Chapter 20 Falling in Love
1265 Words
Zhuang Zi'ang returned to his rented apartment and found Li Huangxuan waiting at the door.
He asked with a smile, "Son, what are you doing here?"
Li Huangxuan replied unhappily, "You skipped class this afternoon. Of course I'm worried! Why couldn't I get through on your phone?"
Only then did Zhuang Zi'ang realize his phone was accidentally on silent.
He apologized quickly, "This time, it's my fault."
"Son, you've been asking for leave and skipping class every other day lately. Are you hiding something from me?"
Even someone as usually carefree as Li Huangxuan had noticed Zhuang Zi'ang's unusual behavior.
It was unprecedented for a top student, consistently ranked first in the grade, to miss class so frequently.
Facing his best friend, Zhuang Zi'ang decided to keep his illness secret for now.
Let him find out later. The sadness will come later too.
If someone as free-spirited as Li Huangxuan were to cry, it would be utterly devastating.
"My dad came to school to take out his frustration on me. I was upset, so I asked Teacher Zhang for leave." Zhuang Zi'ang told the truth but held back the crucial detail.
"Your dad usually ignores you, and now he dares to take it out on you? If you're afraid of being called unfilial, I'll go beat him up for you!" Li Huangxuan was indignant.
"Forget it, I doubt you could beat him," Zhuang Zi'ang said, warmth spreading in his chest.
To have a true friend in life is enough.
As the saying goes—a true Lu Xun quote, that is.
Zhuang Zi'ang planned to grab a quick bite, but Li Huangxuan insisted it was a rare weekend and dragged him home for dinner.
On the way, Li Huangxuan called his mother, Fan Ling, asking her to prepare a couple extra dishes that Zhuang Zi'ang liked.
Zhuang Zi'ang genuinely liked Li Huangxuan's parents. They were sincere, kind, elegant, and warm.
He had never experienced that kind of happy family atmosphere in his own home.
"Zi'ang, you're here! Come in, sit down. Dinner will be ready soon."
As soon as Zhuang Zi'ang followed Li Huangxuan inside, he was greeted warmly by Fan Ling.
He replied politely, "Uncle, Auntie, sorry to trouble you again."
Li Tianyun, sitting on the sofa watching TV, smiled and said, "Zi'ang, we can't thank you enough! Huangxuan's grades have improved so much thanks to you!"
The evening news was playing on TV.
Medical experts were discussing how environmental deterioration and the high pressure of modern life are leading to cancer patients becoming increasingly younger.
Many young people, in the prime of their lives, are facing incurable diseases.
Li Tianyun sighed and cautioned, "Huangxuan, Zi'ang, you must take good care of yourselves at school. Eat well and look after your health."
"Dad, relax! My body is pilot material," Li Huangxuan declared confidently, thumping his chest.
Zhuang Zi'ang bit his lower lip tightly and said nothing.
On the other side, Zhuang Wenzhao had been in a foul mood all afternoon because of Zhuang Zi'ang.
He kept reflecting: Had I been too biased against him all these years?
Putting himself in Zhuang Zi'ang's shoes made him feel a pang of guilt.
Parents really need to be cautious about divorce. The childhood trauma it inflicts on children might never fully heal.
"Yuhang, you are not to provoke your brother again," Zhuang Wenzhao said in an uncharacteristically stern tone.
"Yuhang is still young, he just craves more fatherly love, that's why he said those things," Qin Shulan immediately jumped to her son's defense.
Zhuang Yuhang, in his rebellious phase, argued back, "I didn't say anything that bad! I even offered him cake! It's his emotional tolerance that's too weak!"
"He won't be back for a while. You need to reflect on yourself. Look at how poorly your grades are," Zhuang Wenzhao felt utterly exhausted.
Pushing open Zhuang Zi'ang's bedroom door, the room felt starkly empty.
Only a few clothes hung in the closet; he hadn't bought new ones in ages.
The desk drawer was filled with various certificates of honor and awards.
Just then, Zhuang Wenzhao's phone rang again.
Seeing it was the old man from the countryside calling, he quickly answered and tried to soothe him.
"He's just being stubborn. He'll come back after staying out for a few days."
"I'm his father. It's only natural I discipline him."
"Sick? Hospitalized? What could possibly happen to someone his age?"
...
After calming down the old man, Zhuang Wenzhao collapsed onto the sofa.
The scenes from the classroom and the principal's office that afternoon flashed through his mind.
Was Zhuang Zi'ang really that outstanding?
How come I, his own father, never knew?
Qin Shulan complained beside him, "Zi'ang is such a good student, but he never thought to tutor Yuhang's homework, letting him end up last in the class."
"He has no sense of responsibility as an older brother. In the end, he still treats us like outsiders."
"What's the use of being book-smart if he doesn't value brotherly affection?"
An inexplicable fury surged in Zhuang Wenzhao. He slammed his hand hard on the coffee table.
"He is my son! When is it your place to criticize him? You should focus on your own son! Make sure he causes me less trouble!"
This family, it seemed, hadn't become a happy trio without Zhuang Zi'ang.
On the contrary, the conflicts were only multiplying.
After dinner, Zhuang Zi'ang and Li Huangxuan slipped into the bedroom.
"Son, tell me the truth. Where did you go this afternoon?" Li Huangxuan fixed Zhuang Zi'ang with an interrogating stare.
"I sat by the river with Little Butterfly all afternoon," Zhuang Zi'ang confessed.
"Little Butterfly again?" Li Huangxuan stared into Zhuang Zi'ang's eyes for a long moment, then sighed dramatically, "You're done for, my friend. You've fallen in love."
Zhuang Zi'ang quickly denied it, "Stop talking nonsense! We're just good friends."
"Ask yourself, do you really just want to be good friends with her?" Li Huangxuan asked with a knowing grin.
"This..." Zhuang Zi'ang felt a pang of guilt.
Any normal boy would be moved by a girl as adorable as Little Butterfly.
But he wasn't a normal boy. He was sick.
He wasn't qualified to feel that way.
"Son, she's a great girl. Work hard! I'll be your best man in the future!" Li Huangxuan painted a beautiful picture of the future.
"Best man?" A wave of bitterness washed over Zhuang Zi'ang's heart.
The future seemed too beautiful, too distant to even imagine.
He realized he was becoming more and more reluctant to leave this world.
He couldn't bear to leave Li Huangxuan... nor Little Butterfly.
But his illness wouldn't allow it. His life's plan was tragically short.
It felt like fate had played the cruelest joke on him.
Remembering his date the next morning, Zhuang Zi'ang didn't stay overnight at Li Huangxuan's and returned to his rented room.
He looked up at the night sky, filled with countless stars.
He'd heard that people turn into stars in the sky after they die. Which one would he become?
He picked up his phone and, as if compelled by a ghost, dialed Little Butterfly's number again.
"Sorry! The number you have dialed is out of service area. Please try again later."
"Sorry! The subscriber you dialed cannot be connected for the moment. Please redial later."
Same as last time.
At night, Little Butterfly vanished, unreachable. She would reappear suddenly the next day.
Like an elusive meteor streaking across the sky, she had illuminated Zhuang Zi'ang's world, which had once been shrouded in darkness.
- Writer
