CHAPTER 41: CHAPTER 41 YOU’RE NOT AN OUTSIDER

Zhao Meimei lay beside Shi Yang on the hospital bed, telling him funny stories from her class, frequently mentioning Xu Xu, who was now her best friend in class.

That kid used to be a typical suck-up, always telling on others to the teacher. But after playing with Zhao Meimei, he gradually changed. It wasn’t that Zhao Meimei deliberately stopped him from snitching, but he realized that whenever he tattled, it somehow involved Zhao Meimei. He was afraid the teacher would scold her, so he slowly stopped snitching.

Shi Yang listened and couldn’t help but laugh, trying hard to suppress it so he wouldn’t jostle his wound.

The two chatted for a long time. Shi Yang felt the urge to pee as he lay on the bed. All he’d been ingesting were liquid foods, not to mention the continuous input of anti-inflammatory nutrients into his body.

Initially, Shi Yang tried to hold it in. His mother used to help him with the urinal, which, though a bit embarrassing, wasn’t unbearable in front of his own mom.

Shi Yang held it for a while, and Little Yang started hurting a bit. His breathing began to grow heavier.

Zhao Meimei noticed his abnormality and asked with concern, "Brother Yangyang, what’s wrong with you?"

Shi Yang grunted, "Nothing, just need to pee."

Zhao Meimei responded with an "Oh," and seeing he hadn’t moved, asked curiously, "Then why don’t you go pee?"

Shi Yang snorted, "If I could get out of bed, I would’ve gone to the bathroom already."

Zhao Meimei sat up abruptly and asked, "How did you go to the bathroom before then?"

After a long pause, Shi Yang mumbled, "My mom helped me!"

Zhao Meimei suddenly understood, "Ah, since your mom’s not here now, should I help you?"

Shi Yang frowned, "No need."

Zhao Meimei asked with concern, "Can you hold it in?"

Shi Yang’s lower abdomen was hurting, and he really couldn’t hold it anymore. He clenched his fists, enduring it with gritted teeth. Every second felt like torture.

Zhao Meimei got off the bed, slipping into her shoes, and bent down to search beneath the hospital bed, pulling out a clean urinal.

She held it up and asked Shi Yang, "Is this it? When Grandma Zhao was hospitalized, my mom used this to help her with peeing."

Shi Yang glanced sideways, afraid to speak, fearing he might lose focus and actually wet the bed.

Zhao Meimei, being brisk and without warning, directly pulled down Shi Yang’s loose shorts he put on for comfort. Before Shi Yang could react, his slightly elevated Little Yang, due to holding pee, was exposed outright to the air.

Zhao Meimei exclaimed, "Oh my! Brother Yangyang, why does your little chicken look like this? It’s so ugly!"

Shi Yang’s face turned beet red, even the tips of his ears were flushed. He was utterly shocked, eyes opened wide.

Zhao Meimei mustered up her courage, trembling as she held Little Yang with one hand and aimed the urinal with the other, fearing it might spill outside. "Brother Yangyang, you can pee, I got it."

Shi Yang shouted angrily, "Zhao Meimei! What are you doing! Let go of me!"

He shouted so loud it hurt his ribs; he was so furious and aggrieved that his eyes turned bloodshot.

Zhao Meimei: "I’m holding it for you. If I let go, you might pee outside. I’ve seen others hold it this way while peeing!"

The "others" Zhao Meimei referred to were Da Bao and the boys, but those were childhood affairs. Zhao Meimei, with her innocent heart, spoke her mind freely.

Shi Yang was beside himself with shame and anger.

Just as Shi Yang was about to scold her further, he suddenly felt a release in his lower abdomen.

"Sssssshhhhhhh..."

Shi Yang: "...."

Zhao Meimei exclaimed in a fluster, "Hey! Hey hey! Pee slower! It’s splashing on my hand!"

Shi Yang kept peeing non-stop, clenching his teeth, "Shut up!"

Finally done peeing, Zhao Meimei carefully placed the urinal on the ground and helped Shi Yang pull up his pants.

After finishing, Shi Yang finally felt comfortable. He glanced at Zhao Meimei, his eyes shifty, feeling inexplicably guilty inside.

Zhao Meimei, completely oblivious, was unaware that she had straightforwardly and unapologetically seen her Brother Yangyang, and even touched Little Yang, taking full advantage of him.

Zhao Meimei asked, "Brother Yangyang, should I empty the urinal? Otherwise, it’ll smell!"

Shi Yang snapped his head back and glared at her, wishing he could sew her unrestrained mouth shut!

Suppressing his anger, Shi Yang knew this would be hard to explain to his mom if she found out. In a hurry, he instructed, "Pour the pee into the toilet, don’t forget to flush, then rinse the urinal. There should be a cloth in the bathroom, wipe up the water and put the urinal back where you found it!"

Zhao Meimei obediently began to busy herself. She didn’t find it gross or dirty to help Shi Yang pee. Her simple thought at the time was just to prevent Shi Yang from suffering.

Zhao Meimei busily moved around the room. Shi Yang stared at her figure, harboring a peculiar, indescribable feeling in his heart. It’s like suddenly they shared a little secret that belonged only to the two of them—heavy in his heart, yet sweet.

Zhao Meimei tidied up and climbed back onto the bed.

Shi Yang warned her, "Don’t tell anyone about what just happened, got it?"

Zhao Meimei knew it was not a good thing. She wisely nodded, agreeing, "Mm, I know."

Once Zhao Meimei lay down, Shi Yang began to lecture her, "Zhao Meimei, how many times have I told you, there’s a difference between boys and girls! You must be mindful of others, why do you never seem to remember?"

Zhao Meimei nonchalantly replied, "But you are not others."

Shi Yang paused, and the anger that was building up suddenly dissipated with a puff.

Zhao Meimei said to herself, "Besides, I’ve seen and touched it before when we were kids, remember? Just didn’t look as closely as today."

Shi Yang was instantly furious, scolding, "Zhao Meimei! Don’t talk nonsense!"

Zhao Meimei sheepishly looked at Shi Yang for a while, then giggled, asking, "Brother Yangyang, are you embarrassed?"

Shi Yang: "...."

Seeing that Shi Yang was truly getting angry, Zhao Meimei quickly employed her old trick, apologizing sincerely, "Brother Yangyang, I’m sorry, I won’t do it again. Please don’t be mad at me, okay?"

Shi Yang looked at Zhao Meimei. He liked her from a young age, feeling naturally fond of and close to her. If it were anyone else who dared to hold his Little Yang today like she did, he would have probably exploded their head. But this person in front of him was Zhao Meimei, the mischievous kid he had cared for and watched grow up.

Zhao Meimei, with her thin eyelids, sneakily peered around; sticky, whining, as soon as she admitted her mistake, he couldn’t stay mad at her...

Looking at her sincerely admitting her wrongdoing, Shi Yang scolded playfully, "Just keep pretending, every time it’s the same trick; are you just relying on my indulgence, knowing I can’t do anything to you, so you always show me your smug face?"

Zhao Meimei’s eyes crinkled into a smile, and she scooted forward, giving Shi Yang a smack on the cheek, "Mm, I just like you."

Shi Yang laughed and scolded, "Get out of here!"

Zhao Meimei squirmed forward again, giving Shi Yang another kiss, "Nope, I’m sticking to you."

Shi Yang eventually laughed, glaring at Zhao Meimei, "I’m the one who spoiled you!"

Zhao Meimei bootlickingly agreed, "Mm, you have to keep spoiling me like this, never change!"

Looking at Zhao Meimei’s slowly maturing face, Shi Yang didn’t know if it was from watching her grow or from something else, but he began to feel she was much more beautiful than before, her smiles card tricks being both mischievous and adorable.

Shi Yang sighed indulgently, softly saying, "Move in a little more, be careful not to fall off."

Zhao Meimei obediently scooted in, snuggling up to Shi Yang.

The pair, one large and one small, nestled closely together. Before long, their breathing grew steady, and they peacefully fell asleep.