Chapter 47: Bai Shuzhi: No Wonder He Resorts to Violence at the Slightest Disagreement, Even More Than…

Zhou Zhuoyuan smiled back at him.

Fireworks began to bloom one after another outside.

He Qinglan had prepared simple home-cooked dishes, and they tasted wonderful—quite unlike Zhou Zhuoyuan, who always ruined his ingredients and turned them into something barely edible. It was as if He Qinglan, who had grown up away from his family since childhood, had a deep love for life itself.

Now, this man who cherished life so much called out to Zhou Zhuoyuan from outside the tent. Dazzling fireworks burst into splendor behind him. Backlit by their glow, He Qinglan spread his arms wide, ready to welcome the perpetually unlucky Zhou Zhuoyuan into his world.

Five hundred twenty fireworks lit up the sky—a hasty romance launched in the belief that all troubles had been resolved. To make up for it, He Qinglan gave his boyfriend a proper, romantic confession: “I want to spend every year from now on with you.”

Unable to come up with anything more poetic, Zhou Zhuoyuan replied, deeply moved, “Me too.”

Boom!

The final burst formed patterns like shooting stars. Beneath their trails at the very start, they made their wishes. Every sparkling droplet carried hopes for the future before shattering into the night.

~~~

A little after ten that evening, a barrage of calls from the Zhou family urged Zhou Zhuoyuan to come home. He Qinglan watched him hang up, then kissed the tip of his nose. “Head home. You can’t stay overnight here—you’ll catch a chill.”

Zhou Zhuoyuan hesitated. “But I promised I’d spend the New Year with you.”

“You’ve been with me this whole time, haven’t you? Video call me when you get home.” He didn’t want his boyfriend’s relationship with his family to sour because of him.

Just then, Zhou Zhuoyuan’s burner account pinged with a message from Zhu Wan. Her words dripped with displeasure and warning. He was glad he hadn’t actually given her He Qinglan’s contact info. After brushing her off with a few vague replies, he leaned in and pecked He Qinglan on the lips. “See you soon!”

At midnight this year, Zhou Zhuoyuan received a flood of New Year greetings. His first video call was to He Qinglan: “Happy New Year.” Then he replied to the rest one by one—no searching for templates this time. Every word was his own, paired with a unique blessing.

He Qinglan smiled, lips pressed together, as he watched Zhou Zhuoyuan rack his brain for replies to his friends. Sometimes his face got so close to the screen that only an enormous eye or mouth filled the view.

Wrapped in such warmth and sincerity, he learned to give back with equal fervor.

~~~

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Zhou Zhuoyi’s childhood neighbor and big brother figure, Bai Shuzhi, came to pay a visit.

In his previous life, Bai Shuzhi had shown up at this time too. Since he was about to move abroad with his parents, Zhou Zhuoyi had reluctantly invited him to stay a few days. But not two days later, Zhou Zhuoyi’s heart condition had flared up, sending everyone rushing to the hospital in a panic.

The book described Bai Shuzhi as Zhou Zhuoyi’s white moonlight, a tool to make Zhou Zhuoli jealous. The two had even gotten into a secret fistfight at the hospital.

That was one reason Zhou Zhuoyuan had obediently returned home. Another was that he hadn’t studied in days—if he kept sticking to He Qinglan, he’d have to pull an all-nighter cram session once school started.

Love really did affect his studies, but Zhou Zhuoyuan’s iron will let him resist even the sweetest temptations.

At the dinner table, bored out of his mind, Zhou Zhuoyuan counted the chicken wing bones he’d eaten. With a guest present, Zhu Wan wouldn’t let him leave early.

Zhou Zhuoyi looked even paler than usual. The whole table had been fussing over him from the start, cooing and asking after his health.

It was annoying.

He suddenly recalled Zhou Zhuoli’s earlier accusation—that he faked illnesses to get their parents’ attention.

He’d tried all sorts of things to draw the Zhou family’s notice, but never illness. His health had always been fine before, and he hated feeling sick anyway.

But he could fake it!

A wicked impulse struck. To give these successful folks at the table a little grief, Zhou Zhuoyuan clutched his stomach and let out a groan.

Unfortunately, it was like punching cotton. The ever-saintly Zhou Zhuoyi was the first to rush over, face full of worry. “Bro, you okay? Is your stomach acting up again?”

The others crowded around Zhou Zhuoyuan too. Zhu Wan asked anxiously, “What’s wrong?”

He’d gotten the attention he wanted, but it all came from Zhou Zhuoyi’s charity. Instead of satisfaction, it drained the air from around him, leaving the greedy, fickle Zhou Zhuoyuan short of breath.

Pointless. Zhou Zhuoyi’s kindness only made him seem more petty. Zhou Zhuoyuan shoved back his chair with a clatter. “I just need the bathroom. I’m heading to my room.”

Zhu Wan didn’t stop him. She turned to Bai Shuzhi with an apologetic smile.

Bai Shuzhi nodded understandingly, his tone gentle as if it were no big deal. “Zhuoyuan’s little brother is as mischievous as ever.”

~~~

Sure enough, Zhou Zhuoyi’s heart condition flared up. The commotion outside didn’t disturb Zhou Zhuoyuan, who was studying peacefully.

Though he wasn’t sure if it was punishment for his prank the day before yesterday, Zhou Zhuoyuan now felt a wave of nausea, his stomach churning with a dull ache.

As he kept writing, his head eventually slumped onto the desk.

Damn System—even something this minor warranted punishment?

The System had long since stopped responding to his endless stream of false accusations.

This was far too inefficient. Zhou Zhuoyuan dragged himself sluggishly to the bathroom, hoping a splash of water to the face would clear his head. But the moment the sound of running water hit his ears, he doubled over the sink, gripped by uncontrollable dry heaves.

Bai Shuzhi knocked at the door for what felt like forever, but there was no answer. Zhu Wan had asked him to stay behind and look after Zhou Zhuoyuan. He had no idea what there even was to look after, but with an elder making the request, he couldn’t very well refuse.

Zhou Zhuoli had always been a total brother controller. He’d pull a sour face whenever Bai Shuzhi got anywhere near Zhou Zhuoyi. This time around, he’d flat-out barred him from tagging along to the hospital, cooking up some excuse to keep him stranded at the Zhou Family instead. In her panic, Zhu Wan had been completely taken in and ended up asking Bai Shuzhi for the favor.

Having a guest play nursemaid to the host of the house—what were they even thinking?

Bai Shuzhi lingered in place for a moment. He’d come to call Zhou Zhuoyuan down for dinner, only to be left hanging this long. He was just about to turn and leave when he caught faint sounds of retching from inside.

Worried something might be seriously wrong with Zhou Zhuoyuan, he flagged down a passing auntie for a key and shoved the door open. He followed the noise straight to the bathroom doorway.

Zhou Zhuoyuan finished up a round of dry heaving without bringing anything up. He viciously splashed water on his face, venting his anger at… who knew.

Arms crossed, Bai Shuzhi spoke up from the doorway. “What’s the matter with you?”

Zhou Zhuoyuan startled, freezing for a beat. He shot a glare at Bai Shuzhi, who had barged inexplicably into his room, his brows knitting tight. “Who the hell let you in? Get out!”

He couldn’t fathom why this guy hadn’t left yet. They’d crossed paths a year ago, and it hadn’t exactly ended pleasantly—though nothing had boiled over into the open.

His good intentions thrown back in his face like a lung from a donkey. Bai Shuzhi sneered. “You fake sick when you’re fine, and hide it when you’re actually ill. I’m starting to think there’s something wrong with your head.”

Zhou Zhuoyuan’s temper flared white-hot. “You’re the one with the problem head! Your whole damn family has problems!”

Bai Shuzhi felt his chest tighten with a heavy thud. The next instant, he seized Zhou Zhuoyuan by the collar and slammed him down against the sink, his eyes darkening ominously. “Say that again?”

Zhou Zhuoyuan’s cheek pressed against the cold porcelain. He braced his wrists twice, but they wouldn’t budge from the vise-like grip. Trembling with fury, his teeth chattered. “Your whole family has problems! I said your whole—Ah!”

Bai Shuzhi wound up his arm and drove a full-powered blow into the flesh at Zhou Zhuoyuan’s rear.

Pain obliterated any thought of embarrassment. Zhou Zhuoyuan collapsed over the sink, held upright only by Bai Shuzhi’s hold on him. It took ages before he could slowly clench his fists.

He couldn’t take Bai Shuzhi in a fight. The guy was freakishly strong—even at his peak, Zhou Zhuoyuan wasn’t sure he could win.

Once the struggling and cursing finally stopped, Bai Shuzhi hoisted him over his shoulder, marched out, and dumped him onto the bed.

Zhou Zhuoyuan’s stomach had already been roiling; now it burned like fire. He curled into a tight ball on the bed, his face ashen even under the warm lamplight.

Unaware that he’d inflicted secondary damage on Zhou Zhuoyuan’s gut, Bai Shuzhi said coolly, “I’ll go fetch you a doctor.”

He summoned the Bai Family physician. The doctor knelt by the bedside, asked a few questions, then administered some medicine.

After taking it, Zhou Zhuoyuan started to feel a bit better. He stopped gnawing at the bedsheets, though he remained curled up, a fine sheen of sweat beading his forehead as he kept his eyes squeezed shut, avoiding everyone’s gaze.

This wasn’t North City or the school—there was no one here to provide proper, methodical care. He’d have to tough it out and heal himself.

Bai Shuzhi stood by the bed for a long stretch before finally speaking. “You shouldn’t have said my whole family has problems. My parents… they got shipped off abroad for psychiatric treatment because of it.”

No wonder the guy flew off the handle so easily. He was even more irrational than Zhou Zhuoyuan himself—and apparently, it ran in the family.

Zhou Zhuoyuan stayed dead silent, pretending to be asleep. Every inch of him ached too fiercely for another round of bickering.

Sure, he’d said the wrong thing. But he’d taken a far worse beating for it. He didn’t owe Bai Shuzhi a damn thing—the debt went the other way. If he ever got strong enough, he’d pay it back in kind.

After some indeterminate time, the door finally clicked shut. Zhou Zhuoyuan cracked his eyes open and gingerly probed at his backside. He sucked in a sharp hiss—it was hot to the touch, probably swollen too. He withdrew his hand and focused back on the pain in his gut.

He just hoped it’d be better by tomorrow, so it wouldn’t derail his study plans.

~~~

Zhou Zhuoyi’s condition had stabilized, but Zhou Zhuoli still couldn’t shake his unease. Bai Shuzhi wasn’t exactly the reliable type. Even though Zhou Zhuoyuan hadn’t shown any signs of distress when they left, it nagged at him.

He gave Zhu Wan a heads-up and headed straight home that evening, making a beeline for Zhou Zhuoyuan’s bedroom.

No invitation to “come in,” no demand to “get lost.” And the door wasn’t even locked.

Zhou Zhuoli pushed open the door and stepped inside. He found Zhou Zhuoyuan huddled in the center of the bed, curled into a tight ball. The only part of him visible was his cheek, flushed a deep crimson from the high fever. Even the breath escaping his lips burned like fire.