Chapter 101: 番外一：赖定了

Ying Huai opened the medicine box and tipped the doses from the small compartments into his palm.

He drew a light breath, reached for the cup beside him intending to swallow it all down in one go, but his wrist was suddenly seized.

"What are you doing? Swallowing poison? You look like you're marching to your death — and all at once too?"

Song Si Lan frowned, looking at him somewhat baffled: "One compartment at a time — what kind of way is that to take them all together? Aren't you afraid of choking?"

The breath Ying Huai had finally managed to gather instantly scattered.

He raised his head to look at Song Si Lan with a touch of helplessness.

"Get it over with quickly — these medicines don't clash with each other. They all have to be taken eventually, so is there really any difference in swallowing them all at once?"

Song Si Lan glared at him: "Of course there's a difference. Even if the medicines don't clash, you can't just take them like this — aren't you afraid your stomach won't be able to handle it?"

He took the cup of water that had gone somewhat cool from Ying Huai's hand, swapped it for a cup of warm water, and set it back down on the bedside table beside him.

"Don't think that taking them all at once is gentler on your esophagus — the discomfort is from the drug reaction, not the swallowing reflex."

Song Si Lan glanced at the hand he had been pressing against his stomach: "Taking them all together like this isn't good for your esophagus — your stomach will only end up feeling worse."

He gripped Ying Huai's wrist and tipped the medicines from his palm back into the box, speaking in a tone that left no room for argument: "One compartment at a time. If it gets uncomfortable, rest a while — there's no rush to do anything."

Ying Huai's eyes flickered.

He looked as though he wanted to say something more, but a flash of self-destructive emotion surfaced in an instant.

—Never mind. They'll find out sooner or later anyway. How long I can keep it hidden is however long it lasts.

He went quiet for a few seconds, and in the end said nothing more. Obediently he raised his hand and tipped out the medicines from the first compartment.

Song Si Lan kept his eyes fixed on the person before him.

Ying Huai was indeed taking them very slowly; a fine, dense layer of cold sweat soon covered his brow.

Song Si Lan kept watching for adverse drug reactions.

But somewhat unexpectedly, although Ying Huai's face was pale, he didn't seem to be in any particular discomfort.

Although his pace was slow, there were almost no pauses. Off and on, it took him roughly half an hour to finally finish all the medicines in that small box.

"There. Now can Doctor Song believe that I'm really fine?"

Ying Huai set the medicine box down carelessly on the bedside table, pressed lightly against his stomach, and raised his eyes to look at Song Si Lan.

Song Si Lan pressed his fingers to Ying Huai's pulse and frowned.

"Your heart........."

"After taking the medicine, my stomach feels heavy and uncomfortable, which irritates the heart and makes it uncomfortable — of course the heart rate will be fast."

Ying Huai leaned back against the headboard, somewhat wearily closing his eyes.

"And it's not the first or second time I've had palpitations — surely Doctor Song is aware of this?"

Song Si Lan's words faltered for a moment.

He knew Ying Huai was telling the truth — the pulse beneath his fingers was fast, but still within what Ying Huai's body could endure.

But Song Si Lan couldn't shake the feeling that something was subtly off.

"Is there anywhere else that feels uncomfortable? Chest tightness? Stomach pain? Does your heart feel uncomfortable........"

"Everywhere is uncomfortable."

Ying Huai raised his head with a touch of amusement, cutting him off: "But I've long been used to it being like this. There's really nothing particularly abnormal."

Song Si Lan was nearly driven to laugh in exasperation by that remark.

He reached over and tucked a tablet for relieving palpitations into Ying Huai's mouth, smiling through gritted teeth: "Fine, fine. You just won't tell me the truth, will you........"

Yu Wu, who had drifted over to the doorway at some unknown point, leaned against the doorframe watching Ying Huai for a few seconds, then suddenly let out a lazy yawn: "Never mind. If Teacher Ying says he's fine, then he's fine."

Song Si Lan was startled, and instantly turned back with a frown: "When did you get here........."

But Yu Wu, unusually, didn't reply to him — instead giving him a half-smiling, half-mocking look.

"Teacher Xiao Huai looks very tired too. Let him rest properly first."

Song Si Lan was startled, then belatedly understood what was going on.

He frowned, said nothing more, braced his hand against the bed beside him and tried to stand — but the next instant his body suddenly stiffened.

Song Si Lan instinctively reached to press his stiffened lower back, but immediately felt a slight tightening around his arm.

Yu Wu applied force with his hand to help him up. Song Si Lan instinctively struggled, and immediately heard a low sigh from behind him: "Don't move. Once I've helped you up, I'll let go. Be good."

Song Si Lan froze for a moment.

In the end he did nothing more, and with Yu Wu's support quickly stood up.

Yu Wu, true to his word, didn't wait for Song Si Lan to speak before voluntarily releasing his arm — and even took a proper step back.

Song Si Lan paid him no further attention, turning instead to look at Ying Huai, who had been quietly leaning against the headboard.

"Alright. Rest properly first, and call me if you feel unwell."

Ying Huai sat half-reclined against the headboard with his eyes lowered, lost in thought. After a few seconds he gave a slight nod.

"Alright."

A series of footsteps gradually receded. A soft 'click' — someone had turned off the room light, and the surroundings plunged into darkness in an instant.

Ying Huai let out a silent breath.

He felt Liang Shining beside him trying to help him lie down, but Ying Huai instinctively resisted, somewhat unwillingly sitting up another half-inch.

Once he realized what he'd done, he hurriedly explained: "It's nothing........ I just took the medicine and my stomach feels a bit blocked. I'll just rest sitting up like this for a while."

Liang Shining's hand supporting him paused.

Ying Huai pressed against his stomach, half-lowering his head against the headboard. After a long moment he raised his eyes and curved his lips: "You don't have to stay here with me the whole time. I just saw the Director mention something about a livestream tonight — you can go down first. I'll come find you in a bit."

Ying Huai sometimes wanted to be alone when he felt really unwell. Liang Shining didn't seem to overthink it, tucking a hot water bottle into Ying Huai's arms and giving a quiet 'mm': "I'll go down once Shifu has fallen asleep."

Ying Huai said nothing more, only shrinking down a little, his breathing gradually slowing.

After a few seconds, the hand pressing against his stomach loosened slightly, and his head tilted a little to the side — he seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep.

Liang Shining stood quietly by the bed for a while, as if observing something.

After a few seconds, seeming to confirm that Ying Huai had truly fallen asleep, he finally turned slowly and walked toward the door.

A soft 'click' of the door lock came, and the footsteps in the corridor seemed to gradually recede.

The next moment, the person who had appeared to be in a deep sleep suddenly opened his eyes, his expression pained as he abruptly pressed his chest.

He seemed to want to turn over and get out of bed to reach the medicine bottle beside him, but the moment he sat up, his breathing became uncontrollably rapid.

The severe palpitations he had been forcibly suppressing finally erupted once the people in the room had left.

Worried that Song Si Lan and the others hadn't gone far, Ying Huai clenched his teeth, glanced at the door not far away, and with effort suppressed his breathing as he propped himself up and slowly reached toward the medicine on the cabinet.

But the tightness in his chest seemed to be spreading. Ying Huai's arm was weak — not only did he fail to grab the medicine bottle, he lost his grip and knocked it down.

Ying Huai was nearly driven to laugh at himself in exasperation.

He summoned what little breath he had, trying to brace himself against the bedside table to crouch down, when suddenly a wave of dull pain struck his chest.

Ying Huai's breath hitched from the pain.

He lost his balance entirely, stumbling forward — but the next second, a sudden light flared before his eyes.

Immediately someone rushed over and, with some urgency, caught him just before he hit the floor.

"Careful—"

Ying Huai couldn't speak, only clutching his chest and breathing in rapid gasps.

Song Si Lan at the door strode forward, his face dark as he picked up the medicine bottle from the floor, slipped a pill under Ying Huai's tongue, then pressed his hand against Ying Huai's chest in slow, rhythmic rubs, signaling Liang Shining to hold him and sit him up a little.

After a while, Ying Huai finally let out a heavy breath.

He managed to raise his head and curve his lips: "How did you....... come back........"

"Come back to watch you sleep on the floor?"

Song Si Lan continued pressing rhythmically against his chest, speaking in a low voice: "Don't talk. Steady your breathing. Stop holding it in."

Ying Huai realized something in an instant.

His eyes flickered. He forced his head up, his gaze falling on Yu Wu, who was leaning against the doorway with a grin, and he let out a faint sigh: "So......... Doctor Song knew all along, and just now you left on purpose?"

Song Si Lan gave him a noncommittal glare, his teeth clenched: "What else was I supposed to do? If we hadn't, you'd have endured it until you passed out from the pain — I told you to stop talking. Aren't you short of breath enough already?"

Ying Huai curved his lips somewhat guiltily, and in the end dared say nothing more, leaning against Liang Shining and working to steady his breathing.

The tightness in his chest gradually eased under the medicine and Song Si Lan's pressing, but in its place came numbness and aching in his limbs.

Ying Huai shook his head at Song Si Lan to indicate he was fine. Song Si Lan ignored him, frowning as he took his pulse for a few more seconds before finally giving Liang Shining a slight nod.

Liang Shining reached to support the back of Ying Huai's knees, carefully lifting him horizontally and settling back onto the bed.

Song Si Lan helped him switch the nasal cannula for an oxygen mask, and raised the head of the bed a few degrees.

Ying Huai's breathing was still somewhat short, and a layer of white mist quickly gathered on the oxygen mask.

He watched Song Si Lan pick up the medicine box from earlier and flick it between his fingers.

"Do you have anything else you'd like to say now, Teacher Ying?"

Song Si Lan looked at him and laughed coldly: "You wouldn't still try to tell me this adverse reaction was just an accident, would you?"

The moment his words fell, he saw Ying Huai's eyes flicker — and he actually gave a slight nod.

Song Si Lan: ........?

Yu Wu beside him laughed outright without restraint. Song Si Lan turned and glared at him, his teeth clenched as he spoke: "Fine. Keep being stubborn. Either way, I'm definitely going to adjust your treatment plan........"

"........Why."

Before he could finish, he heard Ying Huai weakly cut him off.

His breath fogged against the oxygen mask, and his voice came through muffled and unclear.

"This medicine works the best. My eyes are almost completely healed........"

"But your body can't take it anymore — aren't you aware of that yourself?"

Song Si Lan pressed Ying Huai's pulse, cutting him off through gritted teeth: "You know perfectly well how frequent your low fever and cough have been these past two days."

Seeing Ying Huai lower his eyes in silence, he thought he was finally listening, and his voice gradually softened a little.

"I specifically chose medicines before whose side effects wouldn't affect the heart, but now it seems your body still can't take it. I'll slow down the treatment course a little — at most it'll just take longer......"

Before he could finish, he heard Ying Huai speak again, cutting him off.

"No need to change it. I'm fine."

Song Si Lan could hardly believe what he was hearing.

His voice unconsciously rose: 'What did you say? You didn't hear anything I just said........'

'A longer treatment time — how much longer exactly, Doctor Song?'

Ying Huai suddenly spoke softly.

'One month? Two months? Or half a year, a year?'

Song Si Lan frowned and stopped mid-sentence: 'What do you mean?'

Ying Huai slowly raised his head: 'My eyes have been treated for almost half a year now. From the beginning when there was basically no improvement, to after switching to this medicine, it took only one month to recover to the current state.'

Half of Ying Huai's face was hidden behind the breathing mask and couldn't be seen clearly; Song Si Lan could only see his slightly curved eyes.

'This is currently the most effective medicine we've tested. If we switch to a new one, no one knows how long the treatment will take.'

'I don't want to wait any longer.'

Ying Huai spoke softly: 'I know my own body. I can still hold on, so........'

Before he could finish, he heard Yu Wu's cheerful voice.

'Teacher Xiao Huai not telling the doctor the truth isn't a very good habit.'

Ying Huai's voice faltered. Song Si Lan and Liang Shining beside him both looked up at the same time.

'What do you mean?'

Song Si Lan frowned and couldn't help speaking first.

Yu Wu yawned.

'Or rather, Teacher Xiao Huai only told part of the truth....... not all of it.'

Yu Wu lowered his hand, a pair of eyes staring at the person on the bed with a half-smile.

'I've seen your medical records at Si Lan's place. Based on the current absorption rate of your hematoma, even if we switched to a conservative treatment medicine, the hematoma would completely resolve in at most three months.'

'Teacher Xiao Huai insisting on this particular timing must have other reasons, right?'

Ying Huai's fingers at his side unconsciously gripped the bedsheet.

He waited for Yu Wu to continue pressing, but the next second, he saw Yu Wu step forward and directly throw an arm around Song Si Lan's shoulders.

'Alright, internal problems should be solved internally. Since Teacher Xiao Huai isn't willing to tell us the truth, surely he's willing to tell Teacher Liang, right?'

Yu Wu's arm slid down, and ignoring Song Si Lan's resistance, forcefully pressed the person into his arms, speaking cheerfully.

'Si Lan's back has been bad lately. He was crouching for so long just now, he must be uncomfortable now. Let me take Si Lan out first to check his back. Once you've resolved things....... we'll come back.'

Yu Wu cheerfully turned around with the person in his arms: 'Take your time chatting, no rush.'

Before Ying Huai could react, the next second he heard Song Si Lan explode first: 'Who's back is bad? Don't talk nonsense........'

Yu Wu's lowered voice came through at the same time: 'Don't fuss. Didn't you throw out your back when you tripped me last time? You didn't take it seriously yourself. I've noticed you've been holding your back these past two days....... Hey, hey, don't hit me, be careful or you'll throw it out again—'

Yu Wu's anxious voice instantly disappeared with a muffled 'bang' of the door.

Ying Huai silently opened his mouth.

Before he could react, the next second he heard Liang Shining's slightly low voice: 'Shifu?'

Ying Huai suddenly came back to himself.

Liang Shining didn't say anything, just turned around with the person in his arms and sat facing him.

He loosely held Ying Huai's hand, not rushing to ask questions, but seemingly casually kneading Ying Huai's fingertips one by one.

'Is Shifu's chest still....... uncomfortable?'

Ying Huai lowered his eyes and shook his head slightly.

After a few seconds of silence, he finally couldn't help speaking first: 'Don't you want to know the reason?'

The moment his words fell, he heard the person before him speak softly: 'I know.'

Ying Huai was stunned for a moment.

He raised his head somewhat blankly, hearing Liang Shining speak softly: 'Shifu wants to wait until your eyes are completely healed........ before publicly announcing our relationship, right?'

Ying Huai silently opened his mouth.

He shifted his gaze somewhat unnaturally, and after a long moment spoke softly: 'Yes.'

He took a deep breath and forced a smile as he looked up: 'Don't worry, I won't switch medicine. Just wait a little longer for me. Once my eyes are better, we'll announce it right away. No one will say you're marrying a half-blind person........'

Before he could finish, he suddenly felt a dull pain on his forehead.

Ying Huai instinctively let out a small cry, raised his hand to cover his forehead, and looked up somewhat blankly: 'Why did you hit me?'

'Nothing, just to wake you up.' Liang Shining said through gritted teeth.

He looked at the blank-faced person before him and finally couldn't help sighing.

'What exactly are you thinking about every day, Ying Huai.'

'I told you a long time ago, you don't need to feel guilty toward me because of your eyes.'

Liang Shining pulled the person before him into his arms and spoke somewhat muffled.

'The reason I haven't publicly announced it is because I don't care what others think at all. I just want to be with you.'

Ying Huai's lips trembled slightly.

He hesitated for a moment and spoke softly: 'Then why did you bring my father and your parents over.........'

Before he could finish, he saw Liang Shining raise his head again.

Ying Huai instinctively closed his eyes.

The next second he only heard the person before him sigh softly and somewhat indignantly rub the back of his neck.

'What do you think I want to do? Use them to force you to marry me and announce it?'

Liang Shining gritted his teeth: 'If I'd known you overthink like this every day, I really should have tired you out more every night........'

—So he wouldn't have so much energy to think about random things all the time.

The tips of Ying Huai's ears instantly burned hot.

'What did you say.........'

Before he could finish, the next second he heard Liang Shining speak in a low voice.

'I brought Uncle Ying and my parents over not to pressure you, Ying Huai.'

'I just wanted them to know that you can live well with me, to know they can rest easy.'

'I wanted them to witness your happiness together with you.'

Ying Huai was stunned.

Liang Shining sat up slightly and looked down at the person before him: 'Only then can I......... propose to you with more peace of mind.'

Ying Huai couldn't help softly interrupting him: '.........I was the one who proposed to you first.'

Liang Shining was silent for a few seconds: 'Yes, you proposed first.'

Ying Huai couldn't help laughing.

Liang Shining took a deep breath: 'The point is, when exactly your eyes will recover shouldn't be something you worry about.'

The hand he had on the person's back slid down slightly, his fingertips lightly tracing over Ying Huai's ring finger before slowly interlocking with his.

'I love you, Ying Huai. As long as it's you, nothing else matters.'

Ying Huai's expression gradually quieted down as well.

He heard Liang Shining speak softly: 'In my past life, I couldn't become Shifu's disciple.'

'In this life, I'm sticking with Shifu for good.'

Liang Shining raised his head, his eyes black as obsidian gazing over quietly.

'So Shifu, let me stick around as long as possible, alright?'

Ying Huai lowered his eyes.

After a long moment, he slowly raised his hand to wrap around Liang Shining's neck, his whole body slowly leaning against his chest.

'Okay.'

A sparkle of laughter instantly appeared in Liang Shining's eyes.

Ying Huai couldn't help but curve his lips as well.

The next second he heard Liang Shining speak softly: 'Right, I also forgot something.'

'While Shifu was talking to Doctor Song just now, I already publicly announced our engagement.'

Ying Huai: ???

'You—'

He instantly tried to sit up straight, but felt a strong force on his waist.

'Li Xiang just told me, it's already trending.'

Liang Shining's voice, carrying a hint of laughter, came unhurriedly: 'So even if Shifu wants to take it back now......... it's too late.'

·

One month later.

After adjusting the medication plan several times, Song Si Lan finally found a treatment method that was relatively mild yet effective.

Three months later, Ying Huai finally took off his glasses.

A week later, Ying Huai's long-dormant Weibo suddenly reposted Liang Shining's announcement post, with no caption, only an attached photo.

The two people in the photo, wearing crisp white suits, were kissing under the setting sun.

Weibo instantly boiled over again. Lu Jing, Su Xin and others reposted their blessings one after another. Xin Wan even chattered on with a little essay, the screen filled with the reluctance and heartache of 'the bride's family.'

Even Chu Ming, who hadn't appeared in a long time, silently liked the post.

Countless netizens and fans discussed the matter, but neither of the two people involved replied online.

[Waaah even though I really want to see the wedding livestream, it feels like quietly being together like this, undisturbed by anyone, is also very nice. Blessings!]

[As expected, real couples are the best to ship. My 'Shi Huai' cp has really found peace ahhh!]

[OMG this is so fast! A sudden engagement, a sudden marriage announcement, my cp is actually real!]

[Reading Xin Wan's little essay, I feel they've really been through a lot. Touched and emotional.]

[Ahhh Teacher Xiao Huai and Teacher Liang must be happy! This life, the next life, forever!]

A few minutes later, Liang Shining's Weibo suddenly reposted a message.

@Liang Shining: Okay. //[Ahhh Teacher Xiao Huai and Teacher Liang must be happy! This life, the next life, forever!]