Fortunately, according to the doctors’ examination, Miaomiao’s postoperative recovery was progressing very well. There was no infection in the wound, and if things continued this way, she would be able to start formal rehabilitation before long.
Zhou Fan hired a professional caregiver to help look after Miaomiao. After her initial period of intense crying upon waking, Miaomiao quietly accepted reality. Despite her young age, she had become sensible far too early. She knew her brother was exhausted, so she only hid under her covers to steal a few tears in the dead of night. She did not know that on the adjacent cot, Zhou Fan was listening to her small and muffled sobs while remaining sleepless through the night.
At noon, Zhou Fan went downstairs to buy food. Just as he reached the entrance of a restaurant, he was intercepted by a burly man dressed in a suit. The man asked politely if he were student Zhou Fan. Zhou Fan looked at him and already had a guess about the man’s identity. He confirmed that he was.
As expected, once Zhou Fan nodded, the man smiled and noted that Madam Chi would like to invite him to a cafe for a few words. Just hearing that name made the heart of Zhou Fan tremble. For a while now, he had been deliberately avoiding any thoughts regarding Chi Hanqing. But he knew that what was meant to come would eventually arrive and that escaping was useless.
Zhou Fan smiled faintly and agreed. Under the polite invitation of the bodyguard, Zhou Fan sat in a Maybach parked by the curb. He expected the cafe to be nearby, but the car traveled a considerable distance. Zhou Fan watched the street scenes become increasingly familiar until Little Cloud finally appeared outside the window.
It was school hours, so the cafe was nearly empty. Through the transparent window, Zhou Fan saw a woman in a red dress whose temperament was completely out of place with her surroundings. She was sitting at the bar sipping coffee. He wondered if she were the mother of Chi Hanqing because they looked remarkably alike.
Zhou Fan entered the cafe. The owner, who was drying glasses, habitually looked up at the sound of the wind chimes. Seeing him, the owner looked surprised and pleased. He asked why Zhou Fan had not been there in so long and wondered if he had been sick. Zhou Fan noted that something happened at home and turned toward the woman.
The woman did not turn or look at him. Only after Zhou Fan drew near did she say in a cold tone for him to sit down. Zhou Fan did as he was told.
Madam Chi noted she was sure he was in no mood for pleasantries, so she would be direct. She turned to scan the face of Zhou Fan with a critical and disdainful gaze. She told him to break up with her son and let him go abroad for his studies. As a reward, she promised to hire the best doctors for his sister.
Zhou Fan found it miraculous that he felt no emotional fluctuation. Perhaps, since the day of the accident, he had been living like a member of the walking dead. He noted that even if he did not break up with the boy, he would still go abroad.
Madam Chi replied that if he did not break up with her son, the boy would continue to harbor unrealistic fantasies. She addressed him by name and stated he should understand that a family like theirs cannot allow a child to engage in homosexuality. She added that if this continued, his father would kick him out of the Chi family.
Zhou Fan froze for a second and asked instinctively if Chi Hanqing were not an only child. Madam Chi noted that on the surface he was, but in private, there were as many children ready to take his place as one could want.
Zhou Fan fell silent. Madam Chi suddenly let out a scoff as if thinking of something ridiculous. she noted her foolish son was actually willing to elope with him but asked what capital he had to be with the boy. She pointed out that his sister was only a year old and he would have to raise her for the next decade or more.
To Zhou Fan, Miaomiao could never be a burden because she was his sister and his only living relative. But he knew that raising a child required a massive amount of mental and financial energy. Zhou Fan was willing to pay that price, but he could not drag Chi Hanqing down with him for over ten years. His little prince was raised in luxury and could not be allowed to suffer with him.
If his parents were still here, Zhou Fan might have impulsively said that Chi Hanqing could just become a child of their family. But now everything was gone. The distance between them had become a total impossibility under the cruel weight of fate. Zhou Fan had known from the start that they would not last. Only a fool like Chi Hanqing would naively hold his hand and talk about attending the same university. He worried that a boy this silly might truly keep pining for him and make mistakes until he was kicked out of the family. He felt a reckless teenage romance should not lead to such a terrible consequence.
Moreover, they were both men. Zhou Fan thought of the weak Miaomiao lying in the hospital ward and gave a self mocking smile. He looked toward the school through the glass and realized the daily routine he once found boring was now a place he could never return to.
Zhou Fan looked out the window and calmly asked for money. He stated he needed a sum for his sister and himself to live on and asked her to find the best rehabilitation doctor. He promised that once the treatment was over, he would take his sister and leave for a place where Chi Hanqing could not find them so the boy could give up entirely.
Madam Chi took a bank card from her handbag while clearly prepared. She stated it contained one million. Zhou Fan took the card. The combined savings of his entire family only amounted to a little over a million, yet to Madam Chi, this was an amount she could hand over to a high schooler without a second thought. Zhou Fan looked at the card and laughed silently.
He stood up and agreed to the deal then paused to look at her again. Madam Chi was studying him with high status disdain. Zhou Fan noted that Chi Hanqing was a very good and hardworking person. He asked her to be a little kinder and more tolerant because the boy was fragile and cried easily.
Madam Chi was slightly taken aback then knit her brows and noted it was her family’s business. The implication was that it was not his place to interfere. Zhou Fan suddenly took a step closer and looked down at her with a serious expression. He told her he was serious and warned her not to push the boy too hard. He promised to break up with him but demanded she watch over him to make sure he did not do anything stupid.
Madam Chi stood up abruptly with a displeased expression. Zhou Fan noted that while he did need money, he was only eighteen and had no parents or family left. He added that in this situation, it would not be strange for him to do something impulsive. He smiled and noted that while he had a sister, a person could do anything when their heart turned cold. He warned her that if she did not agree, he could change his mind and decide to elope with Chi Hanqing, who would definitely follow him.
The face of Madam Chi darkened as she stared at Zhou Fan, but he did not flinch. Finally, she let out a cold laugh and agreed to the promise. She told him to take the money and get out.
Zhou Fan knew this was the most he could do. He put the card in his pocket and walked toward the door. As he pushed it open, the owner called out to him. The owner walked over with a smile and a bag while noting it was the sandwich he usually ordered with extra fillings. Zhou Fan hesitated and noted he did not order it, but the owner stated it was on the house. The owner patted his shoulder and noted he looked pale and had lost weight. He added that something must have happened and told the young man he needed to eat well.
Zhou Fan whispered a low thank you. On the car ride back to the hospital, he ate the sandwich while opening the chat on his phone. His thumb lingered over the contact name Treasure and the little sun emoji. Then he began to type.
He sent a message telling the boy they should break up and added that he had thought about it and could not wait for him after all. Zhou Fan knew it would be a long time before Chi Hanqing saw these messages. He restrained himself from thinking about the tears of the boy as he gritted his teeth to keep typing. He felt that text was cold and easy to use to fake the right mood.
He started a message about being fickle but deleted it and started over. He wrote that he met someone at the cafe yesterday who was very good looking and cheerful. He added that he liked the person a lot. Finally, he sent a message saying he was sorry but he already liked someone else and they should break up.
Zhou Fan felt that the person who loves you most knows exactly where to strike to hurt you. He looked at the words he sent and felt like a complete bastard. He knew his history of numerous ex boyfriends added credibility to the lies. He put his phone away and looked out the window. Red leaves covered the ground and the sun was bright. The tail of summer had finally left and the cold of autumn and winter had finally arrived.