To love someone is to give him/her the right to hurt you, and to keep moving forward even if it means falling into the abyss.

On the way to the hospital, Luo Qubai said nothing, and his face showed no expression. But beads of sweat kept appearing on his forehead, his hands on both sides of his body were tightly grasping the quilt, and his lower lip, which was bitten by his teeth, was about to bleed.
Luo Qubai's appearance made Lin Qianliu, who was sitting next to him, feel so distressed that his eyes suddenly became red.
If she had not agreed to be the captain of the supporting team with Qin Shu, Luo Qubai would not have come to the basketball court to see her today.
If Luo Qubai hadn't come to see her, she wouldn't have mentioned his foot injury.
If he didn't mention his foot injury, he wouldn't want to play.
If she had tried to stop him from playing, he wouldn't have been injured again.
Thinking of this, she pulled his hand and held it. Seeing Luo Qubai in pain but helpless, Lin Qianliu wanted to comfort him in this way and give him strength to make up for his mistakes.
"I'm sorry, Luo Qubai." Lin Qianliu's eyes were filled with regret, and his voice was like crying. "I shouldn't have told you that I wanted to watch you play. I shouldn't have let you play in the first place."
At this moment, Lin Qianliu hated herself so much that if possible, she would rather be the one who got hurt.
Seeing Lin Qianliu's guilty face, Luo Qubai guessed that she was acting stupid again. How come two years have passed, and this girl's IQ hasn't improved?
It was clearly him who couldn't resist the temptation and wanted to play, so how could it be her fault? If anyone was to blame, it could only be his own willfulness, overestimating his physical condition.
Thinking of this, Luo Qubai suddenly smiled and said to Lin Qianliu, "I haven't touched a basketball for a long time, and I was itching to play. I saw them playing so hard just now, so I wanted to go on the court and show off in front of you. As for the injury, it was a complete accident and has nothing to do with you at all." Then he sighed again and pretended to be helpless and continued, "I just didn't expect that I, an old skeleton, would be so fragile and vulnerable. I really lost more than I gained..."
"Puff..."
Lin Qianliu was amused by his self-mockery.
"Tsk tsk, now you are wrong for making fun of me. But, you really look better when you smile." He hoped that she would not be sad because of him anymore.
Lin Qianliu pretended to be angry and said, "So you mean that I am ugly on weekdays?" She understood that Luo Qubai was trying to comfort her, so she cooperated and raised the corners of her lips.
“Not ugly, not ugly…”
Luo Qubai hurriedly denied it.
"By the way, Luo Qubai, are you really not going to tell me how your right leg was injured?" After a pause, Lin Qianliu still summoned up the courage to ask. She always felt that his leg injury was related to his sudden departure two years ago.
Speaking of leg injuries, Luo Qubai's face suddenly darkened: "This is just a small accident, you don't need to know."
"All right."
Seeing Lin Qianliu's depressed mood, Luo Qubai knew that she must be disappointed. However, there was no way, he could not tell Lin Qianliu the truth, otherwise his sacrifice would be in vain.
Luo Qubai smiled again and changed the subject: "By the way, although my health is not as good as before, Qianliu, tell me, was my performance on the court still very good?"
"How can it be good? It's quite good." Lin Qianliu nodded, expressing his affirmation, "It can be described as stunning. I think if it were you in high school, you would have easily won over Qin Shu."
Speaking of Qin Shu, Lin Qianliu remembered that he had just gotten hot-headed and vented all his anger on him.
After calming down, she felt that she might have gone a little too far. After all, she didn't mean to hurt Luo Qubai.
"So, even if I can't be the Luo Qubai of high school, do you still like me?" Luo Qubai's voice was very soft, and he turned his face away when he spoke. It was as if there was a restless rabbit in his heart, beating against his heart again and again.
Faced with Luo Qubai's sudden question, Lin Qianliu's mind suddenly became clear.
Is it because of lack of confidence?
Lin Qianliu seemed to understand his expression.
She was silent for a few seconds, then she tapped his head gently, imitating the way Luo Qubai used to tease her, and said to him with an expression of disappointment: "Of course I like you. Luo Qubai, you studied financial management, why can't you be more straightforward? Is it shameful to like me?"
Then, she turned his face around, looked at him with burning eyes, and said seriously: "Luo Qubai, you idiot, since you like me too, don't , understand?"
Luo Qubai did not answer, but just nodded slightly and smiled with satisfaction.
On the basketball court of C University, the dim light stretched Qin Shu's shadow very long. All his teammates from the Propaganda Department had left, and the sound of the basketball hitting the ground seemed very monotonous. Qin Shu bent down, gasping for breath, and beads of sweat on his forehead flowed down his cheeks.
He didn't know how many times he had shot the ball here just now. He only knew that he had been repeating this action since Lin Qianliu and Luo Qubai left. It was not the first time that Lin Qianliu had left , but this time, when he saw her eyes red as she told him that if anything happened to Luo Qubai, she would never let him go, he suddenly became afraid - not because he was afraid that Lin Qianliu would retaliate against him, but because he was afraid that after she left with Luo Qubai this time, she would never come back.
During the time when Luo Qubai did not return to China, although Lin Qianliu had never agreed to his pursuit, at least he had changed from an ordinary classmate to her friend, and he had the right to accompany and protect her in the name of a friend. In this way, he felt that his efforts were still rewarded.
Although Qin Shu had never met Luo Qubai at that time , he always regarded him as his "shadow rival" and was glad to have such a powerful "shadow rival" that made him become better in the process of competing with him. He always felt that time was the best antidote, and he still had a long time to help Lin Qianliu forget Luo Qubai.
It is said that companionship is the longest confession of love, and Qin Shu believes that Lin Qianliu also understands this sentence. So he also believes that as long as he does not give up, one day, Lin Qianliu will discover his goodness, and he will eventually win her heart.
What Qin Shu didn't expect was that Luo Qubai actually came back when Lin Qianliu was about to let him go completely.
When Lin Qianliu saw Luo Qubai again at the welcome party, Qin Shu was actually more frightened than she was. At that moment, he was worried that Lin Qianliu would be hurt again, that his previous efforts would fail, and that he would not have enough time to win her heart.
At the welcome party, when he noticed that Lin Qianliu was in a bad mood, he told himself not to be distracted, so he pretended to be calm and forced himself to stay until the end of the party.
Knowing that Lin Qianliu was going to interview Luo Qubai, he shamelessly asked her to take him with her, because he also wanted to know the real purpose of Luo Qubai's return this time. However, not only did he not get the answer he wanted, but he also made Lin Qianliu angry. Seeing that Luo Qubai and Lin Qianliu's communication was becoming more and more ambiguous, he was so jealous that he impulsively did something immoral like poking someone's scar. Moreover, in the two years since he knew Lin Qianliu, this was the first time he heard her say that she wanted to break up with him.
After that, Lin Qianliu seemed to be re-energized and began to pursue Luo Qubai again. Seeing the two of them going out together more and more often, Qin Shu became more and more uneasy, and his temper became more and more impatient. He was afraid that Lin Qianliu would repeat the same mistakes if he continued to be so stubborn, so he began to target Luo Qubai in public and teased him in private .
As a result, he found himself becoming more and more shameful, and his relationship with Lin Qianliu became worse and worse.
The scene that just happened here made Qin Shu suddenly realize that with Luo Qubai around, it would never be possible for him and Lin Qianliu to be together. Because in Lin Qianliu 's world, she could only see Luo Qubai, no matter how gorgeous the scenery around her was, no matter how cold Luo Qubai was to her.
If Qin Shu used the fact that Luo Qubai had abandoned Lin Qianliu as a support for his confidence, now he has begun to lose confidence in his and Lin Qianliu's future, because he suddenly realized that these things that he used as chips to win are not worth mentioning to Lin Qianliu.
To love someone is to give him/her the right to hurt you, and to keep moving forward even if it means falling into the abyss.
Lin Qianliu is like this, and so is he.
Zou Minmin didn't know how long she had been standing under the tree until she suddenly felt her legs ache and realized that it was already dark. She had gone back to the dormitory with everyone after the basketball team finished playing, but when she got to the door, she realized that she had left her keys at the basketball court.
When Zou Minmin returned to the basketball court, she found Qin Shu practicing shooting alone. Yes, she initially thought that Qin Shu was giving her some special training for the upcoming basketball game. But soon, she found out that it was not the case. He was not focused enough when shooting, and after a round, he didn't score many goals. Zou Minmin knew that this was not Qin Shu's true level at all.
Obviously something distracted him.
Watching Qin Shu repeating the two actions of shooting and picking up the ball like a machine, and thinking about Luo Qubai's injury just now, she suddenly understood why he became like this.
It was heartbreaking to think that the girl he liked threatened him in public for another boy, not to mention that this actually happened. Zou Minmin couldn't help but feel sorry for Qin Shu, so she stayed. Even if she had nothing to say to comfort him, at least she could be with him.
As night fell, people from the nearby courts left one after another. Qin Shu, who was sitting on the ground, looked even more lonely in the huge basketball court. As if he had just exhausted too much energy, Qin Shu, who was originally sitting, suddenly fell to the ground, and Zou Minmin was so scared that she ran over.
" Senior Qin, are you okay?" she asked anxiously, squatting down to check on him, her eyes full of worry.
Hearing someone calling his name, Qin Shu, who had squinted his eyes, suddenly opened them. Seeing that the person in front of him was Zou Minmin, a trace of disappointment flashed across his eyes, and then he said in surprise: "Zou Minmin, why are you here?"
At that moment, Qin Shu thought it was Lin Qianliu who was calling him, but in fact, Lin Qianliu should still be with Luo Qubai at this time. Thinking of this, Qin Shu laughed at himself in his heart.
"I left my keys here, so I came back." Seeing that Qin Shu was not fainted, Zou Minmin breathed a sigh of relief, "Are you okay now?"
"Well, I'm fine. I just felt too tired just now, so I wanted to lie down and rest for a while." Qin Shu replied, his voice mixed with fatigue.
"Then can you stand up now?" Zou Minmin was still a little worried thinking about how hard he had just practiced, so asked.
"Of course..." Before he could finish his words, reality slapped Qin Shu in the face. Just as he tried to stand up, his legs went weak and he fell back to the ground.
"Why don't you sit down and rest for a while, and I'll help you back later." Zou Minmin suggested.
"That's fine." He forced a smile at her and said, "By the way, Xiao Min, can you buy me a bottle of sports drink first? I want to replenish my energy. Maybe I won't need to trouble you later. After all, you're a girl..."
"Okay, I'll go buy it now." Before Qin Shu finished speaking, Zou Minmin ran away. In her heart, she actually wanted to say that although she was a girl, she didn't mind helping him back home.
Watching Zou Minmin's receding back, Qin Shu vaguely discovered that she was a little strange today. He was used to being teased by her on weekdays, but he couldn't adapt to her sudden serious concern.
Five minutes later, Zou Minmin came back with a bag of drinks. She sat down next to Qin Shu and handed him a bottle of sports drink.
Qin Shu took the drink and took a sip. Seeing that there seemed to be seven or eight bottles of the same drink in the shopping bag, he burst out laughing.
“Are you planning on selling drinks?”
Zou Minmin curled her lips and explained, "I saw that you practiced too hard just now, and I was afraid that one bottle would not be enough for you to recover your strength, so..."
"So you moved all the sports drinks from the canteen here?" Qin Shu continued jokingly.
“I guess so.” Zou Minmin nodded, and then said solemnly, “I’ll leave this difficult task to you, Senior Qin.”
Qin Shu touched his belly and said with an embarrassed look: "In order not to disappoint your kindness, Junior Sister Zou, I will do my best." After that, he burped immediately. Hearing that Qin Shu could joke, Zou Minmin thought that he should be in a better mood. So, she looked at his profile dyed with orange light and cautiously tried: "Senior Qin, can you talk to me about your worries?"
"Are you worried about something?" Qin Shu turned around, his eyes filled with doubt.
"Well, maybe I can help you share some of the burden." Zou Minmin's brown pupils were full of seriousness. She really wanted to help him.
It turned out that she saw that he was unhappy. It turned out that her disguise was so easily seen through. What a failure.
"What do you want to hear?" Qin Shu raised a weak smile, which made Zou Minmin feel really distressed.
"How did you get to know Senior Sister Lin?" Zou Minmin asked. She had always wanted to know how these two people with completely opposite personalities became friends.
"It was at the freshman orientation ceremony." Qin Shu's expression softened when talking about the first time they met.
"I was standing backstage, bored, waiting for my turn, when I heard a special voice coming from the stage." Qin Shu paused, as if recalling the past, and continued, "Her voice was not crisp, but rather had a calmness and magnetism that was rare in girls. It was not soft but made people feel comfortable, like a handful of fine sand washed and polished by the waves, flowing into people's hearts bit by bit."
When he was still wondering what kind of person the owner of this voice would be, he heard that voice calling his name. And when he went on stage and saw Lin Qianliu for the first time, he was sure that the special voice was hers.
At that time, although Lin Qianliu had a harmless, sweet and gentle face, her eyes were as cold as her voice, keeping people at a distance.
"Then you fell in love with her at first sight?" Zou Minmin said with a smile.
Qin Shu did not answer directly, but continued: "At first I thought she was just pretending to be aloof in public, but when I met her in private, I found out that she was really aloof. She is obviously a good-looking girl with good IQ and good figure, but there are no boys chasing after her. It's so strange. Later I found out that it's not that she has no boys chasing after her, but that none of the boys chasing after her can persist under her cold treatment."
"Then how did you manage to persevere, senior?" Zou Minmin asked following up on his words.
Qin Shu remembered that he almost gave up after being rejected several times by Lin Qianliu in a row. However, when he heard about Lin Qianliu's "love pursuit journey" in high school and learned that she became like that because she was abandoned by the person she liked, an idea suddenly came to his mind. He wanted to help her get out of the shadow of her last relationship and make her become the original cheerful and lively Lin Qianliu.
It was only at this time that he realized that he had fallen in love with her.
"I wanted to help her get over the trauma of her previous relationship. At first, it was just an idea, but gradually, it became a mission."
With this belief, Qin Shu found out everything about Lin Qianliu's past. He tried every way to increase his presence, and even studied the method Lin Qianliu used to pursue Luo Qubai. After a thorough study, he upgraded it to version 2.0 and used it on .
Although Lin Qianliu was not moved by his thoughts, at least she finally began to pay attention to him. This was an encouragement to Qin Shu, so he became more attentive in the following days.
He always showed concern for her and helped her out of trouble at critical moments. He remembered all of Lin Qianliu 's preferences and spent almost all his time and energy on her, except for studying. As a result, not only their classmates and teachers, but even Lin Qianliu's father knew about his existence as the "Twenty-Four Filial Flower Protector".
Gradually, he began to understand her expression, and Lin Qianliu gradually accepted him as a friend. He accompanied her to the neighboring city to watch concerts, he took her hiking to relax, he stayed up late with her to edit videos... As long as Lin Qianliu needed him, Qin Shu would go through fire and water.
Seeing their relationship getting closer and closer, Lin Qianliu finally regained her vitality. Qin Shu was greatly encouraged in his heart. He even thought that even if he couldn't be her boyfriend, as long as he could always be by her side and be her strongest support, he would be willing to do so.
"I just didn't expect that my mission would be forced to end so soon." Qin Shu sighed, and the light in his eyes dimmed.
He originally thought that even if Luo Qubai appeared again, Lin Qianliu would not be affected at all. After all, he overestimated her and his importance in her heart. The first night Luo Qubai came back, Lin Qianliu abandoned him.
It seemed like just one day and all his efforts over the past few years had gone to waste.
"Actually, senior, have you ever thought about giving up? After all, you are so outstanding, there is no shortage of girls who like you." When saying this, Zou Minmin lowered her head, her flushed cheeks hidden in the darkness.
Qin Shu looked into the distance and replied, "Actually, I no longer have any extravagant hope of being with Lin Qianliu."
He just felt sorry for her, sorry for the two years she spent in despair, sorry for her feelings that were betrayed just like his.
Although he has always been focusing on Lin Qianliu, he is not unaware of the care from other girls. But because he is also the one who gives his heart and soul, he cannot just accept their feelings, just like Lin Qianliu has never accepted him.
"It's just that when it comes to feelings, there's never any logic to it."
Qin Shu's voice drifted in the wind, and Zou Minmin couldn't tell what emotion he was feeling at the moment.
"Okay, the wind is blowing, and my strength has almost recovered. It's time for us to go back." Qin Shu stood up and said to Zou Minmin.
"Okay." Zou Minmin nodded and stood up.
"Senior Qin..."
"how?"
"You will definitely find your own happiness."
"Ah, you too."