My sister never calls me brother.

"Zhou Han!?"

Zhou Han was startled, as if he had been caught doing something wrong, and turned around abruptly because he recognized Gu Bai's voice.

"Oh? It really is you! I thought you looked a bit like me from behind, haha!" Gu Bai said with a smile.

"Uh..." Zhou Han was a little stunned by this sudden attack, and forgot the words she had prepared in advance.

"What are you doing here?" Gu Bai asked, then looked at the strange-looking Zhou Han and suddenly realized, "You didn't come to visit me, did you?"

"Hmm...right! That's right!" Zhou Han had found a way out, so why wouldn't he take it?

"Thanks!" Gu Bai looked very happy and continued, "Only Wang Qianqian has come to see me recently. You are the second. I am very happy."

“Uh…” Zhou Han was speechless. He realized something.

Because of Sun Qi's game, many people's relationships with Gu Bai have become strained, and they are too embarrassed to come and see him.

Zhou Han thought to herself in silence that it seemed this relationship needed to be repaired. Although it was fake, it would still play a significant role in maintaining stability within the class.

Gu Bai looked at Zhou Han with a puzzled expression and asked, "What's wrong?"

“I…” Zhou Han paused, adjusted his tone, and said, “I’m not just here to visit you today, I also have something else to discuss with you.”

"Oh?" Gu Bai stared blankly for a moment, then said calmly, "It seems you have a lot to say. I happen to have nothing to do either, let's talk as we walk."

Zhou Han nodded.

The Qianlan River, which flows through Zhongqing City, has well-developed green spaces and recreational facilities.

The willows on both banks are neatly arranged, making the area under the trees the best place to escape the summer heat.

However, it is already showing signs of yellowing and decay.

Zhou Han and Gu Bai sat on the green lawn by the shore, while in the distance, many people were flying kites in this spacious area.

Directly ahead, there was a brother and sister holding a kite. The sister was standing next to her brother, hands on her hips, urging him to run faster. The brother could only complain miserably in his heart.

Zhou Han was momentarily stunned, then smiled knowingly. This scene seemed familiar; she and Qiqi had also come to fly kites nearby, but on the lawn on the opposite bank.

At that time, Zhou Qiqi always acted like an emperor, constantly ordering Zhou Han to run faster and fly the kite higher.

"What do you want?" Gu Bai suddenly interrupted Zhou Han's recollection.

"Ah..." Zhou Han snapped out of her daze, paused, and asked, "Do you know what's been going on in the class lately?"

"I can probably guess some of it. You've been isolated by a lot of people, haven't you?" Gu Bai replied in a low voice.

"How did you know?! Did Wang Qianqian tell you?" Zhou Han asked, somewhat surprised.

"I didn't need anyone to tell me; I knew the outcome just by looking at everyone's eyes that day." Gu Bai gazed intently at the kites in the sky.

Zhou Han remained silent.

"I'm so sorry, you protected everyone's safety, but you have to be treated like this." Gu Bai put away his smile and said quietly, "I am the class monitor, this is clearly my responsibility, but it has all been pushed onto you."

"No, I should be the one apologizing, because it was because of me that you went home injured." Seeing that Gu Bai was so frank, Zhou Han decided not to hide anything anymore.

"Then... we'll even?" Gu Bai suggested with a smile.

"Yes, we're even." Zhou Han nodded calmly.

Gu Bai was stunned, not expecting Zhou Han to be so straightforward. He looked away and asked, "Do you... dislike me?"

“Uh…” Zhou Han was startled, not expecting that his words had exposed what he had been hiding in his heart.

Gu Bai's expression remained calm, and his heart was unmoved.

Zhou Han hesitated for a moment, then decided to tell the truth, "That's right, I hate you, I hate you so much..."

"Just as I thought, hahaha..." Gu Bai laughed heartily.

"Um... what's so funny?" Zhou Han asked, somewhat bewildered.

"It's nothing, it's just that you told the truth, which made me feel much more relaxed," Gu Bai said with a sigh.

"Really...you're not angry?" Zhou Han smiled, a rare occurrence for her.

“What’s there to be angry about? You were just being honest with me, and besides…” Gu Bai scratched his earlobe and said, “It’s been a long time since anyone has told me the truth.”

Zhou Han didn't know why Gu Bai would suddenly say those words in a sentimental tone.

"People always change. I've heard a lot of harsh words before, but hearing them from your mouth today... how should I put it?" Gu Bai said softly, with a half-smile.

"It feels so familiar."

Chapter 113 The Phoenix

Zhou Han looked at Gu Bai's strange expression, feeling puzzled. She frowned and asked—

"Feels so familiar!?"

"Ah...it's nothing! Forget what you just said." Gu Bai realized he had misspoke and quickly tried to salvage the situation, saying, "Anyway, I'm glad you can tell me the truth, because being immersed in flattery every day can get boring, can't it?"

"Tch!" Zhou Han curled her lip and said angrily, "What you said is really annoying!"

“I know, but since you’ve told the truth, I should reciprocate, shouldn’t I? That’s called fairness,” Gu Bai said smugly.

"What kind of fairness is this? It's a one-sided crushing defeat!" Zhou Han said, clearly displeased.

"Really?" Gu Bai smiled apologetically, then changed the subject, saying, "But speaking of which, although you dislike me, I'm still very grateful to you..."

"I don't know what I've done that you should thank me for?" Zhou Han said irritably.

“If you hadn’t come that day, things would have been much worse. As the class monitor, I would also be partly to blame and would live with that guilt.” Gu Bai explained in a calm tone, “At the time, I thought it would be better to take all the violence upon myself. That’s my responsibility and dignity as the class monitor. But in that situation, I also had my own selfish desires. I hoped someone would stand up for me. Isn’t that a contradiction?”

“It’s not contradictory, it’s human nature.” Zhou Han’s expression gradually calmed down, and he said in a low voice, “Don’t think that just because others say you are a saint, you are a saint? Does a saint have to die for others? It’s not like we owe them anything.”

"Haha, that's so typical of you." Gu Bai chuckled and continued, "But when it was Wang Qianqian who came out, I was in a terrible mood because I really disliked her."

"Huh!?" Zhou Han asked, somewhat surprised, "Why?"

Zhou Han couldn't understand why a girl would feel disgusted when a girl stood up for Gu Bai. It was something to be happy about.

"This... I guess you could call it my secret." Gu Bai hesitated for a moment, not finishing his sentence.

Zhou Han lowered his head and did not press the matter, because everyone has secrets they cannot tell, and so did he.

"In any case, it's fortunate that you arrived in time and prevented her from getting hurt." Gu Bai paused, looked at Zhou Han and said, "So I owe you a favor."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Han's eyes lit up. He had been wondering how to ask for help, and now the opportunity had come.

He asked seriously, "Are you telling the truth?"

“Yes…” Gu Bai was stunned, not knowing what Zhou Han was so excited about.

"Then I need your help with something right now," Zhou Han said sincerely, stating the purpose of his trip.

Gu Bai suddenly realized, his mind calm, and said, "Is this why you came to see me?"

“That’s right.” Zhou Han stopped beating around the bush and simply said it directly.

Gu Bai straightened up and said, "Go ahead and speak."

“I want you to take the initiative to repair and preserve those fake friendships around you,” Zhou Han said without any pretense.

He knew that it was impolite of him to say that, and that it was not fair to Gu Bai to let someone continue to live in hypocritical interpersonal relationships. He felt that his request was somewhat unreasonable.

Gu Bai didn't speak. At that moment, the sound of the wind blowing from the opposite bank filled the air. After a moment of silence, he spoke, "Okay, but may I ask why?"

“You’ve long been at the center of the class’s interpersonal relationships. Many people have built their friendships around you. If you have problems, it means that many people’s relationships are damaged. In order to maintain the stability of interpersonal relationships in the class, even if those things are fake, they are still necessary.” Zhou Han lowered her head, gritted her teeth, and continued, “I know my request is unreasonable, but I have reasons for doing so. Just think of me as a selfish person.”

With the arrival of autumn, the days are gradually getting shorter.

The afterglow of the setting sun was a fiery red.

Like the phoenix in mythology, it is about to be reborn in flames.

A kite in the sky, manipulated by humans, breaks free of its string.

I plunged into the turbulent waters of the Qianlan River and drifted with the current.

Zhou Han vaguely remembers the boast she made on the Zhongqing Bridge, as if it were yesterday.

"If a man doesn't look out for himself, he'll be damned by heaven and earth." Gu Bai uttered these words as if in a dream.

"What did you say?" Zhou Han had been distracted and hadn't heard clearly.

Gu Bai didn't answer. Instead, he let out a long breath, slowly stood up, and said, "I will help you. Consider it as repaying a favor. From now on, you and I will truly be even."

Zhou Han stopped looking at Gu Bai, looked away, and said calmly, "Yes, I know."

Gu Bai turned around, put his hands in his pockets, and strode away.

"Wait a minute!" Zhou Han called out.

Gu Bai stopped and looked back at him.

"Why do you greet me every day when no one else pays attention to me?" Zhou Han paused for a moment and said, "Are you pitying me?"

"Maybe." Gu Bai smiled nonchalantly, turned and left. "See you tomorrow!"

Zhou Han stared at the turbulent river surface, remaining silent.

evening.

Zhou Han returned home.

As soon as I opened the door and walked in, I saw Miyazaki Airi wearing an apron and carrying a plate.

Zhou Han stared at her, somewhat lost in thought.

Zhou Han didn't know when it started, but he had gotten used to Miyazaki Airi's presence.

It used to be perfectly normal for me to come home to no one.

"Tsk!" Miyazaki Airi clicked her tongue and said with displeasure, "What are you looking at?! If you look again, I'll gouge your eyes out."

“Uh…” Zhou Han was a little embarrassed and said casually, “I just saw you wearing an apron and suddenly felt a bit sentimental.”

"Huh!?" Miyazaki Airi sensed something was off. Her mind started racing, her face flushed, and she looked at Zhou Han with disgust, saying, "You're disgusting! Pervert! You groper!"

"Huh!?" Zhou Han was completely bewildered by the insult, then realized what this shameful play was all about, and was shocked, staring in disbelief as she said, "What were you thinking just now!? Did you get the wrong idea? You're the one who's disgusting!"

"Heh, I've never seen a pervert get caught and then confess," Miyazaki Airi sneered.

"What did you say!" Zhou Han was furious. She hated being slandered. It was fine that she thought about it herself, so she didn't lose out. But she clearly hadn't even had any wicked intentions just now!

“Strange noises come from the house every night. I’m too lazy to even say anything to you, hmph!” Miyazaki Airi brought up Elizabeth’s moaning sounds while charging.