Chapter 71 Let him land

I jumped into a taxi and went to the address Anderson had given me.

The destination turned out to be a rehabilitation center.

Su Pu knew that Li Jichuan had never given up on rehabilitation.

Every morning, he would accompany Li Jichuan to do a series of rehabilitation exercises to rehabilitate the muscle groups that were not used.

But as he sat in the taxi, he reminisced.

Li Jichuan has indeed been acting somewhat "abnormally" lately.

During his morning rehabilitation sessions, Li Jichuan would usually change into sportswear, revealing his arms and calves.

It's unclear when it started, but Li Jichuan always seems to have bruises on his body, especially around his joints.

Su Pu looked over with heartache, while Li Jichuan simply smiled and explained.

"Because you can't feel these areas, it's common to bump into things. Recently, the company rearranged the workstation layout, and if you're not careful when going in and out, you'll bump into things."

Later he changed into long sleeves and trousers, saying that the weather had gotten cold.

Su Pu didn't think about it anymore.

Looking back now, those injuries were probably all related to this "rehabilitation center".

No wonder Li Jichuan has been especially tired lately...

With her heart pounding, Su Pu suppressed her nervousness and excitement, enduring the not-so-long drive.

The rehabilitation center has three floors. Su Pu explained his purpose to the receptionist, who checked for a moment and then relayed the message to him.

"Mr. Li is currently receiving treatment. Please wait here for a moment. He will be finished in half an hour."

Su Pu nodded and sat on a plastic chair in the waiting area.

Several painful cries came from one of the rooms inside the building, making Su Pu's heart pound.

What kind of treatment is it? Why do we have to come here to do it? Can't we do it at home?

The occasional cries made Su Pu wonder if Li Jichuan's treatment was also this painful.

But this person is more reserved and stoic; the deeper the pain they experience, the quieter they become…

Su Pu couldn't sit still any longer, and taking advantage of the receptionist's inattention, she secretly slipped into the treatment area on the first floor.

The rehabilitation center doesn't have an elevator, so for someone like Li Jichuan who has difficulty walking, his treatment area should be on this floor.

Su Pu clenched his fists nervously and quietly walked inside.

Unfortunately, all the clinics along the way were closed, and with the end of the corridor fast approaching, it meant that Su Pu would have to return empty-handed.

Just when he was about to give up hope, a narrow strip of light appeared on the ground in front of him, indicating that the door to the clinic was open.

For some inexplicable reason, Su Pu felt that the person he was thinking about was right in front of him.

So he quickened his pace and came to the door—

The person inside was indeed Li Jichuan.

This was a Li Jichuan he had never seen before.

Li Jichuan stood shakily, his arms supporting him on the handrails on either side.

Sweating profusely, tears streaming down his face, he was utterly disheveled.

There was no trace of the former elegance and refinement.

The rehabilitation therapist, dressed in a light green uniform, held a long ruler in both hands and guided Li Jichuan to hold it.

Li Jichuan took a deep breath, slowly released the handrails on both sides, gripped the long ruler in the therapist's hand, and leaned his entire body weight forward.

"Get ready..."

After the therapist finished speaking, she abruptly let go of his hand and stepped aside.

Li Jichuan suddenly lost his support, shook the long ruler in his hands twice, and fell straight to the ground.

The tall, strong man fell straight to the ground with a loud thud.

Su Pu instinctively covered her mouth and nose.

Li Jichuan fell to the ground, letting out a few muffled groans of pain.

The therapist gripped the long ruler again and asked him to use its strength to support his body. Then, the therapist guided him to slowly back up until he was back in the middle of the handrail.

At this moment, Li Jichuan was crying silently, the pain was too much, and he didn't even bother to wipe away his tears.

Streams of physiological tears mixed with sweat and snot dripped onto his clothes and the ground.

Once the pain subsided, the therapist brought a straw cup to Li Jichuan, but he waved it away and refused.

"continue."

“We still need to take it slowly,” the therapist said, wiping his face with a tissue. “This therapy is inherently quite aggressive, stimulating your instincts while also testing the recovery of your muscles and nerves.”

"If the hardware isn't repaired, no matter how hard you try, it will only increase the damage to your body."

Li Jichuan shook his head, gritted his teeth, and endured the pain.

“I can’t wait… If I can’t even overcome this little difficulty, I have no confidence to make any promises.”

The therapist shook his head. "What kind of promise is this..."

"Let's try again." Li Jichuan supported himself on the pole with one hand, grabbed the long ruler, and shoved it into the therapist's hand. "Try a few more times. It seems like you were able to stand for a bit longer the last two times."

"Alright then. Actually, not only the length of time you stood, but you also took a small step forward on your own just now, which means that some of the nerves in your legs are indeed starting to feel something, which is a good sign."

Li Jichuan breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good. I thought it was just my overactive imagination."

“There aren’t that many hallucinations…” the therapist said, holding a long ruler.

Following his words, Li Jichuan glanced to the side and saw the little mute standing at the door.

So, is this an illusion?

...

After taking a shower and changing into clean clothes, Li Jichuan tidied himself up, remotely controlled his wheelchair, and as soon as he stepped out of the changing room, he saw the little mute waiting at the door.

Su Pu had clearly been crying, and crying quite a lot; her eyes were red.

Li Jichuan thought to himself, "This is terrible. This is the person I least want to worry about."

He sighed and pointed behind him, "There's a small garden just outside the back door. Shall we chat?"

It was late autumn, and the vegetation here was all dark in color, but fortunately the afternoon sun was still quite bright.

Li Jichuan found a place for Su Pu to sit down, then sat in his wheelchair and explained the therapy he was experimenting with.

"Simply put, it means forcibly getting out of the wheelchair and using the body's defense instincts to stimulate the core muscles and nerves."

Su Pu couldn't see any defensive instincts; he only saw Li Jichuan falling heavily to the ground again and again. He couldn't understand why Li Jichuan was torturing his body like this.

Su Pu's tears fell again.

Li Jichuan hurriedly wiped away his tears and put his arm around his thin shoulders.

"Actually, the psychological barrier is harder to overcome than the physical pain... Walking used to be so commonplace for me. When I stood up straight, I would subconsciously think that I could walk as long as I took a step."

"But when you finally fall, you feel surprised and uneasy. At that time, I thought, so this is what it feels like for a baby to learn to walk. They are not sure whether the next step they take will make them fall or move forward."

Li Jichuan laughed; at this moment, he was probably the only one who found it funny.

Su Pu wiped away her tears with the back of her hand and typed while sobbing.

So, when you can't reply to messages promptly, it's because you're seeking treatment?

Li Jichuan nodded and softly comforted him, "It's alright."

Why the sudden rush?

Li Jichuan stared at him for a long time. "You want to know that much?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Su Pu nodded.

Li Jichuan reached out and plucked a pinkish-yellow rose from the flower bed, giving it to Su Pu.

"I was thinking of waiting until my rehabilitation had made some progress, and then I would prepare properly before I told you what I wanted to say next."

"But I've realized that I don't think I can wait any longer..."

Li Jichuan smiled and nuzzled Su Pu's nose. "So please forgive my haste. If you still want to hear what I'm about to say, I can tell you the same thing every day."

Su Pu sniffed, realizing something, and stopped crying.

“Su Pu, now that my grandfather has passed away, I should set you free… but I can’t bear to. And I know you can’t bear to either.”

So don't go, don't leave me, just stay by my side, okay?

"I'm trying to become more mature and stronger. But my abilities are currently limited..."

As Li Jichuan spoke, he suddenly stood up, supporting himself with his hands on his wheelchair.

"But I think that if I can walk, my little Pu can fly freely..."

"Little Pu, fly, then land, land next to me."

Su Pu's heart had long since turned to tears.

Whether he soars into the clouds or falls into the mud, there is always someone willing to accompany him, giving him lasting reliance and love.

What a coincidence, he also has that kind of confidence.

Su Pu stood up and buried herself in the arms of her beloved.

The wheelchair has limited support; if it is suddenly subjected to force, the tires will roll backward.

The two people who were embracing lost their balance and fell to one side.

Su Pu was startled and briefly felt dizzy.

Somehow, before she knew it, she was already lying in Li Jichuan's arms.

The air was filled with the scent of cedarwood mixed with fresh grass, a scent my lover often used, and he was holding a rose in his hand.

Su Pu was delighted; he had landed safely.