Chapter Twenty-Nine

"Well, I suppose that was a bit difficult for you. Let’s try something simpler," Yu Xingyue said.

"As long as you’re not asking me to call myself an idiot, anything else is fine," Xiao Jian replied.

"Then how about you go outside the villa and shout, 'Yu Xingyue is the coolest! He’s my idol!' That should be easy enough, right?"

"Yu, you’re so full of yourself. But I like that about you," Xiao Jian laughed. Without further ado, he went outside. No one knew how long it was before Yu Xingyue’s phone rang—it was Xiao Jian calling. Yu Xingyue had said that it would count if everyone heard it over the phone. On the other end, Xiao Jian’s voice boomed, "Yu Xingyue is the coolest! He’s my idol!"

Everyone heard it, and the entire room erupted in laughter. Yu Xingyue was speechless. Xiao Jian had followed his instructions, but he’d been a bit too thorough about it.

Five minutes later, Xiao Jian returned, drenched in sweat. It had taken him five minutes to get from inside to outside and another five to make his way back—the Wang Tianqi residence was just that enormous.

Huang Feifan handed him a tissue. "Seeing how much you’ve been through, I’d be a monster not to give you a tissue."

"Yeah, right. Like you’d think that if you hadn’t," Xiao Jian scoffed.

Now it was Yu Li’s turn. Yu Li rarely spoke, so asking her to tell the truth was a little much. Wang Tianqi wanted to change her challenge to a dare, but Yu Li insisted on truth. Wang Tianqi had no choice but to fetch paper and pen from the next room so Yu Li could write her answer.

Xiao Jian typed on his phone and showed it to Yu Li: "Of all of us, who do you think treats you the best?"

It wasn’t right to ask a child a tough question, so Xiao Jian had picked something simple for Yu Li to answer. She pondered for a moment, then started to write. About a minute later, she held up her heartfelt response for everyone to see.

She had written: "I think everyone treats me very well. Even though Wang Tianqi and I used to argue, she’s changed. No matter what happens, we’ll always be a team."

Yu Li’s sincerity moved everyone. Without a word, Chen Siyu scooped her into her arms and showered her face with kisses. Even Lin Zimo, caught up by the warmth, couldn’t help but pinch Yu Li’s cheek.

Yu Li couldn’t move in Chen Siyu’s embrace. Yu Xingyue told Chen Siyu to let her go—Yu Li had more to say. Released, Yu Li wrote on the paper, "I love you all the most!"

"We love you too, little Raindrop!" Xiao Jian immediately lunged forward to hug Yu Li, only to be blocked by her right foot.

"Ugh, I’ve been rejected by little Raindrop," Xiao Jian moaned, sulking in the corner.

"Is it really that dramatic? Huang Feifan’s dare is done, so it’s only Siyu left," Lin Zimo remarked.

Chen Siyu smiled. "I wonder what question little Yu Li will have for her big sister?"

Yu Li shook her pen, then wrote on the paper. When she finished, she handed it to Chen Siyu, who read the question: "Do you dislike Brother Huang Feifan?"

"Ah!" Chen Siyu cried out, drawing everyone’s attention. Xiao Jian, curious, tried to sneak a look at the paper, but Chen Siyu guarded it fiercely. "Stingy," Xiao Jian muttered. In truth, Chen Siyu hadn’t expected such a sudden question from Yu Li. If she said she disliked Huang Feifan, wouldn’t that hurt him? But if she said she didn’t, how would she explain everything that happened before?

Wang Tianqi noticed Chen Siyu’s reaction and couldn’t help but smirk. She could guess that Yu Li’s question must have been a doozy, otherwise Chen Siyu wouldn’t be so flustered.

Clearing her throat, Chen Siyu composed herself and answered, "Yu Li asked me if I dislike Huang Feifan. All I can say is, we’re like family and should help each other. Our bond is too strong for dislike, right?"

It was a weak excuse. Wang Tianqi just shook her head—she could tell this wasn’t Siyu’s true feelings, just a way to brush off Yu Li and Huang Feifan, not wanting Huang Feifan to know how she really felt.

Huang Feifan frowned. In Chen Siyu’s eyes, was he really just family and nothing more? But maybe that was for the best—at least she wouldn’t tease him anymore.

And so the game of Truth or Dare ended. The rest of the day passed at Wang Tianqi’s house, some reading, some napping. They were all happy there, except for poor Zhang Yi, who was still in the hospital.

At that moment, Zhang Yi lay on his hospital bed, staring at the clear sky outside. Suddenly, a clap of thunder—then rain poured down in sheets. His mood mirrored the storm, though he couldn’t quite put his feelings into words.

What had happened with Yu Xingyue had given him a bit of perspective about the future, but it was fleeting. Soon, he was back to his old, withdrawn self, brooding over his injured right arm.

"Sigh, is this the end of the road for my arm?" Zhang Yi muttered, turning over and burying his head under the pillow, trying to calm down. But the sudden movement made his arm throb with pain—so much that sweat broke out on his forehead. Fortunately, a nurse rushed in to help and reminded him not to move like that.

He wanted to stretch his arm, but the pain was unbearable. The more he tried, the worse it got. Eventually, he gave up, gritting his teeth. "Damn it! I’m not willing to accept this!"

The doctor had told him to rest, but Zhang Yi couldn’t keep still. Using his right arm was impossible—the doctor had warned him that if he pushed it, he might even lose the arm.

"No, I have to calm down. The more anxious I am, the more I need to cool my head. I should focus on recovering—maybe I’ll heal in time." With that, Zhang Yi stopped struggling. He lay back, emptying his mind. For the sake of his recovery, he would have to follow the doctor’s orders. Full recovery would be best; otherwise, there could be lasting effects.

The patient in the next bed watched Zhang Yi and seemed to understand his frustration. But there was nothing for it: in the hospital, you had to obey the doctors. Zhang Yi noticed him. "Hey there, how did you end up here?"

"Well, I got into a fight, I suppose. And by the way, I’m not a guy," the person answered.

"Huh? You’re not a guy?" Zhang Yi looked more closely and realized she was a girl with short hair—a tomboy, as people would say. She was pretty cool, with a heart-shaped bandage on her face. Her left eye was a clear blue, the right a normal black.

After a hesitant pause, Zhang Yi asked, "May I ask your name?"

"My name? Well, it’s a name I gave myself. Are you sure you want to know?"

"You picked it yourself? That’s interesting."

"Take it or leave it. I’m going to sleep now," she said, turning over.

"Don’t go to sleep! It’s not often I get someone to chat with. So, what’s your name?" Zhang Yi pressed.

"...Li Li."

"Li Li, huh? That’s a bit awkward to say. I’ll just call you Brother Li," Zhang Yi said.

"Call me whatever you like."

They fell into silence, the air growing awkward. Zhang Yi wanted to ask more but sensed it wasn’t the right time. Maybe tomorrow would be better, but he couldn’t stop himself. The words spilled out, "Brother Li, why haven’t your family come to visit you?"

"Family..." Li Li said nothing more. Realizing he’d touched a sore spot, Zhang Yi quickly apologized. "Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked."

"It’s fine. Lots of people have asked me. I’ve never had a family—I’ve survived by stealing money. This time in the hospital is just an accident. Otherwise, I’d still be out there, living my life." Li Li smiled, but it was a bitter smile.

"How did you get by all these years?"

"I told you—by stealing. I’m used to it. I don’t want to work. All I want is enough money to buy whatever I want."

"But don’t you know that’s against the law?" Zhang Yi asked.

Li Li laughed. "Ha! You’re so naive. If the law worked, would I be here chatting with you right now?"

Zhang Yi fell silent, noticing Li Li staring up at the ceiling lamp, tears trickling from the corners of her eyes. Life hadn’t been kind to her.

"Why do you, a girl, dress like a boy?" Zhang Yi asked.

"You do ask a lot of questions. I’ll answer one last time. Dresses and hair clips are too girly. I prefer motorcycles, football, and dumbbells—exciting stuff that boys get to do but girls don’t." Li Li turned away, not wanting to talk anymore.

Zhang Yi couldn’t quite figure her out. Outwardly, she claimed she liked boyish things and dressed as a boy for fun, but he sensed she was still a girl at heart, longing for beauty. Perhaps she dressed this way to protect herself. Still, Zhang Yi couldn’t quite guess what was on her mind.

The next morning, when Zhang Yi woke, Li Li’s bed was empty. He assumed she’d been discharged, but then heard an announcement over the hospital’s PA system—Li Li hadn’t completed her treatment but had left the hospital on her own. The hospital would be reporting her to the police to help find her.

"What a fiery girl—leaving before her injuries healed! Impressive," Zhang Yi thought. He admired her courage. Breaking out of the hospital before she was well was something he’d never dare. If he left with his arm still hurt, he’d risk amputation.

Zhang Yi lay back down and turned his pillow over, only to find a note. He picked it up—it was from Li Li. It read: "I’m gone. I took your money with me as I left. Thanks. —Li Li."

He quickly checked his usual pants and felt the pockets. He could only sigh in exasperation. "Seriously? She didn’t even leave me a hundred yuan. At least leave me something to live on!"