Hypnosis

Ying Huai stood in place, somewhat dazed.

The girls in front of him were smiling and chatting, enthusiastically discussing Ying Huai's performance during the livestream just now.

Ying Huai swayed slightly. Liang Shining stood behind him and braced him with one arm, patting his back gently as if to soothe him.

Ying Huai's breathing was quickening. He couldn't stand steady. In a daze, he heard Liang Shining speak softly: 'Are you okay?'

Ying Huai's eyes were slightly unfocused. He turned his head a little, stared at Liang Shining, and didn't reply.

Liang Shining didn't press him. As usual, he slowly smoothed his hand down Ying Huai's back and said quietly: 'It's alright. They all like you. Don't be afraid.'

Ying Huai's body trembled, but his awareness seemed to clear slightly.

Liang Shining's voice carried a faint hoarseness. He knew what Ying Huai was afraid of.

He also knew that, according to Song Si Lan, it would be best to let Ying Huai try to desensitize himself little by little.

But after a pause, he still added in a low voice: 'If it's really too much, I can help you leave.'

The girls in front seemed to realize something too. Their chatter gradually quieted, and they looked at the two of them with some worry.

The temperature around him slowly rose under Liang Shining's soothing. Ying Huai barely managed to pull his consciousness back.

He shook his head slightly and smiled at Liang Shining with curved eyes: 'I'm fine.'

The warm winter sunlight fell softly on Ying Huai. Fine dust around him caught the light, drifting slowly through the air.

Liang Shining listened to the soft laugh from the person in front of him, took a deep breath: 'Even if something were wrong, don't I still have... Teacher Liang here with me?'

Liang Shining paused. After a moment, he gave a soft 'mm.'

·

The girls were thrilled. After getting their tickets, they immediately took photos and posted them on Weibo to show off.

More fans came over upon hearing the news, chattering as they gathered around Ying Huai. The number even seemed to surpass the count of Song Fengyi's fans in the classroom earlier.

Not far away, Song Fengyi's face was ashen.

He clenched his teeth, took out his phone, and quickly sent a message to his manager.

Elsewhere, Ying Huai had no time to spare for whatever Song Fengyi was doing.

More and more fans gathered around him, chattering and laughing as they talked.

'Teacher Xiao Huai, we really did try hard to grab a spot for the public recording, but our hands were just too slow, boohoo.'

'Really really, Teacher Xiao Huai, don't worry that no one likes you. We all like you a lot. Don't be afraid!'

'Teacher Xiao Huai, I was originally Teacher Liang's fan, but I came to like you after watching the Variety Show with you and Teacher Liang!' A girl wearing a cat-ear hairclip leaned close to Ying Huai and said excitedly.

Ying Huai raised his head with a smile: 'Switching sides right in front of me? Aren't you afraid Teacher Liang will catch you? Hmm?'

Ying Huai had a good temper, so the cat-clip girl gradually relaxed. Holding her ticket, she said cheerfully: 'Not afraid. Teacher Liang likes you anyway. I'm actually more afraid of being assassinated by Teacher Liang.'

Since the internet-wide hate campaign, Ying Huai had basically not been browsing internet memes, so for a moment he didn't understand what the cat-clip girl meant.

He was stunned for a moment. Before he could say anything, he heard the cat-clip girl say seriously again: 'Teacher Xiao Huai, you and Teacher Liang must stay together forever!'

That sounded even stranger. Ying Huai raised his head in confusion, but the next second, he heard Liang Shining behind him speak first in a low voice: 'Alright, thank you.'

A wave of low, teasing cheers immediately rose from the fans nearby.

Ying Huai narrowed his eyes and glanced at Liang Shining: 'What do you mean?'

Liang Shining shielded Ying Huai at his side, his expression as calm as ever: 'Nothing. Just an ordinary blessing.'

The fans beside them were blushing with excitement. Ying Huai lifted his eyelids and glanced at Liang Shining, feeling something was off, but for the moment couldn't figure out where to start asking.

Elsewhere, the fans kept chattering: 'Teacher Xiao Huai, you and Teacher Liang were really amazing just now! Your biscuit lengths were obviously much shorter than everyone else's! Do you and Teacher Liang have some secret technique?'

A burst of girls' giggling came from beside them. The tips of Ying Huai's ears were faintly burning.

He laughed lightly: 'What secret could there be? We just have good chemistry.'

The fans around them immediately burst into teasing cheers. A few girls were even shouting 'showing off.' Ying Huai covered his lips and coughed lightly, his peach-blossom eyes betraying a hint of a smile.

But he had been standing for a long time today. As more and more people gathered around, Ying Huai gradually found it hard to breathe.

Ying Huai covered his lips and coughed, lowering his eyes to mask a wave of dizziness, but his body still swayed uncontrollably for a moment.

But the next second, a steady hand reached out and supported his entire body.

'Tired?' Liang Shining said quietly. 'Let's go back.'

Ying Huai closed his eyes briefly and nodded slightly.

He felt Liang Shining shift slightly to shield him behind his body, and heard him explain softly to the fans behind them that due to schedule reasons, they needed to leave first, and thanked the fans for their support.

Most of the fans immediately nodded and quickly kept their distance from Ying Huai and the others, but two fans who had appeared out of nowhere pushed their way right up to Ying Huai, insisting on taking a photo with him.

The cat-clip girl hurried to explain on Ying Huai's behalf: 'Hey, we already asked Teacher Xiao Huai earlier. He's not feeling well today and doesn't really want to take photos. Let's do it next time~'

But the two wouldn't give up: 'We'll just keep the photo for ourselves. Is it okay if we don't post it on any public platform?'

'No.' Ying Huai raised his head and curved his eyes at the two in front of him.

'I haven't even taken a Weibo photo with Mr. Liang yet,' Ying Huai curved his eyes carelessly. 'If I take photos with others first, Mr. Liang will get jealous.'

Liang Shining beside him was momentarily stunned, but unusually didn't refute it.

The surrounding fans were instantly amused by Ying Huai's joking words, but the two didn't give up and kept pressing forward.

'But we specifically traveled a long way to see Teacher Ying. Being dismissed with just one sentence is too perfunctory, isn't it?'

Some of the other fans beside them couldn't help but start to retort, but the two fans, perhaps intentionally, kept crowding toward Ying Huai. The acrid smell of their perfume suddenly surged up.

Ying Huai frowned. He tilted his head slightly and couldn't help covering his lips to muffle a low cough.

The surroundings were in chaos. The crowd gradually began to shove. The next second, Liang Shining suddenly wrapped an arm around Ying Huai's waist and pulled him directly into his embrace.

A familiar scent enveloped him entirely. Ying Huai pressed a hand to his chest and finally felt a little better.

'You want a photo? Fine.' Liang Shining shielded the person behind him and suddenly spoke.

He stared at the two and said, word by word: 'Answer one question about the show just now. If you get it right, you can take the photo.'

The surrounding fans were stunned. The two looked at each other, but still gritted their teeth and agreed: 'Okay.'

'In the show just now, why was my shifu called on to answer a question for the first time?'

It was a super simple question, but the two were stunned for a moment, their expressions gradually turning hesitant.

The surrounding fans also realized something and began whispering, eyeing the two suspiciously.

The two gritted their teeth. One of them hurriedly said: 'Of course it's because Teacher Ying is outstanding, so he was specially called on to answer—'

Before he could finish, he saw the surrounding fans' expressions instantly turn strange, and some even laughed openly without trying to hide it.

Ying Huai couldn't help but laugh softly too.

His breathing was still a little rapid. He simply leaned directly into Liang Shining's embrace, tilted his head slightly, and said with a half-smile: 'Of course not.'

He said lazily: 'It's because I was sleeping in class and the professor called on me.'

The surrounding fans burst into laughter. The two people's faces alternated between green and white.

The cat-clip girl was the first to react, unhesitatingly stepping in front of Ying Huai: 'Whose fans are you? Why are you here deliberately smearing Teacher Xiao Huai!'

Earlier, seeing the fans gradually increasing, she had taken the initiative to maintain order and had registered all ticket recipients by their Weibo IDs.

'I just searched your Weibo IDs. You don't follow Teacher Xiao Huai at all. Whose antis are you? Don't try to stir things up here.'

Seeing this, the surrounding fans immediately surged forward. The two saw the situation was bad and turned and ran.

The cat-clip girl looked like she wanted to chase them, but Ying Huai quickly stopped her.

'It's too dangerous.'

'Teacher Xiao Huai, that person is obviously an anti sent by someone to create black material for you,' the cat-clip girl said indignantly. 'The order and atmosphere were so good earlier, but one rat dropping spoiled the whole pot of porridge........'

'That's not it.' Ying Huai raised his head.

His body was still trembling slightly, but he curved his eyes with a smile at the cat-clip girl: 'I only saw you all work together to do something really good.'

The cat-clip girl was stunned for a moment, then her eyes gradually lit up.

'Teacher Xiao Huai is really so gentle!' the cat-clip girl couldn't help but whisper.

Ying Huai was stunned for a moment, then laughed helplessly.

Chu Ming, Xin Wan, and others hurried over upon hearing the news. Ying Huai didn't say anything more, waved to the fans around him, and slowly turned to leave.

The cat-clip girl watched Liang Shining, who was following behind Ying Huai and naturally shielding him in front, and got completely excited.

·

That day, in a newly established CP super-topic on Weibo, there was a post titled: [Went to see the real deal and accidentally stumbled upon his romance with his rival—what do I do?]

1L: ? Sounds pretty thrilling.

2L: Cat Clip Is the Cutest (OP): I'm the OP... Damn, I didn't even get the first floor. Doesn't matter. Clickbait title, family, I just want to record my uncontrollable CP brain.

3L: So is this a real event, or is the OP writing fanfic?

3L: Cat Clip Is the Cutest (OP): You can treat this as fanfic, or as a real anecdote. I won't reveal anything before the official announcement (determined).

4L: Cat Clip Is the Cutest (OP): Alright, getting to the point. Mainly I'm just a bit excited after seeing the real deal just now.

5L: Cat Clip Is the Cutest (OP): The OP originally went to get the real deal's autograph, but just as I arrived, I happened to see the real deal's rumored rival standing right beside them.

The OP was originally hesitating whether to approach, since the real deal and the rumored rival are supposedly always at odds. But the OP likes both sides and didn't want to see them argue. Then the next second, the OP directly saw the rival wrap an arm around the OP's real deal's waist!

6L: Cat Clip Is the Cutest (OP): For convenience, I'll refer to the OP's real deal and the rival as shifu and tudi respectively from now on.

7L: ?! The rival became a disciple? This relationship is already off, off.

8L: Cat Clip Is the Cutest (OP): Shifu's health isn't great. He often gets dizzy and has palpitations normally. At the time, shifu was probably a bit dizzy and swayed slightly, and the tudi beside him immediately reached out super skillfully to support him!

Shifu might have been a bit out of it at the time, his body kept going soft and swaying. The tudi kept blocking the light for shifu, reaching out to support shifu's body, letting shifu lean entirely into his embrace, slowly helping him smooth his chest.

Later, hearing shifu cough weakly a few times and catch his breath, the tudi visibly relaxed.

9L: Cat Clip Is the Cutest (OP): Later, when we saw shifu was feeling a bit better, we went up to ask for autographs! The tudi was also very alert at first, shielding shifu, and only stepped aside a little when he saw we meant no harm.

10L: OP, more more more!

10L: Cat Clip Is the Cutest (OP): The OP has no more material! Let me share one more thing that got me hooked. The tudi is really so doting. Later, a fan told shifu an internet meme (actually a subtle CP meme). I originally thought shifu, who normally has that carefree personality, would definitely understand, but unexpectedly shifu looked blank and clearly didn't understand at all. Instead, the tudi, who normally looks like a socially-awkward kid (bushi), understood!

I swear! The tudi definitely understood! Because the tudi secretly laughed when the fan said it! And responded! Can anyone understand that contrast?

11L: I'm Not Swear Brother: What super-topic is this? Why does the post content sound a bit familiar?

12L: Cat Clip Is the Cutest (OP): omg, I'm a bit scared of the ID upstairs. Let's stop here for today. I'll update when there's new content later!

No one noticed that, just as the OP finished posting this sentence, a line of text suddenly appeared in the favorites column at the very bottom.

'Y favorited your post [Went to see the real deal and accidentally stumbled upon his romance with his rival—what do I do?]'

·

Meanwhile, inside the car, Xin Wan and Liang Shining simultaneously closed their phones and looked up with inexplicable expressions.

The Assistant Director stood at the front of the car, looked at the script, and said seriously: 'Thank you all for your hard work today. This episode, we'll be doing activities in the university district, so the Director Team has arranged dormitories near the university district for everyone. Four people per room. You'll be staying there for this episode's recording.'

Since they'd be living close to the filming location and wouldn't have to get up early, no one had any objections.

But Song Fengyi frowned and said quietly: 'Why are we being squeezed four people into one dormitory?'

'Because we need to experience campus life. That's the theme of this episode's Variety Show,' the Assistant Director said seriously. 'Didn't I say so at the beginning of this episode?'

Song Fengyi was momentarily choked by the Assistant Director's earnest tone.

His face darkened a few shades. His eyes flickered, and he suddenly thought of something, his expression softening again.

'Alright, I'll follow the Director Team's arrangements.'

The Assistant Director didn't notice Song Fengyi's scheming. He stared at the hidden mission on the script, and a rare excitement appeared in his expression.

·

Ying Huai had been sitting in the back row, resting with his eyes closed.

Liang Shining noticed that since leaving the crowd, Ying Huai's condition seemed to have been not great.

But whenever Liang Shining pressed him, Ying Huai would always smile and say he was fine.

Song Fengyi beside them couldn't help but say: 'Teacher Liang, you don't need to bother with Teacher Ying. Didn't you see what a big show Teacher Ying put on just now? Coming to record a Variety Show and casually holding a fan meetup—autographs and photos.'

Liang Shining frowned. Ying Huai lifted his eyelids and glanced lazily at Song Fengyi: 'Teacher Song seems to be paying a lot of attention to me.'

Song Fengyi frowned: 'What does Teacher Ying mean?'

'The Director Team already said that as long as we have Concert invitation tickets, we can give them to fans anytime. So many fans came over on the road just now. A normal person would think about distributing tickets.'

Ying Huai coughed lightly a few times and said softly: 'But Teacher Song knew right away that fans were asking me for autographs and photos. Does Teacher Song want some too?'

A barely perceptible flash of panic crossed Song Fengyi's expression, which was caught by Liang Shining, who had raised his head at the same time.

He frowned, suddenly lowered his head, opened his phone, and looked at the message Li Xiang had sent him a few minutes ago.

Human World Li Xiang: [Liang-ge, the fan club just reported that there seems to be a problem with the public recording spots.]

Human World Li Xiang: [For activities involving fans of various artists, spots are generally divided into scattered spots and fixed spots. For fixed spots, the Production Team will contact each artist's management company in advance to distribute fan spots as evenly as possible or according to status.]

Human World Li Xiang: [This time, we also notified the fan club and fan group according to the spots the Production Team gave us. For the scattered spots, they also notified fans to show up on time. But just now, the fan club looked at the show statistics, and basically none of the fans trying for scattered spots got one.]

Liang Shining looked at Li Xiang's messages, his expression sinking. He slowly typed a reply.

Liang: [Someone tampered with it?]

Human World Li Xiang: [I think so, but this person is cunning. They didn't dare touch our fixed spots, only tampered with the scattered ones. It doesn't affect us much, but it's really disgusting.]

Liang: [Check the fan spot situation on Ying Huai's side.]

Human World Li Xiang: [Got it, Liang-ge, don't worry. We're already looking into it. Even though it doesn't affect us much, we definitely can't let them be this disgusting—Huh?]

Liang: [There were almost no Ying Huai fans at the venue just now. The ones we ran into on the road later were scattered ones who followed spoiler news, and most of them reported they couldn't get recording spots either.]

Liang Shining understood that person's plan.

Ying Huai's manager didn't care about him at all, and his fan club had long been a mere shell. Even if the Director Team allocated fixed spots, they were most likely sold off by the fan club.

His fans, if they wanted to come watch the recording in person, could only go through scattered spots.

Li Xiang on the other end seemed to have gradually gotten used to Liang Shining's special treatment of Ying Huai. After a few seconds of reaction, he quickly agreed.

Human World Li Xiang: [Okay, Liang-ge, but this will probably take a few days to investigate. Please tell Teacher Ying not to worry........]

Liang: [Don't tell Ying Huai.]

Li Xiang was stunned for a moment. A few seconds later, he saw Liang Shining send another message.

Liang: [Investigate Song Fengyi.]

Human World Li Xiang: [......Okay, Liang-ge. Thanks for reducing a lot of work for the company's tech department.]

Human World Li Xiang: [Liang-ge, if you ever plan to officially announce your relationship with Teacher Ying, please let me know in advance so I can reduce my workload.]

A trace of helplessness crossed Liang Shining's expression. The next second, a smiling voice suddenly came from beside him.

'Who is Mr. Liang chatting with so seriously?'

Liang Shining was startled.

He instinctively flipped his phone over and quickly said: 'No one.'

Ying Huai was stunned for a moment.

He had originally just noticed Liang Shining looking at his phone with a serious expression for a long time and was worried something was up. Now he couldn't help but look at him strangely.

Ying Huai couldn't quite describe what he was feeling. He stared at Liang Shining for a few seconds, then said softly: 'Mr. Liang is chatting with........a girlfriend?'

Su Yun in the front seat turned around curiously. Liang Shining's brow twitched: 'No.'

He took a deep breath: 'I was just chatting with Li Xiang.........'

But before he could finish, he saw Ying Huai show a knowing smile: 'Don't worry, I'll keep your secret.'

The moment his words fell, he saw Liang Shining's face darken instantly.

'I don't have a girlfriend, shifu.' Liang Shining took a deep breath.

'I don't like girls.'

Ying Huai was stunned for a moment.

His heart seemed to give a faint little jump. Just as he was about to say something, he saw Liang Shining suddenly frown.

'Are you feeling unwell somewhere, shifu?'

Ying Huai's health was poor. Long car rides easily made him carsick. Usually, once he got in a car, he would force himself into a deep sleep, and because of insufficient blood supply to the heart, he rarely woke up on his own in the middle.

Liang Shining remembered that he had only started replying to Li Xiang's messages after confirming Ying Huai was asleep.

Ying Huai was stunned. He instinctively shook his head: 'No, I........'

Liang Shining didn't speak, but directly reached out and pressed on Ying Huai's pulse.

Ying Huai's pulse was rapid and floating. Liang Shining's expression grew grave: 'How long have you been feeling unwell?'

Ying Huai opened his mouth soundlessly.

Perhaps because he had been in the crowd for too long earlier, Ying Huai had been experiencing waves of cold and dizziness since getting in the car.

He wanted to close his eyes and sleep for a while, but every time he closed his eyes, he would see scattered, chaotic, and painful images from his past life.

After struggling for a long time, Ying Huai not only didn't get better but felt his condition worsen.

Hearing Liang Shining's question, he was silent for two seconds, then suddenly smiled slowly: 'No, maybe I just didn't sleep well earlier, so I feel a bit of chest tightness.'

Liang Shining keenly caught the key point: 'Why didn't you sleep well? Did you have nightmares again?'

Ying Huai was still feeling cold all over, and his whole body was trembling uncontrollably along with it.

Worried that speaking more would reveal something off, he pressed his brow and sighed with a half-smile: 'Little tudi, aren't you being a bit too nosy?'

Liang Shining fell silent, but kept staring at Ying Huai stubbornly.

Ying Huai couldn't stand Liang Shining's expression the most.

He sighed, suddenly raised his hand, and beckoned carelessly to Liang Shining: 'Come here.'

Liang Shining was quiet for a few seconds, his body tilted slightly. The next second, he felt Ying Huai lean entirely into his embrace.

'Satisfied now?' Ying Huai pinched his fingertips to suppress the tremor in his voice and laughed lightly.

Liang Shining didn't speak.

He could feel Ying Huai forcing himself to hold on.

He was quiet for a few seconds, wrapped the person tightly in his coat, and hummed softly in acknowledgment.

Listening to Ying Huai's breathing gradually slow, he opened his phone again and tapped into Song Si Lan's chat.

The next second, the person in his arms lazily spoke: 'Mr. Liang is chatting with his boyfriend again?'

Liang Shining: ........?

His fingers trembled, and he accidentally pressed the voice button, sending Ying Huai's words from just now.

The next second, Song Si Lan's voice message, full of disdain, came through: 'What nonsense are you spouting, Liang Shining?'

The person in his arms froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.

Curled up under Liang Shining's coat, he laughed so hard his whole body shook uncontrollably.

Worried the person might fall, Liang Shining reached out to steady him, gritted his teeth, and spoke again: '.......I don't have a boyfriend either, Shifu.'

Ying Huai looked up at him with an ambiguous half-smile, unclear whether he believed it or not.

Liang Shining took a deep breath: 'If Shifu still won't sleep, are you trying to make me report you to Doctor Song?'

'Sleeping, sleeping.' Ying Huai yawned, speaking lazily.

Obediently closing his eyes, he secretly tucked his pinched-red fingertips under the coat.

Liang Shining didn't notice Ying Huai's small action.

He stayed still in this position for a long time, then finally lowered his eyes and very gently took out his phone again.

He gazed down at the chat with Song Si Lan and slowly typed two messages.

Liang: [Can the Psychologist you found come over tonight?]

Liang: [I feel like Ying Huai's condition isn't right.]

·

The dorms were still randomly assigned based on the pairs from the previous class,

Ying Huai, Liang Shining, Su Yun, and Xin Wan were assigned to one room.

The neighboring dorm was particularly resentful, but everyone in their dorm was quite satisfied.

Xin Wan hovered around Ying Huai like a puppy, helping him fetch this and that. Ying Huai was already feeling awful, so he was happy to let him.

Unable to help, Su Yun entered the dorm first and quickly picked out the best-ventilated bed for Ying Huai.

Just before filming ended, the Assistant Director suddenly came and knocked on their dorm door.

'Everyone, please rest well tonight. The Production Team won't arrange any mandatory tasks tonight.' The Assistant Director said seriously.

'There won't be any surprise inspections like early-morning or late-night room checks, or contraband checks. Everyone can rest easy.'

Leaning against the doorframe, Ying Huai lazily yawned, inexplicably feeling the Assistant Director's words were like a guilty person protesting too much.

—But that didn't interfere with his plans for tonight.

'I'm going out for a bit, I'll be back later.' Ying Huai said slowly after the Director's group left.

'Don't leave the light on for me.'

Liang Shining, beside him, looked up at the sound. Su Yun froze for a moment, then hesitantly spoke: 'But what if the Director's group really does come check the rooms tonight......'

'Then I'll have to ask you to cover for me.' Ying Huai looked up with a smile.

Su Yun was stunned.

Ying Huai looked at Su Yun's worried expression, sighed, and reached out to pat his head.

'Don't worry, didn't the Director's group just say? Morning and evening room checks. I'll definitely be back later. You help me get through the evening check, and I'll be back by morning.'

Su Yun hesitated, then nodded. Xin Wan beside him suddenly bounced out: 'Little Shidi, where are you going? I'll go with you!'

Ying Huai lifted an eyelid to glance at him: 'You have someone to cover for you too?'

Xin Wan choked, then hopefully looked at Su Yun beside him.

Su Yun took a few seconds to react, then silently and slowly turned around.

Xin Wan: ???

Ying Huai's eyes curved, and he unhurriedly walked out.

He didn't notice that Liang Shining behind him paused for a few seconds, then also got up and walked out.

·

Ying Huai didn't notice Liang Shining behind him until he reached the dorm entrance.

He was startled, just about to say something, when he heard Liang Shining speak softly: 'I'll go back with you.'

Ying Huai froze for a moment, then casually said: 'Does Mr. Liang also have someone to cover for him?'

Liang Shining nodded and silently raised his phone.

Capybara Is So Cute: [Teacher Liang, hurry up and go! I'll cover for you and Teacher Ying!]

Capybara Is So Cute: [Teacher Liang, take good care of Teacher Ying! Don't worry~]

Ying Huai looked at this lazy capybara avatar and instantly knew it was Su Yun's account.

He was silent for two seconds, then wordlessly turned and quickly walked outside.

Liang Shining quickly pocketed his phone and strode after him: 'I won't interfere with anything you do, Shifu.'

'I'm just worried about your health. I'll stay by your side, and when you're done, I'll go back with you.'

Ying Huai didn't answer, just kept his head down and walked forward with big strides.

Liang Shining had no choice but to anxiously follow behind Ying Huai.

But after walking for a bit, he felt Ying Huai's condition wasn't quite right.

Ying Huai's pace noticeably slowed, his steps became unsteady, he staggered forward, and his breathing grew heavier.

Panic rose in Liang Shining's heart. He reached out to grab the person: 'Ying Huai—'

But the moment his hand touched Ying Huai's arm, he was startled by the icy cold of his body and quickly frowned: 'Why are you so cold?'

Ying Huai didn't speak.

The walking just now had been a bit too fast, quickly depleting the little strength he had managed to gather.

Ying Huai felt cold all over.

His vision was full of blurry color patches. Pressing a hand to his chest, he staggered forward, but felt that oxygen couldn't reach his increasingly foggy brain through his lungs.

He didn't notice he had unknowingly walked to the edge of a staircase. Staggering, he lifted his foot and was about to fall.

The next second, he felt his arm suddenly tighten, and then he was pulled into a steady embrace by someone in near-panic.

'What exactly is wrong with you, Shifu?'

Liang Shining caught the person who had almost fallen down the stairs in his arms, finally unable to hold back and blurted out.

The person in his arms seemed already somewhat unconscious.

His head hung low, resting on Liang Shining's arm. His thin eyelids were tiredly closed, his pale lips slightly parted, emitting rapid breaths.

After a while, Liang Shining heard Ying Huai speak in a low voice: '........Take me away from here, Liang Shining.'

'I can't, I can't here........'

—I can't have an episode here.

Liang Shining quickly understood what Ying Huai hadn't said aloud.

He took a deep breath, exerted force with his hands, and steadily lifted the person.

The person in his arms let out an unbearable muffled groan at the slight jolt, suddenly gripping Liang Shining's sleeve.

Liang Shining instinctively lightened his steps and spoke softly: 'Where do you want to go, Shifu?'

Ying Huai turned his head and buried his face in Liang Shining's embrace. His hand, hidden in his pocket, felt the completely empty Medicine Bottle, and he didn't speak for a long time.

Liang Shining didn't press him either.

He took off his coat with one hand and covered the person completely, shielding him from surrounding gazes.

After a few seconds, he finally heard the faint voice of the person in his arms: 'I want to go home.'

Liang Shining froze for a moment. The next second, he heard Ying Huai speak word by word, softly: 'I want to go back.......to my own home.'

·

Liang Shining quickly sent a message to Li Xiang.

Before long, Li Xiang drove over quickly.

Liang Shining carried the person into the car. Throughout the ride, Ying Huai's whole body kept trembling.

His breathing was rapid and painful, his body quickly soaked with cold sweat, so exhausted he could barely keep his eyelids open.

But strangely, he was still fully conscious, seemingly relying on something, struggling not to let himself fall into a certain state.

Liang Shining slipped medicine under his tongue and slowly massaged his chest over and over.

He stared at Ying Huai for a few seconds, then suddenly reached for Ying Huai's hand hidden in his pocket.

The next second, he saw Ying Huai's body flinch, just as he'd expected.

Liang Shining frowned.

For the first time, ignoring Ying Huai's wishes, he forced his hand in. The moment he touched Ying Huai's palm, he felt, as expected, some stickiness on his fingertips.

The person in his arms let out a low whimper, and Liang Shining's expression instantly changed.

He quickly pulled Ying Huai's hand out and, sure enough, saw bloody pinch marks dotting his palm.

'Ying Huai.' Liang Shining gritted his teeth.

The person in his arms became a bit more lucid, even having the mind to slightly curve his lips at this moment: '........Stay, awake.'

He let out a low muffled groan, instinctively reaching to pinch his own palm again: 'Can't sleep........'

—But the expected pain didn't come.

Ying Huai barely managed to lift his eyelids, only to see Liang Shining had placed his palm directly over his.

Ying Huai's lips trembled, and he somewhat dazedly raised his eyes: 'What are you doing.......'

'If you want to sleep, pinch me,' Liang Shining forced his fingers into the gaps between Ying Huai's and held on tight. 'I know. I'll wake you up.'

'You don't have to rely only on yourself, Shifu.'

Another wave of dizziness hit. Ying Huai groaned, his fingers instinctively wanting to exert force, but the next second, remembering something, he suddenly relaxed them.

Liang Shining's expression showed nothing unusual, and he gently pinched the back of his neck.

Ying Huai groaned, barely lifted his eyelids, and glanced at Liang Shining.

Liang Shining chatted with him casually, on and off.

He kept his eyes down, expression calm, only gently pinching the back of Ying Huai's neck when he stopped responding.

In the driver's seat, Li Xiang glanced at the two in the backseat through the rearview mirror and silently sighed.

·

When Ying Huai arrived home, he could barely maintain consciousness.

Liang Shining quickly carried him into the bedroom, but the next second, saw Ying Huai stagger to his feet and lunge to the nightstand, rummaging for something.

'What are you looking for, Shifu?' Liang Shining quickly got up to steady him.

But he had only just walked behind Ying Huai when he saw the person in front of him suddenly seem unable to hold on, pressing a hand to his chest and panting rapidly a few times, his whole body uncontrollably bending over.

Liang Shining's expression instantly changed.

His first thought was that Ying Huai's heart condition had flared up again, but when he checked Ying Huai's pulse, his expression suddenly froze.

Ying Huai's heartbeat was rapid but not chaotic—not the pattern of his usual heart episodes.

But the person in front of him was clearly in some kind of pain, curling up, his breathing growing more rapid.

Liang Shining's hand supporting the person trembled uncontrollably. The next second, footsteps came from the doorway.

'Yo, hiding a beauty in a golden house.' A teasing voice suddenly came from the doorway.

A tall man in a black trench coat appeared at the bedroom door.

Liang Shining instinctively shielded Ying Huai in his arms, on guard.

That man stroked his chin, watching the two in front of him with great interest. Before he could say anything, he suddenly let out an 'ow,' hunched his neck, and covered the back of his head.

'Why did you hit me, Si Lan.'

Song Si Lan walked out from behind that man with a dark expression, frowning as he quickly checked Ying Huai's condition: 'Because you deserve it.'

'If you hit me silly, won't you feel bad, Si Lan?' That man said aggrievedly.

Though he said that, his expression showed no trace of grievance, instead looking playful and ingratiating.

Song Si Lan ignored him completely. He pulled a bottle of medicine from his pocket and placed it under Ying Huai's tongue, speaking without turning back: 'Even if you die, I won't collect your body.'

That man froze for a moment, and the smile slowly faded from his face.

He silently sighed, his gaze falling once more on the pale-faced person in Liang Shining's arms.

He looked thoughtfully at Ying Huai's expression, then suddenly spoke: 'Keep talking to him.'

Liang Shining froze for a moment.

He looked up at Song Si Lan. Song Si Lan took a deep breath and gave him a slight nod: 'He's the.......Psychologist I mentioned.'

'Hurry up. You don't want him to keep suffering like this, do you?' The Psychologist's gaze fell on the messy nightstand beside him, and he casually rummaged out a few medicine bottles.

Liang Shining was quiet for a few seconds, then slowly began speaking in a low voice.

'Your brother said the fat Bouquet at home has gotten heavier again, and the new clothes he bought for it actually don't fit........'

'The clothes my mom custom-ordered for us have arrived. She's complaining about how the ones we bought last time haven't even been worn on camera much........'

The Psychologist crouched beside him, poured out a few pills from each of the bottles he'd just found, and sniffed them.

The next second, he suddenly picked out one of them and stuffed it directly into Ying Huai's mouth.

Liang Shining froze, instinctively wanting to stop him. The next second, he saw the Psychologist gently lift Ying Huai's chin and make him swallow the pill.

'You—'

'It's fine, this is the most common one, it won't kill anyone.' The Psychologist said slowly.

The moment he finished speaking, he felt the person in his arms tremble slightly, gently exhale, and his tense body seemed to relax a bit.

He seemed to regain some consciousness, slightly opened his eyelids, and mumbled: 'Liang Shining........'

'The beauty really is quite good-looking. No wonder you're willing to help him like this, Si Lan.' The Psychologist beside him stroked his chin and suddenly turned his head.

'Si Lan, between me and the beauty, which one is better-looking?'

Song Si Lan's brow twitched. Unable to bear it any longer, he raised his hand and slapped the back of that man's head: 'Can you fucking speak properly?'

The Psychologist let out an aggrieved 'ow,' then the next second, suddenly snapped his fingers in front of Ying Huai.

Ying Huai's dazed expression suddenly froze.

Immediately after, he closed his eyes without warning, his whole body going limp.

Liang Shining quickly stepped forward and caught him in his arms.

Ying Huai had no strength at all. His neck bent back, his whole head hung limply against Liang Shining's arm, his neck weakly tilted to one side, but his breathing finally gradually steadied.

'It's fine, I just put him under Hypnosis.' The Psychologist said slowly, glancing thoughtfully at Liang Shining.

'He seems to trust you a lot, otherwise I couldn't have put him to sleep so easily.'

But the next second, the Psychologist's voice suddenly deepened.

'However—how exactly did you manage to make him stop taking his medication for so long?'

Liang Shining's expression suddenly froze.

·

Meanwhile, in the dorm, Su Yun sat anxiously in the middle, watching Chu Ming and Xin Wan argue endlessly in front of him.

'How could you let Brother Huai just run out like that? Don't you know his health is bad?'

Chu Ming gritted his teeth: 'You didn't even ask clearly where he went!'

'You think I didn't want to ask! I know my little Shidi better than you. Don't lecture me here. If you've got the guts, go find him and bring him back right now!'

Chu Ming was nearly driven mad with anger.

He turned and headed straight for the door. The next second, he suddenly heard knocking from outside.

'Director's group is doing room checks. Open up.'

The three people in the dorm all froze at the same time.

'Teacher Ying and Teacher Liang asked me to cover for them.......' Su Yun said in a panic.

Chu Ming gritted his teeth, suddenly flipped over and climbed onto Ying Huai's bed.

'Turn off the light. Just say Brother Huai is asleep.'

Su Yun froze for a few seconds: 'Then Teacher Liang.......'

'I don't care if he dies!'

Su Yun: ???

A few minutes later, the Assistant Director led the inspection team grandly pushing open the dorm door, coming face to face with a flustered Su Yun and a tense Xin Wan.

'You turned off the lights this early?' The Assistant Director asked, somewhat puzzled.

'Teacher Ying and Teacher Liang.......'

Before the Assistant Director could finish, Su Yun quickly spoke first: 'Yes, Teacher Ying and Teacher Liang have already.......gone to bed.'

The Assistant Director froze for a moment. He looked up, his gaze silently falling on one of the beds that was clearly empty.

Su Yun's mind raced, and he suddenly blurted out with a flash of inspiration: 'Teacher Liang and Teacher Ying, they, they—slept in the same dorm bed.'

Assistant Director: ?

Chu Ming on the bed: ???

In the middle of the dorm, Su Yun clamped a hand over Xin Wan's flustered mouth and said with conviction: 'Mm, Teacher Ying is afraid of the dark, really.'