Chapter 2
Proofreader: Akimi
Who would’ve thought?
Life would always throw unexpected curveballs at you. It would put you down while you were happy and proud, but also give you a surprise while you were desperate and sad.
Towards Zhen Yuanbai, it was clearly the latter.
No wonder his parents hadn’t received his teacher’s call. No wonder Shi Bufan hadn’t complained to the teacher.
He lost his memory!
This was probably the second piece of good news Zhen Yuanbai had heard since started high school. The last one was when his parents agreed to change his name.
Shi Bufan forgot how he fell so he naturally wouldn’t beat him up. Zhen Yuanbai slowly relaxed and calmed down his stiff body. Although he tried his best to suppress his happiness, one could still see the ecstasy in his eyes.
He nodded while looking at Shi Bufan’s questioning gaze. His heart thumped rapidly and he stressed seriously, “It’s true. I’m really your best friend.”
He rubbed his fingers up and down the straps of the backpack on the two sides of his chest. He felt uneasy for lying to him, but also sympathetic and guilty towards Shi Bufan. In the end, it was his fault that Shi Bufan became like this. Even though he didn’t dare to admit his fault, he should do something for him no matter what.
He thought about it and slightly softened his tone. “What do you want to eat? I’ll buy it for you.”
Shi Bufan looked at him for a while and slowly said, “Since you’re my best friend, you should know what I like to eat.”
Zhen Yuanbai’s heart thumped and Shi Bufan’s gaze made him feel as if he had seen through him. He subconsciously chuckled. Who knows what you like to eat? However, he directly said, “Then I’ll buy what you usually eat.”
Shi Bufan didn’t answer and Zhen Yuanbai pretended to stay calm. As soon as he walked out the door, he held his hand over his miserable heart.
Hopefully, Shi Bufan would maintain his memory loss until the college entrance exam was over. That way, even if he knew that he had injured and lied to him, he wouldn’t be able to find him.
Harboring this beautiful expectation, he happily got out of the elevator and went to a nearby cafe.
It was near the hospital so there were stores that sold almost everything. Zhen Yuanbai bought himself a glass of soy milk along with an egg pancake. He racked his brains, unable to think of what Shi Bufan would usually like to eat.
This was normal. After all, he had never eaten with Shi Bufan before. Normally, he hadn’t seen him eat breakfast in the classroom either. Though, it was common to see him sleeping.
Zhen Yuanbai satisfied his stomach and pondered. In the end, he decided to buy one of each: soy milk, deep-fried breadstick, egg , rice congee made with red beans, lotus seeds, longan, red dates, nuts, and noodles made of the three fresh ingredients. Then, he brought all the food back to Shi Bufan’s room.
The doctor said that the teacher wasn’t here yet and Zhen Yuanbai silently let out a sigh of relief. He was really scared of the teacher questioning why he was here. After all, it wasn’t like he had a good relationship with him. He didn’t even know him.
He placed the food on the table and Shi Bufan finally broke away from his arrogant-idler posture. He slowly sat up straight and looked at the “sumptuous” breakfast in the plastic bag. He looked at him questioningly, “I normally like to eat all of this?”
“Yes.” Zhen Yuanbai went on randomly, “You clearly have to eat a lot more than others, seeing how tall you are compared to the rest.”
Shi Bufan looked over.
Zhen Yuanbai felt his legs turning to jelly when he met his gaze. He pursed his lips and said, “Ok, I was just joking. I bought all this for you since your body is still weak and needs nutrition.”
The gauze was wrapped around Shi Bufan’s head. He looked slightly to the side, his confused look made him appear to be a harmless large dog. “Is that so?”
“Of course.” Scared that he might ask him something else, Zhen Yuanbai reached over and inserted the straw in the soy milk glass. He delivered it to his mouth and made him shut up. However, he said concernedly, “Quickly eat. Don’t starve yourself.”
The straw was shoved in Shi Bufan’s mouth and he took a sip. He immediately knitted his eyebrows and Zhen Yuanbai had no choice but to take the glass back. “You, you don’t like to drink this?”
Shi Bufan retorted, “I liked to drink this in the past?”
How would I know? I’m not your real best friend. I’m the “fool” !
Zhen Yuanbai said very slowly, “You loved drinking that in the past and would be able to drink five glasses in one go.”
Shi Bufan was speechless.
He asked Zhen Yuanbai, “You think I’m stupid?”
Zhen Yuanbai looked seriously at him and subconsciously chuckled. Before he could say anything, Shi Bufan said, “Scram.”
Zhen Yuanbai didn’t dare not to follow his directions. He grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulders. He just walked to the door when he saw a familiar person opening the door and walking in.
Ji Yanping was the teacher in charge of their class. All teachers would have a pair of discerning eyes. They could casually glance at someone and be able to see through a lot of things.
But right now, Ji Yanping’s discerning eyes were ineffective.
She couldn’t understand how these two students, of two different extremes, ended up together. Shi Bufan had a horrible attitude and no one dared to offend him, meanwhile, Zhen Yuanbai was an excellent student but a coward. He should be avoiding Shi Bufan at all costs.
Zhen Yuanbai reacted first and said, “Hello, teacher.”
Ji Yanping looked at Shi Bufan who was scratching his neck and then she asked Zhen Yuanbai, “Why are you here?”
Zhen Yuanbai explained, “He was injured yesterday and I was the one who called an ambulance for him. I came this morning to check on his injuries…”
Shi Bufan stopped scratching his neck. Meanwhile, Jin Yanping looked at Zhen Yuanbai gently. She nodded in praise. She thought that this kid was a model for Sheng Yi High School’s top students. Not only were his grades good, but he also had a noble moral character too. Towards a demon-like Shi Bufan, not all students could disregard their former hatred and help him out.
“Then are you going back now? How did you come over?”
“I rode my electric bicycle over.” Zhen Yuanbai hurriedly said and whispered in his teacher’s ears, “He lost his memory. I was scared that he might be uncomfortable seeing me the first time, so I told him that I was his good friend.”
He was scared that the teacher might spill everything in front of Shi Bufan. He didn’t dare to say much either. However, Ji Yanping understood him and looked at him in respect and praise.
Zhen Yuanbai was really a top student with great moral character. Not only did he take pleasure in helping others, but he also made a sacrifice to benefit others. He actually planned on being friends with Shi Bufan. Speaking of this, now that he lost his memory, it was a great chance to lead him on the right path.
She nodded and patted Zhen Yuanbai’s shoulder. She gently said, “Good boy. This teacher didn’t misjudge you.”
Being the “Unoffendable” in Sheng Yi High School, nobody dared to offend him, not the petty and low students, or the miserable teachers, but even also the undignified school principal.
As long as he wasn’t overboard, everyone would turn a blind eye to him. Now that he lost his memory, if he could use this chance to learn and listen in class, the whole school and even Shi Bufan’s ancestors would be gratified with Zhen Yuanbai.
After all, Shi Bufan wasn’t just a normal student who was hard to discipline.
Zhen Yuanbai completely didn’t know that he was given such a heavy responsibility. He thought that Ji Yanping was saying he had a kind heart. His face flushed red and he guiltily looked down. “Then I’ll go back now. Goodbye, teacher.”
“Ok, be careful on your way home.”
After watching the kid leave, Ji Yanping turned around to face Shi Bufan. She was suddenly shocked. “What’s the matter with you?”
Shi Bufan’s neck and face turned red. He scrunched his eyebrows tightly while she hurried to find a doctor. After checking over him, they received an answer. “You’re allergic to soybean. Did you forget this too?”
Shi Bufan looked coldly at the needle in the back of his hand with an unknown expression.
Ji Yanping sat in front of him and subconsciously wanted to put in a good word for her student. “Yuanbai didn’t know either…how do you feel now?”
Shi Bufan remained silent.
Despite the emptiness in his mind, his personality was still the same. He needed a whack on the head.
Zhen Yuanbai sneezed as the cold wind blew in his direction. When he returned home his hand was already cold and he rubbed the tip of the nose. Then, he parked the electric bicycle in the living room. At this time, his parents were already at work. He ran over to knock on Zhen Youxiu’s door. “Here’s your breakfast.”
Zhen Youxiu examined him and said, “You already handled matters?”
Zhen Yuanbai found his brother annoying. He rubbed his nose again and unhappily, “Even food can’t shut your mouth.”
Shi Bufan was ok but his head was damaged. Zhen Yuanbai was very moved. Heavens had been in favor of him. He believed that he couldn’t avoid his responsibility no matter what. While Shi Bufan lost his memory, he should take care of him. As well as the medical expenses…he needed to think of a solution too.
Because Zhen Yuanbai was in a great mood, he completed two practice tests in a row. Around eleven, he used the leftover rice to cook egg fried rice along with sliced sausages and scallions.
He was pretty good at cooking but this was also one of the reasons why his father didn’t like him. Zhen Pingjin believed that men should be outside sparring and playing football, not staying inside the house.
Who cares. Zhen Yuanbai enjoyed the silence.
While he was eating, his phone suddenly rang. He looked over to see an unfamiliar number and placed the phone next to his ear, puzzled. He then heard a voice that made him tremble. “Best friend?”
“Ah…yes, it’s me.” Zhen Yuanbai picked up the bowl with one hand and ducked from his brother’s line of sight. He walked to the kitchen and shoved rice in his mouth at the same time. “What’s the matter? You need me?”
“Come over.”
You take me as your slave who would be there immediately and be at your beck and call?
After he hung up, Zhen Yuanbai quickly finished his food and handed his bowl to his brother to wash. Then he got on his electric bicycle and rode to the hospital again.
Before he walked inside, he saw Shi Bufan standing at the hospital door. He glared at him, his head wrapped in gauze and his hair was messy. His whole body gave off an impatient aura.
He looked up to see Zhen Yuanbai gulping. To speak the truth, he didn’t want to be responsible for Shi Bufan anymore. This guy was too scary.
Shi Bufan walked over and Zhen Yuanbai saw the blood on the back of his hand. It had already soaked through the white gauze, dripping onto the palm of his hand. He could tell from a glance that this was due to him pulling the needle out of his hand and not pressing on it. He hurriedly grabbed two napkins from the front basket of the electric bicycle and said, “Quickly press onto it and wipe it too.”
Shi Bufan lifted his hand over and he knitted his eyebrows as if crushing a fly in between. “Press it for me.”
Zhen Yuanbai stared at him and reached over to press the pinhole. Shi Bufan squinted at him and Zhen Yuanbai was scared witless. His eyelashes trembled and he wiped his hand with the napkins. He whispered, “Is there a matter?”
“Aren’t you my best friend? If I don’t find you, who else could I go to?”
Zhen Yuanbai let go of his hand and looked guiltily. He noticed some red dots on his neck and face and he was confused. He was about to say something when Shi Bufan walked behind him and said, “Let’s go.”
Zhen Yuanbai hurriedly held onto the handlebar. “Go, go where?”
“Your house.”
“My house…isn’t too convenient.”
He didn’t know whether it was due to pain or because he was annoyed, but Shi Bufan’s voice was hoarse. “Why would it be inconvenient for my best friend?”
“My brother is home doing homework.”
“A-Fan?” A woman suddenly ran out of the hospital door. She shockingly said, “Where are you going?”
Before Zhen Yuanbai could react, his waist was suddenly patted. Shi Bufan placed his lips near his ears and threatened, “If you don’t go now, I’ll beat you up until you cry.”
Zhen Yuan immediately acted like a horse that was slapped on its butt. He took off with Shi Bufan behind him on the bicycle, swaying from left to right at the weight.