Chapter 21

In truth, I don’t want to think about it, but somehow, I always end up thinking about those things anyway.

Back then, I was still living with the He Family. There was a time when the flu hit the household.

Most people at home caught it.

When He Yu complained that the medicine was bitter, He Wei patiently bought her candy to coax her.

He even warmed up some milk for her.

“Just sleep well and you’ll be fine.”

That was the first time in my life I realized how bitter medicine could be.

I don’t know why I suddenly remembered this.

Maybe it’s just that even those who are overlooked still awkwardly hope to be noticed, even if just once.

After dinner, Fu Ziyi took a cake out of the fridge-a small, four-inch chocolate cake.

We turned off the lights to make a wish. The candle on the cake only gave off enough light for me to barely make out Fu Ziyi’s face across from me.

As the candle burned down inch by inch, I stared at Fu Ziyi, suddenly a little lost in thought.

He was looking at me, too.

In the darkness, the candlelight flickered in his eyes.

At the very last moment before the candle went out, I gently closed my eyes and made a wish.

Forget me.

When I came out of the room, Fu Ziyi had already finished washing the dishes.

He was sitting on the sofa, remote in hand, flipping through the channels.

He Wei was sitting next to him.

I heard him ask, “She doesn’t like mango anymore?”

Fu Ziyi replied with a blank expression, “Mm.”

He Wei asked again, “Why? Didn’t she used to really like it?”

Fu Ziyi kept his eyes on the TV, not sparing him a glance, and said calmly, “The day Jiang Qi passed away, he brought her a mango cake.”

He Wei’s back stiffened. He was silent for a long time before I heard him ask quietly, “Then why didn’t she say anything?”

Fu Ziyi seemed suddenly curious. He glanced at him, but after seeing his expression, let out a short laugh:

“Weren’t you at Jiang Qi’s funeral, too? Who are you trying to look innocent for now?”

My brother didn’t leave much behind.

When he died, his backpack still had materials for a competition and some homework he needed to finish for school.

The rest were gifts he’d brought for me and He Yu.

My gift was a book of literature I had once talked about with my brother, and a small piece of mango cake.

That piece of cake had already been smashed to bits.

When my mom threw it at me, it was Fu Ziyi who pressed his hand to my forehead and shielded me.

He was sick at the time.

I was supposed to visit him in the hospital.

But in the end, he was the one who came to find me.

When I was crouched on the floor, shoving the mango from the ground into my mouth, it was Fu Ziyi who pried my hands apart and stopped me.

At that moment, I was completely alone, as if everyone was blaming me.

Only Fu Ziyi held me and told me, “Don’t be afraid.”

That was when I finally broke down and cried.

I clung to Fu Ziyi, sobbing, “Fu Ziyi, I don’t have a brother anymore. I’ll never have a brother again.”

Fu Ziyi half-knelt on the floor, patting my back, and said firmly, “You still have me. From now on, I’ll protect you, okay?”

And where was He Wei at that time?

He was busy comforting the frightened He Yu, not even daring to let her see my brother’s body.

Fu Ziyi wasn’t wrong. He Wei, or Mr. He, or Mrs. He-if any one of them had been willing to spare me even a little attention,

they would have known why I don’t eat mango.

But none of them did.

Since that’s the case, why pretend to be considerate and insist on meeting, as if it means anything?

It’s all pointless.