Chapter 12

When Su Junxin found Li Weize, he was behind the counter of a convenience store reading a book.

A fish bone wind chime hanging by the door rang with a crisp sound.

He looked up, saw Su Junxin, and choked on the words, "Welcome."

Her gaze slid over the bruised corner of his lip, her slender eyebrows furrowing.

"You're hurt? What happened?"

Before he could answer, a middle-aged woman carrying a baby rushed in through the back door of the store. She looked startled when she saw Su Junxin, but quickly broke into a smile.

"What can I get for you, student?"

"Mom, this is my... classmate. She's here to see me."

Li Weize seemed a bit panicked. As he walked around the counter, he even stumbled a bit.

Su Junxin followed him out of the store. She glanced back through the glass window at the curious woman inside, then turned to look at Li Weize.

He was standing with his head slightly down, seemingly returning to his usual timid demeanor.

A stack of neatly folded bills was handed to her.

"Sorry, my family has been busy recently... I can't make you lunch anymore."

Su Junxin glanced at the money but didn't take it.

"What happened to your mouth?" she continued to press.

Li Weize was silent for a few seconds. His voice dropped, "I fell."

"Is that so..." She tugged at her lips, her gaze sweeping over him from head to toe.

She focused on his exposed wrist, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Why are you still wearing your school uniform jacket in such hot weather?"

Upon hearing her words, Li Weize was startled and instinctively hid his left hand behind his back.

She was quick, stepping forward and pulling up his sleeve.

His forearm was a bit swollen, a bruise almost as big as the palm of a hand spread out on his skin, shocking to see.

"Did You Biao and his gang bully you again?"

Li Weize tried to pull his hand back, but she was surprisingly strong. He could only shake his head, "No..."

"Then who did this?"

He bit his lower lip and buried his head even lower.

Su Junxin was silent for a moment, her voice a bit heavy.

"It was Qin You, wasn't it?"

He suddenly looked up, panic in his eyes, "No!"

Su Junxin had already got the answer she wanted from his reaction.

*

The classroom was dark with the curtains drawn. The only sounds were the humming of the air conditioner, the occasional rustle of writing, and student's mumbled sleep talk.

Standing beside Qin You's desk, Su Junxin tapped her fingers on the table.

Qin You, lying on his arms and facing the opposite direction, looked up in surprise when he heard the sound.

Su Junxin said quietly, "I want to talk to you."

She walked towards the door, her gaze lingering momentarily on the lunch box inside the back door trash can, her fingers tightened at her side.

The two of them went up to the rooftop, one in front of the other.

Su Junxin turned to look at him, her face expressionless as she began to speak.

"Qin You, why did you—"

Her questioning tone suddenly changed when she saw the surprise in her eyes.

"What's wrong with you?"

Qin You's skin, already pale, now seemed drained of all color, even his lips. He looked as if he were so weak he could collapse at any moment.

His eyes were unnaturally red, his breathing slightly rapid, as he stared at her.

"You lied to me."

Su Junxin, still reeling from the surprise, was even more taken aback by his sudden accusation.

"Qin You, what do you mean?"

Qin You stepped closer to her, his eyebrows furrowed tightly, the look in his eyes a mix of hurt and disappointment.

He uttered each word with emphasis: "I was clearly your only friend, yet you went out to eat with others."

At his words, Su Junxin felt both amused and irritated.

"There's no necessary correlation between friends and eating, right? Besides, it's not as if I can't make new friends besides you, Qin You. You're making a big deal out of nothing!"

"And what about this?"

He held out a tube of half-used ointment in front of her, his voice strained with suppressed rage.

"You gave the gift I gave you to someone else, and you're telling me I'm overreacting?"

Su Junxin was dumbstruck.

Looking at his slightly trembling hand, the anger she had been accumulating seemed to be deflated like a punctured ball.

"...I'm sorry," she murmured, looking down.

Qin You retracted his hand and laughed at himself with a cynical smile.

"Do you think it's easy to deceive me? You don't even have to put in any effort, not even take the initiative, while I willingly approach, at your beck and call..."

Su Junxin's eyes widened in disbelief, and she quickly lifted her head to interrupt him: "No, I've never thought that way!"

"What do you mean no!" Qin You's fists were clenched, his voice hoarse, "To you, I am totally insignificant! Su Junxin, I probably don't even have the smallest corner in your heart, do I?"

He turned to leave, and Su Junxin felt a pang in her heart and impulsively reached out to grab his wrist.

"No, Qin You... listen to my explanation!"

Before she could finish, her heart suddenly contracted sharply, as if being crushed by a giant hand. The pain was so intense that she instantly lost her voice.

Qin You didn't turn back.

When he didn't hear a reply, he laughed coldly.

"What, can't even come up with an excuse now? But it's okay, I've thought of one for you. The only role I play for you... is to provide you with YC-2130, right?"

Su Junxin clutched at her chest, took a deep breath, and finally managed to get through the sharp pain.

Despite the black spots in her vision, she still lifted her gaze to look at him.

"Qin You, you are more special to me than anyone else."

She paused, catching her breath.

"Do you remember the question I asked when I first met you? The reason I asked if you had a brother who looked like you is that you look very much like someone I once knew."

Qin You slowly turned his face toward her.

His face softened slightly, but his lips remained taut.

She quietly breathed a sigh of relief, continuing, "He was a great man whose achievements I could never reach even if I dedicated my whole life to it..."

"Sounds like you admire him very much?"

She nodded, "Yes, in a way, he is the direction I strive for, and the motivation for me to keep living."

Qin You turned to look at her.

His lips slowly parted.

"Then... did you ever like him?"

Su Junxin was taken aback.

She had never considered this question before, as surviving to see the next day's sun was a more pressing concern in the post-apocalyptic world.

"There's a deep bond between you and him, right? You care about him a lot, right?"

Images of Cloud during his last moments flashed in her mind, and she subconsciously nodded.

Qin You looked at her, then suddenly broke into a smile.

He extended a hand to pull her into his embrace, holding her tight.

Su Junxin was startled and instinctively tried to push him away, but was stopped by his words.

"Sorry, what I said earlier... those were just words of anger. I thought you didn't care about me at all." His tone regained its usual cheerfulness, "As for that person, I will apologize to him."

She was stunned and blinked unknowingly.

Huh? He's... pacified just like that???

Qin You lowered his head, his nose lightly nestled in her hair, his voice muffled.

"From now on I'll also have lunch in the classroom. Will you join me?"

This request was not excessive, and since Su Junxin did not want to anger the beast that was just appeased, she agreed.

"Thank you."

Qin You squinted his eyes in satisfaction, revealing a dazzling smile, and murmured softly, "You really are the best to me."