Fei Ni noticed the house was so warm, yet the number of coal briquettes hadn't decreased much.
"If I'm not home, do you just freeze here?"
Fang Muyang smiled. "Do I seem that frugal to you?" He wasn't a frugal person, but he spent most days outside, only warming up the house when she returned.
"Why are there still so many coal briquettes left?"
Fang Muyang couldn't lie and say he'd bought more - every purchase was clearly recorded in their coal ration book.
"You know I'm not afraid of the cold, only the heat."
Fei Ni pinched Fang Muyang's clothes. "Can't you be more careful when washing clothes?" Cotton-padded clothes couldn't withstand such rough washing - they'd lose their warmth after a few washes. She gave Fang Muyang money and cloth tickets to get a new cotton-padded jacket.
With half a month left until the college entrance exams, many people had taken leave to study at home, but Fei Ni still insisted on going to the factory every day. Though she didn't particularly like her job, after all, her salary and first home came from working at the hat factory, she felt she owed it to her work. Many workshop colleagues had taken study leave, and if she took leave too, others would have to work overtime to meet production quotas.
Fang Muyang only studied at night, spending most of his time painting. He went outside for plein air painting, staying in temperatures below minus ten degrees Celsius without catching a cold or fever.
When only one week remained until the exams, Sister Liu, understanding Fei Ni's situation, approached the workshop supervisor and asked him to approve Fei Ni's leave. Fei Ni was granted leave without even writing an application, but she insisted on working until the end of her shift. As soon as work ended, she rushed to the cafeteria to get vegetable dishes and vegetarian meatballs, buying enough to share with Fang Muyang. Fei Ni's appetite was noticeably worse than before - she only ate a few bites before saying she was full.
Fang Muyang noticed Fei Ni was unwell. He pressed his palm against her forehead, then touched his forehead to hers. Putting down his chopsticks, he rummaged through a drawer for a thermometer and asked her to take her temperature.
Sure enough, she had a fever - 38.5°C.
Fang Muyang gave Fei Ni fever-reducing medicine and made her some brown sugar water.
Fei Ni held the brown sugar water, her eyelids drooping. Fang Muyang realized she was truly ill - the brightness in her eyes had dimmed somewhat.
Fang Muyang filled a hot water bottle for Fei Ni, had her hold it, and gently stroked her ears. "You'll feel better after some sleep."
Fei Ni went to bed much earlier than usual that day. Fang Muyang also went to bed early, holding her through the quilt with his forehead against hers, acting as a human thermometer.
The next day, Fang Muyang woke very early. His forehead detected that Fei Ni's fever hadn't subsided. Normally Fei Ni would want to study immediately upon waking, but today she only felt a headache.
Her first words to Fang Muyang were: "I've caught a cold. Stay away from me so you don't get infected."
"I'm not that fragile."
"If you really get infected, it'll be too late." The college entrance exams were approaching, and Fang Muyang's foundation was already weak - he couldn't afford any setbacks. Though he could retake the exams next year, if he failed because of her, how could she ever forgive herself?
Fang Muyang completely dismissed her concerns. He took her temperature again - still over 38°C.
Fang Muyang comforted Fei Ni: "It's alright, I'll take you to the hospital soon. Some medicine will fix you up."
"I'll take the bus by myself. You stay home and study." Fei Ni found her thick gauze mask and put it on, covering her entire face.
"I'd like to get some fresh air too."Fang Muyang prepared powdered milk and boiled eggs for Fei Ni, then added an extra layer with a scarf over her face mask, wrapping her face so thoroughly that only her eyes were visible.
Fei Ni sat on the back seat of Fang Muyang’s bicycle, too weak to hold herself up, so she rested her head against his back.
"If you're cold, hold on a little tighter."
Fei Ni had a fever, a headache, and no appetite, and the area around her ears was slightly swollen. Based on her symptoms, the doctor preliminarily diagnosed her with mumps.
"Isn’t that a children’s illness?" she asked. Back in elementary school, kids often stayed home from class because they had mumps.
The doctor explained to Fei Ni that adults could also get mumps.
After leaving the examination room, Fei Ni immediately wrapped her entire face with the scarf, leaving only her eyes exposed. She asked Fang Muyang, "Have you ever had mumps before?"
"Yes, I have." If he hadn’t, there would be a risk of infection—though the probability was practically zero for him, Fei Ni wouldn’t believe that.
"When did you have it?"
Fang Muyang said casually, "Probably in elementary school."
"You’re just teasing me. You definitely didn’t have it in elementary school."
"How do you know?"
"We were classmates—how could I not know?"
"You paid that much attention to me back then? You even remembered something like that for me."
"I just remember who had it." She simply had a good memory and had ruled Fang Muyang out through process of elimination, not because she was particularly focused on him.
"Who?"
"Even if I told you, you wouldn’t remember. Stay away from me—this is contagious."
"I’m an adult now—how could I possibly get infected?" His physical condition was also better than most. Since childhood, aside from that one accident, he had never been hospitalized. Every time he came to the hospital, it was to visit others. Fei Ni getting this illness as an adult was probably due to recent exhaustion, stress, and weakened immunity.
"Better safe than sorry." Fei Ni quickly made up her mind. "I’ll take the bus back later. Don’t worry about me—I’m fine and not feeling uncomfortable anymore. You should go pack and stay at your parents’ place until the college entrance exams are over. Let’s not see each other these next few days."
With his current level, he might not even pass the exam if he were fully alert, let alone if he got sick and feverish. After all his efforts, if he failed, it shouldn’t be because of her.
To eliminate that possibility, Fang Muyang had to stay away from her. And there was a perfect place for him to go—his parents’ home.
No matter how warm their small courtyard was, it couldn’t compare to a centrally heated apartment. He’d have meals ready for him, and if he ran into problems while studying, he could ask his parents for help. Going back to his parents’ home to prepare for the exams was nothing but beneficial. As for her, she could manage on her own in the small courtyard for a few days.
"What kind of person do you take me for? You’re sick—I’m not going to leave you alone. Besides, this is no different from a common cold. You don’t need to worry so much."
"Didn’t you always say you’d listen to me? For both our sakes, just go home for a few days."
"I’ll listen to you in everything except this." Whenever he didn’t want to do something, he’d say, "except this," and promise to fulfill her other wishes. Fei Ni had lost count of how many "exceptions" there were.
"Then stay at least three meters away from me."
Fei Ni walked a few steps, but Fang Muyang caught up with her again. "I want to listen to you, but my legs just won’t obey."So the two of them walked side by side again. When she quickened her pace, he did too; when she slowed down, he matched her. Fang Muyang accompanied Fei Ni as she applied the topical medication and picked up the oral prescriptions.
Once outside the hospital, Fei Ni could no longer hold back. "Why are you like this? If I end up infecting you and it affects your college entrance exam, how guilty would I feel?" Her voice hadn’t weakened from the illness—each word carried force.
Her weakness showed in her eyes.
"You’re covered up so thoroughly, there’s no way you could infect anyone, especially not an adult like me." Fei Ni had layered a thick scarf over her face mask, and Fang Muyang couldn’t make out her expression—only her eyes. She had been looking forward to the college entrance exam for so many years, yet just when everything was ready, she had suddenly fallen ill. It wasn’t a serious sickness, but the timing couldn’t have been worse, shattering the good mood she had maintained for days.
Fang Muyang reached out to touch Fei Ni’s head, but she dodged his hand. If Fang Muyang didn’t move out, the two of them would be eating, living, and sleeping together 24 hours a day, undoubtedly increasing the risk of transmission. The college entrance exam was just around the corner, and she didn’t want him to take that risk, no matter how small the chance.
"Stay away from me," Fei Ni said to Fang Muyang. "If you were the one sick right now, wouldn’t you want me to go study alone at your parents’ house?" She was certain Fang Muyang would make the same choice she had.
"Of course not. I’d want you to stay home and take care of me. Even if you tried to leave me, I’d follow you wherever you went."
"You never say a single truthful word." Fei Ni smiled helplessly. Just when she was filled with hope for the future, something like this had to come along and disturb her peace of mind. But she absolutely wouldn’t let this minor issue affect her performance in the college entrance exam.
"Don’t worry about me. I know for sure I’ll get in. Do you believe me?" Fei Ni hadn’t lost her confidence—she believed she could still pass the exam even if she had to take it with a fever. As she spoke, her eyes shone brightly, the light in them undimmed by the sudden illness.
"I believe you."
"Since you believe I can take care of myself, why don’t you move to your parents’ house for the next few days?" She was sick—not only could she not help Fang Muyang with his studies, but he would have to take care of her. Under normal circumstances, she might have accepted that without a second thought, but the college entrance exam was too important.
This time, Fang Muyang didn’t say, "If I move out, who will boil water for you? Who will take care of you?" Instead, he replied, "If I move there, I won’t be in the right frame of mind to study at all."
"If you have questions, you can ask your parents. They know far more than I do."
"That’s exactly the problem. They know too much. If I go to them with questions, they’ll just wonder how I could possibly not understand such simple things and look down on me for not being smart enough." Fang Muyang continued to throw his parents under the bus. "They’re patient with you not because you’re their daughter-in-law, but because you’re smart enough."
Fei Ni didn’t entirely believe him. "If you really went to them with questions, would they really ignore you?"
"But I wouldn’t understand what they’re saying either. My knowledge base is completely outside their realm of understanding. When it comes to exam topics, they can communicate with you, and you and I can communicate—but there’s no communication between me and them. It’s only recently, with you helping me review, that I’ve started to find some joy in studying. If they discourage me a couple of times, I might not even want to take the college entrance exam at all. Besides, even if I wanted to leave you behind and go to my parents’ house, if the old man saw me abandoning you over something so trivial, he’d probably kick me out anyway."Fei Ni was no longer as resolute as before. "But if we stay together, I won't be able to help you review like I used to."
"Having you by my side is enough to let me study in peace." If he omitted the words "study," that would be Fang Muyang's true feelings.
Fang Muyang seized the moment to take Fei Ni's hand. "Ni, let's not dwell on this anymore. If others found out, they'd surely laugh at us for being so provincial—treating a minor illness like a cold as if it were some terminal disease."
Unable to persuade Fang Muyang to move to his parents' house alone, Fei Ni could only be cautious in other ways. "When we get back, we'll use separate tableware and towels."
Fang Muyang agreed readily. He placed a cushion on the back seat of his bicycle and urged Fei Ni to sit quickly. The medicinal compress was on Fei Ni's right ear, and Fang Muyang carefully examined her face. "You really have gained a little weight."
Once home, Fang Muyang gathered all of Fei Ni's review materials. "You've studied enough already. What you need most now is to relax."
He took out the camera his second sister had given them and snapped a photo of Fei Ni with the compress on her ear.
"This look actually suits me quite well. Usually, I always feel like I'm not good enough for you."
"Stop your nonsense." Fei Ni warned Fang Muyang, "Don't you dare develop this photo."
"Actually, you still look quite pretty now. A little swelling makes you seem more approachable. I like it when you're gentle with me."
Fang Muyang took several more photos of Fei Ni in succession.
Fei Ni was both annoyed and amused, and the discomfort and anxiety from her illness lessened by half. She said to Fang Muyang, "Stop fooling around and go study."
He turned on the radio, placed a hot water bottle under her blanket, and had her lie down to listen.
"There might even be exam-related content on the radio. Consider it part of your review." He tucked the blanket snugly around Fei Ni and said, "I'll be back soon. Just lie here."
"Where are you going?"
"To get myself some better food. You stay in bed and rest." Fang Muyang warned her, "If I catch you secretly reading, I'll take it as permission to kiss you. You know I can't resist when you take the initiative—sick or not, I won't hold back."
Of course, Fei Ni couldn't let Fang Muyang kiss her. She even wore a thick gauze mask when talking to him, afraid of passing on her illness.
"Once I'm gone, you can take off the mask." Fang Muyang handed the camera to Fei Ni. "If you don't want to sleep, you can take some photos. After the college entrance exams, I'll develop them for you."
Heeding Fang Muyang's warning, Fei Ni resisted the urge to study. She lay in bed listening to the radio and eventually fell asleep.
In her sleep, Fei Ni had removed her mask.
Fang Muyang's finger hadn't even touched her face when she woke up. Seeing he had returned, she quickly put her mask back on.
"Is it really that serious? Only children are afraid of catching a cold."
"It's just for a few days."
Fang Muyang had returned with a pile of canned goods.
He pulled a chair over to Fei Ni's bedside. "Take off your mask and have some canned fruit."
"You eat it. I have no appetite."
"Exactly because you have no appetite, I bought these for you."
Fang Muyang opened a can of pineapple.
"I can't eat this much. Go get a bowl." Since they couldn't share from the same can now, they had to eat separately.
"I don't like pineapple." Fang Muyang opened the can, placed it on the bedside table, and returned to his desk to review his materials, as if it were something he'd always done.Fei Ni picked up the camera and captured the moment Fang Muyang was sitting at his desk reviewing his studies.
For most of the following days, Fang Muyang maintained the same posture as in the photo. He no longer went out to paint but stayed at home, devoting himself to studying.
Author's Note: Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or supported me with donations between 2021-10-24 00:00:35 and 2021-10-24 21:52:20~
Special thanks to: Winter Rose for throwing a shallow water bomb;
A Liang Huhu for throwing a hand grenade;
Sabraps (2), Dadada, Lynitee for throwing landmines;
And thank you for the donations: Telunsu (94 bottles), Deep Sea Fish (65 bottles), Eat Sleep Play Games (30 bottles), Huangbao Shaonian Da, I Am a Beautiful Turtle, 35296556, Cloud, Yofun (20 bottles), Deep Space Gray, VV (18 bottles), Casual Is Fine, Sur, Ice on the Moon (10 bottles), Pear Blossom Unopened (7 bottles), Dada, Qi Bao, Scarlett, Qian Su, Lin Yiyi (5 bottles), Mother Reading a Book (4 bottles), Fu Chai Ren, Miao Miao Er, Wei Wei, 70th Third Girl (2 bottles), Mu Mu Er, Almond Baby, Two Cats One Dog, Gege Wu, Lily, Lighter, 25961642, Little Rabbit, Supper Classmate (1 bottle);
Thank you all very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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