The quiet hospital room was hit with a bombshell as Shen Duoyi lay with his eyes half-open, one hand numb, the other still gripping Qi Shi'an's wrist. He first doubted his ears, then, unable to believe what he'd heard and failing to recall anything, he angrily slammed the back of his head against Qi Shi'an's nose bridge.

The force behind it suggested he wouldn't stop until he drew blood.

Qi Shi'an was still sleeping, vaguely feeling something soft and fuzzy hitting his face. He simply lowered his head slightly, perfectly meeting the nape of Shen Duoyi's neck. As warm breath tickled his neck, Shen Duoyi suddenly found renewed strength. No longer holding back, he gritted his teeth and pulled with all his might, then tried to roll over and sit up.

Qi Shi'an finally woke up, his reflexes faster than his consciousness as he pulled Shen Duoyi back down onto the bed. Then, hazily remembering what he'd said, he spoke: "Was that necessary? It's not like I took advantage of you."

Shen Duoyi clenched his teeth and frowned, his hand over his heart: "Then what did you mean?!"

Qi Shi'an's eyes remained half-closed, his drowsiness carrying a full measure of languid ease: "What did I mean? Let me think." The corners of his mouth didn't betray whether he was smiling, but both his eye corners and voice were tinged with thick amusement. "Just what I said - I've touched you everywhere."

Shen Duoyi sniffed and said: "Liars get struck by lightning."

"Why would I lie to you? Don't you remember?" Qi Shi'an knew Shen Duoyi's mind was in chaos, and he also knew Shen Duoyi must be sifting through fragments of memories from years ago. He subtly moved closer, lowering his head to nuzzle against the other's soft, thick hair.

Breathing in the fresh scent of shampoo, Qi Shi'an softly prompted: "Remember that night I brought you home from the nightclub? You were wearing your uniform then, but by morning you were in a t-shirt and shorts."

After racking his brain for so long, Shen Duoyi finally recalled upon this hint: "You changed my clothes?"

"Obviously. Did you think the bed changed them for you?"

So it was just changing clothes - he'd made it sound so ambiguous, sending chills down one's spine. Shen Duoyi suddenly felt like laughing and argued back: "I thought the pillow changed them."

Pleased that he could joke now, Qi Shi'an closed his half-open eyes again: "That was my first time taking care of someone. I wrung out a hot towel to wipe your face, then unbuttoned your clothes to wipe down your body."

The body next to him suddenly stiffened. Qi Shi'an reopened his eyes to find Shen Duoyi pressing his lips together, pulling the drawstring of his hoodie extremely tight. Finding this amusing, he continued: "Your collarbones were beautiful, your ankles slim, there was a small scar on your right calf, and your neck was slightly red where the shirt collar had rubbed."

Shen Duoyi's hair was soft, and his earlobes were tender. Qi Shi'an inhaled the scent of his hair, his breath brushing against Shen Duoyi's ears as he spoke. He was like dough in an oven, being baked with nowhere to escape.

Qi Shi'an continued like a reckless bastard: "Your bottom was small and round."

The hoodie's drawstring was suddenly pulled to its limit as Shen Duoyi turned to stare at Qi Shi'an, his pupils practically shooting laser beams that could burn holes through him. Although he was fully clothed at this moment, he felt as if he'd been stripped naked and thoroughly examined.

Qi Shi'an finally dropped his smile, his eyes now holding only tender affection: "I was teasing you."

Shen Duoyi was half-skeptical: "What do you mean teasing?"

"I was just joking earlier." Dawn was finally breaking. Qi Shi'an pulled the blanket over Shen Duoyi. "You were curled up in pain then, occasionally calling out 'Dad' or 'Mom.' How could I have been in the mood to take advantage? I just quickly wiped you down, changed your clothes, and went to sleep."

So that night, he had unconsciously called out for "Dad" and "Mom."

Shen Duoyi's thin lips quivered: "That day was the parent-teacher conference."

"I know." Qi Shi'an lay beside him, placing his hand against the other's palm.

Shen Duoyi dazedly spread his fingers: "No one came to my parent-teacher conference."

Qi Shi'an repeated: "I know."

He pressed close to Shen Duoyi, interlacing their fingers and gripping tightly. The desire in his heart completely dissipated, leaving only deep affection.

Shen Duoyi stared at the hospital room ceiling, speaking slowly: "My grandfather had trouble walking, and the teachers knew about my family situation, so they just ignored me. School always let out early on parent-teacher conference days. When leaving school, I'd see many classmates with their parents - some scolding their children for poor grades, some telling their kids to eat when they got home."

Shen Duoyi tilted his head back and took a breath: "I envied them so much."

Whether struggling for food and clothing or working hard to support a family, he never feared these difficulties. He just yearned desperately - he wanted parents to nag him at home too, wanted his seat not to be empty during parent-teacher conferences.

"I studied so well," Shen Duoyi unconsciously gripped Qi Shi'an's hand back. "Every time I ranked first, I'd take the bus to sweep my parents' graves, promising them I'd do even better next time."

Qi Shi'an felt as if his heartstrings were being pulled: "Uncle and Auntie must have been very proud."

Shen Duoyi finally couldn't hold back anymore and said somewhat helplessly: "I really want to hear them praise me just once. I haven't heard it since I was seven."

Shen Duoyi lost his parents when he was seven. On that parent-teacher conference night, he was seventeen, and now another ten years had passed.

He would have many more seven-year periods, possibly living to seventy or eighty, maybe even a hundred. But only in those first seven years did he have a complete family.

Qi Shi'an comforted him: "Close your eyes, sleep a little more."

The current Shen Duoyi was as fragile as he had been that year, but fortunately, he had someone by his side both times. Qi Shi'an remained motionless until steady breathing came from beside him, then finally sighed in relief and pulled the other back into his embrace.

Dawn was breaking, and movement gradually began in the hospital corridor outside. The two of them squeezed onto the hospital bed for a nap, undisturbed - probably because they were too exhausted.

The storm in Shen Duoyi's mind settled during his sleep, his furrowed brows slowly smoothing out. He was used to bundling up the blanket to hug while sleeping, but now holding Qi Shi'an's body felt particularly awkward.

Not soft at all - could it be stuffed with poor quality cotton?

This sleep lasted until nearly ten o'clock, when two ringtones sounded simultaneously, finally waking them both. Qi Shi'an looked down first, and seeing that Shen Duoyi was bleary-eyed but no longer dejected, he felt relieved.

He answered his phone: "Annie, I won't be coming to the office this morning. Please reschedule the meetings."

Shen Duoyi got out of bed and sat in the chair, also answering his call: "Manager Tang, I... had some family matters and forgot to ask for leave. I'm sorry, I'll be at work on time this afternoon."

Both their calls ended simultaneously. Still groggy, Shen Duoyi said: "I took half a day off without asking my manager for leave. Did you ask for leave?"

Qi Shi'an asked with a smile: "Who should I ask for permission?"

Only then did Shen Duoyi remember that Qi Shi'an was the boss. He had accompanied the boss in reminiscing about the past, yet in the end, the boss would still dock his perfect attendance bonus at month's end. Knowing the other was about to feel indignant again, Qi Shi'an quickly said: "I'll send you a personal red packet at the end of the month to thank you for keeping me company at the hospital."

"No need, I'm not a caregiver." Shen Duoyi stuffed his hands in his hoodie's front pocket, blinking to clear his mind after speaking.

Qi Shi'an had also put on his leather shoes and sat on the bed. They faced each other, occasionally making eye contact before looking away again. No wonder TV shows loved using illness to advance the plot - this trick was indeed effective, as they had ended up sleeping embraced for half the night.

Qi Shi'an asked: "How did you get that scar on your right leg?"