The sickly one in F4 was the group's darling.

Facing Shen Tinglan's death stare, Ji Huaizhou remained calm and composed, neither dodging nor avoiding the gaze, with even a faint, almost gentle smile on his lips.

With a gentle and composed expression, Shen Tinglan had a feeling that what he was about to say was not going to be nice.

Before he could react, the other person spoke first: "Tinglan, you just took your medicine last night, why are you still secretly staying up late to study? Why don't you take better care of your own body? You need to be more careful."

These words were spoken with tenderness, thoughtfulness, and utmost care, even carrying a hint of elder brotherly helplessness.

But to Shen Tinglan, Ji Huaizhou's tone sounded sarcastic and unpleasant. To Bai Ci, it was a "doctor's order," but to Shen Tinglan, it was an "execution."

He tried to speak, but before he could even catch his breath, a throbbing pain shot through the back of his neck, and a thin hook seemed to scrape down his spine from his shoulder blade to his waist, forcibly pulling the words back from his lips. He could only close his eyes, lower his breathing, and his face grew even paler.

In Bai Ci's eyes, this meant that he was in the wrong.

"Brother Shen, you took your medicine but still secretly stayed up all night?" Bai Ci's gaze had already turned over, his brows furrowing slightly.

Shen Tinglan had barely caught his breath, his lips slightly parted, about to say something casually, when Ji Huaizhou spoke first for him: "It's an old ailment. It flared up last night, and I'm still recovering. It's not serious, but I need to rest."

Ji Huaizhou then looked at Shen Tinglan, his tone still carrying the same gentle, composed manner as when instructing a patient: "Take your medicine as prescribed, and don't rush to finish your book in one night. You may not care, but everyone in this room is worried about you."

Shen Tinglan: "..."

His expression at this moment could no longer be described as "being sold out".

This person is clearly committing blatant violence.

His brow twitched slightly, and he abruptly looked up. Ji Huaizhou ignored him, simply lowering his head to take a sip of water, his expression serene and content.

"It's an old problem, nothing serious." He looked away, pressing down on the throbbing pain in his back, and forced his voice to remain calm.

"What do you mean 'it's okay'?" Bai Ci wasn't fooled. His brows furrowed even more. "You got up earlier than me yesterday morning, didn't get enough sleep, and then drove me around all day. We came back carrying so much stuff. You were already exhausted. You were clearly not feeling well, but you still went to smoke and forced yourself to stay up—Brother Shen, don't you care about your health at all?"

Ji Huaizhou didn't echo Bai Ci's words, but looked at Shen Tinglan and said to her, "There are some things that you always think you can hide."

One person after another spoke in quick succession, and Shen Tinglan couldn't find a single opportunity to interject.

He had never been "interrogated" like this before. He used to tease Bai Ci, saying that Ji Huaizhou was being nosy.

But when Bai Ci seriously questioned him, he couldn't utter a single word in response.

Her body was failing her, her old injuries were failing her, and Ji Huaizhou was even more failing her. Shen Tinglan took a deep breath, her face paling even more. She adjusted her posture slightly, but Bai Ci's eyes were sharp.

"Brother Shen, is your back uncomfortable?" Bai Ci suddenly asked.

Before Shen Tinglan could deny it, Ji Huaizhou casually added, "That's normal. When his old ailment flares up, his back hurts first. And when it hurts, he never complains, thinking he can bear it."

Shen Tinglan really wanted to smash the cup in her hand at that moment.

"Ji Huaizhou, you're such a good friend, you're really like a brother to me."

"I don't deserve it. I'm giving you a little kindness, and you repay me tenfold. You're still talking back to me even though you're in pain, so it seems like you're not in serious trouble. But your posture is two inches off to the side, and the backrest is too deep. I'll have to go back to my room and lie down for a bit, otherwise it will hurt even more tomorrow."

"Is it serious?" Bai Ci asked urgently.

"Ask him." Ji Huaizhou looked in Shen Tinglan's direction.

Bai Ci immediately turned his face and stared straight at Shen Tinglan: "Brother Shen."

When he called out to someone, his voice was soft at the end, making Shen Tinglan's heart feel like it had been scalded with warm water, both swollen and painful. All the words she had in her mouth vanished. For the first time, she felt that being questioned by this child was more tiring than dealing with the people of her clan.

"...It's not serious," he said softly.

"If it's not serious, your face is already pale." Bai Ci hit the nail on the head.

Shen Tinglan: "..."

Shen Tinglan's fingers tightened silently around the cup.

He wasn't angry at Ji Huaizhou. Given their relationship, he could tolerate Ji Huaizhou deliberately betraying him. But right now, a dull ache was throbbing in his back. The meridians that had been forcibly opened last night seemed to have just woken from a deep sleep, twitching deep within his spine. He subtly placed his left hand on his knee to steady his breathing, not daring to show it on his face.

"Brother Shen, listen to Senior Ji, don't smoke anymore," Bai Ci said earnestly. "Your health is your own responsibility, don't take it lightly."

"Did you hear that?" Ji Huaizhou chimed in gently, "Even Bai Ci is more sensible than you."

"I really didn't feel well last night," Shen Tinglan suddenly said.

Bai Ci raised her eyes and met Shen Tinglan's gaze, which was slightly sickly but very calm.

"But it's not as serious as you think," Shen Tinglan said. "After a good night's sleep, I feel much better and won't smoke anymore."

Seeing this, Ji Huaizhou knew that his goal had been achieved, and his gaze swept over Shen Tinglan without leaving a trace.

The man, though still cold-faced, had stopped putting on a brave face. His earlier silence, delivered by Bai Ci's single sentence, was unusually docile. Ji Huaizhou knew this warning had reached its perfect point. Any further, and it would become a three-way standoff on the execution ground.

"I have a video conference later," Ji Huaizhou said, looking at the two of them. "Neither of you should go out today. Stay home. If you don't take care of your health, you'll be in trouble. Especially you, Shen Tinglan, you need to take your medicine and take care of yourself. As for Bai Ci—"

He paused and glanced at Bai Ci.

"You're in charge of keeping an eye on him."

After saying that, he turned around and went upstairs.

Bai Ci paused, looked up at Ji Huaizhou's back, and muttered softly, "How did it become me watching him..."

Shen Tinglan didn't reply, but lowered his head and slowly finished the remaining half bowl of porridge. His face was still pale from his illness, but his movements were much more composed than before.

Seeing that the two had put down their chopsticks, Aunt Zhou came over with a smile to clear the table, gently stacking the bowls and plates together, and then carefully wiping the water stains off the table with a rag.

"Young Master Shen, Young Master, I'll go out and buy some fresh vegetables in a bit. I've tidied up the kitchen. If you want anything to eat, just send me a message and I'll bring it back."

"Thank you, Aunt Zhou," Bai Ci replied.

"No need to thank me, it's nothing." Aunt Zhou carried the bowls and plates towards the kitchen, but turned back halfway and added with a smile, "There are still two bowls of white fungus soup warming in the pot. If you're hungry this morning, help yourselves. One of you just recovered from an illness, and the other doesn't look well, so you both need to eat more."

Bai Ci nodded in agreement.

Aunt Zhou grabbed her small bag and went out. Without Ji Huaizhou and Aunt Zhou around, the house became completely quiet.

Shen Tinglan braced himself on the edge of the dining table and slowly stood up. The pulling sensation in his shoulder blades made him subconsciously frown.

Seeing that he was struggling a bit, Bai Ci stood up as well. After hesitating for half a second, she asked, "Would you like to sit on the sofa?"

"Mm," Shen Tinglan replied and walked towards the living room.

Bai Ci followed him over and sat down not far from him.

Shen Tinglan leaned against the sofa, his eyelashes half-closed, bathed in the morning light streaming through the window, so quiet it was almost unrecognizable. Bai Ci stared at a small patch of light on the coffee table, feeling he should say something, yet saying nothing at all.

The room was quiet, and time seemed to slow down.

Shen Tinglan turned her head and stared at Bai Ci for a long while.

The boy sat quietly, his back slightly straight, his gaze fixed on the coffee table, as if he were lost in thought, or perhaps he was just too afraid to turn around.

"Bai Ci".

"Um."

"Aren't you afraid of me anymore?"