Chapter 111: Drunk (2)

Liang Shining instantly realized something was wrong.

He abruptly stood up and quickly walked to Ying Huai's bedside.

'Ying Huai?'

The person on the bed still didn't respond. Liang Shining hurriedly turned on the lamp beside him, and his breath caught for an instant.

Ying Huai's hands were both hanging almost off the side of the bed.

He lay half on his side at the edge of the bed, one hand stretching out weakly, the other resting limply on his wrist bone beneath.

But the strength had clearly already left his fingertips. It seemed as though he'd tried to push himself up, unable to catch his breath, but lost his strength again in an instant.

This was the first time Liang Shining had seen Ying Huai like this.

He glanced at the few Medicine Bottles scattered on the bedside table, his brow slightly furrowed.

He wasn't clear on the specifics of Ying Huai's condition, and at this moment he didn't dare give him any medicine haphazardly.

Liang Shining clenched his teeth, carefully helping the person sit up a little, slowly smoothing down Ying Huai's chest with one hand while gently patting his shoulder with the other.

'Ying Huai? Ying Huai, wake up...'

Fortunately, Ying Huai didn't seem to have completely lost consciousness.

After a few seconds, Liang Shining heard the person in front of him softly hum, his body seeming to tremble unconsciously.

'Ying Huai?'

The person in his arms' eyelids trembled, and with some slowness, gradually opened his eyes.

'I... how...'

'Your breathing was very heavy just now, and you've been breaking out in cold sweat all over.'

Seeing him finally wake up, Liang Shining let out a slight breath of relief.

He reached for the coat beside him, supporting the person as he wanted to get out of bed.

'Take it easy first, I'll take you to the Hospital...'

Before he could finish speaking, he watched the person in front of him, who had been groggy, suddenly tremble. From some unknown reserve of strength, he grabbed his hand.

'I'm not going to the Hospital.'

Liang Shining's movements paused.

The person in front of him was breathing rapidly. Just this small motion of raising his hand had paled his complexion several shades more, and he sat on the edge of the bed, his form swaying as if about to fall.

Liang Shining hesitated for a moment, realizing that even if he forcibly dragged Ying Huai to the Hospital now, Ying Huai's body probably couldn't hold up.

—And his resistance might cause even more abnormalities.

Ying Huai's current condition wasn't that bad—probably still an issue with his stomach and heart and lungs.

Liang Shining paused, then sat back down on the edge of the bed, carefully supporting Ying Huai's body and letting him lean against him again.

'Mm, we won't go to the Hospital first.'

Liang Shining said quietly: 'Where does it hurt? Let me give you some medicine first, then you can rest a bit...'

Ying Huai looked utterly exhausted.

That brief emotional outburst just now seemed to have completely drained all his spirit.

But in the time it took to say these few words, Ying Huai's head uncontrollably tilted a little to one side, and his eyelids slowly drooped.

Liang Shining had no choice but to slightly raise his voice: 'Ying Huai.'

'...Mm.'

Ying Huai's body trembled slightly, and he barely regained a little consciousness.

He opened his eyes, as if only just now seeing the person in front of him.

'...Liang Shining.'

Liang Shining answered softly.

Ying Huai didn't seem to realize he was leaning weakly against Liang Shining entirely.

Feeling unwell, he only instinctively sought a more comfortable position, turning his head to bury his face in Liang Shining's embrace, panting in small breaths.

Liang Shining's body unconsciously tensed for a moment.

'Ying Huai...'

Ying Huai hadn't heard the tension in Liang Shining's words.

Without waiting for Liang Shining to ask anything further, he buried his face and nuzzled against his neck, almost unconsciously murmuring: 'Liang Shining, my chest feels so tight... I can't catch my breath.'

The hand Liang Shining used to support him unconsciously trembled slightly.

Ying Huai rarely told him about his discomfort so directly.

It wasn't until later, after Liang Shining had grown close to him, that Ying Huai would occasionally, when truly unable to hide it, inadvertently reveal a hint of his weakness to Liang Shining.

For an instant, Liang Shining had the illusion of having returned to the past.

He instinctively said in a trembling voice: 'I know, it's okay, it'll be better in a bit.'

His arm around the person tightened little by little as he reached for the Medicine Bottle beside him, not noticing the address that had slipped out: 'Shifu, do you want to take your medicine now? Which one do you need...'

The moment he spoke, he suddenly felt the person in his arms stiffen.

Liang Shining instantly realized something as well, and his voice cut off abruptly.

He lowered his head and saw that Ying Huai's gaze was, as expected, gradually clearing.

'Ying Huai, I...' Liang Shining began somewhat stiffly.

But the person in front of him slightly raised his head and glanced at him calmly.

Liang Shining's face gradually paled.

Ying Huai didn't say anything more. He just closed his eyes for a few seconds, gently pushed away Liang Shining's hand on his chest, and reached for the Medicine Bottle on the bedside table on his own.

But he still had no strength. The moment his body leaned forward a little, the next second his vision went completely black.

Liang Shining reached out and caught the person who had suddenly collapsed forward.

'Ying Huai!'

Liang Shining clenched his teeth, instinctively wanting to say something, but the next second he forcibly held it back.

He took a deep breath and only said slowly: 'Which Medicine Bottle?'

Ying Huai recovered from the buzzing in his ears.

He lay against Liang Shining's arm, shook his head slightly, and stubbornly reached out himself.

'It's fine, I'll do it myself. Thank you for your concern just now, Mr. Liang...'

Liang Shining knew he'd said the wrong thing earlier and didn't dare stop him. He could only stiffly do his best to support the person, watching as he panted and finally managed to reach the Medicine Bottle, then collapsed back heavily against the headboard, drained.

The bed trembled slightly with Ying Huai's powerless fall back, and Liang Shining's arm unconsciously trembled along with it.

He looked at Ying Huai, silently opened his mouth, but in the end didn't dare say anything. He only poured a cup of warm water from the side and silently held it nearby.

Ying Huai didn't pay him any attention either—or perhaps simply didn't have the energy to notice him.

The faint stinging in his stomach had now evolved into a dense, dull ache, and along with it, his previously well-behaved heart had also begun to throb with fine, dense pain.

—It really is true that if it hasn't come yet, the time just hasn't arrived.

Ying Huai gave a bitter smile in his heart.

He tried hard to identify the one he needed from the Medicine Bottles he'd grabbed haphazardly, slowly gripping it in his hand and attempting to twist it open.

But Ying Huai had no strength to begin with. Just the motion of leaning forward to retrieve it had nearly consumed all the energy he'd barely managed to gather.

Ying Huai's fingers trembled for a long while. Not only did he fail to twist open the Medicine Bottle in his hand, but he felt his consciousness growing increasingly fuzzy.

He didn't notice his eyes gradually losing focus, and the hand that had been resting on the Medicine Bottle slowly drooped down.

'Ying Huai?'

Liang Shining caught the person whose body was unconsciously bending downward bit by bit, speaking urgently.

His arm unconsciously pressed against Ying Huai's chest. Ying Huai's heart tightened, he unconsciously hummed, opened his mouth and exhaled a breath of stale air, and his mind actually cleared a little.

'...I'm fine.'

He propped himself up on Liang Shining's arm and sat up again, turned his head and coughed lightly, then lowered his eyes to look at the Medicine Bottle in his hand once more.

'I'm just a bit tired... I...'

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly felt his hand go empty.

Immediately after, he watched Liang Shining quickly pour several bottles of medicine into his hand and bring them, along with water, to him.

Ying Huai was startled for a moment.

Before he could say anything more, he saw Liang Shining speak first in a hurried voice: 'Don't move, I'll feed you.'

'I know there are many things you don't want me to know, but you're also clear about your current physical condition.'

Liang Shining quickly said in a low voice: 'If you don't want to faint right in front of me and force me to send you to the Hospital, you'd better listen to me.'

Ying Huai's expression paused.

Liang Shining's tone was insistent, but his entire being carried a barely perceptible tension—almost... visibly nervous.

Ying Huai pressed his chest and glanced at Liang Shining, then suddenly leaned forward slightly, put the pill in his mouth, and drank some water from Liang Shining's hand.

Liang Shining silently let out a breath of relief.

Seeing Ying Huai staring at him without speaking, he couldn't help but ask quietly: 'Do you want more water? Or is there anywhere else that hurts...'

'Can you give me back the Medicine Bottle?'

Ying Huai covered his lips and coughed lightly, speaking softly.

Liang Shining was startled for a moment.

He reacted instantly, flusteredly putting the Medicine Bottle he'd snatched earlier back into Ying Huai's hand. Ying Huai didn't say anything, glanced at him, and casually tucked it back under his pillow.

The room fell quiet for a moment. Ying Huai didn't say anything more, half-leaning against Liang Shining's shoulder as he adjusted his breathing, quietly resting with his eyes closed.

It wasn't clear exactly what those bottles of medicine were for, but they worked surprisingly quickly.

Not long after, Liang Shining heard Ying Huai's breathing gradually steady.

Liang Shining watched as the person in front of him gradually relaxed, his head and neck drooping slightly, seeming about to fall asleep again.

Liang Shining's heart panicked instinctively. He wanted to wake him up but worried that Ying Huai might just really be sleepy.

He could only tentatively check his pulse every so often, and carefully press his hand against his chest to feel his heartbeat.

He thought he was being careful enough, but not long after, he saw the person in front of him open his eyes somewhat helplessly.

'What exactly are you doing, Liang Shining?'

Ying Huai, who had been on the verge of falling asleep several times, was forced awake by Liang Shining's fussing.

Liang Shining's hand on Ying Huai's chest froze for a moment.

He paused, suddenly lowered his eyes, and then, as if to cover it up, slowly smoothed his chest.

'It's nothing, I just... was afraid you were still uncomfortable, so I was smoothing your chest...'

'I'm fine now.'

Ying Huai softly cut him off.

He paused, then said softly: 'I'm a bit sleepy, Liang Shining.'

Liang Shining sat there in a daze, for a moment not catching the hidden meaning in Ying Huai's words.

He instinctively nodded: 'Then sleep, I'll watch over you, don't worry...'

Ying Huai: ...

He waited a moment, and seeing that Liang Shining had no intention of letting go, had to speak again.

'You don't need to hold me like this anymore, let me down, and hurry up and get some rest too.'

Liang Shining instinctively said 'oh,' and only after a long while did he react, suddenly sitting up straight.

'I, I don't need to rest... no, I'm not sleepy yet, I'll wait until you fall asleep...'

He instinctively didn't want to let go of Ying Huai, but also worried about making him angry. He spoke incoherently for a long while, hesitantly frozen in place.

The next second, Ying Huai's voice suddenly sounded in Liang Shining's ear.

'I didn't tell you to leave the bed.'

Liang Shining was stunned for a moment.

He lowered his head, watching Ying Huai slowly climb into the blanket, then inexplicably looked up at him.

"Weren't you just sleeping in the same bed as me?"

Liang Shining's body stiffened.

His mind had been too chaotic just now, and for a moment he'd forgotten those... unspeakable thoughts of his.

Looking at Ying Huai's open, untroubled expression now, he silently opened his mouth, and in the end answered against his better judgment: "Mm... yes, same bed. I just forgot for a moment."

Ying Huai didn't mind.

He'd nearly had an episode tonight. Even though it had been relieved in time, his stomach was still aching a little, and his whole body was so tired he didn't want to lift even a single finger.

He curled up slightly as he lay down in the blanket, heard a rustling sound behind him, and then felt the mattress sink slightly.

Liang Shining's frame was nearly twice his size.

Ying Huai instinctively scooted to the side, trying to leave as much room for Liang Shining as possible.

But Liang Shining, for whatever reason he was nervous, stood stiff as a board in place. Feeling Ying Huai's movement, he instinctively shifted to the side, nearly falling off the bed.

The bed creaked, and Ying Huai was forced to open his eyes again by Liang Shining's flailing.

"Can you actually sleep properly?" He turned his head, at the end of his patience.

"I'm not even crowding you. Are you staying that far away to leave room for a third person?"

Liang Shining hurriedly shook his head.

He turned his head toward Ying Huai, hesitated, then asked in a low voice: "Are you really okay?"

Ying Huai felt he'd sighed more today than in the entire past week combined.

"I'm really fine."

"Then why earlier..." Liang Shining couldn't hold back, and asked softly.

"Liang Shining."

Before he could finish, he heard Ying Huai's voice suddenly soften.

Ying Huai turned his head, looked at him with a half-smile, and raised a hand to make a 'shh' gesture.

Liang Shining swallowed the rest of his words, but still looked at Ying Huai without speaking.

"I'm really fine. Otherwise, why don't you attach a heart monit... ahem, attach an alarm to me, and have it call the police the moment something's wrong?" Ying Huai pressed his brow, mildly exasperated, and replied offhandedly.

...Liang Shining's hesitant expression made it look like he was actually considering the possibility.

Ying Huai took a deep breath, and at the limit of his patience, turned his body to face him directly.

"Enough, stop fussing. If you're not sleepy, I am. Go to sleep."

It seemed the medicine had finally taken full effect. Ying Huai's complexion was much better than before, and his tone was no longer so listless.

—Only when he fell asleep, he still unconsciously curled up, pressing his abdomen somewhat forcefully.

Liang Shining lay quietly in place, unconsciously counting Ying Huai's breaths, listening as his breathing finally steadied after a while.

The room fell into darkness. Liang Shining propped himself up slightly, and after confirming the person beside him was truly sound asleep, slowly sat up again.

He reached for his phone beside him, slipped out of the room without a sound, and dialed a number with his head lowered.

·

Half an hour later, Song Si Lan appeared before Liang Shining with a dark expression.

"What do you want, calling me in the middle of the night?"

The person half-leaning against the doorframe looked up at the sound, meeting Song Si Lan's particularly ugly expression.

"Do you know that between three and four in the morning is when patients are most likely to pass away in the Hospital?"

"I just got off the evening shift, hadn't even gone home before you called me over. If I happen to drop dead from overwork, who are you going to order around next time..."

"Please come help me look at someone." Liang Shining said quietly. "I'll have Li Xiang take you home in a bit."

He straightened up as he spoke, then thought of something and glanced up at him.

"I had Li Xiang go pick you up just now, but you wouldn't let him. Who brought you here?"

Song Si Lan's expression stiffened for a moment.

"No one. I took a cab myself, is that not allowed?"

Liang Shining said 'oh,' didn't press further, and turned to walk back inside.

Song Si Lan followed behind him, glanced at the bedroom door, thought of something, and spoke irritably.

"What, you've finally decided to bring someone into your room?"

Song Si Lan followed behind him, arms crossed, with a cold laugh: "Let me be clear—if you've had your fun in bed tonight and want me to come look at that kind of thing, I can't help you."

"Teacher Liang should find someone more capable..."

He hadn't finished speaking when he came face to face with the person sleeping soundly on the bed.

Song Si Lan froze, and couldn't help blurting out 'WTF.'

The next second, he saw Ying Huai's slightly bluish lips, and his brow furrowed instantly.

He was no longer in the mood to joke with Liang Shining. He quickly stepped forward to check Ying Huai's breathing and heart rate, and his expression subtly changed.

Liang Shining said nothing, standing half a step behind Song Si Lan at the foot of the bed.

He watched Song Si Lan expertly run through a check, pull a simple oxygen device from the first aid kit and place it over Ying Huai's face, prop a few more pillows behind him, and help him lie a little more upright.

"How is he?"

Liang Shining couldn't hold back any longer, stepped forward, and asked softly.

"What do you mean how is he? Are you insane? He clearly has a heart problem, and you still had the nerve to give him alcohol..."

Song Si Lan said through gritted teeth.

He watched Liang Shining's expression freeze for a moment, took a deep breath, looked around the room, then turned back to look at him.

"The medicine he usually takes? Let me see it."

Liang Shining instinctively answered: "Under his pillow, but..."

Before he could finish, he saw Song Si Lan reach out and go straight for under Ying Huai's pillow.

Liang Shining hurriedly reached out to stop him: "Wait, he doesn't want anyone to know about his condition..."

"Don't want anyone to know? Fine, let him keep hiding it. In a bit, you can just call an ambulance to come cart him off."

Song Si Lan pulled the Medicine Bottle out from under the pillow, turned to glare at Liang Shining, and said coldly.

"Didn't you see he didn't wake up just now? He was already a bit hypoxic. If he'd slept like that a little longer, he probably wouldn't have been able to breathe soon."

Song Si Lan glanced down at the medicines in his hand, and sure enough, none of them had any labels.

He frowned, opened each one to check, and after a while, tipped out a few pills and put them in Ying Huai's mouth.

He took out his stethoscope and listened to Ying Huai's chest for a while, then observed his breathing, and finally let out a slight breath of relief.

"Alright, there shouldn't be any major problem now."

He straightened up, looked at the person at the foot of the bed watching him hesitantly, gave a soft 'tch,' and shoved the bottles and jars in his hands back to him all at once.

"Here, back to you. Happy?"

"These are all the most basic medicines for treating gastric spasms or relieving palpitations or premature ventricular contractions. They don't reveal anything, and they don't expose any of his privacy."

Song Si Lan spoke as he pointed to a few other bottles: "There are also a few prescription medicines, but I'm not sure about his specific condition, so I didn't give him those."

Liang Shining was stunned for a few seconds, then after a while gave a low 'mm.'

"So you can't determine exactly what's wrong with him either..."

Song Si Lan turned to glance at him and shook his head slightly.

"Can't determine."

"There are no professional facilities here to assist, and the patient won't tell me his medical history."

Song Si Lan said with a frown: "Even traditional Chinese medicine requires looking, listening, asking, and feeling the pulse. Right now I can only tell that there's probably a significant problem with his heart and lungs. It's best to find time to take him to the Hospital for a detailed examination as soon as possible."

Liang Shining's body tensed for a moment.

He was silent for a few seconds, said nothing, and only said softly: "Alright... thank you."

Song Si Lan raised an eyebrow and glanced at him.

"No need to thank me. Just don't call me in the middle of the night next time."

Ying Huai's condition had basically stabilized.

Song Si Lan packed up his things and turned to walk out.

"You can take the oxygen mask off once his breathing eases up or his lips aren't so purple anymore, or else he'll wake up and find you've been 'snooping' into his privacy."

Song Si Lan spoke with a half-smile as he glanced at him.

"Better not remove the pillows. Just let him lie half-upright like that, or he'll have trouble breathing. You can get him a Hot Water Bottle—he probably has some gastric spasm from the alcohol, and that conservative treatment medicine isn't very effective for him. See if you can help work the spasm out for him."

Liang Shining nodded and followed Song Si Lan to the door.

"Right, who is this person? What's your relationship with him?"

Song Si Lan suddenly thought of something and turned back with a teasing look.

"You're so attentive to him... you must be quite close, right?"

He'd meant it as a joke, but the next second he saw Liang Shining's expression gradually darken.

"No."

Liang Shining took a deep breath and said softly: "He and I are just... strangers."

Song Si Lan was stunned.

Looking at Liang Shining's expression, he vaguely realized something, but didn't ask further.

Liang Shining took a deep breath, and his expression eased again.

He walked Song Si Lan to the door, then suddenly remembered something: "Right, how are you getting back? Want Li Xiang to drive you, or should I call you a car?"

"Hm?"

Song Si Lan looked down at his phone, chatting with someone unknown, and didn't react for a moment: "What do you mean, a car..."

Before he could finish, a flashy Porsche 911 Turbo S pulled up in front of them, and honked its horn arrogantly.

Liang Shining: ...?

Song Si Lan suddenly looked up—whether from seeing the car in front of him or remembering the lie he'd just told, the tips of his ears instantly flushed red.

"Ahem, no need."

Song Si Lan gave a small cough and hurried down the steps.

"I'm leaving. Contact me if there are any problems. Also, you should take your... stranger to the Hospital as soon as possible for a proper check-up."

Liang Shining looked with a complicated expression at the entirely orange car in front of him, and didn't answer for a moment.

·

The next morning when Ying Huai woke up, he saw Liang Shining sitting by the bed, staring at him in a daze.

"What's wrong?"

Ying Huai slowly propped himself up, slightly stunned.

He had actually felt a bit of chest tightness before falling asleep last night, but was too tired to bother with it.

He'd originally expected to be woken up again in the middle of the night by the tightness, but unexpectedly slept well through the night. Even the churning in his stomach seemed to have quieted down when he woke up.

Ying Huai glanced thoughtfully at the pillows that had been propped up behind him at some point, then turned back unhurriedly.

Before he could say anything, the next second he saw Liang Shining suddenly turn his head and ask bluntly.

"Do you like sports cars?"

Ying Huai: ?

He raised his head in some bewilderment, and heard Liang Shining hesitate before continuing.

"Would bright pink be okay?"

Ying Huai: ???