TVDC 9: Visiting the Sick

After finishing the IV drip, Qiu Xuning’s fever seemed to have gone down a little, but he still felt dizzy, his whole body burning, and he wasn’t feeling well at all.

Zhou Mingmei said to him, “I’ve asked for a week’s sick leave for you. Get your health back before you return to school.”

Qiu Xuning froze for a moment and said, “Isn’t that a bit too long?”

Zhou Mingmei said, “Too long? I actually wanted to ask for half a month, but your homeroom teacher wouldn’t agree.”

Her tone carried a hint of complaint as she went on, “Your head hasn’t healed, you’ve still got a fever and enteritis. There’s no need to rush back to school.”

Qiu Xuning didn’t argue with her. He thought he would wait until he was better, going back then wouldn’t be too late.

Zhou Mingmei took him home, personally walked him to his room, added an extra quilt over him, and after watching him slip under the covers, she turned to leave.

Qiu Xuning parted his lips and called out to Zhou Mingmei, “Mom.”

Zhou Mingmei turned back to look at him. “What is it?”

In a soft voice, Qiu Xuning said, “Can you treat He Zhiyuan a little better from now on?”

Zhou Mingmei looked at him in confusion. “How much better do you expect me to treat him?”

Qiu Xuning said, “That room on the third floor isn’t good. When it rains, it leaks. It’s not good for him to sleep there.”

Zhou Mingmei said, “It’s already good enough that I’m not making him sleep on the streets. Ningning, why are you always speaking up for him? Are you afraid of him?”

Qiu Xuning pressed his lips together without answering. He was indeed afraid of him, but fear aside, He Zhiyuan was someone they absolutely couldn’t afford to offend. In today’s terms, they should actually be clinging to his thigh.

But even if he told Zhou Mingmei and the others what he knew, no one would believe him.

Zhou Mingmei said, “If you’re afraid of him… I’ll pay to have him live at school and to keep him from coming back so he won’t be an eyesore.”

As she said this, she frowned. She didn’t want to spend a single cent on He Zhiyuan.

It was already irritating enough to have to feed him for a year for nothing, and now she was supposed to cover his boarding fees too? Just thinking about it made Zhou Mingmei restless. Back when the He family had money, they never thought of them, but once they fell into ruin, the first thing they did was push that burden onto their doorstep.

If they had given her some benefits up front, she wouldn’t have held so much resentment. Yet now, with nothing at all in return and just empty promises, how could she possibly treat He Zhiyuan kindly?

Hearing this, Qiu Xuning quickly said, “I’m not afraid of him, I just think… I think he’s very capable. If you treated him like a son, he would treat you well too.”

Zhou Mingmei replied, “Rely on him? I’d sooner rely on your brother. Enough, don’t bring him up again. Just hearing about him annoys me.”

Qiu Xuning had no choice but to shut his mouth.

Zhou Mingmei said, “Get some good sleep. Your fever will be gone by tomorrow.”

Qiu Xuning obediently nodded.

Zhou Mingmei couldn’t resist raising her hand to touch his head. In fact, she did reach out, but the moment her fingers brushed against him, she remembered he still had a head injury and quickly pulled her hand back.

“Sleep,” Zhou Mingmei said, then turned and left Qiu Xuning’s room.

Qiu Xuning sniffled, drifting off in a haze, when a knock sounded at the door.

Since he was lying down, it wasn’t easy for Qiu Xuning to speak, so he only murmured softly, “Come in.”

The door was well-insulated, yet right after his words fell, there was a click, and the door opened.

Qiu Xuning cracked his eyes open and saw it was He Zhiyuan. He was a little surprised, and a little flattered. “Why are you here?”

In a low voice, He Zhiyuan said, “I came to see you.”

Qiu Xuning’s eyes lit up slightly. A bit shy, yet a bit happy, he stammered, “Y-you… you care about me?”

Under the light, he lay in bed with wide eyes fixed on He Zhiyuan, a shy but unshowy smile tugging at his lips. It made his small face look all the more obedient and quiet. In a low voice, he said, “Thank you for coming to see me.”

He Zhiyuan glanced at him, then pulled over a chair and sat down by his side.

Qiu Xuning felt that the way he was being looked at was almost searing. The timid smile at the corner of his mouth vanished at once, replaced by a faint nervousness.

He had already tried to make peace, already apologized, and He Zhiyuan had accepted it. For him to come now—surely it wasn’t to beat him, was it?

Qiu Xuning silently pulled the thick quilt higher, covering most of his face and leaving only his eyes showing, peeking at him with extreme caution.

From his movements and the timid yet guarded look in his eyes, one could almost read what he was thinking. He Zhiyuan leaned forward slightly, only to see the nervousness in Qiu Xuning’s gaze deepen, the corners of his eyes even twitching faintly.

He Zhiyuan eased back a little, and Qiu Xuning’s eyelids relaxed ever so slightly. Still, his thin fingers clutched the quilt tightly, the fabric creasing deeper under his grip, betraying the tension he felt inside.

He Zhiyuan didn’t say a word and just kept staring at Qiu Xuning like that. In the end, it was Qiu Xuning who couldn’t hold out any longer. He really couldn’t stand being pinned down by those piercing eyes of He Zhiyuan’s, and with a voice as weak as could be, he asked, “Why… why are you staring at me like that?”

Could it really be that he wanted to beat him?

The thought left Qiu Xuning feeling a little wronged. Since being discharged from the hospital, he hadn’t gone against He Zhiyuan at all. He had even tried to please him, tried to be friends. While He Zhiyuan accepted his attempts at goodwill on the surface, he turned cold the moment after. And now, it even seemed like he was ready to “strike while he’s sick and finish him off.” Just what was he thinking?

They were the same age, so why was He Zhiyuan always so hard to talk to?

He Zhiyuan said casually, “Because you look good.”

Qiu Xuning: “…”

He pressed his lips together, knowing right away that He Zhiyuan was only joking—his offhand tone made that obvious.

Qiu Xuning’s eyes darted around, refusing to meet He Zhiyuan’s. “…You look good too.”

After he spoke, Qiu Xuning caught a glimpse of the corner of He Zhiyuan’s lips curling, as if in a smile, yet maybe not. His fever blurred his vision, and just as he tried to look closer, that fleeting smile slipped away like a fish.

“…I’m sleepy.” Qiu Xuning hinted tactfully for him to leave. He could no longer withstand He Zhiyuan’s gaze.

He Zhiyuan only said, “Go ahead and sleep.”

Qiu Xuning’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, wanting to make out his expression, but he was far too drowsy. His eyelids seemed glued together, too heavy to keep open.

“I’m really going to sleep now…” Qiu Xuning mumbled, “Don’t you go sneaking around to mess with me.”

The word he used was dialect, “mess with” in the sense of teasing or playing tricks.

He Zhiyuan didn’t understand the term, but as if he grasped the worry behind it, he let out a soft snort and said, “I won’t.”

Hearing that made Qiu Xuning finally relaxed. He drifted off almost instantly—his eyelids met, his thoughts went hazy, and within two minutes, he was fast asleep.

He Zhiyuan’s gaze carried such a strong presence that even as Qiu Xuning sank into sleep, he could almost still feel those eyes, dark yet unwaveringly focused, fixed on him.

Could he really stare at him like that all night?

That was the last absurd thought drifting through Qiu Xuning’s mind before he slipped into sweet darkness.

Of course, that wasn’t very likely. When Qiu Xuning woke early, around a little past midnight, He Zhiyuan was already gone.

Qiu Xuning switched on the bedside lamp, wanting a drink of water. He pushed himself up to reach for the glass Zhou Mingmei had poured for him, but just as he was about to take a sip, his gaze fell on a crumpled paper crane beside it.

He froze for a moment, then quickly realized it must have been folded by He Zhiyuan.

With a small cough, he stretched an arm out from under the covers, scooped the wrinkled crane into his palm, and examined it carefully under the dim glow of the lamp. A quiet warmth spread through his chest.

Wasn’t the meaning of a paper crane a blessing?

So He Zhiyuan hadn’t wanted to mess with him but he wanted him to get better soon, hadn’t he?

Qiu Xuning’s heart lifted, the corners of his mouth curving up without him realizing. Then, out of habit, he pressed them down again, holding back a small smile.

He got up, placed the paper crane into a mooncake tin, and set the tin carefully on the cabinet.

That already counted as a small step forward.

Qiu Xuning thought.

The next day, when Qiu Xuning woke, his fever was gone, though the enteritis lingered a little. Zhou Mingmei took him to the hospital for another IV drip, and it seemed that one more would probably clear everything up.

With nothing much to do at home, Qiu Xuning couldn’t help wanting to clean. Back when he had lived here before, these were the kinds of chores he handled. Mrs. Qiu Yanru’s obsessive cleanliness wouldn’t allow cleaning staff into the house, but she herself was always busy and often returned home late. So whenever Qiu Xuning finished studying and had spare time, he took care of the housework.

He was well-practiced in all of it by now, though his own neatness was never as extreme as hers.

When Zhou Mingmei came back from grocery shopping and saw him mopping the floor, she froze on the spot. Her feelings were a tangle and she kept telling herself it was a good thing her younger son was like this. But then another thought struck: with such a soft temperament, so willing to do chores without being asked, wouldn’t he end up being stepped on by his future wife?

Once that idea took hold, any trace of satisfaction disappeared. She wanted her sons to be the kind who could keep their wives in check, not be kept in check. Besides, chores like this weren’t things a man should be doing, it made him look like he lacked ambition.

With that, Zhou Mingmei’s face darkened. She said to Qiu Xuning, “Why are you mopping the floor? Stop it, put it down right now.”

Hearing her voice and sensing the displeasure in her tone, Qiu Xuning nervously set the mop aside. Fiddling with his fingers, he stood off to the side, glanced at Zhou Mingmei once, then quickly dropped his gaze and murmured, “I just wanted to help you out a little, so you wouldn’t be so tired.”

Those words eased Zhou Mingmei considerably. Her expression softened, and her voice turned gentler. “Tired? I’m not tired at all. Put it down, let that He boy do it later.”

Qiu Xuning kept his eyes on the mop, gave a small cough, and said, “But doesn’t he do a poor job of cleaning?”

Zhou Mingmei said, “Not really, he actually mops quite well. Of course, I can’t go around admitting he does it well.”

“…” Qiu Xuning couldn’t help glancing at her. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn’t dare. He wasn’t even acting like a proper son right now, what right did he have to lecture her?

He knew he probably wasn’t going back. If he could return, it would’ve happened already and he wouldn’t still be waking each day to this unfamiliar world. He should just get used to it.

Only, even though he had started calling Zhou Mingmei “Mom,” it still didn’t feel natural. He couldn’t truly put himself in the shoes of the real “Qiu Xuning.” When it came to these so-called “family members,” there was always a layer of distance, something that kept him from growing close to them quickly.

So there were many things Qiu Xuning felt weren’t right, but he had no way of saying them.

“Mom, let me mop instead. I know how to do it too.” As he spoke, Qiu Xuning sneaked a glance at her, pressed his lips together, and said softly, “I want to show my filial piety, I want to help you with things. I also want to tell you, after raising me for so many years, it must have been hard on you. I want to thank you.”

Zhou Mingmei was taken aback. “I’m your mom, why are you being so polite with me?”

Word by word, Qiu Xuning said, “I really mean it. I think Mom is amazing.”

Zhou Mingmei’s cheeks flushed slightly. The words were a bit cloying, but she could feel the genuine sincerity in them.

In Chinese families, such feelings were rarely spoken outright and people preferred to show them through actions. So although what Qiu Xuning said sounded cheesy, there wasn’t a parent in the world who wouldn’t like to hear it. Warmth spread through her chest as she thought to herself that raising this son hadn’t been in vain. Just moments ago, she had been thinking he lacked ambition, but now all she could see was a son full of filial devotion.

Like most Chinese families, the Qiu’s believed in raising sons to rely on in old age. In this remote county town, Zhou Mingmei and her husband were no exception. In her eyes, the elder son was idle and unreliable. They would have to support him their whole lives, and never expected him to support them. But the younger son was different, he’s capable, smart, and quick-witted. Back in primary school, he was praised by everyone in the neighboring villages. While Zhou Mingmei felt proud, she also placed her hopes for the rest of her life on him.

Now, for the first time, she truly felt joy as if her efforts were finally bearing fruit.

Raising a son was one thing, but having one who was truly filial brought a whole different kind of reassurance.

Zhou Mingmei felt utterly content, her face practically glowing with joy. “Then go ahead and mop. If you get tired, just leave it, there’s no need to mop every day.”

Qiu Xuning nodded, watching her expression carefully. Taking advantage of her good mood, he whispered, “Mom, there’s something I want to ask you.”

At that moment, the look Zhou Mingmei gave him grew even more tender. “What is it? Tell me.”

Qiu Xuning fiddled with his fingers and said softly, “Could you treat He Zhiyuan a little better? I heard he’s studying at No.1 High School, and I want to ask him for their study materials.”

Hearing this, Zhou Mingmei finally understood a bit of why he had been speaking up for He Zhiyuan these past few days. “That sort of thing—you can just tell him to hand it over, can’t you? If he won’t, I’ll have your Dad kick him out.”

Qiu Xuning said earnestly, “It’s different when he gives it willingly versus just half-heartedly. If we’re nicer to him, he’ll be more willing to help. If I can’t get into No.1 High on my own, couldn’t we still ask that lawyer to pull some strings and get me in?”

Zhou Mingmei truly hadn’t considered that possibility, but when it came to Qiu Xuning, she was full of confidence. “How could you possibly not get in?”

She clearly disapproved of what he was saying.

Qiu Xuning said, “What if I get sick that day…”

Before he could finish, Zhou Mingmei cut him off. “Don’t talk nonsense!”

Qiu Xuning looked at her carefully. This time, he actually dared to meet her gaze directly. “Then…”

Zhou Mingmei frowned and said, “Fine, I got it.”

Qiu Xuning said, “Then let him move downstairs? He can sleep in that room he used before.”

It was off to the side and small, but at least it was bigger than that storage room.

Irritated, Zhou Mingmei muttered, “Have it your way.”

Qiu Xuning let out a sigh of relief, the corners of his lips lifting into a smile.

The things he had said to He Zhiyuan weren’t just empty words—see, he had managed it.

Even though the lie was clumsy, Zhou Mingmei had believed it.

At that moment, Qiu Xuning realized that if the Qiu family and He Zhiyuan were to get along, he might just be the link that tied them together.

If that was the case, then building a good relationship with He Zhiyuan became all the more important.

Clenching his fists lightly, his gaze slowly grew firm. He was determined to get along with He Zhiyuan, starting with becoming friends first.