Chapter 2: Brother Jian

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Song Jianli didn’t ask Lu Yu what exactly his mother had said; it was certainly nothing pleasant, and making Lu Yu repeat it would only deepen his sorrow.

What annoyed him was that it took a whole month for him to notice something was wrong with Lu Yu.

Lu Yu cried bitterly, finally releasing the grievances he had bottled up over the past month. His pure, clear eyes were reddened from tears, his fingertips tinged pink, and the tears soaked a patch of Song Jianli’s white shirt.

Sniffling softly.

Lu Yu was someone who easily fell into self-doubt. All Song Jianli had to do was remind him that Lu Sansan had his own shining qualities, that he was not worthless, and that there were people who cared about him.

The evening breeze sweeping across the riverbank had finally cooled, stirring the strands of hair at Lu Yu’s forehead. A faint scar was revealed above his brow.

Song Jianli fixed his gaze on that scar; beneath his thick brows and lashes, his eyes were deep and profound.

At last, Lu Yu’s sobs ceased. His lashes were still moist, his eyes shimmering with tears, his pale cheeks flushed pink as he stifled his sobs. At least, he had absorbed Song Jianli’s words.

“Thank you, Jian Ge…” Lu Yu wiped the last tear from the corner of his eye with the back of his hand.

Song Jianli frowned slightly, a trace of pain flickering in his eyes. “If anything like this happens in the future, you must tell me, alright?”

Lu Yu looked up at him. Song Jianli was handsome, his brows gentle yet cool, and his deep-set eyes held the luster of black obsidian.

Whenever he looked at Lu Yu, a smile would always linger at his lips—so tender it was almost unbearable.

His brows were sharp as swords, his eyes always carrying an unfathomable chill.

Strangely, those who knew him well found him gentle and courteous, while strangers saw him as aloof and distant.

Song Jianli always treated Lu Yu with warmth and closeness, so when he frowned, it felt out of place to Lu Yu.

“Jian Ge, I’m not sad anymore; please don’t frown,” Lu Yu said impulsively, raising his hand to touch the crease between Song Jianli’s brows.

In that instant, he saw Song Jianli’s eyes narrow slightly and felt his own heartbeat quicken.

He hastily withdrew his hand.

Song Jianli lowered his lashes, casting a shadow beneath his eyes. He glanced at Lu Yu’s hastily concealed hand.

“Let’s go home,” he said without mentioning the matter, gently ruffling Lu Yu’s hair.

Lu Yu nodded. On the way back, Song Jianli bought him a bottle of milk.

“You’re really nice, Jian Ge,” Lu Yu suddenly said, looking up at him seriously.

“I only have one Lu Sansan. If I’m not good to him, then who else should I be good to?” Song Jianli’s voice was low but surprisingly gentle.

The evening breeze stirred softly; a string snapped quietly in the air.

—

“This condition doesn’t cause actual harm to the patient; after all, it’s the brain’s protective response to the body. But over time, you might forget most of the people around you.”

“The treatment isn’t difficult either. You need to go abroad for long-term therapy with specialized medical equipment. You should talk to your family early on; it’s quite an expense and might be a burden for ordinary households.”

…

The doctor’s words echoed in Lu Yu’s mind.

After parting from Song Jianli and returning home, Lu Yu stayed in his room.

The computer screen on his desk was filled with search queries—

“Can psychogenic amnesia heal itself?” “Does selective amnesia resolve naturally?” “Is psychogenic amnesia only treatable abroad?” “How long is the treatment course for psychogenic amnesia?” “Is treatment for psychogenic amnesia complicated?”…

He lowered his head to look at the tightly clenched medical report in his hands. The black characters on white paper clearly indicated his illness was more than just a stomach condition.

There was also something called “psychogenic amnesia,” also known as “selective amnesia.”

This was the second illness he had kept secret, using his stomach ailment as a shield.

It was a disease he had never even heard of, and the doctor said he might selectively forget people or events around him.

Lu Yu’s head spun slightly, a buzzing sound ringing in his ears.

Since receiving the report at noon, he had been anxious and distracted, which was why he forgot his promise to Song Jianli.

He wondered how he could be ill again. What should he do? Tell his parents? But they weren’t home. Tell his older brother? But his brother didn’t want to pay him any attention…

Lu Yu’s hands trembled uncontrollably.

What should I do, Lu Yu? Think of a way quickly…

His heart raced and his breath became erratic.

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At that moment, the phone rang suddenly. Lu Yu set down the report and saw it was Song Jianli calling, so he answered.

“Jian Ge,” Lu Yu greeted softly. For some reason, when he was anxious and uneasy, hearing Song Jianli’s voice always brought him comfort.

Song Jianli replied gently, “Hmm.”

His voice came through the receiver, tinged with a faint magnetic buzz—it was very pleasant.

“Feeling any better?”

Lu Yu sighed quietly. His mood wasn’t just down because of what his mother had said; the medical report in his hand was a hot potato.

“I’m better now,” Lu Yu said softly.

It was past ten o’clock. Knowing Lu Yu had the habit of studying vocabulary after returning home, Song Jianli didn’t disturb him further but reminded him, “Get some rest early, remember to eat breakfast, and we’ll go home together after school tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Lu Yu replied.

“Breakfast,” Song Jianli repeated, sensing Lu Yu’s response was not firm enough.

Lu Yu straightened his expression. “I remember, Jian Ge.”

Song Jianli couldn’t help but wonder why Lu Sansan was acting so coquettish again.

“All right, good night, Sansan.”

“Good night, Jian Ge.”

Only then did they hang up.

After hanging up, Lu Yu picked up the medical report again.

Since childhood, one of Lu Yu’s greatest fears had been falling ill.

Because every time he was sick, he never received care but only scolding. They resented him for always being ill, blamed him for wasting their time, and scolded him for being so thoughtless.

But illness had to be treated, Lu Yu thought.

Now that his parents were away, he could only discuss this with his older brother. His brother had never criticized him for being sick before, so he had to try. What if he ended up forgetting everyone…

At that thought, Lu Yu’s hand froze just as he was about to open the door. Forget them?

In that instant, many faces flashed through his mind. If he forgot them, would he be happy or sad?

He thought silently. As he pondered, he suddenly thought of Song Jianli’s gentle face. Would he forget Song Jianli too?

Lu Yu shook his head, his smooth hair swaying. He felt he must be crazy to even consider forgetting them!

So he opened the door and went to the study, summoning his courage to knock.

“Big brother…” Lu Yu called softly.

No response.

But the study light was clearly on, and it wasn’t yet his brother’s bedtime.

Lu Yu assumed the person inside hadn’t heard him. Taking a deep breath, he knocked again, louder this time, “Big brother, are you there?”

Finally, the door opened, revealing Lu Jinlü’s stern face.

His hair was slicked back; he must have just showered. He wore only a bathrobe, his hair tips still damp, silver-framed glasses perched on his nose. His gaze carried the aura of a business elite, a man born with authority.

As the eldest male in the family, Lu Yu had to look up to him. The sheer pressure was overwhelming.

Lu Yu immediately sensed his brother’s impatience and anger. He instinctively took two steps back, frightened.

“What’s the matter?” Lu Jinlü’s voice was sharp, and the atmosphere instantly grew colder by several degrees.

His face was dark and expressionless. He held a poor impression of his third younger brother—timid, weak, soft-spoken, and not very smart.

Lu Yu swallowed hard, summoned courage, and held out the medical report. Just as he was about to speak, Lu Jinlü cut him off.

“Another report for me to sign?”

Lu Yu’s eyes narrowed, about to shake his head to explain, but his brother continued, “Lu Yu, I really don’t understand, with the same Lu family genes, how can you be so stupid?”

Lu Yu was stunned. Suddenly, the report in his hands felt unbearably heavy, almost slipping from his grasp.

“Every time you bring me these pitiful results to sign, don’t you feel ashamed?” Lu Jinlü spoke mercilessly, as if releasing long-suppressed anger.

Lu Yu slowly lowered his head; his bangs fell over his most captivating eyes, hiding his reddened sockets.

“Take it back. I don’t want to see your grades,” Lu Jinlü said, waving Lu Yu’s hand away. The report slipped from Lu Yu’s grasp, scattering three or four pages across the floor.

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Then, Lu Yu heard the door slam shut with a loud bang.

The force of the door sent a gust of wind that stirred the strands of hair on Lu Yu’s forehead.

In truth, when Lu Jinlü saw the pages filled with dense writing, he had already sensed something was wrong. But his pride would never allow him to lose face by investigating.

If it was important, Lu Yu would come to him again.

Lu Jinlü adjusted his glasses and thought, “Forget it. It’s not important. None of it matters.”

Outside, Lu Yu looked down at the scattered pages quietly, deep in thought.

Tears welled in his eyes but didn’t fall. He knelt to pick up the papers, looking rather disheveled.

At that moment, he heard a nearby snicker—a mocking sound.

Lu Yu looked up just in time to see his younger brother Lu Linxing closing the door.

He turned back and picked up the last sheet, unsure how he returned to his room.

Later, he sat at his desk for a long time, staring vacantly at those four pages of the report, not shedding a single tear.

Finally, Lu Yu silently stuffed the report into the deepest drawer.

Forgetting everyone…

That would be the best. After all, no one liked him, no one cared for him.

Would that list of forgotten people include Song Jianli too?

Lu Yu thought silently. But as he thought, tears began streaming uncontrollably down his face. He wiped them with the back of his hand, but more came, like beads slipping from a broken string.

Yet, he didn’t want to forget Song Jianli at all.

He sobbed softly while taking a locked diary from the cabinet. Trembling, he entered the password to open it.

He silently flipped to the first page, which was blank except for a color photograph.

It was a photo of Lu Yu with Song Jianli’s arm draped around his neck.

Song Jianli smiled wildly at the camera. His features were striking; his eyebrows were long and thick, his smile revealing a row of neat, porcelain-white teeth. His eyes sparkled with confidence, exuding youthful vitality that seemed to overflow from the photo.

Lu Yu’s lips were pressed together, the corners barely lifted—he looked awkward.

He took out a pen and finally left a written mark on the blank page.

“Song Jianli, very good, very good, must not forget.”

Having just written this, Lu Yu covered his face and wept inconsolably. What was he truly grieving?

Was it the way everyone treated him? Or was it the thought that he might forget Song Jianli?

—

Near midnight, under the bright moonlight.

Song Jianli had just wrapped the dough he had kneaded with plastic wrap when his phone rang.

This was the special ringtone he set for Lu Yu. Without washing the flour off his hands, Song Jianli answered, “What’s up, Sansan? Got stuck on a problem again?”

Usually, at this hour, Lu Yu’s calls meant he was struggling with some question.

So Song Jianli’s first words were always like that.

“…” On the other end, only sobs and sniffles.

Song Jianli’s heart clenched sharply. He quickly removed his apron and asked, “What’s wrong? Did Lu Linxing bother you again?”

Hearing Song Jianli’s voice, Lu Yu cried even harder. He curled up small on the bed, trembling with sobs.

Finally, through his tears, he managed to choke out two words: “Jian… Jian Ge…”

The voice from the receiver was warm and reassuring. “Hmm, I’m downstairs at your place now. Come down and find me.”