When consciousness broke free from the entanglement of dreams and gradually awakened, the first thing Su Li felt was the dizziness in his head.
Opening his eyes, his vision was blurry.
He twisted his body on the sofa, feeling the weakness in his limbs and the dryness in his throat.
Something seemed to be resting on his forehead—it was cool—a damp towel.
He was… sick.
Su Li sat up from the sofa and looked around.
The room was eerily quiet, and You Xue’s door was already open.
It seemed You Xue had already gotten up; this damp towel must have been placed by her.
But where was You Xue?
He scanned the room several more times but still couldn’t find his childhood sweetheart’s figure.
Finally, Su Li’s gaze fell on a note covered in writing on the table—without a doubt, it was written by You Xue.
He picked up the note and carefully read its contents.
[When I got up this morning, I found that you were sick. There’s no medicine in the dormitory. I’m going to buy medicine first. I’ll be back soon. Don’t come looking for me.]
Seeing this familiar handwriting, Su Li felt a bit relieved, but at the same time, another worry arose.
He didn’t know if he was overthinking it, because the words on it were just like her current demeanor—so concise and so resolute, telling him not to go find her.
Su Li didn’t like that line, even though he knew You Xue meant well.
Even though they were just childhood sweethearts, a relationship that didn’t seem that close in the eyes of others.
Su Li didn’t want them to be separated now.
He couldn’t explain why himself; he just felt he needed to protect her, just like when they were kids.
Just as Su Li was letting his hazy mind wander, he heard the sound of the door opening.
It was You Xue returning.
She pushed the door very gently, holding a white bag in her hand.
Seeing that Su Li was already sitting up, she was clearly startled, her footsteps stopping at the doorway as if she was thinking about what to say.
Finally, You Xue’s voice was a bit tense, and she only softly said one sentence.
“You’re awake.”
“I just woke up.”
Su Li nodded.
“I saw you were sleeping soundly, so I didn’t wake you. I don’t know if you saw the note I wrote. I went to buy medicine and also bought breakfast.”
You Xue lifted the bag in her hand to indicate.
“I saw it.”
Su Li’s voice was a bit hoarse.
“Thank you.”
Hearing this, You Xue frowned.
She closed the door, walked into the room, and placed the bag on the table.
“Don’t thank me. On the contrary, it’s because I didn’t consider the weather that I made you sick.”
You Xue lowered her gaze.
Su Li looked at her slightly guilty expression and suddenly felt like laughing.
This kind of concern was somewhat applicable to Su Li, but he also felt that she carried such strong feelings of guilt.
“What are you laughing at?”
You Xue looked up at him, still frowning, looking very puzzled.
Su Li shook his head and continued.
“Actually, it’s my own fault for being stubborn and getting soaked in the rain, thinking I wasn’t that easy to get sick. I didn’t even say anything when I felt cold, and in the end, I got sick.”
You Xue pressed her lips together.
“Then why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because I thought I could tough it out.”
Su Li rubbed his nose and smiled sheepishly.
You Xue turned her head and gave a light snort, her gray-white hair swinging over her shoulder.
“Always acting tough.”
“Actually, I learned it from someone else…”
“Who?”
“You.”
You Xue’s hand, which was about to take out the medicine from the bag, stopped.
Her heterochromatic eyes looked at Su Li with full confusion.
She pointed a finger at herself and asked.
“Me?”
Su Li nodded seriously.
“Isn’t that so? Among the things you’ve done, is there any that was safe?”
“That’s different…”
You Xue drew out her tone but couldn’t find the right words to refute.
She couldn’t simply say directly that she was about to die, so everything she did could actually be considered without cost, not to mention she had won her bet.
‘I’m about to die, so everything I do can be considered without cost, let alone the fact that I bet correctly.’
In any case, she never regretted the choices she made.
But now she couldn’t explain it with those words at all.
“We have the same problem, so when something happens, don’t always bear it alone. Of course, I’m the same way. I hope we can still rely on each other.”
Su Li said this directly, and then his voice gradually softened.
“Although I don’t know what’s in your heart, You Xue, I hope you don’t hate me, because back then I failed to notice your pain, which led to everything that happened afterward…”
“I don’t hate you.”
You Xue said this immediately.
“Never…”
She gathered her courage and lifted her head.
Both her brilliant golden eye and her calm blue eye held the same determination.
“It’s just that some things happened, and we’ve grown up; a lot of things are not like before.”
After saying this, she lowered her head again.
Maybe because she had told too many lies, even she herself wanted to believe that only a small rift had appeared between childhood friends, and that as long as both put in some sincerity, they could resolve those misunderstandings.
Then everything would go back to how it was before, back to those wonderful times.
But the truth was that she had disappeared, under her own influence, without even a goodbye.
No one knew except the one who had taken over her body.
“Then…”
Su Li pondered for a long time before slowly speaking.
“At least for now, neither of us hates the other.”
His voice was sincere.
“We are the people who have known each other the longest in this city. We will continue to grow, but for now, we can still rely on each other.”
Too many words in his heart were all poured out at this moment.
Perhaps because he was sick, the pent-up emotions in his hazy mind suddenly found an outlet.
The words twisted and turned, but in reality, he only wanted to express one thing.
‘Don’t leave me.’
They had accompanied each other for so long.
Su Li didn’t want a rift to appear so inexplicably and then let her go.
He had imagined so many future separations in his mind, as if he had already mapped out countless futures without You Xue.
But if that moment really came, he wouldn’t be able to accept it.
You Xue touched her earlobe, emotions in her eyes somewhat deep.
“Mm, I won’t leave.”
She said it almost word by word, her pale hand taking out the medicine she had just bought.
“Don’t let your mind wander. I have no reason to leave you. I still remember many happy memories from before in my mind. We were really happy back then, able to run freely in the fields.”
You Xue showed a faint smile.
Su Li looked into her eyes.
That golden eye was unfamiliar, but hearing these words already dispelled some of his nervousness.
He wasn’t a truly courageous person.
Every time he bravely took a step forward, it was actually because he had no choice.
When he was little, it was for food and survival.
When he got older, it was because he wanted to protect You Xue, to maintain the warmth between them, and didn’t want her to suddenly leave.
The words he had just said had been buried in his heart for a long time, and only now did he have the chance to let them out.
Having the courage to say these words was good—he sincerely believed it.
“First, take the medicine. You’ll feel better.”
You Xue said.
Su Li nodded unconsciously and said.
“Okay.”
‘I really want to go back to the past.’
He always thought that.
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