Chapter 41 – Standard Answer

Fortunately, Jiang Lou’s ribs were not broken.

The next day, after going to the hospital for an X-ray, it was determined that he had a minor bone fracture that could be treated conservatively.

The main treatment involved external fixation and pain management. Elastic chest bands and adhesive tapes were used for stabilization, and although epidural anesthesia was recommended, Jiang Lou found it troublesome and instead opted for pain medication before returning to school.

When Li Tang noticed that Jiang Lou had taken half a day off and didn’t participate in the morning run, he tried calling him during break time using his phone. When Jiang Lou didn’t answer, Li Tang sent him a message asking if he was injured from the previous night’s match.

Upon returning to school, Jiang Lou checked his phone in the car and saw a series of messages from Li Tang. He couldn’t help but marvel at how accurate Li Tang’s intuition was.

There was no way to hide it, so Jiang Lou decided not to reveal the full truth. He simply said that his opponent last night was tough and that he sustained some superficial injuries.

Li Tang ruthlessly saw through his lie: “Would you go to the hospital for superficial injuries?”

At noon, upon returning to school, Jiang Lou was intercepted by Li Tang at the school gate and then “escorted” into a stall in the men’s restroom where he had to take off his shirt for inspection.

Seeing the bandages wrapped around Jiang Lou’s torso, Li Tang knew that the injury must have been more serious than just skin-deep. His fingers lightly touched the bruised and swollen area under the skin, remaining silent for a long moment. When Jiang Lou turned around, he saw that Li Tang’s eyes were already red and glossy with unshed tears.

Feeling a sudden pang of emotion, Jiang Lou put his arm around Li Tang and pulled him into an embrace. “It’s nothing serious, I’ll be fine after resting for a couple of days.”

Li Tang sobbed against his shoulder. “Who was your opponent? How vicious, to beat someone up like this…and you lost…do you get paid for losing?”

Jiang Lou chuckled when he realized Li Tang still cared about his income, but the vibration from his laughter caused a sharp pain in his wound, making his face pale.

Afterward, Li Tang couldn’t help but express his concern. “Good thing I’ve gotten used to the morning runs now, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to carry me.”

He was referring to the initial period of morning runs when Li Tang’s joints hurt so much that he couldn’t walk. Once, when no one was around, Jiang Lou scooped Li Tang up in a princess carry and carried him from the comprehensive building back to the classroom building without breaking a sweat.

But Jiang Lou insisted, “I can still carry you.”

And with that, he was about to act on his words, which scared Li Tang into holding him back. “Please, you’re the patient right now.”

Then, Li Tang tiptoed and kissed Jiang Lou on the lips.

Li Tang smiled and said, “During the time it takes for you to recover, I’ll take the initiative.”

That’s what he said, but in reality, everyone was frantically busy with the upcoming exams.

Aside from studying, Li Tang had something else to consider. The new class teacher called him to the office and asked if he had any intention of transferring his academic records to their school.

“I’ve looked over your grades from last semester, and they show steady improvement. Our school has always been eager to absorb outstanding students, as they say, ‘don’t let the cream of the crop flow elsewhere’,” the teacher explained emotionally. “Of course, if you don’t want to transfer here, it’s fine as long as you remain a student of Xucheng No.1 High School.”

Li Tang himself didn’t mind transferring his academic records. Although taking the exam in the capital city would benefit him, as long as his records weren’t in Xucheng No.1 High School, he was technically still a transfer student, lacking a sense of belonging and stability.

If it were before, he might have hesitated, but now that he was dating Jiang Lou and had made many friends here, the thought of returning had faded. Moreover, keeping his records in Xucheng No.1 High School meant that Li Yuanshan couldn’t easily “relocate” him back to the capital city whenever he wanted, which gave Li Tang peace of mind.

So Li Tang called Li Yuanshan and tactfully expressed his desire to transfer his academic records.

As expected, Li Yuanshan did not agree, reacting even more intensely than Li Tang had anticipated. “No, you’re not allowed to transfer. Are you out of your mind? People want to settle in the capital and have the capital’s academic records, but you want to throw away something good that’s in your hands?”

Li Tang tried to reason. “My grades are pretty good now, I can score well without having to return to the capital for exams…”

“I don’t care about your grades,” Li Yuanshan impatiently interrupted. “I agreed to let you go to Xucheng, not to settle there permanently.”

“If it weren’t for Master Zhang saying that my fortune these two years has been poor because I kept your mother by my side and needed to send her back south, why would I go through so much trouble?”

Li Tang knew who Master Zhang was. Since Li Yuanshan started doing business, he had become particularly superstitious about fortune and feng shui. This Master Zhang once pointed out a “bright path” for Li Yuanshan when his company was at a crossroads during its transformation, and since then, the company had flourished and grown stronger. Li Yuanshan also became increasingly trusting of Master Zhang, sending him all sorts of rare antiques and curiosities.

Once, Master Zhang casually pointed to the fish pond in the yard, which had cost a fortune to build, and said that having the water inlet on the west side was inauspicious. Li Yuanshan immediately had people come to demolish and rebuild the fish pond that very day.

Therefore, it wasn’t surprising that Li Yuanshan listened to Master Zhang, but…

Li Tang asked, “Didn’t you say that sending mom back to Xucheng was to let her rest and recover?”

“It was partly for that reason,” Li Yuanshan vaguely replied. “Has your mother gone out recently?”

Li Tang was surprised to realize that every now and then, Li Yuanshan would ask him if Zhang Zhaoyue had left the house.

Initially, he assumed that his father was concerned about his mother’s health, but now he found it odd.

“Not really,” Li Tang evasively answered. “During the day, I’m at school, and when I come home at night, mom is always at home.”

He didn’t tell Li Yuanshan about the night Zhang Zhaoyue said she was visiting an old friend and didn’t return until midnight.

This didn’t mean he wasn’t suspicious.

After hanging up, Li Tang thought that if returning to Xucheng wasn’t his mother’s original intention, then whom did she meet that day?

Was it really that friend who had a similar experience to Jiang Lou?

On the weekend, to avoid disturbing Jiang Lou’s rest and recovery, Li Tang didn’t visit his home.

However, Jiang Lou couldn’t stay in bed, waking up early to work on problems for a while before getting ready and leaving the house.

He found out through the official website that there was a luxury store in the city center mall. Coincidentally, the prize money from the competition had already arrived in his account. Although he hadn’t figured out the right moment to give the gift, buying it first and being prepared was always a good idea.

Upon arrival, he learned that he had to queue up. Standing in line, Jiang Lou listened to the girls in front and behind him chatting about how they had to wait for hours inside…He took out his phone again to check online and was relieved to find out that the necklace he wanted to buy wasn’t a popular model, so it didn’t require any additional purchases or reservations.

After waiting in line for half an hour, he finally entered the store, thinking he could choose and pay at the counter and leave. However, he was led to a sofa booth and had to wait another ten minutes before someone came to serve him.

Jiang Lou showed a picture on his phone and requested the red enamel version of the rose necklace. The sales associate glanced at him subtly, seemingly wondering why such a young boy would come to buy this, given his attire didn’t suggest he was wealthy.

However, as long as the customer paid, they were always the boss. After swiping the card, the sales associate packed the item with a smile and flattered Jiang Lou with closed eyes. “Although this necklace isn’t a sold-out model, it’s still unique and beautiful. Are you buying it for your girlfriend, sir?”

The store didn’t serve more than three customers at a time, so it wasn’t noisy.

Jiang Lou was in a surprisingly good mood, looking at the exquisite pendant placed in the jewelry box, the corners of his lips slightly lifting. “No, it’s for my boyfriend.”

Upon leaving the store and facing the bustling streets, the cacophony of sounds hit Jiang Lou, causing him to frown.

And the task he had to do next annoyed him even more.

He opened his call log and dialed the missed call from a few days ago.

The call was picked up after two rings. Jiang Lou said expressionlessly, “Let’s meet.”

Zhang Zhaoyue arrived at the city center mall twenty minutes later.

Taking the elevator upstairs, she stepped out and saw Jiang Lou sitting in a coffee shop by the floor-to-ceiling windows.

He hadn’t ordered anything, not even coffee. In front of him was a glass of free tap water provided by the store. Upon seeing Zhang Zhaoyue arrive, he merely lifted his eyes faintly, showing no emotional fluctuation—reminding Zhang Zhaoyue of their meeting twelve years ago, when the boy waiting at the train station entrance didn’t flash a smile upon seeing her, but the light in his eyes betrayed his joy.

That was the light of anticipation and happiness, contrasting starkly with the current situation.

Suppressing the bitter taste in her throat, Zhang Zhaoyue thought to herself that this was how it should be.

Given how I treated him back then, this is how he should treat me now.

Their last meeting had been too dark for Zhang Zhaoyue to get a good look at Jiang Lou. This time, in the brightly lit mall, she had the chance to study him closely.

In terms of both physique and facial features, the youth in front of her had matured into an adult. During the twelve years she had deliberately avoided looking at him, he had endured countless hardships, stumbling through life, yet he had grown up so well.

Except for his ear…

She couldn’t help but fixate on his left ear, recalling how the waiter had to speak to him earlier, forcing him to turn his right ear toward him. The focused look on his face tugged at Zhang Zhaoyue’s heart.

His complexion seemed paler than the last time she saw him, and he appeared thinner…

Picking up the menu beside the table, Zhang Zhaoyue forced a smile. “You haven’t had lunch yet, right? Let’s order some food.”

It seemed that Jiang Lou had anticipated her question. Without hesitation, he said, “Order whatever you want to eat yourself. I’ll finish saying what I have to say and then leave.”

Without waiting for Zhang Zhaoyue’s reaction, he pulled out a bank card from his pocket and threw it on the table.

“The money you gave me is all in here, the password is your birthday.” At this point, Jiang Lou paused. “Don’t think too much about it. When I was a kid, I found your divorce certificate with dad at home, which had your ID number on it.”

These two sentences made Zhang Zhaoyue panic. “This money is yours, legally and—”

“Legally and morally?” Jiang Lou smiled. “But I feel that there’s no sentiment between us. We can discuss legal matters when the court decides. I have no reason to accept this ‘compensation’ from you in advance.”

He referred to it as “compensation” rather than “maintenance fees.” Zhang Zhaoyue understood that he was drawing a clear line between them, not considering her as a mother and therefore not needing her support.

He treated her as if she were doing charity.

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Zhaoyue cleared her thoughts before speaking. “Jiang Lou, you don’t have to do this…I know you’re close to Li Tang and can guess that you want to take revenge on me. I don’t know exactly how you plan to do it, but I just want to ask, have you considered that doing this will not only ruin him but also destroy yourself?”

Jiang Lou found it laughable. “Destroy? Did you ever reconsider destroying my life and dad’s life when you returned to Xucheng back then? Did you ever reconsider destroying his life?”

“I didn’t want it to happen, I never expected it to end up like that.” Over the years, Zhang Zhaoyue had been trying to avoid recalling this memory. “Li Tang was only five years old back then; he just wanted to find me, he was just too eager…”

“Enough.” Jiang Lou didn’t want to listen to her excuses. “Rest assured, I won’t harm Li Tang.”

I won’t harm him—this was the compromise Jiang Lou had made after careful consideration.

In essence, it was a concession. He feared losing Li Tang more than the failure of revenge.

With that, Jiang Lou stood up to leave, and Zhang Zhaoyue hurriedly got up as well. “…What did you say?”

Jiang Lou calmly replied, “You can trust my words. I’m different from you.”

Zhang Zhaoyue felt another sting. Twelve years ago, she had pulled away from Jiang Lou’s hand, telling him to consider her as if she was never his mother.

Twelve years later, she not only returned to Xucheng but also attempted to reclaim her role as a mother, even hoping not to be hated by her child and longing for him to call her “mom.”

Regardless of whether people’s hearts change or circumstances evolve, she had broken her promise.

Under the intertwined emotions of shame and disappointment, Zhang Zhaoyue felt a surge of heat, about to shed tears once more.

She knew that Jiang Lou’s initiative to see her this time was the first and last.

He was settling accounts with her, severing ties with her completely, fulfilling the words she had spoken twelve years ago.

In the end, as if reversing the scene from twelve years ago, Zhang Zhaoyue grabbed Jiang Lou’s arm, choking up and futilely saying, “I didn’t want to…it’s that I couldn’t…”

Not that I didn’t want to return, not that I didn’t miss you, but that I couldn’t do it.

The tug on Jiang Lou’s wound caused him to furrow his brows, but he sneered. “It’s not that you couldn’t, but that you didn’t want it enough.”

Over the years, there were countless times when he felt despair creeping in, thinking it was impossible to overcome. But each time, he persevered.

Reality repeatedly told him that the phrase “man can conquer nature” wasn’t empty rhetoric. As long as the desire to live was strong enough, there would always be hope to overcome obstacles, even if it was a single matchstick in the dead of winter or a solitary star in the darkest night.

The same applied to everything else.

So there were no excuses. It was simply a fear of the collapse of the comfortable life at hand, simply not wanting it enough, not desiring it strongly enough.

Stepping outside, Jiang Lou took a deep breath of fresh air, finally feeling a sense of relief as if a burden had been lifted.

Touching the jewelry box in his pocket, he couldn’t help but anticipate Li Tang’s expression when he received it.

Smiling genuinely for the first time that day, Jiang Lou wondered how a young master raised in the care of his parents, enjoying fine clothes and delicacies, could be so delighted by receiving a bouquet of red roses.

Almost simultaneously, at the same location, Li Tang looked down from the second-floor railing of the mall to confirm who the two people sitting by the window of the coffee shop were. After his initial shock, he fell into confusion.

He had gone to Su Qinhan’s place to study liberal arts today. At noon, Su Qinhan said she wanted to try the new dessert shop in the mall, and he happened to want to taste it as well, so they came together. He didn’t expect to see his mother and Jiang Lou here, sitting at the same table, facing each other.

After a brief conversation, Jiang Lou got up to leave, and Zhang Zhaoyue sat in her seat for a few more minutes, continuously wiping her eyes. When Zhang Zhaoyue also left, Li Tang followed her involuntarily.

Getting into a taxi, Li Tang called Su Qinhan, who was still in line, and said he had something to take care of and would head home first.

As he approached home, Li Tang hesitated before sending Jiang Lou a message, asking where he was. Jiang Lou replied: “At home, just woke up.”

Gripping his phone tightly for no apparent reason. As someone accustomed to lying, Li Tang knew that lies told unnecessarily were often the most suspicious.

When he got out of the car, the family car was already parked in the courtyard.

Walking towards the house, still about ten meters away from the main gate, he heard the loud argument coming from inside, one voice belonging to Zhang Zhaoyue, the other to Li Yuanshan, who had returned at some point.

“Where have you been? Who did you meet? Why are you beating around the bush with me here?”

“I can go wherever I want, do I need to report to you?”

“You went to see that little bastard, didn’t you? I knew you would take advantage of my absence to meet him!”

“He’s my son, watch your mouth!”

“You admit it, huh? Huh, I knew it. You said you wouldn’t go to see him, but blood is thicker than water, right? You couldn’t bear it, could you?”

“I just wanted to help him. The maintenance fees I gave him were taken by his aunt, and he’s had a hard time alone these years…”

“It hasn’t been easy for me either! Such a large sum of money was given away just like that. He fought with someone and went deaf, and I paid for his surgery and hearing aids. I’ve done everything possible for him! As for you, we signed a contract on white paper, you were supposed to stay here until Li Tang turns twenty, and only be a mother to Li Tang!”

“I know, I know, no need to remind me…I’m human, not a machine. I have feelings, and I can’t bear to part with Li Tang. If you hadn’t pressured me so much back then, I wouldn’t have run away, and Li Tang wouldn’t have followed me, and his father wouldn’t have died…”

“You’re blaming me now?”

“Of course, I blame you! If you hadn’t insisted on sending me back to Xucheng, I wouldn’t have seen him again, and I wouldn’t have—”

Her voice suddenly stopped.

Because Zhang Zhaoyue caught a glimpse of the figure standing at the door out of the corner of her eye.

That night, Li Tang tossed and turned, sometimes dreaming of the butterfly that frequently appeared in his dreams, and other times seeing real-life scenes, like Zhang Zhaoyue’s tearful face.

He heard himself ask, “So, Jiang Lou, is he my brother?”

There was no friend with a similar experience. When all possibilities were eliminated, the remaining possibility, no matter how bizarre, was the correct answer.

Zhang Zhaoyue moved her lips but didn’t answer, her tears flowing even more profusely.

Beside her, Li Yuanshan, unexpectedly reined in his usual irritability and became unusually quiet. Even when Li Tang asked him if it was true, he didn’t dare nod or deny it.

Waking up, Li Tang looked at his haggard self in the mirror, with no mood to tidy up or groom. Instead, he pondered how it could be true.

Why couldn’t it be just a dream?

As he was about to leave, Zhang Zhaoyue followed him to the door, hesitating to speak.

Li Tang wanted to ask her something, but when he turned around, he forgot what it was.

Deciding not to ask, he knew enough to piece together the truth.

He said as usual, “I’m going to school,” knowing that no one was listening.

On the rainy Monday, everything had a musty, lifeless quality.

Only Li Tang, amidst the continuous ringing of the school bell, was forced to stay awake.

Those details he had ignored or refused to believe, those fragments left scattered in the gaps of time, were forced piece by piece back into their rightful places, presenting a complete picture.

Becoming deskmates and introducing themselves, the fleeting surprise in Jiang Lou’s eyes; the ambiguous sentence under the streetlights after evening classes, “Do you know who I am”; the inexplicable familiarity of the cottage at the foot of the mountain, and their shared love for “Titanic”; the chilling coldness in Jiang Lou’s demeanor when talking about the past; the assumptions about love and brotherhood…

And those deliberate approaches, excessive concerns, the ambivalent attitude, the unspoken affection. Li Tang had agonized over them, been heartbroken, but never delved into the reasons, assuming that since he fell in love first, it was naturally his responsibility to take the initiative.

Jiang Lou disliked dull people. Even when watching TV dramas, he despised the idiotic characters who messed things up. So how did he view me?

How did he view someone who had forgotten the first encounter twelve years ago, overlooked all the clues pointing to the truth, was curious about everything related to him, but never asked, “Who was that child?”

—Who was that child, who killed your father?

If he had asked earlier, would he and Jiang Lou have developed their current relationship?

Would Jiang Lou have been unable to bear it, or would he have bluntly told him that the child who made me lose my mother and father, who made me suffer alone for over a decade, was you.

A rumbling sound—the first thunder of the year exploded unexpectedly.

On a morning without morning runs, students read books, worked on problems, slept, or chatted in the classroom, while soft music played on the radio.

No one knew that Li Tang was experiencing an earthquake-like turmoil within him, akin to the collision of cumulonimbus clouds.

Despite this, Li Tang couldn’t help but continue his train of thought. So, how should he feel towards me?

It must be hatred, it certainly can’t be love.

Perhaps he hates me so much that he wants to kill me.

With such hatred, what would he do?

If it were me, what would I do? What actions could I take to make the person who caused me immense suffering receive the punishment they deserve?

Just as he was pondering, the music on the radio abruptly stopped.

It was replaced by a completely different audio clip, filled with background noise. It sounded like the rustling of fabric, mixed with collisions, panting, and chaotic sounds, clearly not professionally processed to reduce noise.

However, the voice could still be heard clearly.

Although it was faint and intermittent.

The speaker was a man, or more accurately, a young man. His voice had the clarity of adolescence, yet couldn’t shake off the hoarseness caused by intense desire.

“Don’t…too fast…I can’t take it anymore…”

One cry after another, filled with unbearable longing.

“I love you…I love you…I love you so much.”

A heart torn open, again and again.

At 9:30 a.m., a figure ran through the rain, dashing towards the second floor of the comprehensive building like a bolt of lightning.

The door to the broadcasting room was kicked open. When Jiang Lou entered, he encountered Chen Zhengyang, who was about to sneak out.

Chen Zhengyang was alone in the room. Jiang Lou took two steps forward and swung a punch directly at his face.

Chen Zhengyang was almost knocked flying, his body tilting backward and slamming onto the ground with a “bang.”

Jiang Lou then grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up.

Jiang Lou’s expression was fierce as he glared down at him. “Was it you who broadcasted it? Was it you?”

Coming to his senses from the shock, Chen Zhengyang didn’t bother with the pain, grinning. “How could it be me? Didn’t you give Wang Yan the audio? I just cracked the password and helped you out.”

Chen Zhengyang had a naturally sneaky appearance, and with his cheeks swollen, he looked even more sinister.

“Actually, I did you a favor by editing it a bit. Shouldn’t you thank me?” Chen Zhengyang spat out a mouthful of bloody foam, his features contorting as he laughed. “He moaned so seductively, how did it feel—”

Before he could finish, Jiang Lou landed another punch. This time, he didn’t hold back, and Chen Zhengyang’s face was distorted from the impact, letting out a loud scream of pain, yelling for help, claiming someone was trying to kill him, urging others to catch the murderer.

Amidst the piercing screams akin to unbearable noise, Jiang Lou’s right ear accurately picked up the approaching footsteps.

From the person who shouldn’t have been here at this moment.

However, it was too late.

Li Tang stood at the door of the broadcasting room, looking at the chaotic scene inside, feeling a sense of grasping the crux and suddenly understanding.

Like solving a problem, one had to stand in the shoes of the problem setter, avoiding traps, seeing through distractions, analyzing layer by layer, peeling away the superficial, to hit the core.

Hating so deeply, how could one achieve revenge?

One had to understand his desires, cater to them, make him sink into addiction, entrapment, make him unable to leave you.

One also had to know what he feared most, personally elevate him to paradise, and then release him at the moment he loved you the most, watching him plummet into hell.

Perhaps the mere fall from a great height wasn’t enough, after all, he wasn’t afraid of death, only fearing that hell wouldn’t have you.

So Jiang Lou erased his own voice.

Jiang Lou wanted Li Tang to descend into hell alone.

—This was the perfect standard answer.

In the deafening explosion, everything crumbled, the earth collapsed, and the sky fell.

Li Tang forcefully closed his eyes, squeezing them shut even tighter.

He marveled that he still retained consciousness at this moment.

Despair couldn’t be any greater than this.

But why, why was the last image frozen in his vision, your horrified and pained face?

You’re the fool.

You should be happy now that you’ve avenged your grudge.