You Yuji immediately ordered that Si Que’s injury be kept quiet and did not send anyone to call for a doctor. Fortunately, Tingyun could handle the injury.
After giving these orders, You Yuji quickly walked through the corridor back to her room. She lifted her skirt, the light purple hem blossoming around her feet as she moved. Since her residence was closer, Si Que was temporarily settled in her room.
You Yuji hurried to the eaves and suddenly stopped. After a moment, she slowly turned and stood under the eaves, looking at the gloomy sky. The past few days had been clear, but it started to cloud over at noon, threatening snow.
She stood under the eaves for a long time, until tiny snowflakes began to drift down. She quietly watched the snow, from the tiny flakes to the gradually forming six-sided snow crystals.
As the cold slowly seeped in, she squeezed her cuffs and realized she had been standing there for quite a while. You Yuji sighed softly before turning to enter the room.
The inner door was open. Through the open door, You Yuji saw Tingyun tidying up the bandaging materials. She continued to walk inside, stepping over the threshold.
Si Que, sitting on the bed, looked up at You Yuji, quietly observing her expression.
After Tidying up, Tingyun bowed to You Yuji and quietly left, closing the door behind her.
You Yuji listened to the door closing behind her. She remained standing at the doorway, not looking at Si Que on the bed, seeming lost in thought.
After a long while, Si Que was the first to speak, calling her sister.
You Yuji slowly raised her eyes to look at him, her usual gentleness gone, her tone extremely serious. She asked, “Si Que, have I done something to wrong you?”
Si Que did not answer. He looked at You Yuji and slowly stopped smiling.
He knew that You Yuji seemed genuinely angry.
“Si Que, you are not quite as I imagined. You probably don’t know this, but back in Si Kingdom, I read every one of your essays. I always believed that one could know a person through their writing, and during the years we did not know each other, I held a deep admiration for you,” You Yuji said seriously, looking at Si Que. “But the real you is shameless and selfish.”
Si Que listened expressionlessly to You Yuji’s assessment of him. He had to admit, she was right. He was indeed shameless and selfish. And even more than that, he was far worse and more despicable than she thought.
“I tried to end our relationship amicably, but you refused. When I resolutely rejected you, you threatened to jump from a building in front of me. I once thought you had some affection for me, but now I don’t think so. Who would love someone like that?” You Yuji asked softly. “You’re forcing me. You want me to carry the guilt for you all my life, to live in pain forever.”
You Yuji turned her face away, the light from the window casting shadows on her downcast profile. She didn’t understand how things had come to this. She couldn’t comprehend why the affairs of the world never went as one wished. In the end, it gradually turned into self-blame.
It was all her fault. She had chosen the wrong person; she shouldn’t have chosen Chen Anzhi. She had been rash and reckless, getting involved with Si Que before thoroughly understanding his condition.
It was all her fault.
You Yuji gently closed her eyes, pushing back the moisture that had gathered. When she opened her eyes again, they were soft and serene.
An excessive quietness enveloped the room.
“To me, living a few months more or less doesn’t make much difference,” Si Que said with a light laugh. “I know you’re doing this for my own good. But to have you by my side in my final years, and to leave behind a child, that sounds pretty happy.”
When You Yuji looked over, Si Que had already lowered his head, his long eyelashes covering his unclear eyes. You Yuji couldn’t help but furrow her brows with pity.
“The second floor isn’t that high; I wouldn’t die from the fall.”
You Yuji’s frown deepened, clearly displeased by his words.
Si Que wasn’t lying. The study was not as high as regular buildings. If he hadn’t done some maneuvering, his leg wouldn’t have broken.
“I remember back in Si Kingdom, Second Brother fell off a horse and broke a leg. Second Sister-in-law took great care of him. Not only did Second Brother not suffer from his injury, but he also gained some weight.” Si Que paused. “I envied him. Unlike me, no one ever cared about me, no matter how sick I was.”
He let out a low laugh, his voice growing even more somber. “It was foolish of me to hope for your compassion, to wish you would be kinder to me.”
“I’m leaving.” Si Que lifted the blanket off his legs, first placing his good right leg on the floor, then using both hands to move his injured leg bit by bit.
You Yuji watched his movements, biting her lip until a pale crescent mark appeared. She angrily walked quickly to the bed, pressing down on Si Que’s shoulders with both hands. “Your leg is broken, where do you think you’re going? Stop being so foolish!”
Si Que slowly lifted his long lashes, revealing a pair of reddened eyes.
“I made you angry,” he said, looking at You Yuji with clear, tear-filled eyes, looking pitiful.
You Yuji turned her eyes away, refusing to look at him, but her wrist was caught by him.
“Hit me, sister, to vent your anger.”
You Yuji shook off his hand. He was so weak that she easily freed herself. Suddenly, she remembered the tone in which he had said that living a few months more or less didn’t matter.
Her heart ached, and she slowly softened, sitting down by the bed, saying in a low voice, “Don’t act like a troublesome child anymore.”
“Okay, I’ll listen to you. I’ll do whatever you say.”
You Yuji looked down at Si Que’s injured leg and asked with concern, “Does it hurt?”
“Yes, it hurts.”
You Yuji angrily looked up and glared at Si Que, but met his smiling face. Si Que pulled out a candy wrapped in bright purple paper from his pouch and said, “This candy is very sweet. I only have one left, and I didn’t want to eat it. But Tingyun said I’m not allowed to eat sweets recently, so I’ll give it to you.”
He unwrapped the bright purple candy paper and held the creamy-colored candy to You Yuji’s lips.
You Yuji wasn’t in the mood for candy, but seeing the expectant look in Si Que’s eyes, she opened her mouth and ate the candy he offered.
The soft candy melted immediately in her mouth, spreading sweetness between her lips and teeth. It turned out that only the outer layer of the candy melted, while the inside was hard. After a while, You Yuji slowly bit into the hard candy, breaking it apart. The hard candy had a different flavor, with a light, non-sweet scent of gardenia.
Si Que obediently watched You Yuji the whole time.
When You Yuji finished the candy, she blinked slowly and felt a bit drowsy. After a moment, her body slumped to one side.
Si Que reached out to support her, helping her sit up straight again. She stared blankly at Si Que.
Si Que reached out and gently brushed You Yuji’s cheek with the back of his fingers.
“You Yuji?”
You Yuji stiffly nodded.
“Si Que hurt his leg, are you heartbroken?”
You Yuji nodded.
Si Que smiled with satisfaction.
She felt heartbroken—his effort to deliberately hurt his leg wasn’t in vain.
“Injuries to the muscles and bones take a hundred days to heal. If he has trouble moving, will you take good care of him?”
You Yuji nodded again.
Si Que smiled contentedly and asked, “Do you like Si Que?”
You Yuji stared blankly at Si Que, not speaking, not nodding, not shaking her head.
“When will you come and kiss me on your own?”
You Yuji continued to look at him blankly, not responding. Clearly, she couldn’t answer such a question. Hypnotized, she couldn’t lie or say things she didn’t know.
Si Que’s eyes darkened instantly. “Alright, one last question. Who is Fu Xuesong, how long have you known him, do you like him, does he like you?”
This last question was obviously more complicated.
You Yuji stared blankly into Si Que’s eyes for a long time before dully replying, “The school manager, two years, I don’t like him, I don’t know.”
School manager? What kind of position is that?
Before Si Que could ask more, You Yuji had already closed her eyes and slumped down. Si Que reached out to support her, letting her lie down on the bed and sleep.
Si Que coldly glanced at You Yuji, who had fallen asleep leaning against the bed, and said, “Do you regret getting involved with me? I’ve studied many strange medicines, but I’ve never been able to make a regret remedy.”
He pinched the tip of You Yuji’s ear and leaned in, whispering, “Regret is useless. I’m like a plaster that sticks, shameless and despicable. Got it, vixen?”
Si Que let out a low laugh.
He suddenly recalled when he asked You Yuji if she liked him, and she neither confirmed nor denied it. When he asked if she liked Fu Xuesong, she had answered without hesitation that she did not.
Didn’t this just prove that his relationship with her was closer than that of the infamous Fu Xuesong?
Si Que was satisfied and patted You Yuji’s head as if rewarding her.
“Damn, I forgot to ask if you liked Chen Qi.” Si Que’s face darkened instantly. With You Yuji asleep and no one around to see, he didn’t hide his malevolence.
After a while, Si Que adjusted his position, putting both legs back on the bed and leaning against the headboard. He picked up Baisui, who was sleeping in the corner, and stroked its fur.
He glanced at it coldly, reprimanding, “Grow up faster. You’re too small to hold comfortably.”
Baisui yawned lazily.
You Yuji woke up gradually after lying by the bed for less than half an hour. She rubbed the corner of her eye, sitting up in a daze. Her eyelashes fluttered lightly before she finally opened her groggy eyes. In her view was Si Que, looking at her with apologetic eyes.
“I’m sorry for worrying you so much that you fell asleep.”
You Yuji sat up straight again. She still didn’t understand why she had fallen asleep so suddenly. Hearing Si Que’s words, she instinctively shook her head slowly.
You Yuji thought she must not have slept well last night and had dozed off because of her worries. She immediately felt a bit guilty—Si Que had injured his leg, and instead of caring for him more, she had fallen asleep beside him…
“Is there anything you’d like to eat for dinner? I can give the instructions now.”
Si Que thought for a moment and said, “Milk.”
You Yuji bit her lip and slapped his hand on his leg reproachfully. The slight sting spread from his hand, giving Si Que a strange feeling he had never experienced before. He turned his gaze and couldn’t help but look at his own hand, his fair fingers moving slightly.
“Did it hurt?” You Yuji asked.
Si Que immediately shook his head, looking up at You Yuji with a smile. “Sister, deer milk is really delicious. Even Tingyun said I should consume more dairy to strengthen my body.”
Seeing Si Que’s clear, innocent eyes, a trace of doubt crossed You Yuji’s mind. Maybe she was just overthinking.
“Alright, I understand. Is there anything else?”
Si Que shook his head, quickly grabbing You Yuji’s wrist, staring into her eyes. “Sister will stay with me, right? You won’t drive me away, will you?”
Having heard his coquettish and shameless words many times, You Yuji steeled herself and swallowed the comforting words she was about to say. She glared at him, warning, “If you behave, I won’t drive you away!”
“Okay.” Si Que slowly curled his lips into an innocent, bright smile.
You Yuji got up to leave and give instructions for dinner. But after taking a few steps, she stopped, turned back to Si Que, and said sternly, “If you continue to act up and not take care of yourself, when you die, I’ll set up your memorial tablet in my bedroom and let you watch me being intimate with other men day and night. Let you hear your children calling other men father.”
With that, You Yuji didn’t look at Si Que’s expression and quickly turned to leave.
Si Que’s innocent smile slowly turned into a dark, cold smirk. Watching You Yuji’s departing figure, he mouthed silently—
“You dare! Vixen.”
