SLWP Chapter 12

The destination was a campsite far from the city center, surrounded by lush trees and soft moss. Everyone knew this was the last outing for the seniors, so they played with abandon all day, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Chen Xu, who was not very physically fit, was completely exhausted by the evening return trip, lying limply on his seat with his eyes half-closed, seemingly asleep.

Streetlights slipped by outside the bus window, casting intermittent shadows across his face.

The bus was quiet, as everyone was worn out from the day’s activities, with many students already asleep. Only Ji Chunxiao was still alert, observing his wife intently.

The seventeen-year-old Chen Xu’s youthful face overlapped in his memory with that of his twenty-two-year-old lover. Ji Chunxiao had seen this sleeping face countless times, even the frequency of the slight trembling of the long eyelashes was familiar.

Ji Chunxiao unconsciously lightened his breathing, admiring him for a while before, concerned that Chen Xu might be uncomfortable sleeping like that, carefully moved him to rest against his shoulder.

It was late, and the road was deserted, with the bus driving smoothly. The driver, perhaps a bit relaxed, failed to notice the movement in the bushes along the foothills, and a lamb suddenly jumped out.

The bus lights highlighted the lamb’s white fur, making it quite conspicuous. The driver’s heart skipped a beat and he quickly swerved, narrowly avoiding the lamb with a sharp turn at an awkward angle.

The bus jolted harshly, the inertia pulling everyone tightly against their seat belts while the tires screeched against the asphalt.

The sudden incident frightened everyone, screams mingling as they instinctively tightened their grip on the seat belts.

Only Ji Chunxiao, in the split second of the sharp turn, instinctively held Chen Xu tight.

Chen Xu, nearly completely shielded in Ji Chunxiao’s arms in a protective posture, wasn’t really asleep and, being sensitive to accidents like these, quickly became fully alert.

The sound of Ji Chunxiao’s heartbeat isolated all external noise; Chen Xu blinked in a daze, a sense of déjà vu washing over him.

This was the second time someone had protected him with an embrace during an accident.

The details of the original accident suddenly became clear, and the memories of the person who had insistently held him before death flooded back.

Chen Xu realized he had never deeply considered the reason behind Ji Chunxiao’s rebirth.

He died in a car accident, but what about Ji Chunxiao?

After the incident with the lamb, the bus quickly returned to a smooth ride.

Ji Chunxiao released Chen Xu, checking him over, “Are you alright? Did you hit or bump anything?”

Chen Xu shook his head, looking at him intently.

He was a bit puzzled, “What’s wrong?”

After a moment of silence, with a confident tone, Chen Xu asked quietly, “Ji Chunxiao, you were there in the last life during the car accident, weren’t you?”

The one who walked into the fire and smoke, the one who grabbed my hand and held me, the one who went with me towards death.

It was you, right?

Mentioning the accident, Chen Xu could feel the grip on his hand tighten significantly.

Ji Chunxiao looked down, his deep black eyes reflecting the silvery moonlight, seemingly shimmering with moisture.

The next second, as the vehicle entered a tunnel and darkness enveloped them, Chen Xu felt himself pulled into a familiar embrace, Ji Chunxiao’s deep voice mixed with pain and apology near his ear, “I’m sorry, Chen Xu, I wish I could have arrived even sooner.”

Hot tears fell onto Chen Xu’s bare neck, trailing down into his school uniform, leaving a wet streak.

They hugged tightly in the complete darkness, as if embracing through that deep night consumed by fire from their previous life.

Before Chen Xu could even think of how to express his gratitude to Ji Chunxiao, he fell ill.

Perhaps due to the day’s exertions or the emotional upheaval combined with the temperature change, he developed a high fever after returning.

His entire body was burning hot, his throat dry and painful, and a chilling sensation coursed through his body.

His heavy eyelids were hard to lift, and he curled up on his dormitory bed, a thick blanket offering no relief, suffering throughout the day.

Ji Chunxiao was frantic, taking leave from his teachers and fetching medicine from the school infirmary, busily changing cooling patches and fetching water without stopping.

In their previous life, Chen Xu had been well-cared for by Ji Chunxiao, his physical condition much better than during his high school days, rarely falling ill.

Back then, it was Ji Chunxiao who was more frequently ill.

He was busy with his studies and always needed to keep an eye on the family business. Ji Chunxiao himself was not academically inclined, needing to invest more time than others to achieve the desired results.

Busy with various tasks, he often forgot to eat.

Over time, this neglect led to gastric problems. The doctor said it required slow recuperation, which he didn’t have the patience for, often leading to relapses.

When his stomach hurt, Chen Xu would let him lie on his lap, gently massaging him until he felt better, then hurriedly preparing stomach-friendly porridge in the kitchen.

Even in the middle of the night, Chen Xu would muster his energy, throw on clothes, and sit by the bed, patiently massaging Ji Chunxiao all night.

Ji Chunxiao had always been the one taken care of; Chen Xu hadn’t expected Ji Chunxiao could also take care of someone else.

He lay in bed, watching Ji Chunxiao bustling about somewhat clumsily, and unknowingly, a slight smile curved his lips.

“Still feeling bad?”

Ji Chunxiao replaced the cooled water in the cup, coming closer to touch his forehead.

Chen Xu instinctively was about to say “Much better,” although he didn’t feel improved, accustomed to not troubling others. But before he could speak, he blinked slowly, hesitated for a few seconds, and ventured cautiously, “…Still uncomfortable.”

“Ah?” Ji Chunxiao’s frown deepened, his gaze filled with concern.

“How can you feel better?” Ji Chunxiao gently caressed Chen Xu’s face.

Was this an invitation to make a request?

Chen Xu closed his eyes. He believed he was resilient and brave, but he had never had the courage to ask for anything.

He was always pleasing, always giving, always humbly looking up, afraid to ask for even a little.

Both he and Ji Chunxiao were suffering from their distorted love, but now, given another chance, could he take the first step towards change?

Under the light, Chen Xu’s long eyelashes trembled, and he opened his eyes, his eyes rimmed with red.

His voice soft, he whispered, “Ji Chunxiao, I’d like some lily and jujube soup.”

This pitiful appearance made Ji Chunxiao’s heart tremble sharply. He tucked the blanket around him and leaned down to kiss his forehead, “Okay, I’ll have someone make it right away.”

He gently patted Chen Xu’s back, coaxing him to sleep, then went out to make a call, instructing the household chef to start the soup.

The watch pointed to eleven, deep into the night, but Ji Chunxiao did not hesitate, climbing over the school fence to go home.

After standing in the kitchen waiting for the soup to be ready and carefully packing it into a food container, he returned to school.

The round trip took nearly two hours, but Ji Chunxiao didn’t feel tired.

When he got back, Chen Xu was sound asleep. Ji Chunxiao didn’t want to wake him, so he placed the soup on a nearby table, gently touching Chen Xu’s flushed cheek with his fingertips.

After watching for a while, he murmured in a whisper, “Xiao Chen Xu, what if you don’t cover yourself properly at night?”

“What if you get thirsty and there’s no one to get you water?”

“So, you need me to sleep with you, right?”

He stared at the sleeping Chen Xu for three seconds. Good, the wife didn’t refuse, so that’s consent.

Ji Chunxiao squeezed onto the small bed, pressing against the wall, but he relished it.

He held Chen Xu in his arms, gently patting his back like comforting a child.

The lily and jujube soup he had toiled over for more than two hours was left lonely on the table. Ji Chunxiao didn’t feel his effort was wasted; after all, the food container was insulated. Chen Xu could drink it first thing in the morning if he wanted, or not—it didn’t matter, he could go back and make a new batch for Chen Xu.

Ji Chunxiao had long understood that he would agree to any request Chen Xu made.