59 – Just Platonic Friends

Episode 59: Just a Friend

Xie Qingcheng returned to the dormitory.

The moment he stepped into the room, having reached his limit, he squeezed out the last of his strength to rush to the bathroom. He gripped the sink and retched violently.

The mistake had been forcing himself to endure after gulping down strong alcohol mixed with medication. He had remained as rigid as a javelin, refusing to bend his back once, not only in front of others but even before He Yu.

He had endured it with the single-minded determination that he could not afford to be further humiliated after already losing face in front of He Yu. Now that he was alone, Xie Qingcheng finally curled up and vomited violently. He looked as if he were about to heave up his own gallbladder. A dull ringing echoed in his ears. His vision flickered and dimmed, as if a black veil had descended.

No.

I have to hold on.

First, I need to take my medicine…

Xie Qingcheng repeatedly practiced self-suggestion while washing his face under the gushing faucet. However, his consciousness resolutely drifted away, ignoring his pleas.

Eventually, Xie Qingcheng swayed weakly and collapsed in front of the sink.

Before losing consciousness, he vaguely saw the dormitory door open. Chen Man, who had entered using the key he received from Xie Xue, looked around the room and discovered Xie Qingcheng collapsed on the cold tile floor.

“Qingcheng-hyung!”

Amidst his fading consciousness, Xie Qingcheng heard Chen Man’s voice and struggled to pull himself up. He had to keep up the act of being fine.

But not only had the strength left his limbs, his eyelids had now become heavy. Black shadows danced across his retinas. He felt a startled Chen Man rush over and kneel to check on him.

And so, Xie Qingcheng drifted into unconsciousness.

* * *

By the time he woke up, a long time had already passed.

He was lying in a single-person mobile hospital bed, covered by a white blanket embossed with the hospital logo. An IV needle was inserted into the back of his hand; perhaps the drip rate had been set too fast, as he felt nauseous. Even if he wanted to move, the most he could manage was a slight twitch of his fingers on the blanket.

“…”

“Qingcheng-hyung.”

As he woke, Chen Man, who was beside him, started and urgently grabbed his hand, asking, “Hyung, are you okay? Is anything uncomfortable? Does it still hurt?”

“…I’m fine. How did you get here…?”

“I was worried about you, so I got the key from Xie Xue and followed you back to the dorm. But you were passed out. When we got to the hospital and took your temperature, it was 39.8 degrees. The doctor said it was an inflammatory high fever and that it could have been serious if we’d been any later.”

Chen Man’s eyes reddened like a rabbit’s.

“Why didn’t you say anything? Why… just…”

Xie Qingcheng’s consciousness gradually flowed back into his body.

He closed his eyes, steadied his breath, and slowly turned his head. His arm was outside the blanket. A wound from a shard of a liquor bottle was visible on his palm, and the marks of knots from where he had been tied were vivid on his wrist.

Instinctively, he tried to hide this shameful evidence under the blanket.

However, Chen Man, who had already noticed the marks, looked at Xie Qingcheng and asked, “…Did someone hit you?”

“…”

“That video—did they lay a hand on you because of those rumors?”

Xie Qingcheng let out a small cough [Read on Read BL Novels]and countered, “…Do unauthorized copy[unauthorized copy]I look like someone who would just stand there and take a beating without fighting back?”

“Still—”

“I was in a bad mood, so I did this to myself.”

Xie Qingcheng explained in a heavily raspy voice.

“…That’s why I hid it from you guys.”

Of course, Chen Man didn’t seem to believe him at all, but Xie Qingcheng wanted to change the subject by any means necessary.

“I’m hungry. Go buy me some porridge.”

Falling for the trap, Chen Man immediately bolted from the room, only to rush back a few seconds later. In his haste, he had forgotten his phone.

Once Chen Man left, the surroundings became quiet. This was an [Read on Read BL Novels]area where emergency patients received IV fluids, with visit our siteeach bed separated by light blue curtains. The faint sound of a neighboring patient sobbing in pain reached his ears. Listening to that sound with his eyes open, he suddenly felt a surge of envy.

He had hardly cried since he was a child.

Because he had never had the right to express his emotions.

His throat felt parched and burning. His lips were dry and cracked, like a waterless desert.

After a while, the curtain was whipped open and then closed. Xie Qingcheng opened his eyes, thinking Chen Man had returned.

“Dr. Xie, it’s me.”

“…”

Contrary to his expectation, the person who entered the partition was the head of the emergency room at Huzhou First People’s Hospital.

The head was a man of a calm temperament and keen observation skills. He had held a stolen contentdifferent view from others [visit our site]regarding the Qin Ciyan incident.

Thanks to that, he felt no particular animosity toward Xie Qingcheng.

“We did some tests when you arrived at the ER,” the head said through his mask.

“…Dr. Xie, it’s fine to enjoy your nightlife, but please be careful. No matter how bad your mood is, it’s not good to relieve stress in such a violent manner.”

Xie Qingcheng’s expression instantly darkened.

“I only looked at the visible marks. I didn’t look at anything else, so please don’t misunderstand.”

“…”

Adding the explanation, the head gestured with his chin toward the entrance of the IV room.

“The person who just left—is he your boyfriend?”

“…He’s just a friend.”

Even though they hadn’t been close during his time working there, Xie Qingcheng felt a strange sense of kinship with this head doctor. Perhaps it was because of their similar aura. In the past, the two had often found they were on the same wavelength whenever they spoke. However, right now, it was difficult to manage his expression due to shame. He had no desire to explain the wounds.

Regardless, the head continued.

“Well, fine. A police officer with such violent tendencies… it might be a good idea to visit the psychiatric department.”

“…”

Feeling irritated, Xie Qingcheng finally spoke.

“I think you’ve misunderstood. The partner was a woman.”

“Ah…”

The head tilted his chin slightly as if surprised. On the other hand, his gaze remained infinitely calm. He clearly didn’t believe Xie Qingcheng’s nonsense.

“Then that woman should probably get a check-up too. There’s a limit to how barbaric one can be.”

“…I’m sorry, but could you please leave? I’d like to get some rest.”

“Alright. Get some deep sleep. You must have had a lot of troublesome things lately, so take this chance to close your eyes in peace. I’m on duty tonight, so don’t worry.”

Having finished speaking, he hugged the chart to his chest, turned around, and pulled back the curtain.

But someone was standing right there.

It was Chen Man.

Chen Man, who had returned with the porridge, had [stolen content]been standing outside the curtain and stolen contenthad overheard [unauthorized copy]half of their conversation.

His pale face, staring blankly at the head doctor, slowly flushed red up to the roots of his ears. Soon, his eyes rolled toward Xie Qingcheng, whose expression was crumpled.

This too was a coincidence. Chen Man, who had been about to enter, was flustered by the word “nightlife” he had vaguely heard and froze in place like someone who had been electrocuted. His mind went blanker than the porridge in his hand.

The head doctor scanned Chen Man’s face up and down.

“…What’s wrong?”

“…”

“…”

Chen Man remained silent, biting his lip.

Only after Xie Qingcheng cleared his throat did the stolen contenthead visit our sitedoctor release Chen Man and leave the area.

With the curtain acting as a wall between them, only Chen Man and Xie Qingcheng remained.

Chen Man took a step forward but stopped immediately. He felt as if the moment he stepped inside, he would cross some line. He was afraid he might discover a truth that would hurt him.

“Hyung, that…”

“…”

Forcing a smile, Chen Man continued, “Did you get a girlfriend?”

“…”

“Is she a new sister-in-law?”

“No.”

Irritation and awkwardness surged to the top of his head. Xie Qingcheng didn’t want to bother explaining anything. Usually, the longer one talks, the more gaps are created.

“I was in a bad mood, so I just met anyone.”

But the Xie Qingcheng that Chen Man knew was not that kind of person. Anyone else, perhaps, but Xie Qingcheng meeting just any woman to play around?

Even if every other man in the world had one-night stands, Xie Qingcheng was the exception. He was a man with a stronger sense of responsibility and more conservative values than anyone. The idea of him needlessly harming himself was even more unthinkable.

Seeing Chen Man’s expression full of distrust, Xie Qingcheng felt a surge of anger. He craved a cigarette. Of course, his pockets were completely empty.

“How could you…”

Xie Qingcheng glanced at Chen Man. He couldn’t understand why Chen Man was so upset. Did he think his behavior was immoral? Thinking so, Xie Qingcheng replied calmly.

“I’m single right now. [unauthorized copy]I have [unauthorized copy]no wife or children, so unauthorized copythere’s nothing problematic about it.”

Placing a hand on his hot forehead, Xie Qingcheng spoke coldly.

“I told you before, didn’t I? You don’t need to think of me as someone so great. I’m just an ordinary person. I feel desires and emotions just like anyone else.”

Choking up, Chen Man looked away and sniffled.

Then, he finally entered and placed the porridge he had brought on the bedside table.

“I… I’ll just… step out for a moment,” he said.

“…Now that I think about it, I left something at the convenience store. I’ll go get it.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he left without looking back. His pace was much faster than when he had gone to buy the porridge.

Almost like someone escaping.

Having fled to the night emergency room lobby, Chen Man took a deep breath with reddened eyes. His legs remained rooted to the spot. His mind was a mess.

The conversation he had just heard kept echoing in his ears.

The thought that Xie Qingcheng had slept with someone made his chest ache.

But he didn’t even have the courage to ask who the person was.

In Xie Qingcheng’s eyes, he was forever a child. Xie Qingcheng would care for and protect him, but he would never confide his inner thoughts or share his private life with him. If Xie Qingcheng ever found out about Chen Man’s feelings, their relationship might be ruined.

Knowing this, his heart still tightened painfully.

Who could that person be?

What kind of woman?

Chen Man closed his eyes tightly. The thought that he could never confess his feelings to Xie Qingcheng because he wasn’t a woman was too agonizing.

However, Chen Man was overlooking one thing.

The ‘woman’ who had triggered his jealousy was leaning against a corner wall with hands shoved in pockets, watching him from a distance as he emerged from the emergency IV room.

He Yu had been tailing Xie Qingcheng this whole time.

Only now did he confirm who this man, who was busily hovering around Xie Qingcheng, was.

A familiar face.

It was the man he had eaten with at the school cafeteria last time. He recalled being told the man was close with Xie Qingcheng.

Chen Man, standing in the light, felt heavy-hearted. [stolen content]He Yu, standing Read on Read BL Novelsin the dark, felt stolen contentequally uncomfortable. However, he himself didn’t know where this unsettling feeling originated from.

At first, he found Xie Qingcheng detestable. Recalling the events of last night sporadically, he thought, ‘How bad could it really be?’

But his thoughts changed as he followed him. Finally, Chen Man arrived at the Huzhou People’s Hospital and laid the unconscious Xie Qingcheng on the bed…

Having witnessed the entire process, He Yu felt deeply uneasy.

Xie Qingcheng had ended up in that state because of him. He Yu wasn’t afraid of anything. Since it was something he had done, he wanted to take responsibility and explain it to the doctor.

He had no intention of leaving the cleanup of his mistake to someone else. Especially since Xie Qingcheng had cursed him as ‘trash who eats people and runs’ as soon as he woke up the next day, but in reality, that wasn’t the case.

Who was the one who ran away?

What was he supposed to do when your close younger brother suddenly intervened and snatched away what I was trying to do?

While Xie Qingcheng was receiving IV fluids inside the partition, He Yu stood outside the entire time. He was unauthorized copycurious about Xie Qingcheng’s [stolen content]condition, but he couldn’t enter rashly because of Chen Man.

I was the first to know he had a fever. To have followed him all the way here and yet not be able to set foot in the IV room.

Even now, after Chen Man had come out.

He Yu gazed at him from afar. Seeing the young man’s expression, which looked as if the sky had collapsed, he suddenly felt anxious.

—Is his condition that bad?

It wasn’t that he was worried about Xie Qingcheng. Still, since it was his doing, he had to take responsibility, if only for the sake of his pride.

But the moment Chen Man took a few steps toward him…

The clearly reddened rims of the other’s eyes pierced He Yu’s vision. For a moment, He Yu was completely flustered.

Could something actually be wrong?

He Yu’s face turned pale. He didn’t even realize that he currently looked like a young father waiting in front of a delivery room. He couldn’t go in, and he couldn’t ask. His insides burned with anxiety. Just as his heart had turned black with worry, a voice suddenly reached him.

“Excuse me, are you the guardian of the patient Xie Qingcheng?”

A nurse ran out from Emergency IV Room 1.

Startled, Chen Man hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding.

“The blood test results are all out, right? You left one copy earlier, so please take it. There are also medications prescribed by the hospital, so please pay for them and take them.”

“Ah… yes, I understand.”

Like a soul-less shell, Chen Man trudged toward the results collection counter and picked up the blood test results.

Then, he went to another counter to pay for the medicine.

Distracted by the mess in his head, Chen Man dropped the blood test results he had just received while paying for the medicine.

The thin piece of paper fluttered down like a snowflake onto the cold emergency room lobby floor.

“…”

He Yu’s gaze hardened.

Xie Qingcheng’s test results…

After struggling in his mind for a few seconds, he finally pulled down the brim of his cap and, while Chen Man hadn’t noticed yet, walked forward boldly and picked up the white paper.

At that moment, He Yu felt a strange, peculiar sensation, as if he had become a trashy male college student. A piece of trash who, excited on the first night, had sex without a condom and got his girlfriend pregnant, then secretly followed her to steal the pregnancy test results.

“…”

He Yu shook his head vigorously to dispel this absurd thought.

Am I actually crazy?

Maybe it was because so many stimulating things had exploded over the last few days. His head wasn’t functioning normally.

Thinking this, he bowed his head and read Xie Qingcheng’s blood test results in detail.

Seeing that the white blood cell count had risen significantly, it seemed an inflammatory response had occurred.

The other levels were fine…

Then why was that brat looking so miserable?

He Yu let out a sigh of relief inwardly and slightly [Read on Read BL Novels]lifted his eyelashes. His gaze fixed on the words ‘Xie Qingcheng, [unauthorized copy]Male, 32 years old’ written at the top of the results.

His fingertips stroked the small printed letters.

Perhaps because the results had just been printed, the lukewarm temperature of the printer remained.

Just like that man’s skin…

“Excuse me, I’m sorry. I think that’s mine.”

Having finished paying for the medicine, Chen Man finally realized the blood test results had disappeared and turned around. A young man who looked to be around his age was standing behind him, staring intently at the results.

Unfortunately, consumed by depression, Chen Man did not properly examine He Yu’s face under the cap.

Missing the chance to confront the culprit, Chen Man spoke as if dealing with an ordinary patient.

“I’m sorry, but could you give it back?”

“…”

He Yu’s gaze was submerged in the shadow of his cap. In that instant, he sensed that he would not simply hand over the paper.

But he soon became puzzled. Why don’t I want to give it back?

Am I actually a piece of trash? Is Xie Qingcheng my girlfriend, and is this a pregnancy test result in my hand?

It was absurd.

While thinking this internally, He Yu spoke flatly.

“I think you’re mistaken. This is mine.”

“I’m sure it was… let me just check.”

Then, He Yu gripped the result paper with his slender, white fingers and hid it behind his back.

“It’s a patient’s privacy.”

“I’ll only look at the name! I just dropped the results here, and you were right behind me…”

“You want to see my girlfriend’s pregnancy test results?”

Chen Man was speechless.

Even He Yu found it ridiculous. Because he had been thinking about it just now, the words had slipped out unconsciously.

There was no way a naive bachelor like Chen Man could continue to be stubborn after hearing the shocking phrase “pregnancy test results.”

Chen Man’s face instantly turned red. He couldn’t bring himself to meet the eyes of the male student Read on Read BL Novels[Read on Read BL Novels]in front of him. Although he [unauthorized copy]hadn’t examined He Yu’s face properly, he vaguely knew the other was younger than him.

Boys these days really do…

Feeling absurd internally, Chen Man stammered.

“I-I’m sorry. I must have been mistaken.”

With a disinterested face, He Yu folded Xie Qingcheng’s blood test results and put them in his pants pocket.

“I guess so.”

“Then I’ll have to look for it again…”

He Yu ignored the muttering Chen Man and turned away. Then, tucking the trivial result sheet—which served as mere proof that Xie Qingcheng had been tormented by him for a single night—into his pocket, he coldly departed.

Thus, no one knew that he had ever been there.