Zhou Li remained silent.
The thought of attending the same high school and playing basketball together felt beautiful, but—
Not getting a response, Gu Changheng turned to him. “What’s wrong? Don’t you want to?”
Seeing Zhou Li still not replying, Gu Changheng pressed on, “You don’t need to worry about your grades. We’re good buddies. I’ll help you with your studies. There’s still a year left. Even if you can’t get into a first-tier high school, you can at least aim for a third-tier one.”
Zhou Li kept his head down as they walked toward the teaching building.
This was the first time that Zhou Li did not cooperate with him. Gu Changheng’s frustration surged. He gripped Zhou Li’s arm, his tone sharp. “You’re already thinking about giving up on school? What are you planning to do? Work as a security guard for others? Or set up a skewer stall in the future and endure the cold, hot, windy, and rainy weather? You’ll end up with sore arms and legs when you’re older!”
Gu Changheng didn’t look down on those jobs, but thinking about the hardships Zhou Li had faced just to earn a little money made him feel deeply pained.
He remembered how many nights Zhou Li was lying alone in bed after his death, struggling to sleep due to his arms and legs aching.
Obviously, if Zhou Li could just put in a bit more effort now, even if he didn’t earn a lot, being a white-collar worker in an office would be far better than the hard life he had outside.
Seeing Gu Changheng’s emotional reaction, Zhou Li stammered, “No, no, I want to go to high school.”
Gu Changheng sighed in relief and realized that his previous tone had been too harsh. He apologized, “I didn’t mean anything by it.”
In fact, if Zhou Li continued living the way he had in the previous life, Gu Changheng knew that he couldn’t leave him. Zhou Li was the light that dispelled all darkness in his life.
Only when he was with Zhou Li could Gu Changheng feel at peace and feel that the world was warm and real.
Zhou Li was still wondering what Gu Changheng meant by “I didn’t mean anything by it!”
After school, Gu Changheng and Zhou Li said their goodbyes at the school gate. Just before parting, Gu Changheng said, “Zhou Li, tell your family tonight that you’ll come to my house for make up lessons tomorrow.”
Gu Changheng had already pulled out the textbooks yesterday.
Zhou Li smiled and replied, “Okay, I’ll let my family know.”
Gu Changheng got into the car.
Zhou Li walked home step by step with this schoolbag on his back, his mind racing with anxiety about how to tell his aunt and uncle that he would be going to Gu Changheng’s house for lessons every evening.
Zhou Li knocked on the door for a long time, and the door was finally opened by his aunt’s daughter, Li Yan. Her eyes were red, clearly having just cried. “Brother!”
Zhou Li asked, “Why are you crying?”
Before he could finish, he heard the sound of his aunt and uncle arguing loudly from inside.
His aunt’s voice was sharp: “Are we so poor that we can’t even take in my brother’s child?”
Then his uncle’s voice boomed back: “The factory I work in is f*cking bankrupt. Do you understand? We need money for food and things at home. Last time, your daughter wanted to learn piano, and we couldn’t even afford that! And you want to take care of Zhou Li like this? When will this end? How is our family supposed to live? Your brother doesn’t even take responsibility for his own child, so it’s my fault that I married you, isn’t it?”
