Chapter 12 She’s Sick She Still Doesn’t Want to Let Go…

Chapter 12 She Got Sick, But Still Couldn't Let Go...

Before she even got home, Yu Kui's tears were already uncontrollable.

The feeling of her heart tearing apart and her inner world collapsing brought her a pain like she'd never known.

She had considered many reasons why Qin You might be ignoring her, but she never expected him to say such harsh words, turning her worries and attempts into making a fool of herself.

He truly no longer considered her a friend, while she remained stuck in the past, unable to move on.

Yu Kui stood in the dark stairwell, the pain was so bad she couldn't even cry out—only tears kept falling.

Despair, humiliation, self-loathing…

These negative emotions, which had never before appeared in her life, now completely overwhelmed her.

Qin You…

She whispered his name in her heart—her childhood best friend, the one she'd had a crush on throughout her adolescence.

He was like a cold lake, one that had gradually softened over the long years. She thought her companionship would ripple its surface, but instead, she was met with a shattering storm.

But a lake was just a lake—from beginning to end, it remained cold.

She had believed she could bring the lake a warm summer, but he only ever gave her a cold winter.

Now, this lake that had been through so many winters with her was finally saying goodbye.

Yu Kui didn't even know the reason he chose to distance himself—he had simply abandoned her on this cold, snowy night.

Memories flashed through her mind one after another, the shared moments from the past making her shake and her heart ache.

But she couldn't stop thinking, couldn't stop herself from crying.

If she couldn't cry, she might've hurt herself.

She was scared she'd do something stupid.

Yu Kui crouched on the ground, slowly passing out.

She didn't know how much time had passed when the sound of a door opening came from upstairs. Yu Kui's mother, worried because she hadn't returned home and couldn't be reached, came downstairs worried to look for her and found her collapsed on the floor.

"Yu Kui!" Under the dim light, the woman's voice was filled with panic. "Yu Kui! Honey! Wake up!"

—

Yu Kui had called in sick.

When Qin You and Tao Jiang heard the news, they were having lunch together. The atmosphere was warm, and neither of them cared if Yu Kui had come to school or not.

Sun Shuya walked over and sat beside them, saying with a sneer, "Yu Kui called in sick today. Didn't you know?"

Qin You's arm stiffened, and he looked up at her.

"Some friends you are," Sun Shuya scoffed. "You don't even know something this important. What kind of friends are you?"

Qin You glanced at Tao Jiang, his eyes clearly questioning. Since her seat was only an aisle away from Yu Kui's, Tao Jiang must have known whether Yu Kui had come or not, but she hadn't mentioned it.

"Yu Kui didn't come?" Tao Jiang looked surprised, full of apology. "I wasn't feeling well today myself and didn't notice."

"You didn't notice?" Sun Shuya laughed dismissively at her words. "Don't you eat together every day? You didn't even think about her at lunch?"

"I…" Tao Jiang's expression shifted slightly. She was very popular at school and had never encountered a girl as aggressive as Sun Shuya, who was like a sharp sword, making Tao Jiang hesitant to confront her directly.

After all, a sword that's too sharp can wound its wielder.

"I thought she went to the restroom," she offered a weak excuse. "I sent her a message before leaving. I really didn't mean to, I'm sorry."

Her apologizing like that made Qin You feel protective. He said to Sun Shuya, "Yu Kui didn't tell us she was taking leave. Tao Jiang didn't do it on purpose."

"And what about you?" Sun Shuya stared at him with a mocking smile. "You go to and from school with her every day. Didn't you know either?"

Qin You lowered his eyes, avoiding her gaze. "What happens between us is none of your business."

"It's none of my business, indeed," Sun Shuya stood up, looking down at them. "I just hope some people don't take their blessings for granted, throwing away something precious for something worthless, and end up regretting it later."

With that, she left without another glance, as if she had come specifically to irritate them.

"Qin You, I really didn't know Yu Kui was sick," Tao Jiang said, sounding hurt. "I've been in class all day—how could I notice right away? Why would Sun Shuya suspect me?"

"It's fine," Qin You held her hand, comforting her softly. "This isn't your fault."

He knew why Yu Kui had taken leave and said calmly, "I made things clear to her yesterday. She won't bother me anymore."

"What?" Tao Jiang's eyes widened. "You and Yu Kui…"

"We're no longer friends." Qin You looked into her eyes and said gently, "You don't have to worry about anything between us anymore. I won't have any further contact with her."

Hearing this, Tao Jiang's eyes showed obvious delight. "You really told her?"

"I made it clear to her as soon as I got back yesterday," Qin You's mood wasn't as light as hers; he sounded somewhat subdued. "I didn't think it'd make her sick."

"It can't be helped," Tao Jiang said casually. "Even if you didn't say it now, you would have eventually. It was bound to happen sooner or later."

Qin You looked at their intertwined hands. "I could've put it more gently."

"That way she wouldn't have given up," Tao Jiang squeezed his fingers meaningfully, hinting, "From now on, I'll treat you even better than she did. You don't need to worry about irrelevant matters anymore."

Qin You's heart skipped a beat, and a smile appeared in his eyes. "Okay."

"By the way," Tao Jiang seemed to remember something suddenly. "Did you tell her about us? Does she know we're together…"

"No," Qin You said. "I was afraid she wouldn't be able to handle it."

Tao Jiang laughed. "And you say you don't care about her? You hid it well enough, worried she might not take it well."

"She's not in great health," Qin You explained patiently. "I worried she might do something drastic. That would be troublesome for both of us."

"That's true," Tao Jiang nodded. "Let's keep it from her for now. Even though you've cut ties with her, I still like being friends with her."

Qin You tightened his grip on her hand without thinking. "Now that you're with me, you don't need to…"

"But I really like her," Tao Jiang's gaze grew deeper. "I've had very few friends since I was young, especially female friends—almost none. She's the only one I feel comfortable with."

"Don't you think it's enjoyable having her care about you?"

As she said this, Tao Jiang's expression was quite serious.

Qin You didn't know whether she was testing him or trying to figure out what he really felt.

But no matter which it was, his answer remained the same: "Let's not have any more contact with her from now on. We've already hurt her."

"See, you're still thinking about her," Tao Jiang couldn't help laughing. "Even after breaking up with her, you still care."

"We grew up together," Qin You repeated patiently. "Until yesterday, we were always friends. Since we've decided to distance ourselves, we should stop staying in touch. It makes you unhappy, and I don’t like it either."

"Are you blaming me?" The smile on Tao Jiang’s face gradually faded. "Do you think that without me, you two would still be friends? Is that what you mean?"

"No," Qin You said, seeing her anger, and immediately set aside thoughts of Yu Kui, grabbing her hand tight. "You know exactly who I care about."

Seeing this, Tao Jiang felt a huge rush of satisfaction.

Even the coldest boy had turned into an obedient dog because of her attraction.

Being childhood friends, having grown up together—none of it mattered anymore.

It wasn’t until the next morning that Qin You remembered Yu Kui. He walked downstairs and looked up at that familiar window, but he could no longer see the girl eagerly running out to meet him.

That day, Yu Kui still didn’t come to school.

Qin You opened the very familiar chat window, typed a message, then deleted it. After several attempts, he set his phone aside.

Let it be.

He looked out the window at the gloomy sky—it seemed like it was going to snow again.

Yu Kui was very sick. That night, she was rushed to the hospital with a high fever.

Her mother stayed by her side, her heart aching to see her swollen eyes and furrowed brow even in her sleep.

Her father also took time off to be with his daughter. Seeing her pale, weary face, he wished he could punch whoever had made her so sad.

They stayed by her bedside until Yu Kui opened her eyes drowsily. The first thing she saw was her parents’ concerned expressions.

She slowly stretched out her arms, and her mother leaned down to hug her tightly. "Ah Kui, you scared me half to death!"

Her father brought over a cup of warm water. "Are you hungry? I brought you some porridge—your favorite, vegetable porridge."

Yu Kui’s eyes reddened, and she almost started crying again.

"Go ahead and cry," her mother patted her back. "No matter what happened, get it all out. Mom and Dad will always be here for you."

"Mom…" Yu Kui buried her face in her mother’s embrace, like a child who'd lost her way and had finally found a warm harbor.

"I'm here, I'm here," her mother soothed her, stroking her back. Though worried, she didn’t push her. "After you cry, eat some porridge. Your dad made it specially for you."

Yu Kui’s shoulders trembled softly. After a long while, she lifted her head and looked at her mom, then her dad. "I'm hungry."

"Alright!" Her father dished up the porridge and placed it on the small table. "Eat up. A full stomach will make you feel better."

"Okay." Yu Kui slowly finished the porridge. Seeing her parents’ concerned faces, she didn’t know how to tell them about what had happened between her and Qin You.

It was the longest nightmare she'd had in her sixteen years.

"You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to," her father said, stroking her hair. "But remember, no matter what happens, Mom and Dad will always be here for you. We had you not to see you suffer or do anything foolish. You have to take care of yourself."

Hearing this, Yu Kui wanted to cry again, but she held back.

She didn’t tell her parents what Qin You had said to her. She was afraid it would hurt them too.

After all, it wasn’t just her who cared about Qin You—her mother thought of him as a son, and her father had even helped him with kindergarten art projects.

When they were young, Qin You’s mother was rarely around, so he spent most of his time at the Yu family’s home. Those were days they all cherished.

Now, everything had fallen apart.

She was afraid her parents couldn’t take the truth.