Five people arrived at the Undersea Abyss restaurant, and there were already people queuing at the entrance as expected.
Fortunately, there weren't too many people waiting for a table yet. A few of them took a relatively early number for a table in the middle and sat down in the waiting area near the door.
It was the perfect time for a meal, and with the current holiday season, the previously relatively empty waiting area quickly filled up.
Some of the friends had gotten numbers in the teens and couldn't help feeling lucky.
"Thank goodness we came here early; we didn't have to wait long."
A waiter brought them plum juice and crispy snacks and then went to serve other customers.
Xu Xinyi adjusted her position, making way for the passing waiter, but accidentally dropped the keys from her bag, and they fell on the ground.
The keys happened to land not far from another customer's feet, and she casually picked them up to help.
Xu Xinyi thanked her and was about to reach out to take them, but she noticed that the girl looked carefully at the keychain pendant in her hand and suddenly showed a surprised expression.
"Hey, is this keychain pendant related to Key?"
Bo Xiyun, who was sitting next to Xu Xinyi, overheard their conversation.
He turned his head and saw that the keychain on Xu Xinyi's keys featured a cool-looking male figure.
Xu Xinyi nodded and asked with interest, "Are you a fan of Key?"
"Ah, yes, yes! I'm a huge fan of him!" The girl was so excited that her ears were turning red under her mask. "I never expected to meet a fellow enthusiast here!"
They started chatting, and Bo Xiyun, who was standing beside them, followed the conversation throughout.
Since Xu Xinyi had previously attended a manga signing event, Bo Xiyun thought the boy(Key) they were discussing was probably a character from some manga. He was surprised when he realized that they were actually talking about a real person, not a fictional character.
Moreover, it wasn't about a band or idol that Xu Xinyi had previously followed, but an esports player.
Bo Xiyun knew that Xu Xinyi had a wide range of interests, but he hadn't imagined just how diverse they were.
Furthermore, it wasn't just a superficial liking for Xu Xinyi; it seemed that she had invested a lot of energy and emotions into each of her interests, and her affection for them was genuine.
As Xu Xinyi and the fellow enthusiast continued chatting, they started exchanging small gifts, all related to supporting Key in various ways.
It became apparent that Xu Xinyi had prepared more items for the exchange, and Bo Xiyun overheard that she might even be the organizer of certain limited-edition support events. She even promised to send some items to the girl later, which made the other girl extremely happy.
Previously, when Bo Xiyun learned that Xu Xinyi traveled to different cities to attend concerts, he hadn't thought much about it.
But now, as he witnessed her animated and excited conversation with her fellow enthusiast, he couldn't help but wonder.
Shouldn't I find a hobby myself?
It's better than now, getting away from this place and diverting attention.
Even when doing competition questions, I get distracted thinking about that person's handwriting.
One girl kept chatting until the few people from the Bo Xiyun team were about to be called. Her friend asked Xu Xinyi,
"Their team came to Q city for the competition and is staying at the Sheraton hotel next to the CBD. Our group is planning to go nearby tomorrow or the day after, to try to run into Key and give him some small gifts. Do you want to come along?"
Xu Xinyi smiled but shook her head.
"No, you guys go ahead."
Just then, the loudspeaker announced Bo Xiyun's team number, and they waved in response. Xu Xinyi and her friend said goodbye and prepared to enter the store.
Bo Xiyun hesitated for a moment and asked,
"Why not go?"
He remembered that Xu Xinyi's house was next to the Sheraton hotel in the city.
Sure enough, Xu Xinyi said, "The hotel's indoor swimming area is right next to my garden, and I've seen their team members several times from my house, even saw Key himself when he was leaving."
She didn't need to wait for another day to see him.
"But I've never gone up and talked to Key or prepared any gifts."
Xu Xinyi shrugged.
"There's no need, it's my own business that I like him. If I stop liking him later, I'll just pack up and clean up anything related to him, simple as that."
"If I give him something, he accepts it, and then later I stop being his fan, wouldn't that be embarrassing for myself?"
Bo Xiyun was a little taken aback but quickly understood.
Xu Xinyi treated this affection as her own one-sided emotion, making it easier to handle.
Perhaps that's why she could have so many walls around her.
Drawing positive emotions from her hobbies.
Bo Xiyun nodded, not saying much, and took a seat with his friends.
However, at that moment of sitting down, he suddenly realized something.
If Xu Xinyi was so clear and perceptive, treating her feelings as a way to please herself and being ready to withdraw at any time...
— Then why did she confess her feelings to Bo Xiyun before?
Even when she saw her favorite esports player in person, Xu Xinyi didn't approach him to talk.
What makes Bo Xiyun different?
Unable to figure out the answer, Bo Xiyun finally whispered this question to Xu Xinyi as they went together to get some condiments at the counter.
"I'm sorry, it's presumptuous of me to ask this question."
Xu Xinyi didn't think there was anything wrong and said candidly, "Expressing myself to you is different from my hobbies. When I express my feelings to you, it's because I want to hear your response."
Bo Xiyun frowned and stopped stirring the condiments with the ladle.
He hadn't realized it before.
Hobbies and love are different.
He had assumed that he and Xu Xinyi were the same, treating his feelings as his own one-sided affair.
Now Bo Xiyun realized that he was actually the kind of person who was different.
Regardless of preferences or love, Bo Xiyun didn't need a response.
He didn't need others to give him their feelings.
Bo Xiyun stared at the shallow bowl of condiments in his hand, not showing any emotion.
But it seemed that Xu Xinyi still sensed his uneasiness.
As they walked back together, Xu Xinyi reached out and lightly patted Bo Xiyun's arm.
"It's okay, everyone's choices are different."
She comforted him.
"Perhaps there are even more special people out there."
"..."
Bo Xiyun remained silent as he looked at the boiling hotpot. He tried to cover up the image that silently appeared in his mind with the swirling red oil.
Those cold, indifferent eyes that always stared at him.
After finishing the hotpot, their satisfied group of friends prepared to head home after a day of fun. They discussed and decided to take a taxi back.
Bo Xiyun had initially planned to take the bus, but upon checking, he found out that nearby roads were under construction, and the bus had temporarily changed its route, not passing through this area.
Furthermore, the nearby subway station was still under construction and not yet operational.
He couldn't figure out any public transportation options.
A friend called out to him, "Xiyun, want to share a taxi? I happen to be heading the same way as you."
Bo Xiyun hesitated for a moment but ultimately agreed.
"Sure."
It should be fine.
There were five people in total, and Bo Xiyun sat in one car, purposely choosing to sit in the front passenger seat.
The friends were all tired from playing, engaging in casual conversation. Bo Xiyun's phone screen lit up, and he casually glanced at it before intending to lock and put it away.
He usually didn't use his phone while in the car.
However, with this casual glance, Bo Xiyun's gaze froze for a moment.
Then, he unlocked the screen and opened WeChat.
The latest message he received was from Gu Sheng.
[Even getting the IV drip, he didn't want to go and had to be dragged there by me.]
Inside the opened WeChat, there were a few more messages from Gu Sheng.
The earlier ones asked Bo Xiyun how he was doing, but the later messages were all about Yi Zhongshen.
[He was busy doing something since this morning, I don't know why he's working so hard every day, as if he doesn't care about his life.]
[When he just got the IV drip, he adjusted the speed of the liquid drip to be very fast. He finished the entire bag of medication in just an hour. The other patients next to him complained that their arms hurt because he made them set their drips to the slowest speed.]
[The doctor said Yi Zhongshen needs to get the IV drip at least for a whole day, this is the second time.]
[I called his family, but I don't know if he told them or not. If you have time, can you try to convince him to go for the whole day? I'm afraid he might not go for the drip at all if I'm not there to persuade him.]
Bo Xiyun remained silent as he stared at the messages on his phone, not even acknowledging his friends in the back seat who called out to him.
Finally snapping back to reality after responding to his friends, Bo Xiyun returned to his phone.
Gu Sheng sent another new message.
[Zhongshen is still busy, and he feels like it might be very late. I don't know if he'll be up all night. I'm at my friend's place now, probably won't be able to go back. You'll be alone in the hotel tonight, make sure to rest early.]
Bo Xuyun's fingertips moved a few times, tapping the phrase "convince him together" to quote it but then deleted it.
In the end, he simply replied.
[Alright, take care, Senior.]
As the taxi had to make several detours to drop everyone off, Bo Xiyun was the last one to be dropped off.
When he got out of the car, his arms were already a bit weak. He couldn't even close the car door properly, and the driver had to do it for him.
He stood still for a while, trying to calm himself, but the intense throbbing pain in his forehead didn't subside. His chest felt suffocated, and waves of nausea churned in his stomach.
In fact, when he received those messages in the taxi, Bo Xiyun already anticipated that he might feel unwell later.
However, he didn't expect to feel so dizzy and nauseous.
It seemed as if Bo Xiyun was recounting every piece of information related to Yi Zhongshen, word by word, with no detail spared.
His ears were buzzing, and the cold winter wind was biting, but Bo Xiyun felt like he couldn't even sense the bone-chilling night breeze. He felt enclosed in a transparent capsule, tumbling and spinning inside a drum.
It was as if he wasn't standing on stable ground but on a ship in the midst of raging waves, on the verge of collapsing.
In a daze, someone approached him, asking if he needed help. It seemed to be a hotel concierge.
Bo Xiyun couldn't speak, so he waved his hand to signal that he didn't need assistance.
The concierge hesitated and asked, "Are you really sure you don't need me to help you inside?"
Having stayed in the hotel for so long, the concierge recognized Bo Xiyun.
Moreover, the young man didn't look well at all.
Bo Xiyun waved his hand again.
He didn't want to go inside right now; it was better to stand outside and feel the cold breeze, trying to catch his breath.
The concierge finally left.
Bo Xiyun took a few steps towards a nearby flower bed, ensuring he wasn't blocking the way. However, as he moved, the dizziness intensified, and he couldn't suppress the feeling of nausea rising in his throat.
He couldn't hold it back any longer and, clutching his knees, bent over and couldn't help but vomit intensely.
"Cough, cough... ahem..."
However, Bo Xiyun had eaten very little during the evening, and now he couldn't vomit anything. The repeated retching caused the pungent spiciness of the hotpot broth mixed with stomach acid to burn from his stomach to his chest and throat, almost as if he was being torn apart.
His weak legs seemed unable to support his body's weight, and Bo Xiyun was about to fall into the dark flower bed when a sudden force gently embraced him.
A large hand encircled his slender waist, supporting his weak body. Bo Xiyun struggled to breathe, feeling the steady heartbeat against his chest and hearing the deep, magnetic voice.
"I'm sorry."
The person holding Bo Xiyun didn't touch any exposed skin, but the touch felt so familiar, and the slightly higher body temperature conveyed comfort to his trembling, cold body. The unmistakable cold fragrance filled his nose.
Without even thinking, he knew who it was.
The intense feeling of nausea seemed to instantly subside. The small boat that had been rocking amidst the fierce waves finally escaped the whirlpool and was gently stabilized on the calm sea.
The familiar icy scent was like frost and snow, making the corners of Bo Xiyun's eyes, which were already wet, turn red.
Just before, Xu Xinyi, their friend, had said that Bo Xiyun gets motion sickness, so she intentionally paid extra to choose a odorless concierge car.
The car was already quite clean.
But why did he still have to wait until he smelled this scent to feel better?
It was as if he could only get motion sickness without this particular fragrance.
A clean and soft tissue gently wiped the cold sweat from Bo Xiyun's cheek, and the arm around his waist loosened a bit. It wasn't tightly embracing him, but it still provided steady support.
"You're standing in the windy spot, it'll make your headache worse."
Yi Zhongshen's voice remained low and magnetic, with a hint of hoarseness.
"Shall we go inside first? Are you going to continue walking?"
Bo Xiyun nodded, even though his vision was still blurry and chaotic, and he couldn't see anything. Nevertheless, he took a step forward alone.
Then his body swayed.
The person behind him caught him in their arms once again.
______________________________________
Tn: those two are trying their best to torture each other I guess... because goddamnit just communicate
I finally figured out how to change the Book cover yay!