Chapter Two

"Hey, aren't you worried this might make people resent you?" Lin Zimo asked anxiously. Her greatest fear was that the boy would bear a grudge and come after him; if it turned into a group beating, that would be terrifying.

"Do you think I would be afraid? Even though 'fear' exists in my dictionary, I don't regret it. Otherwise, that classmate would just push his luck even further."

There was reason behind it—Hugo had noticed early on that the boy was lecherous. Hugo suspected the boy had tried to cut a girl's skirt and, when caught, things escalated to this point.

"How disgusting. Men really are all the same, none of them any good."

"That's a bit ambiguous, don't you think?" Hugo tapped Lin Zimo lightly on the forehead and immediately ran off.

"Hey, hey, stop right there! You dare hit my head and act righteous?"

The unpleasantness was quickly forgotten thanks to Hugo. He believed what he did was right; his life was already full of trouble, so a few more problems didn't matter.

Not long after the incident, Hugo bumped into the girl in the dining hall while eating alone.

"So it was you. Did he give you any trouble after that day?"

"No, but thank you all the same. If it weren't for you, I might have..."

"Don't say it. So long as you're happy now."

The two got along well. After that day, Hugo forgot about the incident, but the girl remembered it always. She wanted to thank him, but never found the chance, since Hugo had to work at the Heartbreak Café every day.

Lin Zimo watched over him at work, worried some stranger might trick him away. Hugo found it baffling—were all Japanese people this eccentric?

"By the way, my name is Wu Siying. Isn't it inconvenient not knowing my name?"

"Siying, that's a lovely name. Your parents must have put a lot of thought into it."

They left it at that. Their conversation flowed so naturally that even Hugo was surprised to find himself chatting with a girl other than Lin Zimo for so long.

That evening, at the Heartbreak Café, Lin Zimo was distracted. The coffee she was brewing was about to go awry.

"If you don't turn it off soon, the coffee will be ruined."

"Ah, sorry!"

Hugo's reminder snapped Lin Zimo back to attention. Thankfully she reacted quickly; otherwise, the consequences would have affected not just them, but every customer present.

It was the first time Hugo had seen Lin Zimo so unfocused. He remembered her being diligent. He walked over and asked,

"What's wrong? You're so distracted. Careful, or the boss will dock your pay."

"Do you think I want this? I just joined the national team, and already I've been ostracized. It feels awful."

"It's just their way," Hugo replied. He'd been through it himself: after joining, they seemed to shun him, but in secret, they were preparing a surprise welcome.

"You don't realize how lucky you are. You'll see soon enough."

"Why do I feel like you know something? Are you hiding something?" Lin Zimo pressed.

"Ah, a customer wants coffee, I have to go."

Dodging Lin Zimo's questioning, Hugo left. Watching his back, Lin Zimo pouted with frustration. She couldn't understand why he was so cheerful after being ostracized—he seemed to know something she didn't.

"This Hugo is getting worse," Lin Zimo muttered softly.

After work, Hugo returned home.

"Mom, I'm back."

"You're home early. Have some water first."

"No need."

Hugo's household consisted of just him and his mother. Over the past month, she'd worked tirelessly, rising early each day for her job as a hotel manager. It was a modest position—Hugo didn't know much, and his mother didn't want him to ask.

"Mom, when I get paid this month, I'll use it to pay off the debt," Hugo said as he stepped out of his room to speak to Yang Shuting.

Yang Shuting replied, "No need."

"Why? Aren't we supposed to pay it back?"

"Because all the debt has been cleared. We won't have to endure hardship anymore."

They embraced, overcome with emotion. These months had aged Yang Shuting greatly—she'd tried all sorts of dangerous jobs to settle their debts, but now, everything was worth it.

Hugo felt the weight lift from his shoulders. No more debt meant he could finally relax; he would no longer endure threats from creditors. For them, tonight was a sleepless night of relief.

Two days later, Hugo heard from Lin Zimo that those people suddenly started treating her well, and she was unaccustomed to it. Hugo knew the surprise ceremony had begun—what would happen next, he couldn't say.

Such days didn't last long. One day, Hugo stood on the second-floor balcony, gazing at the scenery.

"School scenery is still the best," Hugo sighed.

He didn't realize someone was approaching silently from behind. Without warning, the person shoved him hard.

"Ah!" Hugo cried out, falling from the second floor. His height made it easy for the assailant to push him over without being noticed.

The culprit fled. Hugo landed with a somersault, feet first, but the pain overwhelmed him and he lost consciousness before he could see who it was.

When Hugo awoke, he was in the hospital.

"Am I... in the hospital?" Hugo wondered.

"You’re awake," Lin Zimo said gently.

The first thing Hugo saw was Lin Zimo. It warmed his heart. When he was injured before, his mother always cared for him; for a friend, Lin Zimo was the first.

"What’s wrong? Why aren’t you speaking? Don’t scare me."

Hugo asked, "How did I... end up in the hospital? Ah! My feet."

He saw both legs encased in plaster. He was astonished; he thought a fall from such a height would only cause minor injuries.

Lin Zimo sighed. "A classmate found you and called emergency services. The doctors checked your ankles—the bones inside were fractured."

"Fractured?" Hugo stared at Lin Zimo in shock.

"The doctor said you won’t be able to get out of bed for a month. Take good care of yourself."

"Uh... alright."

Hugo didn’t refuse. Now, bedridden and unable to move, he had no choice but to accept Lin Zimo’s care. Yang Shuting couldn’t visit due to work, so Lin Zimo took care of Hugo for the whole month.

Teachers from school came to visit. Hugo remembered only that someone had pushed him. After they left, investigations began with the local police. It turned out to be the boy Hugo had thrown earlier; bearing a grudge, he pushed Hugo from the second floor. He was taken to a detention room and given a stern lecture by the police.

For Hugo, the month felt endless. He could only see a sliver of scenery from the hospital window, longing to leave.

Finally, discharge day arrived. Lin Zimo wheeled Hugo out of the hospital.

"I’m leaving the hospital, so why the wheelchair? Do you want me to never recover?"

Lin Zimo replied irritably, "They’re just worried you haven’t fully healed yet. You should be grateful for a free wheelchair."

"Looks like I'll still be stuck at home, watching the scenery from the window," Hugo said helplessly. Though he was discharged, his movements remained restricted.

"Don’t say that. Next, I’ll take you out for a stroll. You’ll suffocate staying home."

"Thank you."

Lin Zimo was true to her word. She promised to take Hugo out, and she did, a trait rooted in her Japanese upbringing. Integrity mattered more to her than life itself.

Afterward, Yang Shuting felt at ease leaving Hugo under Lin Zimo’s care. Hugo trusted her deeply; Lin Zimo even skipped training to look after him.