The aroma of coffee filled the air. Yu Lan took her vanilla latte, stirred it with a spoon, and the rising steam blurred her vision.
Wen Zheng recalled that they had dined together several times in Rongcheng, and Yu Jin had also ordered a vanilla latte after the meal, and liked to stir it with a spoon before drinking it.
I don't know if it's the power of genetics or unconscious imitation.
He didn't want to spend the time guessing, so he asked out of curiosity.
"Oh, really?" Yu Lan seemed surprised. "I really didn't know that... I'm sorry, I know so little. But I only started drinking coffee after I started working, and by then Yu Jin had been away from home for a long time. I never had coffee at home when he came back for the New Year a few times. So he likes vanilla too..."
Yu Lan was lost in thought for a moment, then said, "Thank you so much this time. I... am a terrible older sister."
Wen Zheng was not a close friend of Yu Jin, but only an acquaintance he had recently met.
To be honest, I've only played a few games with him online and had a few meals with him offline, so my understanding of him is very limited.
But during their conversation, he discovered that Yu Lan knew him less than he did.
“We’re twins, actually the same age. I never really felt like I was the older sister when I was little. My parents told me that we fought and fought over things before we even started kindergarten. We were always bickering and quite competitive.” Yu Lan recalled with her eyes downcast: “My parents had us quite late. They were older and spoiled us. They gave us whatever we wanted, and later they bought us everything in pairs.”
“I don’t know if Yu Jin has a congenital gender identity disorder, or if he’s just a kid playing around. When he was in elementary school, he envied me for wearing a skirt and said he wanted to wear one too. My parents… bought it for him and even praised him at home for looking good in it.”
“At that time, he probably thought it was normal for boys to wear skirts, but it was a different story when he got to school.”
“We really look alike, and we were quite famous at school. But Yu Jin was even more of a topic of conversation when he wore a skirt. I remember people asking me every day, ‘What’s wrong with your brother? Is your brother…’ Actually, I don’t remember many things. I was used to fighting with him, and I was young and in a different class, so I didn’t understand the seriousness of things. By the time my parents realized that his personality was not right, he was already in junior high school.”
Yu Lan sighed deeply, her eyes reddening: "I really didn't know things would turn out like this. I was wrong, but I didn't mean to. I apologized to him countless times afterward, but he already hated me and my parents. He wouldn't listen to anything we said. I felt like he hated the whole world when we were in middle school."
Wen Zheng listened quietly to her. Just as he raised his hand, Bei Sining pushed the tissue box toward him.
Wen Zheng: "…………" How much effort do you have to draw two cards?
"Yu Jin became very opinionated during middle school, and our whole family couldn't handle him. He would take exams if he wanted to, and hand in a blank paper if he didn't. He wouldn't say anything about what happened at school. After the college entrance exam, he didn't even go to university; he just said he wanted to work. My parents disagreed, but there was nothing they could do. They could only tell us to keep an eye on him... Fortunately, he would come home for holidays, and he didn't seem to lack anything. Occasionally, he would even bring back some gifts. In recent years, he's even started to smile. Although he doesn't talk to us about his affairs anymore, he's not always giving us the cold shoulder..."
"I thought, I thought..."
Yu Lan's voice trembled as she bit her lower lip: "I thought he... no longer hated us."
Large tears streamed from her eyes, which were exactly the same shape as Yu Jin's. The pretty woman sobbed uncontrollably, saying sorry and that she shouldn't have done it.
Wen Zheng felt a tightness in his chest. After thinking for a moment, he realized that a few sheets of paper might not be enough, so he pushed the tissue box forward.
"Communicate with him more in the future," Wen Zheng said dryly. "I'll scold him."
Yu Lan is a shadow in Yu Jin's life, but she is also a blood relative with whom he has a strange and intimate relationship.
Even though her parents neglected her and her indifference caused Yu Jin to suffer hardships that he shouldn't have had to endure in his childhood, Wen Zheng still envied her.
I envy those who can cry so heartbrokenly for Yu Jin.
After they finished talking, almost an hour had passed. Yu Lan said that his parents would take a slow train here that evening.
Hiiragi still has their old house in the city, but the whole family moved away because of Yu Lan's job, but the house is still there. After the suicide attempt, her parents were terrified. Yu Lan plans to clean the house in advance, and after the doctor says there's no problem in a couple of days, she will bring Yu Jin home to recuperate.
This arrangement is the best. Wen Zheng said, "Then you go clean up. We'll keep him company for another afternoon and go home in the evening."
Yu Lan expressed her sincere gratitude.
Back in the ward, Yu Jin was staring blankly at his phone.
The sunlight after the snow was reflected even more intensely, making the room bright and airy.
"Wen Zheng," Yu Jin smiled, "have you met my sister?"
Wen Zheng hummed in response, but seeing that he was still a bit annoyed, he said irritably, "Have you thought it through?"
This was the first thing he said to Yu Jin when he woke up this morning. Yu Jin didn't answer directly at the time, and Wen Zheng didn't discuss anything else with him either; they just had a meal together.
Now that we've left him here for so long, it's time to hear his answer.
Yu Jin paused for a moment before whispering, "I'm sorry."
Near-death experiences are not something everyone has, and many suicide attempts end in regret after the first attempt. Yu Jin's choice was one that wouldn't allow him to regret it, which is related to his personality. But having actually been saved, he finally had the opportunity to share his thoughts on the experience.
It is truly frightening.
And guilt.
The moment he woke up, looking at Wen Zheng's pale and haggard face, guilt overwhelmed him like a flood, making him feel suffocated and throbbing with pain.
He wasn't supposed to die in front of Wen Zheng according to his plan, but he did it on impulse. If he hadn't been rescued, his death would have been an extremely unfair and undeserved tragedy for the only friend he cared about.
He felt that saying sorry a thousand times wouldn't make a difference to Wen Zheng.
But in fact... Wen Zheng seemed very happy.
"Are you alright?" Wen Zheng even smiled at him. Yu Jin was stunned for a moment, then nodded sheepishly. The next second, a sharp pain shot through his cheekbone, and his head hit the headboard again. He yelled out and clutched his head, which was ringing for a while.
Bei Sining: "…………"
He took a step back without making a sound.
Bei Sining said that he used magic to make Yu Jin faint yesterday, and that Yu Jin is perfectly healthy now, without any problems. Wen Zheng had been itching to beat him up for a long time, and after doing so, he felt much better.
alright!
"Do you know how many people in the world sacrifice their own lives, time, family, and even their lives so that others can live?" Wen Zheng bent down, and the pendant slipped out from his neck, reflecting the sunlight of the first snow, stinging Yu Jin's newly opened eyes.
“Police, doctors, and all sorts of people you don’t know, and shouldn’t know.” Wen Zheng said in a deep voice, “And you, with money, brains, family, your own career and hobbies, just because you’re unlucky, you want to die?”
"…………"
"The weak are not meant to be bullied; the problem is that the weak don't want to become stronger. Cowards who run away will not have a good life; even a chicken understands this."
"If you don't work hard, why should others accommodate you?"
Yu Jin remained silent.
These words were like knives, piercing him and making him tremble, yet he couldn't muster the desire to refute them.
He looked up, his face pale, and slowly met Wen Zheng's gaze.
"You gave me a bunch of information, but you don't care about being an architect. Do you think I can do it? But you don't know that not everyone is born to do what they want to do."
Wen Zheng's voice was cold, and his expression was stiff.
"I can't be an architect, not because I don't want to, but because I can't."
"I have no freedom, Yu Jin."
“…What do you mean?” Yu Jin stared at him blankly, his eyes even sharpening with confusion.
Wen Zheng didn't answer him. Instead, he said, "You helped me unlock the password. It was a message left to me by my parents. They passed away for some reason, and this was the only way they could leave a message."
"Looking at the clouds, I feel ashamed of the soaring birds; gazing at the abyss, I envy the swimming fish." This means that seeing the birds and fish swimming freely in the sky and water, I feel sincere envy. They probably hope that I can be a free person.
Yu Jin was speechless.
Standing in the corner, Bei Sining moved her fingers, her gaze lingering on his back.
"Although I can't do it, I will keep striving to do it until the day I die."
"...Don't disappoint me again, Yu Jin."
After speaking, Wen Zheng paused for a moment and turned to leave. Seeing this, Yu Jin jumped off the bed in a panic: "Wait! Where are you going?"
"Going home?" Wen Zheng asked impatiently, his previous serious and fierce expression gone. He frowned and asked, "Your family is coming, and you still want me to come with you? Remember to pay the bills they sent you."
“…Ah, oh.” Yu Jin sat back on the edge of the bed, biting her lower lip and smiling at him: “Well then, goodbye.”
The room was filled with the glow of snow as Wen Zheng and Bei Sining left the ward one after the other.
Before the door closed, Yu Jin, bathed in light, whispered repeatedly from beside the bed, "...Thank you. I'm sorry."
***
The topic on the forum spread rapidly. Yu Jin's parents thought that it was this kind of rumor post that caused their son's mental breakdown, so they were so angry that they asked the cyber police to shut down the post overnight.
Yu Lan had also written a long statement explaining the ins and outs of the "boyfriend-stealing" incident in high school, but it was ultimately rejected by Yu Jin.
He decided to write it himself.
Some things don't seem so difficult once he decides to take the first step.
When misunderstandings arise, don't let them fester; explain them clearly. Even after doing his best, if some people still don't believe him, there's nothing he can do.
The school heartthrob and Yu Lan did have a brief relationship back then, but they were both proud teenagers, neither willing to back down, and after arguing for a whole semester, they were already on the verge of breaking up.
Yu Jin was practically invisible at school back then, constantly being bullied. Because he was a bit effeminate, but unlike others who were openly effeminate, he didn't have a good life.
The school heartthrob, bursting with protective instincts, noticed him. After breaking up with Yu Lan, he found the opposite of the younger brother to be very appealing and began to pursue him intensely. The declaration of protection was made at that time.
Rumors spread, and Yu Jin never expected that people would remember them until today—perhaps he really is annoying.
But after the post was published, there wasn't as much distrust and harsh words as I had imagined.
This was completely unexpected.
The former school heartthrob also learned about this through the classmates' group and went to explain on his behalf. Yu Lan even pleaded with everyone to stop cyberbullying.
Incredibly, an anonymous forum rife with hostility has seen a flurry of apologies.
Yu Jin stared at the lines of "May God, come back! Bring glory to Xia Kingdom!" for a long time, speechless.
The little boy who once stood in front of the lecture hall, stubbornly waiting for an opportunity, has actually been seen.
His dream has clearly come true.
***
Fan Lingrou stared in shock at the pile of documents on the table, shouting at the top of her lungs, "Boss!!!!! This won't do!!!!!
Bei Sining ignored her five exclamation marks and coldly slammed her hand on the table: "I'm the boss, I say it's okay!"
"What the hell?! The store is opening the day after tomorrow, and you're not coming back to work, fine, but you want to take a long leave?! I'm your employee, not a composite of a hundred of your employees!"
Fan Lingrou slammed her hand on the table in response: "I don't care what kind of spirit, monster, or ghost you are, get to work, you absolutely have to get to work!"
"……" Bei Sining exclaimed in shock: "How did you know!?"
Fan Lingrou gritted her teeth: "You turned into an animal in front of me, and you're asking me how I know? Your company is just a bunch of cats, am I right? I've known for a while that Xiao Huang is acting strange, and that Ye Yubing of yours, always lying limply on the sofa and saying he can bring good luck, my good luck, I'll slap him until he flies away—boss, do you even know how many employees you need?!
Director Fan has a very strong ability to accept things. Although he made eight phone calls to schedule appointments with psychiatrists on New Year's Eve, he quickly affirmed his strong mental state with his strong willpower—so either I have a problem or the boss has a problem. End of story.
"Alright!" Bei Sining said with a headache, "How about this, I'll promote you again, and include a bonus for hiring people, and what's that... profit sharing? Yes, profit sharing, as much as you want, anyway, I really have something to do recently."
Seeing that he was indeed unmoved by reason, Fan Lingrou suddenly had a brilliant idea.
What's wrong with the cat-man?