He doesn’t know if he had committed Tai Sui or not, but Zhou Cibai’s ankle injury was quite troublesome this time.
“The right foot cannot be moved within 48 hours, keep the cold compress on within 72 hours. Keep an elastic bandage on and pay attention to rest and recuperate for a week. Brother Lu and Brother Chen are not here, for the next two days, we can only rely on you, senior.”
“But don’t tire yourself, Gu Gu. If you have anything you need, just come to me or Chen Yubai. And if that stinky thug grabs your ankle and bullies you again, just tell me, don’t hold back, do you hear me?”
After Chen Yubai and Shen Zhao helped send Zhou Cibai back to the dormitory, they hurriedly explained a few words before rushing back to prepare for the afternoon training match.
Only the two people who had just agreed in the morning to “maintain distance and not interfere with each other” remained speechless in the dormitory.
There’s a brief and awkward silence.
Zhou Cibai, with a stern face, opened his mouth to speak first. “Chen Yubai is just worried about the basketball game, so he’s exaggerating. You don’t have to take it to heart.”
Gu Jiqing also nodded lightly and said, “Brother Shen is just worried about me. His words are a bit exaggerated, you also don’t have to take them to heart.”
“En.”
After Zhou Cibai answered, he turned around to take the water and found that the water dispenser was empty. He wanted to take a bag of potato chips to fill up, but then realized that the snack box was also empty.
“……”
There’s a brief and awkward silence once again.
Gu Jiqing said in a warm voice, “You can tell me if you need anything.”
Zhou Cibai: “Thank you, there’s no need.”
The rejection was polite and decisive.
Then he grabbed a change of clothes and his cell phone, held onto the wall, and limped himself into the bathroom.
Gu Jiqing lowered his head and glanced at his phone.
[Shen Laoda]: I know, even if you don’t say it. It was Zhou Cibai who did that to your ankle, right?
[Shen Laoda]: Don’t deny it, most people can’t grow claws that big.
[Shen Laoda]: He’s nice, but problems like homophobia can’t be solved just because he’s nice. If you’re being bullied, don’t put up with it, just tell me.
[Shen Laoda]: Also, homophobia is deep in the closet. You look this beautiful, be careful not to be taken advantage of by him.
Gu Jiqing felt that Shen Zhao worried too much.
Zhou Zhibai has homophobia like this and still manages to restrain his emotions and take the initiative to help him carry things, buy shampoo, and put his luggage away. So the most outrageous thing he could do would probably be to call him “Gu Jiqing” through clenched teeth.
So he replied nonchalantly, [Don’t worry, Brother Shen, we have already agreed to maintain distance and not interfere with each other.]
He felt that Zhou Cibai should be able to do what he said.
And Zhou Cibai in the bathroom did indeed adhere to the eight-character policy of “maintaining distance and not interfering with each other.” He self-reliantly landed on one foot and struggled to take off his clothes and pants. After removing his clothes, he began to remove the bandage on his right foot.
The cell phone placed on the shelfside kept tinkling incessantly.
[Roar at the sight of injustice on the road]: F*ck, Lao Si, I heard Chen Yubai say you’re injured?! Also, it’s the kind that can’t get out of bed within 48 hours?!
[Roar at the sight of injustice on the road]: Then it’s over ah! Chen Ji and I won’t be able to come back until the morning after tomorrow at the earliest. Isn’t this just sending yourself to Gu Jiqing for him to eat?
[Roar at the sight of injustice on the road]: It’s over, it’s over, it’s over. You definitely won’t be innocent anymore. What to do? What to do? What to do?
Tossing and turning like a repeater, the noise made Zhou Zhubai’s head hurt.
He couldn’t help but maintain a one-legged stance, picked up his phone, and replied, [Can’t you think of a proper business all day long?]
Lu Ping replied back in seconds.
[Roar at the sight of injustice on the road]: How is your lifelong event and personal innocence not a proper business?
[Roar at the sight of injustice on the road]: You’ve never heard of ‘always fighting people at their weakness, especially when they’re sick’?
[Roar at the sight of injustice on the road]: What if he takes advantage of you while you’re limping, helping you undress and take off your pants, and then makes a move when you take a shower?
Take off your clothes and pants, and take a shower.
Thinking of these eight words, Gu Jiqing’s hand, wearing latex gloves while hooking his underwear, suddenly popped up in Zhou Cibai’s mind.
“……”
F*ck!
Zhou Cibai, who had come back to his senses, cursed himself softly in his heart. He must have been infected by Lu Ping, and even his mind was filled with some messy things.
[Don’t worry, even if I’m crippled, I won’t trouble Gu Jiqing]
After Zhou Cibai finished his sentence, he threw down the phone and turned to get the shampoo, trying to divert his thoughts. However, in a state of nervousness, he landed on his right foot.
An ankle that cannot withstand force and the wet ground.
A perfect imbalance.
Bang—
The sound of something over 80 kilograms crashing to the floor came from the bathroom.
Zhou Cibai, who was naked in the bathroom, and Gu Jiqing, who was just getting ready to go out, “…”
Another brief and awkward silence.
Gu Jiqing whispered, “Do you need any help?”
Zhou Cibai originally thought that even if he was crippled, there was absolutely no way he would ask Gu Jiqing for help, especially when he wasn’t wearing anything.
However, Gu Jiqing’s next sentence was: “Or should I go find someone else?”
Getting someone else to come means that someone else will know, and according to Zhou Cibai’s understanding, none of the boys in their dormitory building have control over their mouths.
That is to say, the incident of him falling naked in the bathroom is likely to be accompanied by some nude photos spreading throughout the entire dormitory building tomorrow.
After making a difficult decision, Zhou Cibai, who had not yet planned to die, finally squeezed out eight words: “Wait a moment, I’ll put on a towel.”
For an adult male who is 1.9 meters tall, the size of a towel is basically useless except to cover the key areas.
When Gu Jiqing pushed open the door, he saw Zhou Cibai’s healthy skin tone developed through years of outdoor exercise, the golden ratio of the inverted triangle, the thin and sturdy muscle lines that were not overly stretched, and the beautiful and smooth mermaid lines under the distinct abdominal muscles.
Unfortunately, the mermaid lines quickly disappeared into the gray bath towel.
And the owner of the towel is sitting on the ground with his legs bent.
The light chestnut-colored frontal hair was soaked in water and collapsed into a few strands, softening the originally aggressive eyebrows. Coupled with the involuntary pursed lips and drooping eyelashes, it looked like a fierce and beautiful large dog that had to be subdued because of an injury.
Awkward and annoyed, but there’s also some indescribable cuteness and misery.
Gu Jiqing suddenly remembered the injured little Samoyed he had adopted in middle school.
He loved that Samoyed so much that he even spoke to Zhou Cibai in a gentle voice.
He crouched down and lightly pressed his ankle. “Any injuries?”
He pressed lightly, but Zhou Cibai’s body tightened, and because the other person was too gentle, the tone of his reply also unconsciously softened: “No.”
“Then it’s good.” Gu Jiqing didn’t notice the change in his tone, he just carefully checked it and found that there was indeed no swelling, so he raised his head and said, “Shall I help you up then?”
Because Gu Jiqing was squatting next to him, when he looked up, a pair of clean and serious eyes went straight into Zhou Cibai’s eyes.
Zhou Cibai’s heart gave a ‘thud’, and then he quickly realized that the other party was worried that he would mind physical contact. He quickly avoided his gaze and whispered, “En, I’ve troubled you.”
As he uttered this reply, he was prepared for the two of them to be forced into some rather excessive physical contact due to the significant difference in body size and weight.
The specific scene of Gu Jiqing’s fair and slender fingers pressing on his abs even surfaced in his mind.
Sure enough, a hand quickly caught his arm.
The skin was snow white, delicate to the touch, and slightly cold.
Zhou Cibai instantly tensed his entire body’s nerves, held his breath, clenched his fist, and desperately told himself that no matter what Gu Jiqing did later, he must maintain restraint, maintain self-training, never lose his composure, and never be stressed.
After that, a chair appeared in front of him.
Zhou Cibai: “?”
Gu Jiqing placed his hand on the back of the chair and said, “You should be able to stand up by supporting the chair. It’s also convenient to sit and take a shower later.”
Zhou Cibai: “…”
“Do you have any further questions?” Gu Jiqing, who didn’t feel that there was anything wrong at all, looked at Zhou Cibai’s obviously stuck expression and raised his eyebrows in confusion.
“……No.”
Zhou Cibai, who realized that he had thought too much, quickly propped up his chair and prepared to stand up.
As a result, the bathroom floor was too wet and slippery, and there was some sticky substance on the bottom of the chair. He pushed too hard, and the chair instantly slid to the side, causing the center of gravity to suddenly lose balance.
Seeing that Zhou Cibai was about to fall, Gu Jiqing quickly stepped forward and helped him.
Although he was thin, he was still quite strong. However, the size and weight of the two were too different. Although Zhou Cibai was stabilized with his help, he himself stumbled backwards because he couldn’t bear Zhou Cibai’s weight, and his waist hit the corner of the chair.
There was a muffled sound, and Gu Jiqing lightly sucked in a mouthful of air. He unconsciously also tightened the knuckles on Zhou Cibai’s arm.
The fair fingertips scratched out deep red marks on the light wheat-colored skin.
Zhou Cibai, who has always disliked physical contact with people of the same s*x, was completely unaware. He quickly stabilized his figure, wrapped his arm around Gu Jiqing’s waist, and lifted him up, anxiously asking, “Are you okay?”
Gu Jiqing has been most afraid of pain since childhood, but he is not willing to show weakness in front of an injured person.
Especially, the relationship between the injured person and oneself is not considered friendly.
So after the most unbearable part of the pain passed, he let go of his hand and naturally pushed Zhou Cibai to get out of his arm. He whispered, “I’m okay,” then bent down to pick up the scattered toiletries and place them within Zhou Cibai’s reach. He turned around and walked out the door.
Zhou Cibai, whose arm was suddenly empty and was left in the bathroom: “…”
F*ck.
Why is he the one who looks like the pervert who is trying to take advantage?
And this was not the most crucial thing, the most crucial thing was when he realized that Gu Jiqing did not intend to have any unnecessary physical contact with him, and he seemed to be somewhat inexplicably disappointed in his heart.
Even when Gu Jiqing pushed him away, he still had a feeling of emptiness.
But what is he disappointed about?
He couldn’t be happier.
It must be because there have been too many things in the past two days that have caused emotional disorders.
But Gu Jiqing’s hit just now, does it hurt or not?
After thinking about it, Zhou Cibai felt like he had thought of some nonsense.
He himself had grabbed his ankle for just a moment in the morning, and it had left a bruise. How could someone so delicate not be in pain?
But since Gu Jiqing didn’t say anything, he couldn’t ask either.
But what if he does get hurt?
In the end, Zhou Cibai was completely unaware that when he was taking a shower, his mind was full of Gu Jiqing. As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw Gu Jiqing with his back to him, lifting some of his clothes and twisting his waist backwards, as if examining his wound.
A small, white, narrow, skinny cut with a waist socket that looked delicate and pretty under the cover of the hem of the coat, only vaguely bruised.
Zhou Cibai’s heart tightened, and just as he was about to speak, the exposed waist was completely covered by the drooping hem of his clothes.
Gu Jiqing turned around slowly, looked at him, and casually asked, “Is your ankle okay?”
He looked as if he didn’t want to mention it at all.
Zhou Cibai’s original words of concern were blocked back, leaving only two words that were somewhat stiff: “It’s fine.”
Gu Jiqing also let out an “en”, then turned around and continued to type his essay on his laptop.
Because he was indoors, he only wore a cream-colored turtleneck sweater, which softened the sharp curve of his chin, and his expression was focused and calm. Naturally, the allure around his eyes and eyebrows faded away, and his whole person showed a kind of elegant aroma of books.
Zhou Cibai, who was suddenly neglected, felt inexplicably abrupt, no matter what he said.
“……”
Forget it, it was he himself who said to keep the distance and not interfere with each other. So it’s normal for Gu Jiqing to not want to say anything more.
But despite saying so, Zhou Cibai still felt a strange awkwardness and discomfort in his heart.
By the time he sat back down in his seat, propped up against the wall, he realized that the kettle next to his seat had somehow been filled with water, and next to it was an extra bag of strawberry-flavored sandwiches and two good-looking oranges.
That kind of awkwardness and discomfort became even stronger.
It must be because of guilt.
After all, Gu Jiqing was hurt because of him.
Thinking of this, Zhou Ciibai’s mind couldn’t help but recall the hug he had wrapped around Gu Jiqing’s waist in the bathroom, he was so thin that he couldn’t actually hold him fully.
How can a big man have such a thin waist?
Zhou Cibai thought about it and couldn’t help but glance to the side again.
The indoor heating was fully turned on, so Gu Jiqing used to wear loose shirts and pajamas before, but he didn’t know if it was to avoid suspicion, he hasn’t changed his sweater today.
He couldn’t see anything like this.
Zhou Cibai felt even more uncomfortable in his heart.
When he withdrew his gaze, he happened to see Gu Jiqing’s slightly exposed ankle. There were a few bright bruises on his almost-pale skin.
Zhou Cibai: “……”
How can a big man be so delicate?
That hit on the waist just now……
Zhou Cibai’s eyes returned to Gu Jiqing’s waist.
He still saw nothing.
Zhou Cibai felt a bit annoyed and chaotic in his heart.
He simply took out his phone and found Wang Quan’s WeChat account in the neighboring dormitory: [Can you please help me bring something when you return to the dormitory this afternoon?]
[Lao Wang next door]: ?
[White]: To treat the waist.
[Lao Wang next door]: ???
[White]: ?
[Lao Wang next door]: You look like someone with thick eyebrows and big eyes1浓眉大眼 or Nóng Méi Đà Yǎn means thick eyebrows and big eyes, it’s an Chinese idiom referring to a dignified and lively appearance, often referring to a man., how could you become a person with a poor waist at a young age!!!
!!!
[White]: ……
Zhou Cibai held his phone and took a deep breath, feeling that there might not be a normal person in the world anymore.
He then tried to restrain his emotions and calmly type out five words: [for Gu Jiqing]
[Old Wang next door] question mark instantly filled the entire screen.
[Old Wang next door]: ??????????
[Old Wang next door]: Gu Jiqing?!
[Old Wang next door]: You son of a b*tch, what have you done to the family’s Yuan Hua2courtyard flowers.?
[Old Wang next door]: I’ll tell you that he is a really good person!!! What have you done to him!!! I’ll be the first to say no!!!
“……”
What the hell?!
Zhou Cibai felt that he could no longer understand the brain circuits of these male college students.
Or did Gu Jiqing give them some kind of poison?
Why did one or two of them think that he must have some thoughts about Gu Jiqing?
Gu Jiqing is just a little bit better-looking and has a thinner waist. What’s the difference between him and a normal man?
But a thin waist…
Zhou Cibai thought of Gu Jiqing’s waist injury and couldn’t help but turn his head to take another look.
And as soon as he turned his head, he was caught on the spot.
Having already paid attention to keeping a distance, Gu Jiqing, who was tossed and turned by Zhou Cibai until he couldn’t even finish writing the abstract of his essay, finally couldn’t help but close his laptop, lean back in his chair, and look at him seriously. He asked gently and politely, “Zhou Cibai, do you really want to see my waist so much?”
Zhou Cibai, who was caught red-handed and still can’t deny it. “…”
At that moment, he felt like he was the gay with ulterior motives.
