Song Jinnian froze.
Looking at the almost obsessive calm in Yuan Su's eyes, he suddenly felt as though a wad of cotton had lodged in his throat, impossible to swallow or cough up.
"Money that cost you half your life, money stained with your blood-you call that clean?" His voice had lost its usual warmth.
Yuan Su pressed his lips together and said nothing, his bloodless face set with an almost self-destructive resolve.
"What? Feeling guilty?"
Song Jinnian watched the young man on the hospital bed, trembling with every breath, and the anger in his eyes slowly gave way to a profound helplessness. "You think as long as you don't say anything, this money will have fallen from the sky? That Pu Yu can use it to pay her tuition and enjoy her carefree university life with a clear conscience?"
"Yes."
Yuan Su finally spoke, his voice rough and hoarse. "As long as you don't tell her."
Song Jinnian let out an incredulous laugh at his sheer stubbornness.
He nodded, took out his phone, and swiped his long fingers across the screen, bringing up Pu Yu's number.
"Fine. You want to play the lone hero, wallow in your own sacrifice." His finger hovered over the call button as he stared darkly at Yuan Su. "But Pu Yu isn't an idiot, and she isn't some delicate flower who can only hide behind your protection. She has a right to know the truth. She has a right to know that you nearly died in this godforsaken mountain valley just so she could have a good life."
"Song Jinnian!"
Yuan Su jerked upright, the sudden movement pulling at his freshly stitched wound. Pain blackened his vision, and cold sweat instantly streamed down his forehead.
But he paid no attention to the pain. His