Applying the wet towel seemed to relieve Shi Sheng’s itching a bit, but he still felt uncomfortable under his clothes. Seeing that he felt much better, Lu Lin got up to pack their things and pushed the wheelchair.

“I’ll take you to the pharmacy to buy some medicine. If you still feel uncomfortable, we’ll go to the hospital for an injection.”

Shi Sheng nodded.

Wu Nan er glanced at Lu Lin, his hand in his pocket, touching the edge of his phone case, but said nothing.

As the two of them left, the tense atmosphere in the private room relaxed a bit. Li Ting patted her chest, “I was so scared. I was really afraid that something would happen to Shi Sheng.”

“What can happen with an allergy? Just a little rash on the body, and you made such a fuss.”

“You don’t understand, severe allergies can be fatal!” Li Ting turned to look at the others. “Fortunately, Shi Sheng didn’t drink much just now, otherwise, those who urged him to drink would be responsible too.”

“Alright, everyone, it’s supposed to be a good meal to celebrate his discharge from the hospital. We almost sent him back in.” Feng Guoqiang waved his chopsticks. “Let’s eat quickly and disperse after we finish.”

Fu Xin and Zhou Hancun finally returned from the restroom as if nothing happened.

The evening breeze brushed past their hair. Shi Sheng’s cheeks were still flushed. Lu Lin pushed the wheelchair with one hand while holding a damp towel in the other, lowering the temperature and then placing his palm against Shi Sheng’s cheek.

His hand was large, rough from calluses. Shi Sheng found the warmth comforting and grabbed his wrist, leaning in to nuzzle it a few times. Lu Lin stood behind him, lips twitching slightly.

“Are you riding the motorcycle back?” Shi Sheng tilted his head to look up at Lu Lin, his eyes shining, and caught sight of the movement of Lu Lin’s Adam’s apple.

“…Are you going to ride in the wheelchair, or should I take you?”

“Giving up your pride?”

Lu Lin grunted, “Thanks to you, little trouble maker.”

Shi Sheng was once again carried to the back seat, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. However, in a fleeting moment, he felt a vague sense of familiarity with this nickname.

Once they were both seated, Lu Lin revved the engine, and they smoothly moved along the road.

A middle-aged man grilling gluten by the roadside glanced at them strangely, then turned to his neighbor.

“Is that a new city sightseeing vehicle?”

The Uighur man flipping skewers nodded, “Could be.”

Shi Sheng grasped the handle, extending his five fingers under the streetlight, casting shadows on Lu Lin’s shirt. It felt as if they were riding their bikes together, with Shi Sheng sitting behind him, pulling at his clothes, both their hair damp with sweat under the sunlight.

“If the school bully gives me a ride to school, they definitely won’t dare to bully me anymore,” he exclaimed, shaking his fist.

“Little troublemaker, if you get stuck in the toilet again today, don’t say you’re my little brother.”

“Alright, ge!”

Shi Sheng shook his head, trying to recall more, but it slipped away again.

…

They went to the pharmacy and bought some chlorpheniramine maleate and loratadine tablets. When they returned to the dorm, Lu Lin shaved his head into a buzz cut to sober him up.

Shi Sheng bit into a pear crisply, and Lu Lin suddenly lowered his head, leaning in to sniff.

“What are you doing?” Shi Sheng puffed his cheeks, blinking.

“Checking if your alcohol breath is gone. Loratadine might react with alcohol.” Lu Lin stood up, “Are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?”

“I’m fine now.”

He glanced at his watch. If he went to get an IV drip at this time, Lu Lin wouldn’t sleep well tonight.

Upon hearing this, Lu Lin grabbed his wrist and gently rubbed it. The rash seemed to have lessened a bit; it wasn’t as terrifying as when he first arrived at the restaurant.

“Go take a shower. Let me know if anything still feels uncomfortable.”

“Okay.”

Shi Sheng got up, covered his feet with plastic bags, and hopped into the bathroom. As he closed the door, Lu Lin squinted after him.

With a click, the shower turned on, and steam rose. Suddenly, the bathroom door was pushed open. In the mist, Shi Sheng turned his head abruptly, meeting Lu Lin’s dark gaze.

“I-I’m taking a shower!”

He quickly covered his private parts, but Lu Lin had already stepped into the bathroom. Shi Sheng moved to stop him, but Lu Lin turned his body, pushing him against the wall and adjusting the tap.

“The sound of hot and cold water flow is different, idiot.”

Shi Sheng’s face flushed instantly, though it was already as red as a monkey’s butt. Lu Lin’s gaze lowered, noticing the scratches.

“I itch when exposed to hot water. Nothing we can do. I’ll take some medicine later.” He turned his head, trying to create a pitiful atmosphere for some reason, not wanting to see Lu Lin angry.

As the water poured down, enveloping them in steam, Lu Lin reached out, lightly tracing the broken skin with his fingertips. Shi Sheng shivered at the slight sting, and Lu Lin’s hand moved to the rash on Shi Sheng’s back. After a moment, he turned off the tap.

“Done?”

“Yeah.” Even if he hadn’t finished, he had to say he was done. He couldn’t let Lu Lin help him shower.

The towel fell over Shi Sheng’s head, and Lu Lin quickly rubbed him with it, then dressed him and took him back to bed.

“Blow dry your hair yourself.”

With a bang, Lu Lin once again closed the bathroom door, feeling inexplicably irritated.

Meanwhile, Shi Sheng, rubbing the towel, felt somewhat at a loss. He had been picked up naked like a little chick, yet Lu Lin’s only reaction seemed to be anger.

Am I that unappealing? Shi Sheng couldn’t help but think maliciously.