Chapter 42

Turning on his phone, Yu Xingyue saw that the caller was Lin Zimo. Thinking back, he indeed had not replied to Lin Zimo's messages for the past few days. Maintaining her usual calm demeanor, Yu Xingyue figured out what to say to her.

After answering the call, Yu Xingyue immediately spoke. "Darling, is there something wrong? I'm very busy right now, so I didn't have time to call you back," he explained.

"Let's set that aside for a moment, Yu Xingyue. I just want to ask you one thing," Lin Zimo's voice sounded very serious.

"Go ahead, what is it?" Yu Xingyue listened intently.

"I don't know if I'm just overthinking things or if you're messing around behind my back? I keep wondering if you've found someone else out there," Lin Zimo interrogated him.

Yu Xingyue let out a soft chuckle. "Oh my goodness, I thought it was something major. Would anyone even look at me on their own accord? Besides, if they did look at me, it just means their taste is terrible. No one would ever actively pursue me."

Lin Zimo pestered him coquettishly, "Why do I get the distinct feeling that you're giggling behind the screen? You really do have someone else out there, don't you! Yu Xingyue, you just wait, I'm coming over right now to deal with you!"

"What do you mean you're coming over?" Yu Xingyue asked.

Lin Zimo replied indifferently, "I really can't rest easy with you being over there, so I told my mom that I need to make a trip back to Japan. But honestly, it's mostly my own selfish desire to see you. First, to check if anything happened between you and Wang Tianqi, and second, to see how you're doing in Japan."

"You're actually coming over in person? That must be so much trouble. But should I go pick you up at the airport? Classes resume as normal tomorrow, and since I don't know when you're arriving, you can just come find me yourself," Yu Xingyue said.

"Oh my, it's only been a month and your tone has gotten so arrogant? Don't cry once I get there." With that, Lin Zimo hung up the phone.

Yu Xingyue could only offer a bitter smile. That had been his final burst of defiance. Standing up to Lin Zimo just once was worth it. His brief moment of backtalk was over, and since Lin Zimo hadn't specified when she was arriving, her actual arrival would mark the moment he faced judgment.

"Ah, what a life I have," Yu Xingyue muttered helplessly. Since doom was inevitable sooner or later, a single day wouldn't make much difference. He picked up his toiletries and pajamas and headed off to take a shower.

The water from the showerhead beat against his face, and his muffled sobs could be heard. With Liu Hai Lizi absent from the second floor, Yu Xingyue allowed himself to vent the inner sorrow he had been carrying. Bottling up every single emotion inside was a surefire way to fall sick at heart.

This wasn't caused by excessive life stress; nighttime simply laid bare the most fragile parts of the human psyche, and reminiscing about the past invariably brought tears.

The sole reason Yu Xingyue was crying was because of one person—Zhang Yan.

Zhang Yan had passed away a very, very long time ago. Though Yu Xingyue appeared unaffected on the surface, he missed him constantly in his heart. Zhang Yan had been the most endearing junior brother.

Yu Xingyue punched the wall with his fist. Why had someone who understood him so thoroughly been taken away, leaving him completely alone? There was no one left in his life who truly understood him, especially not here in Japan.

The reason for his tears also stemmed from the fact that, right after hanging up with Lin Zimo, Yu Xingyue had opened his photo album and seen a picture of himself and Zhang Yan together. Seeing that image brought back the memory of Zhang Yan, whose sickly appearance remained forever etched in Yu Xingyue's mind.

The water running down his face masked his tears. After finishing his shower, he wiped his eyes, changed into fresh clothes, and returned to his bedroom. His eyes were shot with red veins. Deciding not to dwell on Zhang Yan any longer—since constantly living in the past would prevent any meaningful progress—he resolved to face reality.

"I really am so childish, crying over something like this," Yu Xingyue scratched his head, then broke into a faint smile. Standing by the window bathed in moonlight, he looked exceptionally tranquil.

It almost felt as though he were absorbing the essence of the moon. After a long while, the bloodshot redness in his eyes slowly faded, and his mood improved considerably. Peering down at the street below, he saw the usual bustling crowd.

Though living independently meant repeating the exact same routine day after day—enough to drive a normal person completely mad—Yu Xingyue had grown accustomed to it. He had initially struggled to adapt, but over time, he had come to resemble a genuine, local Japanese person.

Yu Xingyue sat back down on the bed. It was still far too early to sleep, yet he had no desire to read, browse his phone, or use the computer. However, since he had classes tomorrow, he needed to get to bed early. With a resigned sigh, he took out a sleeping pill; given his constitution, a single pill was more than enough to knock him out cold.

Swallowing the pill, Yu Xingyue lay down on the bed and waited for it to take effect. In less than two minutes, drowsiness washed over him and he fell fast asleep.

As he slumbered, his phone screen lit up, showing six missed calls: two from Lin Zimo and four from unknown numbers. Prior to falling asleep, Yu Xingyue always had the habit of setting his phone to silent and turning off vibration, so it remained completely unresponsive.

Meanwhile...

Xiao Jian lay on a hospital bed, gazing at the stars outside. This was his second time hospitalized; his muscular weakness rendered him incapable of performing even the simplest tasks, including going to the restroom. The person caring for him was seated right beside his bed.

Xiao Jian spoke up, "It's getting late, Lin Xiaoxin. You should head back and get some sleep. Staying up like this is bad for your skin."

The person taking care of him was Lin Xiaoxin. She had promised Lin Zimo that she would keep Xiao Jian's current condition a secret and take care of him herself. Yet even now, he was still worrying about someone else's skin.

"I couldn't care less about that when you can't do anything for yourself. The doctor said you still have hope of making a full recovery, so don't give up," Lin Xiaoxin said, clasping Xiao Jian's limp hand, though he could no longer feel the warmth of her palm.

"After this hope, the reality I face might just be endless despair. I can't guarantee I'll survive; I've heard the survival rate for myasthenia is terribly low," Xiao Jian muttered. He was referring to severe myasthenia gravis, though he didn't even know if his condition had progressed to that point. When he was previously discharged, it shouldn't have reached such a critical stage—Lin Xiaoxin must have withheld the truth from him for fear he wouldn't be able to handle it.

A flash of anger crossed Lin Xiaoxin's face. "Don't be so unconfident! If they say you can recover, then you will recover. Cooperate actively with the treatment, and I'm sure you'll be discharged before long."

Xiao Jian nodded, his eyes turning red. "Thank you for caring. To think I tried to do so much, yet here I am, stuck lying in bed. I'm so useless." He wanted to strike himself in frustration, but lacked the strength to even raise his arm.

"Getting well is the greatest reward you can give me," Lin Xiaoxin encouraged him. "Once you're better, I'll take you to try every single delicacy around here, including my hometown in Japan. Until then, you have to take good care of yourself."

Xiao Jian smiled faintly. "With a promise like that from you, maybe I really will get better. Honestly, meeting you at an age when romance is ill-advised—what am I supposed to do with you? How could I ever have the heart to refuse you?"

Lin Xiaoxin chuckled playfully, half-scolding him. "Speaking of which, it really is a terrible stroke of luck to run into you at an age when we shouldn't be dating. I heard from my older sister that after she and that Yu Xingyue made things official, they were all sweetness. I don't know how long that can last, but I suppose this is what liking someone feels like."

"So do you find Lin Zimo's attitude annoying?" Xiao Jian asked.

Lin Xiaoxin shook her head. "I wouldn't call it annoying. More like I'm a little envious of how happy my sister looks. I don't know what being in love feels like, but it seems like love sometimes makes people act foolishly, and when a crucial moment arrives, things inevitably crash and burn."

Xiao Jian laughed. "That sounds precisely like Brother Yu. In front of Lin Zimo, he has no choice but to be utterly obedient. Who knows, maybe one day he'll rise up and rebel against Lin Zimo's tyranny."

Lin Xiaoxin shook her head. "That's my sister for you, though. She's someone who hates to lose and would never give Yu Xingyue a chance to rebel. Relationships need to be tempered through trials. If two people face extraordinary circumstances together, they're bound to end up as husband and wife."

"Where on earth did you come up with that conclusion? It sounds rather bizarre," Xiao Jian asked.

"That's how it always goes in TV dramas," Lin Xiaoxin replied innocently. "Those kinds of things always happen to special couples, like a poor guy falling for a wealthy man's daughter."

"Dramas are just dramas; that sort of thing never happens in real life. If it did, every ugly man would have a gorgeous, devoted girlfriend."

Lin Xiaoxin retorted playfully, "Fine, I can't argue with you. Let's call it a night, it's getting late."

"Be careful on your way home. With looks like yours, who knows how many creeps might be eyeing you," Xiao Jian said with lingering concern.

"Don't worry, I brought my anti-wolf spray, and I know a bit of self-defense too. It'll come in handy," Lin Xiaoxin said confidently.

"Alright then, goodbye. And good night."

Lin Xiaoxin smiled. "You too, Xiao Jian. Sleep well." With that, she left the ward, and the lights inside were turned off.

Xiao Jian gazed out the window with complex emotions swirling in his heart. Even if Lin Xiaoxin hadn't said it aloud, he knew all too well the true severity of his muscular weakness.