Chapter 81 scared you, didn't it?

The room was completely silent, the air seemed to freeze, with only the soft "click-click" of the clappers echoing in the room.

Qin Qiao leaned over the coffee table, her right elbow propped on the surface, carefully writing her words on Braille paper. After finishing the last word, she turned and handed the paper to Chen Jiashu, who was sitting on a single sofa.

[I won't try to persuade you. You feel stifled at home, unable to breathe in my presence, and need to study. Okay, I'll give you space, just a wall away. You don't need to face me; just know that I'm less than ten meters away, breathing the same air as you. We don't need to arrange to meet; we can 'bump into' each other in the hallway, or... if you'd like, you can knock on my wall.]

His fingertips trembled, and Chen Jiashu abruptly looked up. Her sly, slightly mischievous smile was reflected in his dark glasses. His voice rose a few octaves:

"This is a sanatorium, not home! What do you mean by 'separated by only a wall'? That's utter nonsense!"

Qin Qiao pulled the paper back and continued writing with her head down. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone gripping their knees tightly with both hands, the blue veins on the back of their hands faintly protruding.

Passing it back and forth was too much trouble, so she simply finished stamping it and pushed the paper directly in front of him.

Chen Jiashu clenched his knees even tighter, as if digesting her words or considering how to refute them.

After a long while, his brows gradually relaxed, and he leaned forward slightly: "Go home and be with the children. I promise you, no matter what, I will not give up on myself. I could do it last year, and I can do it now." His tone was as gentle as if he were having a heart-to-heart talk. "Qiaoqiao... I will not give up on myself, and I will not abandon you. You are the most important people in my life. Wait for me, when I feel I'm 'okay', I will come back to you."

Qin Qiao gazed at him quietly for a long time, her eyes gently tracing his thin cheeks, his tightly pursed lips, and the gauze behind his glasses.

She never doubted that Chen Jiashu was not someone who would easily admit defeat.

Qin Qiao got up and walked over, slowly sitting down next to Chen Jiashu. He subconsciously turned his face to the left, and she felt a pang in her heart, turning her eyes away.

The debate about 'where to live' ends here. He has his choice, and she has her own principles.

She reached out and grasped his still tightly clenched right hand. Chen Jiashu paused, then obediently turned his wrist so his palm was facing upwards.

Qin Qiao slowly wrote stroke by stroke in his palm: [Discussion over, I'm leaving. My roommate next door]

The faint fragrance that had filled the air gradually dissipated. Chen Jiashu paused, then slowly turned towards the door.

She really left.

After a long while, he raised the hand that still held the warmth of her fingertips, gently curled his fingers, and brought it close to his nose. A faint scent of perfume lingered on it, mingling with the dampness of his palm.

He wanted her to leave, yet he also wanted her to stay.

Qin Qiao saw through him, but she didn't blame him.

Chen Jiashu unconsciously raised the corners of his lips, slightly parted them, and softly uttered those six words:

"My roommate next door."

"good evening."

*

Early in the morning, Qin Qiao went to Chen Jiashu's room to eat the breakfast that his family had brought.

The man was still in the inner room. She went in, but he wasn't on the bed. She caught a glimpse of a dark black sweater in the bathroom. She walked over and stood against the doorframe. He was standing in front of the mirror, lost in thought.

Chen Jiashu's face can pull off any hairstyle. In his earliest days, he had a hairstyle that was almost a buzz cut, which was masculine and steady, yet also exuded a youthful vigor.

I remember Yang Shuhua once jokingly asking her what she saw in Chen Jiashu. She replied half-jokingly, "Don't you think Jiashu is very handsome?"

Yes, I first noticed this man in the internet cafe. It was dimly lit, and his appearance seemed to have a pale yellow rim, especially his obsidian-like eyes, which seemed to hold a thousand stars.

Later, during the university cultural festival, she was pushed into the water by the crowd, and Chen Jiashu jumped in without hesitation and pulled her out of the water.

Water dripped from his sharp jaw, his pupils were pitch black, yet his eyes burned with starlight.

From then on, I could never forget it.

A moment of disorientation was brought back by a faint sound. Her vision cleared, and she saw Chen Jiashu's right hand groping helplessly on the table, his body stiff and tense.

Qin Qiao's gaze fell on the sunglasses that were right next to him. Before she could speak, the sunglasses were knocked to the ground by him.

"Clatter".

The sunglasses lay at his feet, one temple broken and leaning to one side.

She stepped forward and bent down, but their heads collided with his as he bent down at the same time.

The sound was very loud, and my forehead hurt.

"Jiashu!"

"Qiaoqiao!"

The two exclaimed each other's names at the same time.

They straightened up and walked towards each other without prior arrangement, embracing each other tightly.

Chen Jiashu lowered his head, cupped her face in his hands, and nervously searched her face with his fingers, staring intently at her with wide eyes: "Where did you bump into? Does it hurt?"

His right eyelid trembled, almost half-open, revealing a wet, red surface to the eyeball—not bloodshot, but completely covered.

Qin Qiao's scalp tingled instantly, her heart seemed to stop beating, and her whole body froze.

Her mind raced back to the day Chen Jiashu's stitches were removed at the hospital. His eyelids were so limp, as if he had muscle weakness, leaving only a gap of a centimeter or two between them and his lower eyelids, through which her pink eyes were faintly visible. She wanted to see more clearly, but Chen Jiashu turned his head away, preventing her from looking.

"Qiaoqiao... answer me, what's wrong?" Chen Jiashu's voice trembled violently, and his thumb suddenly stopped at the inner corner of her eye where tears were streaming down her face. "Does it hurt a lot?"

Qin Qiao quickly shook her head: "I'm fine, really fine." She felt a sense of relief, thankful that he hadn't seen her expression just now.

She thought she loved everything about him, yet she was afraid of his eyes. How painful it would be if he knew.

Qin Qiao threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly, her cheek pressed against his throbbing neck.

A stillness filled the air, and time seemed to stretch out infinitely. Both of them seemed frozen in place. After their emotions gradually calmed down, Qin Qiao whispered, "Jia Shu, it's not just you who needs to study, I need to study too... but I love you, I really love you."

Knowing he couldn't hear her, these words seemed more like they were spoken to herself. The thought sent a chill down Qin Qiao's spine.

As Chen Jiashu gradually relaxed, he raised his hand and gently cupped the back of her head, stroking her hair. His soft voice fell from above her head: "My eyes startled you, didn't they?"

Qin Qiao instinctively wanted to say no, but as soon as the words were on the tip of her tongue, she immediately realized that Chen Jiashu must have noticed her overreaction when he asked that question.

She released one hand, grabbed his wrist, and tried to pull him up. When she glanced to the side, she noticed that he was clenching his fist.

Taking a step back, Qin Qiao cupped his fists in her hands, lowered her head even further, and pried open his distinct knuckles one by one.

He remained silent, letting her do as she pleased.

But when it came to the last little finger, he tightened his grip again.

"Stop writing... I know it's ugly."

She instinctively protested, "No, it's not..."

"Not what?" Chen Jiashu asked softly.

Qin Qiao felt as if a thousand pounds were pressing down on her head, making it impossible for her to lift her eyes. She could only continue staring at his fist and follow up on the conversation: "It's not what you think..."

Suddenly, the question, "What is it not?" flashed through her mind.

She suddenly looked up. The man right in front of her was covering his left eye with his hand, but the corners of his mouth were curved into an extremely gentle smile: "Alright, you're right, we both need to learn."

"You...you can hear me?" As soon as she said this, tears welled up in Qin Qiao's eyes.

Chen Jiashu nodded slightly. Qin Qiao didn't give him a chance to speak, pressing him urgently, "When?"

"Just now, after that bump, my ears were ringing for a while, but then it suddenly went away." Chen Jiashu was still smiling. "Qiaoqiao, could you go out for a bit? I need to take care of some personal matters."

Qin Qiao picked up the pair of sunglasses with one broken leg and found that the leg could not be put back on. She said, "The sunglasses are broken. I'll have Lao Song go and buy a new pair."

"Okay." Chen Jiashu uttered a single word, turned around, and walked forward until his body gently touched the edge of the sink before stopping.

"You can go out now," he urged again.

His hearing had returned, something to be happy about and celebrate, but she ruined it all. Qin Qiao tasted the salty tears on her lips, and she bit her lower lip until it turned white.

The man leaned slightly forward, his hand probing in the air before grasping the faucet. He turned on the water, and the tap water gushed into the basin. His long, slender, jade-like fingers immersed themselves in the water, gently washing. The drain hole at the bottom of the basin was half-open, and water swirled down.

Qin Qiao stared at the vortex for a few seconds, and when she looked up, her gaze seemingly unintentionally swept over Chen Jiashu's slightly curved lips.

She didn't say anything more and turned to leave.

Old Song quickly bought the sunglasses, handed them to Qin Qiao, and left without lingering.

Qin Qiao took it and walked into the dark bedroom. The curtains were drawn, and in the dim light, the man sat on the edge of the bed, his back to her. The black sweater he wore blended into the shadows, and his outline was indistinguishable unless you looked closely.

She said, "I bought the sunglasses."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiashu turned slightly toward her and responded softly, "Mm."

“Jiashu, Sunday is your birthday, I ordered a birthday cake.” Qin Qiao sat to his left and placed the sunglasses in his hand: “I think the children would like to celebrate with you too.”

Putting on his sunglasses, Chen Jiashu smiled and said, "Okay, I'll go back and spend some time with them."

Then there was nothing more to say. Qin Qiao sat with him for more than ten minutes, and when she figured it was about time for him to go to work, she turned to him and said, "I have to go to work now. Remember to eat breakfast."

Chen Jiashu nodded and stood up: "I'll see you out."

*

Less than ten minutes after Qin Qiao left, Chen Jiashu called Lao Song, who was standing in the outer room, in and gave him a number to dial.

While waiting for Sun Gang, Lao Song helped him to the balcony. Chen Jiashu asked Lao Song for a cigarette, put it to his lips, and Lao Song immediately bent down to light it for him.

The bluish-white smoke swirled and dissipated, blurring Chen Jiashu's sharp brows. He lightly waved the hand holding the cigarette, and Old Song, understanding, quietly retreated.

It's been ten days since I escaped. I'm hard of hearing and feeling down, so I only know half of what's going on.

I remember that day at the hospital, Sun Gang was telling him what had happened, and Qin Qiao relayed it to him in Braille. The whole family had been taken away by the police, and since the crime took place in Q City, the trial would also be held there.

Sun Gang has hired Attorney Qian to handle the case, but he will still need to be present in person when the trial officially begins.

As for Zhongqin, Chen Jiashu inquired about her with Sun Gang on the third day of her hospitalization. Sun Gang asked Lawyer Qian and told him that the woman and her daughter were also at the police station, and that they had also reported the Lu family for involvement in human trafficking.

Although she had her own 'schemes,' he was able to escape thanks to her help.

We should repay her.

After finishing his cigarette, Chen Jiashu leaned against the wall and returned to the room, slowly walking towards the sofa from memory. When his toes lightly touched the corner of the coffee table, he walked around the edge of the table and sat down on the sofa.

I sat there for a long time, when I heard familiar footsteps outside the door, stopping at the entrance.

Old Song came in and said, "Chairman Chen, General Manager Sun is here."

Chen Jiashu pushed up his sunglasses, straightened his back, and raised his voice: "Brother Sun, please come in."

Sun Gang and Lao Song passed each other at the door. He was usually calm and composed, but seeing that Chen Jiashu's hearing had returned, a genuine smile appeared in his eyes, and even his steps became lighter.

"Thank goodness my hearing is better." He sat down on the sofa opposite Chen Jiashu, his voice filled with relief.

Chen Jiashu turned his head to the side at the sound of the voice, a slight smile playing on his lips behind his sunglasses: "Thank you for your hard work those few days, Brother Sun."

He invited Sun Gang over today mainly to learn about the progress of the case.

Sun Gang recounted everything he had learned.

The two men's motives were almost identical to Chen Jiashu's guess; it was indeed a personal grudge. Initially, they wanted to kill him, but since they weren't professionals, they became afraid and secretly moved him to the mountains for confinement.

That dark and hopeless memory still haunts him, waking him in the middle of the night in a cold sweat.

And these mutilated, frightening eyes are proof of their evil deeds.

“Jiashu,” Sun Gang’s voice pulled him back from his reverie, “There’s something I need to tell you. The legal aid lawyer appointed by the court for the Lu family’s elderly couple contacted Attorney Qian today.”

He paused for a moment: "The other party hopes that you can issue a letter of understanding, taking into account that the two elderly people have never left the mountains in their entire lives and are ignorant, and considering their advanced age."

A hush fell over the room. Chen Jiashu's hands, resting on his knees, slowly tightened, his knuckles turning bluish-white.

After a long pause, his deep voice echoed in the room:

"My eyes...who will forgive them?"

Sun Gang licked his lips and nodded in agreement. Just as he was about to speak, Chen Jiashu spoke again: "Brother Sun, there is no gray area in my world anymore. It's either someone who saves me or someone who harms me. There is no middle ground."

"Therefore, they must be made to pay the highest price."