Chapter 37. Clearing Up the Misunderstanding
As the first clap of thunder sounded, Song Huai realized in a daze that winter had passed just like that.
In the middle of the night, a storm raged with wind, rain, thunder, and lightning.
Song Huai was awakened from his sleep by the sound of thunder and could not fall back asleep.
Bai Xiao has been on a business trip in a neighboring province these past few days, supposedly to investigate some project. Now, Song Huai is the only one in the huge house.
One thunderclap after another exploded in Song Huai's ears like cannonballs, as if the sky and earth were about to collapse.
Song Huai curled up in the blanket, trembling all over. He covered his ears tightly with his hands, trying to block out the thunder.
However, all of this was in vain.
With each clap of thunder, Song Huai trembled more violently.
Before he knew it, his clothes were soaked through and his whole body was covered in cold sweat.
Song Huai pulled out paper and pen, trying to distract himself by writing a song. However, after a long pause, his mind remained blank, and his hands were trembling so badly that he could no longer hold the pen.
With no other option, Song Huai could only shrink himself into the blankets again, ignoring the risk of oxygen deprivation, and simply pull the blankets over his head.
Song Huaitian feared nothing but thunder.
In the past, whenever there was thunder, Song Huai was always accompanied by Song Boyu.
Back then, whenever there was a thunderstorm, a child would knock on Song Huai's door. After Song Huai opened the door, the child would crawl into Song Huai's bed without saying a word.
Although Song Huai was also afraid of thunder, in front of his younger brother, in order not to lose face as an older brother, he would pretend to be calm and bury his fear deep in his heart. He would even mock his younger brother in return: "Song Boyu, how old are you and you're still afraid of thunder? Aren't you ashamed?"
Song Boyu held Song Huai tightly around the waist, glared at him, and said nothing.
Whenever this happens, Song Huai would hug his younger brother tightly. The boy in front of him was like a tranquilizer. As long as he could hold him, Song Huai's fear of thunder would disappear without a trace.
Now, the child who made Song Huai pretend to be calm during thunderstorms is gone, and he no longer needs to pretend.
What's more, in the years following Song Boyu's death, Song Huai's fear of thunder intensified.
The thunder outside continued incessantly, but Song Huai remained buried in the blankets. The blankets were already lacking oxygen, making him dizzy and causing him to breathe rapidly. Even so, he still refused to get out of bed.
All Song Huai heard in the world was thunder; he didn't even hear the sound of his own bedroom door being opened.
For a fleeting moment, Song Huai seemed to see his younger brother, sleeping soundly beside him.
Suddenly, Song Huai felt the blanket covering him being pulled off by a tremendous force, and fresh air rushed into his nostrils.
Then a furious roar came from above: "Are you out of your mind?!"
Song Huai finally opened his eyes, and as soon as he opened them, he saw Bai Xiao, who was soaking wet. He thought he was hallucinating because of excessive fear.
Bai Xiao was on a business trip in another province when he inadvertently glanced at the weather forecast.
"Today, City S issued a red alert for thunderstorms. Citizens are advised to stay indoors, avoid open areas, and refrain from using mobile phones..."
Bai Xiao suddenly remembered a day many years ago, when he and Song Boyu had just started dating.
That day, S City also issued a red alert for thunderstorms. He casually asked Song Boyu, "Are you afraid of thunder?"
Song Boyu looked disdainful. "I'm not afraid at all, but I have a cowardly older brother who's terrified of thunder." When Song Huai was mentioned, a smile spread across Song Boyu's face. "My brother is clearly afraid of thunder, but he just refuses to say it. Every time, I have to pretend to be scared and go with him. He's so stupid."
Song Boyu then added, "By the way, I can't have dinner with you tonight, I have to go see my brother."
That was the first time Song Boyu mentioned Song Huai to Bai Xiao, and it was also the first time Bai Xiao became curious about Song Huai.
So Song Huai is afraid of thunder, Bai Xiao thought to herself.
He canceled his next job and immediately wanted to book a flight back to S City. However, all flights to S City that day were canceled, and even all high-speed trains to S City were cancelled.
Bai Xiao had no choice but to drive back overnight, and by the time he got home it was already late at night.
As soon as he entered the house, Bai Xiao rushed to Song Huai's room. When he opened the door, he didn't see Song Huai, but only a bulging quilt.
In an instant, Bai Xiao was terrified. He didn't know how long Song Huai had been suffocating in bed like this. He rushed forward and yanked the blanket off.
Song Huai's face was streaked with tears, and his eyes were still brimming with tears as he looked at Bai Xiao.
Meeting Song Huai's anxious gaze, Bai Xiao felt as if his heart was being torn apart. He regretted not returning sooner, causing Song Huai to live in fear for so long.
He pulled Song Huai into a tight embrace, gently patting his back: "I'm late, but don't be afraid, don't be afraid..."
After a long while, Song Huai's eyes gradually cleared. He seemed to have thought of something, so he struggled to break free from Bai Xiao's embrace and pushed Bai Xiao away.
Bai Xiao was suddenly pushed away, confused. "What's wrong?" He thought Song Huai didn't recognize him, so he hurriedly explained, "Song Huai, it's me, Bai Xiao."
Song Huai looked at Bai Xiao with an ambiguous expression and slowly asked, "Why are you back?"
Bai Xiao frowned, looking worriedly at the person in front of her who was still trembling. "I was afraid you would be scared at home alone, so I came back early."
Song Huai sneered and said softly, "How do you know I'm afraid?"
Bai Xiao was speechless; he hadn't expected Song Huai to be focused on this.
However, Bai Xiao's silence was clearly interpreted by Song Huai as a sign of guilt.
"Bai Xiao, you can't do this to me..." Song Huai's voice was full of sobs, and the tears that had been welling up in his eyes flowed down his cheeks again.
How could Bai Xiao know that he was afraid of thunder? In his eyes, the only one who was afraid of thunder was Song Boyu. Why was he so anxious to drop his job and rush back? Who was he really thinking about?
Streaks of lightning ripped through the sky, and thunderclaps of varying sizes echoed continuously.
Song Huai was on the verge of collapse. Only then did he realize that every gentle word and every act of kindness Bai Xiao had shown him these past few days was indeed not for him.
It was as if a floodgate had been opened inside him, and large tears fell one after another, threatening to burst forth.
Bai Xiao didn't understand what Song Huai was saying at all. He saw Song Huai suddenly start crying, his eyes red as a rabbit's, and his shoulders trembling.
Bai Xiao stood there, bewildered and at a loss.
He instantly felt more wronged than Dou E. He had only rushed home early to be with Song Huai, so why was Song Huai suddenly crying so hard, as if he had wronged him?
Could it be that I really bullied him? Bai Xiao suddenly questioned his existence and began to recall whether there was anything inappropriate in his recent words and actions.
After thinking it over carefully, Bai Xiao couldn't figure out what was wrong. Just the morning before yesterday, when he left home, Song Huai had said goodbye to him sweetly.
No, Bai Xiao made up her mind that she had to get to the bottom of this today.
Song Huai was still crying incessantly; it seemed like his tears would never run out.
Bai Xiao panicked. He hurriedly wiped away Song Huai's tears, his movements gentle, as if the object in front of him was a precious treasure, afraid of accidentally breaking it. "You... don't cry anymore, you'll ruin your eyes if you keep crying."
Before long, Bai Xiao's hands were covered in tears.
Gradually, Song Huai finally stopped crying. He slowly calmed down, with a trace of red still remaining in the corner of his eye, and a deathly despair in his eyes.
Once Song Huai's breathing had calmed down, Bai Xiao cautiously asked, "Why are you crying? If I did something wrong, you... you can hit me, hit me however you want, I won't fight back!" He brushed aside the stray hairs damp with sweat that were falling across Song Huai's forehead and sighed silently, "Don't cry yourself sick, it's not worth it."
Song Huai lowered his head, staring at the ground, and did not answer.
Bai Xiao gently stroked Song Huai's back, patiently waiting.
After a long while, Song Huaicai spoke softly, his voice hoarse from crying, filled with deep sorrow, "Bai Xiao, do you like me?"
Bai Xiao quickly patted his chest to pledge his loyalty: "Of course, I like you. Who else would I like if not you?"
Song Huai refused to believe it and decided to ask more directly: "Did you rush back because I was afraid of thunder?" Song Huai deliberately emphasized the word "I".
Bai Xiao was bewildered; Song Huai's questions were getting stranger and stranger. "Of course."
Song Huai then asked the same question again: "How did you know I'm afraid of thunder?"
Bai Xiao paused for a moment. He wanted to say that Song Boyu had told him this before, but Boyu was a thorn in their hearts. He was afraid that mentioning Song Boyu at this time would provoke Song Huai, so he thought for a moment and said only, "It was you... who told me this when you were drunk a few months ago."
Bai Xiao lied without batting an eye: "That time, you kept pestering me, telling me that you were most afraid of thunder, and you even told me to close the window tightly, otherwise you would be struck by lightning and die."
"...Really?" Song Huai's memory of getting drunk at Bai Jingzhong's birthday banquet was already hazy, so he was skeptical of what Bai Xiao said.
"Really, if I'm lying to you, may I... be struck by lightning!" Bai Xiao swore confidently.
No sooner had he finished speaking than a flash of white light appeared outside, and a bolt of lightning struck down with a deafening roar.
Bai Xiao: ……
Bai Xiao brazenly stared at Song Huai with wide eyes, pretending not to have heard anything.
Since things had come to this point, Song Huai decided to ask all his questions at once, "Why did you make crayfish for me last time?"
Upon hearing this, Bai Xiao was even more confused. He had no idea what the crayfish had to do with today's events.
But he was afraid that if he didn't explain clearly, Song Huai would start crying again, so he had no choice but to answer truthfully: "That day I was thinking about how to make you happy. People always say that to win someone's heart, you must first win their stomach. The only dish I know how to cook is crayfish, so..."
A note from the author:
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