Evelyn Cooper continued, “Oh, and one more thing. At the special doujin convention, your favorites, Xiaoling and Teacher Maowei, will be there... I’ll be in charge of this event, so you can do as you please and go get a To-signature.”

To-signature!!! Matthew Clark perked up, looking over devoutly, “…Thank you.”

Long live sneaking in personal favorites!

Evelyn Cooper waved his hand, cool and understanding.

At the end of the workday.

With the whole office’s instructions, Evelyn Cooper solemnly stuffed Matthew Clark into the car and took him home.

“Take the day off tomorrow.”

“Mmm…” Matthew Clark leaned back with his eyes closed, his nose making a little snuffling sound.

Evelyn Cooper gripped the steering wheel, glancing at him several times. “…Are you really okay being home alone? Was that kid home last time?”

“You mean Xiaojing? …No idea if he’s back yet.”

“If there’s no one at home and you feel unwell, call immediately.”

Matthew Clark looked over, flattered, “Call you?”

Evelyn Cooper, “Call 120.”

“……”

–

When they arrived downstairs at the apartment, Matthew Clark got out of the car.

His bangs were already damp with sweat, his face flushed, eyelashes half-lowered, looking pitifully clingy.

Evelyn Cooper, worried he’d collapse halfway, got out too. “Let me carry you upstairs.”

…Carry.

That didn’t sound like a gentle action.

Matthew Clark resisted, “No need, I can walk myself.”

“No need to be polite.”

Evelyn Cooper hooked his arm around his own shoulder, tried twice but couldn’t get a good hold, then turned him at an angle. “Might as well just piggyback you.”

Matthew Clark felt even dizzier from being manhandled. “Jianqiu, quickly put me down…”

“Don’t move, don’t move, almost got you.”

The two were still struggling in front of the car when suddenly a voice came from the side:

“Uncle?”

Looking up, they saw James Bennett standing there with a single-strap bag.

Backlit, his face was hard to see, only the slanting sunset casting a golden-edged shadow in front of him.

Evelyn Cooper froze.

Matthew Clark took the chance to slip down. “Xiaojing.”

His flushed face carried a hint of sickly frailty, his open collar slightly disheveled, looking like he’d been helplessly tossed around.

Like a victim of human trafficking.

James Bennett was silent for a moment, then walked over. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, just in time,” Evelyn Cooper called out. “Mingzhou has a fever, I was about to carry him upstairs. Come help.”

…No, he already said he could walk.

Matthew Clark was about to speak when he heard James Bennett say:

“If it’s a piggyback, I can handle it myself.”

He said it so calmly that Matthew Clark’s rejection got stuck in his throat. In those two seconds, James Bennett had already shifted his bag to the front and gestured,

“Uncle, want to get on?”

The scene before him felt completely different from just now—

Matthew Clark imagined Evelyn Cooper carrying him upstairs, like two office workers wandering the streets.

But standing in front of James Bennett felt different.

Like a scene from a school manga.

Except, no matter how manga-like, it didn’t fit the current situation. Matthew Clark waved his hand, “No need…”

He thought for a moment. “Just help me up the stairs.”

James Bennett slung his bag back over his shoulder. “Okay.”

Once he was sure Matthew Clark wouldn’t collapse on the way, Evelyn Cooper left.

The two walked to the stairwell. James Bennett reached around behind Matthew Clark, steadying him by the shoulder. “Like this, Uncle?”

“……”

A long arm wrapped around him.

This posture was actually perfectly normal. But Matthew Clark, after reading so many manga, couldn’t help but feel that this scene… If it weren’t himself, he’d be shipping it!

He lightly patted James Bennett, signaling him to let go. Then he grabbed James Bennett’s arm. “This is fine.”

James Bennett went along with it. “Okay.”

The two walked up the stairs together.

Matthew Clark was running a fever, so he should have been hotter, but he felt that James Bennett’s body temperature wasn’t much lower. The arm he held was firm and strong, the touch of skin even more direct.

He didn’t dare grip too tightly.

If he did, it would seem impolite.

After a few steps, James Bennett stopped.

“Uncle.” He looked down, amused, at the hand barely holding his elbow. “If you don’t put any weight on me, it’ll feel like you’re just holding my arm.”

“………” Matthew Clark, “Oh.”

He dropped the pretense and leaned his weight on him.

–

As soon as they got home, Matthew Clark couldn’t hold on anymore.

Climbing the stairs had left him drenched in cold sweat, his head spinning, his back feeling like it was carrying a mountain.

James Bennett called to him, “Uncle, what do you want for dinner?”

Matthew Clark just wanted to sleep. “It’s fine, don’t worry about me… Eat by yourself.”

He said that and went straight to the bedroom, collapsing onto the bed.

“……”

He didn’t change his clothes or put down his bag.

Once he hit the bed, he didn’t move at all.

James Bennett followed him in, took the bag off his shoulder, and set it by the table. On the way, a sticky note slipped out of the bag and landed face down on the floor.

James Bennett picked it up without looking, and set it on the table.

Two muffled coughs came from the pillow, and he glanced back again.