Chapter 2 (2)

In the darkness, Fang Ji opened his eyes.

----- Main Text -----

Feng Bao Nan remained silent for a long time. Feng You looked at his expression and cautiously called out, "Dad...?"

Feng Bao Nan turned around and sat back in the chair. He silently lit a cigarette, and a faint wisp of smoke curled up into the air, filling the room with a moment of quietness.

At that moment, the door was knocked twice. A young girl with a ponytail pushed aside the door curtain and stepped inside. Just as she lifted her head, she saw a stranger standing in the room. She hesitated for a moment, lowered her head shyly, and then turned to look at Feng You. Her eyes seemed to be asking whether she should leave or not.

Feng You waved to her and said softly, "Yanzi, just put the dishes on the table."

Yanzi made a muffled sound from her throat and began arranging the food on the table. The dishes were all simple and homely - scrambled eggs with tomatoes, boiled shrimp, wild vegetable soup. Although the presentation might not be fancy, the aroma filled the air. She washed her hands and started peeling the shrimp, placing the tender shrimp meat one by one into bowls for Feng Bao Nan and Feng You.

As his cigarette was about to burn out, Feng Bao Nan pressed the butt into the ashtray and looked up at Yanzi. He said, "Yanzi, you don't need to peel the shrimp. Later, go to the inn and clean up there." He paused, then turned to Fang Ji and said, "Doctor Fang, you should stay for a meal first. After we finish eating, I'll take you to meet someone."

North of Shangyang Village, a dilapidated thatched cottage stood at the foot of a desolate hill, shivering in the chilly breeze of early spring.

As soon as the door was pushed open, a damp, musty smell rushed out. Feng You didn't have time to hold his breath and ended up inhaling it deeply, making his lungs ache instantly. He quickly pulled up his sleeve to cover his nose and accidentally brushed against a thin white cobweb hanging from the eaves. A black, glossy spider slid down the thread, its chelicerae quivering in front of him. Startled, Feng You let out a high-pitched scream.

(Tn: Chelicerae are specialized mouthparts found in spiders, scorpions, ticks, and mites. In spiders, the chelicerae are modified into fangs that are equipped with venom glands. )

The room was pitch dark, as if it had cut off the daylight and remained in the depths of a dark night. Piles of rotten sticks and potatoes were stacked in the corners. Faint light leaked through gaps in the thatched roof, casting a few feeble rays and stirring up swirling dust in the air.

An old man lay on a rusty old spring bed, a thin patched blanket covering him. His abdomen was distended, showing occasional movements. The pillowcase, yellowed and stained with splotches of blood, bore varying shades of black. His shrunken face had eye sockets that had sunk, and cheekbones protruded angularly. He seemed to have just a breath more than a corpse.

Upon hearing Feng You's scream, the old man's eyelids twitched slightly. His cloudy eyes shifted to the side, forming wrinkles from the corners of his eyes. He spoke hoarsely, "Feng...Village head Feng."

A dry, twig-like arm extended from beneath the blanket, pushing against the bed frame in an attempt to sit up. However, as his head lifted from the pillow, his body swayed, and he was on the verge of falling off the bed.

Feng Bao Nan hurriedly pressed him back down, grabbing his hand and leaning close to his ear, "Lao Zhang, you've lost weight."

Zhang Guangquan stared blankly, blinked very slowly, and when he opened his eyes again, a faint glimmer appeared in his eyes.

Feng Bao Nan continued, "Lao Zhang, I've brought a... doctor to see you. Just lie still."

Zhang Guangquan stared at him, seeming to struggle to understand his words.

Feng Bao Nan turned his head and waved to Fang Ji, giving him room to approach. Fang Ji sat by the bedside, slowly pulling back the blanket, and reached down to touch his pulse. He then lifted the man's coarse cloth shirt, and as he looked down, he saw the man's abdomen significantly swollen, covered with patches of red marks.

Fang Ji retracted his gaze, tucking the man's clothes and blanket properly. He retrieved a white pill from his canvas bag and glanced around the room before settling his gaze on an aluminum kettle beneath the spring bed. The kettle still had some water left. He used that water to administer the pill into Zhang Guangquan's mouth.

Zhang Guangquan choked on it and then started coughing violently. His face turned bright red, and he gasped for air like a fish out of water. It took a while for him to calm down.

After this ordeal, he was left completely exhausted. He closed his eyes and slightly opened his mouth, soon becoming still. Feng Bao Nan's heart tightened, and he quickly reached out to check for his breathing. A faint breath brushed across his fingertip, allowing Feng Bao Nan to breathe a sigh of relief.

"He's fine," Fang Ji said. "He's just too tired and has fallen asleep."

Feng Bao Nan nodded and asked, "Doctor Fang, how is he?"

Fang Ji's expression darkened slightly, "His condition isn't great. How much do you know about his situation?"

"Well, about half a year ago, he started bleeding and lost weight. He used to have a younger sister who took care of him when he first fell ill. But his sister has her own family with children, so he stopped asking her to come. He's been bedridden for the past month. He asked me not to inform his sister. I've had someone send him some dry rations every week and check on him. I don't know much beyond that."

The person on the brink of death, even if they're treated to death, won't cause any loss to the village.

Fang Ji nodded, then surveyed the room again. He pulled out a greasy iron rice basin from under the bed, which still had half a pot of wild vegetable soup in it. There was no trace of oil on the soup's surface, but it had a few circles of white foam.

Looking up, Fang Ji said, " Village Chief Feng, to treat this illness, it's not enough to rely solely on medicine. I'll stay here for the next few days. Is that convenient for you?"

Feng Bao Nan hesitated for a moment, pondered in silence, and then looked towards Feng You who was standing outside. Finally, he spoke, "Alright, but it'll be quite a task. You're welcome to do so." After a pause, as if recalling something, he added, "By the way, the area in the mountains behind here often has wolves. Be careful not to wander around. I'll have Feng You stay with you here, and Yanzi will bring you food each day. If you need anything, just let Yanzi know. I'll come back in seven days."

Fang Ji nodded, and Feng Bao Nan gave a few more instructions before leaving the thatched house. He found Feng You squatting on the ground, digging ant holes, and his expression turned cold. He sneaked up behind him and delivered a kick to his rear end.

Feng You let out a cry of pain and jumped up, only to come face to face with an angry expression, "Father?! What's wrong now?!"

Feng Bao Nan gave him a frigid glance, saying, "For this week, Fang Ji will be staying here. You'll stay with him too."

Feng You was taken aback, exclaiming, "Stay here?! Can anyone stay here? With that old man who's about to kick the bucket?"

"Shut up!" Feng Bao Nan grabbed his ear and twisted it sharply, "If I say you're staying, then you're staying! What's all this nonsense?!"

Feng You let out another cry of pain, tears almost welling up. He knew that his father had made up his mind, and he had no chance to argue back, "Dad, dad, dad! I'll stay! I'll stay, alright?! Just let Lin Lang bring a bed for me. I'll stay!"

"Absolutely not! I'm not having you here to sleep peacefully!" Feng Bao Nan paused, lowered his voice, and said, "You keep an eye on him. Don't let him run around. And, find a chance to go through his bag and see if he has a phone. If he does, take it out and give it to me!"

Feng You was taken aback, tilting his head without responding.

Seeing his hesitant reaction, Feng Bao Nan pushed him with his hand, saying sharply, "Did you hear me?!"

Feng You's expression darkened, "Dad, he came all the way here to treat people without charging any money, and you want to steal his phone. Have you no shame?"

"Who said anything about stealing?!" Feng Bao Nan's face turned grim, his voice stern, "He's an outsider after all, not someone we know well! Have you completely forgotten what happened last year?!"

Feng You's gaze shifted, his lips pressed together in silence.

"Speak up! Will you do it or not?!" Feng Bao Nan raised his hand to shove his shoulder, "If you're not doing it, I'll kick him out right now!"

Feng You rolled his eyes, finally giving in, "I know! Is knowing not enough?!"

As night fell, the sky was cloudless, and moonlight streamed down, causing dew to form on the tips of leaves, reflecting a faint white light. On the ground, it looked like a radiant sea of stars.

Feng You lay on a tattered reed mat, his brows furrowed tightly. As he flipped himself over for the seventh time, he suddenly heard Fang Ji's voice beside him, "Feng You, I'm sorry..."

Feng You was taken aback, not expecting him to suddenly say something like that. His heart pounded, and he didn't dare turn to look at Fang Ji as he responded, "Sorry for what?"

"I... did I cause you trouble too? Maybe you should talk to your dad. I'll be fine here on my own, and you can go back to rest."

A sense of relief washed over Feng You, and he turned around, only to meet Feng You's gaze. He paused for a moment before saying, "It's... it's okay. My dad asked me to stay and help you out. Nothing else."

____

Fang Ji gazed at his face, then suddenly propped himself up, reaching out to touch Feng You's cheek.

Feng You stiffened as soon as Fang Ji's cool fingertips made contact with his face. His face felt hot despite the cool touch, and as he saw Fang Ji slowly leaning closer, their distance closing, he unconsciously held his breath.

"Does it hurt?"

He heard Fang Ji say those words and finally realized the context. He cleared his throat and responded, "It's just a small injury. I almost forgot until you mentioned it."

Fang Ji seemed to relax a bit at that, retracting his hand and speaking softly, "I thought you were mad at me."

Seeing a hint of moisture in Fang Ji's eyes, Feng You's heart skipped a beat. He hastened to say, "No! It's not that easy for me to get mad."

Fang Ji frowned, staring at Feng You's eyes in surprise, "Your dad slapped you because of me, and you're not mad?"

"My dad? My dad slaps me nine out of ten times he sees me, and the remaining one time he scolds me thoroughly. I've gotten used to it!"

"Why does he scold you?"

"A father scolding his son, what's so new about that? If I'm not doing anything productive, not making money, and still unmarried at this age, what else can I expect?"

Fang Ji paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. Feng You looked at him in confusion, his face reddening, "What are you laughing at?!"

Fang Ji hurriedly covered his mouth, then glanced at Zhang Guangquan, who was still deeply asleep with his eyes closed. He sighed with relief and lowered his voice, saying, "Sorry! It's just that what your dad said is exactly the same as what my dad would say. It struck me as funny for a moment."

Feng You was taken aback, "You? You get scolded by your dad too?"

"Of course, he always says I'm not as good as so-and-so's son, and it's given me callouses on my ears."

"Well, that makes me feel better!" Feng You paused for a moment, seeming to regret his words immediately. He cleared his throat and added, "Ah, I mean, you're a doctor who saves lives, yet you still get scolded by your dad... that's..."

"I understand." Fang Ji smiled, looked at Feng You's face, and said, "brother Feng, but I think you're great."

Feng You was caught off guard and uncomfortably averted his gaze, "You don't need to comfort me. I've long grown used to being scolded."

However, Fang Ji's expression remained serious, "I'm not comforting you! I mean it."

Feng You swallowed nervously, feeling an inexplicable flutter in his chest, "What... what's great about me?"

After giving it some thought, Fang Ji said, "For example, when I first met you, I was actually quite scared. I was afraid you wouldn't believe me, afraid you'd think I was a fraud. I won't hide it from you, in other villages, I've heard all kinds of foul language, and people even threatened to hit me..."

Feng You's brows furrowed with indignation, "How can they insult you when you're helping them for free? It's ridiculous!"

With a wry smile, Fang Ji's eyes dimmed a bit, "Actually... your dad also didn't trust me at first, that's why he had you stay, right? He was afraid I'd accidentally kill someone and then escape. Isn't that the reason?"

Feng You's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly grabbed Fang Ji's hand, "No! He really wanted me to help you. Besides, people have been injured by wolves in the mountains before. If you don't believe me, ask Zhang Guangquan tomorrow when he wakes up. Everyone in the village knows about it! Don't overthink it!"

Fang Ji's gaze shifted slightly, and his expression finally eased. He looked at Feng You, a faint smile tugging at his lips, "Alright, brother Feng, as long as it's something you say, I'll believe it."

The moonlight cast a soft glow on his face. As Feng You looked at him, his mind went inexplicably blank for a moment. He released Fang Ji's hand, turned his face away, rubbed his knees with his hands, and recalled the task that Feng Bao Nan had assigned to him. He felt like his heart was twisted in a few loops, and it ached with every beat.

"Brother Feng," Fang Ji continued, "If you're feeling bored, you can sneak out and have some fun. Don't worry about me."

Feng You was taken aback, feeling a bit hesitant, "No... that's not a good idea. My dad is already mad at me. If he finds out I've gone out, he'll probably beat me to death."

"It's fine. If you don't say anything, and I don't say anything, how would he know? If he asks, I'll just tell him you went to the town to buy medicine for me. He won't be able to find fault with that."

Feng You's gaze flickered, hesitating for a moment before saying, "Is it okay for you to stay here by yourself?"

Fang Ji smiled, "It's fine. I've been through similar situations in other villages. Besides, you'll be back in a few days."

If he stole Fang Ji's phone and he discovered it missing, he wouldn't know how to face him. But if he left for a while and came back later, at least Feng Bao Nan would be there to provide some cover...

As Feng You considered this, he finally found a way through the tangled thoughts in his mind. He let out a sigh of relief and agreed to the suggestion.

They chatted for a while longer, and he heard Fang Ji yawning slowly. After a bit more time passed, he noticed that Fang Ji's breathing had become even and calm.

Feng You turned his head, held his breath, and listened quietly for a moment. Then he softly called out, "Fang Ji?"

Fang Ji remained still, eyes closed, showing no response.

"...Fang Ji?" Feng You's voice grew a bit louder.

Fang Ji continued to sleep soundly, completely unaware of his voice.

Swallowing nervously, Fend You silently stood up and walked to a chair in the corner. He opened Fang Ji's canvas bag and rummaged around inside until he found a phone.

His heart raced as he turned to glance behind him. Fang Ji still lay quietly, sleeping deeply with his back to Feng You. He breathed a sigh of relief, slipped the phone into his pocket, and then tiptoed out of the room.

He moved to the shadows behind the cottage, pressed his hand against his chest as he caught his breath, and his racing heart gradually calmed down. Then he squatted down, picked up a broken brick from the ground, and used it to dig a small hole. He took the phone out of his pocket again.

He pressed the power button, and the screen lit up automatically, stopping at the power button. His fingers trembled slightly, seeming to have a mind of their own. Slowly, they moved to the screen and lightly swiped, causing the main screen to light up.

Feng You was startled, realizing that Fang Ji hadn't set a lock screen password. His fingers froze in mid-air, trembling for a moment, and he finally tapped open Fang Ji's messaging app. His eyes quickly scanned through the messages. The first few were chats with his parents and classmates, with nothing particularly noteworthy. It was the last message that was still visible from three days ago. He opened the message and discovered that his phone had been overdue in payment for three days.

He let out a sigh of relief, switched the phone to silent mode, turned it off, and buried it in the soil. Then he quietly returned to the room, wrapping himself in a shroud of cool air. He tiptoed, supporting the reed mat, and slowly lay down. Just as he was about to close his eyes, he heard a voice beside him, "... brother Feng?"

He startled, immediately turned his head, and saw Fang Ji opening his eyes just a crack. In a hoarse voice, Fang Ji asked, "What's wrong? Can't sleep?"

"It's... it's nothing. I went to pee."

Fang Ji responded with a sleepy "Mmm," seeming to sense the cold emanating from him. He lifted a corner of the blanket and gradually scooted closer to Feng You, wrapping his entire body around him. "You can cuddle up to me, and you won't be cold."

As soon as Fang Ji said that, he(FY) shivered, feeling his body tense up. His face grew warm, and he could only tightly shut his eyes.

He lay there stiffly, but the mat was so cold and hard. After about ten minutes, he felt like his rear end was going to get flattened. He scrunched up his eyebrows and was about to roll over when he accidentally brushed against a slightly cool hand. He froze in place and opened his eyes, only to see Fang Ji curled up, eyes closed, already asleep.

His breath caught in his throat, and he forced himself to tense up his muscles, clench his teeth, and resist the discomfort. He closed his eyes forcefully, struggling against the tug of sleepiness and pain for half the night. Finally, in a drowsy stupor, he fell asleep.

The room grew quiet. Outside, a gust of wind arose, pushing a thin wisp of cloud across the moon's glow, causing the moonlight to waver between dim and bright.

In the darkness, Fang Ji opened his eyes.

___________________________________________

Tn: I am not splitting the chapters, they are originally in this format.