Chapter 002 Yun Zhi's Independent Side Story - Dual Love (Part Two)
Yun Yao cornered Yu Qingzhou at the corner.
The preparatory bell had already rung, but the girl showed no sign of letting them pass.
"What did I say last time?"
Yun Yao angrily pinned the person against the wall and questioned them as if it were perfectly natural.
Yu Qingzhou felt completely baffled, both by the girl herself and by the question she posed.
He simply shook his head and said, "I don't know what you're talking about."
Upon hearing this, Yun Yao suddenly raised the corners of her mouth, as if she was laughing in anger.
The girl grabbed Yu Qingzhou by the collar and said, "It seems you're not only dull-witted, but also have a bad memory. I told you to stay away from Yun Zhi."
—Did the other party say that?
Yu Qingzhou was quite certain that he had never heard anything like it, so he answered truthfully, saying that he did not remember such a thing.
Perhaps it was because the boy's expression was too sincere.
After a moment of eye contact, Yun Yao's expression softened, but she still looked somewhat suspicious.
"Really?" she pressed.
"real."
Yu Qingzhou answered, and then felt the pressure on his collar loosen, allowing him to finally relax and exhale.
Seeing that Yun Yao's expression had softened somewhat, but she quickly reverted to her arrogant demeanor from when they first met.
"No matter what, you're not allowed to play with Yunzhi anymore," the girl commanded.
"Why?" Yu Qingzhou asked in return.
"Why? Of course it's because I won't allow it." Yun Yao crossed her arms, looking as if it were perfectly natural.
Yu Qingzhou hated this feeling, as if... he was the other person's possession.
"I'm sorry. I can't do it." Yu Qingzhou said, pushing Yun Yao aside and walking towards the classroom, while he could still hear Yun Yao calling him from behind.
He started as "Little Fool", but later became "Yu Qingzhou".
But Yu Qingzhou didn't look back until she walked into the classroom.
*
It seems that from that day on, Yu Qingzhou found that Yun Yao was appearing in his life more and more frequently.
Candy, potato chips, refreshing drinks... piled up on the desk.
Even his deskmate was marveling at how lucky Yu Qingzhou had become in love.
Yu Qingzhou listened without saying a word, but instead scribbled in her notebook with a pencil. The plain strokes outlined a silent figure sitting on the swing, looking up at her.
My deskmate glanced at it and exclaimed in an exaggerated "Wow!": "Holy crap, holy crap, isn't that so-and-so... Tsk tsk tsk, still pretending? This is clearly mutual affection."
Yu Qingzhou simply shook her head: "It's not her."
"Hey, you're just pretending." The classmate teased, nudging the boy's arm, and then opened a can of soda and gulped it down.
That evening, Yu Qingzhou was doing her homework when she suddenly heard a soft knocking sound coming from the window.
He stopped writing, glanced at the closed door, and then reached out to open the window.
It was a full moon that night, but the clouds were so thick that they almost completely obscured it. In the dim, desolate moonlight, Yun Zhi's figure seemed to be swallowed up by the night.
"How could you..."
The words of concern caught in his throat and stopped abruptly; just by looking at him, it was clear that something bad must have happened.
Yu Qingzhou grasped Yun Zhi's outstretched hand, its palm as cold as ice. But nothing could chill her to the bone more than what he said next.
"Yun Yao might die." The words, clear yet jarring, escaped from her pale lips.
Upon hearing this, Yu Qingzhou was stunned. He subconsciously asked, "What...did you say?!"
Yun Zhi stood outside the window, staring straight at him, and said, word by word, "I might kill Yun Yao."
A cool night breeze blew by, seemingly clearing away some of the clouds.
As the slightly brighter white moonlight fell, Yu Qingzhou was able to see the other person's face hidden in the night. On the pale cheeks, there were scattered, glaring red spots, which seemed to be bloodstains.
In that instant, Yu Qingzhou felt as if all the blood in her body had turned cold.
*
Yun Zhi had always known why Yun Yao hated him.
Before the age of eight, Yunzhi lived with his grandmother in his maternal grandparents' household. Even now, his actual surname on his household registration is still Lan.
The old woman kept the younger of her twin brothers, Yunzhi, by her side and raised him with great care. After her death, her will stipulated that all her property would be inherited by Yunzhi.
That was no small amount.
"This is not fair."
Little Yunyao held her mother's hand, muttering reluctantly. She wasn't even allowed to enter the ward to see the old woman one last time.
The twins' shared father lovingly embraced his daughters. Meanwhile, the mother, standing by the bedside, also looked displeased.
"Mom is really..."
In the end, Grandma closed her eyes.
Then everyone went outside.
Only Yunzhi remained by the bedside.
The door slammed shut, separating the family into two separate places.
Are you jealous?
Yun Zhi recalled Yu Qingzhou's question in the silence.
—No, it won't.
He answered silently in his heart.
Yun Zhi could naturally see through Yu Qingzhou's thoughts, and he also took in the other party's panic and closeness during this period.
He always knew why Yun Yao hated him... because he possessed something the other didn't.
But this time, the girl's vicious words still deeply touched Yunzhi's nerves.
"You're all cut from the same cloth! You're deliberately trying to make me miserable and uncomfortable. That old hag loves you so much, why don't you just go to hell with her!"
Yunzhi didn't remember clearly what happened afterward.
The incredulous expression on Yun Yao's face kept replaying in his mind. Thick blood oozed from the side of the girl's head, turning a dark red under the moonlight.
By the time Yun Zhi came to her senses, she was already standing in front of Yu Qingzhou's window...
Three days after that incident, Yu Qingzhou, as before, avoided the sight of those around her and went alone to Yun Zhi's hiding place.
It was an abandoned, makeshift wooden shack. It was probably once lived by a former forester, as some simple, old furniture remained.
"I heard Yun Yao has woken up," Yu Qingzhou said to Yun Zhi, who was lying down.
Yun Zhi didn't react in any particular way, only giving a soft "hmm".
“My mother asked me about you today; everyone’s been looking for you.” After a pause, Yu Qingzhou spoke again.
Yun Zhi's answer remained firm: "I will not go back."
He struggled to sit up, leaning lightly on Yu Qingzhou's shoulder due to the weakness brought on by the high fever.
Even through the thin summer shirt, Yu Qingzhou could clearly feel that Yun Zhi was still burning up. He had brought fever-reducing medicine with him, but it didn't seem to be very effective.
Yu Qingzhou said seriously, "You need to go to the hospital."
Upon hearing this, Yun Zhi turned slightly to the side, allowing Yu Qingzhou to see his misty eyes.
"You promised me you wouldn't tell anyone." Yun Zhi's voice was a little hoarse and tired.
"But--"
"I'm tired, can I lean against you for a while?"
After saying this, Yunzhi closed his eyes, seemingly refusing to communicate.
Yu Qingzhou had no choice but to let Yunzhi lean on him. In that moment, he felt as if he were being completely trusted...
Unfortunately, he was not someone worthy of this trust.
"sorry."
Yu Qingzhou murmured softly as she carefully brushed away the stray hairs from Yun Zhi's forehead.
The boy, who should have been fast asleep, suddenly opened his eyes. His eyes, misty with sweat from the high fever, stared intently at Yu Qingzhou, as if trying to see into his heart.
Yu Qingzhou paused for a moment, unsure if the other party had already guessed.
"I just... just wanted to see you."
He really isn't good at lying.
Yun Zhi bit her chapped lips and said firmly, "You're lying to me."
He paused, then added, "I heard you say sorry, Yu Qingzhou, you lied to me." The boy's hoarse voice was particularly jarring in the quiet cabin.
Yu Qingzhou couldn't help but shudder.
Then, he felt Yun Zhi raise his hand, trying to touch his face in the dim light.
Yu Qingzhou lowered her head in response, and at the same time heard Yun Zhi's somewhat dry whisper: "I know you didn't mean it, but you lied to me."
As she was speaking, something soft suddenly bumped into Yu Qingzhou's lips, and hot breath sprayed on her face. Realizing what had happened, Yu Qingzhou froze on the spot like a wooden statue... until a slight stinging sensation came from the corner of her mouth.
He had just pushed Yunzhi away, completely at a loss.
The stench of blood filled the air between the two...
After an unknown amount of time, a loud knocking broke the silence in the room. Hearing the noise, Yu Qingzhou rushed to the door as if waking from a dream. The moment he turned the doorknob, he heard Yun Zhi's voice.
"...You owe me."
This was the last sentence Yun Zhi left for Yu Qingzhou.
What happened next was all too chaotic and sudden.
The sounds were a mix of many voices, footsteps, cries, and the clatter of dishes falling.
Yu Qingzhou couldn't remember clearly, only that she watched Yun Zhi being taken away, and although she was there, she had the illusion of being an outsider.
It was as if he were peering into someone else's eyes, glimpsing a memory from the past... but everything was already set in stone, and he was powerless to change it.
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