I Can Still Salvage It

Meanwhile, Shen Mian was still locked in his room.

He had one more week until school started, but his parents didn’t allow him to see Pei Zhiyi . They had also confiscated his phone, so he could only lie by the window and try to do his homework. However, after a few hours of writing, he made no progress.

Shen Yu still had sibling love for him and had been keeping him company, but Shen Yu couldn’t help him either. Before entering Shen Mian’s room, her own phone was also be taken away.

 she sat next to Shen Mian, bored, flipping through a magazine.

In fact, when she first found out about Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi, she was quite surprised. But as a modern woman who was well-versed in BL stories, she didn’t find it unacceptable.

In fact, she had a sudden realization.

No wonder Brother Pei treated her brother so well.

No wonder when her brother appeared, Pei Zhiyi’s eyes couldn’t see anyone else.

She absentmindedly looked at the map in the magazine and heard her brother muttering to himself or perhaps asking her, “What do you think Pei Zhiyi is doing?”

Shen Yu paused, turned to look at her brother, and sighed softly, “Missing you, I suppose.”

Shen Mian grew even quieter. He didn’t actually expect a response; he just couldn’t calm down.

During those days at home, he was actually treated quite well. Although the atmosphere at the dining table was overly silent, Shen Changhe and Su Ying wore worried expressions and didn’t even let a single fruit be lacking for him.

Sometimes, Shen Mian felt like a real scoundrel.

Not everyone had parents as gentle as his, and he already had more luck than others. Yet, he still caused trouble for his parents.

Shen Yu and Shen Mian exchanged glances, their similar faces showing a touch of distress.

Finally, Shen Yu let out a long sigh and said, “Wait a moment, I’ll buy a new phone and secretly give it to you. You can contact Pei Zhiyi yourself.”

Shen Mian was deeply moved and hugged her tightly. “When I’m no longer grounded, I’ll buy you anything you want.”

Shen Yu was practical about it. “Thank you. I’ve been wanting a villa in the city center lately.”

Shen Mian paused for a second, then weakly said, “Then I can only deceive Pei Zhiyi into buying it for you…”

.

 

Shen Yu acted quickly. That night, Shen Yu prepared a new phone with a SIM card and handed it to Shen Mian.

Shen Yu strongly suspected that their parents had already guessed, but they turned a blind eye to it.

Shen Mian couldn’t wait to use the new phone. When it was late at night and everyone in the house was asleep, he dared to hide under the covers and send a message to Pei Zhiyi.

He didn’t know if Pei Zhiyi’s phone had been confiscated, and he was using a new unknown phone number too.

After thinking it over, he sent a secret code to Pei Zhiyi.

“Want to go see the sea?”

They had discussed going to the seaside recently, and he believed that someone as smart as Pei Zhiyi would definitely know it was him if he had his phone.

He waited for a moment, just two seconds, and a reply came from the other side.

“Let’s go.”

“Can you answer calls?”

Shen Mian quickly replied, “Yes.”

He hid under the covers and answered Pei Zhiyi’s call. At the moment he heard Pei Zhiyi’s voice, Shen Mian’s nose inexplicably felt a bit sour.

“Mian Mian,” Pei Zhiyi’s voice was as gentle as ever, “what have you been doing these past two days?”

Shen Mian grumbled in a muffled voice, “Rushing to finish my homework before school starts.”

Pei Zhiyi couldn’t help but laugh, but he was still worried and asked, “Your parents haven’t hit you, right?”

Actually, he knew the chances of Shen Mian getting hit by his parents were very slim, but he still couldn’t help but worry. After all, Shen Mian was someone who would end up with red marks even from a slight touch. How could he withstand punches?

“No, my parents can’t bear to,” Shen Mian sighed, “But it would be more comforting if they did hit me. I’d feel a bit better. And you? Are you also grounded?”

Pei Zhiyi didn’t mention that his father almost broke his rib. “Yes,” he replied, “I’m being closely watched. They’ve assigned security guards at the door, afraid that I’ll run away. Even my mom moved in these past few days. This is the first time she’s stayed here after the divorce.”

Unexpectedly, the divorced couple would live under the same roof again, all because their son came out.

Shen Mian thought that if Yu Lian hadn’t remarried before, Pei Uncle might have thought there was a chance of their remarriage.

The two of them talked about their respective parents’ attitudes, knowing full well that their parents were passively resisting, hoping that their relationship would be unstable and they would break up.

But how could that be possible?

Pei Zhiyi thought that during the years when he secretly loved Shen Mian, he had countless moments of despair and nightmares of Shen Mian being with someone else.

He had no way to confide in anyone and could only pretend as if nothing had happened, staying within the boundaries of being a brother and a childhood friend.

He had endured all those days, and now that Shen Mian finally loved him, unless Shen Mian chose to abandon him, he would never let go.

Shen Mian, sensing Pei Zhiyi’s anxiety, almost at the same time said over the phone, “I will never leave you. I feel so sorry for my parents, and I also feel sorry for your parents. But we can’t help our feelings. I have chosen you, and I won’t marry anyone else.”

Pei Zhiyi’s heart softened as he listened.

But what he was truly worried about wasn’t Shen Mian’s feelings.

What he truly worried about was the bomb tied to Shen Mian, the 80 points they hadn’t obtained yet.

But he didn’t know how to tell Shen Mian. He could hear Shen Mian’s slightly rapid breathing, softly describing their future. He didn’t want to ruin that moment.

Finally, they reluctantly ended the call.

Shen Mian hid the phone well and hugged the blanket, unable to sleep for a long time.

He wondered if it was because he had been sleeping with Pei Zhiyi for so long that he felt this bed was too empty, and sleeping alone felt a bit desolate.

.

Pei Zhiyi also couldn’t sleep for a long time.

He could hear the sound of the breeze brushing against the branches outside the window, as well as the faint sound of water coming from the courtyard. The world was so silent and empty that it made him uneasy.

Perhaps it was because he was deep in thought, but he eventually had a dream.

In the dream, their mission failed, and the remaining 80 points dissipated like bubbles. Shen Mian couldn’t exchange for life-saving medicine, and the cancer rapidly spread throughout his body, draining life out of him and turning him into a withered rose, weakly lying in bed.

He couldn’t bear that outcome.

He stayed by Shen Mian’s hospital bed day and night. This time, no one came to stop them. The parents’ stubbornness had all been defeated by the illness, leaving only sorrow and choking sobs.

But he didn’t care about anyone’s opinion; he only knew to hold onto Shen Mian’s frail wrist.

He was surprised by how thin Shen Mian had become. Two fingers could easily wrap around his wrist.

No matter how tightly he held onto Shen Mian, it couldn’t save his lover’s unstable life.

In the dream, Shen Mian ultimately lay in his embrace. He didn’t have the chance to take Shen Mian to see the sea, give him a home, or raise cats and dogs together.

The future he promised Shen Mian had all turned into illusions.

There was nothing left. They didn’t get married, didn’t have a wedding ceremony.

There was only Shen Mian, unknowingly leaning against him, leaving him with the final words, “Brother, I’m sorry.”

It was Shen Mian’s last apology, apologizing to him, unable to be with him till the end.