Lu Yushen was sitting in a corner of his room.
Fu Zhi was better than the sister in his dreams, but he was a disappointment.
Wherever there was human life, there was competition. No one would want a dumb boy as their brother, and he was certain that Fu Zhi thought the same way.
*
It was already 6 o’clock in the evening by the time Fu Zhi and Lu Yumo got back home.
Lu Jingqing and Xu Wei had not come back from the Xu Mansion yet, and Mama Zhang went back home to take care of her son after she finished preparing dinner.
Gu Yan was sitting by the table. When she saw Fu Zhi, she grinned and greeted her. “I’m not feeling well today, so I’m sorry that I can’t tutor your friend.”
Gu Yan rarely talked to Fu Zhi, and Lu Yumo glanced at her dubiously. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that an arrogant person like Gu Yan would apologize over such a small matter.
Fu Zhi was not good at exchanging pleasantries. She thought for a while before handing Gu Yan the candy figurine that she had bought for her and saying, “Then you should get some rest. There are some Valley Orchids in the garden, and you can get a few to make yourself some flower tea when you’re not feeling well. It’s good for your health.”
Gu Yan did not need it. She did not know what Fu Zhi was talking about either. Every time Fu Zhi gave her flower tea, she would accept it first, but she would then dump the tea behind Fu Zhi’s back.
However, when she thought of the thing she had just done, she averted her gaze and replied, “Okay.”
She was considering buying a watch to compensate Fu Zhi.
Fu Zhi and Gu Yan did not like each other.
That was what Lu Yumo concluded after seeing their awkward conversation. He looked around and then asked, “Where is Lu Yushen?”
After all, Lu Yushen would come downstairs and snatch Fu Zhi’s bag from him whenever they came back from school. Therefore, Lu Yumo was quite confused and unaccustomed to it when he did not see Lu Yushen today.
“I gave him a sedative today, so I think he’s sleeping. I suggest you guys don’t disturb him, as it will affect the treatment,” Gu Yan replied.
In fact, Lu Yushen was having an emotional meltdown right now. Gu Yan thought Fu Zhi was a smart girl, so she just made up an excuse, as she did not want her to notice anything when she saw him.
Lu Yumo nodded.
*
At nine o’clock in the evening, Fu Zhi sat on the couch. She was not playing games, and she was staring in the direction of Lu Yushen’s room.
Lu Yumo was sitting by her side, helping her do her English homework.
After half an hour, Xu Wei and Lu Jingqing returned.
When Fu Zhi heard their voices, she got up from the couch and went up to Xu Wei. Then, she asked, her voice thick with concern, “Did Yushen eat anything this afternoon?”
“Nope. He just took some medicine and then went to take a nap,” Xu Wei replied as she hung her coat on a hanger. “What’s wrong?”
Before Fu Zhi could say anything, Lu Yumo chimed in, “How long is he going to sleep? He hasn’t even come down to greet us. Is he waiting for me to invite him?”
His voice was dripping with sarcasm as he added, “Hurry up and get him down so that we can shove something down his throat. Otherwise, he will be crying again when he gets gastritis!”
“Yumo!” Xu Wei growled, “You’re a grown-up now, so you have to remain true to yourself!”
Lu Yumo did not know what to say.
‘Are you sure that’s the right phrase?’ he thought.
Lu Jingqing then took Fu Zhi upstairs and went to knock on Lu Yushen’s door.
However, Lu Yushen did not answer the door.
Lu Jingqing sensed that something was amiss, but he soon dismissed the thought. After all, Gu Yan was pretty capable and Lu Yushen’s condition had improved. He knocked on the door again and said, “Yushen? Wake up and come downstairs to eat something.”
After receiving no response from Lu Yushen, Lu Jingqing placed his hand on the door handle and prepared to enter his room with Fu Zhi.
When he turned the door handle, he realized the door was locked from the inside.
Lu Jingqing and Fu Zhi shared a glance, and both of them knew something was certainly not right.
“Yushen?!” Lu Jingqing shouted, his voice laced with anxiety. He pushed Fu Zhi away, turned his body sideways, and rammed it against the door.