Misunderstanding

Ying Huai, half-dazed, dreamed again of his time at the Sanatorium in his previous life.

During the first half of his time at the Sanatorium, he had to take large amounts of medication every day, and rarely had moments of clarity.

In the latter half, perhaps because the medical staff felt his daily listless, sleeping state posed no threat, they gradually reduced his dosage, and Ying Huai began to regain consciousness.

He tried to escape, but his vision had not yet recovered, and even walking a few steps left him breathless and panicked.

Ying Huai curled up on the bed, his despair growing in the boundless darkness, until one day, in his stupor, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Why won't you let me in?"

The person sitting quietly in the darkness blinked gently.

—That was Liang Shining's voice.

Ying Huai braced himself against the nearby wall and stumbled toward the door, but lost his strength after only a few steps.

His legs gave way beneath him. He held onto the door and slowly slid down to sit, listening as the voices outside filtered through several doors, vague and indistinct.

"......Is he inside?" Liang Shining's voice gradually took on a hint of anger. "On what grounds are you keeping someone locked up in here?"

Ying Huai, rarely hearing Liang Shining — usually so tight-lipped — get angry, raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Curious who Liang Shining had come looking for, he leaned closer to the door, listening quietly with lowered eyes.

He listened as his "attending doctor" said in a gentle voice: "The person you're looking for isn't here. What's locked in here are patients with mental illness, currently undergoing treatment, so they cannot leave."

"Nonsense." Ying Huai curved his lips, quietly contradicting him. "Liars don't die a good death."

He went still in the darkness for a moment, then suddenly laughed lazily: "But it seems I'm about to die soon."

The floor of the room was too cold. Sitting for too long, Ying Huai's heart began to protest.

He lost interest in the conversation outside for the moment. Covering his lips, he coughed a few muffled times, then braced against the wall and slowly stood.

The next second, an anxious voice suddenly reached his ear with startling clarity: "Ying Huai!"

Ying Huai started.

He turned his head in disbelief, listening as Liang Shining's anxious voice mingled with the panicked voices of the medical staff reached his ears.

"Ying Huai, are you inside? Ying Huai!"

Ying Huai turned abruptly and groped his way, stumbling, toward the door.

But the next second, the ward door was suddenly thrown open from outside.

"Stop him, don't let him make a sound." The "attending doctor" said irritably.

The moment his words fell, he watched the pale-faced young man before him, drawing strength from who knows where, shove him aside and stumble-run outside.

But he had only run a few steps before he was caught up by the orderly behind him, as expected.

Amid the chaos, Ying Huai seemed to hear a faint "ding," and something rolled over from Liang Shining's direction.

He stumbled and fell to the ground, reaching out to grope quickly, and his fingertips suddenly touched a jade bead that was cool to the touch.

"Still trying to run? Don't tell me you really thought he'd come rescue you?" The "attending doctor" gave a cold laugh. "How about I send him in to keep you company?"

Ying Huai's heart clenched.

He gripped the jade bead tightly in his hand, gritted his teeth and gasped for breath twice, then suddenly laughed: "Alright."

"But the Liang Family is nothing like mine. If Liang Shining disappears, the Liang Family will go mad."

Ying Huai said casually: "I'll wait for the day you bring about your own ruin."

The moment his words fell, he felt the "attending doctor" suddenly seize his chin, forcing him to lift his head.

Ying Huai winced in pain, gripping the jade bead in his hand even tighter.

After a long moment, he heard the "attending doctor" say darkly: "Take him back to his room — no, wait."

"No, that won't do." The "attending doctor," thinking of what Ying Huai had just said, clenched his teeth. ".......He can't remember this part."

"Take him to the treatment room."

·

"Cough, cough, cough —"

The memories from the dream gradually blurred, but the pain from it seemed to extend into the present.

Ying Huai's face suddenly went ashen, and he couldn't suppress a fit of choking coughs.

He felt himself half-lifted into someone's arms, a hand gently rubbing his chest in slow, steady strokes.

"Take a deep breath. Relax. It's alright."

Liang Shining's low voice reached him faintly from beside his ear.

The dream's memories were fading. Ying Huai struggled to ask Liang Shining about the Hongyu Jewel Pendant, but his exhausted mind slowly swallowed his consciousness.

Ying Huai's mind was foggy. He gasped twice in quick succession, then finally, utterly spent, plunged back into darkness.

When he regained consciousness, the first thing he heard was Song Si Lan's exasperated voice.

"How did his fever come back? How were you watching him?"

Ying Huai, still half-dazed, heard Song Si Lan's voice, forcibly suppressing his anger, come through quietly.

A few soft beeps sounded from nearby, as if someone was explaining the situation to Song Si Lan.

But Song Si Lan's voice only grew angrier: "He's about to burn out and pass out, and you still let him compete against others?"

"Where are that idiot Director and that idiot opponent?"

Ying Huai heard Song Fengyi seem to respond mildly, immediately followed by Song Si Lan's merciless tirade.

"Is your brain full of holes or are your eyes full of pus? Can't you see he's already in terrible shape? Or did you deliberately pick a sick person to compete against just to show off your superiority?"

Song Fengyi seemed to say something in reply, and Song Si Lan immediately cut in impatiently: "Enough, don't waste my time with nonsense."

"You can't even beat someone who's half out of his mind with fever — anything I say to you is a waste of breath."

Listening to Song Si Lan's barely-contained fury, Ying Huai felt an inexplicable urge to laugh.

But the next second, a sudden dull pain struck his chest, and Ying Huai's breathing grew rapid. Then came Song Si Lan's suddenly tense voice.

"Ying Huai? Ying Huai? Wake up —"

Ying Huai forced his eyes open.

—As expected, he had ended up at the Hospital again.

Everyone in the ward seemed to have been chased out by Song Si Lan, but Ying Huai's vision was blurry, and he could only make out vague outlines.

"Alright, as long as you're awake, that's good." Song Si Lan tucked a pill under his tongue, gesturing for him to hold it there, and silently exhaled.

Ying Huai was still listless and drained. He closed his eyes briefly and said quietly: "......What's wrong with me?"

"What's wrong with you? You're practically cooked through." Song Si Lan gritted his teeth and gave a cold laugh.

He said irritably: "You had time to take advantage of Liang Shining, but no time to find yourself some fever medicine."

Ying Huai laughed despite himself, coughing softly a few times: "I didn't take advantage of Liang Sh닝......."

"When Liang Shining came to find me just now, his face was so hot you could have steamed an egg on it," Song Si Lan said expressionlessly. "I almost gave him a fever-reducing shot too."

Ying Huai was momentarily stunned, then caught between laughter and tears: "Does Liang Shining know you talk about him like that?"

"I chased them all out," Song Si Lan said expressionlessly, fixing Ying Huai with a warning glare. "Don't think I won't scold you too. Just wait until you're better."

Ying Huai didn't mind, his eyes curving in a smile: "Alright."

He didn't notice Song Si Lan staring at his somewhat unfocused peach-blossom eyes, his brow slowly furrowing.

"When did your vision start going?" Song Si Lan asked suddenly.

Ying Huai was startled. He opened his mouth to say something, but a sudden noise came from outside the door.

Ying Huai's fingers trembled slightly, and his expression suddenly went still.

Song Si Lan didn't notice the change in Ying Huai's expression.

He stepped forward to examine him more carefully, when he suddenly heard Ying Huai say quietly: "There's nothing wrong with my eyes."

Song Si Lan nearly laughed in exasperation.

"Oh?" Song Si Lan scoffed. "Fine, then if you......"

"Doctor Song," Ying Huai said calmly, suddenly, and looked up at him with a smile. "Someone's coming in."

Song Si Lan was startled.

Before he could turn around, he heard hurried footsteps at the ward door, and several figures filed in one after another.

"Little shidi, you're finally awake!" Xin Wan wailed and lunged straight for the hospital bed, only to be caught by Lu Jing, who frowned and held him back.

Xin Wan had always felt that something was off about Lu Jing's state ever since the Lu Family incident.

Not daring to act up again, he could only shout at Ying Huai from a safe distance: "Little shidi, do you feel unwell anywhere? Are you still feverish? If anything hurts...... mmph!"

"No noise in the ward," Lu Jing said quietly, reaching out to cover Xin Wan's mouth directly. "Shut up."

Ying Huai couldn't help but let out a soft laugh: "I'm fine........"

"He's not." Song Si Lan suddenly cut in expressionlessly.

"But I can't determine his exact condition right now," Song Si Lan said, turning to look at Ying Huai, each word deliberate and quiet. "So I need Teacher Ying to cooperate with me."

Ying Huai turned his head at the sound.

He listened as Song Si Lan said quietly: "Can Teacher Ying tell me where Liang Shining is right now?"

Ying Huai's hand at his side trembled slightly.

Xin Wan, beside him, said in confusion: "What kind of question is that? Isn't Liang Shining right over —"

"Shut up." Lu Jing, also realizing something, quickly cut Xin Wan off.

But the next second, the person on the bed lifted his head at the sound, smiling, and turned toward a position beside Lu Jing and Xin Wan.

"Over there." Ying Huai said with a smile.

Song Si Lan frowned.

—Ying Huai hadn't actually seen him; he'd deduced Liang Shining's position from the direction Xin Wan had been facing when speaking.

He was about to continue when he suddenly heard the person on the bed sigh helplessly: "Doctor Song doesn't believe me?"

The next second, Ying Huai suddenly braced himself on the bed rail and slowly sat up, then grabbed the IV stand beside him and stumbled in that direction.

Still unwell, he lost his strength after a few steps, and his breathing grew increasingly rapid.

But the next moment, Ying Huai was, as expected, caught steadily by a pair of hands.

'Ying Huai, you......' Liang Shining began, frowning.

'You see, I was right.'

Liang Shining hadn't finished speaking when he suddenly saw the person in his arms smile.

'Liang Shining is right here.'

Ying Huai's fingers unconsciously gripped Liang Shining's sleeve tightly, his tone still casual: 'Doctor Song believes me now, right?'

The hospital room fell silent. Song Si Lan watched Ying Huai's body trembling uncontrollably, then suddenly frowned and said: 'Everyone out.'

Xin Wan whimpered as Lu Jing pulled her away. Liang Shining helped Ying Huai sit back on the bed, and just as he was about to turn around, he suddenly felt his arm grow heavy.

Song Si Lan gestured for Liang Shining to stand behind him, then shook his head slightly at him.

The hospital room door made a soft 'click' as Lu Jing and Xin Wan left. At the same moment, Song Si Lan said quietly: 'They're gone. Can you tell the truth now?'

Ying Huai sat leaning against the head of the bed with lowered eyes, his lips an unnaturally pale white.

His vision was still spinning in waves. He frowned and instinctively tried to turn his head away, but Song Si Lan pressed him back without mercy.

'Don't move,' Song Si Lan took out a flashlight and waved it in front of his eyes, frowning as he spoke. 'Can you see clearly?'

Ying Huai closed his eyes briefly, then laughed softly: 'Of course I can.'

The moment his words fell, he heard Song Si Lan say expressionlessly: 'Then what number did I just hold up?'

Ying Huai, who hadn't dared to open his eyes at all: ......

He paused, then ventured tentatively: 'Two?'

'It was five,' Song Si Lan took a deep breath, gritting his teeth as he spoke. 'You're already like this, and you're still thinking I'd hold up a peace sign for you?'

Ying Huai choked for a moment, then after a while, smiled ingratiatingly.

Song Si Lan didn't fall for it at all.

He frowned at the tense figure before him, then suddenly said: 'I've never met you before, Ying Huai.'

'I won't hurt you, you don't need to be afraid of me,' he observed Ying Huai's expression, speaking slowly and deliberately, 'I just want to save your life.'

Ying Huai's fingers at his side suddenly clenched tight, and Liang Shining's expression slowly fell silent.

The hospital room was quiet. Sunlight filtered through the window onto the sill and fell across the bed, bringing a faint warmth.

—This was a scene that could never have appeared in the Sanatorium in his previous life.

Ying Huai's expression went distant for a moment, and his body slowly relaxed.

'I can't see clearly.' Ying Huai suddenly said quietly.

'Sometimes it's a sudden black fog, sometimes it suddenly goes blurry, but mainly it's dizziness,' Ying Huai pressed his brow, speaking wearily, 'and it's......not quite the same as before.'

Song Si Lan keenly caught the key point: 'Did this happen to you before too?'

The person on the bed slowly nodded. Song Si Lan turned to glance at Liang Shining, only to find that there was not the slightest surprise in Liang Shining's expression—only more sadness and pain.

Song Si Lan took a deep breath.

'Vision loss could be caused by a heart problem.........or it could be caused by psychological factors. We'll need to do some detailed tests to determine the specifics.'

Ying Huai's expression was distant; it was unclear whether he had actually heard or not.

Song Si Lan stared at Ying Huai's unfocused eyes, then suddenly said quietly: 'Why didn't you tell the truth just now?'

Ying Huai's mind was foggy and heavy; his weary, dizzy brain had no energy left to fabricate new lies.

He said quietly: 'Liang Shining was......'

Song Si Lan frowned.

He watched Ying Huai's slightly trembling body, feeling that something was off somewhere.

'Why don't you want him to know? Are you afraid Liang Shining would worry if he found out......'

'No,' Ying Huai suddenly said quietly, 'because Liang Shining can't save me......'

Song Si Lan suddenly looked up.

He heard Ying Huai speak hazily: 'No one can save me.'

Song Si Lan looked at Ying Huai's pallid face and suddenly stepped forward: 'Ying Huai!'

Ying Huai's body trembled, but he said nothing.

Everything from the dream floated up and faded in his mind, indistinct. Ying Huai turned his head to look at the Hongyu Jewel Pendant at the end of his hair, feeling that he had forgotten something.

—Was this red bead really given to him by his gege?

Ying Huai heard Song Si Lan seemingly asking something anxiously, but Ying Huai's mind was a chaos.

'I don't know.' Ying Huai said blankly.

'I can't remember clearly.'

The next second, Ying Huai suddenly clutched his chest and gasped rapidly, an ominous bluish-purple gradually appearing on his lips.

Song Si Lan stepped forward and caught him.

He quickly connected the cardiac monitor, raised the head of the bed slightly, took medication from the side, and without hesitation pushed it directly into the IV line.

After a long while, Ying Huai finally caught his breath.

His expression was extraordinarily weary; he was barely maintaining consciousness, but for some reason kept forcing himself to stay awake.

Song Si Lan reached out to switch to a bottle of sleep-inducing medication, but the next second, he suddenly felt the person behind him step forward, half-kneeling at the head of the bed, and gently take Ying Huai's hand.

He made no grand movements, only casually kneading and pressing Ying Huai's fingertips, tapping lightly against his palm with a certain rhythm.

Ying Huai slowly blinked, his eyelids gradually sinking. Before long, his breathing finally evened out.

Liang Shining slowly stood up, meeting Song Si Lan's strange gaze behind him.

'What's wrong?' Liang Shining said quietly.

Song Si Lan shook his head.

'Ying Huai doesn't trust you,' he said thoughtfully, 'but subconsciously he has a different kind of dependence on you.'

·

The detailed test results would still take some time to come out. Song Si Lan prepared a pair of therapeutic Glasses for Ying Huai, and only gave them to him on the day of his discharge from the Hospital.

'So you don't sneak out of the Hospital early,' Song Si Lan held up the Glasses, speaking unhurriedly, 'but you haven't fully recovered yet, so there's one more thing I need you to cooperate with.'

'What is it?' Ying Huai had been nearly scared out of his wits by Song Si Lan's treatments these past few days, and looked up warily.

He heard Song Si Lan speak unhurriedly: 'Before you're fully recovered or before you go on the Variety Show, you'll stay at Teacher Liang's home, where he'll take care of you.'

'No way!' Ying Huai suddenly raised his head.

'Non-negotiable,' Song Si Lan said slowly, 'this is a doctor's order.'

'I can take care of myself at home on my own,' Ying Huai smiled with curved eyes, trying to change the situation, 'no need to trouble Teacher Liang......'

'Is that so,' Song Si Lan twirled the Glasses in his hand, smiling as he spoke, 'then why don't you walk a straight line for me right now?'

Ying Huai: .......

'Enough, stop struggling,' Song Si Lan said leisurely, 'is there any other living thing in your home besides you?'

Ying Huai gritted his teeth, 'There's also Bouquet.'

Song Si Lan looked up in confusion; 'Who is Bouquet? Your secret kept little lover?'

Ying Huai was silent for two seconds: '......a cat.'

Silence spread through the hospital room. The two stared at each other wordlessly for two seconds, then both turned their heads away at the same time.

'Anyway, you can't be alone,' Song Si Lan gritted his teeth, 'last time you stayed at Liang Shining's home you still managed to land yourself in the Hospital. If you go home alone, will I just be out of a job next time?'

Because of the previous livestream incident, Ying Huai had been deliberately or inadvertently avoiding people these past two days.

He didn't dare to revisit what had happened that day at all, and it was even less possible for him to stay at Liang Shining's home.

Ying Huai's peach-blossom eyes narrowed slightly.

Song Si Lan looked at Ying Huai's appearance and always felt he was plotting something.

He frowned and said: 'Lu Jing, Xin Wan, or me—you can pick any of us, but there must be someone at your home......'

Xin Wan beside them instantly looked excited, but the next second, they heard Ying Huai laugh.

'As long as there's someone at home, right?'

Ying Huai glanced at Liang Shining beside him, smiling with curved eyes: 'I'll go to my gege's home.'

·

Ying Qi had some company matters and would need a while before he could come over. After finishing his discharge examination, Ying Huai sat on the hospital bed in a daze, when he suddenly heard a familiar voice from the doorway.

'No, you can't do this—'

That voice seemed to be Le Xi's.

Ying Huai turned his head, only to see Song Fengyi's figure flash past the doorway.

Ying Huai raised an eyebrow.

He remembered hearing Song Fengyi's voice when he was unconscious, but from waking until now, Ying Huai had never seen him at the Hospital.

Ying Huai braced himself against the wall and slowly walked out the door. The next second, a venomous voice suddenly came from behind.

'Ying Huai!'

Ying Huai was startled for a moment.

He turned his head, meeting Le Xi's resentful gaze.

'Did you come to mock me, Ying Huai,' Le Xi stood at the hospital room door, gritting his teeth as he spoke, 'you came to watch my show, didn't you!'

Ying Huai leaned half against the wall, stared at Le Xi for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed: 'You're overthinking it.'

'I didn't even know you were here.'

'But if I had known you were in this situation,' Ying Huai looked at Le Xi's haggard expression with great interest, slowly smiling, 'I might have come to visit you in prison.'

Le Xi was stunned for a moment, then instantly flew into a rage: 'Ying Huai, go to hell, go to hell for me—'

As he spoke, he tried to rush out of the hospital room. Ying Huai still leaned lazily against the wall, standing in place with a calm expression.

The next second, Ying Huai felt his arm tighten, and immediately he was blocked from behind by a figure.

Ying Huai was stunned for a moment. Looking at Liang Shining's back, he blurted out: "Why haven't you left yet?"

Liang Shining turned back to glance at him, his expression inexplicably carrying a trace of reproach: "What were you just doing—"

Before he could finish speaking, at that very moment, two plainclothes police officers appeared from somewhere near the hospital room and directly blocked Le Xi.

"Quiet. Go back to the hospital room."

Liang Shining was stunned. Ying Huai raised his eyes innocently: "What did Mr. Liang say I was just doing?"

He didn't wait for Liang Shining's answer, peeked at Le Xi—who looked frantic behind him—and slightly curved his lips.

—He had guessed right.

After that incident at the Lu Family Heir Announcement ceremony last time, Le Xi had been taken back to the police station again.

But he still had some lingering external injuries from that time, and had become somewhat neurotic, constantly paranoid. The police station had no choice but to arrange medical parole for him.

And given Le Xi's mental state, they had imposed movement restrictions and surveillance on him.

"I will definitely get out. Just you wait, Ying Huai," Le Xi said through gritted teeth, his whole body restrained in a chair. "You can't find evidence for Xin Wan's drowning. Someone will get me out of here........"

"Really?" Ying Huai smiled.

"Then why did Song Fengyi leave just now?" He glanced back at the stairway entrance and spoke casually.

In his previous life, Song Fengyi had never bothered him again after he was blackened across the entire internet. Ying Huai wasn't sure whether Song Fengyi was the mastermind behind all of this, or just a pawn like Le Xi.

—But judging by Song Fengyi's intelligence, Ying Huai leaned more toward the latter.

A flash of panic crossed Le Xi's expression. He gritted his teeth: "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know any Song Fengyi..."

Ying Huai didn't care.

He was too lazy to keep tangling with Le Xi. He glanced down at the message Ying Qi had sent him, then turned and slowly made his way back toward the hospital room.

Le Xi behind him was still shouting nonstop. Ying Huai, in a rather good mood, had taken two steps when he suddenly heard Liang Shining's voice from beside him.

"He won't be coming out." Liang Shining said quietly.

Ying Huai was stunned.

He turned his head to look at the person beside him: "What did you say?"

Liang Shining turned to look at him and said softly: "The GoPro from your group—my lawyer had someone restore the footage inside."

Ying Huai's steps halted abruptly.

Before entering the water, he had carefully wrapped their group's GoPro in his hat, thinking that some evidence might be preserved on it.

But afterward his mental state after the drowning had been poor, and since the GoPro hadn't been connected to the livestream at the time, Ying Huai hadn't had the energy to go looking for it again. He hadn't expected Liang Shining to actually keep it in mind.

Ying Huai glanced at Liang Shining with some surprise. Liang Shining didn't say anything more, just reached out and helped him pick up his luggage.

Ying Huai instinctively tried to take the luggage, but heard Liang Shining suddenly say quietly: "Shifu, are you really not coming home with me?"

Ying Huai was stunned.

Liang Shining's voice carried a barely perceptible sadness and plea. Ying Huai silently opened his mouth, but the refusal on his lips couldn't come out for a moment.

"I......" Ying Huai gritted his teeth, just about to speak, when he was interrupted again by Liang Shining.

"Was there something I didn't do well enough last time?" Liang Shining raised his head, his usually calm eyes rarely revealing a trace of helplessness. "My parents have been worried about you too."

—For the first time, Ying Huai felt that Liang Shining had the potential to be a green tea bitch.

A rare trace of reluctance rose in his heart. He was just about to speak dazedly, when he suddenly heard Ying Qi's voice from behind.

"Xiao Huai?"

Ying Huai suddenly came back to his senses.

"Ge!"

He breathed a sigh of relief, quickly turned and walked to Ying Qi's side, and curved his eyes at Liang Shining: "Why doesn't Teacher Liang ask my ge's opinion?"

Ying Qi curiously raised his head, and Liang Shining's voice abruptly stopped.

"What, is Xiao Ning coming to our house to play?" Ying Qi didn't understand, but still spoke warmly.

Ying Huai smiled without speaking. Liang Shining's expression carried a trace of stiffness.

"No, you misunderstood," Liang Shining took a deep breath. "I was just discussing some things with Ying Huai......"

"Is it about Xiao Huai being sick before? Thank you for taking care of him."

Ying Qi took Ying Huai's luggage from Liang Shining's hand and smiled gently: "Then I'll take Xiao Huai home first. Come visit Xiao Huai when you have time—he really likes you."

Liang Shining was stunned. The tips of Ying Huai's ears instantly turned red.

"I don't......like him." Ying Huai gritted his teeth.

Ying Qi looked at his younger brother, who rarely had such a big reaction, and found it somewhat amusing for a moment: "Then did I guess wrong? I thought..."

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly heard a voice with a trace of amusement from behind.

"You didn't guess wrong. Huaihuai really likes Teacher Liang."

Song Fengyi walked out from the corner of the corridor.

His gaze circled between Liang Shining and Ying Huai, and he spoke warmly: "They even kissed in public during their livestream a few days ago."

Ying Qi's expression froze. Ying Huai slightly furrowed his brow.

Song Fengyi looked at the expressions of the people in front of him and switched to a surprised tone: "You didn't know?"

"Sorry, Huaihuai, I didn't mean to," Song Fengyi turned to Ying Huai, his tone apologetic. "I thought—you had told your boyfriend about this."

As soon as Song Fengyi finished speaking, he suddenly saw a strange flash cross Ying Huai's expression.

Song Fengyi was stunned, and an inexplicable sense of unease rose in his heart.

He had originally come back to warn Le Xi again, but unexpectedly overheard such an "explosive piece of news."

Song Fengyi faintly felt this didn't quite match his guess, but the words had already been said to this extent, and it was too late to take them back.

"Huaihuai doing this isn't quite right, is it? Having an ambiguous relationship with Teacher Liang isn't enough, and still clinging to another person." Song Fengyi spoke with concern.

"If this gets exposed, it won't be good for Teacher Ying's reputation."

As he spoke, he glanced at the camera overhead and said slowly: "Don't you think so?"

Ying Huai didn't answer immediately.

He stared at Song Fengyi with great interest for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed: "Yes."

"Then what does Teacher Song think.......if it's not to be exposed, what conditions are needed?"

Song Fengyi smiled: "Very simple."

Last time during the livestream, he had lost to Ying Huai in public. Not only was he mocked by the livestream audience, but many people had also questioned him for taking advantage of Ying Huai's poor health to bully him deliberately.

Song Fengyi was eager to restore his reputation, and equally eager to vent his grievances.

He plotted in his heart to first humiliate Ying Huai severely, then expose this matter online.

"If you sincerely beg me, I can help you keep it secret." Song Fengyi spoke warmly.

He saw Ying Huai open his mouth as if about to say something, and once again cut him off first.

"I can give Huaihuai two choices."

"Either online, clarify the 'misunderstanding' about me during that livestream, and admit to the netizens that it was your mistake."

The smugness in Song Fengyi's voice was almost impossible to suppress.

He cleared his throat lightly and continued in a 'considerate' manner: "Or, if Huaihuai feels this is too difficult, you can still choose the first option."

"For example, kneel down right now—beg me."

Ying Huai's peach-blossom eyes flickered slightly, and he looked up at him without speaking.

Song Fengyi said quietly: "Huaihuai made me so embarrassed during that livestream. You should understand me, right?"

Ying Huai suddenly laughed: "Of course."

He turned his head to look at Ying Qi beside him: "Do you think this request is acceptable, gege?"

Song Fengyi's expression froze.

A flash of disbelief crossed his expression: "What did you say?"

"Shh," Ying Huai turned his head and casually made a hushing gesture at Song Fengyi. "I'm asking my ge's opinion."

He looked at Song Fengyi's panicked expression, as if anticipating what he was about to ask, and casually curved his lips.

"Don't rush, Teacher Song. This really is my real gege."

Ying Huai curved his eyes: "The genuine article."

Song Fengyi's face turned deathly pale.

"Did you do this on purpose? You knew I was beside you, and deliberately said this to trick me—"

Ying Huai laughed: "How can you blame me for this?"

"You can only blame yourself, Teacher Song, for eavesdropping but not hearing it all."

Song Fengyi's expression twisted for a moment.

When he had been eavesdropping just now, Song Fengyi hadn't heard the first half of the conversation between Ying Qi and Liang Shining.

He had only vaguely caught Ying Qi's 'home' and Liang Shining's 'like,' and combined with the intimate attitude between Ying Qi and Ying Huai, Song Fengyi had taken it for granted that Ying Huai was two-timing.

He watched Ying Huai mimic his gesture of glancing at the camera, and spoke slowly.

"Then please trouble Teacher Song to apologize to us now."

"I'm not picky. Teacher Song can just freely choose one of the two requests you just mentioned."

The corridor fell silent. Song Fengyi's face alternated between green and purple.

He looked at Ying Huai, and his knees slowly sank to the ground.

"I'm sorry. I misunderstood just now." Song Fengyi's voice squeezed out word by word from between his teeth.

"Please forgive me."

·

The corridor finally quieted down. Ying Huai breathed a sigh of relief, turned to look at Ying Qi, and his expression suddenly froze.

He watched his usually gentle older brother turn his head, his expression rarely becoming serious: "Did you kiss Xiao Ning?"

Liang Shining, following behind, paused his steps. The smile at Ying Huai's lips suddenly vanished.