When he said, “I’ll die on you sooner or later,” Shi Niannian didn’t understand, or rather, she didn’t hear it clearly, so naturally she didn’t grasp its meaning and slept quite well all night.

As for Jiang Wang, he didn’t sleep well all night and only finally fell asleep in the early morning.

The next day, Shi Niannian was awakened by the voices of Fan Mengming and Xu Ningqing.

“Holy shit!?” Fan Mengming almost jumped like a cat as soon as he walked into the hospital room, shouting, “What’s going on with you two? Did you just arrive this morning, or did you not leave at all last night?”

Shi Niannian rubbed her eyes and looked over, seeing Xu Ningqing behind Fan Mengming, she blinked.

Xu Ningqing looked at her calmly and raised an eyebrow, asking: “Did you tell your aunt when you left?”

At the time, Shi Niannian was in a hurry to come over, and after seeing Jiang Wang, she indeed forgot about this matter. She took out her phone and saw no missed calls, so her absence from home probably hadn’t been discovered yet.

“Do I owe you two something?” Xu Ningqing sighed, dialed his mother’s number, and went out.

By noon, Jiang Wang had entered the operating room.

Xu Ningqing somehow explained it to his aunt, and anyway, Shi Niannian’s “running away from home” last night wasn’t a problem at all. The three of them sat outside the operating room.

Xu Ningqing rarely looked serious: “You came last night?”

Shi Niannian looked away from the lit surgery light and nodded: “Mm-hmm.”

“What were you thinking, a young girl running here late at night and staying with a guy like Jiang Wang all night?” Xu Ningqing rarely assumed his “big brother” role.

Shi Niannian humbly accepted the scolding and lowered her head.

“Good thing Jiang Wang isn’t like that fat guy Fan Mengming and knows you’re underage.” Xu Ningqing said.

Fan Mengming, sitting nearby, heard this and immediately protested: “What do you mean I’m not like him!?”

Xu Ningqing glanced at him and tugged at the corner of his mouth: “That girlfriend of yours in high school was only 16, right? You beast.”

“…” Fan Mengming’s reasoning wasn’t sound, but his attitude was fierce. “I was only 17 then, it was mutual love and a natural progression.”

Shi Niannian remembered Jiang Wang’s appearance last night.

The young man’s jaw tightened with tension, his eyes dark and deep, locks of hair hanging over his forehead, and the muscle lines visible from his collar.

She didn’t hear clearly what her brother and Fan Mengming were saying, she just turned away with a reddened face.

Her phone vibrated, and Jiang Ling sent a message.

Jiang Ling: Niannian, want to hang out?

Shi Niannian: Not today, I’m at the hospital.

Jiang Ling sent a voice message: “Huh? Are you sick?”

Shi Niannian: No, it’s Jiang Wang, he’s having surgery.

It was a minor surgery and didn’t take long.

When he came out of the operating room, it wasn’t even dark yet. The anesthesia hadn’t worn off, and his hearing also seemed distorted. It wasn’t clear whether this was because the surgery hadn’t been successful or because the anesthesia affected his senses.

He could see Xu Ningqing talking to the doctor, with Shi Niannian standing beside him.

Jiang Wang crooked his finger, and she quickly held his hand.

Xu Ningqing, having finished listening to the doctor, sighed in relief and gave Jiang Wang an “OK” gesture.

Probably because of the anesthesia, he didn’t remember when he fell asleep, only that his dreams were chaotic, with all kinds of images interwoven and pieced together, unable to trace a clear logical line.

At the end of these images was Shi Niannian’s face.

Later, those messy, uncomfortable scenes were completely detached from his mind, leaving only the young girl, looking up at him with a bright smile.

Jiang Wang suddenly remembered a sentence she had highlighted in the reading material on her desk—

“The monster devoured a thousand moons, leaving only the last one, standing on the suspended beam, tenderness filling the sky, buried in the vast Milky Way.”

When Jiang Wang was in surgery, Shi Niannian briefly told Jiang Ling about it. At that time, Jiang Ling was with Chen Shushu, and soon after, the two of them came with Xu Fei, carrying a fruit basket.

Xu Ningqing didn’t know them either, so he found a random excuse and left first.

Shi Niannian asked: “Why did you all come?”

Jiang Ling pointed at Xu Fei and Chen Shushu behind her: “These two were being lovey-dovey right in front of me, they were just nearby. What kind of surgery did the boss have?”

“His ear.”

“Huh? I thought his ear was already fixed. Couldn’t he hear before?” Jiang Ling asked.

Shi Niannian said, “It was a hearing aid.”

“Oh.” Jiang Ling sighed a bit and asked, “Was the surgery successful?”

She smiled and nodded: “The doctor said it went very well.”

Chen Shushu and Xu Fei had just been caught dating, and if it weren’t for using Jiang Ling as an excuse, they wouldn’t even see each other during the winter break. As dinner time approached, they were eager to go home.

Having already impulsively snuck out from home yesterday, Shi Niannian also went home after Jiang Wang woke up.

Having just had surgery, his hearing was still fuzzy, and it wasn’t until the next day that he could finally hear sounds more clearly.

Coming out of the hearing test room, Dr. Qiao, who had been in charge of his case, finally breathed a sigh of relief while holding the latest test report. It had been truly difficult to achieve this result.

The risk of the surgery was indeed high, and if they hadn’t fortunately met that doctor, none of the doctors here would have dared to perform such an operation.

Dr. Qiao patted his shoulder: “Congratulations, we finally have results.”

“Look, this is what that sister gave me,” a little boy in a hospital gown in the hallway was showing off a lily to the girl next to him.

Jiang Wang glanced at them as he walked past, returning to his room.

He saw Shi Niannian putting a bouquet of lilies into a vase.

“Why did you buy flowers?”

She turned to look at him, having been to the hospital room several times, she was already familiar with it.

“Met a flower seller at the entrance,” she said. “They’re pretty.”

Jiang Wang smiled and asked: “Did you also give that little kid outside a flower?”

“Mm-hmm.”

He walked up, pinched her chin, and said in a low voice: “Why are you giving flowers to other boys?”

“What?” She didn’t understand immediately.

He faced the winter sunlight through the window, narrowing his eyes.

Looking at his eyes, it took a moment before she belatedly understood and pushed him: “What are you saying?”

He smiled without speaking, and she didn’t manage to push him away.

Shi Niannian suddenly grabbed his hand, quite excited as she stood on tiptoes: “Your ear… now, are you not wearing a hearing aid?”

“No.”

“You can hear now?” she asked delightedly.

He smiled vaguely: “Yes.”

“Jiang Wang.”

“Hmm?”

Her eyes bright, she stood on tiptoes, clinging to him: “Really, you can hear clearly!”

In the following period, Shi Niannian often came to the hospital to keep him company. Her parents and uncle and aunt seemed quite busy during this time, and had no time to ask why she was going out every day.

Sometimes when Jiang Wang went for tests, she would stay in the hospital room doing homework.

Winter break only lasted about twenty days, and time passed quickly.

She had almost finished her homework, winter break was almost over, and Jiang Wang was finally discharged from the hospital.

Jiang Wang went back to the swimming pool for a while, and it was already dark when he came out. He bought a boxed meal at the convenience store downstairs and carried it upstairs. His hand paused on the doorknob before he directly opened the door.

He saw Fan Mengming sitting on the sofa, looking at him in shock.

Jiang Wang stood at the doorway, put the key back in his pocket, and silently raised one eyebrow.

Fan Mengming was nearly ready to kneel before him: “Brother Wang! Let me stay for one night!”

Jiang Wang remembered that during his hospitalization, Xu Ningqing had left something at his place, so he had given him the spare key, and without guessing, he knew this fat guy got the key from Xu Ningqing.

“Go let Xu Ningqing take you in.” He couldn’t even be bothered to ask why he needed shelter.

“He won’t give me his house key,” Fan Mengming said pitifully. “And besides, Brother Xu finishes his nightlife so late, I can’t keep up with a young man’s schedule.”

“…”

Jiang Wang couldn’t be bothered, sat down in a single armchair to the side, and opened his eel rice box.

Fan Mengming moved closer to him: “Brother Wang? Does this mean you agree to take me in?”

“No, get out.” Jiang Wang said mercilessly.

Fan Mengming held tightly onto a cushion: “I won’t leave.”

Suddenly, his gaze paused. Jiang Wang was holding chopsticks in his right hand, his sleeve slid up, revealing a vague pink edge. Fan Mengming blinked and, as if possessed, reached out his index finger and hooked out a small rabbit-shaped bead from the tightened sleeve.

Fan Mengming: !!!

Jiang Wang frowned, his eyelids drooping as he glanced at him, pulling his hand back: “Don’t touch.”

Fan Mengming pointed his index finger: “Brother, could this be the legendary girlfriend’s hair tie?”

He had a good eye.

Jiang Wang curled his lips, giving an ambiguous laugh, the laughter deep: “Ah.”

It was an acknowledgment.

Fan Mengming clicked his tongue twice, shaking his head: “I never thought you’d be someone with a little ancestor too.”

Jiang Wang:?

He was startled and asked: “You don’t know the meaning of this hair tie?”

“Hmm?”

“Wait a sec, let me find it for you.” Fan Mengming took out his phone from under his butt, scrolled for quite a while before finding the link his girlfriend had sent him. “See, it’s this.”

—A man with a hair tie on his wrist means he already has a girlfriend.

“Time little sister gave it to you, right?”

Jiang Wang leaned back on the sofa, in a good mood: “Mm-hmm.”

“This hair tie is so cute, with a little rabbit. One look and it’s clear you have a girlfriend. I didn’t expect Time little sister to be so clever, though it makes sense, she’s a top student after all. Asserting her claim is both direct and subtle.”

Fan Mengming, having spent a lot of money betting on a game and been found out by his parents, had been kicked out and had his bank card cut off. With a high-consumption love life to maintain, he was forced to come here for lodging.

While speaking, he observed Jiang Wang’s expression and saw his previously expressionless face gradually warm up. He thought that with a bit more pressure, Jiang Wang would agree to take him in.

So Fan Mengming leaned forward and mysteriously said: “Brother Wang, we’re quite alike.”

Jiang Wang looked up.

He watched as Fan Mengming laboriously pulled out a hair tie from his pocket: “Look, my girlfriend gave me one too.”

“It’s also a rabbit.” Fan Mengming flicked the fluffy rabbit, about half a palm in size. He chuckled, trying hard to control but still revealing a hint of boastfulness in his tone. “My rabbit is even a bit bigger than yours.”

“…”

Jiang Wang pressed his tongue against his upper palate, tapped the table: “Alright, you can leave now.”

Fan Mengming:?

After sending Fan Mengming away, Jiang Wang threw the eel rice box into the trash can and went to the bathroom to shower.

After showering, he stood in front of the mirror with a scarf wrapped around his waist, highlighting his narrow waist with its defined contours. His hair was wet, water droplets sliding down his spine.

Jiang Wang stood looking at the mirror for a while, recalling that snowy night at the competition base.

The young girl sat with him on the steps, the surroundings quiet and dim. She held a small snowman in her hand, her fingertips whitened from the cold, when suddenly she held out a hair tie to him, abruptly asking, “Do you want it?”

Jiang Wang had no idea about the meaning of hair ties then; he just wanted something of Shi Niannian’s.

Good thing he took it.

He placed both hands on the sink, his long, bony fingers curved.

After a moment, he laughed softly.

The new semester began, and the classroom was particularly lively.

Everyone gathered to talk about where they went during winter break, and quite a few boys were frantically copying homework.

“Why hasn’t my goddess of hope arrived yet!!!” Chen Shushu wailed nearby, looking painfully at Shi Niannian’s empty desk.

Shi Niannian arrived a bit late to the classroom. Cai Yucai waved for her to come in and joked: “You two are deskmates, but, rarely, Jiang Wang isn’t late while you are.”

Having overslept, Shi Niannian scratched her hair, which she hadn’t had time to comb properly before leaving. Looking up, she saw Jiang Wang already seated.

“Niannian, why are you late?” Jiang Ling asked.

She took off her backpack: “Didn’t hear… the bell.”

Jiang Ling mocked her for a bit, then turned back to continue copying her unfinished winter break homework.

Jiang Wang rested his chin on his hand, looking at her sideways, lazily twirling a pen in his other hand: “Why didn’t you reply to my message last night?”

“Ah.” Shi Niannian was stunned. “You… sent me a message?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“I didn’t see it, what did you… send?”

“Nothing much.” He leaned lazily against the chair back. “Just that I missed you.”

The first class was English. Liu Guoqi hurriedly entered the classroom, and the first thing he did was check the winter break homework. Jiang Ling finished copying the last word, threw down her pen, and suddenly sighed in relief.

“Did you do it?” she turned her head to ask Jiang Wang.

Jiang Wang yawned, his voice quite tired as he hummed an “Mm-hmm”: “I finished it yesterday.”

In school, probably only Liu Guoqi could force Jiang Wang to do winter vacation homework.

He checked one by one, successfully catching many students who hadn’t completed their assignments, and gleefully delivered a heavy punch on the first day of school by having them stand at the back of the classroom as punishment.

“Well, well! Not bad! You did it! Good! Keep it up in the new semester!” He strolled to Jiang Wang’s side and looked at the paper.

“…”

After checking everyone, five boys were standing at the back of the classroom as punishment. Liu Guoqi was finally satisfied and began teaching.

Jiang Wang’s ear had almost fully recovered, and now was truly the time to start intensive training. He poked Shi Niannian’s arm and leaned his head over: “I’m going to train this afternoon.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“I’ll be back for evening study.”

“Okay.”

The English class ended.

Xu Fei had never looked forward to school starting as much as this time. During winter break, he and Chen Shushu only met twice, and even his phone time was restricted, which was too painful.

As soon as class ended, he sat next to Chen Shushu to chat.

Jiang Ling was buried in a novel, having already read quite far into it, and couldn’t stop for a moment. Soon she covered her face and giggled, with an aunt-like smile.

“What are you reading?” Chen Shushu asked across the aisle.

Jiang Ling laughed mischievously and clapped three times: “This.”

Clap, clap, clap.

Chen Shushu quickly understood and walked over to look, reading aloud: “She was pressed onto the bed, her hands restrained above her head, urgent kisses falling like a deluge.”

Halfway through reading, the two of them squeezed onto one chair, laughing uncontrollably.

Shi Niannian looked up, recalling the sentence she had just heard.

Jiang Ling continued from where she left off: “Next, she felt a hot hardness pressing against her waist, swelling! With! excitement!”

She slapped the table once for each word, speaking with great momentum.

Chen Shushu: “Red hot fiery hazy haha oh my god, this is too much!”

Xu Fei: “…”

Jiang Wang, who had been lying down for a nap, also sat up a bit, tilted his head, and watched as the young girl beside him gradually knitted her delicate brows, then turned her head, her dark eyes meeting his gaze.

What Jiang Ling and Chen Shushu had just read out, like a duet, sounded quite familiar.

It was practically a textual narration of the time Jiang Wang pressed Shi Niannian on the hospital bed.

Shi Niannian’s heart pounded. At the time, she hadn’t thought much, just felt that Jiang Wang’s kisses were quite fierce. After hearing what they just said, she realized something was wrong, and the sparks that had brushed against her waist that night all rushed back into her memory.

“That time, you also…?” She couldn’t finish the question.

Jiang Wang was composed and deliberate, dragging out his words mischievously: “Also… what?”

Got hard.

She couldn’t open her mouth to say these two words.

Jiang Wang, having given up on being decent since that time, straightened up and leaned close to her ear.

The classroom was noisy, and Jiang Wang’s voice was very low. As he spoke, his hot breath fell on her ear.

“—Guess what I went to the bathroom for later?”