The thin, underdeveloped boy, his eyes completely obscured by his lowered gaze, was shrouded in the shadows of the trees, the broken sunlight casting dappled patterns. He stood quietly before Chu Yigui, like an insignificant pebble that could be kicked and shoved at will.
Sitting in the car, Chu Yigui kept a close eye on Wan Qiu and Yang Xiaoyu's movements, and he didn't miss the hideous bruises on Wan Qiu's abdomen.
Now, his slender arms are loosely covering his lower abdomen, a last act of self-protection for the boy. He closes his eyes slightly, as if waiting for something.
Wan Qiu's words left Chu Yigui completely taken aback.
Wan Qiu was implying that he was prepared to be beaten and that he was ready to accept the pain that might come.
But no one knows if the rubble wants to be kicked, and humans are not stones. Pain is a warning sign from the body, a sign of being rejected.
"I'm sorry, I didn't understand what you meant. What do you mean by 'don't hit here'?" Chu Yigui thought there was a misunderstanding in their communication.
Wan Qiu pursed her lips: "It hurts more when you hit here than usual."
Wan Qiu blinked, misunderstanding the situation. He even gave up his last weak resistance, lowering his hands to protect himself, completely unprepared.
Chu Yigui bent down slightly, looking directly into Wanqiu's eyes.
"Why would I hit you?" Chu Yigui's voice was gentle, with a subtle hint of coaxing, trying to find the meaning behind this action. "What I said or did made you feel that I wanted to hit you?"
Wan Qiu stared into Chu Yigui's eyes, opened his mouth, and said, "You're not happy."
For Wan Qiu, it was difficult to use more complex words to describe the emotions Chu Yigui displayed.
In that instant, Chu Yigui seemed to understand something.
Even though Chu Yigui's smile still lingered on his lips, his gaze toward Wan Qiu was now somewhat complicated.
Chu Yigui was very clever and immediately realized that Wan Qiu had caught the fleeting emotion that he had failed to conceal.
Chu Yigui concealed her surprise at Wan Qiu's keen observation, her voice slightly lower than before: "Why should I hit you just because I'm unhappy?"
Wan Qiu lowered his eyes, his shoulders hunched over, his body tense, and he bowed his head, as if he would not be noticed even if he were trampled and buried in the dust in the crowd.
Chu Yigui couldn't see Wan Qiu's eyes, perhaps because Wan Qiu didn't want him to see them. He straightened up and looked down at the whorl of Wan Qiu's slightly long hair.
Wan Qiu refused to answer his question.
Even though they were the same age, Chu Yigui saw a weak child, whose age did not match his actual age, trying to protect the villain with silence.
"If you're unhappy, you'll get beaten up." Chu Yigui pondered carefully, trying to understand the logic. "Is someone doing this to you?"
Wan Qiu's body was stiff, and his fingers unconsciously gripped the hem of his clothes. Perhaps because he was too thin, any slight movement of his body was magnified.
Chu Yigui frowned. Wan Qiu's cowering made Chu Yigui realize that the logic that being unhappy would result in being beaten was likely ingrained in Wan Qiu's instincts.
"Can you look up at me?" Chu Yigui found a more convenient way to ask questions, a way to communicate with a child who is not good at hiding, or rather, does not know how to hide.
Wan Qiu was very obedient. She raised her head, her clear eyes still filled with a faint fear, which framed Chu Yigui.
"Who is doing this? Who will hit you when they're angry?" Chu Yigui asked.
Wanqiu looked away.
But a hand touched Wanqiu's cheek, causing Chu Yigui's image to reappear in Wanqiu's pupils.
Chu Yigui refocused Wan Qiu's gaze, staring intently into Wan Qiu's eyes: "Who is doing this here? Dad? Mom? Grandma? Relatives? Elders? Classmates? Friends? Neighbors?"
Chu Yigui would pause after each title was uttered, and from Wan Qiu's undisguised expression, he was certain of at least the first three.
Chu Yigui took a deep breath, and the fingertips that were stroking Wanqiu's cheek seemed to sting slightly.
Even on a not-so-cool summer day, my fingertips felt completely icy to the touch.
"Are you just going to let people hit you?" You have hands and feet, you're not disabled, you can run, you can't fight back but at least you should be able to run.
Wan Qiu shook his head: "I can run away."
"Then why don't you run away?" Chu Yigui heard this answer, but the confusion that was gradually spreading in her heart did not dissipate. If she could run away, then why was she still standing here when she thought he was unhappy?
“We are friends,” Wan Qiu said.
Chu Yigui opened her mouth, but only asked, "If we're friends, we won't run away?"
Wan Qiu nodded: "Friends are meant to stay together."
Chu Yigui frowned slightly: "Are you like this with all your friends?"
Wan Qiu shook his head.
"Only me?" Today was the first time Wan Qiu had met Chu Yigui, and this was only the second time Wan Qiu and Chu Yigui had a real conversation.
“Yes,” Wan Qiu replied.
"Why?"
"Only you are my friend." Wan Qiu looked into Chu Yigui's clear and bright eyes. It was only when he said this that Chu Yigui saw Wan Qiu's emotions for the first time.
As if witnessing a calm, clear lake surface, a small red fish named Joy suddenly leaps out.
Chu Yigui suddenly fell silent.
My heart felt like it was being pricked by a swaying fish tail; it was stinging and very uncomfortable.
Chu Yigui felt something gripping his neck, silencing him.
Chu Yigui pondered, hesitated, and probed before speaking again.
"I'm not upset, and I won't hit you. I just have something I want to do, but I'm a little embarrassed and don't know how to tell you."
"What is it?" Wan Qiu suddenly relaxed completely, believing him without any doubt or wariness.
The look of complete trust in her eyes made Chu Yigui unable to look directly at her. She looked away and said, "I want to go to your house, is that okay? Don't friends usually visit each other's houses?"
This was the first time Wanqiu had heard such a request.
This was the first time someone had asked him to be their friend.
What should friends be like? Among classmates, there are many different friends. Dad has his friends, and Mom has her friends.
Dad would bring friends home for dinner and drinks, and Mom would also bring friends home for chatting and drinking.
Mom didn't say he couldn't bring friends home, she didn't say anything, so is it okay to do it?
He can do the things that his parents do.
Bring your friend home...
“Okay.” Wan Qiu sorted out the logic about friendship and said, “I’m going home now. I’ll take you home.”
Although it was a strange way of expressing things, Chu Yigui received approval.
"Thanks."
When Wan Qiu turned around, Chu Yigui saw Wan Qiu's profile.
He is actually very handsome.
In that fleeting moment, Chu Yigui caught a glimpse of an even more beautiful Wan Qiu. His lips pursed, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
Chu Yigui simply couldn't tell whether that fleeting happiness was an illusion or real.
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