Since there was still evening self-study, the four of them didn't stay long. After chatting with Lin Murun in the ward for a while, they headed back to school.
Seeing that Lin Murun was recovering well, Lin Qingqing left with them.
Lin Murun had been brought to the hospital in a semi-conscious state, without his phone or any books. Having slept too much during the day, he found himself unable to fall back asleep. He decided to put on his coat and, after obtaining the doctor's permission, made a quick trip back to school.
He left late, and the sky had turned pitch black halfway there. The security guard at the gate recognized him, asked a few questions, and let him through. Lin Murun tucked his hands into his jacket pockets and walked briskly back to his dormitory.
His phone was still on his bed. Once unlocked, he logged into WeChat, and over a dozen messages from Si Bin immediately popped up.
The most recent one had been sent at 4:02 PM, containing only four words: *“I’ve gone to Z City.”*
Lin Murun opened the chat box and typed: *“Have you arrived in Z City yet?”*
Si Bin was likely busy and didn't reply immediately.
After sending the message, Lin Murun put his phone back in his pocket. His fingers brushed against a hard object. He pulled it out and saw it was the box of throat lozenges Si Bin had asked Yu Qianyi to bring him.
The packaging was still sealed. As Lin Murun stared at the box, Lin Qingqing’s words suddenly flashed through his mind.
*“He likes you.”*
The box seemed to grow hot in his hand. Lin Murun hurriedly set it down on the desk.
*Si Bin likes me?* he thought.
*How is that possible?*
The more he thought about it, the more restless he became. Amidst his confusion, a faint trace of expectation and joy flickered in his heart.
*It can’t be. Si Bin just treats me as a friend.*
He couldn't help but glance at the box on the desk. His emotions were a tangled mess, so he tossed the box onto the bed in a clumsy attempt to hide his feelings from himself.
Just then, the phone in his pocket vibrated.
Thinking it was a reply from Si Bin, he quickly took it out and unlocked it.
What met his eyes was a news notification; Si Bin’s chat remained silent.
His expectations deflated. Lin Murun stared at the screen for a moment before swiping his thumb to clear the notification.
***
The moment Si Bin’s plane touched down, he received a call from Auntie Luo.
“Binbin, your uncle and aunt are here.”
“Okay, I just got off the plane,” Si Bin said.
Auntie Luo’s suppressed sobbing came through the phone.
She had always been a gentle, harmless woman who had never faced much hardship, becoming a full-time housewife after marriage. Now, with her husband gravely ill and her daughter still young, she had completely lost her bearings when faced with her in-laws demanding a share of the property. Hearing Si Bin’s voice, she couldn't hold back her tears.
“Have... have you caught a taxi yet?” She took a breath, trying her best to stifle her sobs.
Si Bin’s hand paused as he opened the taxi door. He comforted her, saying, “I’m heading to the hospital now. Auntie Luo, please bear with it for a bit. Don't get into a conflict with them.”
“Alright, alright,” Auntie Luo sighed in relief and whispered, “Auntie will wait for you.”
***
After gathering his things, Lin Murun returned to the hospital under the moonlight. While waiting for the elevator, he unexpectedly ran into an acquaintance.
“Yo! Teacher Lin!” Gao Yuan, leaning on crutches, greeted him with a smile.
“Teacher Gao.” Lin Murun’s gaze shifted to Gao Yuan’s leg, which was encased in a cast. “You...”
Before Lin Murun could ask, Gao Yuan explained first, “I was looking at my phone while walking tonight, and well...” He gave an embarrassed laugh. “I accidentally tumbled down the stairs and messed up my knee. The doctor says it probably won't heal for at least three months.”
Lin Murun nodded. Seeing the elevator arrive, he held the door open to let Gao Yuan in first.
“Thanks.” Gao Yuan clumsily hobbled into the elevator on one leg with his crutches.
Once he was inside, Lin Murun followed and asked, “Which floor?”
“Eleventh floor, Orthopedics,” Gao Yuan replied.
Lin Murun pressed the button.
“Are you here to visit someone, Teacher Lin?” Gao Yuan asked.
“I’m the one hospitalized,” Lin Murun answered.
“Hospitalized?” Gao Yuan looked him up and down. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
“Just the flu, nothing serious.” As Lin Murun finished speaking, the elevator stopped at the eleventh floor.
“I’ll head out then,” Gao Yuan said, limping out. “What’s your room number? I’ll come chat with you after I get my dressing changed. Being in this cast means I can't go anywhere; I’m bored to death.”
“I’m on the floor above, Room 1309,” Lin Murun said.
“Got it, I’ll find you in a bit.” Gao Yuan waved at him.
Room 1309 was very empty; Lin Murun was currently the only patient there.
He returned to his bed, set down his backpack, and took out his phone.
Si Bin still hadn't replied.
Lin Murun stared blankly at the phone for a moment before placing it on the nightstand and starting to organize the things he had brought.
Since he was waiting for Gao Yuan, he left the door open, allowing the sounds of an argument from the ward across the hall to drift in.
“My husband is so sick, and you siblings actually want to split his house! Do you have no heart?” A sharp female voice pierced Lin Murun’s ears.
“Sister-in-law, you can't put it like that. We all chipped in to buy that house back then. Every family has a share. Are you trying to keep it all for yourself?” a man retorted.
Lin Murun looked up at them briefly before fishing his earplugs out of his backpack.
A short while later, a nurse arrived to stop the shouting, and the bickering family finally quieted down.
Half an hour later, Gao Yuan came by in a wheelchair.
“Doing practice problems?”
“Yeah.” Lin Murun took off his earplugs. “I had nothing to do, so I thought I’d do a few.”
“Am I disturbing you?” Gao Yuan asked.
“No.” Lin Murun put away his work and stood up to close the door. “Would you like some fruit?” He took an orange from the basket Yu Qianyi had brought and handed it to Gao Yuan.
Gao Yuan took it and thanked him.
“Teacher Lin, you have no idea. Out of all my friends, none of them have a conscience except for Si Bin. When they saw I was sick, they rushed over just to laugh at me. They even wanted to send me pig trotter soup, saying I should eat what I’m missing—who are they calling a pig?” Gao Yuan complained while eating the orange. “No one even thought to bring me some fruit.”
Lin Murun nodded. “I can't finish all this fruit by myself. Why don't you take some back with you?”
“No, no,” Gao Yuan said. “ I was just talking. I can't actually take your things.” He finished the orange in a few bites and said to Lin Murun, “Actually, Si Bin was supposed to visit me at the hospital today, but something came up with his dad, so he had to rush to Z City.”
Thinking of how Si Bin had left in such a hurry and still hadn't replied, Lin Murun asked, “What happened?”
“You mean Si Bin?” Gao Yuan scratched his head and pointed toward the door. “What else could it be? It’s pretty much the same as that family across the hall.”
“Inheritance?” Lin Murun frowned.
“Sort of, but not entirely. The situation on his father’s side is much more complicated than a simple inheritance dispute,” Gao Yuan said.
“How so?” Lin Murun asked.
Gao Yuan replied, “He probably told you, right? His dad has liver cancer. He doesn't have much time left.”
Lin Murun was stunned, then nodded vaguely.
“I figured he’d told you,” Gao Yuan continued. “Si Bin’s maternal grandfather, uncle, and mother are all incredibly capable people. In comparison, Uncle Si is much more ordinary. When Si Bin’s parents were getting divorced, Uncle Si didn't want a single penny; he only wanted custody of Si Bin.”
Si Bin had never mentioned this unpleasant past to Lin Murun. Even their conversations before the Arts Festival had been bright and happy.
The memories he shared with Lin Murun were mostly about traveling and the scenery he had seen in his youth. Like Si Bin himself, they seemed polished and brilliant.
Seeing that Lin Murun remained silent, Gao Yuan assumed he had already heard these things and went on, “You probably know what happened next. Si Bin’s mother is such a powerful woman; there was no way she’d let her only son go to her ex-husband. So, she gave Uncle Si a house and insisted on taking custody of Si Bin.”
“But a few years ago, Uncle Si got sick. To pay for his treatment, he sold that big house. With financial help from Si Bin’s grandfather, he bought a second-hand place in an urban village on the outskirts of town.”
“Back then, the old man bought the house without telling his other children. While he was still alive, the siblings could maintain a surface-level peace. But at the beginning of this year, Si Bin’s grandfather passed away, and that house in the urban village is now slated for demolition. There’s a huge compensation payout involved, so they’ve started fighting over the house, causing a scene in Uncle Si’s ward every other day.” Gao Yuan finished, tossed the orange peel into the trash, and said slowly, “Si Bin rushed to Z City to mediate this mess.”
Lin Murun frowned. “But this doesn't have much to do with him.”
“Right? That’s exactly what I told Si Bin,” Gao Yuan said. “But his stepmother is just too weak and indecisive. Whenever something happens, she calls Si Bin. Think about it—Si Bin isn't even in Uncle Si’s custody anymore. He really shouldn't have to deal with all this nonsense.”
“But Si Bin...” Gao Yuan sighed. “He’s always felt like he owes Uncle Si. Now that Uncle Si is sick, he can't just wash his hands of it.”
Lin Murun listened in silence, thinking back to the family he had just seen arguing until they were red in the face. “This can't go on forever.”
“That’s for sure,” Gao Yuan said. “Si Bin’s uncle and aunt are blinded by greed. They say Si Bin isn't short on money, so Uncle Si’s family should give up the demolition compensation. But Si Bin’s stepmother doesn't have a job. If she doesn't get that compensation, how is she supposed to live? They’re basically forcing Si Bin to subsidize his father’s family. Where’s the logic in that?”
Gao Yuan wanted to say more, but the phone on Lin Murun’s bed suddenly vibrated.
“Excuse me, I need to take this.”
Lin Murun returned to the bedside and saw that the caller was indeed Si Bin.
He turned the screen toward Gao Yuan. “It’s Si Bin.”
Gao Yuan nodded, signaling him to answer quickly.
“Hello, Lin Murun,” Si Bin’s voice came from the other end. “Sorry, I’ve been busy and didn't have a chance to check my phone.”
“It’s okay.” Lin Murun glanced at Gao Yuan but didn't bring up what they had just discussed. He asked softly, “Are you finished with your work?”
“Almost.” Si Bin chuckled. “What about you? Are you feeling better?”
“I’m fine now,” Lin Murun replied. “I just need two more days of IV drips, and I can be discharged the day after tomorrow.”
“Good. Make sure to get plenty of rest in the hospital these next two days. Don't come back to school until you’re fully recovered,” Si Bin said.
“And you?” Lin Murun asked. “When are you coming back?”
“Also the day after tomorrow,” Si Bin answered. “We can meet at school.”
Gao Yuan kept watching Lin Murun, whispering to him, “Tell him to come back soon! Tell him to stop worrying about that mess!”
Lin Murun looked at Gao Yuan, hesitated for a moment, and then looked away.
“Okay, then I’ll see you at school.”
“See you the day after tomorrow,” Si Bin said.
“Say it!” Gao Yuan urged from the side, anxious.
“By the way, Si Bin...” Lin Murun spoke up.
“Hmm?” Si Bin responded patiently. “What is it?”
Lin Murun lowered his eyes, his fingertips turning slightly white from the pressure of gripping his phone. After a long pause, he finally said, “It’s nothing. When you get back, let’s go eat tofu rice cakes together.”
Si Bin gave a silent smile and replied, “Okay.”
After he hung up, Gao Yuan looked disappointed. “Teacher Lin, why didn't you try to persuade him?”
Lin Murun put his phone back on the nightstand and said quietly, “He must have his own reasons.”
Gao Yuan shrugged. “Fair enough.”
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 晚自习 | Evening self-study | A common period in Chinese schools for independent study. |
| 润喉糖 | Throat lozenges | |
| 城中村 | Urban village | Areas that were once rural but became surrounded by urban development; often lower-rent or slated for redevelopment. |
| 拆迁 | Demolition and relocation | Refers to the process of clearing land for new development, often involving compensation for residents. |
| 豆腐年糕 | Tofu rice cakes | A local snack/dish (Tofu Niangao). |
| 补哪儿吃哪儿 | Eat what you're missing | A traditional Chinese belief that eating a certain animal part benefits the corresponding part of the human body. |
| 乌眼鸡 | Fighting cocks / Angry people | Literally "black-eyed chickens," a metaphor for people who are constantly bickering or looking for a fight. |
