I downloaded the app and discovered that my childhood sweetheart's affection level had skyrocke

Breakfast was not eaten for long; after clearing the table, the group decided to return to the college.

It was very quiet along the way.

Upon arriving at the academy's parking lot, none of them mentioned what had just happened. Luo Xiaoke still held Lin Zhou's arm with a smile, while Bai Wanwan followed beside her.

Gu Yuning walked slightly ahead, while Ye Zhiyu was looking down at her phone. The group seemed no different from usual.

The atmosphere was just a little quiet.

"Uh...why are you all so quiet today? Why aren't you saying anything?" Lin Zhou couldn't help but ask.

"Really?" Ye Zhiyu asked without looking up.

"Yes, aren't you usually the noisiest?"

"Nonsense, I've always been a quiet and elegant beautiful girl," Ye Zhiyu said irritably. "Everyone knows that."

"Do you have some kind of misunderstanding about yourself?"

"..." Ye Zhiyu kicked Lin Zhou.

"pain!"

Apologize to me.

"I'm sorry, you were wrong."

"..." Ye Zhiyu felt like she had heard this somewhere before, and immediately began to breathe on it.

Seeing the two of them start arguing again, the atmosphere among the group seemed to return to normal.

Gu Yuning remained silent.

The group parted ways in front of the teaching building. Gu Yuning had to go to the student council to handle some work first, and Luo Xiaoke and Ye Zhiyu were not in the same class.

"Wanwan, come with me for a moment," Gu Yuning suddenly said.

Bai Wanwan stopped in her tracks. "What is it?"

"About the school anniversary celebration."

"oh."

Bai Wanwan glanced at Lin Zhou and, seeing that he had already headed towards the classroom, turned around and followed Gu Yuning.

Luo Xiaoke and Ye Zhiyu did not leave either, but instead followed behind.

"Hmm?" Lin Zhou glanced at them, and after a while, walked towards the classroom alone.

……

In the empty classroom next to the student council office, Gu Yuning reached out and closed the door, and the smile that had been on Luo Xiaoke's face slowly disappeared.

"You all heard it at Lin Zhou's house just now, right?" Gu Yuning said.

"..." Bai Wanwan nodded gently.

Ye Zhiyu pulled out a chair and sat down. "It's so loud, it's hard not to hear it."

Luo Xiaoke didn't speak. She stood by the window looking downstairs, her usual sweet smile gone, and her whole demeanor became somewhat quiet.

"Is he still taking his medication?" Gu Yuning asked.

"No," Bai Wanwan said.

How did you know?

"I watch it every day," Bai Wanwan said subconsciously.

Several people looked at Bai Wanwan at the same time.

"The medicine cabinet," Bai Wanwan added. "I visit it occasionally."

"Your aunt and uncle should know," Luo Xiaoke said softly. "They stopped giving Zhouzhou his medication because they probably think his condition has stabilized."

"That's just a facade of stability." Gu Yuning looked down at the table. "He has never truly accepted that Zhiyu is gone."

The empty classroom fell silent.

Lin Zhiyu.

This name is like a stone weighing on everyone's heart; even after so many years, no one can easily mention it.

"He wouldn't have talked to Zhiyu like that before," Gu Yuning continued, "at least not in front of other people."

"It was just a subconscious reaction today," Ye Zhiyu said, resting her chin on her hand.

"It's the subconscious that's more serious," Gu Yuning said.

Ye Zhiyu did not refute.

After Lin Zhiyu's accident, Lin Zhou suffered from severe intermittent mental illness and amnesia. The first thing he asked after waking up was where his sister had gone.

No one dared to tell him.

But such things could not be kept secret forever. Lin Zhou eventually saw the death certificate and witnessed Lin Zhiyu's funeral.

The day after the funeral, he acted as if nothing had happened and told everyone that his sister had returned home.

[Zhiyu is right at home, why can't you see her?]

Lin Zhou's eyes were frightening at that time.

The doctor's final diagnosis was schizophrenia, severe hallucinations, and cognitive impairment. Lin Zhou had been treating his deceased sister as a real person for a long time.

Sometimes he would even prepare food for his sister, chat with her, and ask her if she wanted to come along before going out.

At first, Lin's parents tried to correct him.

Every time Lin Zhiyu is mentioned as dead, Lin Zhou's emotions completely spiral out of control, sometimes even causing breathing difficulties and shock.

Later, no one corrected him anymore.

As long as Lin Zhou believes his sister is still alive, he can live like a normal person.

"Didn't you say that as long as we don't provoke him, it'll be fine?" Luo Xiaoke asked.

"That's how it used to be," Gu Yuning sighed, "but his physical and emotional state has changed drastically recently."

Lin Zhou used to hardly exercise or communicate with others. Every day, besides going to class, he would go home alone.

But recently he suddenly started training, and his body recovered incredibly quickly. He also reconnected with all of them.

These changes all seem to be for the better.

But Gu Yuning was unsure whether Lin Zhou's mental state had also changed as a result.

"Should we tell your aunt and uncle?" Luo Xiaoke asked.

"No," Bai Wanwan said immediately.

Her voice wasn't loud, but her attitude was exceptionally firm.

"Why?" Gu Yuning looked at her.

"Lin Zhou will find out," Bai Wanwan said. "He'll feel like we're treating him like a patient."

His poor health has forced him to take time off from school many times. If he finds out that people around him are still observing his mental state, he will definitely feel that everyone thinks he is abnormal.

The relationship that was so hard to rebuild might just go back to the way it was before.

Bai Wanwan didn't want this to happen.

"But we can't just do nothing," Gu Yuning said.

"We... just stay with him," Bai Wanwan replied softly.

As long as I stay by Lin Zhou's side, don't leave him alone, and don't let him get any more upset, it doesn't seem to matter so much whether my sister really exists.

People can even pretend that their sister is still alive.

Even if Lin Zhou could never accept it, she could pretend along with him.

"Wanwan, this isn't solving the problem at all," Gu Yuning frowned.

"Do you have a solution?"

Gu Yuning fell silent.

Of course she didn't.

If there had been a way, the doctors back then would have solved it long ago.

Ye Zhiyu sat in a chair, propping her chin on her hand, and said, "Have you ever considered that Zhouzi actually knew Zhiyu was dead?"

All three of them looked at her at the same time.

"Impossible," Gu Yuning said.

"Why not?" Ye Zhiyu looked up. "He just sometimes seems silly, but he's not really silly."

"Tsk, how could he really know nothing?"

"But the doctor said..."

"The doctor said he only has hallucinations and cognitive impairment," Ye Zhiyu interrupted her. "His amnesia might have already recovered."

The empty classroom fell silent once again.

Ye Zhiyu actually discovered it a long time ago.

Sometimes Lin Zhou would talk to his sister, but he would stop immediately when someone suddenly approached.

He never asked others to actually see Lin Zhiyu, nor did he ever ask why his sister hadn't grown up.

It was as if he knew all the irrationalities.

I just deliberately avoid thinking about it.

"He knows, but he's unwilling to admit it," Ye Zhiyu said softly, "because if he admits it, Zhiyu will truly be dead."

Luo Xiaoke lowered her eyes, "It's all our fault..."

"Coco, it's my fault!" Gu Yuning immediately called out to her.

"It's not just one person's problem..." Luo Xiaoke's voice was soft, "If we hadn't taken it upon ourselves to do this back then..."

"Stop talking," Bai Wanwan said.

"It's pointless to say these things now."

None of the four of them had the right to blame Lin Zhou for escaping reality.

Because they, too, failed to move on.

No one has truly forgotten that day.