CHAPTER 4

Plagiarism incident is just the beginning of Eric's tragic fate.

Upon returning home, Brain listened to Eric's desperate complaint. He heldEric's shoulder and said, "Eric, calm down."

With red eyes,Eric said, "Brain, trust me, you have to believe me."

Brain replied, "Of course, I believe in you."

Eric held onto Brain, repeatedly confirming and seeking his help, "You saw me writing the songs, right? I even played them for you, and I..."

Brain held Eric's hand and pressed it against his chest, saying, "I know."

Trembling,Eric leaned against Brain's solid and warm chest, as if a drifting duckweed finally found support in the wind.

Listening to the heartbeat so close, his ears tingling,Eric, with bloodshot eyes, weakly gritted his teeth, "I can't let it go like this. I have to sue Tang Huan, I have to..."

Brain hesitated.

He strokedEric's back and said, "Eric, you are too impulsive right now. Don't make decisions in such a state."

But Eric couldn't care less.

He was suffering from a severe headache, and despite taking two pills before Brain came back, the medicine's effect was slow to kick in. The pain and anger tormented him, making him shiver with cold sweat. "Why? This is my song, I can't let her steal it and frame me."

Brain furrowed his brow and pushed him away slightly, raising his voice, "Eric, calm down and listen to me. You can't sue her."

Eric silently opened his mouth, looking at him, waiting for an explanation.

Brain sighed deeply, "…It's all because of Catherine's mistake."

Brain's cousin, Catherine, who enrolled in the same city's second-tier normal university a year and a half ago, was entrusted to Brain's care by their uncle.

She often came to Brain's house for meals. She was the first in Brain's family to know about her cousin's sexual orientation. Once, she even used the excuse of "keeping a secret" to have several lavish meals with Brain.

Despite Brain's family having good looks, Catherine was not bad either, with a white and clean melon seed face. She loved music and also wrote some tunes, posting them online. Due to the resonating lyrics that could evoke bright and melancholic emotions in teenage girls, she had a small fan base of around ten thousand. This made her quite proud, considering herself a talented girl.

But Eric didn't particularly like her.

Every time she visited, she pestered Eric, asking how much money a song could sell for and if he knew any avenues for selling songs.Eric didn't like hearing such questions, often brushing her off. However, Catherine couldn't discern the nuances and would playfully complain to Brain, "Look, cousin, Eric doesn't help me even though he has connections. It's really annoying."

Living in a dorm with four girls, the other three were local, but she didn't want to fall behind. Buying good cosmetics and branded clothes left her short of money. Thus, she frequently borrowed from Brain. He always gave in, never refusing her, which led to him not being able to afford meat and vegetables at the company cafeteria for a month.

Eric felt sorry for her and started learning to cook during that time.

Eric stared at Brain, perplexed, and asked, "What are you saying?"

Brain, somewhat remorseful, said, "Just now, right after I hung up your call, Catherine called me. Do you remember when Mom, Dad, and your third sister came to the city last time, and you moved out? Her phone was dead, so she used my phone to browse Taobao. While scrolling, she accidentally opened your demo. She liked it, asked if it was yours, and praised you a lot."

Eric's eyes widened slightly.

Brain pressed on, "I didn't think much of it at the time, just said yes, that you often write songs. She agreed and continued playing with it. I never thought she would..."

Eric finally understood, unbelievably saying, "She stole my song to sell? And you just let her?"

"Don't phrase it so harshly," Brain sighed. "I didn't know about this. Catherine... she just liked your songs. She told me she needed money, wanted to earn it on her own, but her songs weren't accepted by companies. So, she wanted to submit her songs along with yours to see if it worked. Unexpectedly, all six were accepted. 'Heart Language' and 'Autumn Thoughts'... were taken by Tang Huan."

"Just liked them?"Eric's entire body bristled with irritation. "She asked me what name to give to my song, and I told her that I had already thought of one, called 'Heart Language.'"

He grabbed his phone, illuminated the screen, and showed Brain the line on Tang Huan's personal album: "…Brain, what do you call this? She even copied the name. Isn't this deliberate?"

"...You've written so many miscellaneous songs, never published them, and she didn't expect you to submit this one." Brain's tone became unusually heavy. He reached forEric's wrist, holding it, and said, "The situation has escalated so much, and Catherine... she didn't want this. When she called me, she was scared and crying."

Eric thought woodenly, crying about what.

Brain persuasively said, "She already knows she was wrong. But she's still young; you have to forgive her for making mistakes. If you sue her, it will blow up. How will she face things at school? How will I explain to my family?"

As if a cold shower had been poured onEric's spine, he grabbed Brain, painfully moaning, "What about me? What about me? How should I face things?"

Gently cupping Eric's face, Brain said, "It's okay. I trust you. Those netizens don't know the situation; they're just talking nonsense. Just unplug the internet, and no one can harm you."

For someone who had sailed smoothly through life and never faced a big ordeal, this sudden calamity leftEric's mind completely in chaos. Brain's confident tone shook him, "…Really?"

"Yes," Brain coaxed, "Think about it. My parents have treated Catherine like their own daughter since childhood. If our relationship is exposed because of Catherine's matter, and she falls from grace with a lawsuit hanging over her, how can they accept you?"

Eric held his head, curling up.

"...Why?"Eric murmured, "Why..."

His dreams, his musical aspirations, all shattered.

And his lover stood firmly on the side of the family. If he didn't agree to take responsibility for Catherine's actions, their future together with Brain would be lost.

Lover, dreams, which one should he choose?

Eric had always been obedient since childhood, with no other hobbies besides music. Brain was the first personEric loved with all his heart.

To love someone is to carefully place them in your heart, fearing it might not be soft enough.

Brain was good, very gentle with him, soothing him when his artistic temperament flared up, reliable, diligent, and they were harmonious in bed.

Eric couldn't bear to, after going through a storm of bruised bones and tendons, brutally tear open his chest, forcibly excavating the person he had loved for three years.

He couldn't do it.

Eric tugged at Brain's clothes and asked softly, "With this reputation on my back, how can I still write songs? Will anyone want me?"

Hearing Eric relax, Brain couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

He embraced Eric, saying, "I want you."

... This was not the answer Eric wanted.

"But this is also the best answer he can get at this stage.

Eric's company quickly issued a statement, strongly condemning this egregious act of plagiarism. They decisively terminated the contract withEric and demanded compensation for the breach.

At a critical moment,Eric's elder brother, Kris, rushed in angrily, pointing at his younger brother's nose and scolding him, 'Eric, can you endure it? You've caused such a big trouble and didn't contact the family? If you didn't want to be part of the Eric family, you should have said it earlier!'

Eric remained silent.

His reputation was already ruined, and since he decided to conceal it, he had to keep it from his family as well.

After scolding him, his elder brother paid the compensation on his behalf, spent money to delete online posts, and, still unsatisfied, personally engaged in arguments online.

When netizens discovered their comments being deleted, the backlash intensified. The situation escalated, and Tang Huan's company did not give up the opportunity that fell into their lap. They vigorously purchased fake accounts and used marketing strategies to fuel the fire. Among them, a singer-songwriter with over five hundred thousand followers, a fervent fan of Tang Huan, posted six or seven Weibo posts a day, mockingEric relentlessly.

One of his Ins posts said, 'The plagiarizing dog should be trembling in fear under the blanket now.' The comments below were a frenzy of Tang Huan's fans, filled with vulgar language, disgustingly nauseating.

Eric was genuinely frightened. He closed his direct messages, turned off his phone, and isolated himself. Brain, patient as she was, was a newcomer at work and didn't have the time to be with him every day.

Eric thought that with time, things would get better. If he could endure this period, he could make a comeback.

However,Eric later found that he couldn't write songs anymore, and he couldn't even touch the piano. Whenever he pressed a key, he would think of the meticulously crafted piano prelude of 'Words Between Hearts.' His heart would race, and he'd feel nauseous, unable to play a complete song.

After many attempts, he suddenly clenched his fists and smashed them onto the piano.

The piano emitted a moan, high and low.

In college, Eric, a genius who could lead a band alone, couldn't even play 'Ode to Joy.'

That day, he cried in despair for a long time.

When Brain came back, she hugged him and comforted, 'If you can't write, then you can't. I'll support you.'

Brain had always been gentle as if what Eric experienced was not a significant event. She would bear it with him.

But Eric became more and more abnormal.

He often sat by the bed for an entire day, not knowing what to do. Even a bit of sunlight would frighten him. He had a prolonged loss of appetite, occasional binge-eating; he frequently forgot where he put his keys and wallet, and the notes on the table were not updated for a long time.

He knew he was sick, but when he confided in Brain, she would only say, 'If you're not feeling well, go out for a walk.'

After more than three months, Kris couldn't hold back and secretly came to see his younger brother.

Seeing his brother, who had become so thin, Kris was shocked. He forcibly took him to see a psychologist.

Kris presented the diagnosis of moderate depression to Eric's parents, and Eric's mother cried immediately.

Their good son had turned into this. Eric's father immediately contacted Brain's parents to find out their thoughts.

Until they met Brain's parents with a shocked expression, Eric's parents learned that from start to finish, Brain never mentioned to his family that he had been in a relationship with their son for over three years.

Eric's parents were clear in their stance: considering the unfavorable situation in the country, they planned to immigrate their son to a quiet little town abroad, where there was a specialized hospital for treating depression.

Their son's condition was inseparable from Brain. Brain could go with him, and the work visa or immigration could be handled by Eric's family.

That small town was in Europe, and over a decade ago, they had passed laws allowing same-sex marriage.

Eric's parents' decision could be considered a significant concession for their son.

Eric's parents initially thought that Brain's parents would object and had prepared many persuasions. However, after discussing it overnight, they agreed the next day.

Eric and Brain processed their immigration together.

In the second year abroad,Eric's condition improved, and he could play the piano again. When he sat back on the piano stool, he smiled like a child, 'Brain, what do you want to hear? I'll play it for you.'

That year, they obtained their marriage certificate and had a simple wedding in a church.

In the third year, Brain's career flourished, and he proposed to immigrate his parents.Eric agreed.

In the fourth year, Brain became busier. One day when he returned home,Eric noticed that the shirt he was wearing was not the one he wore out yesterday.

Eric started taking medication again.

He didn't know how to ask Brain, and he didn't want to know the answer. As for Brain's parents, they were indifferent to him, not good or bad. Although they lived under the same roof, they barely exchanged a few words a day.

Brain was too busy, leavingEric alone in the house with the two silent elders, feeling extremely lonely.

But he didn't want his parents to worry that he was not doing well. Every time he called them, he had to squeeze out the brightest smile and say, 'I'm fine, don't worry.'

In reality, he was not fine.

After the relapse, he had been thinking about death but didn't dare to die. He was afraid of letting his parents down and hurting Brain. For this, he struggled to live, trying to stand up from the quagmire.

He wasn't afraid of getting dirty himself, he just feared accidentally staining the person he valued.

Until one day, when Brain was on vacation,Eric planned to drive to the supermarket two kilometers away to buy groceries. Because he forgot his wallet, he returned home and accidentally overheard the conversation between Brain's mother and son at the kitchen door.

Brain's mother complained, 'You don't know, this Eric is like a mute stick. I'm thankful if he says five sentences in two days.'

After several years, Brain still had the same gentle tone, 'Eric doesn't like to talk. Mom, don't be mad at him.'

Eric felt embarrassed and lowered his head.

...In fact, he used to talk quite a lot.

Thinking like this, he tiptoed to the table to get his wallet. Just as he turned around, he heard Brain's mother say, 'We've already processed the immigration visa. When are you going to divorce Eric?'

Eric: ...

His neck stiffened, and he stared blankly at the floor in front of him, waiting for Brain's answer.

Brain remained silent.

Eric felt like he was being strangled by this silence, unable to breathe.

Brain's mother said again, 'Being with a man, you can't have offspring. It's not a good thing. I lied to our relatives, saying you went abroad for work, and everyone praised you. The other day, your uncle called and asked your dad to bring back some foreign cigarettes and alcohol. He also asked about you, wondering if you found a foreign wife and had a foreign child. How should I answer him?!'

Eric was stabbed by this string of cutting words, his whole body trembling, and his stomach twisted in pain.

He bent over slightly, hugged his waist, which had become as thin as paper, and desperately pressed inside.

'Can you bear having a foreign wife?' After a while, Brain's warm voice sounded again, 'Recently, we hired a new girl in our company, she's Chinese. I get along well with her.'

Satisfied but considering a new problem, Brain's mother asked, 'How are you going to tell Eric?'

This time, Brain remained silent even longer.

Eric didn't wait for Brain's answer, nor did he let Brain be in a difficult situation for too long.

That night, in the piano room, he used a utility knife to cut his wrist.

As a result, Aaron genuinely wanted to run over Brain with his car.

Brain liked Eric, but it was just a liking.

A favorability score of 72, 13 points away from failure, only worth a card, a firework.

Aaron went home with Brain.

The living room played urban news, occasionally hearing the sound of Brain answering the phone.

Aaron changed into home clothes, went to the kitchen, rolled up his sleeves, and washed the dishes that had accumulated for two days.

Relaxed Aaron always had a nonchalant face. Standing in front of the clogged sink with food scraps, his eyelids drooped, letting the water flow from his slender and white fingertips, the whole body laziness quiet, with a natural elegance, quite in tune with Eric's little master's status.

But his dishwashing technique was exceptionally skilled, not at all like someone who rarely touched water with his ten fingers.

The system asked him, 'Can you wash dishes?'

Aaron seriously said, 'I can cook too.'

The system didn't believe it, after all, Aaron wasn't serious when he became serious.

Because the next second, he earnestly asked with a serious expression, 'By the way, is there rat poison in the warehouse?'

The system decisively said, 'No.'

Now he was very suspicious. Aaron was so proactive about doing housework; was he investigating the crime scene?

Aaron said, 'I was just asking.'

The system without expression said, 'Oh.'

Aaron suggested, 'Can we restock some goods? It's customer demand.'

The system said, 'No.'

Aaron said, 'Rat poison.'

The system said, '...' Dare to ask if the rat weighs a hundred and thirty catties and is surnamed Brain.

The system couldn't help but say, 'Mr. Aaron, is there a less violent solution?'

'There is.' Aaron calmly wiped the washed dishes with a dry cloth, placed them in the dish rack, finally saying a normal sentence, 'Tomorrow, I plan to visit Eric's elder brother.'