Chapter 57

　　“Brother, Mom’s sick. Could you go see her?” After saying this, Chen Cancan added at just the right moment, hoping to grab Pei Jingchen’s full attention, “She’s been sick for nearly a month now.”

Pei Jingchen signed documents as he replied, “Seeing me will only make her feel worse.”

　　Chen Cancan muttered resentfully, “Bro, that’s not fair… Mom’s just tough on the outside but soft on the inside. She really misses you. Last night she told me she dreamed about you when you were little.”

　　Pei Jingchen raised an eyebrow. Chen Cancang choked, realizing she’d backfired by saying the wrong thing.

Pei Jingchen lowered his eyes to review the documents again, casually pressing the intercom button to summon Assistant Xu. 

　Chen Cancan couldn’t get a word in edgewise about work matters. Bored, she sat blankly in the break room, her mind in turmoil. As soon as Assistant Xu stepped out, Chen Cancan followed him back to the office. Cleverly avoiding topics that might strain their brotherly bond, she asked, “Bro, done with work? Let’s grab dinner together!”

　　Pei Jingchen picked up his car keys and said, “I need to go to the hospital.”

Chen Cancan felt a lump in her throat. She asked, feigning ignorance, “Going to keep Su Qingci company again?”

　　Pei Jingchen grunted in acknowledgment.

Chen Cancan felt not just a lump in his throat, but his entire body tightened: “Aren’t you going to ask how my homework went? What I scored on the midterms?”

Pei Jingchen glanced at him and said, “Just do your best.”

　　Chen Cancan instantly felt hurt. He wanted to say that Pei Jingchen had no time for anyone else now, his mind consumed entirely by Su Qingci. Chen Cancan understood the rift between his brother and their mother, but she was still his biological mother. She’d been sick for a month without improvement. Not visiting her was one thing, but not even sending a single word of concern?

　　Though this thought felt a bit cruel, it was only natural that Pei Jingchen prioritized Su Qingci—a terminally ill patient with little time left—above everything else. With so few days remaining, naturally every moment had to be cherished. Of course, she wasn’t wishing for Su Qingci to die anytime soon. She just found it odd how Pei Jingchen had suddenly transformed. He used to be cold toward Su Qingci, but now he seemed utterly obsessed.

Chen Cancan recalled her first impression of Su Qingci. Back then, she’d been stunned by his beauty, thinking to herself, “This guy is such a blue-faced disaster.” As it turned out, his sarcastic judgment of people was spot-on—Su Qingci was indeed a disaster, specifically sent to ruin his brother! and she refused to let her gentle, kind-hearted brother be taken advantage of. It felt like he spent his entire life revolving around Su Qingci, manipulated at his whim.

　　So Chen Cancan thought to himself: he wasn’t so cruel as to wish Su Qingci dead. But since Su Qingci had fallen ill, he genuinely hoped Young Master Su would recover safely and in good health. Of course, if fate proved otherwise, he still wished Su Qingci would suffer less and depart with dignity.

　　If Su Qingci could rest in peace with a smile, then her brother, Pei Jingchen, might find some solace too. He could let go of this ill-fated connection and start anew sooner. The more Chen Cancan thought about it, the more excited she became. If her brother was a heterosexual who could never love anyone but Su Qingci, then she’d introduce him to plenty of girlfriends. If he couldn’t be straightened out after coming out, then she’d match him up with Wu Lü! Wu Lü knew him inside out—childhood sweethearts, the perfect match!

Pei Jingchen walked out of the office toward the elevator, and Chen Cancan strode right behind him.

　　As the elevator doors closed, Chen Cancang inquired about Su Qingci’s condition. Pei Jingchen replied, “He’s doing okay. He should be discharged in a few days.”

“That’s good to hear,” Chen Cancang said sincerely.

　　After leaving the office building, Pei Jingchen drove Chen Cancan to her school first. As she got out, she asked, “Does Su Qingci have pollen allergies?”

Pei Jingchen said no. Chen Cancan told him to wait a moment, then jogged into a flower shop. Pei Jingchen smiled softly, gazing out at the bustling street. Traffic lights cycled, pedestrians crossed the road—couples holding hands, mothers pushing strollers, elderly men walking dogs. A kaleidoscope of people, so many souls.

The setting sun painted the sky crimson. The quiet twilight only deepened the emptiness and melancholy in his heart.

　　The sun had set.

That feeling returned.

Pei Jingchen flinched in lingering dread. As dusk descended, the fiery sunset cast its last rays upon the earth. Beyond that splendor lay endless night.

　　Fear, tension—Pei Jingchen couldn’t pinpoint what terrified him. Only the countless sleepless nights sent shivers down his spine, the empty house made his heart race. It was an indescribable loneliness and cold.

　　In an instant, his breathing quickened, his heart pounding violently. Panic and unease washed over him as cold sweat crawled up his spine like a million ants. He felt suffocated, as if cotton stuffed his airways. He tried to cry out for help, but a lump formed in his throat.

“Bro, I just grabbed some baby’s breath flowers.” “Chen Cancan called from outside the car. ”To give to Su… Brother? What’s wrong?”

Pei Jingchen lost all support, his upper body slumping limply onto the steering wheel. Sweat drenched his forehead, his hands trembled. When he turned his head, his face was deathly pale.

　　“I’m fine.” Pei Jingchen took several deep breaths. Chen Cancan had already moved to the passenger seat, anxiously asking where he felt unwell and insisting on calling an ambulance.

Pei Jingchen took a deep breath and said, “In the drawer. The white medicine bottle.”

　　Chen Cancan hurriedly complied, asking how many tablets he needed before unscrewing a bottle of water for him. Only after watching him finish swallowing them did she glance at the medication in her hand. Damn it—primarily used for anxiety, tension, and agitation, it could also serve as a hypnotic or anti-panic medication.

　　Chen Cancan paled. “Brother, why are you taking this? What’s wrong with you?”

Earlier that year, shortly after Su Qingci was discharged from the ICU, Pei Jingchen juggled responsibilities between the company and the hospital. He worked at the office in the mornings, attended meetings, then returned home at noon to personally prepare nutritious meals for Su Qingci before staying by his bedside without leaving. Initially, he stayed overnight with Su Qingci. Later, fearing he might disturb him, he rented a rest room next to the ward as a makeshift study.

Rather than endure sleepless nights, he’d get up and work. Yet the more he worked, the harder it became to sleep, leading to all-nighters. Knowing this couldn’t continue—fearing sudden death—Pei Jingchen secretly sought a psychologist.

　　Severe anxiety disorder.

If he told anyone, wouldn’t they laugh at his fragile psyche? Pei Jingchen mocked himself for being so easily crushed, yet he was powerless—he was simply tense, simply afraid.

　　He dismissed Chen Cancan with vague assurances, forbidding her to breathe a word to anyone. Though accustomed to his easygoing nature, Chen Cancan knew that when this older brother turned stern, he could send shivers down a high schooler’s spine.

　　Once his symptoms eased, Pei Jingchen drove to the hospital. Before entering the ward, he took a deep breath, straightened his collar, and gave his face a hard rub. He forced a smile by tensing his facial muscles, then pushed open the door with a relaxed expression. “Qingci.”