Zhou Zhuoyuan tried calling back home, but the line stayed busy the whole time.
He Qinglan grabbed his hand again and made the decision for the distraught Zhou Zhuoyuan. “I’ll go with you.”
They were almost at the hospital when the call finally connected. After asking his name, the person on the other end rattled off the ward number like a string of firecrackers and hung up right away—without explaining what was wrong with Ji He.
Zhou Zhuoyuan clenched his fingers until they turned white. In his previous life, he’d never heard of any classmate getting into an accident. Hardly anyone had taken a single day off during all of senior year. School started the day after tomorrow; Ji He should be fine to attend. He probably wasn’t hurt too badly.
No, wait—that didn’t add up. In his previous life, Ji He had gone to the Zhou Family to hang out with Zhou Zhuoyi over New Year’s and had even traded barbs with him a few times. He hadn’t come to this city at all!
“It’s fine. I’ve got you.”
Zhou Zhuoyuan turned his head and saw his own reflection filling He Qinglan’s pale pupils.
“No matter what happens, I’ll be right here with you,” his class monitor said.
~~~
A single doctor stood in the ward, while Ji He lay motionless on the bed.
Zhou Zhuoyuan approached the doctor, his voice shaking. “Hello, I’m Zhou Zhuoyuan. How is he doing right now? How long until he’s better?”
The doctor’s face grew incredibly somber. “It’s not looking good. The surgery didn’t go well. He might never wake up—could end up as a vegetable.”
Zhou Zhuoyuan’s mind went blank with a deafening buzz.
He was sharp as a tack when it came to studies, a quick learner through and through. But he crumbled under emotional strain, losing his ability to think straight in the face of pain. He didn’t even register how amateurish the disguise was or how unprofessional the words coming from the man in front of him.
The “doctor” realized he’d overplayed it and called out in a panic. “Hey, classmate! Classmate, you okay? You look awful. Want me to check you out?”
Ji He snapped his eyes open at that, meeting Zhou Zhuoyuan’s wide, panicked gaze—brimming with unshed tears.
“…”
A blaze of fury shot straight from the soles of Zhou Zhuoyuan’s feet to the top of his skull. He seized Ji He by the collar and hauled him upright off the bed. “Fuck you! Are you out of your goddamn mind?!”
Ji He howled in agony. “Ow, ow, easy! I really am hurt—my arm’s broken! It hurts like hell…”
Only then did Zhou Zhuoyuan notice the thick plaster cast swaddling Ji He’s arm, hidden under the blanket. He lowered the guy back down with care and turned to leave.
Ji He wasn’t about to let him slip away that easily. He lunged out, snagging Zhou Zhuoyuan’s clothes by the hem. The motion yanked at his injury, ripping a pig-slaughtering screech from his throat. “Aaaah!!! Don’t go!!!”
Zhou Zhuoyuan found himself stuck, even as the doctor poked and prodded—Ji He still wouldn’t let go.
How on earth had the Ji Family raised such a deadbeat?
Out of options, Zhou Zhuoyuan turned to He Qinglan, who was waiting off to the side. “You should head back first. I’ll come find you later.”
That was when Ji He finally clocked him. “Class monitor? What are you doing here?”
He Qinglan smiled. He answered Zhou Zhuoyuan first. “No problem. I’ll wait for you outside.”
Then he turned to Ji He. “I’m here with Little Yuan.”
Little Yuan? Goosebumps prickled across Ji He’s skin. Something was off about this class monitor.
But that was small potatoes. Right now, he had to smooth things over with Zhou Zhuoyuan before the guy blew a gasket.
Once He Qinglan and the doctor had stepped out, Ji He couldn’t wait any longer. “Sit down already. Come here, sit by the bed.”
Zhou Zhuoyuan nearly laughed from sheer exasperation. How had he never realized Ji He was this shameless?
He shot back with a sneer. “Have you got no shame at all?”
Ji He had spent ages psyching himself up for this, but the barb still stung.
And yet he’d thrown far worse at Zhou Zhuoyuan that afternoon.
Ji He schooled his features, wiping away every trace of his usual roguish grin. “I’m sorry. I lost my cool earlier and said a bunch of crap I didn’t mean. That’s not how I really feel.”
Zhou Zhuoyuan let out a scornful huff, saying nothing.
The heartfelt apology fell flat. Ji He held his tongue for all of five seconds before the words tumbled out. “You knew it was me pulling that stunt, but you came running anyway, didn’t you?”
He knew he had a bad habit of running his mouth. This was the make-or-break moment to beg forgiveness, and here he was poking the bear.
Sure enough, it set Zhou Zhuoyuan off again. “You tricked me! I thought you were dead! You think it’s funny screwing with me like that?!”
Thank goodness for Ji He’s rhino hide. “You were scared I’d die. You were worried about me, Little Yuan. That means you still think of me as a friend.”
Zhou Zhuoyuan’s eyes were still red-rimmed, but it didn’t stop him from ripping into Ji He. “What Little Yuan? Who the hell said you could call me that?”
“So, can we not switch seats?”
Ji He said, looking aggrieved. “But doesn’t the class monitor call you that too?”
“He’s different from you!”
“What’s the difference?”
“There just is!”
“Then why can’t I?”
“You just can’t!”
“Why can the class monitor?”
“I already told you—he’s different!”
It was like two frogs croaking at each other.
Ji He pursed his lips and compromised. “Fine, then. I won’t call you Little Yuan anymore. Yuanyuan, forgive me, and I’ll forgive you for hitting me at the amusement park.”
Zhou Zhuoyuan had never met anyone so persistent. Why couldn’t this guy understand a simple rejection?
People with real confidence were probably all like this—they could crash headfirst into walls over and over without getting too banged up.
Ji He grabbed Zhou Zhuoyuan with the hand in the cast, while his other hand fumbled around under the pillow for a moment. Then he stuffed something into Zhou Zhuoyuan’s palm.
Zhou Zhuoyuan asked, “What’s this?”
Ji He recited the name exactly as it had been written on the little blackboard at purchase: “Wish-Come-True Good-Luck Longevity Star Candy.”
Zhou Zhuoyuan: ?
Ji He explained, “It’s that viral snack from the amusement park. Everyone lines up for it. I didn’t get a chance to take you to buy some.”
There was something magical about those words “didn’t get a chance.” Zhou Zhuoyuan suddenly felt a pang of regret.
He clenched the neatly wrapped candy in his fist.
Ji He—who had prioritized forgiving the irritable, hurtful-tongued Zhou Zhuoyuan even after being brutally dumped, who had personally waited in that endless line to buy Zhou Zhuoyuan’s favorite viral snack, who had accepted Zhou Zhuoyuan’s unreasonable demand not to be called “Little Yuan” as a major concession—made a wish for Zhou Zhuoyuan. “Yuanyuan, will you come see me tomorrow?”
The hard-hearted Zhou Zhuoyuan replied, “No.”
“Then can we go back to school together tomorrow?”
“No.”
“Then can you say you forgive me?”
“No.”
“Then can we not switch seats?”
Zhou Zhuoyuan felt like he’d said “no” too many times and was starting to come off as heartless, so he fell silent this time.
~~~
It was getting too late, and Zhou Zhuoyuan still had some luggage left at the Vacation Manor, so they ended up staying at the original hotel at Ji He’s arrangement.
Ji Feng was especially generous and booked a suite for He Qinglan too. After all the hassle, Zhou Zhuoyuan was exhausted. They agreed on the time for their pre-arranged ride-share, and he headed straight back to his old room to crash.
When Ji He woke up the next day and learned they’d already taken the ride-share back to school, he was heartbroken. He called Zhou Zhuoyi to vent. “Little Yi, you’re right—your brother’s so hard to chase. He’s not just a blockhead; he’s a stone. Way harder than wood!”
Zhou Zhuoyi chuckled lightly on the other end. “Exactly. I keep telling you, you should give up sooner rather than later.”
Ji He didn’t like hearing that. “You shouldn’t say it like that. You should be encouraging me to keep trying.”
Zhou Zhuoyi’s heart started aching again, so he brushed him off. “Alright, alright. Keep at it then. Can’t talk now—I’m not feeling great.”
Ji He turned caring in an instant. “I won’t keep you. Go see a doctor.”
