Chapter 32 actually describes Li Xiao's return and his carrying me back to Young Master Lan's residence.

Mr. Chang proposed two treatment options to me.

One method involves opening up the previously misaligned bone and resetting it. The downside is that the process can be quite painful, but the upside is that it's quick and doesn't affect the subsequent growth of the bone.

Another method is acupuncture, which stimulates acupoints and unblocks the meridians. This method is gentler and more reliable, but it is slower to take effect and requires a longer treatment course than the previous method.

"Grandpa is really something. What's there to think about? Of course, we should choose the second option."

As soon as Mr. Chang finished speaking, Chang Li was the first to raise his hand and answer crisply.

Then she looked directly at me, her bright eyes filled with anticipation: "Choose the second one! That way, the little brother will suffer less, and I can come to see you with Grandpa more often. Isn't that a great thing that kills two birds with one stone?"

Seeing my hesitation, he then put on a pitiful expression.

"Or is it that the young man didn't actually want to see me, and those words about how cute I was were just something he said to comfort me because he felt sorry for me..."

As he spoke, tears welled up in Chang Li's eyes.

Seeing this, I was at a loss for what to do.

—Because I'm really not good at dealing with overly direct kindness.

If the other person is an adult, I can still find all sorts of reasons to explain, but when it comes to a child like Changli, I... have absolutely no way to explain.

Why is this child so close to me, so considerate of me, and even almost shed tears for me?

We've only met twice, and I haven't given him any gifts or anything else.

To Chang Li, I should have been just an ordinary patient among the many patients treated by his grandfather... In fact, I was able to get this treatment opportunity thanks to Li Xiao.

I don't understand, does Changli really think there's something likable about me?

Just then, Chang Li was suddenly hit on the head with a crisp sound, and he clutched his head and whimpered.

"Grandpa, what are you doing again? You just hit someone on the head for no reason, it hurts..."

Beside him, Mr. Chang still had his wrist raised.

Upon hearing this, the old man immediately showed an expression of utter exasperation.

"Even when you're being coquettish, there's a limit. Are these your own legs? You keep saying you can't go wrong with any choice, and you're deliberately putting on that pathetic act to blackmail people."

"I...I just..." Chang Li's voice trailed off, but he still wanted to argue, "I just didn't want him to be in so much pain."

"What, you're influencing a patient's choices based on your own preferences, and you actually think you're being reasonable and considerate? That's ridiculous."

Mr. Chang's words were indeed quite harsh.

Chang Li was speechless for a moment. The little child stood facing the wall with his eyes lowered and his hands tucked in, looking very aggrieved.

This made me feel a little guilty, and also a little embarrassed. I wanted to say something to ease the tension.

I always felt it was because of me that the grandmother and grandson had a falling out, and that Changli got scolded for no reason. In any case, the child meant well after all.

...Although, if it weren't for Mr. Chang's timely interruption, I might have been truly moved by Chang Li's pitiful appearance and earnest words.

Mr. Chang glanced at his beloved grandson, who was looking dejected and reflecting on his actions, and then sighed softly. When he turned back, he had already regained the kind and gentle demeanor I remembered.

"This is your own body, so make your own choices. You can refer to other people's opinions, but the final decision should be based on your own heart," he said earnestly.

I asked, "Mr. Chang, you mentioned earlier that the two methods differ in speed. Approximately how long does each treatment take?"

Mr. Chang thought for a moment and then made a judgment.

Based on my current condition, with the first treatment plan, I should recover in at most half a month, and possibly as little as ten days. The prerequisite is that I strictly follow the doctor's instructions during this period, supplement my nutrition, maintain my condition, and cooperate with the medication.

The second type of complete recovery takes between two and three years.

“After all—” Mr. Chang stroked his long white beard and chuckled, “slow and steady wins the race, and at your age, you’re still growing.”

"Two to three years..."

I subconsciously repeated what Mr. Chang had said.

The time from when I can remember until now is about six years, which is almost half the length of my life that I can remember.

The loquat that sat in the courtyard day after day two or three years ago could never have imagined that it would leave its hometown and come to such a strange place, and meet so many strangers.

So how can I be sure where I will be or what situation I will be in two or three years from now?

Moreover, Young Master Lan's whereabouts are currently unknown. If he returns alive, all will be well. But if he has truly perished...

The neatly trimmed nails, along with the nail bed, sink deeply into the palm of the hand, and then you can easily release them.

I looked up and met Mr. Chang's gentle yet determined gaze, and solemnly said, "Mr. Chang, please choose the first type of loquat."

Mr. Chang raised his white eyebrows, seemingly surprised that I had made the decision so readily.

"Child, are you really sure? The pain of having your bones realigned and put back in place might not be any easier than when you were injured in the first place. Hmm... it might even be more painful."

He spoke with great seriousness, then looked at me again to confirm, "Well, if in the future you ask to stop halfway and ask to change to another treatment just because you can't take it anymore, I won't accept it easily."

“I understand. Since it’s the path I’ve chosen, I should stick to it and there’s no reason to give up easily. That’s what I just said. So, I’ll have to trouble you, Mr. Chang, to treat me from now on.”

I nodded, indicating my understanding of Mr. Chang's actions.

Chang Li, who had been reflecting on his mistakes while facing the wall, heard my conversation with Mr. Chang and almost immediately opened his eyes wide and exclaimed to the old man, "Grandpa, you're being too heartless!"

Seeing this, Mr. Chang, not to be outdone, glared back and puffed out his beard: "You think you're so great? If you're so capable, why don't you do it yourself?"

"When I reach your age, Grandpa, I'll definitely be better than you."

"Alright, alright, you've got quite the nerve. It's a pity they're not willing to wait two or three years, so they probably aren't willing to wait that long for you either."

...

Watching the old man and the grandson chatting and laughing so happily, I had a fleeting moment of doubt that the harmonious scene I had witnessed last time might just be a figment of my imagination.

I instinctively looked at the fourth person in the room. I saw Mr. Ajiu looking at the grandfather and grandson who were having a lively time, with a smile on his lips and a gentle expression that was tinged with nostalgia.

When he noticed me looking at him with a puzzled expression, Mr. Ajiu seemed a little embarrassed and explained in a low voice that he had just been thinking about the young master when he was young.

...As the saying goes, you can tell what a person will be like at three years old.

Hearing Mr. Ajiu say this, I naturally thought that Young Master Li must have been similar to him when he was young—the kind of kid who thought the world was bigger than me, and that even passing dogs would avoid him to prevent being kicked for no reason.

But before the little figure representing young Li Xiao in my mind could be arrogant for long, Mr. Ajiu next to me continued, "Young Master was actually very introverted when he was young. He hardly ever communicated with people back then."

Later, I learned from Mr. Ajiu that Li Xiao had not been in good health since birth. He would often get sick and was easily injured and bled from minor bumps and bruises.

As a result, Li Xiao's father kept a close eye on his son. Sometimes, he would fly into a rage over even minor injuries like a scraped finger, scolding his son for being selfish, willful, and unable to even take care of such a small thing as the body his parents had given him.

At that time, all Li Xiao, who was still a very young child, could do was obediently lower his head, silently listen to his father's teachings, and quietly wait for the storm to pass.

Such incidents occurred repeatedly in the mansion, resulting in young Li Xiao becoming increasingly afraid of getting sick or injured, and even more afraid of being discovered to have any physical abnormalities. This fear far outweighed his worries about his body itself, reaching a level that was almost pathological.

If left unchecked, young Li Xiao might very well kill himself before he dies from illness or a truly serious accident.

—It was at that time that Young Master Lan appeared in Li Xiao's life.

Madam Lan and Li Xiao's birth mother were old acquaintances, and even after they got married, they still kept in touch.

However, Li Xiao's mother later developed a chronic illness due to childbirth and subsequently stayed at home to recuperate, rarely receiving visitors.

This situation continued until the youngest sister of the Lan family died unexpectedly.

After the funeral, Madam Lan remained silent for a long time.

It wasn't until she was invited to visit the Li family that she happened to meet Li Xiao, who was alone and depressed.

Having just emerged from the grief of losing her daughter, Madam Lan was immediately drawn to the children who were about the same age as her daughter and took the initiative to greet them.

Later, he even pulled Li Xiao and brought the person back into the house.

From then on, Madam Lan would often send people to the Li family with things that the children might need, such as fruits and snacks, writing brushes, inkstones, fashionable fabrics, and pendants for good luck...

On one occasion, simply because Li Xiao praised the fruit pastries sent by Madam Lan in her replies three times in a row, Madam Lan had the pastry chef from the kitchen, who specialized in making pastries, packed them up and sent them over. Of course, this matter was eventually dropped after Li Xiao's father politely declined.

However, this gave Madam Lan another reason to invite Li Xiao to her home.

As for the warm and kind-hearted Madam Lan, Li Xiao gradually opened his heart after initially feeling bewildered and at a loss.

He seemed to suddenly realize that the world could be so lively, relaxed, and carefree.

Because everyone in the Lan family seemed so warm and hospitable.

Here, Li Xiao doesn't have to worry about being scolded like his father if he accidentally falls. Instead, Madam Lan will gently help him up, lightly pat the dust off him, and tell him to be more careful next time.

Being sick and injured is no longer a mistake—but something to be cherished and comforted.

"...It was only then, seeing the young master become more and more cheerful, that we roughnecks suddenly realized what was going on."

At this point, Mr. Ajiu nodded and clasped his hands in a gesture of farewell, revealing a deeply nostalgic expression.

"Although we have always been by the young master's side, watching him grow up and trying our best to eliminate any possible dangers around him at the first moment, we have ultimately overlooked... that encouragement and gentle words are also indispensable key elements for a child. After realizing this, we made up our minds to start making changes."

As for the effectiveness of Mr. Ajiu and his team's changes, I have personally witnessed it. I would say that the effect was not remarkable, but rather that it had gone to the point of overcorrection.

Before I got to know Mr. Ajiu, I thought he wouldn't talk much, but I later found that this was not the case—at least when talking about things related to Li Xiao, Mr. Ajiu would become especially talkative.

He told me many things about Li Xiao's childhood.

He said that when Li Xiao was one year old, he had just started to speak, and the few syllables he uttered most often represented the snacks he often ate at that time.

At the age of two, Li Xiao was already able to run fast and stumble around in the yard, but the group of them followed carefully behind, not daring to breathe loudly.

Three-year-old Li Xiao sat frozen on the bed after wetting it once, hugging the blanket and crying loudly to the first person who pushed open the door to enter the room.

When I was four, when I was five... all the way until this summer, twelve-year-old Li Xiao met me.

Mr. Ajiu paused here, then smiled at me. I was taken aback, wondering how I had suddenly transformed from an audience member into a character in the play.

“The young master doesn’t have many friends and rarely associates with people his own age. So we were all very happy to learn of your existence.”

Although I can understand Mr. Ajiu's feelings when he said those words, I still don't understand whether the relationship between Li Xiao and me can really be considered as friendship.

I remember all the provocative and belittling things Li Xiao said to me. I have a scar on my forehead because of him, including that night not long ago when I lost two front teeth because of the inexplicable surprise Li Xiao prepared for Young Master Lan.

but……

I also know that when I was lying on the ground, bleeding from my head and unconscious, it was actually Li Xiao who returned and carried me back to Young Master Lan's residence.

I don't know what Li Xiao was feeling when he came back after he had already left, nor do I know how he managed not to faint at the sight of blood that day.

But his embrace did give me a strange sense of familiarity, especially when my vision was blocked by the cloak and everything was dark... So, somewhat suddenly, yet quite naturally, I remembered this incident.