BTMDY Chapter 24.1

“I’m here to apologize…”

 

Hearing those words, the person lying in the hospital bed looked a little surprised.

 

After all, when the teenager first pushed the door open, he didn’t seem like someone coming to apologize — more like someone here to settle a score. The sudden change in attitude after just a brief glance was honestly hard to understand.

 

But no matter the reason, since his attitude seemed sincere, there was no reason to turn him away.

 

The person in the hospital bed raised a hand and gestured to the chair beside him.

 

“Come in and sit down.”

 

Lin Wangye didn’t even have the courage to meet his eyes. He stole a careful glance from the corner of his eye before slowly shuffling over to the chair by the bed. He sat down stiffly, hands obediently placed on his thighs, sitting straighter than a grade-schooler in class.

 

Before this, he’d imagined a thousand different ways he might run into Shi Yuan.

 

Thanks to his clueless dad, this hastily arranged visit had happened without any sort of plan or preparation.

 

The Shi Yuan in front of him wasn’t quite how Lin Wangye remembered.

 

The Uncle Shi he knew always carried himself with elegance, polished and put together no matter the situation — even when drunk, he still had that gentlemanly charm.

 

But the teenager before him was clearly different.

 

With his injured leg wrapped in bandages and the loose blue-and-white hospital gown draped over him, his face seemed a little too pale — maybe from the injury, or maybe just because he’d just woken up. Clearly not expecting visitors, his hair was slightly messy at the back, sticking up in a few unruly strands.

 

He also looked thinner than Lin Wangye remembered. His jawline seemed sharper, his features more defined, though the mature presence in his brows hadn’t fully developed yet.

 

Still, those sharp yet delicate features were undeniably striking.

 

No matter what age he was, he’d always be good-looking.

 

The teenager sitting across from him stared blankly, lost in thought for no apparent reason. Shi Yuan smiled softly, a faint curve at the corner of his lips, and took the initiative to speak.

 

“Lin Wangye?”

 

Lin Wangye snapped back to reality, startled. His eyes lit up.

 

“You remember me!”

 

“Of course.” Shi Yuan spoke slowly. “You’re pretty well-known at school. I’ve seen you before.”

 

Lin Wangye had been hoping Uncle Shi would remember him, but hearing this, he suddenly remembered — Shi Yuan also went to No. 7 High School.

 

Realizing that the person he’d been crushing on had actually been attending the same school this whole time — and had even seen him before — yet they’d somehow never officially met, Lin Wangye panicked. He blurted out, “Why haven’t I seen you before? Not even on the grade ranking board!”

 

Hearing that, Shi Yuan looked a little surprised.

 

“I’m Xu Suinian. You’ve never seen me?”

 

“…?”

 

Huh?

 

Who the hell was that?

 

The last time Lin Wangye had been this shocked was when he found out about his dad’s… unconventional taste in partners.

 

First off, he was absolutely certain he hadn’t mistaken this person for someone else.

 

Because the face in front of him wasn’t just similar to Shi Yuan’s younger self — it was practically identical. Even that tiny mole on his earlobe was in the exact same spot.

 

But the name… completely unfamiliar.

 

No wonder…

 

No wonder, even after knowing that Shi Yuan and Lin Shen had met in high school, Lin Wangye had turned No. 7 High School upside down trying to find any trace of him — and still came up empty.

 

Turns out, back in his school days, his Uncle Shi hadn’t even been using that name.

 

Xu Suinian.

 

The straight-A student from Class A, who was always ranked in the top three in every mock exam.

 

That bold, black-inked name had been plastered on the ranking board the whole time — right in front of him this whole time.

 

Not long ago, when Lin Wangye was looking for a part-time job, this name had even come up in conversation with Zhao Youyou. But he hadn’t thought much of it back then, casually asking her to look into it before forgetting all about it.

 

Shi Yuan.

 

Xu Suinian.

 

Even a god would have a hard time connecting those two names.

 

Lin Wangye sat helplessly at the bedside, looking as though he was on the verge of tears. He stared pitifully at Shi Yuan for what felt like forever before finally pouting and mumbling dejectedly, “I’ve never seen you before…”

 

The boy was facing the window, where the warm glow of the sunset spilled across his face. The light flickered in his eyes, shimmering like a river of stars.

 

But instead of looking dazzling, he suddenly seemed… incredibly downcast. Without a word, he lowered his gaze.

 

Shi Yuan was a little nearsighted, but not enough to need glasses all the time — he could still make out faces clearly.

 

And this face in front of him was undeniably attractive.

 

Especially those eyes and lips — strikingly beautiful.

 

Shi Yuan had always been good at reading emotions. Sensing Lin Wangye’s sudden sadness, he tilted his head slightly, watching his expression carefully. Speaking softly, he said,

 

“There are over a thousand students at school. Isn’t it normal that you haven’t seen me?”

 

Lin Wangye lifted his head, his eyes faintly red. His lips parted slightly, like he was about to say something — but in the end, he swallowed the words back down.

 

He had wanted to say that he’d actually asked Zhao Youyou before if there were any good-looking guys at No. 7 High besides Lu Chengxuan and Lin Shen.

 

Zhao Youyou had listed a whole bunch of names — but not once did she mention Xu Suinian!

 

Is Sister Zhao blind or what?

 

How is this ‘not’ handsome?!

 

With his hopeless crush clouding his judgment, Lin Wangye’s frustration only grew. He clenched his fists tighter and tighter, practically ready to storm over to Lu Chengxuan and demand to know how ‘he’ ended up with the ‘school heartthrob’ title.

 

But then… he saw Shi Yuan pick up a glasses case from beside his pillow and put on his glasses.

 

…

 

Oh God!

 

How could such ugly, outdated, painfully thick black frames still exist in this world?!

 

Where was the classy, silver-rimmed pair that screamed ‘cold, dangerous heartthrob’ and made people weak in the knees just by looking at him?!

 

‘Whoever designed these hideous black frames should be charged with a crime — do they even know what they’ve done?!’

 

Once Shi Yuan put on those glasses, his looks were instantly sealed away — at least 80% of them. At first glance, he now looked like an ordinary bookworm, the kind of guy you’d pass on the street without giving a second look.

 

Lin Wangye stared at him for a few seconds before those ridiculous glasses finally made him laugh in disbelief.

 

He sniffled hard to stop his nose from running, quickly adjusted his mood, and relaxed his expression. Smiling slightly, he said, “You’re right… With so many students at school, it’s normal we haven’t met. Plus, Class 7 and Class A aren’t even in the same building.”

 

After saying that, his eyes shifted to Shi Yuan’s leg, which was wrapped in a cast, and his face softened with concern.

 

“What happened exactly? How did Lin Shen end up hurting you like this?”

 

Shi Yuan set down the notebook and pen he’d been holding, adjusted the pillow behind his back, and explained everything in detail. Then he added, “It was all a misunderstanding. He didn’t mean to.”

 

“Still, it’s his fault!” Lin Wangye frowned. “He wouldn’t have pushed you if he hadn’t been acting so impulsively. Couldn’t he just ask questions first instead of charging in like that? Don’t worry — I’ll make sure he comes to apologize to you in person.”

 

Everyone at No. 7 High knew that Lin Wangye and Lin Shen were practically glued at the hip. Shi Yuan was no exception.

 

And honestly, in this whole mess, Shi Yuan had been an innocent victim.

 

The way Lin Wangye was acting now felt a lot like he was trying to smooth things over — maybe hoping Shi Yuan would let it go without holding Lin Shen accountable for picking a fight and causing trouble. After all, dragging things out wouldn’t help anyone.

 

The injury wasn’t just inconvenient for school — it messed up a lot of things for Shi Yuan.

 

Truth be told, he was still a little annoyed about it.

 

But looking at Lin Wangye now, with his worried, guilty expression — that wasn’t fake. The kid genuinely cared and was sincerely trying to make things right.

 

With a sigh, Shi Yuan let it go. He smiled and said, “It’s alright. That wall belongs to the neighboring community, and it’s pretty old. Their property management will cover the medical expenses.”

 

“That’s good, then.”

 

Lin Wangye nodded, glancing around the room. Besides the milk and fruit basket he’d brought earlier, there was barely anything in the room — no snacks, no drinks, nothing. It looked like no one was taking care of him at all.

 

Frowning, he stood up and grabbed the kettle by the bedside — the standard one every hospital room had. He gave it a shake.

 

Empty.

 

“How come no one’s taking care of you?”

 

Lin Wangye’s frown deepened as he glanced around the room. He knelt down, unpacked the fruit basket and milk he’d brought earlier, and placed them within Shi Yuan’s reach. Then, grabbing the empty kettle, he turned back around.

 

“I’ll be right back.”

 

It didn’t really make sense for him to feel this sudden closeness to someone he’d just started talking to.

 

Especially for someone like Shi Yuan, who barely socialized at all.

 

Yet he found himself watching the boy’s back as he disappeared through the hospital room door, his gaze lingering on that spot for a long time.

 

*

 

Lin Wangye first went to the hot water room to fill the kettle, then headed to Room 502. When he pushed the door open, he saw Lin Qianqian standing by the bed, scolding Lin Shen for being reckless.

 

Meanwhile, Lu Chengxuan was slouched in a chair, silently watching TV as usual.

 

It was clear Lin Shen hadn’t been left unattended — there were fruits, drinks, and snacks piled up beside his bed.

 

Without saying a word, Lin Wangye walked in and started digging through one of the shopping bags.

 

Lin Shen, on the other hand, looked completely relaxed, casually munching on an apple.

 

“Well?” he asked between bites. “Apology done?”

 

Lin Wangye nodded and glanced up at him.

 

“Did you hurt your leg or anything?”

 

“Nah,” Lin Shen pointed at his forehead. “Just my head and arm. My leg’s just got a few scrapes, nothing serious.”

 

Lin Wangye let out a breath of relief and started pulling out the more expensive, nutritious snacks from the bag.

 

“Good,” he said. “Rest up, and once you’re feeling better, you’re coming with me to apologize.”

 

“Huh?” Lin Shen blinked.

 

Just hearing that ticked Lin Wangye off again. He didn’t hold back.

 

“You put someone in the hospital — shouldn’t you apologize in person? What’s the point of me apologizing alone? Does that even seem sincere?”

 

“Xiao Lin’s right,” Lin Qianqian chimed in from the side. “You seriously need to fix that reckless streak of yours. That ditch was overgrown with plants and full of mud — you’re lucky. If it had been concrete instead, you’d be six feet under by now.”

 

“I was just panicking, alright? What if Sister Liu really was being harassed by some creep?” Lin Shen muttered, clearly admitting defeat. He slumped back against the bed, resigned. “Fine, fine… I’ll go once I’m feeling better.”

 

Satisfied with that answer, Lin Wangye turned on his heel to leave.

 

“Hey, hey, hey! Come back!” Lin Shen sat up, calling after him with a puzzled look. “Where are you off to now?”

 

“Paying your debt.”

 

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