Chapter 13 – Fever
Novel Title: 一屋暗灯 (Ephemeral Light)
Author：麦香鸡呢 (McChicken)
Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)
Protagonists: 宋谨 (Song Jin -MC), 宋星阑 (Song Xinglan -ML)
*Please read at sin.Novels Space.space, the original site of translation. TQ*
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Song Jin forgot how he left the restaurant. As usual, Song Xinglan pulled up his pants and walked away. Song Jin stayed in the cubicle, feeling weak all over for a long time. Finally, he managed to compose himself a bit. He then returned to the dormitory, cleaned himself up, and applied some medicine.
His roommate was wearing headphones and watching an online course video. Song Jin stood in the bathroom, biting his lip and choking back sobs under the running water of the shower.
The marks on his wrist from struggling against the handcuffs hadn’t completely faded. This was especially true under the wrist where the skin was thin and soft, making it most prone to scarring. Perhaps they would never ever disappear.
Just like the crimes Song Xinglan had committed against him, they would never disappear for a lifetime.
“What’s wrong with you?”
When Song Jin came out of the bathroom, his roommate had just taken off his headphones. Seeing Song Jin’s red eyes, he asked in surprise.
“Nothing,” Song Jin turned his head. His nose was still stuffy, making his voice sound slightly nasal. “Do you have classes this afternoon?”
“Yes, the first period. What about you?”
“I don’t have any more classes.”
“Then are you going out with the group for surveying?”
“There’s no homework today. I’ll just rest in the dorm,” Song Jin said slowly, drying his hair. “I’ve been a bit tired lately.”
“You don’t look too well. You really should get some rest,” his roommate said. “If you get hungry, just send me a WeChat message. I’ll get something for you after class.”
“Okay, thanks.”
Song Jin slept until the evening. When he woke up, his roommate was already back in the dorm, leaning against the desk and looking at his phone. Hearing the noise, he looked up. “You’re awake? You slept really deeply. I sent you a WeChat message asking what you wanted to eat, but you didn’t reply. I figured you were sleeping. So I didn’t call to disturb you.”
“I don’t know either…” Song Jin’s voice was hoarse from just waking up. “It feels like I had a lot of dreams and couldn’t wake up.”
“What did you dream about?” his roommate asked with a smile.
“As soon as I open my eyes, I forgot them already,” Song Jin replied.
“You might have trouble sleeping tonight. Are you hungry?” his roommate asked.
Song Jin lay on his pillow for a moment, thinking. “Not very hungry.”
“Then come down and have some fruit. I bought some.” His roommate picked up a box of sliced cantaloupe from the fruit shop. “You’ve slept for so long. You must be thirsty.”
“Okay.” Song Jin got up and slowly climbed out of bed.
His mind was still a bit foggy and he felt weak. After eating a few pieces of fruit, Song Jin brushed his teeth and went back to bed.
His roommate frowned. “Are you sure you’re not sick?”
“No, I’m just very sleepy,” Song Jin murmured. “So tired…”
He was indeed very tired. Some things felt like a huge stone pressing on his heart, never giving him a moment of relief. They only grew heavier and heavier.
“Alright, then. Go back to sleep. I won’t disturb you.”
“Okay.”
In the middle of the night, Song Jin, in a daze, felt himself shivering constantly. However, his mind couldn’t escape from the clawing dreams. In the dream, countless shadows, large and silent, surrounded him, pressing down on him, making it impossible for him to make a sound.
“Mm…”
Song Jin frowned uncomfortably. His breathing choked lightly. His sleep was extremely restless.
He felt hot. His face was burning. And his head felt like it was filled with boiling glue, thick and sticky. But his body felt cold. Even though he was tightly wrapped in the blanket, it seemed like wind was seeping in from some corner.
This state continued until morning when his roommate got up for class.
“Song Jin?” his roommate called out. “Aren’t you getting up?”
He knew that Song Jin didn’t have classes this morning. But usually, Song Jin wouldn’t stay in bed and would get up at the usual class time. Now, his roommate had finished washing up and getting ready, but Song Jin showed no signs of getting up.
“I…” Song Jin gasped, “I’m dizzy. I’ll get up later.”
The curtain on the upper bunk blocked the view. So his roommate couldn’t see Song Jin’s face and could only ask, “Are you really okay? Do you have a fever?”
“Maybe a little. But it’s not serious,” Song Jin replied. “I’ll sleep a bit more and then get up to drink some warm water. You go to class.”
His roommate hesitated for a moment. “If it gets worse, let me know. I’ll come back and take you to the infirmary, or get some medicine for you.”
“Okay.”
The door closed and the room became quiet. Song Jin lay drowsily under the blanket, half-asleep, feeling a bit confused.
He had no idea how much time had passed when a knock sounded on the door.
Song Jin reached for his phone and saw that it was already past nine. That was the end of the first class period.
“Don’t you have classes all morning?” Song Jin sat up with difficulty. “Did you come back to get something?”
“Yes.” The response was low and brief. It was muffled by the door. Song Jin, still groggy, couldn’t discern the specific voice.
Except for his roommate, who occasionally forgot his keys and knocked, hardly anyone else came to the dorm. So, Song Jin got out of bed, held onto the railing as he shook his head to clear it. He then stumbled to the door to open it.
“Could you help me at lunchtime with…”
Song Jin’s already weak voice instantly died when he saw the face of the person at the door. He thought he was hallucinating from the fever. But he instinctively tried to close the door. Even if it was a hallucination, he was extremely reluctant to face it.
Song Xinglan pushed the door open with a bit of force and walked in expressionlessly.
Song Jin stumbled backward. He was trembling all over, unable to say a word. His body felt cold and weak. But his mind was clearer than ever.
Song Xinglan closed the door behind him and tilted his head slightly, looking at Song Jin. “We meet again.”
Song Jin stood in place. He was bewildered and panicked. His fever-bright eyes were wide with disbelief as he watched Song Xinglan approach him.
“You have a fever?” Song Xinglan raised his hand and touched Song Jin’s red lips, heated from the fever, as he asked.
His tone was not one of concern but more of inquiry. It sounded more like a statement, with an indifferent attitude.
The touch was like being bitten by a snake. Song Jin shuddered and took a step back.
His face was flushed with a sickly red, indicating a serious fever. Coupled with his current anxious expression, it almost inadvertently sparked a desire in Song Xinglan to torment him.
“What are you here for?” Song Jin finally managed to speak. His voice was hoarse. Fear was overflowing from his eyes uncontrollably.
“I’m here to care about my Ge’s study life, of course,” Song Xinglan replied nonchalantly. Song Jin dreaded this tone of his the most. Upon hearing his words, he stumbled back, leaning against the edge of the table. But Song Xinglan encircled his waist and pressed him against the table.
“You really have a fever.” The two were close. Song Xinglan looked closely at Song Jin’s face as he spoke softly.
“Get lost…” Song Jin trembled but was trapped and couldn’t move. He turned his head away and repeated, “Get lost.”
Song Xinglan’s hand wrapped around Song Jin’s waist. As he felt the stiffness in Song Jin’s body, a slight smile formed at the corner of his mouth. “I’ll leave when my girlfriend finishes class.”
Song Jin turned his head to glare at him. He gritted his teeth as he repeated; “Get lost.”
“Why do you have a fever?” Song Xinglan spoke to Song Jin with an air of indifference, as if he didn’t hear him. He lifted a hand and gently pinched Song Jin’s hot earlobe, asking, “Is it because I came inside you yesterday?”
Song Jin stiffened. His throat felt choked for a long time before he squeezed out a sentence. “Song Xinglan, have you had enough?”
If once or twice wasn’t enough, how long did he want to torment him like this?
“I’m just curious.” Song Xinglan lowered his head, getting closer to Song Jin’s face. His deep dark eyes stared at Song Jin intensely. “How can my Ge be so popular in such a big school?”
Their conversation never converged. Song Jin had only one question from beginning to end, while Song Xinglan had countless ways to firmly hold his ground.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Song Jin resisted the overly intimate contact. He turned his head away and said in a low voice, “Take your hands off me.”
He knew that saying this was futile. Song Xinglan would never comply. However, Song Jin didn’t expect that after hearing this, Song Xinglan would simply reach into his waistband immediately.
“Let go!” Song Jin grabbed Song Xinglan’s wrist, glaring at him fiercely. “Don’t touch me!”
“Shout louder,” Song Xinglan said, “Let the people in the next room hear.”
Song Jin was gasping for breath, unable to respond at all. His fair face was dyed with the heat of fever and the deep red of shame, spreading all the way to his neck.
“My girlfriend said that there are several guys from her arts department chasing after you?” Song Xinglan slowly pulled his wrist out of Song Jin’s grasp, continuing to move his hand behind Song Jin, kneading his buttocks. “Just because you were doing some surveying over there, do you know what they’re saying?”
His other hand slipped under the hem of Song Jin’s t-shirt. His fingertips pinched Song Jin’s nipple. Song Xinglan lowered his eyes, watching the watery, almost falling tear at the corner of Song Jin’s eye. He slowly spoke, “They say you’re prettier than the girls.”
“Ge.” Song Xinglan’s lips pressed against the side of Song Jin’s face, asking him, “Why don’t I think your looks are at that level?”
Every time he called him ‘Ge’, the chill in Song Jin’s heart grew. He would rather Song Xinglan call him by his full name than intentionally use this term to disgust him.
“Xinglan…” Song Jin swallowed, speaking softly. “Can you not do this today?”
“I’m feeling very uncomfortable…” His voice trembled with a nasal tone as he pleaded softly. “I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday afternoon. Can you please not…”
He had no way out. As long as there was a way to make Song Xinglan stop, he wanted to try it. Whether it was showing weakness or begging, he had experienced the worst and had no better options to consider.
“That’s a pity.” Song Xinglan’s fingers slid into the cleft of Song Jin’s buttocks. He seemed to have seen through Song Jin’s thoughts, his eyes seemingly smiling. “I heard that it’s especially hot inside a person with a fever.”
Song Jin gasped as he leaned against Song Xinglan’s shoulder. He was already weak from the fever, feeling completely powerless. “I’m begging you…”
“Song Jin?” There were suddenly two knocks on the door. His roommate called from the outside. “Are you awake? I forgot my keys. We have group practicals class next. I came back to get my computer.”
Song Jin felt like his heart stopped for a second. But then it started beating wildly. His breathing became rapid and irregular. He panicked and looked up at Song Xinglan, but saw no sign of him backing off or leaving on his face.
“Xinglan…” Song Jin’s voice was weak. “Please, I’m begging you.”
Song Xinglan calmly looked down at him, not saying a word.
“Song Jin? Are you still not up? I’ll go downstairs to find the dorm aunt for the keys.”
“Don’t!” If his roommate came in with the keys and saw him and Song Xinglan standing in the dorm but not saying anything or opening the door, Song Jin didn’t know how he would explain. He hurriedly said, “Just wait a moment.”
His roommate replied, “Okay.”
“Xinglan…” Song Jin turned back with his eyebrows furrowed in urgency. But he could only lower his voice. “Please, listen to me, okay?”
His tone was as if he was coaxing a child. But he didn’t realise how flustered he looked to others. It seemed as if he was the one who needed to be comforted the most.
Song Xinglan looked at him expressionlessly for a few seconds before finally letting go of him and took a step back.
Song Jin felt as if all his strength had left him. He quickly straightened his pants and then went to open the door.
“Why is your face so red? Is the fever really bad?” His roommate frowned as soon as he saw Song Jin. “I’ll take you to the infirmary.”
“No need,” Song Jin opened the door. “I’ll get some medicine later.”
“Oh, he is…” His roommate came in and saw Song Xinglan leaning against Song Jin’s desk. He paused in his track.
“He’s just here to pick something up,” Song Jin said. “He’ll leave soon.”
“Oh, I’ll grab my computer and leave too.” His roommate walked to his desk to pack up his computer. “If you’re not going to the infirmary, then take your medicine quickly. It’s not good to delay. You have class in the afternoon.”
“Okay. I got it.”
As soon as Song Jin finished speaking, Song Xinglan stood up and walked towards the door. However, he stopped when he passed by Song Jin, reaching out without warning to pinch his chin.
Song Jin was forced to turn his head by him. In his peripheral vision, he saw his roommate’s back. His heart was pounding so hard that it felt like it would burst out of his chest. He widened his eyes, with a hint of moisture at the corners, tears almost about to fall.
If Song Xinglan said or did anything further at this moment, Song Jin really wouldn’t know how to handle the situation.
However, Song Xinglan just bent down silently and kissed Song Jin lightly on the corner of his mouth.
It was more like a brush than a kiss. It was a very light touch and was barely felt.
But the scene was too absurd. Song Jin’s heart was still accelerating and he couldn’t tell whether it was because he was afraid of being seen by others or simply because of that kiss.
It wasn’t until Song Xinglan’s figure disappeared at the door that Song Jin dared to relax slightly. He breathed heavily, staring at the ground, feeling a kind of exhaustion as if he had just survived a disaster.
“Oh? He’s gone?” His roommate finished packing up and turned around, seeing that Song Xinglan was no longer there. He asked, “Is he in your major? I feel like I’ve never seen him before. He looks like a junior.”
“No,” Song Jin swallowed his disgust and resistance. He only replied coldly, “He came to help someone get something. I don’t know him personally.”
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*Translator’s Note: Pardon me if there are any mistakes. I haven’t proofread all the previous chapters. Will go back to check on them later. Please inform me if there are any mistakes. Thanks! -K
Next update: 2024.07.14
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