Wen Yang's cramped calf continued to throb in pain, and his twisted ankle left his left leg completely useless. With no choice, he slung his arm over Ning Chu's shoulder, limping as they made their way off the track.
It was his first time being this close to Ning Chu, and while his body ached terribly, his mind couldn't help but wander into all sorts of inappropriate thoughts.
Ning Chu's body felt so soft.
Her skin was smooth and cool to the touch.
There was a faint, sweet scent about her, calming and pleasant.
And that panicked, teary-eyed expression of hers was unbelievably adorable.
Wen Yang snuck a glance at Ning Chu. Even though he tried to carry as much of his weight as possible, she still ended up shouldering part of the burden. Her face was tight with worry, her brow furrowed in concentration, yet she stubbornly kept holding him up.
That determined little face was adorable too.
He knew this wasn't the time to entertain such thoughts and felt guilty for even thinking them. He avoided looking directly at Ning Chu.
"Where did Xinya disappear to at a time like this?!" Ning Chu panted, visibly struggling under his weight. "The moment I need her, she's nowhere to be found!"
Her view was blocked by Wen Yang, so she couldn't see behind him, but Yan Xinya was strolling leisurely a short distance away.
Wen Yang glanced back to see Yan Xinya silently mouthing the words "Good luck" at him.
"And where are Shaoqing and Wang Jie? Where'd those two run off to?"
Ning Chu scanned the area, hoping to find someone to help, but couldn't spot any familiar faces.
"Maybe they snuck back to the dorms?"
"And you! Why didn't you warm up before the race? Who just runs without warming up? Of course you'd cramp!" She babbled on, alternating between scolding and worrying. "Look at you now—scraped knees, bloody hands—who knows how long it'll take to heal!"
"Couldn't you have been more careful?"
"No more competitions! You're not entering any more!"
"You're so tall! Falling must hurt even more. What if something worse happens next time?"
She seemed entirely unconcerned about Wen Yang's embarrassment and more focused on his injuries. Meanwhile, Wen Yang's face was burning as he avoided the stares of the surrounding students.
"You hear me?"
He quickly nodded. "Okay, okay, no more competitions."
By the time they limped out of the track area, most of the pain in his calf had subsided.
"It doesn't hurt as much now; I can walk on my own," he said.
"No!" Ning Chu immediately pushed his hand back onto her shoulder. "What if you fall again? How am I supposed to know if you're just trying to tough it out?"
She was genuinely anxious. If Wen Yang ended up in the hospital or stuck in the dorms recuperating, she'd lose the protective shield of his protagonist aura whenever she went to class or ventured out.
Who knows what kind of creeps she might encounter without him around? She couldn't possibly wear his clothes every day for protection, could she?
"..."
Wen Yang gave in with a resigned sigh and shut his eyes, deciding to enjoy the softness of her body while it lasted.
His ankle was the only thing still aching now, but his mind started drifting to more inappropriate thoughts about Ning Chu.
This made him feel even more awkward, and he avoided looking at her altogether.
"We're here," Ning Chu said with a relieved sigh as they approached the infirmary.
"Yeah."
Walking into the infirmary, they were greeted by the familiar sight of the doctor they'd seen before.
"You two again? It hasn't even been two months since the semester started, and you've already made several trips here!"
The doctor instantly recognized the pair—a tall, handsome boy and a petite, adorable girl. From the very first day of military training, these two had been frequent visitors to the infirmary, always together.
Shrugging on his white coat, the doctor asked with a chuckle, "What happened this time?"
Ning Chu carefully settled Wen Yang onto a chair before rushing to the doctor's desk. "He fell during the sports meet! Please take a look; he didn't seriously hurt himself, did he?"
The doctor glanced at Ning Chu's anxious expression and walked over to Wen Yang, teasing with a smile, "Your little girlfriend seems more worried than you are."
"..."
"Let me see..." As the doctor examined Wen Yang's injuries, he continued, "How long have you two been together? You seem to have a great relationship."
Afraid that Ning Chu would get upset, Wen Yang hurriedly tried to explain, "We're not—"
"Come on, you're practically glued together all the time. It's nice."
Before he could finish, the doctor interrupted, leaving Wen Yang no choice but to sneak a glance at Ning Chu. She, however, was too busy craning her neck to watch the doctor, her eyes full of concern, to even notice what was being said.
"Your ankle's pretty badly twisted, but the rest are just surface wounds. A bit of medicine will do."
Ning Chu immediately followed the doctor, her steps quick and small. "So, no serious problems?"
"No, nothing serious. I'll clean the wounds, and you can take him to the rest room to sit for a while." The doctor grabbed a bottle of antiseptic and a packet of gauze from the medicine cabinet, handing them to her. "Just minor scrapes. Apply this for him later."
"Got it."
The doctor fetched an ice pack, lifted Wen Yang's foot, and began massaging the twisted ankle. He instructed Ning Chu, "Hold the ice pack in place for him and massage his ankle gently when needed."
"Okay."
Ning Chu nodded quickly, the tension in her heart easing at the doctor's confident demeanor.
It was only then that she realized the doctor had mistaken her and Wen Yang for a couple.
Between Yan Xinya's teasing and Lily's meddling, this new misunderstanding didn't evoke much of a reaction from her. Still, a faint blush crept onto her cheeks as embarrassment set in.
"All right, take him to the rest room. Call me if there's anything else."
Ning Chu didn't have time to correct the doctor about her relationship with Wen Yang. She quickly supported him and helped him limp into the small rest room.
It was the same tiny space with a single bed they'd visited before. As they entered, Ning Chu even closed the door behind them.
Wen Yang sat on the edge of the bed while Ning Chu pulled over a small stool and placed the medicine and ice pack on his lap. "Here, your medicine."
"Should I do it myself?"
"What, you want me to wait on you?"
She felt she'd already done enough as a roommate and friend by helping him to the infirmary. Did he really expect her to apply the medicine and massage his ankle too, like the doctor suggested?
Wen Yang suddenly winced and frowned. "Ow! My foot still hurts a lot."
Instinctively, Ning Chu grabbed his foot, placed the ice pack on his ankle, and asked in a panic, "Does it hurt that much? Should I call the doctor?"
"It's better with the ice pack."
Ning Chu shot him a glare and casually rested his foot on her lap. "You're such a faker. Who taught you to act like this? You're like a little scoundrel."
"Shaoqing?"
"Knew it!"
Back at the start of the semester, Wen Yang had been a quiet and slightly shy boy. Look at him now!
"Shaoqing's a shameless smooth-talker. Don't learn from him," she warned, worried that Wen Yang might turn into the story's version of himself—a flirtatious jerk who toyed with every girl that came his way.
"Got it."
At least for now, Wen Yang seemed willing to listen to her.
As she lightly massaged his ankle, Ning Chu sighed softly. "You really scared me. Be more careful next time, okay?"
"Mm..."
Wen Yang felt his face flush as her soft hands worked on his ankle. To avoid looking at her, he stared up at the ceiling.
But something in his voice sounded weak and guilty, prompting Ning Chu to glance up from his ankle. Her gaze traveled up his leg, stopping at the loose shorts he wore.
The sight made her freeze in place.
Seriously?! He can barely walk, and two minutes after sitting down, his mind's already gone there?
Wen Yang's face turned pale in an instant.
"Ow! Ow! Be gentle!" he cried out.