When Xie Ci received the foot-soaking package, he was completely bewildered.

“This is made by my mom. She said it has blood circulation and sterilization effects, and it’s very helpful for treating athlete’s foot.”

Zhang Zhijie, worried that Xie Ci might not trust him, opened a package and handed it to him. “Look, it’s all medicinal herbs inside.”

Zhang Ruochuan and a few others leaned in to take a look, sniffed the foot-soaking package, and then disdainfully put it back. “It smells like traditional Chinese medicine.”

“Of course it smells like traditional Chinese medicine. What do you expect, the smell of stinky feet?”

After getting familiar with this group of people, Zhang Zhijie was able to converse with them normally, no longer as timid as he was at the beginning.

Xie Ci, used to being cynical, had always been surrounded by people with ulterior motives. And Gu Yufeng was even worse; he had been a troublemaker since childhood.

Suddenly tricking such an honest kid made Xie Ci feel a bit guilty.

Xie Ci asked, “Did your aunt make this to sell?”

Zhang Zhijie replied, “No, I told her a couple of days ago that my roommate has athlete’s foot and can’t get rid of it, so she made these foot-soaking packages and sent them over, saying it needs to be soaked for a week to be effective.”

Xie Ci was taken aback. “So it was specially made for him.”

Under Zhang Zhijie’s clear gaze, Xie Ci really couldn’t bring himself to tell the truth, so he just gritted his teeth and accepted it. “Thank your aunt for me.”

He accepted the package, but it felt wrong to leave it unused.

Xie Ci felt a bit of a headache and turned to see Gu Yufeng coming in wearing a mask, looking downcast and lacking energy, heading straight for his bed.

Xie Ci grabbed the back of his collar and pulled him over to sit on a chair. “This is my bed.”

Gu Yufeng looked up and retorted in a hoarse voice, “It’s not the first time. I’ve slept on it inside and out; is there any place I haven’t touched? What’s wrong with me lying down for a bit?”

Xie Ci was speechless. “What a scumbag’s line.”

Zhang Ruochuan and the others burst into laughter.

Zhang Ruochuan, who was on the balcony collecting clothes, chimed in, “Old Gu, it’s fine to say that about the bed, but you can’t say that to girls; you’ll get beaten up.”

Jiang Chenyu, lounging on his bed playing on his phone, shook his head and clicked his tongue. “It’s over, it’s over. Just based on Old Gu’s face, how many girls will fall for him in the future?”

Xie Ci thought to himself, “What future? This kid has probably already caused trouble for countless girls.”

From this perspective, he felt that in his past life, taking in Gu Yufeng was actually a good deed.

Gu Yufeng looked at Xie Ci, his meaning clear: “It’s always others who cause me trouble; very few people are worth me causing trouble for.”

Xie Ci couldn’t be bothered to listen to his nonsense and said slowly, “The bed has been slept on by you, but the sheets and duvet are new. You go back to the upper bunk and don’t even think about this bed.”

“If you won’t let me think about you, then I can only think about the bed.”

Gu Yufeng waved him off and lunged for the bed.

Xie Ci grabbed him. “You still haven’t recovered from your cold.”

Gu Yufeng replied, “I didn’t complain about your athlete’s foot; why are you complaining about my cold?”

Xie Ci said, “Old Zhang sent over foot-soaking packages for athlete’s foot; you can soak with me.”

“Foot soaking?”

Gu Yufeng scoffed, “That’s something old people do.”

Xie Ci said, “If you don’t want to soak, then don’t get on my bed.”

Gu Yufeng was silent.

Ten minutes later, Gu Yufeng was sitting on the edge of the bed soaking his feet, and the basin that he had complained about since the first day finally came in handy.

Gu Yufeng said, “Didn’t you say we would soak together?”

“This basin has never been used; you soak first, and then I’ll soak after you.”

Xie Ci closed his eyes and lied, taking a porcelain cup to pour him a cup of hot water, even adding a few goji berries, which earned him a round of complaints.

“I want ice water.” Gu Yufeng protested with a serious face.

Xie Ci replied, “The dorm conditions are tough; just make do.”

Zhang Ruochuan and Jiang Chenyu were laughing so hard they could barely breathe.

Old Gu, a handsome foreigner, was rolling up his pants to soak his feet, holding a porcelain cup, with a foot-soaking package floating in the basin. The scene was just too terrifying.

Jiang Chenyu snapped a photo, laughing as he leaned over to Zhang Ruochuan and whispered, “I feel like Old Xie is treating Old Gu like a doll.”

Zhang Ruochuan nodded in agreement.

Having known Xie Ci for two years, he had never seen him like this, playfully messing with someone.

Sometimes, he could vaguely sense that Xie Ci’s attitude towards Gu Yufeng was subtly different from how he treated others.

In terms of distance, Xie Ci and Gu Yufeng felt more like familiar old friends compared to the rest of them.

Gu Yufeng was tricked into soaking his feet for three days; whether his athlete’s foot improved was unknown, but his cold definitely got better.

With only two days left until the monthly exam, Gu Yufeng suddenly requested a long leave to return to D Country.

“How many days did he ask for leave? He won’t just disappear, right?” During a break, Jiang Chenyu asked Xie Ci for help with a problem, noticing Gu Yufeng’s empty seat and casually inquired.

Zhang Ruochuan replied, “How could that be? He can’t just leave like that.”

Fang Sizhe, passing by after handing out papers, added, “It’s not impossible; Old Gu’s student status hasn’t been transferred, so technically he’s just a visiting student.”

Jiang Chenyu was startled. “Don’t scare people.”

“Really, if he doesn’t come back, at least he would tell us, right?”

Zhang Ruochuan turned to Xie Ci and asked, “Right, Old Xie?”

Xie Ci stared at the open math workbook in front of him, read the question once, forgot it, and then read it again.

In his past life, Gu Yufeng had never studied in the country. This time, he didn’t know what went wrong; perhaps it was the karmic connection from that day that caused Gu Yufeng’s life trajectory to shift.

Returning to D Country was the path Gu Yufeng was originally meant to take.

“He will come back.”

Xie Ci tilted his head to look at the desk on his left, where a foreign language book was still tucked among the stacked textbooks.

But how long he could stay after coming back was uncertain.

On the day of the monthly exam, there was heavy fog, and the humidity made the temperature feel even lower, giving a sense that winter had arrived early.

The students in the same exam room as Xie Ci couldn’t help but frequently glance at the tall boy sitting in the front row by the window. He was slightly bowing his head, focused, and his pen hadn’t stopped moving since the exam began.

Not long ago, he was the school bully they avoided at all costs; now he was the rumored academic genius making a comeback.

This extreme contrast was hard for most people to adapt to.

Recently, the school had been buzzing with rumors that the top student from years ago, Xie Ci, had “come back to life,” and his scores in the small tests were even better than Fang Sizhe, the top student in the grade.

But rumors were just rumors; it wasn’t until they saw it with their own eyes that they finally felt it was real.

Xie Ci was indeed different from before.

As soon as the monthly exam ended, Xie Ci didn’t even have time to catch his breath before he had to start basketball training.

With less than half a month until the league started, the long-missing school team power forward, Wang Hao, suddenly appeared on the court, exciting Zhang Ruochuan and the others, who rushed over to greet him.

“Where have you been lately?”

Zhang Ruochuan clapped the well-groomed boy with a strong jawline on the shoulder. “I was really afraid you’d quit the team early; that would ruin the league.”

Wang Hao smiled, “I’m here now, aren’t I?”

Jiang Chenyu, noticing he didn’t answer directly, asked again, “So are you done with whatever you were busy with? Can you train properly now?”

Wang Hao slightly lowered his gaze, avoiding Jiang Chenyu’s eyes, and forced a smile. “Yeah, I should be able to.”

“Alright, enough chit-chat.”

Xie Ci clapped his hands to signal them to get ready for the court, looking at the newly arrived Wang Hao. “It’s been a while since we trained together; stay back after practice and play a one-on-one with me. I want to see your skills.”

Wang Hao, feeling a bit nervous, agreed, “Okay.”

With all the main players gathered, the training results were less than satisfactory.

“You have no teamwork, and you have no morale!”

The gym teacher, who also served as the coach, wore a stern face. “If you go into the league like this, you’ll be eliminated in the first group match!”

Zhang Ruochuan and the others exchanged glances, all knowing where the problem lay.

Wang Hao, just back, was distracted and completely out of sync with the others.

After being scolded by the coach, Wang Hao raised his hand and said, “Coach, it’s my fault.”

The coach frowned, his expression serious. “I’m not blaming any one person; you are a team! Only when everyone plays their part can the team show its true strength!”

Wang Hao lowered his head. “I understand.”

With twenty minutes left until evening self-study, the group dispersed back to the dorms.

“Captain.” Wang Hao called out to Xie Ci, who was about to leave.

Zhang Ruochuan and the others exchanged worried glances and stepped back a few paces to ask Wang Hao what was going on.

But Wang Hao didn’t say anything.

Xie Ci noticed he wanted to talk to him alone, so he signaled for Zhang Ruochuan and the others to leave first, and he sat down with Wang Hao on the steps of the bleachers, casually opening his water bottle.

“What’s wrong?”

Wang Hao placed the basketball in front of him, unconsciously spinning it, and after a moment of silence, he quietly asked, “You know a lot about part-time jobs; I wanted to ask where I could make more money.”

Xie Ci paused in his drinking, glancing at him.

“You want to get a part-time job?”

Seeing Wang Hao nod, Xie Ci pressed on, “Part-time jobs aren’t as easy as you think. With the heavy workload in senior year, are you planning to give up your grades by taking a part-time job?”

Wang Hao looked down at the basketball in front of him. “I know, but I have no choice; I have no choice.”

Noticing something was off with him, Xie Ci capped his water bottle and set it aside. “Are you really short on living expenses? Or is there something you want to buy?”

Wang Hao stammered, not answering directly, and instead looked up to ask him, “I heard people say working in a bar can earn over a hundred in a night; do you think they would hire someone like me?”

Xie Ci scrutinized him.

Wang Hao looked a bit haggard, as if he had been sleep-deprived for a long time. Xie Ci hadn’t interacted with this kid for a while and had long forgotten the details about him.

“Working in such places can get you expelled if you’re found out. Are you sure you want to go?” Xie Ci asked.

Wang Hao lowered his head again, unable to answer.

Xie Ci said, “If you have any difficulties, you can tell me. Even if I can’t completely help you, I can help you think of some solutions.”

Wang Hao forced a smile. “Thanks, Captain, but I don’t have any issues; I was just curious.”

The boy said this as he stood up from the steps, said goodbye, and left.

Clearly, he had something going on.

On the way back to the dorm, Xie Ci thought seriously about it.

In his past life, he almost got expelled because of a brawl with the sports school. Although Old Xiang saved him, he was banned from participating in the basketball league and vaguely remembered that Wang Hao had dropped out to enlist before the league.

To avoid any issues, Xie Ci called Fang Sizhe after evening self-study, and they walked outside the teaching building together.

Fang Sizhe, putting away his glasses, rubbed his temples tiredly. “It seems like someone in his family is sick and hospitalized. For more specific details, we might need to ask the homeroom teacher of Class Three.”

So that’s why he was short on money? Xie Ci pondered.

If it was for treating a family member, the money earned from a part-time job wouldn’t be enough at all.

Fang Sizhe said, “I’ll find a time to talk to him and let you know once I get the details.”

Xie Ci nodded.

On Friday afternoon after school, Xie Ci took the bus back to his dad’s studio.

As soon as he got off the bus, he saw a few people arguing at the entrance of the studio, one of whom was his aunt, Ye Yuru.

“I’ve already said it; the teacher is very busy and has no time to meet you!”

Yang Le, looking displeased, blocked the entrance. “What are you trying to do by barging in? If you don’t leave, I’m going to call the police!”

Chen Zhanpeng, sitting in a wheelchair, shouted angrily, “He ruined my family like this, thinking he can hide away and it will be fine?! Get him out here!”

Yang Le said, “Watch your mouth!”

Chen Zhanpeng slammed his hand on the armrest. “Who do you think you are to lecture me?!”

“And who do you think you are?”

Xie Ci walked over, glancing at Ye Yuru and her son, and said to Yang Le, “Call the police.”

Yang Le was slightly taken aback.

He had said he would call the police to scare them off, but Xie Ci sounded serious.

“Xie Ci! How dare you show up in front of me?!”

Chen Zhanpeng, furious, stood up with the support of his wheelchair, pointing at Xie Ci and cursing, “You took my family’s house, made my dad lose his job, and now I can’t go to private school?! You’re a beast; how could my mom raise you for so many years—ugh!”

Before he could finish, Xie Ci kicked him back into the wheelchair.

Chen Zhanpeng, already injured, hit the sore spot again and cried out in pain.

“This is what a beast is?”

Xie Ci said casually, “Next, your parents are going to jail. You won’t be able to take the civil service exam for the rest of your life, and your future tuition and living expenses will have to be earned by yourself. Enjoy your good days now; every day is one less.”

Chen Zhanpeng’s eyes widened in fear. “What do you mean, jail?! What nonsense are you talking about?!”

“Weren’t they supposed to tell you?”

Xie Ci glanced at Ye Yuru, who was silent, his tone lightly mocking. “I’ve already hired a lawyer and started the lawsuit process.”

“Xiao Ci, do you really want to be this ruthless?”

Ye Yuru’s eyes turned red again as she spoke, her voice trembling with tears. “You have no idea how we’ve been living these days. Did you really cause your uncle to lose his job? Please let him go; if he loses his job, how will we live?”

“How will you live?”

Xie Ci laughed at what he found amusing. “When your husband was chasing me down to beat me, did you ever ask me how I was supposed to live? You used me to deceive my dad, causing his condition to worsen; did you ever think about how he was supposed to live?”

Ye Yuru choked up, “I’m just a housewife; how much power do I have? You can’t blame all the mistakes on me.”

“I’m just a minor, and my dad is still a mental patient. We’re both weaker groups than you.”

Xie Ci was completely unmoved. “So don’t come begging me; I’ve already been more than forgiving.”

Ye Yuru was about to persuade him again when she noticed a group of young people coming out from inside the door. She suddenly rushed in front of Xie Ci and knelt down, crying, “Xiao Ci, I’m sorry! Your aunt is begging you! I really know I was wrong; please let us go, at least save your uncle’s job. Pengpeng can’t miss school, sob sob sob…”

Yang Le was taken aback by this scene; he had never seen anything like it and was momentarily at a loss, only knowing he had to quickly pull Ye Yuru up. “Are you crazy?! Why is an elder kneeling to a younger one?!”

Just after scolding her, Yang Le heard the murmurs of students from inside, and his expression immediately soured.

He couldn’t let this mother and son into the studio, but blocking the entrance would inevitably attract a crowd.

Xie Ci glanced at the group of people inside and signaled Yang Le to let go. “If she likes to kneel, let her kneel. Please wait here for the police to arrive.”

After saying that, Xie Ci pretended to leave.

Ye Yuru certainly wouldn’t agree, moving over to hug Xie Ci’s leg. “Xiao Ci, I’m begging you! No matter what, I raised you for ten years, sob sob sob…”

Xie Ci waited for her to finish her sob story before turning to look down at her. “First, your husband was fired because he abused a minor, which is illegal. Even if you beg me, it won’t help. Second, your son is going to an elite school that only cares about money; as long as you throw enough money at it, there’s no fear of not being able to go to school.”

Ye Yuru cried, “But your uncle lost his job; where can we find that much money?”

“Since I was one year old and fostered at my grandmother’s house, my dad has been giving you two to three thousand a month in support.”

Xie Ci’s expression was indifferent. “At that time, an ordinary family’s annual income was about that much. The money you spent on me doesn’t even amount to one-tenth of that; where did the rest of the money go?”

The secretly watching students listened, instinctively calculating in their minds, and the amount was staggering.

As long as they weren’t extravagant, the money saved over the years would be enough to live comfortably in Lanhai City.

The teacher had actually spent so much money for his son!

Wasn’t it likely that all his income went to this woman kneeling on the ground?

“No wonder the teacher has been in poor spirits these years; it turns out he has been tormented by this scum.”

Ye Yuru’s face turned pale upon hearing the students’ discussions.

“What’s wrong? Can’t you answer?”

Xie Ci pulled her hand away, turned around, and said coldly, “The money my dad gave you, which was supposed to be used to take care of me, has all been lost by your husband in stock trading.”

Ye Yuru’s body stiffened suddenly.

Xie Ci continued, “You could have used that money to buy a better house and send your son to a better school. It was your husband who ruined all of this. Instead of addressing the root of the problem, you came to find my dad, even bringing your disabled son to play the victim. Did you think my dad would clean up your mess?”

Ye Yuru bit her lip. “I just—”

Xie Ci interrupted, “He is your sister’s husband, not your husband. His responsibility is only to me, not to you.”

Ye Yuru was caught off guard by Xie Ci’s bluntness, feeling extremely embarrassed.

A commotion arose nearby, and Ye Yuru turned to see Xie Qian had actually come over.

“Brother-in-law, you have to help…”

“Ye Yuru.”

Xie Qian stood in front of her, his voice unusually weary. “For years, you’ve found various reasons to ask me for money, but you haven’t actually spent it on Xiao Ci. I will sue you for fraud; see you in court.”

Ye Yuru’s eyes widened in disbelief, unable to accept that her usually gentle brother-in-law would say such harsh words.

Xie Qian paused for a moment. “Also, from now on, don’t harass Xiao Ci anymore; otherwise, I won’t be so polite to you.”

Soon, the police arrived.

Chen Zhanpeng, seeing the officers, finally felt scared and frantically called for Ye Yuru, but she was too busy crying and admitting her mistakes to Xie Qian to pay him any mind.

Watching the police take the mother and son away, Xie Ci and Yang Le returned to the studio with Xie Qian.

On the way, Xie Qian, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke, his deep voice tinged with disappointment. “No wonder you couldn’t forgive me; it’s what I deserve.”

Yang Le looked at Xie Qian, then at Xie Ci.

He was worried that the conversation between the father and son would be too intense and worsen the teacher’s condition.

“Yeah, you deserve it.”

Xie Ci stopped and looked at the ginkgo trees in the distance. “You abandoned your own son, casually handing him over to relatives, thinking that throwing money at it would solve everything. Because you neglected them, they became more unscrupulous, thinking of doing things they shouldn’t. You could say you are one of the main culprits for the current situation.”

Yang Le was shocked, constantly shaking his head behind Xie Qian, signaling Xie Ci to stop.

Xie Qian’s hands, hanging at his sides, clenched tightly, and he didn’t even have the courage to look up at Xie Ci. “I’m sorry.”

“But no matter how much you struggle with guilt, the facts can’t be changed. I can’t go back to being a baby and let you raise me again.”

Xie Ci slowly walked forward. “So we all need to learn to let go.”

In his past life, he had avoided the truth and missed many realities.

Even if he cut ties with everyone who had hurt him, his heart’s knot remained unresolved, becoming a scar that couldn’t heal or be forgotten. It would lie in wait at any moment, ready to bleed at the slightest touch.

Some hatred is unsolvable; the more one clings to it, the deeper one falls.

This time, he wanted to face it properly, as an adult, with a more mature perspective on the problem.

It wasn’t about forcing himself to forgive anyone, nor was it about holding onto hatred, but rather trying to let go and forgive the version of himself that had once been deeply entangled.