I Don't Want To Be Hated By Everyone. - Chapter 4

While he claimed to be sorry, his eyes were full of mockery and undisguised malice. He might as well have pointed a finger at Cheng Shuoning’s nose to say, “I am here specifically to irritate you.”

The hospital room fell silent, save for the sound of footsteps passing outside. The atmosphere was stifling and oppressive, making it hard to breathe. Before Cheng Shuoning could speak, Han Tian grabbed Cheng Meng’s arm in a rage, intending to drag him out.

The grip was too tight. Cheng Meng struggled but could not break free. He met Han Tian’s warning gaze with a grin, shoved Han Tian hard, and smoothed out his wrinkled clothes.

He sat down on a nearby chair, crossed his legs, rested his chin on his hand, and looked at Cheng Shuoning. “Why so quiet, little brother? Did I say something that hit a nerve? My apologies. You know I have always been a man of few words and am not very good at speaking.”

“If you are not good at speaking, then stay silent. Nobody wants to hear you,” Cheng Shuoning said, placing the bowl on the table. He was already accustomed to Cheng Meng’s sarcasm and knew exactly what attitude would irritate him the most. He countered with a faint smile, “White chrysanthemums suit you better. Instead of giving them to me, you should buy them for yourself. One is too few, so buy more. Do not worry, I have noted that you like them, and I will be sure to bring you some for your funeral.”

Ever since he could remember, Cheng Meng had detested him. As a child, Cheng Shuoning did not understand what hatred was; he would follow Cheng Meng around, calling him “brother,” and wanting to play with him. Each time, he was pushed away, scolded harshly, or even told that Cheng Meng wished he would die.

Once he realized Cheng Meng truly hated him, Cheng Shuoning stopped trying to interact with him. However, Cheng Meng had done the opposite, seizing every chance to mock him with sarcasm. Even now, Cheng Shuoning did not understand where this malice came from.

Cheng Meng’s smile stiffened. He had not expected such a response. He ran his hand through his bangs to hide his uncontrollable anger and let out a low laugh. “It seems you do not like the one I brought. How about the one on my shirt? Do you like that, little brother?”

Cheng Shuoning did not look at him; he picked up the book on the table and opened it. “It suits you perfectly. You have good taste.”

Cheng Meng was about to retort when Han Tian roared impatiently, “Are you finished? Ningning needs to rest. Get out.”

Cheng Meng stood up. “I will leave then. Make sure to get plenty of rest, little brother, and heal that head injury.”

His words sounded strange. Cheng Shuoning looked at Cheng Meng and met his eyes, which were filled with fake smiles.

‘What a pity he only injured his forehead. Why did he not die when that person hit him? It seems I need to put in more effort. I will make sure he cannot get out of bed next time.’

The sinister voice made Cheng Shuoning’s pupils shrink, and he gripped his book tighter. He had been wondering how someone could accidentally hit him in such a wide corridor, but now he understood. Cheng Meng had hired the person to hit him on purpose.

“Get out already!” Seeing that Cheng Meng had not left, Han Tian picked up a chair in a fury, intending to smash it over his head.

Cheng Meng turned around. “I am leaving, little brother.”

“Stop,” Cheng Shuoning closed the book and said calmly, “Take your things with you.”

Cheng Meng paused and turned back, smiling. “What things?”

Seeing the cold indifference on the youth’s face as he sat on the bed, Cheng Meng raised an eyebrow, surprised. “Are you angry, little brother?”

Previously, no matter how much he mocked him, Cheng Shuoning had never been this cold. It seemed he had truly provoked him this time.

Cheng Shuoning ignored him and lowered his eyes to look at the crushed flowers on the floor. No one could see the expression on his face.

Han Tian was getting tired of holding the chair, so he threw it to the ground. He glanced at Cheng Shuoning, then urged impatiently, “Are you deaf? Pick up your flowers and get out!”

Cheng Meng crouched down to pick up the flowers. Just as he stood up to leave, he heard the youth say coldly, “Pick up the petals.”

Petals were scattered across the floor, quite clearly visible. Cheng Meng almost threw the flowers at Cheng Shuoning’s head. He laughed out of anger, crouched down again, picked up the petals, and even used a tissue to wipe the floor clean. He looked up at Cheng Shuoning, “Is this enough? You are very lucky, little brother, to have someone protecting you. If I did not do this, I would probably be beaten to death.”

‘I will endure this for now, but I will make you pay next time.’

There was no ripple of emotion in Cheng Shuoning’s eyes, as if he had not heard the sarcasm. He picked up his book and continued reading. “You can leave now.”

The cold, dismissive tone made Cheng Meng’s fingers tighten until the flowers in his palm were crushed. He gritted his teeth and left, slamming the door with all his might.

The loud “bang” did not disturb the youth sitting on the bed.

Han Tian started to walk out. “Ningning, I am going to see if he has left. He went too far.”

Cheng Shuoning turned a page. He gave a calm “Mhm.”

Han Tian stopped at the door, looked at Cheng Shuoning, hesitated, and finally left the room.

Cheng Meng was waiting on a bench at the hospital entrance, as if he knew Han Tian would come out. Han Tian sat beside him and asked with irritation, “What is the meaning of this? Why did you come here suddenly? And why that performance?”

Cheng Meng said lazily, “I was worried that if I did not visit him, Mom and Dad would say I was heartless.”

“What was with the white chrysanthemums? Do you hate him that much?” Han Tian asked. “To the point of wishing he were dead?”

“You are asking me that?” Cheng Meng could not help but laugh. “Do you not hate him too?”

“That is different. I just find him a bit troublesome,” Han Tian frowned, feeling unhappy. Cheng Meng was telling the truth, but why did he feel so annoyed? It should not be like this.

“Yes, I hate him. I wish he would die and disappear from my sight every day. It is a pity that my prayers for over ten years have had no effect.” Cheng Meng hooked his arm around Han Tian’s neck. “Do not be so angry. Are you waiting for me to coax you?”

He kissed Han Tian’s cheek and pushed him away. “Alright, do not be angry. I have to go. The reason I came today is that I felt jealous and aggrieved that you have been with him for so long, and I could not see you, so I had to come and take a look.”

Han Tian stared at him coldly, then suddenly smiled and patted Cheng Meng’s head. “Do not come like this next time. You did not notify me, and it caught me off guard. Now that you have seen me, go back.”

Cheng Meng threw the flowers into a trash can, dusted off his hands, and recalled Cheng Shuoning’s mockery from earlier. “He seems different. Could he have discovered something? Look at his attitude today; he has never been like this before.”

This made Han Tian’s heart skip a beat. Remembering something, he called out to Cheng Meng, “I have actually never known why you hate Ningning so much. Did he do something to upset you?”

“What about you?” Cheng Meng asked with a smile.

“It should not be called hate, really. It is more that I am tired of him, and I find him annoying after seeing him for so long. Compared to him, I prefer someone proactive like you,” Han Tian said with a shrug, looking incredibly innocent.

Cheng Meng clicked his tongue and walked away. “I am different from you. I truly hate him. He has not done anything annoying, but his very existence is enough to make me hate him. He should never have been born into this world, and he should not have the surname Cheng.”

When Han Tian returned to the room, the youth was standing by the window. Golden sunlight fell upon him, gilding his black hair and making him look dazzling. He did not know what he was looking at, but the corners of his mouth were slightly raised, and his refined, fair profile looked incredibly gentle.

Han Tian could not help but smile as he walked over. “Ningning, what are you looking at?”

“Nothing.” Cheng Shuoning turned around, his smile fading significantly. “You should go back to school.”

Remembering what Cheng Meng had said, Han Tian said stubbornly, “I have already asked for leave. I will stay with you this week.”

Cheng Shuoning gave a simple “Oh” and said nothing more. His attitude was noticeably colder than before.

The excessive silence made Han Tian feel incredibly uneasy, so he initiated a topic. “I did not see Cheng Meng when I went out earlier. If I see him again, I will not let him off easy. Ningning, do not try to stop me this time. Cheng Meng is just asking for a beating.”

The persuasion he expected never came. Han Tian looked up to see Cheng Shuoning looking at his phone, completely indifferent. “Ningning? Did you hear what I said?”

“I heard it,” Cheng Shuoning said with no change in tone. “So?”

“Nothing. It is just that you used to always tell me not to do anything to Cheng Meng, so I thought you would say it again this time.” Han Tian clenched his fists. “He went too far. This time I will not let him go, even if you ask me to ignore him.”

Cheng Shuoning pondered for a moment, then smiled at Han Tian. “And how do you plan to deal with him?”

Han Tian did not expect such a question. He paused, then replied seriously, “I will beat him up and make him apologize to you.”

Cheng Shuoning nodded. He did not believe a word of it and went back to looking at his phone. The class group chat was buzzing, and Cheng Shuoning could not help but click on Xu Wangzhi’s profile picture. It was a green umbrella; it looked familiar, but he could not remember why.

A week later, Cheng Shuoning was discharged.

Han Tian did not show up that day; instead, Zhou Xun-du, who had returned from a business trip, came to pick him up.

A man in a black suit and glasses stepped out of the car. His handsome face was filled with gentle warmth, and his elegant, noble aura drew many gazes.

“You have lost so much weight. I am sorry I could not return to take care of you.” Zhou Xun-du spoke with evident heartache.

Cheng Shuoning shook his head. “No need to apologize. I am fine.”

Having known Zhou Xun-du for so many years, he had always found him gentle, patient, and composed. He could notice small details that no one else could. Whenever Cheng Shuoning encountered problems or distress, he would turn to him. Zhou would listen quietly, comfort him, cheer him up, and help him think of solutions.

As the man reached to open the passenger door, Cheng Shuoning opened the door and sat in himself. Zhou Xun-du withdrew his hand and looked at Cheng Shuoning, the long eyes behind his glasses curving as he sighed meaningfully. “A-Ning has grown up.”

Cheng Shuoning took off his baseball cap and retorted, “I have not been a child for a long time.”

Zhou Xun-du smiled, closing the door dotingly, and sat in the driver’s seat. He handed Cheng Shuoning some snacks he had prepared. “I will take you to eat. What would you like?”

Cheng Shuoning had no appetite; he did not even have an interest in his usual favorite snacks. He set his hat aside, unwrapped a preserved plum, and put it in his mouth. He was about to unwrap one for Zhou Xun-du out of habit, but he stopped, realizing the action felt too intimate. Remembering Han Tian’s words, he held back.

“Is that for me?” Zhou Xun-du noticed his hesitation immediately, smiled, and leaned toward Cheng Shuoning.

The warm breath hit him, and Cheng Shuoning looked at the man’s face, which was inches away. He backed up slightly to put some distance between them.

The slight, resistant movement did not escape Zhou Xun-du’s eyes. He did not mind it, buckled the passenger seat belt, and looked at the plum in Cheng Shuoning’s hand. He did not say anything, but his look made his intent clear.

‘Did you not intend to give it to me?’

The thought made Cheng Shuoning realize, so he handed the plum to him, gesturing for him to open it himself.

“Did something happen in the days I was gone? Did you argue with Han Tian?” The car started, and Zhou Xun-du spoke softly.

“No,” Cheng Shuoning replied in a low voice, looking out the window.

When they stopped at a red light, Zhou Xun-du tilted his head toward him, his voice soft. “Ningning, do not keep things to yourself. You will hurt yourself if you bottle it all up.”

Cheng Shuoning remained silent and opened the car window.

Outside, the wind had picked up. The youth’s bangs were blown into a messy heap. He squinted slightly, looked at the pedestrians on the road, and laughed softly. He looked lazy as he said, “Do you all dislike me that much?”