By the time Si Bin and Lin Murun returned to school, the exam was more than halfway over. Having exceeded the mandatory entry time, they were naturally barred from participating.
The two sat in the library, but neither was in the mood for revision.
"I'm sorry..." After sitting in the public study area for a long while, Lin Murun spoke up, his voice muffled. "I shouldn't have gone to the hospital. I dragged you down and made you miss the morning exam too."
Si Bin smiled upon hearing this. "How is that 'dragging me down'?"
Lin Murun lowered his eyelashes.
Si Bin reached out across the small table and ruffled his hair. "Going to the hospital was my own decision. Why should you blame yourself, Murun?"
Lin Murun looked up into Si Bin’s smiling face and said softly, "You originally had a chance to get the City Merit Student award..."
"You’re more qualified for that award than I am, Murun," Si Bin said, withdrawing his hand. "Yet you chose to go to the hospital as well."
"Even without that award, there’s still the independent recruitment exams next spring. But if you hadn't gone to see Wu Chuchu, you wouldn't have been able to rest easy." Si Bin looked at Lin Murun and said warmly, "Neither would I."
Lin Murun looked into Si Bin’s eyes and nodded.
After the afternoon English exam, Si Bin and Lin Murun were called to the office by Teacher Tang.
"Explain yourselves. What happened with you two?"
Teacher Tang was the only one in the office. His expression was stern, and his eyes scrutinized them carefully from behind his lenses.
"Senior Wu Chuchu was in a car accident," Si Bin explained. "Her husband called..."
"I know about Wu Chuchu," Teacher Tang interrupted, tapping his finger on the desk. "I’m asking about the two of you."
Worried they hadn't understood his meaning, he added, "Did you both receive a call from her husband at the same time? Or is your relationship so good that if one misses an exam, the other must keep him company?"
Lin Murun caught the implication and immediately understood why Teacher Tang had summoned them both—he was beginning to suspect the nature of their relationship.
He wanted to explain, but Si Bin spoke first. "Lin received the call, and I followed him there."
Teacher Tang’s expression shifted. Just as he was about to press further, Si Bin continued, "Because Wu Chuchu’s husband is none other than Bei Fan."
Hearing the name Bei Fan, Teacher Tang froze. As if finding it hard to believe, he frowned and asked, "Bei Fan? You’re saying Wu Chuchu’s husband is Bei Fan?"
Si Bin nodded. "Lin went to the hospital because he was worried about Senior Wu. I went because of a personal grudge."
Teacher Tang was stunned for a moment, suddenly recalling something Teacher Li had once said.
*“Bei Fan is married, but not to Shen Xingzhi.”*
Teacher Tang hadn't expected that after breaking up with Shen Xingzhi, Bei Fan would actually marry Wu Chuchu.
What a twisted fate...
After a long silence, he seemed to snap out of it. He took off his glasses and sighed.
Si Bin watched him silently.
A moment later, Teacher Tang asked again, "You didn't get into a conflict, did you?"
"I hit him," Si Bin said flatly.
Teacher Tang snapped his head up. "You hit him?!"
"Yes," Si Bin said with feigned indifference. "But not too hard."
"Nonsense!" Teacher Tang said angrily. "You’re a grown man now. Don't you know the consequences of fighting?"
Si Bin lowered his gaze and didn't respond.
"You, as a student..." Teacher Tang slapped the desk and asked sharply, "What kind of attitude is this?"
Si Bin replied, "He deserved it."
"You’re talking back?" Teacher Tang was so incensed he stood up. His pale, chubby face turned bright red. He seemed about to say more, but he restrained himself repeatedly, finally letting out a long sigh.
The office fell into a heavy silence.
Teacher Tang rubbed his temples and put his glasses back on. His gaze moved past Si Bin and landed on Lin Murun.
"Lin Murun, if something like this happens again, you must tell a teacher immediately. We understand your concern for Wu Chuchu, but you couldn't help even if you went to the hospital, and you missed your exam for nothing."
Teacher Tang had thought Lin Murun’s City Merit Student award was a sure thing. He hadn't expected this usually well-behaved student to quietly skip an exam. Although visiting a friend in the hospital showed a kind heart, the fact that Lin Murun was now disqualified from the award still filled Teacher Tang with regret.
"I understand, Teacher," Lin Murun replied softly.
"Go back and write a self-reflection essay. Bring it to me tomorrow when you come to collect your winter break homework." After criticizing Lin Murun, Teacher Tang glared at Si Bin again. "And you! You go back and write one too. Two thousand words!"
After saying that, he asked uneasily, "Bei Fan wasn't seriously injured, was he?"
"No," Si Bin answered. "I knew when to stop."
Teacher Tang was almost driven to laughter by his anger. "So, you’re quite experienced in beating people up?"
Si Bin didn't dare provoke him further and shut his mouth.
"I know you wouldn't do anything without a sense of proportion, but Si Bin, you are an adult now. No matter how angry you are, don't be so impulsive!" Teacher Tang looked weary. "Alright, go on back. Remember to hand in your essays tomorrow."
Just as Lin Murun stepped out of the office, he heard Si Bin turn back to Teacher Tang, who was still sitting inside. "It wasn't impulse. I was teaching Bei Fan how to be a human being."
With that, before Teacher Tang could react, he quickly shut the office door and pulled Lin Murun as they ran down the stairs of the teaching building.
They didn't stop until they reached the school gate.
The two looked at each other, and Lin Murun said helplessly, "Teacher Tang is going to be furious."
Si Bin nodded with a grin. "Yeah, he’s pretty scary when he’s mad."
But Si Bin said this while smiling, making it sound entirely unconvincing. If Teacher Tang saw his expression now, he would probably be angry enough to double the word count of the essay.
By this time, most students who had finished their exams had already gone home, leaving the school gate deserted. With no one around, they spoke with fewer inhibitions.
"How did Teacher Tang see through our relationship?" Lin Murun thought about it. Aside from that candid photo on the confession wall, they had been very cautious at school. Theoretically, skipping an exam shouldn't have been enough for a teacher to catch them.
"He didn't see through it; he was just guessing," Si Bin explained. "Because he knows about the relationship between Shen Xingzhi and Bei Fan."
Lin Murun was startled. "No wonder you emphasized that Bei Fan was Senior Wu’s husband."
"Yeah..." Si Bin nodded. "Actually, Teacher Tang is a very good person. Back when Shen Xingzhi came out, although he was furious and took down Shen Xingzhi and Bei Fan’s photos from the honor roll, he didn't actually do anything to hurt them. My aunt wanted Shen Xingzhi to transfer schools, but Teacher Tang knew that Shen Xingzhi had nearly turned against his family because he refused to break up with Bei Fan. If he had actually transferred, he might have ended up resenting his family forever. So, Teacher Tang went to great lengths to keep Shen Xingzhi at No. 1 High School."
Lin Murun realized, "That’s why he didn't criticize you further."
Si Bin smiled and said, "He was the first among the teachers to accept Shen Xingzhi’s sexual orientation. He’s been quietly keeping an eye on him all these years. Even if he doesn't say it, he still hopes Shen Xingzhi is doing well."
"So..." Si Bin paused. "I chose to tell him today about Shen Xingzhi and Bei Fan’s breakup for two reasons. One was to help Shen Xingzhi say the things that were inconvenient for him to say, and the other... I was afraid he would fixate on us, so I used the excuse that I followed you to teach Bei Fan a lesson to divert his attention."
Hearing this, Lin Murun asked, "Did you really hit Bei Fan?"
Si Bin gave an "mm." He looked at Lin Murun, rubbed his nose, and said guiltily, "I didn't hit him hard, but I’ve dragged you into writing a self-reflection essay with me."
Lin Murun shook his head. "He deserved it."
Si Bin was amused by Lin Murun’s response. He squeezed his fingers and said, "Let’s go. Time to go home and write our essays."
The next day, Si Bin and Lin Murun handed in their self-reflections. When Teacher Tang saw Si Bin, remembering how he had dared to talk back before leaving yesterday, he grumbled and lectured him incessantly.
Teacher Xia, who taught Geography, was good-natured and tried to smooth things over.
"Alright, alright, Old Tang. They’re young; it’s normal to be impulsive. Just give them a good talking-to."
Upon hearing that Lin Murun had missed the exam to visit a critically ill friend in the hospital, Teacher Xia wasn't angry. After saying a few words to him, he handed him the geography assignments. "Help me distribute the winter break homework."
Lin Murun nodded. He glanced back at Si Bin, who was still being lectured, and walked out of the office.
Si Bin kept his head down, enduring the lecture while stealing glances at Lin Murun’s departing figure with his peripheral vision.
He didn't expect to be caught red-handed by Teacher Tang for being distracted.
"What? You want to go back to the classroom too?" Teacher Tang asked.
Just as Si Bin nodded, he heard Teacher Tang let out a cold laugh. "I think you’re really asking for it. Don't think I won't discipline you, Si Bin... Stand up straight!"
Si Bin had no choice but to stand perfectly straight, eyes forward, and continue taking the lecture.
Back in the classroom, Lin Murun was about to distribute the geography homework when Zhou Xuan called out to him.
"Why didn't you and Si Bin show up for the exam yesterday morning?"
Zhou Xuan was also in the first examination hall, so he had naturally noticed their absence.
Lin Murun answered truthfully, "Senior Wu Chuchu was in a car accident. A critical condition notice was issued yesterday, so Si Bin and I went to the hospital."
"Who?" Yu Qianyi poked her head over and asked, "Senior Wu Chuchu was in a car accident?"
"Yes." Mentioning Wu Chuchu made Lin Murun’s mood dip.
Yu Qianyi’s eyes widened in surprise. "How? She was perfectly fine when we had barbecue together last time..."
Lin Murun lowered his eyelashes and didn't respond.
Yu Qianyi was also worried about Wu Chuchu’s condition, so she suggested in a low voice, "Then... then after school, let’s go to the hospital to see her?"
Lin Murun thought about it and nodded in agreement.
After receiving their winter break homework, Teacher Li gave a few reminders about holiday safety before letting the students leave.
The few classmates who had shared that barbecue with Wu Chuchu left the school and took a bus to the hospital together.
Lin Qingqing, having witnessed the horrific scene of the accident, was truly unsettled and followed along as well.
Even knowing that Wu Chuchu had been issued a critical condition notice and was not doing well, the thoughtful Li Menglai still bought a fruit basket on the street to bring to the hospital.
Wu Chuchu was still in a coma. The group could only catch a glimpse of her through the monitor; they weren't allowed to enter the ward.
Bei Fan wasn't there today; only Wu Chuchu’s cousin was present.
Seeing the students who had come to visit, Wu Jiayi was deeply moved. After taking the fruit basket from Li Menglai, her eyes turned red.
"I’ll thank you on Chuchu’s behalf," she choked out.
"It’s nothing, really. Please don't be so formal, sister," Yu Qianyi said, hurriedly pulling out a tissue to hand to her.
Wu Jiayi took the tissue, wiped her tears, and spoke with them for a while before seeing them out of the hospital.
"Although I’m very grateful that you’re thinking of Chuchu, the weather is so cold and the roads are difficult. Please don't come to the hospital again," Wu Jiayi advised, holding the fruit basket. "You’re all still children. If you keep coming to the hospital to visit the sick, your elders will worry. When Chuchu wakes up, I’ll definitely call and let you know."
On the way home, even the usually chatty Yu Qianyi fell silent.
Li Menglai assumed that Lin Murun and Si Bin, who had missed their exam, must have witnessed the accident. She didn't dare approach Si Bin, so she quietly asked Lin Murun, "Why did the Senior get into a car accident?"
Lin Murun didn't want to make the grudge between Bei Fan and Wu Chuchu public, so he shook his head. "I don't know. By the time we found her, the accident had already happened."
Li Menglai sighed, nodded, and didn't ask further.
Over the next few days, Si Bin went to Z City. Because of Wu Chuchu’s situation, Lin Murun and Lin Qingqing weren't in the mood to go out and play. The siblings stayed at home, spending several days working on their winter break homework.
It was Lin’s aunt who, worried the two children would get cabin fever, finally kicked them out of the house on the fifth day of the break.
After breaking up with Wu Yichen, Lin Qingqing hadn't had much time to be sad before her attention was diverted by Wu Chuchu’s accident. After a few days, the young girl had gained some perspective. Her lingering feelings for her ex-boyfriend had faded, and her state of mind was much better than Lin Murun had expected.
The two left the house, and not knowing where to pass the time, they walked along the street. When they got tired, they ducked into a milk tea shop.
Lin Qingqing stirred her milk tea and chatted with Lin Murun. Eventually, the conversation turned to their university applications.
"Brother, what major do you want to study?" Lin Qingqing asked.
Lin Murun replied, "Law."
"Studying law is good," Lin Qingqing remarked. "I thought you’d want to be a teacher in the future."
Lin Murun smiled.
"By the way, what about Si Bin? Will you and Si Bin go to the same school?" Lin Qingqing asked.
Lin Murun shook his head. "He wants to apply for the Finance department at S University."
"Eh? You’re not applying to S University?" Lin Qingqing asked, puzzled.
"My goal used to be S University, but Sister Wu Jiayi said the University of Political Science and Law in S City is better," Lin Murun explained. "Both schools are in S City and aren't far apart. I asked Teacher Li about it, and she also suggested I apply to the University of Political Science and Law."
"In that case..." Lin Qingqing thought for a moment. "In that case, you won't be able to see each other every day."
Lin Murun smiled. Just as he was about to speak, his phone on the table rang.
Lin Qingqing craned her neck and saw Si Bin’s name on the caller ID. She curled her lip. "Speak of the devil."
Lin Murun answered the call. "Hello."
"Murun." Si Bin’s voice came through the phone, sounding a bit muffled, as if he were in a bad mood.
"What’s wrong?" Lin Murun pushed open the door of the milk tea shop and stepped outside, ignoring Lin Qingqing’s curious gaze. "Did something happen in Z City?"
"Nothing," Si Bin said softly on the other end. "I just wanted to hear your voice."
Lin Murun asked uneasily, "Is it really nothing?"
"Yeah," Si Bin replied, then added, "I’m coming back tomorrow. Can Murun come to the high-speed rail station to pick me up?"
Lin Murun answered, "Sure."
A light chuckle came from Si Bin through the receiver.
"Then I’ll see you tomorrow, Murun."
Lin Murun’s lips curved upward as he answered warmly, "See you tomorrow."
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