic, he scattered the things he was halfway through organizing on the ground.

“Your behavior just now was sexual harassment, you know that right?” Zheng Xunqian said again.

He squatted on the ground, silently tidying up those things one by one. Realizing that Zheng Xunqian was still looking at him, he said, “I’m sorry.”

Zheng Xunqian was very surprised. “You actually apologized?”

Of course, he would apologize.

What he was best at was saying sorry and treating people to meals.

When he felt sorry, scared, lost, or nervous, he would subconsciously apologize.

It wasn’t a good habit, and he had spent two years trying very hard to correct it, swallowing those two words countless times.

But there were rare occasions when he really needed to apologize.

Feeling guilty, regretful, and a little scared, he dared not lift his head.

Until Zheng Xunqian sighed lightly and said, “Don’t do this again next time.”

After saying that, he turned and left.

Leaving him alone in the small study room, thinking, what exactly did “this” refer to?

Stop bothering me, or stop sexually harassing me again?

Even now, Jing Tian still couldn’t distinguish the answer.

He just felt that, based on Zheng Xunqian’s attitude towards him at the beginning, he shouldn’t be so good to him now.

“I remember what you did to me last night…” he looked at Zheng Xunqian’s hand still resting on his forearm and said, “You… that harassment.”

“…What?”

“Well, that.”

“What exactly are you referring to?”

“…The… the harassment.”

Zheng Xunqian burst into laughter.