Chapter 76: Somnolence

The corridor was silent. Ying Huai leaned half against the sink behind him, the corners of his lips slightly raised, smiling at the person in front of him.

But Song Si Lan's expression was not relaxed in the slightest.

'What's wrong with your throat?'

Ying Huai's eyes flickered as he looked at Song Si Lan without speaking.

Song Si Lan's expression grew increasingly grave.

He suddenly stepped forward and gently pressed on Ying Huai's throat, his brow furrowing bit by bit.

A faint choking sensation rose from his throat, but Ying Huai paid it no mind and instead let out a soft, laughing sigh.

'Does Doctor Song know now... what's wrong?'

Song Si Lan's expression went cold.

He withdrew his hand, took a bottle of medicine from the medical kit beside him, and unceremoniously shoved it into Ying Huai's mouth.

The bitter taste of medicine instantly spread from the tip of his tongue. Ying Huai shuddered from the bitterness, his brow finally creasing beyond his control.

'What is this...'

'Anti-inflammatory. Pain relief.'

Ying Huai's brow furrowed slightly as he spoke with some reluctance: 'So bitter.'

'Good. It should be.'

Song Si Lan watched Ying Huai finally show a patient's reaction and scoffed. 'Now you know it hurts?'

Ying Huai lifted his eyelids to look at him and said nothing.

Song Si Lan took a deep breath.

He didn't say anything immediately. Instead, he stood in place, waiting until Ying Huai's pale lips finally regained a little color, then slowly spoke: 'Is your throat better? Does it still hurt?'

Ying Huai didn't understand why, but he knew Song Si Lan was on the verge of exploding.

He hesitated, then answered truthfully: 'A little, but not as much.'

The moment his words fell, he heard Song Si Lan sneer: 'Fine. If it doesn't hurt, then start answering my questions.'

Ying Huai was stunned for a moment.

He instantly realized he'd fallen into Song Si Lan's trap. After a few seconds of silence, he finally let out a wordless sigh: '...Don't tell Liang Shining.'

Song Si Lan glared at him and gave an irritated hmph.

'When did you first notice your throat was uncomfortable?'

Ying Huai hesitated.

He had just opened his mouth to say something when Song Si Lan spoke indifferently: 'Tell me the truth—unless you want me to go verify with Liang Shining right now.'

Ying Huai instantly choked on his words.

He choked on a breath, covered his lips and muffled a few coughs, then said with a mixture of helplessness and amusement: 'I was wrong, Doctor Song. I'll talk, I'll talk.'

He steadied his breathing and slowly said: 'Probably... after the Villa episode finished recording.'

Song Si Lan frowned.

He instinctively calculated the time in his head, and the next second, heard Ying Huai speak again as if casually: 'So about... a month ago.'

Song Si Lan: ...???

He looked up in disbelief: 'How long?'

Ying Huai instinctively shrank back, then said in a guilty whisper: 'It wasn't this serious then, just a bit uncomfortable... Weren't you asking when it started being uncomfortable?'

Song Si Lan nearly choked on his own breath.

He took a deep breath, barely suppressing his anger, and gritted his teeth as he continued: 'How exactly was it uncomfortable back then?'

Ying Huai hesitated: 'Just that sometimes when I practiced, I couldn't catch my breath, and my throat would hurt a little. At the time I thought it was just from catching a cold at the Villa, so I didn't pay much attention...'

Song Si Lan couldn't hold back an hmph.

He took a deep breath: 'And after that?'

Ying Huai hesitated, then said quietly: 'It got a bit better for a while in the middle, but after I started preparing for the Concert, it started hurting again.'

He paused, feeling Song Si Lan's gaze like a tangible weight, and lowered his voice further.

'After finishing the first song just now... it hurt so much I could barely make a sound.'

Song Si Lan felt the vein at his temple about to pop.

But he knew that with Ying Huai's condition, even if he'd paid attention back then, it wouldn't have helped.

This was essentially an occupational hazard for a singer. When Ying Huai was hospitalized, it wasn't as if he hadn't noticed the condition of Ying Huai's throat—he had prescribed routine anti-inflammatory medication.

But Ying Huai's physical constitution was never that good to begin with, and combined with nearly having an episode recently, Song Si Lan was well aware that throat inflammation and pain were only a matter of time.

—He just hadn't expected it to be this serious.

He took a deep breath, barely smoothing out his furrowed brow, stepped forward, and gestured for Ying Huai to open his mouth.

He raised a penlight to examine, and his brow furrowed again.

The throat was severely congested and swollen. Every time he spoke, it engaged the vocal cord muscles—not to mention singing, even normal talking should cause a certain amount of pain.

Ying Huai could still talk to him with an unchanging expression and a smile—he didn't know how he was enduring it.

Song Si Lan's fingers tightened slightly around the penlight. Without a word, he withdrew it and popped another lozenge into Ying Huai's mouth.

Ying Huai, who had been bracing himself for Song Si Lan to scold him, was stunned for a moment.

He instinctively closed his mouth around it and asked, slightly muffled: 'What's wrong...'

'Shut up. Talk less. You don't know it hurts yourself? Still putting on a brave front for me here.' Song Si Lan said irritably.

Ying Huai blinked, and unexpectedly caught a trace of heartache in Song Si Lan's awkward tone.

But the next second, Song Si Lan returned to his usual lukewarm tone: 'From now on I'll talk and you listen. If you need to answer, just nod or shake your head.'

Ying Huai blinked and gave a slight nod.

Song Si Lan was extremely satisfied with Ying Huai's rare obedience.

He thought for a few seconds, then spoke first: 'The main issue with your throat is still caused by the lung infection last time. At the root of it all, it's your heart problem causing it. You should be clear on this.'

Ying Huai's expression quieted somewhat.

Song Si Lan took a deep breath.

'There are two treatment options now. One is to adjust the plan I originally gave you—through rest and treatment, let the throat recover slowly. It's a long-term but relatively stable method.'

Song Si Lan didn't wait for his reply, looked up at him expressionlessly: 'I know you definitely won't agree to it.'

Ying Huai curved his eyes noncommittally.

Song Si Lan didn't say anything either and continued speaking on his own.

'The other is a short-acting, rapid anti-inflammatory and pain relief.'

'You should be aware that your body can't just be given painkillers casually, so if there's only one short-acting rapid method—it's the cortisone shot you mentioned earlier.'

As he said this, his brow furrowed bit by bit.

The blocking therapy, also called 'local block,' is a pain treatment method evolved from local anesthesia.

A mixture of local anesthetic and hormonal drugs is injected into the painful area to achieve rapid anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects.

This could be said to be the best treatment method for Ying Huai, but ultimately it only treats the symptoms, not the root cause, and moreover...

A trace of hesitation flashed across Song Si Lan's expression. After a few seconds of silence, Ying Huai suddenly spoke softly: 'Will there be any side effects on my throat?'

Song Si Lan thought for a moment and gave a slight shake of his head.

'Probably not.'

'I can try to choose mild medications that won't affect your throat condition, and follow up with medication to regulate it. There shouldn't be any major side effects.'

Ying Huai let out a soft laugh: 'But?'

Song Si Lan glared at him irritably.

'But I can't guarantee side effects on the rest of your body, especially your—heart.'

Ying Huai's body could be said to be riddled with problems, kept in a fragile balance through Song Si Lan's various treatments and medications. If that balance were suddenly broken, Song Si Lan wasn't sure what might happen.

He said in a low voice: 'The condition of your heart is unclear, and I can't guarantee what specific side effects might occur. If there really is an impact, it could lead to unexpected consequences—for instance, acute pulmonary edema, respiratory failure...'

Ying Huai stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly curved his lips: 'But it's also possible there won't be any side effects, isn't it?'

Song Si Lan choked on his words.

—He instantly realized that everything he'd just said was a complete waste.

'Did you even listen to what I just said?! Wait, no—didn't I tell you not to talk and just listen to me—'

Before he could finish, he saw Ying Huai suddenly reach out and, of his own accord, take another throat lozenge from Song Si Lan's pocket.

Song Si Lan's eyes widened in disbelief as he watched Ying Huai pop the lozenge into his mouth and continue speaking with a smile: 'Necessity overrides protocol, Doctor Song. I'm just compensating, aren't I?'

Song Si Lan was so angry he laughed.

Ying Huai didn't mind, pressing the lozenge under his tongue and speaking indistinctly: 'Of course I listened carefully. Otherwise how could I have picked up on Doctor Song's other meaning—the side effects aren't certain, and it's possible nothing will happen in the end.'

Ying Huai raised his head and spoke unhurriedly: 'So—I still want to try.'

Song Si Lan took a deep breath.

He didn't answer directly, but thought for a few seconds and slowly began to speak.

'I'll prescribe a few doses of anti-inflammatory and decongestant medicine in a bit. Come by tonight and I'll put you on an IV. If the treatment goes well, there's a chance it won't affect your singing before the final Concert...'

He rambled on at length, yet didn't mention a single word about the cortisone shot Ying Huai had asked about.

Ying Huai wasn't in any hurry either. He leaned quietly against the sink and listened, and only when Song Si Lan finally ran out of things to say did he speak softly: 'So does Song Yisheng agree?'

Song Si Lan's voice instantly fell silent.

He didn't immediately argue back, but stared at Ying Huai for a few seconds before slowly speaking.

'I can respect your wishes.'

'But the prerequisite is that you have to let Liang Shining know about this.'

Ying Huai was momentarily stunned.

The hand supporting him against the sink behind him trembled slightly. After a moment, he suddenly laughed: 'There's no need, Song Yisheng. It's not a big deal, no need to let him know—'

'You have to let him know, Ying Huai.'

Song Si Lan interrupted him in a calm tone.

He didn't carry his usual sarcasm, but spoke plainly as if stating a fact.

'You know how anxious Liang Shining is about you. You shouldn't hide this from him.'

The smile at Ying Huai's lips gradually faded.

He was quiet for a few seconds, then sighed silently: 'What if... I don't want to tell him.'

Song Si Lan glanced at him, and a trace of helplessness flickered across his expression.

'Then I'm sorry, I won't agree to you getting this cortisone shot.'

'I won't take the initiative to tell him, nor will I mention the condition of your throat to him.'

Song Si Lan looked up at Ying Huai: 'The choice is entirely in your hands.'

The surroundings fell quiet for a moment. Ying Huai unconsciously rubbed the blister pack of pills in his hand, and after a while finally spoke softly.

'...I'll think about it.'

Song Si Lan silently breathed a sigh of relief.

'Fine, then I'll go write up your prescription first. Use your voice less over the next couple of days. I'll come find you tonight to discuss the specifics.'

Ying Huai didn't say anything, and his expression seemed to have returned to its usual ease.

He followed Song Si Lan slowly outside.

But after only two steps, he suddenly frowned, pressed his brow, and took a light breath.

But very quickly, his expression seemed to settle again, and he continued to follow Song Si Lan at a leisurely pace.

Song Si Lan was mentally calculating various treatment plans and didn't notice this.

He walked forward two steps, then suddenly thought of something and turned to look at Ying Huai: 'Take these lozenges first, they can help when you're uncomfortable. Oh right, Yu Wu said the recent treatment time can be adjusted to...'

He spoke while stuffing several boxes of medicine into Ying Huai's hands.

Lost in thought, Ying Huai hesitated for a moment before reacting and reaching out to catch the medicine boxes Song Si Lan had pushed at him.

Song Si Lan was startled by the cold temperature of his fingertips.

He frowned: 'Are you cold?'

A few seconds after he asked, Ying Huai seemed to finally register the question and shook his head slightly: '...No, I probably just washed my hands.'

This was obviously a clumsy excuse. Song Si Lan frowned, but Ying Huai had already walked straight ahead.

'I should go check on Xin Wan's group too. If I don't go back, they'll come looking for me in a bit...'

His voice suddenly cut off. Song Si Lan was still thinking about that earlier oddity and only realized after walking a few steps that Ying Huai had gone silent.

'Hm? What did you just say—'

He spoke as he turned his head, but his expression suddenly froze.

At some point Ying Huai had fallen a few steps behind, supporting himself against the nearby wall with one hand, his body slightly hunched, his head lowered so his expression couldn't be seen.

Song Si Lan immediately stepped forward: 'What's wrong? Where does it hurt—'

Ying Huai heard Song Si Lan's words and instinctively raised his head.

His gaze was a bit unfocused. After a few seconds of reaction, he shook his head slightly: '...It's nothing.'

Song Si Lan frowned.

He reached out to support him, but saw Ying Huai change the subject first: 'What did you just say?'

Song Si Lan didn't answer. He continued to stare at the person in front of him: 'What just happened to you?'

Ying Huai paused.

After a few seconds, he raised his eyes somewhat helplessly: 'I just stood too long and my foot went numb... I'm really fine.'

He spoke as he extended his hand: 'If you don't believe me, check.'

A trace of suspicion flashed across Song Si Lan's expression.

He reached out and pressed Ying Huai's wrist. The pulse was steady, and there was indeed nothing abnormal.

'...If you're fine then go back and rest. Why bother with those people?' Song Si Lan released Ying Huai's wrist and spoke irritably.

Ying Huai laughed despite himself: 'I don't want to bother... but they're performing with me.'

Song Si Lan glanced at him, gestured for him to walk ahead, and followed behind him.

'Then go lie down on the bed and let them practice next to you.'

Ying Huai: ?

He couldn't hold it in and laughed outright: 'Don't you think that scene would be a bit strange?'

Song Si Lan thought for a few seconds, then gave a soft 'tch': 'Seems like it, a bit.'

'Then let them go practice on their own and record it for you to listen to...'

'Forget it. It's only the last few days, I can spare that little bit of time.'

Ying Huai stood at the door of the rest room and gave Song Si Lan a good-natured smile: 'I'll go back to rest as soon as I'm done, alright?'

Song Si Lan: ...?

—He was used to Ying Huai talking nonsense with him, and rarely saw him this obedient.

His brain couldn't process it for a moment, and he nodded instinctively.

The next second, he watched a smile instantly curve at Ying Huai's lips.

Song Si Lan: ?

He immediately realized Ying Huai had probably done it on purpose, but the door clicked softly and the person in front of him was already gone.

Song Si Lan: ......

—He should have known long ago that human nature doesn't change.

He took a deep breath, opened his phone, and for once took the initiative to dial Yu Wu's number.

·

Ying Huai closed the door and instantly exhaled.

A wave of dizziness struck. Ying Huai's body swayed uncontrollably, and he took a step back, bumping into the door with a thud.

The dull pain in his back brought him back to his senses somewhat. Ying Huai exhaled and pinched hard at his brow.

His earlier claim about going to find Xin Wan was half because he really wanted to help them practice together, and half to keep Song Si Lan from noticing anything off.

But now Ying Huai was truly starting to hesitate about whether to change the time of the joint practice.

—After all, he was genuinely worried he wouldn't last until the joint practice ended.

Ying Huai was still hesitating when, the next second, a panicked voice came from in front of him.

'Are you okay, little shidi?'

Ying Huai's movements froze.

He instinctively lowered his hand and met Xin Wan's worried gaze.

'Why is your face so pale? Is your heart uncomfortable? Should you go back and rest for a bit?'

Ying Huai paused.

Meeting Xin Wan's worried expression, the words he'd been about to say about going back to rest were swallowed back down.

Leaving now would almost confirm the fact that he was 'unwell.'

Ying Huai was certain that the moment he turned around, Xin Wan would immediately make it known to everyone.

And his having met Song Si Lan alone would definitely be discovered by Liang Shining.

Ying Huai took a deep breath and forced himself to perk up.

—Just one song. As soon as he finished, he'd go straight back to rest. No one would notice anything off.

He shook his head and curved his lips slightly at Xin Wan.

'I'm fine.'

He took a deep breath, straightened up, and stepped inside first.

'You should have already practiced well, you don't need me to teach you step by step, right?'

He spoke unhurriedly, his expression seeming to return to its usual nonchalance: 'The shixiongs have practiced with me so many times before, you must know my standards.'

Xin Wan didn't notice anything off in Ying Huai's expression. His own expression instantly sharpened.

'Of course—wait for us, little shidi. We definitely won't let you down!'

A few minutes later, Ying Huai sat cross-legged in the center of the practice room and looked up with a half-smile. 'So this is what you meant by—not letting me down?'

Xin Wan, Su Xin, and Lu Jing stood in a row before him with their heads lowered, looking visibly ill at ease.

All three averaged over 1.8 meters in height, yet now they huddled together in a sorry clump, not daring to lift their heads like a row of quail.

Ying Huai pressed his brow and sighed helplessly.

Taken individually, each of their own parts had been practiced fairly well—at least meeting passing standards.

But together—it was nothing short of a disaster.

This song was a pure standing performance with no particularly eye-catching choreography, so it tested their vocal abilities all the more.

Xin Wan's timbre was a clear, bright voice; Su Xin's tone leaned cooler; and Lu Jing's pitch was the lowest of the three.

Blended well, it became their own unique character; blended poorly, it was like severely dissonant intervals...four people, four songs, their voices fighting each other.

Before debuting, their daily task had been vocal practice, and with Ying Huai constantly drilling them on tone, the problem hadn't been obvious.

But five years had passed now, and aside from Su Xin's situation being slightly better, Xin Wan and Lu Jing could be said to have...returned to square one overnight.

Ying Huai had listened to one full run-through and been instantly snapped awake.

He covered his mouth and coughed lightly before speaking in a low voice: 'Did you just run through it together?'

Su Xin and Lu Jing silently shook their heads. Xin Wan beside them said quietly: 'We ran through it once. We hadn't gotten to the details yet.'

Ying Huai gave a soft laugh. 'Good. At least you didn't need me to teach you step by step. That's progress.'

'Shidi, how about I take them both to practice a bit more, then come back to you to blend together?' Su Xin beside them flushed and spoke up first.

He was after all the only professionally trained one of the three, and listening to their trio just now had been a bit unbearable.

Ying Huai shook his head. 'Forget it. I'll join you. It'll be faster that way. Tomorrow's the dress rehearsal and there's no time.'

He braced himself against the wall to stand, subtly steadying the dizziness before his eyes, then sat down at the piano.

'I'll accompany you. Practice it section by section.'

Xin Wan blinked. 'Aren't you going to blend with us, little shidi?'

Ying Huai's movements paused slightly.

A beat later, he spoke as if nothing were amiss: 'No need. I know your timbres well enough—I can blend directly when the time comes. Listening from the side while I accompany makes it easier to catch the details.'

Xin Wan nodded in sudden understanding. Su Xin beside him frowned and glanced up at Ying Huai, only to see that Ying Huai had already turned away.

Su Xin could only swallow the faint oddity in his heart back down.

·

It had to be said, Ying Huai's vocal abilities were beyond doubt. After just a few run-throughs, their pitches and timbres were already far more harmonious.

Only, for some unknown reason, Ying Huai barely spoke for most of the session, only chiming in at key points before letting them run through it again and again—remarkably...succinct.

'Lu-shixiong's voice needs to stand out more in this section. His pitch is low, so he can anchor the base. And Xin-shixiong, your diction here needs adjustment too...'

Ying Huai got halfway through and couldn't help turning aside to cough a few times.

Xin Wan beside him could hold back no longer. He stepped forward and pressed a thermos into Ying Huai's hand.

'Rest for a bit, little shidi. I've been hearing you cough nonstop. We've smoothed things out enough—let's practice on our own following what you said.'

Ying Huai blinked.

His mind was too tired to think straight at this point. After a few seconds of blankness, he instinctively shook his head: 'No need. I just choked earlier. While you've still got the feel, let me take you through it a few more times...'

'But from the start until now, you've coughed no less than ten times, Xiao Huai.'

Lu Jing, who had been silent beside them, suddenly spoke: 'You didn't just choke. You need rest.'

Ying Huai: ?

He was caught between laughter and tears for a moment: 'Shixiong, were you secretly counting...?'

'He's the quiet type, didn't you know, little shidi?—Alright, stop talking. Sit and rest properly, or I'll just take you back to your room.'

Xin Wan forcibly pulled him up from the piano.

Ying Huai's mind couldn't keep up. He stumbled along passively for a few steps before Xin Wan pushed him down onto the sofa beside the piano.

He opened his mouth to argue, but immediately felt another wave of exhaustion he couldn't fight off.

Ying Huai frowned slightly and instinctively lowered his eyes.

By the time he came back to himself, Xin Wan had already draped a blanket over him.

Ying Huai laughed helplessly.

Fortunately the song really had been practiced enough. Ying Huai sighed and finally let himself close his eyes, curling up under the blanket.

He'd only meant to close his eyes for a moment of rest, but the moment they shut, he seemed to lose consciousness entirely.

When awareness returned, he heard Xin Wan's deliberately lowered voice from beside him.

'Go upstairs and sleep, little shidi. It's a bit cold here—don't catch a chill.'

Ying Huai opened his eyes in a daze.

His gaze was still unfocused. He frowned slightly and said quietly: '...Are you done practicing?'

Xin Wan blinked, then said with a hint of amusement: 'We're done. You've been asleep for almost half an hour. Don't you remember, little shidi?'

Ying Huai blinked.

In his memory, he'd only closed his eyes for a moment—he had no idea he'd slept so long.

But instead of feeling refreshed from rest, his head felt even foggier, and his eyelids could barely stay up.

Seeing that the person before him still looked dazed, Xin Wan assumed he hadn't fully woken yet, and felt both amused and a pang of heartache.

He reached out to help him up: 'We've practiced enough. We'll let you listen again tomorrow. Let me take you back to your room to sleep, little shidi. I'll help you up first so you can shake off the drowsiness...'

Ying Huai said nothing, passively letting himself be helped to his feet. His body swayed slightly, his head hanging weakly.

He followed Xin Wan forward two steps, then suddenly went limp.

Xin Wan was startled.

He scrambled to catch him. 'What's wrong, little shidi?'

But Ying Huai didn't answer.

He hadn't lost consciousness yet. His eyelids drooped half-shut, but there was no focus in his gaze.

He only felt exhausted, wanting to pass out immediately, but the last shred of awareness told him he couldn't fall asleep here.

Ying Huai could feel his body going limp. He drew a strained breath and tried to reach for something nearby to steady himself.

The next second, a jarring piano note rang in his ears, and Ying Huai's heart skipped a beat.

His chest tightened instantly, and the strength he'd just gathered vanished.

Amid the chaos, one last absurd thought flashed through Ying Huai's mind.

—Dissonant intervals really are...terrible to hear.

Not far away, Lu Jing and Su Xin only heard Xin Wan's panicked shout.

Then came the dull thud of something heavy hitting the floor.

·

'Cough, cough, cough, cough...'

When Ying Huai regained consciousness, it was the tightness in his chest that woke him.

One hand unconsciously clutched at his collar as he curled in on himself. The next moment, he felt a hand steady itself at his waist and half-lift him up.

The tightness in his chest eased at once. Ying Huai braced himself and coughed for a long while before his awareness gradually sharpened.

Beneath his palm came a familiar soft texture. After a few seconds, Ying Huai realized he was back in his own room.

His heart skipped a beat.

He turned instinctively and met Liang Shi Ning's calm, unreadable gaze.

Ying Huai opened his mouth soundlessly.

Liang Shi Ning looked at him without speaking, then helped him lean slowly against the headboard, withdrawing the hand that had been supporting him bit by bit.

Ying Huai instinctively reached out and grabbed him.

Liang Shi Ning said nothing, only quietly raising his eyes to look at him.

Ying Huai's eyes flickered. After a long moment, he finally let out a soft sigh: 'You know everything?'

His body was still weak, and sitting like this he couldn't hold himself up. He swayed involuntarily, only to be caught by Liang Shi Ning.

'Know what?'

Liang Shi Ning lowered his eyes to look at the person before him.

'Know that Shifu fainted twice in one day, and told everyone to keep it from me?'

Liang Shi Ning's tone was even: 'If that's what you mean—yes, I know.'

Ying Huai's eyes curved with a hint of awkwardness.

A flicker of guilt crossed his face, but inwardly he let out a silent breath of relief.

—Good. Song Si Lan really did keep his word—he hadn't told Liang Shi Ning about the cortisone shot.

Ying Huai's heart settled.

He thought for a few seconds, then said lightly: 'Where would I have gone around telling people to hide things from you? It's nothing serious. Maybe I was just a bit tired today. Look, my body's fine, isn't it...'

'I know Shifu's body has no major issues. Song Si Lan just finished examining him.'

Liang Shi Ning calmly cut off Ying Huai's words.

He looked up at the person before him: 'But this way... I'm actually more scared, Ying Huai.'

Ying Huai's eyes flickered. He immediately knew he couldn't hide it any longer.

Sure enough, the next second, he heard Liang Shi Ning lower his voice and speak word by word.

'What's actually wrong with your body, Ying Huai?'

His voice seemed to slow, but there was still a tightly restrained tension in his tone.

The room went quiet for a moment. Ying Huai lowered his eyes and, after a long pause, let out a soft sigh.

'...I'm not sure either.'

He watched Liang Shi Ning's brow furrow again, and gave his fingertips a light squeeze: 'I'm not lying to you. I don't have any particular discomfort or palpitations. I'm just...'

Ying Huai's throat moved slightly, and he stopped himself.

After a few seconds, he said casually: 'I'm simply... feeling tired.'

This exhaustion clung to his bones like maggots, making him want to fall into a deep sleep every moment.

He clearly knew he still had many things unfinished and couldn't rest, but at some point he couldn't control his growing inability to feel interested in anything around him...

Even though he could barely restrain it before, recently this exhaustion had become increasingly impossible to ignore.

Liang Shi Ning's expression paused.

He seemed to realize something, and his expression gradually darkened.

He said quietly: 'Does Shifu remember when it started?'

Ying Huai seemed about to say something, but after hesitating for a few seconds, he slightly shook his head.

'I can't remember clearly.'

Liang Shi Ning's fingers at his side suddenly clenched.

Ying Huai didn't seem to notice the change in his emotions.

He lowered his eyes to compose himself for a few seconds, and when he looked up again, he had already recovered his usual smiling expression: 'It's nothing. Maybe there have just been too many things lately, and I'm a bit overwhelmed. It'll be fine once I get through this stretch.'

Liang Shi Ning said nothing.

He gently held Ying Huai's slightly cold fingers, watched the drowsiness surface again on the person before him, and said quietly: 'Does Shifu want to sleep a little more?'

'...Hm?'

Ying Huai's eyelashes trembled, and he groggily opened his eyes.

It took him a few seconds to register what Liang Shi Ning had said. With a hint of apology, he rubbed his brow: 'I dozed off again just now, didn't I? Sorry, I didn't notice. I won't sleep yet. I'll stay up and chat with you a bit longer...'

Before he finished speaking, the next moment, he felt his vision suddenly go black.

Immediately after, a warm sensation slowly enveloped his eyes.

Ying Huai was stunned for a moment.

'It's alright. If Shifu wants to sleep, then sleep. I'll be here with Shifu.'

Liang Shi Ning said quietly: 'Don't worry about anything else... I'll wake Shifu up.'

Ying Huai's body trembled uncontrollably.

His fingers under the blanket suddenly clenched.

These past few days, Ying Huai's heart had been full of uncontrollable panic.

He didn't know what was happening to his body.

He worried that his waking hours would grow shorter and shorter, that one day he would simply fall asleep and never wake up again.

—So he instinctively hid it from everyone, wanting to find the reason himself.

But when Liang Shi Ning actually discovered it, Ying Huai couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

He hadn't told Liang Shi Ning the specific reasons he was hiding, but Liang Shi Ning's reaction just now had casually laid it all bare.

—As if he finally knew that if he fell into a deep sea, someone would firmly reach out and hold him up as he kept sinking.

Ying Huai's heart involuntarily relaxed.

Almost at the same moment, his consciousness instantly plunged into deep darkness.

Liang Shi Ning held the person leaning against him and said nothing for a long while.

After a few seconds, he finally moved, gently helping Ying Huai lean back onto the bed, and hurried toward the door.

The moment the door closed, Liang Shi Ning quickly dialed Yu Wu's number.

'Doctor Yu, do you have time these next two days?'

Liang Shi Ning said in a trembling voice: 'Could you... come over as soon as possible.'

·

The rehearsals over the next two days were all completed smoothly under Ying Huai's 'supervision.'

The Concert was set for five days later. After that conversation with Liang Shi Ning, although Ying Huai still had episodes of drowsiness, it had noticeably improved.

Liang Shi Ning had mentioned to Ying Huai about having Yu Wu come over these two days, but was unexpectedly refused by Ying Huai.

'I've been too busy practicing songs lately. Let's wait until after the Concert.'

Ying Huai leaned against Liang Shi Ning, casually flipping through sheet music, and replied offhandedly.

Liang Shi Ning frowned. 'But...'

'And besides, haven't I been fine lately? What would I need Doctor Yu for?' Ying Huai turned his head, slightly curious.

Liang Shi Ning paused.

He stared at Ying Huai for a few seconds, but in the end said nothing.

'It's nothing.'

Liang Shi Ning brushed aside the stray hairs on the person's forehead and said quietly: 'Shifu really has been... doing fine.'

Two days before the Concert, Liang Mu and Liang's father arrived early as family.

Ying Huai happened to be working on a song with Xin Wan and the others at the time. Liang Shi Ning sent him a message and went out to receive them himself.

He didn't expect that the moment Liang Mu saw him, she came running straight over.

'Xiao Ning, help me figure out how to exit this. I was originally going to post on Weibo in your super topic, but it linked me to another super topic instead. There are photos of you guys in there, but they seem a bit strange...'

Liang Shi Ning was startled by the words 'Weibo' and 'super topic' coming from Liang Mu.

Liang Mu had always been clueless about electronic devices. Although she had previously downloaded Weibo to watch their shows, she had only ever used it to repost and like things about him and Ying Huai.

Before Liang Shi Ning could ask in detail, Liang Mu had already shoved her phone into his hand: 'Help me with this. I'm going to the door to get the things we brought you. Your dad still needs to find a parking spot...'

Before Liang Shi Ning could say anything, Liang Mu had already run out in her stilettos with a 'click-clack-click.'

A flash of helplessness crossed Liang Shi Ning's expression.

He lowered his head to exit the super topic Liang Mu had accidentally clicked into, but his expression instantly turned strange.

—The super topic name on the screen prominently displayed the two characters 'Shihuai.'

As if afraid people who clicked in wouldn't understand, there was a small line of text underneath reading 'Liang Shi Ning x Ying Huai.'

Liang Shi Ning's fingers instantly trembled.

He knew in his heart he should quickly exit, but his fingers uncontrollably tapped into the first video.

The next second, Liang Shi Ning's pupils instantly contracted.

It appeared to be a clip from their Variety Show. When he had watched it originally, it had seemed perfectly normal, but now with the BGM added and the editing, the entire atmosphere instantly became... strange and ambiguous.

Liang Shi Ning froze completely on the spot.

He frantically tried to exit, but the next second, he heard Xin Wan's voice suddenly come from behind.

'Why are you here, Liang Shi Ning?' Xin Wan walked over curiously. 'Little Shidi can't get away right now, so he sent me to help. Where are Uncle and Aunt?'

Liang Shi Ning's fingers trembled uncontrollably.

He instinctively wanted to lock the screen, but in his panic, he tapped the volume button beside it.

The next second, the sound from the video instantly filled the entire room.

'What's this? What video are you watching? The music's pretty nice...'

Xin Wan leaned over curiously, and the moment she saw the screen, her expression changed.

'What is this? What are you watching—'

Liang Shi Ning was about to lose his mind.

'No, wait a second...'

He frantically tried to turn the volume down, but when he looked up, his expression froze.

Ying Huai had somehow appeared at the door and was hurrying toward them.

He looked at the two of them curiously: 'What are you two doing?'

Liang Shi Ning: ........

—He experienced for the first time what it meant for misfortunes never to come alone.