Lu Mian Is Sick

"Oh, right, the Archery Club has a welcome event this Friday. Don't forget." Ding Yiheng remembered it and mentioned it in passing.

"A welcome event?"

"I knew you hadn't checked the group chat."

Cen Xia opened the group chat he had muted and, sure enough, found the notice for Friday's welcome event.

"Can I skip it?"

"Of course not. Everyone has to go. You can come with me."

Cen Xia had no choice but to agree.

Friday soon arrived. Cen Xia saw Ding Yiheng, who had taken his sweet time getting to their meeting place, and before Cen Xia could complain about him being late, his hair caught Cen Xia's eye.

Ding Yiheng's hair gleamed, every strand meticulously combed into place.

Only one line came to Cen Xia's mind: He combed his hair to look like a grown-up.

"Are you cosplaying a coal boss today?" he asked sincerely.

"What's that supposed to mean? Don't I look handsome? Mature and dependable?"

"...Why does a student need to be mature and dependable?"

"My older cousin said girls like guys who are mature, dependable, and willing to take responsibility."

Cen Xia rolled his eyes. "The important part is 'willing to take responsibility.'"

The club had chosen a high-end, custom party villa for the welcome event.

Everything for eating, drinking, and entertainment was provided.

It was called a welcome event, but everyone could bring friends along to have fun. It seemed more like an excuse to throw a party.

The villa was enormous, with dozens of staff members alone. Food kept coming, a dazzling spread ranging from meat dishes to desserts, red wine to coffee.

"Why is there coffee?"

Ding Yiheng stuffed a small cake into his mouth. "The party's going until tomorrow. It's there in case people can't stay awake."

"Is that cake good?"

"Freshly baked. Worth a try." Ding Yiheng gave him a thumbs-up.

Cen Xia picked up a chocolate one and took a bite. It was indeed good, sweet without being cloying.

"Didn't you come to meet new people? Why are you eating the whole time?"

"Gotta fill up before getting down to business." Ding Yiheng finished his last bite and waved to someone nearby.

Cen Xia followed his gaze. It was Ding Yiheng's friend from the Archery Club, the guy who had helped them get in through the back door.

"What are you doing here? Why don't you go have some fun?" The guy came over and greeted them.

"Sure, I'm going now."

Cen Xia shook his head. "I'll pass. You two go have fun."

"All right, I'll head over first. Call me if you need anything."

Ding Yiheng followed his friend away, leaving Cen Xia alone in the corner.

Call you? Whether you'd even hear your phone is another question.

The drumbeats pounding in his ears were so loud they seemed capable of shattering his eardrums.

Cen Xia stood there for a while, but he really couldn't take it anymore, so he went around to the garden behind the villa.

There weren't many people there. Although he could still see a few men and women who had come to "talk," at least it wasn't as noisy.

Behind the garden was the food preparation area, and staff members could occasionally be seen walking past with trays.

Cen Xia found a chair and sat down, planning to stay for a while before leaving.

Then he saw someone familiar.

Lu Mian?

Why is he here?

He was even wearing a server's uniform.

Cen Xia was absolutely certain Lu Mian had seen him, because those pretty eyes had lingered on him for two seconds. During those two seconds, their eyes had met for half a second.

How could someone as lazy as Lu Mian be working as a server here?

Cen Xia hurried after him.

Lu Mian carried a tray of drinks steadily over to a long table and set it down.

When he turned around, he bumped into Cen Xia, who had followed him.

He paused. "Hello, do you need anything?"

He's pretending he doesn't know me?

Cen Xia raised an eyebrow and got straight to the point. "Why are you here?"

Lu Mian looked down at his clothes, then back at Cen Xia. His meaning was clear: Can't you tell? Why even ask?

This wasn't the place to talk, so Cen Xia took Lu Mian to an empty corner of the garden.

Lu Mian spoke seriously. "They'll dock my pay."

Cen Xia said, "I'll make up the difference."

Lu Mian thought for two seconds. "All right."

"Are you really that short of money?" If Cen Xia remembered correctly, the He Family had found Lu Mian and brought him back long ago. The He Family was wealthy and powerful, so why would they let him come out and work part-time?

"What, you think I do it for fun?"

"..."

Lu Mian checked the time. "Is there anything else?"

Cen Xia opened his mouth, but he really didn't know what to say, so he closed it again.

"Then I'm going back to work."

What a simple, honest sentence. Yet coming from Lu Mian, it had an inexplicable sadness to it.

What kind of hardship could drive a lazybones to come out and carry trays?

Still, Lu Mian didn't look as sleepy tonight as he did during the day.

Cen Xia no longer planned to leave early. He just wanted to find out why the He Family's second young master-the He Family had announced to the outside world that he was their second son after finding him-was here.

Even if the He Family favored He Qi, surely they wouldn't just neglect Lu Mian entirely?

How did it go in the original book?

Cen Xia frowned and tried to remember for a while, only to realize the book hadn't mentioned it at all. Just how much had the author left out? Or was it all in the second half of the book?

He had truly underestimated Lu Mian's determination to earn money. Paid by the hour, Lu Mian worked until the small hours before leaving the villa.

Cen Xia was so sleepy his brain had stopped working.

Seeing him leave, Cen Xia hurried after him.

After following him for a while, a thought suddenly popped into his head.

Wait, why am I following him?

Whatever, I'll keep following him for now.

The villa complex where the party was being held was quite a distance from downtown, and even taxis rarely came out this way. It was also the middle of the night, and there wasn't a soul on the road.

Cen Xia followed Lu Mian out of the villa complex and watched as he swung onto a motorcycle, inserted the key, and started it.

The engine started.

He stared blankly. How was he supposed to keep following him now?

Lu Mian started the motorcycle moving, the engine roaring. He turned the handlebars and stopped in front of Cen Xia.

"Why are you following me?"

Cen Xia stared blankly. "I don't know."

Was there any point in following him? He didn't know.

"You don't know?" Lu Mian repeated his words and tilted his head. "Do you like me?"

Cen Xia jolted, more than half his sleepiness vanishing. Unsure he'd heard correctly, he said, "What?"

"Have you been following me because you like me?"

Cen Xia hurriedly denied it. "Of course not."

"But you keep following me, and you often sneak glances at me in class." Lu Mian listed the evidence that Cen Xia liked him.

"Huh? Aren't you asleep in class?"

How could he possibly know Cen Xia had been sneaking glances at him? No, that wasn't right. He hadn't been sneaking glances at all; he had been looking openly.

"I'm a light sleeper."

Cen Xia said, "...I don't like you."

Lu Mian nodded slowly and said magnanimously, "Oh, it's okay if you won't admit it."

Cen Xia's face was expressionless. "Are you sick or something?"

World Will, come out and take a look. Your male lead really is sick.

"I had a physical at the hospital just last month."

"What?"

"The doctor said I'm healthy. There's nothing wrong with me."

"..."

"You didn't like that joke? All right..." Judging by his tone, he actually sounded a little disappointed.

Cen Xia was so angry he laughed. "I don't like you, either."

"I know." He said he knew, but his expression made it clear he was convinced Cen Xia had a secret crush on him.

Cen Xia was so angry he wasn't sleepy anymore.

He knew there was something wrong with Lu Mian's brain. Sleeping every day had made it degenerate!

"Are you leaving?"

"What?" Cen Xia was so angry at him that his brain had stalled again.

"There aren't any cars here." He gestured at his motorcycle.

"...Yes."

He'd be the one who was really sick if he turned down a ride.