The outdoor sports field of Guihuai High School had a typical layout, with a track surrounding a green football field, and a basketball court nearby. The outermost green belt was filled with trees.
The sports class's location was at the edge of the football field. The trees beside it had shed half of their leaves, giving the scene a dull, grayish look. The sky lacked sunlight, casting the entire view in a somber, gray tone.
Under the shade of the trees, Yu Deng's exquisite and beautiful face, with a slight smile, was almost the only bright spot in the scene.
"Zhuang Lin, why aren't you moving?" Yu Deng patted Zhuang Lin's shoulder, humming lightly. "Are you admitting that you're not capable?"
Zhuang Lin's breath was heavy, and the veins on his forehead tightened. "…No."
The surrounding athletes were stunned, their eyes wide as they watched this scene. For a moment, they didn't know whether to be shocked that the usually intimidating Zhuang Lin was obediently proving himself or envious that Zhuang Lin had caught the attention of the school beauty.
Not far away, Lu Yan saw this scene and froze for a few seconds, his hand unconsciously clenching at his side.
[Oh my god… the baby looks so cute when he smiles, like a mischievous little fox. I'm going to take a screenshot like crazy!]
[Ahh, is the baby really thinking that this is humiliating someone? Baby, you're so silly! Who would be thrilled by this!?]
[Wife, he's not a little fox, he's a cute, silly kitten.]
[Wuwuwu, baby, stop rewarding others. This dog is going to go crazy with joy!!]
Yu Deng didn't hold back, putting all his weight on Zhuang Lin's back. His long, straight legs stretched out a bit, relaxing and resting in front of him.
Yu Deng impatiently urged, "Hurry up."
Zhuang Lin's Adam's apple moved as he obediently began to do push-ups.
Zhuang Lin's emotions were extremely intense, his blood boiling. The so-called annoying delicate people or those who considered themselves straight men were all thrown out of his mind.
Zhuang Lin's entire focus was on Yu Deng sitting on his back, yet he seemed to completely disregard the weight on his back. He did the push-ups quickly and with perfect form.
Yu Deng, swaying with Zhuang Lin's movements, looked down and commented, "Alright, you've got some strength after all."
If it were him doing such training, let alone carrying weight on his back, just doing regular push-ups, doing ten would have been a miracle.
Zhuang Lin, unexpectedly hearing a compliment, couldn't control his movements, and the range of his push-ups increased slightly.
Yu Deng immediately lost his balance, swaying, and fell sideways onto Zhuang Lin's back.
He took a few seconds to react. "…Hmm?"
In this position, Yu Deng's hands hung on both sides of Zhuang Lin's neck, his warm breath brushing against Zhuang Lin's nape. From behind, they looked like they were embracing each other.
Yu Deng's soft body pressed against the strong muscles on the back of the boy, and the fragrance of his body became incredibly clear.
Zhuang Lin felt heat rush up his face, his entire face burning with embarrassment.
"…I've finished the push-ups. Can you get off now?" Zhuang Lin's voice was hoarse.
Yu Deng, lying on Zhuang Lin's back, thought for a few seconds, then decided it was enough humiliation. He slowly stood up.
As he stood up, Yu Deng finally saw that Zhuang Lin was holding his nose, with blood dripping through his fingers.
"?!" Yu Deng was confused. "How did you get a nosebleed just from doing push-ups?"
Zhuang Lin: "…What else could it be?"
Zhuang Lin awkwardly wiped the nosebleed that had mysteriously appeared and turned to shout at the surrounding athletes, telling them to get back to their training.
[Ding. Zhuang Lin's side mission (2) has been completed.]
Not far away, the uneasy feeling in Lu Yan's heart grew clearer. He didn't want to watch his little bully boyfriend interact with others, but his feet moved uncontrollably in that direction.
"Eh, why are you over here?" Yu Deng looked up and saw his deskmate walking over to him.
Lu Yan lowered his voice. "…I was passing by." He paused for a few seconds. "What were you just doing?"
His tone was flat and cold, as if it was just a casual question, but if you listened carefully, you could detect a hint of sourness.
Before Yu Deng could respond, Zhuang Lin, inexplicably irritated by Lu Yan, snapped, "Does it concern you?"
Lu Yan replied, "Of course it does."
The two boys were both tall, and neither lacked in presence. In just those two sentences, a thick tension arose between them.
Yu Deng stood between the two of them, slightly tilting his head, and responded slowly to Lu Yan, "Oh, I thought Zhuang Lin's strength was lacking, so I made him prove it."
Zhuang Lin, unwilling to let Yu Deng look down on him in front of other boys, emphasized, "I just did push-ups with you on my back, should that prove I wasn't lying?"
"Mm." Yu Deng reluctantly nodded. "It's alright."
Lu Yan fell silent for several seconds.
Is this really how you prove muscle strength?
Lu Yan almost impulsively wanted to tell the athlete that Yu Deng was his boyfriend, of course it was related to him.
But Yu Deng himself didn't seem to have thought about mentioning their relationship.
…There was really nothing to say. Lu Yan knew full well that the so-called boyfriend status was just a facade, that he was merely a dog following Yu Deng.
It was strange. He clearly had been forced into being Yu Deng's boyfriend, so why did he want to bring it up?
"Lu Yan?" Yu Deng waved his hand in front of Lu Yan's face and asked strangely, "Why are you spacing out?"
Lu Yan lowered his head.
The irritating, unwilling, and complicated emotions stirred inside him, pulsing in every cell.
Lu Yan blurted out, "Strength? I can do better than him."
Yu Deng tilted his head and poked Lu Yan's arm. "Really?"
Hmm, Lu Yan's muscles do feel pretty firm and smooth when I poke them.
Zhuang Lin snorted. "What, you want to compare?"
The atmosphere became tense.
Suddenly, a whooshing sound filled the air. A basketball was rapidly flying toward Yu Deng from behind.
"Watch out!"
Lu Yan was quick, grabbing Yu Deng and pulling him into his arms. In the next second, the basketball narrowly missed hitting Yu Deng's head.
The ball hit the plastic track with a loud thud, then rolled to the edge of the green belt behind them.
It was only then that Yu Deng realized the pain in his ankle. He whimpered in a low voice, "It hurts…"
Zhuang Lin didn't care about the competition anymore and leaned in to ask, "You weren't hit, right? Where does it hurt?"
Yu Deng's eyes were already filled with tears, gasping in pain. "I twisted my ankle…"
He hadn't reacted in time when dodging, and his step hadn't landed properly—he seemed to have sprained it.
Ugh, what a calamity.
Yu Deng looked through his blurry tears at the direction the basketball had come from.
On the basketball court next to the lawn, there were four or five boys from Class One, the same class as Yu Deng, playing basketball. The ball that had just flown over came from one of the boys, the leader of the group.
The basketball hoop was a million miles away from where Yu Deng was standing. Even if it was a slip of the hand, it shouldn't have gone this far, let alone land with such force.
There could only be one possibility—he had thrown it on purpose.
Why… Yu Deng lowered his lashes in grievance. This was the first time he had directly felt malice since coming to this world. But he hadn't done anything wrong.
The commotion here was a bit loud, and both classes of students had noticed, but for now, they just stood at a distance, watching.
Lu Yan supported Yu Deng. "You should go to the school infirmary."
Yu Deng mumbled a soft "okay."
At this moment, the boy who had thrown the basketball walked over. He was a very tall and thin boy.
Yu Deng furrowed his brows and glanced at him, realizing he had no impression of this person.
He didn't know him at all.
"It looks like I almost hit you just now," the boy said with a smile, his eyes showing no hint of guilt.
Lu Yan coldly said, "Apologize to him."
The boy seemed a little surprised, paused for a moment, and then spoke in a tone that seemed to imply something, "He's a transfer student."
"But you almost hit me, shouldn't you apologize?" Yu Deng looked at this rude person, displeased. "What does that have to do with me being a transfer student…"
Lu Yan and Zhuang Lin both coldly stared at the boy. The nearby sports students hesitated for a moment, but then gathered around, seemingly ready to support Yu Deng.
The boy didn't expect this kind of development. He stammered for a few seconds, then said stiffly and perfunctorily, "Alright, I'm sorry. I slipped my hand just now."
Yu Deng turned his head away. "Your apology sounds fake. I don't accept it."
The air froze for a moment. Zhuang Lin, holding back some inexplicable anger, picked up the basketball and threw it at the boy's head.
"I also slipped my hand. You won't hold that against me, right?"
The boy staggered after being hit. "What are you doing!?"
Lu Yan momentarily put aside his hostility toward Zhuang Lin and coldly continued, "Alright, didn't you hear him say he doesn't accept it? Don't make a scene."
The boy, panting, left in a hurry.
Zhuang Lin lowered his head and asked Yu Deng, "Are you feeling better now?"
Yu Deng blankly stared at his two mission targets, then slowly nodded.
"I'll take you there," Zhuang Lin said as he reached out to carry Yu Deng.
"He's our classmate and my deskmate. I should take him to the infirmary," Lu Yan stepped in first and picked Yu Deng up horizontally, casting a glance at Zhuang Lin. "You should go train your muscles instead."
Zhuang Lin: "… Damn."
Lu Yan said this and quickly carried Yu Deng away. Zhuang Lin subconsciously lifted his leg to follow, but after hearing the coach calling him, he gave up on following them.
On the school path, Yu Deng came to his senses after being carried for a while.
"Hey? Lu Yan, where are you taking me...?" Yu Deng, with his delicate brows still furrowed, asked softly.
He had always been afraid of pain, and now his ankle was throbbing with pain, making him feel weak all over. He curled up in Lu Yan's arms and remained still.
Lu Yan repeated, "The school infirmary."
"...Oh."
Lu Yan lowered his gaze. He held the soft, delicate little boyfriend, whose pale face was streaked with tear marks, making him look extremely pitiful and lovable.
Even though he knew their relationship was unequal, Lu Yan couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity, along with some not-so-honorable thoughts.
He found himself cruelly wanting to see... Yu Deng cry during some special moments.
...
Yu Deng was carried into the school infirmary by Lu Yan.
The infirmary at Guihuai High School was quite large, well-equipped, and resembled a small clinic. As soon as they entered, the strong scent of disinfectant and some mildly pungent medicine filled the air.
They arrived at the largest examination room. Behind the desk sat a female doctor, and along the wall were several chairs, with a few beds in the corners.
"Hmm? Is there a student who's injured?" The female doctor, flipping through her notebook, was busy taking notes.
She had just finished speaking when she received a phone call and quickly began talking to the person on the other end.
"This student, where are you feeling unwell?" The female doctor put down the phone and looked at Yu Deng. "I can only do a quick check-up, there's a patient who can't make it to the infirmary, I need to go over there."
The doctor spoke quickly, and Yu Deng was a bit slow to react.
"Doctor Min, you go ahead, my work here is done. I'll take care of this student," a clear, gentle voice said from the side.
The female doctor seemed relieved. "Thank you, Dr. Lin. I'll go take care of it now. This student, let Dr. Lin take care of you."
Yu Deng looked up and saw a handsome man in a white coat and gold-rimmed glasses walking over.
[Ding—Detection complete. Host, this school doctor is also one of your special mission targets in this scenario.]
Huh? It was detected so quickly this time.
Yu Deng blinked.
The school doctor looked very gentle, his temperament somewhat similar to Wen Luo from the castle scenario, but still different.
Yu Deng couldn't precisely describe where the difference came from but could only rely on his small animal-like intuition to sense it.
His gaze shifted down, and he saw the doctor's name tag. This doctor was named Lin Qinxu.
Yu Deng nodded at this mission target and softly called out, "Dr. Lin."
Lin Qinxu glanced at Lu Yan before his eyes fell on Yu Deng, and the corner of his mouth barely lifted in a faint smile.
"Please sit over there."
Lu Yan followed Lin Qinxu into the smaller examination room next door, placing Yu Deng on the empty bed. He explained, "He twisted his left ankle just now."
Lin Qinxu put on medical gloves and walked over. "Let me take a look."
Yu Deng's shoes and socks were removed, revealing his delicate, pale ankle. Lin Qinxu's gaze lingered for a moment before he pressed down on the ankle a few times. The tears Yu Deng had managed to hold back suddenly fell again.
Lu Yan stared for a few seconds before taking a tissue and wiping Yu Deng's cheek.
"It's a sprain, but fortunately, it didn't injure the bone," Lin Qinxu said after checking. "You should ice it in the school infirmary for now."
Lu Yan silently stayed by Yu Deng's side.
Lin Qinxu took a bag of ice from the freezer, and with a glance at Lu Yan by the bedside, he kindly reminded him, "The ice needs to be applied for a while. Class just ended, and you're still going to have self-study later, right? You can go eat and prepare for self-study, you don't need to stay here the whole time."
"It's fine, I'll wait until he finishes," Lu Yan declined.
Yu Deng, hearing the school doctor's words, remembered his task and grabbed Lu Yan's sleeve, with a hint of a sob in his voice as he ordered him to run an errand.
"Lu Yan, go get my uniform and bring me some food."
Lu Yan took the meal card Yu Deng handed him, "…Okay."
Soon, only Yu Deng and Dr. Lin remained in the infirmary. The ice pack on his ankle helped alleviate the pain, making him feel slightly better.
"Student Yu Deng, I need to update your medical record," Lin Qinxu called, holding a small notebook to regain Yu Deng's attention. "Just tell me and I'll write it down."
Yu Deng snapped back to attention, "Oh..."
"Your name and age?"
"Yu Deng," Yu Deng, lying on the bed, struggled to calculate his age in his senior year of high school, "Eighteen."
The temperature in the infirmary seemed colder than elsewhere. Yu Deng curled up on the bed, wanting to huddle.
The familiar tingling sensation of wanting to be close to someone's skin emerged again.
Lin Qinxu finished filling out the form and tucked the notebook into his white coat pocket. He looked at the quiet, beautiful young man on the bed, who resembled a porcelain doll, and leaned down, saying, "Yu Deng, you need a detailed examination."
Yu Deng, confused, asked, "What for?"
"Usually, after a sprained ankle, in addition to possibly injuring ligaments or bones, there could be other adverse reactions that need a more thorough check-up."
No one would expect that Lin Qinxu, the school doctor, was lying to deceive the student.
"If you don't get checked, it could lead to long-term consequences. Also, it seems you have other conditions."
"Is that so?" Yu Deng thought for a moment, "Then go ahead and check."
Lin Qinxu smiled, gently lifted Yu Deng's calf, pulled up his pants, and pressed lightly on the soft flesh of his leg.
Yu Deng grabbed the white bedsheet and shifted uncomfortably, "You… don't press like that, and your gloves are so cold…"
Does the check-up really need to be like this? It feels so itchy.
Lin Qinxu patiently listened to Yu Deng's complaint, took off the rubber gloves, and washed his hands with disinfectant.
"Then I won't wear gloves."
Lin Qinxu raised Yu Deng's leg again, but this time, he only hovered his hand over the pants, his fingertips gently landing, but his palm never truly touched Yu Deng's skin.
Yu Deng felt even more strange.
It felt so numb and itchy, and Dr. Lin's hands were just as cold as the gloves, no better.
Yu Deng's body shivered slightly, his eyes wet, the exposed skin under the fabric turning a hot red.
"Mm, Yu Deng, fortunately, you cooperated with my examination," Lin Qinxu leaned over in front of Yu Deng, looking into his eyes. "Have you never understood your condition?"
Yu Deng's dizzy mind struggled to pull out key words.
When he first entered the instance, the system seemed to have reminded him of a special condition.
Could it be that Dr. Lin has already figured out what the condition is?
Yu Deng raised his eyes, his gaze hazy, and trembled as he asked, "So, what did you find out?"
"It's a somewhat rare condition that causes minor discomfort when it flares up, but it's not fatal," Lin Qinxu described.
Beneath his gentle, patient smile, a hint of malice finally showed.
"Yu Deng, you have dermatophagia."
It's a condition where one craves closeness to others, desires skin contact, and craves affection.
Just like now.
What will this somewhat slow-witted, beautiful student do?
Yu Deng opened his mouth, dazedly thinking for a moment.
So it's called dermatophagia… No wonder I always want to get close to people. Yu Deng felt uncomfortable, his voice soft, "Then why don't you touch me? I feel so bad right now."
He was acting completely spoiled.
Lin Qinxu's smile deepened.
But before Lin Qinxu could make a move, Yu Deng shook his head, feeling it was inappropriate.
He felt strangely awkward asking the school doctor for such a thing.
His curled lashes trembled, and Yu Deng changed his mind, "Forget it, I'll let Lu Yan or Zhuang Lin come later."
Lin Qinxu's smile froze for a moment. He grabbed Yu Deng's shoulder and softly said, "No need to bother them. I can help you. As a doctor, it's my duty to help my patients."