“Responsible for me?”
Rong Jinghe nodded.
Chu Qianze raised his hand and rested it on the armrest of the nearby sofa, finding it somewhat amusing. “Alright then, I’ll leave it to you.”
This was a readily available opportunity; one shouldn’t let it go to waste.
Rong Jinghe looked over the instructions he had just noted down from the doctor, and it seemed like there was no significant difference.
“Don’t worry, leave everything to me,” he assured. “I’m reliable.”
As a precaution, he took out the piece of paper with the notes again and carefully reviewed it.
He had indeed remembered everything.
Having verified this fact, Rong Jinghe didn’t dwell on it any longer.
When Hong heard this, he instinctively felt that something was amiss.
Why does that line sound so familiar? Have I seen it somewhere, or wait, heard it somewhere?
Scratching his head in an attempt to recall, but the more he tried, the more elusive the memory became.
“Is everyone here?” Yu Xiaoyang walked in from the doorway, exuding a confident aura with every step.
“PD Yu!” they all called out in unison.
“Hey,” Yu Xiaoyang responded, glancing at the area where Chu Qianze was holding a bandage. “How’s your neck? What did the doctor say?”
“It’s not a big issue. It will recover in a while,” Chu Qianze replied.
“Did the doctor prescribe any medication?” Yu Xiaoyang inquired.
“Yeah, they did. Everything is right here,” Chu Qianze pointed to a small bag nearby.
“Okay, follow the instructions on the manual for the medication and try to recover as soon as possible.” Relieved to see that everything was genuinely fine, Yu Xiaoyang sighed gently.
Considering the proximity to the fireworks during the performance, even though stage fireworks don’t reach the temperatures of regular fireworks, it was still risky at such a close range. Fortunately, Chu Qianze’s condition wasn’t too severe, or else it would have been difficult to explain.
“Sure thing, thanks, PD Yu,” Chu Qianze expressed his gratitude.
“Facing unexpected situations with calmness, persisting to complete the performance, you guys are truly amazing,” Yu Xiaoyang remarked. At this point, he recalled his own early days in the industry and couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia.
“I won’t disturb you any longer. Performances can be tiring; everyone, take a good rest.”
With that, he smiled at the group and turned to leave.
Chu Qianze sighed and slumped back onto the sofa. Just then, Rong Jinghe asked, “Hungry?”
Turning to look at Chu Qianze, Rong Jinghe assessed his current state. In reality, he was in that in-between phase—not quite hungry but not quite full.
“A bit,” Chu Qianze replied.
“I’ll go get you something to eat,” Rong Jinghe said, heading straight outside.
…
Chu Qianze sat in the lounge, snacking and watching the trainees’ performances. It was surprisingly interesting.
Glancing at Rong Jinghe beside him, he picked up a sheet of seaweed and offered it, “Want one?”
Looking at the seaweed so close by, Rong Jinghe hesitated for a moment before reaching over and taking it.
“Melon seed-flavored sandwich, pretty good, right?” While speaking, Chu Qianze tossed two pieces into his mouth. Crunching away, he ate with a rhythmic pace.
“The taste is alright,” Rong Jinghe remarked.
“Fried rice and lotus seed flavors are good too,” Chu Qianze said, looking at Rong Jinghe and giving a playful smile.
Rong Jinghe responded a beat later, “I’ll get them for you next time.”
Back in the dormitory, Chu Qianze sat on a chair for a while before standing up. After a moment, he retrieved a few pieces of clean clothes from the wardrobe, preparing to take a shower.
Entering the bathroom and just about to close the door, Chu Qianze saw Rong Jinghe walking in from outside, holding a plastic bag.
He blinked, “Why are you coming in? Planning to brush your teeth?”
Rong Jinghe took the plastic bag in his hand and replied, “Your wound is best not to touch water right now, or it might get infected. After you take off your clothes, I’ll use this to wrap up the injured area.”
“You’re going to help me wrap it?”
Chu Qianze lowered the hand pressed against the door, walked into the bathroom, and placed his clothes in the wardrobe.
Glancing around, Rong Jinghe said, “Do you plan on doing it yourself?”
“Forget it, I can’t see the back of my neck, too much trouble.” Chu Qianze took off his shirt and turned his back to Rong Jinghe. “I’m ready, go ahead.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he got a face full of the plastic bag. The plastic crinkled and crackled in his ears.
After Rong Jinghe finished, Chu Qianze looked in the mirror, resembling someone wearing an invisible scarf.
“After you finish bathing, I’ll clean that area separately.” Originally expecting it to be troublesome, Rong Jinghe found it surprisingly smooth. Moreover, from this angle, it looked rather handsome.
Satisfied with his handiwork, Rong Jinghe adjusted the plastic bag. “I’ll head out for now. If you need anything, just call me. Remember to lock the door.”
With that, he exited the bathroom and closed the door behind him.
Straightening the plastic scarf, Chu Qianze, upon entering the bathroom, thought for a moment. He then took the showerhead down and proceeded to take a quick shower.
Even though he felt fine, observing the expressions of those around him, Chu Qianze decided to take it easy. If the wound got worse due to water exposure, these people would probably nag him to death.
As he walked out of the bathroom, he was met with three pairs of eyes.
“Brother Chu, why did you come out so quickly? Oh…” Hong looked at the neckline of Chu Qianze’s shirt, unable to conceal his disappointment.
“If I finish showering and don’t come out, where do you want me to go?” Finding it amusing, Chu Qianze casually walked to his spot. Seeing Rong Jinghe heading to the bathroom, he made way for him.
“Not that, where’s the waterproof device that Brother Jinghe made for you? I wanted to take a look.” Hong sighed deeply, regretting his laziness for missing out on such good gossip in the bathroom.
“If I don’t take it off, how can I put on my clothes? If you want to see, ask Brother Jinghe to make you one too, and you can try it out for yourself.” Rolling his eyes, Chu Qianze found the sleeves a bit inconvenient, so he rolled them up.
“Hehe, never mind.”
If they really made one for me, I’d end up looking so lame. Such embarrassing history should be buried and forgotten, and hopefully, there won’t be even a trace left.
“I’ll apply the ointment for you.” Rong Jinghe emerged from the bathroom, shaking his hands to get rid of some water droplets.
“Oh.” Chu Qianze responded, sitting on a chair with his head slightly lowered.
Removing the bandage, Rong Jinghe picked up the ointment from the side and squeezed it onto a cotton swab. “When you sleep tonight, try to lie on your side. Sleeping on your back may put pressure on the back of your neck.”
“I’ll try,” Chu Qianze replied casually. The act of falling asleep wasn’t something he could entirely control.
“Help me with that.”
“The water cup?”
“Yeah.” Taking the item handed over by Rong Jinghe, Chu Qianze said, “Thanks.”
Observing the interaction between the two, Hong couldn’t help but speak up, “Hey, Brother Jinghe, I’ve noticed you’re really good at taking care of people. Look at how you’ve been taking care of Brother Chu all the way, even needing to inform you when he drinks water.”
“Brother Jinghe, I have a younger sister, do you want me to introduce her to you?”
This was quite a plot twist.
Rong Jinghe was momentarily stunned, about to respond when Hong interjected on his own, “Forget it, forget it. Brother Jinghe, pretend I didn’t say anything. You’re too handsome; it’s not safe. My goodness, when will my sister ever find a partner?”
Initially unfazed, Hong now found himself entangled in this issue.
Hearing this, Chu Qianze chuckled, “You’re still single yourself, and yet you’re worried about your sister’s affairs? Who knows, maybe she already has someone.”
“How is that possible?!” Hong held his head in his hands, leaning on a nearby table. “I have confidence in my sister’s ability to stay single. She’s obsessed with paper dolls every day; there’s no room for men in her eyes.”
“Well, that’s bizarre,” Chu Qianze rolled his eyes. “Forget about Rong Jinghe; he still has to be responsible for me.”
“You can try Ye Lunguo,” Chu Qianze suggested. “I think he fits the image of a second-dimensional guy. If there were characters breaking through the dimensional barrier, he’d probably look like that.”
Hearing this, Ye Lunguo’s eyes widened, “I’m not planning to date anyone right now.”
“Ye Lunguo won’t work; he looks too young. People might mistake him for a minor. Age differences of just three years can create a generation gap, and my sister would find it tough in a sibling relationship,” Hong sighed, sinking into deep contemplation. He raised his hand, giving Chu Qianze a meaningful look, “Brother Chu, do you want—”
Rong Jinghe cleared his throat and said to Chu Qianze, “I won’t stick the bandage anymore. Be careful not to rub it against anything.”
Chu Qianze replied, “So, can I remove it now?”
“Yes, just be careful not to wipe off the ointment,” Rong Jinghe advised.
Meanwhile, Hong dismissed his earlier thoughts, saying, “Never mind, Brother Chu might not be suitable either. My sister can’t handle him. Let’s forget it.”
After pondering for a while, he sighed, “It’s really hard to start a relationship now; there’s too much to consider.”
With so many high-quality options around me, it’s frustrating that I can’t make any progress, he thought.
Hearing this sigh, Chu Qianze rolled his eyes. “You really like meddling in other people’s business.”
“I’m making good use of my time,” Hong retorted.
Seeing the two of them bickering, Rong Jinghe chuckled, shook his head, and returned to his own spot.
Later that night, Chu Qianze turned over, distributing the pressure to the other side of his body. After a while, he flipped back, repeating the cycle.
“Can’t sleep?” came a low voice from beside him; it was Rong Jinghe speaking.
“A bit.” Chu Qianze closed his eyes, contorting himself into a twisted position. After a while of struggling, he gave up, sitting up and whispered, “Why aren’t you sleeping either?”
“Thinking about lyrics,” Rong Jinghe replied.
Lyrics.
Chu Qianze became interested and moved to the other end, asking, “Are you planning to write a song yourself?”
“Yeah, I’m in the exploratory stage,” Rong Jinghe said.
“Do you mind letting me take a look?” Chu Qianze asked.
“I’m not good at it. You might find it ugly,” Rong Jinghe hesitated, looking at the small notebook in his hand.
Given his current skill level, it wasn’t something he could be proud of.
“I don’t even know how to write lyrics; you’re already impressive,” Chu Qianze reassured.
“Then come over,” Rong Jinghe said, preparing to hand over the small notebook from the side of the bed curtain. Feeling a light breeze on his arm, Rong Jinghe looked over to see Chu Qianze pulling back his bed curtain. Chu Qianze sat cross-legged at the head of the bed.
Seeing the gaze on him, Chu Qianze raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth silently, saying, “I’m here.”
Where are the lyrics?
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