The moment those words left his father's lips, something inside Xu Sheng shattered. His eyes burned, and before he could stop himself, tears welled up and spilled over.
He had never had a friend like Su Li before. Ever since he could remember, his mother had drilled into him that studying was his sole purpose in life, that he had to excel, had to become his parents' pride and joy. He had always believed that spending time on friendships was nothing short of foolish.
And so, he had never truly had a friend. Until Su Li.
Their time together had been brief, their interactions sporadic, but in that short span, he had experienced something he had never known—an effortless kind of joy, a sense of belonging.
Su Li would remember if he had eaten, would secretly bring him medicine when he was unwell, would visit him in the hospital, sitting beside him with a stubborn sort of concern.
