On the phone, Song Yan’s voice was gentle: “Xiao Yuan, since you just returned to the country, I was worried it might be inconvenient for you. I’ll send someone to pick you up and take you home.”
“No need to trouble yourself, I can just take a taxi,” Si Yuan instinctively refused.
Song Yan fell silent for a moment, as if he had something to say but swallowed it back.
Was she still overthinking about what happened yesterday?
How did she become so sensitive and delicate after just a few years abroad?
“Xiao Yuan, I…”
Just as Song Yan began to speak, Jiang Wang suddenly leaned forward.
He reminded her in a low voice: “Your milk is getting cold.”
Si Yuan’s hand trembled, nearly dropping her phone.
She widened her eyes and glared at Jiang Wang, who merely raised an innocent eyebrow.
He did that on purpose!
“Who’s there with you?” Song Yan’s voice turned serious. “Xiao Yuan, where are you? Why is there a man’s voice?”
“No, no one…” Si Yuan flustered in her explanation. “I’m watching a drama, it’s the sound from the TV…”
She shot a fierce glare at Jiang Wang, who curled his lips in triumph and leisurely sipped his milk.
“I’ll come pick you up myself,” Song Yan stated firmly. “Wait at home.”
“Really, there’s no need… Brother, I can go back by myself…” Si Yuan tried to decline again.
Brother…
Ever since she returned, she had been calling him brother.
“In the past,” Song Yan suddenly interrupted, his voice low, “you never called me ‘brother’.”
Yes, she had been adopted by the Song family when she was ten.
Song Yan was only a year older than her.
She had never called him brother.
At first, it was because she wasn’t used to it.
Later, as she grew up, Si Yuan secretly wondered—if she didn’t call him brother, would that mean they weren’t related? Would she be allowed to like him then?
But later, Lin Shuangyu’s bullying, and during her treatment abroad…
Everyone repeatedly told her:
“Song Yan is your brother, he can only be your brother!”
…
It took Si Yuan a full two years to engrave this fact as an undeniable truth in her heart.
To make herself no longer have a visceral reaction to that title.
“…Wait at home.”
Song Yan finally said only this before hanging up.
Si Yuan put down her phone with relief, her palms already damp with a thin layer of sweat.
“Your brother is really good to you.”
Jiang Wang suddenly spoke, but his tone carried a hint of careless mockery.
His gaze fell on the half-exposed scar beneath Si Yuan’s sleeve, and his eyes darkened.
Si Yuan slowly withdrew her hand and answered mechanically: “He has always been a good brother.”
“Hah.”
Jiang Wang let out a scornful laugh.
“Then back when you were being bullied like that at school, why didn’t you go to your ‘good brother’ for help? Why did you come to me instead?”
Si Yuan’s pupils constricted sharply.
That day—she still couldn’t forget that day.
The rain was so heavy, so cold, so cold…
Her clothes were torn open, her face was painted beyond recognition, the burn on her back throbbed with intense pain as she was pushed onto the sports field, collapsing awkwardly in the rain.
People surrounded her, mocking her, belittling her, yet no one showed her any pity.
And no one came to save her.
And Song Yan—he was standing not far away.
Dragging her injured leg, Si Yuan thought she had found her savior. Crying, she called out Song Yan’s name, saying: “Save me… Song Yan, save me…”
He clearly saw her. He clearly heard her.
Yet he only frowned, turned around with his umbrella, and walked away.
Lin Shuangyu stood over her with an umbrella, sneering: “Yan Ge has known about your feelings for a long time. He has always found you disgusting.”
“Do you really think he smiled at you because he likes you?”
“Si Yuan, your good days are yet to come!”
Si Yuan’s dignity and personhood had actually been completely shattered at that moment.
It was also on that day that Si Yuan fled to the equipment room.
She woke Jiang Wang who had been sleeping there.
Jiang Wang looked at her – the first person whose eyes held no malice or mockery toward her.
He simply lit a cigarette, frowned and said: “Little classmate, I’m going to apply medicine. Bear with it.”
Then, she fell into another cloud of smoke.
But this smoke called Jiang Wang, though choking, didn’t bring her humiliation or pain.
The memory stopped.
“I…” Her voice trembled slightly as she sighed like someone who had narrowly escaped death: “We were all immature back then.”
Jiang Wang’s eyes suddenly turned cold. He released her and leaned back in his chair, his tone returning to its usual casual indifference: “Yes, only someone immature would seek help from someone like me.”
Si Yuan wanted to say something, but found all explanations pale and powerless.
She had indeed used Jiang Wang, in the most disgraceful way.
“I should go back.” She stood up, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible. “Thank you for breakfast.”
Jiang Wang didn’t try to stop her, but just as she reached the door, he suddenly spoke: “Si Yuan.”
She turned back.
“I’ve said before,” Jiang Wang played with the lighter in his hand, his eyes dark and unreadable, “if anyone bullies you, you can still come to me.”
Si Yuan stood stunned, unable to react for a long time.
But Jiang Wang had already withdrawn his gaze, draining the glass of milk in one go.