CM - 64

Li Gun hailed a taxi to take Zhou Xi-you home. When they arrived at her place, he didn’t rush to leave, instead accompanying her on a short walk. There would be fewer and fewer moments like this for them, so they hoped to make the process last as long as possible, walking very slowly.

Zhou Xi-you was still holding a fruit tea that Li Gun had bought her. Her illness didn’t require any dietary restrictions, though it was best for her to eat things that could raise her white blood cell count.

Since they had started dating, aside from playing drums, practicing the piano, and singing together, they mostly did their own things. They’d occasionally send a message: good morning, good night, and nothing else.

This kind of relationship seemed very mature, like a couple or a married couple past the honeymoon phase, who now pursued a quiet and simple life.

But they had just started dating. Was this normal? Zhou Xi-you couldn’t help but ask herself.

Li Gun kept his eyes on the fruit tea in Zhou Xi-you’s hand. When she finished it, he took the cup from her and threw it in a trash can as they walked past.

Zhou Xi-you gave a faint smile, “You seem strange and cold, but you’re actually very thoughtful.”

Li Gun could hear the underlying meaning in her words, “She’s given up on chasing Shen Ting-wen, but she can’t give up on liking him. Every move Shen Ting-wen makes hurts her, and in that state, drinking alcohol would harm her even more.”

“How nice,” Zhou Xi-you wanted to directly curse at him, but she wasn’t in the mood to argue, so she resorted to sarcasm.

Li Gun’s next sentence was, “If you were drinking alcohol, I wouldn’t let you either, but you’re drinking a beverage. You can have a little, but I’d stop you if you had too much.”

Zhou Xi-you didn’t want to hear this anymore. The more she listened, the angrier she got. For a moment, she even thought about not getting treatment and just dying. Suppressing her anger, she started talking about herself, “I never wanted for anything as a child, so I never had a strong desire for anything, because I always got it. My mom said that smart people know to always get the best things. Back then, the best thing around me was Shen Ting-wen.

“His parents taught him everything. I thought I had a high starting point and a lot of talent, but I still couldn’t compare to him.

“Of course, the main point is that he’s handsome. I think he was better looking as a kid than he is now. Now his face has too many sharp lines; before, it was all soft and gentle.”

The more Li Gun listened, the more uncomfortable he felt, but out of respect for Zhou Xi-you, he didn’t show it.

Zhou Xi-you glanced at him while she was talking. Good, he was unmoved. She continued, “I just liked Shen Ting-wen. If he hadn’t liked Zhou Shu-rong, and if I didn’t also like Zhou Shu-rong, I would have never let go!”

Li Gun clenched and unclenched his fist, but he still showed no emotion on his face. Zhou Xi-you was going into the hospital tomorrow. He couldn’t get angry with her today. Her bad mood would not be good for her treatment.

But in Zhou Xi-you’s mind, since she had said all that and Li Gun was still acting the same way, it must mean he didn’t care about her. It made sense. They had gotten together because of a joke. They probably couldn’t even be called acquaintances, let alone like or love each other. How could he have feelings for her if he didn’t even like her?

Li Gun kept his promise. In exchange, he told her why he liked Zhao Gu-qing, “In my first year of high school, I had to get a minor surgery. Because I was scared and inexperienced, and because I rarely talked to my parents about my personal life, I went to a small clinic by myself. Some students from another class saw me and posted online that I had been with a sex worker and had an STD.

“That clinic was run by one of Zhao Gu-qing’s relatives. She cleared up the misunderstanding for me. But you know, nobody cares whether a rumor is true or not; they just want to spread it. Just like that, Zhao Gu-qing got dragged into it. They started saying that she and I both got an STD.

“Later, Zhao Gu-qing’s parents came to the school, and the school severely punished those who spread the rumors. That’s when the matter was resolved, and no one dared to bring it up again.”

Zhou Xi-you hadn’t known he had gone through something like that. No wonder he was so quiet at school.

Li Gun continued, “I don’t know when I started to like her, but as soon as I started looking for her in a crowd, I knew I had probably fallen for her.”

Zhou Xi-you regretted knowing this. Zhao Gu-qing had done so much for Li Gun and had done something his parents hadn’t done for him. How could she, Zhou Xi-you, possibly compete with that? She suddenly felt a little sad and confused. Why hadn’t she felt this sad when she liked Shen Ting-wen?

As they walked, they arrived at Zhou Xi-you’s home, a villa with a front and back yard.

Li Gun stopped and said to Zhou Xi-you, “Go home and get some rest. I won’t message you when I get home. Your family will take you to the hospital tomorrow, and I can’t be there, but I’ll ask for time off to visit you in the afternoon.”

Zhou Xi-you looked at the soft-spoken, yet stern-faced boy and asked a question, “Why did you agree to be with me?”

Li Gun didn’t know either. He made a joke, “Maybe you’re just too beautiful. I must have lost my head.”

“Do you regret it?”

Li Gun said, “I don’t regret it.”

“Can you forget about Zhao Gu-qing?”

“What about you? Can you forget about Shen Ting-wen?”

“I asked first.”

Li Gun didn’t know, but he knew one thing, “I will do my best to fall in love with you.”

Zhou Xi-you looked into his eyes and saw his determination.