Falling Ill

Ying Huai frowned.

He tilted his head slightly, looking at the two people beside him.

Liang Shining's expression was as calm as ever, but Xin Wan, for some unknown reason, was covered in cold sweat, staring fixedly at Ying Huai.

'Where are your glasses?' Xin Wan suddenly said.

Ying Huai was stunned for a moment, not reacting right away: 'What?'

But Xin Wan seemed lost in something and didn't respond immediately.

His breathing grew heavy. He suddenly stepped forward, reaching out to touch Ying Huai's eyes.

Ying Huai quickly turned sideways, reaching out to directly block Xin Wan's arm.

'What is shixiong doing?' Ying Huai came back to himself, speaking with a half-smile. 'Shixiong must be mistaken. I've never worn glasses.'

Xin Wan stared fixedly at Ying Huai, not answering.

His mind was still a mess from the memories that had suddenly surfaced a few minutes ago.

In the memory, a month after Ying Huai's 'rescue' call from the Sanatorium, Xin Wan finally saw Ying Huai again.

Ying Huai's face was a little pale, but he still wore a smiling expression, so Xin Wan naturally assumed that Ying Huai had been deceiving him last time.

'When did my little shidi start wearing glasses?' Xin Wan blocked Ying Huai, mocking him as usual. 'Did the Sanatorium not heal you properly before letting you out?'

'Heart failure can't be healed, and it affected my vision too, so they could only let me out first,' Ying Huai said leisurely, half-joking. 'But it also let me experience what life as a blind person is like.'

Xin Wan's expression clearly showed disbelief.

Ying Huai didn't mind. His lips were an unnaturally pale color, and he hummed a tune softly. He suddenly looked up at Xin Wan: 'I wrote a song for blind children. Would shixiong like to hear it?'

·

In the livestream room, Xin Wan groaned and suddenly pressed his brow.

At the same moment, Le Xi beside him suddenly spoke: 'Why are Xin Shu and Shining gege saying that?'

Le Xi was eager to expose Ying Huai's 'true face' to get revenge for the earlier incident.

In Le Xi's impression, Ying Huai had always been lazy and languid.

On the surface he looked casual and roguish, but in reality his life was simple to the point of boredom.

The rumors about him going to bars and drinking were all false. Apart from writing and practicing songs, what he did most every day was pet cats and sleep, lazy and languid like an 'old man.'

Le Xi simply didn't believe Ying Huai could have mastered a game so quickly.

He was convinced Ying Huai must have cheated by some means, trying to use this Variety Show to salvage his reputation.

A hint of urgency crept into Le Xi's tone: 'Xin Shu and Shining gege shouldn't make claims without evidence.'

Xin Wan suddenly came back to himself.

He opened his mouth to say something, but the next second, Liang Shining's voice came first: 'Ying Huai has always wanted to write a charity song for blind people.'

Xin Wan looked stunned. Ying Huai raised his head, looking at Liang Shining in disbelief.

Liang Shining spoke slowly: 'He understood and helped with the lives of blind people, and experienced it himself.'

'So Ying Huai didn't cheat.'

Le Xi's face instantly darkened. He said in disbelief: 'No, that's impossible—'

'In that previous crossover singer show, Ying Huai brought up this idea. If you don't believe it, you can go look it up.' Liang Shining said calmly. 'But first, you need to apologize to Ying Huai.'

Le Xi bit his lip hard.

The livestream camera seemed like a black hole, staring fixedly at him.

Le Xi took a deep breath and slowly bowed toward Ying Huai: 'I'm sorry, Teacher Ying.'

But Ying Huai didn't look at him.

At some unknown point his face had gone pale, and he was tilting his head slightly, quietly gazing at Liang Shining.

He met Liang Shining's gaze. His peach-blossom eyes curved, but there was not a trace of a smile in his expression.

·

The livestream room instantly erupted into a massive uproar at Liang Shining's words.

And #YingHuaiBlindPeopleCharitySong# was pushed onto the trending list. Some netizens quickly dug up clips, confirming Liang Shining's statement.

At the same time, family members of those who had participated in the charity back then released photos and videos of Ying Huai from that time. The overwhelmingly negative public opinion finally showed a slight shift.

[I didn't even notice Ying Huai had brought this up back then. That's so warm.]

[If Ying Huai were only talking about doing charity now, I'd think it was a show to save his reputation. But he brought this up during the crossover show, when he was at the peak of his popularity. Having this idea back then feels genuine.]

[And Ying Huai actually went on to help them afterward. If Liang Shining hadn't brought it up this time, it looks like Ying Huai never intended to publicize this at all.]

[Right, he didn't even try to use this charity to repair his reputation. I'm genuinely surprised.]

[This Variety Show is interesting, following it. That new actor Su Yun is also a bit adorably dazed, looks like he really respects Ying Huai.]

The satisfied Director, holding onto the soaring viewership numbers, closed the livestream and announced that today's recording was over. Everyone could return to their rooms to rest as they pleased.

'Teacher Ying, are you feeling unwell?'

Ying Huai had just reached his room when he heard a slow voice from behind him.

Ying Huai suddenly came back to himself.

He turned around and instinctively curved his eyes: 'I'm fine.'

Su Yun stood behind him, speaking a bit dazedly: 'But your complexion is really bad, and your body keeps trembling.'

Ying Huai narrowed his eyes slightly. He leaned half against the wall, raised his head, and gave Su Yun a half-smiling look.

Su Yun didn't seem to notice the wariness in Ying Huai's expression.

He stepped forward, looked at Ying Huai for a few more seconds, and hesitantly spoke: 'Are you unhappy?'

The smile at Ying Huai's lips slowly faded.

He stared at Su Yun for a few seconds, then said slowly: 'I told you, I'm fine.'

In his previous life, Su Yun hadn't been forced into this Variety Show by his company. Ying Huai didn't know what this kid wanted, but subconsciously he couldn't trust anyone.

Ying Huai pressed his brow and walked slowly to the bed to sit down.

His mind was full of the words Liang Shining had just said.

He had indeed mentioned the charity song to Liang Shining in passing, but had never said he had personally experienced blindness.

—How did Liang Shining know?

Ying Huai had a vague hypothesis in his heart, but he was afraid to verify it.

He pressed his chest and turned his head to cough a few times.

Today had been exhausting both mentally and physically, and combined with the shock of the artificial blood plasma earlier, his fragile heart couldn't hold on.

Ying Huai took several deep breaths but still felt chest tightness. He braced himself on the bed and slowly stood up, reaching for the Medicine Bottle beside him, when he suddenly heard Su Yun speak again.

"I actually... wanted to thank you."

Ying Huai nearly choked on his water. He covered his lips and coughed, "What?"

Su Yun looked at Ying Huai and said quietly: "Thank you for giving me the chance for exposure."

The moment his words fell, he saw Ying Huai stare at him strangely for a few seconds, then slowly say: "Are you being sarcastic?"

Su Yun froze, hurriedly shaking his head: "No."

"I came on this Variety Show because my agent pushed me here to temper my temperament. He's always complained that I don't create opportunities for myself, that I have too few camera moments, and said if I don't try harder he'll give up on me."

Su Yun seemed afraid Ying Huai would misunderstand, his normally slow speech pace quickening slightly: "I'm slow to react and dull by nature. If you hadn't chosen me as your roommate, I might still be the same as before, with no exposure at all."

Su Yun said earnestly: "So thank you, really."

The room fell quiet for a moment. Su Yun gazed hopefully at the young man before him whose brow was slightly furrowed, suddenly worried he had said something wrong again.

But the next second, Ying Huai suddenly laughed: "Didn't your agent tell you to stay away from me?"

Su Yun nodded blankly: "He did."

The smile at Ying Huai's lips deepened slightly, but the next second he heard Su Yun say slowly: "But I don't want to listen."

Ying Huai couldn't catch his breath and immediately coughed until the world spun.

Worry crept into Su Yun's expression. He took two uncertain steps forward, then remembered Ying Huai's earlier reaction and stopped dead in his tracks.

Su Yun remembered his agent repeatedly emphasizing that no matter how much exposure he wanted, he had to stay away from Ying Huai, otherwise if trouble came, no one could save him.

But Su Yun thought Ying Huai was really good-looking.

The corners of his eyes tilted slightly upward, the Hongyu Jewel at the end of his hair hanging by his ear, unexpectedly adding a flush of color to his pale complexion.

—Fragile and easily broken, yet with a casual, cool detachment.

This made Su Yun feel an inexplicable urge to protect him.

He couldn't understand how someone like this could make his agent so disgusted.

"Are you okay?" Su Yun hesitated, then asked, "Should I call—"

He got halfway through his sentence and suddenly stalled.

—Ying Huai's agent and team hadn't come with him on this Variety Show, and Su Yun had no idea who to look for.

"I'm fine." Ying Huai caught his breath and said quietly.

It had been a long time since he'd met someone so pure they were almost foolish. Something in his heart seemed to collapse, achingly soft.

Ying Huai pressed his chest and looked at Su Yun for a few seconds, then laughed lightly. "But your agent is right, you should stay away from me."

He was inexplicably dizzy, had no strength left to speak, and with effort sat back on the edge of the bed, turned off the light, and slowly lay down.

"If you feel worse later, who should I call for you?" Su Yun refused to give up and asked again quietly.

"No one," Ying Huai buried his head and laughed softly, "just wait for me to get through it myself."

·

As if the words had become a prophecy, in the middle of the night Su Yun suddenly heard a burst of ragged breathing.

"Teacher Ying?" Su Yun sat up.

There was no answer from beside him. After a while, a few muffled words came in broken fragments.

"...Liang Shining."

"Why... didn't you save me, Liang Shining."

Su Yun quickly got out of bed: "Teacher Ying?"

Ying Huai was curled up entirely under the blanket, his bangs soaked in cold sweat, pressing hard on his chest, his lips an unusual blue-purple.

"Teacher Ying, what's wrong?"

Su Yun stepped forward to help Ying Huai up, but the moment he touched him, he heard the person before him groan and curl up even tighter, his bony fingers turning blue-white from the strain.

He seemed unable to catch his breath, his whole body rising and falling with each breath, unable to stop trembling slightly.

Su Yun reacted this quickly for the first time.

He immediately found the medical team provided by the Production Team, but the situation didn't improve.

"We don't know Teacher Ying's condition," the medical staff said helplessly, "we can only do emergency treatment, we can't prescribe the right medicine."

In the chaos, Su Yun suddenly thought of the three words "Liang Shining" Ying Huai had mumbled in his stupor.

·

Ying Huai felt his consciousness drifting in and out.

One moment it was the endless blood on his hands from his final moments in his previous life, the next it was Liang Shining's low voice saying those words in this life.

Ying Huai's neck tilted back uncontrollably, like a trapped fish, gasping for breath, but the hand pressed to his chest slowly and weakly slid down.

—He felt so tired, he couldn't hold on anymore, he just wanted to rest for a moment......

The next second, a hand suddenly reached over, half-embracing him to prop him up, and immediately the familiar bitter taste of medicine spread through his mouth.

"Wake up, Ying Huai."

Ying Huai barely opened his eyes and met Liang Shining's anxious expression.

His heart suddenly began racing again, accompanied by brief ringing in his ears. Ying Huai turned his head and couldn't stop dry-heaving a few times.

Liang Shining seemed to silently breathe a sigh of relief. He supported the person to turn sideways and slowly stroked Ying Huai's back.

"It's okay, it's okay, deep breaths......."

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly saw the person before him shift, avoiding his touch.

"How did you know I'd been blind, Liang Shining?" Ying Huai asked quietly.

Liang Shining's movements paused.

Ying Huai's expression was dazed. Memories from two lives flashed before him in turn, making Ying Huai feel as if his head was splitting.

—He was afraid and expectant, but desperately needed an answer.

"Liang Shining."

Ying Huai looked at the person before him, his eyes unfocused.

He spoke in a trembling voice, but stopped halfway through: "Are you......"

—Are you...... also reborn.