Chapter 4: Lu Yu’s Secret

Chapter 4: Lu Yu's Secret

He strolled along the shady stretch of the roadside, and there was a pharmacy not far ahead.

Just as he was about to head into the pharmacy, a familiar figure caught his eye. Cheng Miao looked closely and saw that it was Lu Yu.

He'd probably just gotten out of class, still holding his textbooks, standing by the road staring off into the distance like he was waiting for someone.

Although he was curious about who Lu Yu was waiting for, the dizziness kept hitting him, so he had to get his meds first.

The clerk handed him a box of cold granules and some fever reducers just in case.

When he walked out with the meds, Lu Yu was still standing in the same spot, but now someone else was beside him.

Cheng Miao checked out the other guy—graying hair, a bit hunched, looking all worked up. He couldn't hear what was being said, but from the look of it, it wasn't anything nice.

And across from him, Lu Yu was frowning—which was rare—looking totally annoyed.

Cheng Miao was debating whether to go over when the guy suddenly made a move. He pulled something out of his backpack and backed Lu Yu up a step.

Cheng Miao rushed over in a few strides, grabbed Lu Yu's wrist, and pulled him back a few steps.

Cheng Miao asked, "You okay?"

Lu Yu was startled, not expecting Cheng Miao to just show up. The warmth on his wrist made him instinctively pull his arm back.

Feeling the resistance, Cheng Miao let go. That's when he saw the guy was holding a black jar.

The guy could barely stand, face all red, reeking of booze, and he shouted aggressively, "A life for a life! You'll pay for my son's life!"

With that, he lunged at Lu Yu again. Cheng Miao realized the guy seemed mentally unstable—his eyes were cloudy, and his fierce stare was locked on Lu Yu.

His gut told him this guy was trouble. He tugged at Lu Yu's sleeve and said, "Lu Yu, maybe we should just get out of here."

The two of them backed up, planning to loop around through the pharmacy entrance, when a shattering sound exploded at their feet.

The jar was slammed down hard, shards flying everywhere. Pale brown dust scattered in the air, and a weird smell spread around them.

Cheng Miao fought back the nausea and instinctively kept his distance from the dust.

After a moment of stunned silence, the old man burst into loud wailing. He dropped to the ground, clutching the leftover ashes, crying, "Ashes! My son's ashes! Those goddamn people!"

Cheng Miao couldn't understand much of the dialect, but "ashes" was clear enough. His heart skipped a beat—how could something like that just get thrown around like that?

Watching the guy wail like that, he felt a twinge of sympathy. He looked at Lu Yu helplessly and asked, "Should we help him pick it up?"

Lu Yu didn't seem to hear him. He stared at the guy on the ground with disgust, lost in thought.

Cheng Miao poked him. Lu Yu's gaze shifted over, and he said quietly, "No need. Let's go."

The two walked around the ashes at their feet, planning to go around the other side and avoid the guy losing his mind on the ground.

After a couple of steps, Cheng Miao instinctively turned to look back. Before he could fully turn, his peripheral vision caught a thick, dark hand holding a sharp piece of ceramic, slashing straight at the back of Lu Yu's neck.

He shoved Lu Yu forward, and the shard grazed his arm instead. A faint sting followed.

Cheng Miao thought gratefully: Good thing I'm wearing a jacket—it probably didn't cut too deep.

Snapping back to reality, Lu Yu's face turned terrifyingly cold. He shielded Cheng Miao behind him and shoved the guy with one hand.

The old man, who'd just been all fierce and menacing, fell to the ground, curling up completely.

"Don't come near me if you want to live." Lu Yu looked down at him, his tone carrying a coldness Cheng Miao had never heard before, enough to make your heart shake.

Lu Yu pulled Cheng Miao into the pharmacy. His tone was softer but still cold: "You didn't need to block that next time."

Then he tugged at Cheng Miao's jacket and said, "Take it off."

Cheng Miao obediently pulled his sleeve down halfway. The jacket had been slashed open, but the wound was shallow, just barely seeping a bit of blood.

Lu Yu asked the clerk for alcohol swabs and gently wiped them over Cheng Miao's wound.

The sudden sting made Cheng Miao suck in a sharp breath. He was about to complain, but seeing Lu Yu's cold face, he held it in. This went on for three rounds.

Seeing Lu Yu about to go for a fourth, he quickly pressed his hand down and said, "That's enough, right?"

"Dirty." Lu Yu was unmoved, the alcohol-soaked swab not taking no for an answer.

Cheng Miao pulled his arm back. "It hurts. Stop."

"That jar was for ashes." Lu Yu looked at Cheng Miao.

Cheng Miao suddenly remembered and felt a wave of nausea. He stopped struggling and let Lu Yu keep wiping.

"Done." Lu Yu finally tossed the swab aside, picked up Cheng Miao's jacket, and took the medicine from his hand.

He glanced at it instinctively, his expression stiffening slightly. "You're sick?"

Cheng Miao was a bit surprised Lu Yu actually asked. "Yeah, just a cold."

Lu Yu didn't say anything else.

Walking beside him, Cheng Miao rolled his eyes inwardly—really a man of few words. Replaying the scene, he still felt something was off.

So he asked, "Do you know that guy?"

Lu Yu said, "No."

Cheng Miao thought to himself: Hmph, he definitely knows him—otherwise why would that guy only go after him? Lu Yu just doesn't want to tell me. Fine, if he won't say, he won't say, but why lie about it!

His head getting foggier, he felt a bit annoyed. Whatever, say it or don't. In a daze, he followed Lu Yu.

Soon they reached the dorm building. As they climbed the stairs, he suddenly remembered he hadn't bought his porridge. He paused mid-step and turned to head back down.

Somehow, he tripped. His legs gave out and he started to fall forward. He quickly grabbed Lu Yu's hand in front of him to keep his balance.

Feeling his hand grabbed, Lu Yu instinctively tried to pull it back. Cheng Miao let out a startled yelp.

Lu Yu turned around, and only then did he react. His other arm wrapped around Cheng Miao's waist, steadying him just in time.

Feeling the warmth at his waist, Cheng Miao awkwardly let go of Lu Yu's hand.

"I've got a cold. I'm dizzy."

Lu Yu said, "Mm. Go rest."

Maybe because of today's rescue, Cheng Miao could clearly feel Lu Yu showing him a bit more patience, his tone noticeably softer.

He decided to push his luck: "I'm hungry!"

Lu Yu glanced at him but said nothing.

"The only reason I forgot to buy the porridge today is because I was helping you," Cheng Miao pressed further.

Lu Yu turned and walked toward the dormitory, letting out a barely audible "mm."

His goal achieved, Cheng Miao quickly followed.

As soon as he entered the dorm, he lay down on the bed—he was definitely feeling worse than he had when he first got up.

His whole body was weak, his head throbbed with a sharp, stabbing pain, and his nose was so congested that he could barely breathe.