Chapter 11 — The Fierce Honor Student Is Waiting for You Downstairs

Three years ago, a hospital, the pungent smell of antiseptic, my brother’s pale face, and… on the bed next to him, another frail, ghost-white little girl. Back then, my parents told me she was just a classmate who had been in the same accident with my brother. Could it be… that little girl was actually Huo Nhan’s sister? That little girl… later on…

She… My voice trembled, lacking the courage to finish the question.

She’s dead, Huo Nhan completed the sentence for me, his voice frighteningly calm. Died in that very accident.

And your brother… only broke a leg.

Tell me, do you think I should settle this score?

A freezing chill spread through my entire body, as if I had plunged into an icy abyss. Su Uc… caused the death of Huo Nhan’s sister? This revelation was too horrific, too earth-shattering for me to process. My own brother—the man I had always respected, believing him to be upright and kind-hearted… How could he have done such a thing?!

No way… this is impossible… I muttered, utterly unable to accept this harsh reality. There has to be some misunderstanding…

Misunderstanding?

Huo Nhan gave a cold, bitter laugh, his eyes overflowing with a hatred so vast it seemed ready to consume everything.

Su Yun Yun, the evidence is ironclad. What misunderstanding could possibly exist?

The person driving that car was none of your brother Su Uc. It was his reckless speeding, his blatant disregard for a red light, that caused the crash!

If not for him, my sister would not have died!

All of this is documented in the police investigation report! Do you want to see it? I can bring it to you!

His voice grew increasingly agitated, ending in a near-shriek. I was forced to take a step back under the sheer intensity of his outcry, my face completely drained of color. I stared into his eyes, which were brimming with agonizing grief and deep-seated rancor, feeling as though an invisible hand were violently squeezing my heart. I could not begin to fathom the immense pain of losing a family member. Nor could I imagine how Huo Nhan had managed to endure the past three years carrying such a heavy burden of vengeance. It was no wonder… No wonder he had always targeted my brother with such fierce hostility. No wonder he acted so rebellious and indifferent to the world. Perhaps this was the only way he knew how to bury the agonizing pain locked deep inside his heart.

I’m sorry… the words slipped past my lips, tears streaming uncontrollably down my cheeks. I didn’t know… I truly had no idea…

I was apologizing on behalf of my older brother. Even though the full truth remained slightly blurred to me, if the fault truly lay with him, then the debt he owed to Huo Nhan was simply too heavy to measure. Huo Nhan stood frozen, watching me cry, the raging fire and hostility in his gaze slowly dissolving into a weary, bewildered haze. He turned his head away, his voice hoarse and raspy: This has nothing to do with you. There’s no need for you to apologize.

How can you say it has nothing to do with me? I choked out through my tears, He’s my brother…

Huo Nhan remained silent. After a long, agonizing pause, he turned back to look at me, his eyes swirling with complex emotions.

Su Yun Yun, he said in a low voice, now that you know the truth… do you still…

He hesitated, as if unsure how to proceed. I knew precisely what he wanted to ask. Now that the truth was out, was I still willing to continue playing along in his charade? Did I still want to entangle myself with him? On one side stood my own flesh and blood. On the other stood the boy carrying a crushing vendetta. How was I supposed to choose? My rational mind told me to sever all ties with Huo Nhan immediately and stand firmly beside my brother. Blood is thicker than water, after all. Yet… looking into Huo Nhan’s pain-filled, vulnerable eyes, my heart instinctively leaned toward him. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t just stand by my brother’s side with a clear conscience after learning everything. I couldn’t bring myself to condemn Huo Nhan, and even less could I bear to walk away from him. Perhaps my brother really was in the wrong, though he had already paid a price of his own by breaking his leg and missing half a year of school. But Huo Nhan… he had lost a family member, a permanent wound that could never truly heal.

Huo Nhan, I wiped away my tears, lifted my head, and looked straight into his eyes with absolute seriousness.

I don’t know all the details of what happened back then. But I believe my brother… he surely didn’t mean to do it.

Whether he meant to or not doesn’t matter anymore, Huo Nhan replied coldly. What matters is that my sister is dead.

I know, I nodded. So if you want your revenge, I…

I drew a deep breath, making a decision that even I found utterly insane.

I will help you.

Huo Nhan jerked his head up, staring at me in utter disbelief, his eyes wide with shock.

You… what did you just say?

I said I will help you, I repeated, my voice steady and resolute. Whatever way you choose to take revenge on my brother, I will cooperate with you.

Perhaps… this was the only way I could ever seek redemption for my brother’s sins? Huo Nhan stared right into my eyes, a tumultuous storm of shock, suspicion, and a fragile, flickering trace of touched emotion rippling across his face.

Su Yun Yun, his voice was rough and strained, do you even realize what you’re saying?

I know, I nodded again. I’ve never been clearer.

Help you take revenge on my brother? Huo Nhan gave a faint, mocking smile. How do you plan to help? By siding with me and completely cutting ties with him?

If that’s what it takes, I answered without a single moment of hesitation.

Huo Nhan’s expression stiffened. He stared at me, his deep gaze seemingly trying to pierce straight through my soul. After a long moment, he gave a slow, gentle shake of his head.

No need, he said. Su Yun Yun, this is a matter between me and your brother, and it has nothing to do with you.

I don’t want to drag you into this.

But…

No buts, Huo Nhan interrupted, his tone final and absolute.

All you need to do is… stay away from Su Uc and Shen Qian, and keep yourself safe.

His words warmed my very soul. Even in a situation like this, he was still looking out for me? What an irritatingly hypocritical guy…

Huo Nhan, I looked at him and suddenly burst into a soft laugh, do you… actually like me?

It was a question I had held back in my heart for a very long time. He had claimed it was all an act, a game of vengeance. But the way he consistently cared for me and secretly protected me could never be completely fake. Huo Nhan looked as though he had been struck by lightning, his ears flushing a bright crimson as he hurriedly averted his gaze.

Su Yun Yun! What kind of nonsense are you babbling about?! he barked, clearly giving himself away through his guilt.

Am I talking nonsense? I mimicked his posture, stepping closer and tilting my head upward, then why are your ears so red?

I… it’s just hot! Huo Nhan argued stubbornly.

Oh? Is that so? I deliberately drew out my tone, It’s late autumn right now, the wind is freezing enough to kill you, and you’re feeling hot?

I… Huo Nhan choked on his words, his face turning even redder, resembling a boiled prawn.

Seeing his expression of utter confusion mixed with adorable embarrassment, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Who knew that teasing the infamous campus rebel could be so much fun? Huo Nhan grew angry out of sheer embarrassment and shot me a fierce glare:

What are you laughing at! Stop laughing right now!

I’ll laugh if I want to! Blah, blah! I made a funny face to provoke him.

Watching me laugh so heartily that my head tilted back, the sharp edge in Huo Nhan’s eyes gradually softened. He let out a helpless sigh and raised his hand, intending to ruffle my hair the way he used to. But halfway through the gesture, his hand froze in mid-air, as if he suddenly remembered something, and he slowly withdrew it. That tiny, restrained movement made a quiet ache twist inside a corner of my heart. Was it because… now that the truth was out, he felt an insurmountable chasm stretching out between us?

Huo Nhan, I reined in my smile, looking at him with utter seriousness,

Everything from the past belongs to the older generation’s grievances… no wait, the grievances between our brothers.

As for the two of us… could we possibly…