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The rain continued to pour relentlessly.
Unnoticed, the cheap makeup on Tang Susu’s face was washed away, revealing a fresh and delicate appearance—but she remained unaware.
She looked down at He Zhimou. The boy’s face was pale, and his leg was covered in blood. He stubbornly refused to move.
Wait a minute—wasn’t He Zhimou supposed to have had his leg amputated?
Why does his leg look fine now?
Suddenly, a terrifying realization struck her.
According to the author, He Zhimou’s right leg had been injured during a beating by thugs. The wound became inflamed, infected by dirty rainwater, and due to delayed treatment, the leg had to be amputated.
Could this be that critical moment?
Ignoring the boy’s hostile gaze, she stepped forward and tried to help him up. “He Zhimou, your leg is still bleeding. You need immediate treatment, or it might get infected. It’ll be hard to treat later.”
Unfortunately, the boy shoved her away again, violently.
Tang Susu staggered back two steps, a look of confusion flickering in her clear eyes.
How could the warm and gentle man he would become in the future have such a bad temper now?
Could they have some sort of grudge between them?
She started recalling the plot. As far as she remembered, the two barely interacted…
Wait—there was one incident.
The original Tang Susu had painstakingly prepared a handmade gift for the male lead, Jin Yuhao, but he rejected it. Since she’d spent a week making it, she was furious.
At that moment, He Zhimou happened to pass by. Out of spite, she threw the gift at him—someone with barely any presence at school. But to her surprise, He Zhimou rejected it as well.
Tang Susu was outraged. It was one thing for Jin Yuhao to refuse her, but how dare a nobody like He Zhimou reject her too?
She had scolded and humiliated him on the spot.
Could this be the reason for his hostility?
That really had been Tang Susu’s fault.
She looked at He Zhimou seriously and spoke gently, “Don’t be afraid. I’m not going to hurt you. I’ll call an ambulance.”
Her soft voice, mixed with the sound of rain, was strangely soothing. But the boy only lowered his head, eyes filled with mockery.
Seeing that He Zhimou ignored her completely, Tang Susu called 119, then put her phone back in her bag and waited for the ambulance by herself.
They were in an alleyway—narrow and winding. It would take a while for emergency services to reach them.
The rain slowly stopped.
Tang Susu turned to glance at the boy beside her. His thin body stood weakly, his face pale and bloodless. Though his leg was injured and he seemed about to collapse, he stubbornly remained standing.
She figured he would’ve left already if he could. But clearly, he couldn’t walk.
Quietly, she approached, intending to support him, but the boy immediately backed away, his dark eyes cold and distant.
Tang Susu stopped in place and raised both hands to show she meant no harm. “Alright, I won’t get close. Just stop moving around—your leg is important.”
She returned to her original spot.
In the distance, a faint light pierced through the clouds.
Propping her chin in her palm, Tang Susu sneaked another look at He Zhimou.
His pale face, thinly pressed lips, and alluring peach blossom eyes—with a single tear mole at the corner—made him look like a mythical being.
He was so handsome, yet for some reason, he had such a low presence.
Like a beautiful demon in daylight, deliberately suppressing his charm, hiding quietly among mortals.
She genuinely admired him. He had such a difficult youth, yet he didn’t grow twisted. Instead, he became a successful, charismatic man—someone even more remarkable than the male lead.
How could someone be this good?
She looked up and noticed a gift box under the eaves—a present she had just left there.
It was the original Tang Susu’s birthday gift for Li Yang.
She walked over and opened it.
Inside was a pair of high-end blue headphones—clearly expensive at first glance.
She found the price tag and took a deep breath.
3,188 yuan.
Tang Susu’s family was middle-class—not poor, but definitely without that kind of disposable income.
Yet she had casually gifted such an expensive item to Li Yang, just to impress the male lead. What a bold move!
She glanced over at He Zhimou again. The boy remained silent, expressionless.
Giving this gift to Li Yang seemed pointless. Why not give it to He Zhimou instead?
She picked up the box and walked over.
“Hey, He Zhimou.”
She smiled kindly at him, eyes curved as she extended the gift with both hands. “This is for you. Let’s make peace. Think of it as my apology.”
Suddenly, a low chuckle escaped from him.
He raised his head. His alluring peach blossom eyes were filled with icy indifference. “No need.”
Tang Susu froze for a moment, her fair fingers tightening slightly on the box.
Rejected.
Still, she wasn’t too disappointed. After all, it had been her fault.
He’d surely forgive her in a few days. He was destined to become such a gentle, graceful, and charismatic man—surely not the type to hold a grudge.
She tilted her head and smiled. “Okay. If you don’t like this one, I’ll find a better gift next time.”
The boy looked away and ignored her.
Tang Susu felt a bit awkward. To ease the tension, she softly hummed a tune.
Her sweet voice, like a lark, brought some life to the gloomy alley.
The camphor tree nearby gave off a light fragrance.
What a lovely scene.
Not long after, the paramedics arrived with a stretcher.
Tang Susu followed the medical staff into the ambulance.
After a quick bandage to stop the bleeding, the doctor told Tang Susu to pay for X-rays and further examination.
She took out her phone and checked her online banking—only to be stunned.
Her balance was less than 100 yuan.
Turns out, the original Tang Susu had spent all her money on those headphones.
She searched her pockets—no cash either.
Considering that He Zhimou’s amputation had been caused by delayed treatment, she grew increasingly anxious.
Looking up at the ER doctor, she pleaded, “Doctor, can you treat him first? I’ll go home to get the money.”
The doctor shook his head reluctantly.
If it were life-threatening, they’d treat first and sort out payment later. But this injury wasn’t immediately fatal. A little sooner or later wouldn’t make much difference.
They’d had too many cases where patients got treated and then disappeared without paying—leaving the doctors to cover the costs themselves.
Doctors weren’t saints. They had families to feed too.
“Miss, call his parents,” the doctor suggested.
Tang Susu looked down at He Zhimou in the wheelchair.
The boy’s face was pale, his dark eyes calm—too calm.
It was as if he wasn’t the one injured and broke.
The novel didn’t go into detail about his youth, but it mentioned his many hardships—bullied as a child, forced to work while ill, even passing out from a high fever and getting his pay docked. Later, he was falsely accused of theft and expelled.
He clearly had no money.
If he had, he wouldn’t have waited until his leg had to be amputated to seek treatment.
Afraid history would repeat itself, Tang Susu panicked.
Her long hair covered most of her face, but her clear eyes shimmered with worry, ready to overflow with tears.
Good people deserved good lives. He didn’t deserve such a fate.
“Doctor, please just check his wound first, okay? I’ll go home and get the money. His leg’s still bleeding, and it was raining earlier—it might be infected.
Infections like that are hard to treat.”
“Don’t cry, sweetheart.” The doctor sighed.
The girl’s outfit looked rebellious, but her eyes were so pure and bright that he was suddenly reminded of his own youthful crush—the class beauty.
“Alright. His injury’s not critical. I’ll write up a form for X-rays. Go notify his parents.”
If the kid ran off, worst case, they’d only lose the cost of a scan. He’d pay for that—for the sake of nostalgia.
“It won’t be too late by then?” Tang Susu looked up, worried.
The doctor paused, then chuckled. “No, he’s probably just got a bone injury. We’ve already cleaned and disinfected it. Amputation only happens when there’s widespread tissue necrosis due to untreated infections.”
“Really?” She still didn’t seem convinced.
“Really,” the doctor confirmed.
Relieved, Tang Susu’s eyes curved into a smile. “Thank you, doctor.”
After thinking for a moment, she handed over the headphone box. “Doctor, I just bought these. They cost over 3,000 yuan. I haven’t used them. Can I leave them here as collateral? I’ll be back with money soon.”
The doctor glanced at the logo—definitely expensive. He looked at Tang Susu again and trusted her a bit more.
He smiled and accepted the box. “Alright, I’ll wait.”
After settling everything, Tang Susu turned to He Zhimou in the wheelchair. She squatted down and looked him in the eye. “He Zhimou, wait for me. I’ll be back soon.”
Without waiting for a response, she ran off.
Her innocent and cute appearance made even the nearby medical staff smile.
The doctor looked at He Zhimou. “Your girlfriend’s really worried about you. She must like you a lot.”
He Zhimou raised his head, his voice cold: “She’s not my girlfriend.”
That icy, sinister look sent a chill through the doctor’s heart. He looked again—the pale, handsome boy showed no expression.
He must have imagined it.
How could a teenager’s eyes be scarier than those of hardened criminals he’d seen?
Must’ve been his imagination.
The doctor smiled to ease the tension. “Well, she clearly cares about you.”
“Does she?” He Zhimou lowered his eyes, a sneer curling his pale lips.
He had watched her beg the doctor the whole time.
Like him?
If she were a stranger, maybe—just maybe—there was a slim chance.
But Tang Susu? This woman had first arranged for people to beat him, and now she was acting pitiful and pretending to care?
Disgusting.
If she kept provoking him, he wouldn’t mind killing her.