The apology was laced with sarcasm, and his eyes were filled with undisguised malice. The hospital room fell silent, the only sound the footsteps of people passing by outside. Before Cheng Shuoning could speak, Han Tian, already exasperated, grabbed Cheng Meng’s arm, trying to drag him out. The grip was too strong, and Cheng Meng struggled unsuccessfully to break free. Meeting Han Tian’s warning gaze, he grinned, shoved Han Tian away, and smoothed the wrinkles in his clothes.
He sat casually on the chair beside him, crossed his legs, and propped his chin on his hand, looking at Cheng Shuoning with a leisurely air. "Why so quiet, little brother? Did I hit a nerve? Sorry, you know I’m not good with words."
"If you can’t speak well, then don’t speak at all. No one wants to hear you," Cheng Shuoning replied, placing the bowl he was holding on the table. He was used to Cheng Meng’s sarcastic tone and knew what attitude would irritate him the most. With a faint smile, he said, "White chrysanthemums suit you better. Instead of giving them to me, you should give them to yourself. One is too few; you could buy a few more."
From as far back as he could remember, Cheng Meng had despised him. As a child, Cheng Shuoning didn’t understand what it meant to be disliked. He followed Cheng Meng around, calling him "brother," wanting to play with him. But every time, Cheng Meng would push him away, curse him harshly, and even wish for his early demise.
Once Cheng Shuoning realized Cheng Meng genuinely hated him, he stopped trying to interact with him. Yet, Cheng Meng, contrary to his usual behavior, seized every opportunity to mock him sarcastically. Even now, Cheng Shuoning couldn’t understand where Cheng Meng’s "malice" towards him stemmed from.
Cheng Meng’s smile stiffened slightly. He brushed his bangs back and laughed softly. "It seems my little brother doesn’t like the flower I gave. How about the one on my shirt? Do you like it?"
Cheng Shuoning didn’t look at him, picking up a book from the table and opening it. "It suits you. Good taste."
Cheng Meng was about to say something when Han Tian shouted impatiently, "Enough already! Ning Ning needs to rest. Get out!"
Cheng Meng stood up. "Then I won’t disturb you. Remember to rest well, little brother, and take care of that head injury."
The words sounded strange, and Cheng Shuoning looked at Cheng Meng, meeting his eyes filled with a false smile.
‘What a pity, only your forehead was injured. Why didn’t that person hit you to death? Looks like I need to try harder next time to make sure you can’t get out of bed.’
The sinister voice made Cheng Shuoning’s pupils contract, and he tightened his grip on the book. He had been wondering how someone could have knocked him down in such a wide cinema hallway. Now he understood. That person was sent by Cheng Meng, deliberately to hit him.
"Hurry up and get out," Han Tian growled, seeing Cheng Meng still hadn’t left, and picked up a chair, ready to throw it at him.
Cheng Meng turned around. "I’m leaving, little brother."
"Stop," Cheng Shuoning closed the book and spoke calmly. "Take your things with you."
Cheng Meng paused, turned his head, and smiled. "What things…"
Seeing the cold expression on the boy sitting on the bed, Cheng Meng raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised. "Is little brother angry?"
No matter how much he mocked Cheng Shuoning before, he had never seen him so cold. It seemed he had finally provoked him this time.
Cheng Shuoning ignored him, looking down slightly at the crushed flowers on the floor. No one could see the expression on his face.
Han Tian, tired of holding the chair, threw it to the ground, glanced at Cheng Shuoning, and impatiently urged, "Are you deaf? Pick up your flowers and get out!"
Cheng Meng crouched down, picked up the flowers from the floor, and just as he was about to leave, the boy’s calm voice came again, "Pick up everything."
Several petals were scattered on the floor, very noticeable.
Cheng Meng almost couldn’t resist throwing the flowers in his hand at Cheng Shuoning’s head. He laughed angrily, crouched down again, picked up the petals, and even used a tissue to wipe the floor clean. He looked up at Cheng Shuoning, "Is that enough? Little brother is really lucky to have someone watching over him. If I didn’t do it, I’d probably get beaten to death."
‘I’ll endure this time, but next time I’ll make you pay.’
Cheng Shuoning’s eyes remained calm, as if he hadn’t heard Cheng Meng’s sarcastic words. He picked up the book and continued reading. "You can leave now."
The indifference, as if dismissing someone irrelevant, made Cheng Meng’s fingers tighten, almost crushing the flowers in his palm. He gritted his teeth and left, slamming the door with great force.
The loud bang was deafening, but it didn’t disturb the boy on the bed, whose expression remained indifferent.
Han Tian walked out. "Ning Ning, I’ll go see if he’s really gone. He’s too much."
Cheng Shuoning turned a page in his book, murmuring an acknowledgment, remaining calm throughout.
Han Tian hesitated at the door, glanced at Cheng Shuoning, and finally left the room.
*
Cheng Meng was sitting on a bench at the hospital entrance, as if he had anticipated Han Tian would come over.
Han Tian walked over, sat beside him, and asked irritably, "What do you mean by this? Why did you suddenly come over and cause such a scene?"
Cheng Meng lazily replied, "I was afraid that if I didn’t visit him, our parents would say I was heartless."
"What do you mean by giving him white chrysanthemums? Do you really hate him that much?" Han Tian asked. "Do you wish he were dead?"
"You’re asking me that?" Cheng Meng couldn’t help but laugh. "Don’t you dislike him too?"
"That’s different. I just find him a bit troublesome," Han Tian frowned, feeling a bit displeased.
Cheng Meng was telling the truth, but why did it make him so uncomfortable? It shouldn’t be like this.
"Yes, I hate him. I wish every day that he would die and disappear from my sight. Unfortunately, after praying for over a decade, it hasn’t worked." Cheng Meng hooked an arm around Han Tian’s neck. "Don’t be so angry. Do you want me to comfort you?"
He kissed Han Tian’s cheek, then pushed him away. "Alright, don’t be angry. I came over today because I felt a bit wronged that you spent so much time with him, and I couldn’t see you. So I couldn’t help but come over to see you."
Han Tian glared at him coldly, then suddenly smiled, patting Cheng Meng’s head. "Don’t do this again without telling me. It caught me off guard. Now that you’ve seen me, go back."
Cheng Meng threw the flowers into a trash can, clapped his hands, and reminded, "He seems different now. Could he have discovered something? Look at his attitude towards me today. He never acted like this before."
This startled Han Tian, who stopped Cheng Meng from leaving. "Come to think of it, I’ve never understood why you hate Ning Ning so much. Did he do something to make you hate him?"
"What about you?" Cheng Meng countered with a smile.
"It’s not really hate. It’s more like I’m tired of him. I’ve seen him too much and got annoyed. Compared to someone like him, I prefer someone like you who’s more proactive." Han Tian shrugged, looking innocent.
Cheng Meng clicked his tongue and turned to leave. "I’m not like you. I genuinely hate him. He hasn’t done anything hateful, but just his existence is enough for me to hate him. He shouldn’t have been born into this world, shouldn’t have the surname Cheng."
……
When Han Tian returned to the hospital room, the boy had somehow gotten out of bed and was standing by the window, looking outside. The golden sunlight fell on him, giving his short black hair a radiant glow, making him look dazzling.
Whatever he saw made the corners of his lips lift slightly, his delicate, fair profile looking incredibly gentle.
Han Tian couldn’t help but smile too, walking over. "Ning Ning, what are you looking at?"
"Nothing," Cheng Shuoning turned, his smile fading a bit. "You should go back to school."
Han Tian, recalling Cheng Meng’s words, awkwardly said, "I’ve already taken leave. I’ll stay with you this week."
Cheng Shuoning responded with an "oh," not saying anything more, his attitude noticeably colder than before.
The excessive silence and stillness made Han Tian uncomfortable, so he started a conversation. "I didn’t see Cheng Meng when I went out. Next time I see him, I won’t let him off. Ning Ning, don’t try to stop me this time. Cheng Meng deserves a beating."
Expecting a reprimand that never came, Han Tian looked up to see Cheng Shuoning looking at his phone, seemingly indifferent to him. "Ning Ning? Did you hear what I just said?"
"I heard," Cheng Shuoning replied flatly. "What’s the matter?"
"Nothing, it’s just that you always used to tell me not to do anything to Cheng Meng. I thought you’d say the same this time." Han Tian clenched his fists. "He’s gone too far. This time, no matter what, I won’t let him go. Even if you tell me to ignore him, I won’t hold back."
Cheng Shuoning pondered for a moment, then smiled at Han Tian. "So what do you plan to do to him?"
Not expecting such a response, Han Tian was taken aback, then seriously replied, "I’ll beat him up and make him apologize to you."
Cheng Shuoning nodded, not believing Han Tian’s words, and continued looking at his phone.
The class group chat was unusually active, and Cheng Shuoning couldn’t help but click on Xu Wangzhi’s profile picture. It was a green umbrella, looking somewhat familiar, though he couldn’t recall why.
*
A week later, Cheng Shuoning was discharged from the hospital. Han Tian didn’t come that day; it was Zhou Xundu, back from a business trip, who came to pick him up.
Wearing a black suit and glasses, the man got out of the car, his handsome face full of gentle smiles, exuding an elegant and noble aura that drew many eyes as he stopped in front of Cheng Shuoning.
"You’ve lost a lot of weight. I’m sorry I couldn’t be here to take care of you," Zhou Xundu said, his eyes full of heartache.
Cheng Shuoning shook his head. "No need to apologize. I’m fine now."
Having known Zhou Xundu for many years, he was always gentle, patient, and attentive, noticing details others would miss. Whenever Cheng Shuoning encountered something he couldn’t solve or was troubled by, he would turn to him. Zhou Xundu would listen carefully, comfort him, cheer him up, and then help him find a solution.
The man was about to open the passenger door, but Cheng Shuoning beat him to it, getting in first.
Zhou Xundu withdrew his hand, looking at Cheng Shuoning, his long eyes behind the glasses curving slightly. He sighed meaningfully, "Ah Ning has grown up."
Cheng Shuoning removed his baseball cap, retorting, "I haven’t been a child for a long time."
Zhou Xundu chuckled, his eyes full of indulgence as he closed the car door. After getting into the driver’s seat, he handed Cheng Shuoning some prepared snacks. "I’ll take you to eat. What do you want?"
Cheng Shuoning wasn’t very hungry, not even interested in his usual favorite snacks. He placed his cap aside, opened a plum candy, and put it in his mouth. When he instinctively wanted to give one to Zhou Xundu, he realized the action was a bit too intimate. Remembering Han Tian’s words, he stopped.
"Is this for me?" Zhou Xundu, noticing his hesitation, smiled and leaned closer to Cheng Shuoning.
Feeling the warm breath, Cheng Shuoning looked at the man’s face so close to his and backed away slightly, creating some distance.
This obvious gesture of resistance didn’t escape Zhou Xundu’s notice. He didn’t mind, fastening the passenger seatbelt and glancing at the plum candy in Cheng Shuoning’s hand, silently indicating.
‘Isn’t it for me?’
The thought made Cheng Shuoning realize, and he handed the candy to him, letting him open it himself.
"Did something happen while I was away? Did you have a fight with Han Tian?" Zhou Xundu asked softly as the car started.
"No," Cheng Shuoning replied quietly, looking out the window.
At a red light, Zhou Xundu turned to look at the person beside him, his voice gentle. "Ning Ning, don’t keep things bottled up. It’ll only make you feel worse."
Cheng Shuoning silently opened the car window.
Outside, the wind had picked up, tousling the boy’s bangs. He squinted slightly, watching the pedestrians on the road, and chuckled softly. "Do you all dislike me?"