4 Oblivion

Lu Yu shook his head and knelt on the bed, his mind sharper than ever. Almost the moment he realized he couldn’t recall who his "older brother" was, the memory of that illness came flooding back. He knew the disease would gradually make him forget the people around him, but he hadn’t expected the first person he’d forget to be his own “older brother.”

Noticing Lu Yu was lost in thought, Song Jianli couldn’t help but call out to him, “Sang Sang?”

“I’m fine, Jian Ge.” Lu Yu, afraid Song Jianli might suspect something, looked up and smiled, revealing a small tiger tooth.

Having just woken up, Lu Yu’s clothes were wrinkled and slipped to one side, exposing his fair shoulder and neck. Song Jianli’s heart softened, feeling a sweet warmth. This was the life he had always dreamed of.

—

“Where are Auntie and Uncle?” Lu Yu looked up at Song Jianli, who was serving him porridge, noticing only two sets of utensils at the table.

“They’re on a business trip out of town these days,” Song Jianli explained as he placed a bowl of steaming porridge before Lu Yu.

“They’re so busy.” In Lu Yu’s memory, Song’s parents always had a lot of work, and Song Jianli had been left alone at home since he was very young.

Song Jianli smiled slightly. “It’s alright.”

The table was laden with a nutritious breakfast—milk still steaming, and freshly steamed buns shaped into various little animals.

Lu Yu couldn’t help but smile, feeling as if he were being treated like a child. The servants in Song Jianli’s home seemed incredibly kind to him.

“What’s up?” Song Jianli asked, noticing Lu Yu’s gaze and smile.

Lu Yu replied honestly, “I think Aunt Zhang treats you like a kid. Look, the buns are shaped like rabbits and little dogs!”

Song Jianli laughed in response. “Are they cute?”

“Very cute,” Lu Yu nodded.

Just then, Aunt Zhang, who had just finished tidying the kitchen, overheard and stepped forward to explain, “At my age, I’m not that meticulous. These were made by the young master himself. He even kneaded the dough last night.”

Lu Yu raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Eh?”

“Jian Ge made breakfast?” Aunt Zhang wanted to say more, but Song Jianli glanced at her, and she wisely kept quiet.

“Yes, sometimes when I’m in the mood,” Song Jianli said.

“That’s impressive! You really can do everything,” Lu Yu’s eyes sparkled with admiration.

Song Jianli’s heart skipped a beat.

He picked up two little rabbit-shaped buns from the plate and offered them to Lu Yu. “Eat up.”

“Thanks, Jian Ge!” Lu Yu seemed to have shaken off the previous night’s troubles. Song Jianli watched him carefully and, seeing no sign of distress, quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Perhaps it was because the little animal-shaped buns were so cute, Lu Yu ate quite a bit. At Song Jianli’s insistence, he even drank a whole box of milk at the end.

“All gone!” Lu Yu shook the empty box to prove it.

Song Jianli watched him eat the entire time and hadn’t eaten much himself. When Lu Yu spoke to him proudly, Song Jianli smiled gently. “You’re amazing, Sang Sang.”

“Eh…” Lu Yu’s ears flushed red. Was he being praised just for finishing the milk?

After breakfast, Lu Yu prepared to change clothes and grab his backpack. Song Jianli told him he’d wait at their usual spot. Lu Yu nodded firmly before heading home.

Song Jianli stood at the door, watching Lu Yu’s retreating figure until he disappeared into the courtyard, then turned and went back inside.

—

Lu Yu took a deep breath in front of the gate.

He didn’t know what kind of person this “older brother” was, nor how they usually interacted. He hoped he wouldn’t reveal any flaws.

Pushing open the front door, he saw a man seated at the dining table on the first floor, radiating an aura of restraint and authority.

Dressed in a flawlessly tailored high-end suit and wearing silver-rimmed glasses, the man’s mere presence was intimidating. Even the servants nearby dared not breathe loudly.

Lu Yu immediately grew nervous, feeling awkward and at a loss.

He could only greet the man cautiously: “Brother.”

Lu Jinlü glanced at him coolly, neither responding nor speaking.

Lu Yu didn’t know if this was typical of his “older brother’s” personality, but he had no time to figure out their relationship.

Before Lu Jinlü could respond, Lu Yu bowed slightly and turned to head upstairs.

—

His footsteps upstairs were light, but then again, his slight frame wouldn’t make much noise.

Lu Jinlü tilted his head, watching Lu Yu’s retreating figure, his eyes deepening with thought.

A genius like him immediately sensed something was amiss.

—

Lu Yu quickly changed and came downstairs with his backpack.

He found his “older brother” still having breakfast and forced himself to look at him. “Brother, I’m off to school.”

Lu Jinlü knew something was wrong.

In his memory, Lu Yu never called him “Brother” so casually; he always used a more humble “older brother.”

His gaze was unusual too—Lu Yu had never dared to look him directly in the eyes like this.

Lu Jinlü didn’t think Lu Yu was being bold; it seemed more like he was sulking, upset about last night’s events.

Frowning, he raised his eyelids to look at Lu Yu again.

Lu Yu tightened his grip on his backpack straps, relieved when Lu Jinlü said nothing and lowered his gaze once more.

He exhaled quietly, concluding his “older brother” was a man who commanded respect without anger.

Turning to leave, Lu Yu was suddenly called back: “Lu Yu.”

The tone was neutral, as if uttered casually without emotion.

Lu Jinlü reflected that perhaps he’d been too harsh last night. He had been troubled by a business matter, and Lu Yu had just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, bearing the brunt of his anger.

Looking back, the item Lu Yu delivered didn’t quite seem like a report card.

Lu Yu stiffened, turning around and bracing himself to look at Lu Jinlü, timidly saying, “Brother.”

“You last night…” Lu Jinlü’s words trailed off, hoping Lu Yu would understand.

Lu Yu was confused—what about last night? Had he said something to his brother?

Lu Jinlü watched him carefully, his sharp eyes narrowing.

So why was he silent? Was he angry? Sulking? Since Lu Yu himself seemed indifferent, why should he pry?

What he didn’t know was that Lu Yu had truly forgotten what happened last night.

“……” With no further words, Lu Yu turned and walked away, still shrinking into himself, head bowed as usual, timid and shy. Yet Lu Jinlü felt something had changed.

“Liu Bo,” Lu Jinlü called to his butler as Lu Yu disappeared outside.

“Yes, Young Master,” Liu Bo replied quickly.

Tapping his fingers on the table, Lu Jinlü asked, “Don’t you think Lu Yu seems a bit strange today?”

Liu Bo was puzzled. Wasn’t the Third Young Master acting as he usually did? Quiet, reserved, reluctant to speak unless spoken to?

“Who do you mean, Young Master?”

Liu Bo’s tone implied he hadn’t noticed anything unusual, so Lu Jinlü dismissed the thought.

He lowered his head, sipped his porridge, and said coldly, “Never mind.”

—

It was Friday, and the sun shone brilliantly. The sun had just risen over the horizon as Lu Yu jogged out with his backpack.

His sudden movement startled the young birds perched on the branches.

Pressing the button to open the villa’s gate, the iron door slowly swung open. Vibrant roses climbed the low wall outside, blooming in clusters, filling the air with fragrance.

The wind stirred the leaves and brushed the stray hairs from Lu Yu’s forehead.

In Song Jianli’s eyes, Lu Yu was so beautiful that even the roses were mere adornments.

“Jian Ge!” At the same spot by the low wall stood the same person, rain or shine, always punctual.

Song Jianli changed faster than Lu Yu, perhaps because he had spent some time with his “older brother.”

Lu Yu noticed the wrinkles on Song Jianli’s undershirt had smoothed out, surely the shirt had been laundered.

Having heard the noise from the courtyard early on, Song Jianli fixed his gaze on Lu Yu the moment he stepped through the iron gate without looking away.

—

Lu Yu called out, and Song Jianli smiled warmly in response. “I’m here.”

“Jian Ge, have you been waiting long?” Lu Yu asked shyly.

Song Jianli hooked Lu Yu’s backpack onto his own left shoulder, noticing the fine beads of sweat on Lu Yu’s temple. “Not long. Run slower next time.”

“Okay.” Lu Yu nodded.

Side by side, they walked toward the school. Song Jianli was in the A+ honors class on the first floor, so he would reach his classroom before Lu Yu.

At Song Jianli’s classroom door, he handed Lu Yu’s backpack back to him, then pulled a warm milk packet from his own bag. “Drink this after morning self-study, okay?”

Lu Yu took it with both hands. “Thanks, Jian Ge.”

“Pay attention in class. Don’t let your mind wander. See you at noon,” Song Jianli reminded him.

Lu Yu nodded obediently, his bright eyes curving into a smile. “Okay, Jian Ge, see you.”

He waved goodbye, his sleeve slipping down to reveal a conspicuous red string bracelet on his wrist.

Only after Lu Yu’s figure vanished down the hallway did Song Jianli turn back into the classroom.

“Yo, giving milk to your little childhood sweetheart, huh?” his best friend Xu Chen nudged him playfully.

Song Jianli glanced at him without expression and walked straight to his seat. Just then, the class monitor called out, “Song Jianli.”

Song Jianli’s gloomy expression softened into a warm, approachable smile as he turned. “Yes? What is it?”

His smile was like a gentle spring breeze, very inviting.

“The teacher just asked for you. It’s about the upcoming physics competition,” the monitor said, blushing slightly at Song Jianli’s warmth.

Song Jianli nodded politely. “Okay, thank you for letting me know.”

For Song Jianli, who wore different masks in public and private, his best friend Xu Chen was used to it.

Except for his little childhood sweetheart, Xu Chen had never seen Song Jianli’s kindness be anything but genuine.

—

That day, Lu Yu wasn’t feeling well. He realized his illness might have already begun, and the first person he forgot was his... older brother?

Why would he forget his brother? Was forgetting people this random? He spent two breaks piecing together a simple relationship chart.

Based on how others in the family treated him, he guessed that this older brother might not be very kind to him.

So what was his brother’s name?

Lu Yu opened the watch phone on his wrist and typed his father Lu Chengming’s name into the browser. A family tree appeared, starting from his father and mother, Zhuang Ningyue, followed by the Lu family’s relationships.

There was the eldest son, Lu Jinlü; eldest daughter, Lu Yuning; and youngest son, Lu Linxing.

But... the second son?

Lu Yu hesitated, thinking it might be a webpage glitch, so he exited and tried another site—same result.

He wasn’t ready to give up. Before this, he’d never thought to search online for such information. Now that he saw it for himself, he felt unacknowledged by the outside world. His father had the power to correct inaccuracies in the family tree.

Was it because he didn’t want to admit he had a son?

After flipping through five websites and even digging into his mother’s side of the family, he found no mention of himself.

In the end, he had to admit that perhaps both his father and mother truly thought he was a disappointment.

His nose tingled, and tears nearly fell.

“Pull yourself together, Lu Yu. You’re at school—you can’t cry.”

He tried to comfort himself, but the more he thought, the more hurt he felt. Why was it like this?

Was he not smart enough? Not likable enough? Could he just be hidden away by his father as if it were natural?

The break was noisy, and boys in the back were roughhousing. The desk in the aisle inevitably bore the brunt.

Lu Yu lowered his head to check his watch when suddenly a boy bumped into him hard, toppling his desk and causing a loud crash.

Lu Yu stared blankly at the spilled milk on the floor.

The culprit grinned and said, “Hey, playing with a little genius’s watch phone, huh?”