Chapter 6: Clingy

Su Lixu immediately opened the bathroom door and found Fu Xingran sitting on the toilet, fully clothed, with a less-than-pleasant expression. He quickly grabbed a nearby towel, covered Fu Xingran’s head, and hurriedly dried the water off.

“Why did you suddenly vomit? Did you eat too much or get scared?”

“I got scared by the thunder.” Fu Xingran obediently lowered his head while Su Lixu dried his hair.

“Are you still feeling uncomfortable now?” Su Lixu finished drying the hair, draped the towel around him to keep him from catching a cold.

“Yes.” Fu Xingran rested his head on Su Lixu’s waist and muttered, “Really uncomfortable—stomach ache, headache, everything hurts.”

Su Lixu looked down at the tall figure leaning against him. Despite his imposing stature, the discomfort reminded him of the slim boy from four years ago and the shivering state when he held him tightly in the rain.

Post-traumatic stress disorders don’t just disappear with age.

“After drying your hair, let’s get some rest.” Su Lixu handed him some clothes. Glancing at Fu Xingran’s chest, he didn’t see clearly before Fu Xingran turned away.

As Su Lixu was about to help him dress, Fu Xingran thought of the tattoos on his chest. Nervously, he snatched the clothes and turned around, “I can dress myself. Teacher Su, can you wait outside?”

Su Lixu felt he had seen enough. Fu Xingran’s chest had numerous scars, some deeper than others. Frowning, he thought, “This guy again…”

Seeing Fu Xingran’s cautious expression, Su Lixu spoke gently, “I’ll make you a cup of cold medicine. Hurry up.”

“Teacher, aren’t you going to shower? You’re wet too.” Fu Xingran, unsure if his reaction was too intense, tried to hide his unease with casual conversation while quickly putting on his clothes.

Su Lixu smiled, saying, “It’s okay, I’ve changed clothes. I’ll come back to shower later.” With that, he left the bathroom.

Fu Xingran, still with a towel on his head, stared blankly at Su Lixu’s departing figure after hearing those words. It seemed like he had just realized something he couldn’t accept, abruptly stood up, and walked towards Su Lixu.

Just as Su Lixu stepped out of the bathroom door, his arm was unexpectedly grabbed by a scalding hand from behind, tightly embracing him.

The lingering scent of the sandalwood shower gel on Su Lixu’s freshly bathed body surrounded them. The warmth emanating from behind intensified the fragrance, making it particularly strong, even causing a dizzying sensation.

“Why are you leaving me? Is it because I scared you, so you don’t want me anymore?”

Su Lixu felt the strong embrace behind him and frowned at the tone of Fu Xingran’s questioning.

Why say such things?

Wasn’t it Fu Xingran’s father who said he was taking him abroad for treatment, and that’s why he couldn’t continue here? Later on, Su Lixu thought maybe he needed more academic training, so he chose to go abroad for further studies and a Ph.D.

“Xingran, did you go abroad?” he asked.

“No.” Fu Xingran hugged Su Lixu even tighter, as if afraid that letting go would make this man leave. “You said we’d meet tomorrow. Are you mad because I bit you? I’m sorry.”

The young man’s soft, cautious request echoed in his ears, filled with anticipation and fear.

Su Lixu suddenly seemed to understand something.

The psychological counseling and treatment he provided for Fu Xingran back then were not in vain. Perhaps because they were effective, Fu Xingran became overly dependent on him. The more dependent he became, the more uncontrollably he wanted to keep him by his side.

Whenever Su Lixu was about to leave, Fu Xingran would cry, even though they would meet the next morning during rounds.

Even after being discharged, Fu Xingran would seek his help during thunderstorms and eventually lost control, biting him.

After that, there was the matter of Fu Xingran’s father wanting to take him abroad for treatment. Su Lixu had asked Mr. Fu why he interrupted the treatment when Fu Xingran was improving. It seemed unnecessary for hospitalization; consultations and medication could have sufficed. Suddenly discontinuing could potentially affect Fu Xingran.

Mr. Fu claimed the treatment was ineffective.

So, what was the real reason?

Was he worried about what Su Lixu might do to Fu Xingran?

“Xingran,” he called softly.

Fu Xingran tightly embraced Su Lixu’s shoulders and didn’t let go, his eyes reddened. “Brother, I don’t want you to leave. Can you stay?”

Another “brother” seemed to tug at Su Lixu’s nerves, awakening a deep sense of regret.

“I haven’t left.” Su Lixu turned around, locking eyes with Fu Xingran. “I’ve already come back.”

Though they were no longer in a doctor-patient relationship, Su Lixu found it hard to reject this boy who resembled Su Lixiang so much.

The words “I’ve come back” struck Fu Xingran’s heart like a fiery collision, and he stared at Su Lixu, finally breaking into a smile. “Really?”

With a uplifted tone and tears still clinging to his eyelashes, his eyes were filled with ecstatic joy.

“Yes, really.”

“Can I still call you brother when no one is around?”

Su Lixu watched, feeling increasingly heartbroken. He knew that he might never be able to resist this boy who spoke so much like Su Lixiang.

“You can.”

If Su Lixiang were still around, grown up like Fu Xingran, he would also call him brother and act spoiled.

But there was no “if.”

“First, take your medicine and then get some rest.”

“I want you, Brother, to sleep with me.” Fu Xingran clung to Su Lixu’s shoulder, walking step by step with him, almost like conjoined twins.

Feeling the weight on his shoulder, Su Lixu couldn’t help but smile wryly. “A clingy one.”

After preparing a packet of cold medicine for Fu Xingran, Su Lixu was about to take a shower.

“Do you have no classes this afternoon?” Su Lixu went to the wardrobe and took out a set of loungewear.

Fu Xingran lay on the bed, hugging the blanket to his chest, sniffing it contentedly. Then, he looked at Su Lixu coming out of the wardrobe. “No classes on Friday afternoon; it’s the weekend tomorrow.”

It was the weekend, could he stay at Dr. Su’s place?

He really wanted to.

“Then you rest first; I’ll go take a shower.” Su Lixu casually turned on the central air conditioning in the room, considering that Fu Xingran had just been caught in the rain and he didn’t want him to catch a cold.

“Okay, Brother.”

The sound of running water echoed from the bathroom, and the faint fragrance enveloped the room, as if Su Lixu was embracing him.

“Brother, Dr. Su.”

The person in bed buried his face in the blanket, and a low, husky voice emerged, struggling for breath. He only revealed his face when he couldn’t hold his breath any longer.

Fu Xingran glanced toward the bathroom, his moist, reddish eyes fixed on it. The rhythmic sound of raindrops hitting the bathroom seemed to stimulate his nerve endings. His gaze, filled with hidden affection, intensified when there was no one around.

His hand moved from the heart-shaped tattoo towards his chest.

The other hand moved instinctively.

His gaze fixated on the bathroom door became increasingly obsessed. The body covered by the blanket, carrying a thin layer of sweat, along with the overflowing emotions in his chest, expressed his love.

This time, Su Lixu couldn’t escape, no matter what.

No one could stop him.

If someone tried, he would hide Su Lixu away.

To hide him as his own.

No one could take him away.