9. Forgiveness

Even though Lu Yu was not particularly conspicuous in class, his classmates could not simply stand by and watch when a living person suddenly collapsed.

Zhou Mingze: ...

"Lu Yu? Lu Yu, are you alright?" Su Xiaohui, who was standing closest to him, reacted quickly and hurried to help him sit up.

Zhou Mingze was still stunned. However, upon seeing that Su Xiaohui could not wake Lu Yu up no matter how hard she tried, he snapped out of it.

The class monitor squeezed through the crowd and said, "Two boys, help carry Lu Yu to the infirmary. I am going to report this to Teacher Wei now."

"Don't you dare," Zhou Mingze’s voice erupted, carrying an undeniable sense of authority. His voice was loud, resonant, and filled with a suppressive weight that pinned the monitor to the spot.

Under the scrutiny of the surrounding crowd, Zhou Mingze irritably ran a hand through his hair, then pointed at two of his friends and said, "You two, help him to the infirmary. I’ll handle things with Wei Qin."

Two tall boys stepped forward, one on each side, and hoisted Lu Yu up. Zhao Jinlin was clearly taken aback, likely not expecting someone nearly of age to be so thin.

"What’s wrong?" Zhou Mingze asked, noticing Zhao Jinlin’s hesitation.

Zhao Jinlin shook his head. "Nothing, it’s just that Lu Yu is quite light."

They did not delay further. Zhao Jinlin and Li Shu supported the unconscious Lu Yu, while a class committee member led the way. The last period was essentially a self-study session, but since it was just before the start of class, the hallways were crowded, making their progress difficult. They created quite a commotion, and by the time they reached the second floor, the noise could be heard from below.

"They say someone on the fifth floor fainted."

"Fainted? What happened?"

"Not sure, oh, here they come."

...

In the hallway, rustling sounds echoed. The classroom where Song Jianli was sitting was close to the stairwell, so he naturally heard the noise outside. He had been working on a problem, but he froze when he heard the words "fifth floor." His hand, holding the pen, trembled, leaving a scratch on the blank space of the paper that looked particularly stark against the clean white surface.

He looked out the window. For some reason, his heart felt panicked, and his already profound eyes darkened further.

Xu Chen had already leaned out the window to watch the excitement. He squinted at the crowd, and when he locked eyes with the face of the unconscious student, he could not believe it; he thought he had seen wrong. It was only when an anxious female voice came from the crowd—"Let’s get Lu Yu to the school infirmary first"—that he realized he hadn't been mistaken.

Xu Chen reached out to nudge the person beside him. "Song Jianli, Song Jianli, it looks like your little childhood friend..."

His hand grasped at air. When he turned his head, his seatmate was already gone. Looking out the window, he saw Song Jianli in the middle of the crowd.

Pushing through the onlookers, Song Jianli had eyes only for Lu Yu. Lu Yu was being supported by two large boys, his eyelids tightly shut, his small face as pale as paper. Others might not have known the relationship between Song Jianli and Lu Yu, but those in Lu Yu’s class certainly did. At the start of the semester, when classes were reshuffled, Song Jianli had personally brought Lu Yu to the classroom. They might not know Lu Yu, but no one could possibly not know Song Jianli.

He arrived before Lu Yu with a cold expression. Zhou Mingze was following closely behind. Song Jianli raised his eyes to look at him, his pupils deep and bottomless.

"Lu Yu," Song Jianli called out. But Lu Yu was unconscious; how could he hear?

Song Jianli extended his arms and took Lu Yu from Zhao Jinlin and Li Shu. As he pulled the thin, slight figure into his arms, he felt how icy Lu Yu’s hands were. There was no time to demand an explanation for what had happened; Song Jianli picked Lu Yu up horizontally and strode away.

"Yes, yes, don’t block the way, get student Lu Yu to the infirmary first."

Song Jianli’s appearance was like an interlude, and Zhou Mingze slowed his pace, feeling a sense of guilt. He wasn't afraid, but he felt inexplicably remorseful, yet also aggrieved, because he truly hadn't done anything.

It was much faster for one person to carry him.

Nearly ten people squeezed into the infirmary. For some reason, even classmates who didn't usually get along with Lu Yu were filled with concern. They surrounded the school doctor, asking about Lu Yu’s condition and telling Song Jianli how worried they were.

Song Jianli said nothing from beginning to end. He sat on a chair by the bed, his hands crossed over his knees. To those outside, he appeared to have his head bowed, but only Zhou Mingze, who was close by, could see clearly: Song Jianli was staring fixedly at the unconscious person on the bed, his blinks slow and deliberate.

"Alright, alright, students, I have already notified your head teacher. Leave the rest to me; you all should go back to class. Just leave two students to help look after him," the school doctor said with a smile.

Zhou Mingze volunteered to stay, and Song Jianli certainly wouldn't leave.

"Alright then, student Song, thank you for taking care of Lu Yu."

"We’re heading back now, Song Jianli."

...

Although they claimed to be staying out of concern for Lu Yu, the people leaving couldn't stop mentioning Song Jianli. Zhou Mingze found it ridiculous.

The silent Song Jianli stood up slowly. As he turned, a warm, gentle smile immediately appeared on his face. "Thank you all for your concern for Lu Yu. Goodbye."

Once everyone had left the infirmary, the school doctor came over to inject a dose of medication into Lu Yu’s IV drip. "Alright, he’s basically out of danger. This student likely suffered a bit of a shock. I noticed a bump on the back of his head, but it’s nothing serious. Let me know when he wakes up. I’m going to check on other patients," the school doctor said, tucking a black ballpoint pen into her white coat pocket.

Song Jianli nodded. "Thank you."

"Mm." The school doctor pulled the curtain and left.

Now, only Song Jianli and Zhou Mingze remained by the hospital bed. Zhou Mingze stood at the foot of the bed, watching the fragile figure lying there like thin paper. His head was deeply sunken into the overly soft pillow, his thin lips half-parted, showing an unnaturally pale, sickly hue.

Seeing Song Jianli’s smile vanish instantly, Zhou Mingze gave a sardonic smirk. Their eyes met, and the air crackled with tension; an argument was about to erupt.

"So, I can assume that Lu Yu’s fainting has something to do with you, right?" Song Jianli was a clever man; from the moment he saw Zhou Mingze, he had guessed it.

Zhou Mingze was genuinely annoyed. "Yes, but I didn't hit him! It was him—"

"Do you still want to hit him?" Song Jianli looked up at him, their standoff making it seem as if they might start fighting at any moment.

"Bullshit! Go ask anyone—I didn't say a word at the time. I was just about to apologize! He was the one who got scared and fainted for no reason. Don’t you dare pin this on me!" Zhou Mingze’s temper flared, and he nearly cursed.

Song Jianli seized the key point: "Why would he be afraid of you?"

"How would I know? I haven't even spoken to him in class!" Zhou Mingze raised his voice, though it was clear he was feeling guilty, using the volume to bolster his confidence.

He hadn't bullied Lu Yu directly, but that didn't mean he hadn't led others in ostracizing him. He remembered that after the monthly exams, when seats were rearranged, Lu Yu had performed poorly and was forced to sit in the seat in front of him, while the surrounding area was occupied by his regular group of friends. To teach Lu Yu a lesson and set an example for others, he had done some unkind things—including, but not limited to, kicking his stool and intentionally pushing his desk forward so that Lu Yu had to sit bolt upright all day.

But he was just joking, wasn't he? Besides, if not for him, how would Lu Yu have been driven to study hard enough to rank in the top ten in the next monthly exam?

Fine, Zhou Mingze knew this excuse didn't hold water. He simply thought Lu Yu was easy to bully, soft-tempered, and effeminate.

Zhou Mingze’s evasive expression was too obvious. Song Jianli took a deep breath, stepped forward, and grabbed Zhou Mingze by the collar.

"What exactly have you done to Lu Yu?" It could be said that Zhou Mingze had never seen this look in Song Jianli’s eyes before. They were as cold as Arctic snow, the chill radiating outward. He gritted his teeth as he spat out the interrogation, his tone filled with strained restraint.

This refined, humble, and polite heir to the Song family was not the gentle soul rumored; everything was a facade. At this moment, Zhou Mingze saw the real Song Jianli, and a chill crawled up his back.

"Let go." Zhou Mingze wasn't a pushover either. He wasn't taller than Song Jianli, but he was sturdy. If they were to truly fight, it would be hard to say who would win.

"Jian-ge..." Just as the spark of conflict was about to ignite, a hoarse, weak voice came from the bed.

Both men were brought back to their senses by the sound. Song Jianli, with a warning tone, whispered, "You had better pray that Lu Yu chooses to forgive you."

The moment he finished speaking, he wiped away the frost from his face, replaced it with a gentle smile, and turned to the person on the bed. "Sangsang, you’re awake? How do you feel? Is anything uncomfortable?"

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Zhou Mingze wouldn't have believed that he could witness such a seamless transition of expressions. Song Jianli’s gentleness now was different from how he had treated the others; it was as if this smile were the only sincere one, coming from the heart.

When Lu Yu opened his eyes, he saw two tall men, both over six feet, standing at the foot of his bed in a standoff. The atmosphere between them was bizarrely charged with tension. He calmed his mind and recognized Song Jianli and a stranger. Feeling as though they were about to fight, Lu Yu had to struggle to call out to Song Jianli.

Fortunately, Song Jianli released the other man’s collar as soon as he heard his voice, then proceeded to shower him with concerned questions.

"I... hiss—" Lu Yu tried to sit up, but when he braced his elbows on the bed to push himself up, he found that the pain in the back of his head made his whole body feel weak.

Song Jianli quickly helped him up and placed a pillow behind his back.

"Does it still hurt? We’ll go to the hospital for an X-ray later to make sure there are no lasting injuries." Song Jianli’s eyes were filled with heartache and self-reproach, and they even seemed to glisten with moisture.

Lu Yu noticed this and smiled crookedly at Song Jianli. "Jian-ge, I’m fine. It’s just a little pain, don’t blame yourself."

Lu Yu’s voice was pleasant, like a clear spring hitting stones—gentle and crisp. When he smiled, a sharp canine tooth was revealed, and his eyes curved into crescents.

Zhou Mingze had never seen Lu Yu like this. In his memory, Lu Yu was unattractive, always hunched over, and spoke slowly. But now, he looked quite refined.

"Lu Yu," Zhou Mingze called out.

Lu Yu turned his gaze toward Zhou Mingze. Whether it was Zhou Mingze’s imagination or not, he seemed to see a sense of confusion and unfamiliarity in Lu Yu’s eyes—as if he didn't recognize him at all.

"I have something to say to you." Since Song Jianli wanted him to apologize, there was no better time than now, in front of him.

Lu Yu’s fingers, resting on the quilt, tightened, and he unconsciously gripped the fabric.

It was the illness... it was the illness again...

He could tell that this person knew him, but he had no memory of this man. Just like his brother, he had forgotten this person too. Lu Yu appeared fine on the surface, but only he knew how afraid he was of his facade slipping. He prayed that the other person wouldn't say something he couldn't respond to.

Zhou Mingze cleared his throat and said earnestly, "I, Zhou Mingze, apologize to you for what happened this morning. I’m sorry, Lu Yu."

Lu Yu paused. He realized that his fainting might have had something to do with this person. Zhou Mingze’s palms were sweating; he hoped for forgiveness, but given what had happened before... it seemed hard to forgive, didn't it?

"Oh, okay. I forgive you." Lu Yu didn't know what had happened that morning; he only remembered inexplicably being in an office. But he was worried that Song Jianli would notice something wrong, so he chose to forgive him verbally. A lot had happened that morning, but apart from himself, he couldn't remember the other protagonist at all.

He didn't have the right to forgive him on behalf of the version of himself that remembered Zhou Mingze, so the forgiveness was insincere—if Zhou Mingze could tell.