Because Chu Yigui was busy preparing for her high school entrance exam, Wan Qiu and Chu Yigui couldn't go home together due to scheduling conflicts.
Out of concern for his two younger brothers who were taking the exam, Yang simply moved in.
Every day, Wanqiu and Fu Zhengyu would play on the playground for a while, waiting for Yang Ze to get off work so they could go home together.
Fu Zhengyu would sometimes tease Wan Qiu, saying he was like a spoiled young master who needed to be picked up and dropped off every day.
Wanqiu never refuted this matter.
Yang Ze always attracted attention when he waited at the school gate. In addition, Yang Ze was tall and big, and his classmates even speculated that he might be a bodyguard hired by Wan Qiu's family.
After saying goodbye to Fu Zhengyu, Wan Qiu sat in the passenger seat and conscientiously fastened her seatbelt.
"How did you feel about studying today?" Yang asked, as always, asking the same question he never tired of.
"You've learned very well," Wan Qiu replied without any impatience.
But today Yang Ze didn't remain silent again. He tapped the steering wheel with his fingers and asked, "Have you been having too much schoolwork lately?"
Wanqiu is still receiving lessons from a private tutor.
"fine."
Yang frowned: "But you haven't looked well lately. Is something bothering you? Or haven't you been getting enough rest?"
Two people said the same thing in one day, and Wan Qiu touched his cheek.
I leaned close to the edge of the car window and looked at myself in the rearview mirror.
Although he thought it was normal, but...
Wanqiu pressed her fingers against her lips and squeezed them together.
It doesn't seem as red as it used to be.
"I haven't been sleeping well lately," Wan Qiu said hesitantly.
"Why?" Yang asked.
"I keep having nightmares."
The two repeated the same conversation as Fu Zhengyu, but unlike when facing Fu Zhengyu, Wan Qiu always wanted to discuss more when facing Yang Ze.
"What will you do if your second brother keeps having nightmares?"
"I exercise, and when I'm tired and sweaty, I take a shower, which makes it easier for me to fall asleep."
Yang did not receive a response from Wan Qiu, so he slowed down.
Yang thought for two seconds, then turned the car around and deviated from the route home.
Wan Qiu looked at the increasingly unfamiliar road: "Second Brother?"
“Let’s go to the gym. It’s still a bit chilly now. We can go to the park when it gets warmer,” Yang Ze said to Wan Qiu as he drove. “Try to sweat it out. Maybe it’ll help you get a good night’s sleep.”
Wan Qiu's eyes widened: "But I still have to study today."
"Work and rest should be balanced. The school also requires physical education classes. I'll ask your tutor for a day off in a bit."
Wan Qiu looked at Yang Ze's profile; his second brother seemed very determined to do this.
Yang then took Wan Qiu to a nearby gym.
Unlike at home, there are many pieces of equipment, lined up neatly, and groups of fitness enthusiasts create a lively atmosphere.
Yang has been training and working out since he was a child, and he knows a lot.
Under Yang Ze's guidance, Wan Qiu was expending his physical strength.
"Ballroom dancing is quite physically demanding, and Wanqiu has excellent stamina."
Yang also praised Wan Qiu.
Unfortunately, Wan Qiu did not seem to feel relieved because of this.
"Wasn't Second Brother going to unnecessary trouble?" Yang asked before leaving.
Wan Qiu shook his head: "It's still nice to be able to think of a solution with my second brother."
Yang Ze was somewhat helpless. He had come to comfort Wan Qiu, but instead, he was the one being comforted by Wan Qiu.
As Wan Qiu and Yang Ze left the gym and went downstairs, they heard laughter coming from behind them.
"It's only the second day, and it's already hurting like this."
"Nonsense, it only started hurting on the second day, okay? I've been staying home all day, when have I ever done such strenuous exercise?"
"Be careful, you'll fall if you go downstairs like that."
Wan Qiu was inexplicably touched by a certain word, and he turned around.
One of them had probably been exercising intensely and was experiencing muscle soreness; his posture as he went downstairs was quite strange.
In the midst of their playful tussle, the man lost his balance, slipped, and fell down the stairs, sliding two steps.
The man sat upside down on the steps in front of Wan Qiu.
The two people made eye contact.
The man's friends burst into a roar of laughter.
"I told you not to pay attention going down the stairs, and you fell, didn't you? Does it hurt? And you're sitting in front of those students, laughing all the while."
"Sorry, I'm sorry, hey, it's all your fault, you bunch of bastards!" The man apologized to Wan Qiu in a sorry state, then turned around and pointed at his group of friends, laughing and cursing.
Wan Qiu watched as the man struggled to his feet, holding onto the handrail; he was unharmed.
"Let's go, Wanqiu." Yang Ze tugged at Wanqiu's sleeve.
For some reason, Wanqiu kept replaying the scene of the stranger falling down the stairs in his mind's eye.
Yang sighed as he watched Wan Qiu's profile, which kept drifting off into thought.
When faced with Wanqiu's troubles, Chu Yigui was always good at doing something to help.
But Yang is not Chu Yigui.
When I got home, dinner prepared by my aunt was already laid out on the table, still steaming hot, but my aunt had already left work.
Chu Yigui still hasn't returned.
"Isn't school over yet?"
Yang sent Chu Yigui a few messages, saying that he would pick her up from school if needed.
Wanqiu ate her dinner quietly.
When Yang put down his phone, he noticed Wan Qiu's expression.
Yang Ze, who was not good with language, simply placed a piece of meat into Wan Qiu's bowl.
"No matter what, if you need anything, just come to your second brother."
Wan Qiu raised his eyes.
Yang didn't look at him; he lowered his head to hide the serious expression that always appeared when he was focused: "Second brother will definitely help you."
Wan Qiu blinked and lowered his head.
He put the piece of meat with alternating layers of fat and lean meat into his mouth.
The meat juices burst in my mouth; it was delicious.
In the evening, Yang would still be busy with some work in his room, but today Wanqiu had asked for leave from all the tutors, so she wouldn't be able to make her own study plan.
Wan Qiu gave up his studies and stood at Chu Yigui's door.
He wanted to see the little house they had made together, which was displayed in Chu Yigui's bedroom.
But Wanqiu would never enter someone else's bedroom without permission.
Wanqiu went to the living room, turned on the TV, and put on his favorite cartoon.
Wan Qiu hugged her legs and curled up on the sofa.
He still likes these colorful animated films.
But today I just couldn't concentrate at all.
The sound of the door lock turning was very soft, easily drowned out by the sound of the television.
But Wanqiu suddenly got up from the sofa and stood at the door.
Under Wan Qiu's expectant gaze, the door was opened, and Chu Yigui looked up to meet Wan Qiu's eyes.
"I'm back, brother," Chu Yigui said with a smile.
"Welcome home, I'll heat up your dinner." Wan Qiu took a step back and turned to run away.
However, as Wan Qiu turned around, Chu Yigui suddenly grabbed his arm.
"No need, brother, I already ate out today," Chu Yigui said.
have eaten.
Wan Qiu stood still.
Was she having dinner with Li Shuo?
Wan Qiu thought to himself.
Wan Qiu, standing next to Chu Yigui, unconsciously caught a whiff of the scent emanating from Chu Yigui's coat.
Wanqiu sniffed; it was a strange, unfamiliar smell.
Chu Yigui was tainted by other scents.
"Didn't you study today, brother?" Chu Yigui suddenly asked.
"My second brother gave me a day off today," Wan Qiu said.
"Are you asking for leave?" Chu Yigui tried to ask.
"Welcome home." Yang Ze's voice came from inside the room. "Sorry, Fourth Brother, I'm still working."
"It's alright, Second Brother, I'm back." Chu Yigui raised his voice and greeted Yang Ze.
Wan Qiu watched as Chu Yigui took off her coat and washed her hands.
Wan Qiu followed behind Chu Yigui.
Then Chu Yigui grasped Wan Qiu's hand.
Even in their not-so-spacious home, Chu Yigui would still hold Wanqiu's hand.
Wan Qiu looked up, appearing somewhat pleased.
Chu Yigui smiled too.
Chu Yigui led Wanqiu into his bedroom and turned on the light in the little house they had made together.
The bright lights illuminated the exquisite interior of the small room.
Wan Qiu sat on his own stool in Chu Yigui's room, gazing at the glittering little house.
"My birthday is coming up soon," Chu Yigui suddenly said.
Wan Qiu was taken aback and looked up.
Chu Yigui smiled and said, "Brother, are you already thinking about a gift for me?"
Wan Qiu thought that Chu Yigui was really amazing; he even knew what he was thinking.
Perhaps Wan Qiu's surprise was too obvious, as Chu Yigui couldn't help but chuckle.
"It was Fu Zhengyu who brought it up with Li Shuo today, and Li Shuo told me about it."
Chu Yigui directly exposed Wan Qiu's curiosity.
Wanqiu always carefully prepares gifts for everyone in the family, and no matter what kind of gift he gives, everyone will be happy.
"If you prepare a gift this time, could you give me another house like this?" Chu Yigui pressed her index finger against the edge of the handmade box.
Wan Qiu's eyes widened: "Won't you get tired of giving the same gift?"
Chu Yigui smiled and said, "Because I like it so much."
Chu Yigui looked at the bright little house with a gentle gaze.
As long as Chu Yigui returns to this room, the small lights in the little house will always be on.
There are many batteries in Chu Yigui's drawer.
Chu Yi had once bought a replacement part because one of the lights had stopped working.
Wan Qiu looked at Chu Yigui, and his younger brother looked at the small house with genuine joy, as if they were living together in this tiny, sparkly house.
Wan Qiu nodded: "This time I will choose an even prettier one."
Chu Yigui laughed, her laughter ringing out.
"Shall we sleep together tonight?" Chu Yigui asked.
Wan Qiu nodded.
Wan Qiu also knew that he and his younger brother were still very close.
They did not become estranged because they were both busy with their studies.
Chu Yigui would still talk to him a lot.
If he couldn't sleep well at night, he could still sneak into Chu Yigui's bed.
They would hold hands and go to school together.
We'll eat school lunch together.
Nothing has changed at all.
But there seemed to be a strange void, which was gradually getting bigger.
Wanqiu didn't know why.
——
Wanqiu is dreaming again.
He stood in a space filled with flying ash.
Memories from the dream resurfaced, and Wanqiu realized that this was a dream.
Wan Qiu lowered his head and wiped the ash from the back of his hand, revealing a familiar sentence.
--Happy birthday.
Wan Qiu blinked in confusion.
Wanqiu heard a sound, like something hitting the ground with a dull thud.
The moment I looked up, I saw the stairs.
A pitch-black staircase, covered in ash from the sky, appeared beneath his feet, extending down step by step.
In the empty world, only the black staircase stands out clearly.
Wanqiu stood at the very top of the stairs.
He looked down the stairs, bewildered.
It appears someone has collapsed at the bottom of the stairs.
One of the black figure's legs was in a unique, twisted position.
Like pressed cigarette ash, scattered messily on the ground.
Suddenly, black characters appeared before Wan Qiu's eyes.
Wan Qiu clearly saw the familiar words, words that belonged to the depths of his memory.
Unlike any other time before.
This time, dense text crowded into Wanqiu's field of vision.
Chu Wanqiu pushed Chu Yigui down the stairs.
His leg was broken; the bone had pierced through the flesh, and blood was everywhere.
'Happy birthday. '
'Go back to your lousy home, you piece of trash.'
He was taken to the hospital, but no one called the police.
It was left unresolved.
...
He left the Chu family.
Wan Qiu watched as those fragments, which were only deep in his memory and could not be easily recalled, appeared in his field of vision in a chaotic mess.
The pitch-black malice spread like ink.
They merged into the black 'blood' on the ground beneath the gray-black staircase.
It spread to the entire world of Wanqiu.
He stood on high ground, looking down from above.
He could see the eyes of the figure lying on the ground.
It was a familiar pair of eyes, the eyes he always gazed at intently—the eyes of Chu Yigui.
Those eyes of Chu Yigui, who always gazed intently at him, held no tenderness, no focus, no intimacy.
The coldness seemed to be frozen in ice, a gloomy atmosphere filled with anger and hatred...
Wanqiu was framed by these eyes in a world stained by darkness and eroded by ice and snow.
Wan Qiu slowly lowered his head, the black characters staining his hands...
It looked as if it had been stained with blood.
Wan Qiu suddenly opened his eyes.
He slept in his own bed.
He looked up at the bedside, where a handmade little house was the new birthday gift he had given his younger brother during the holidays, after comparing it repeatedly.
The beautiful and exquisite wrapping paper reflected a cold, fluorescent white light in the glow cast by Wan Qiu's loosely drawn curtains.
He was preparing his younger brother's gift so carefully and looking forward to his brother's birthday.
However, in the fragmented text of his memory, his congratulations to his younger brother were filled with cold malice.
Wanqiu was unable to accurately fathom everything contained within those malicious, pitch-black words.
He didn't understand, he didn't get it.
I don't know what happened.
"What you think about during the day, you dream about at night."
Wanqiu murmured.
It must be the same as what my second brother said, just for this reason.
But Wanqiu still remembers that everything in his memory must be true.
The words in his memory said that his parents would abandon him again, but his parents said they would not abandon him again.
Wanqiu's thoughts were a jumbled mess, and he couldn't find any clues.
He got off the bed and went to Chu Yigui's door.
His younger brother didn't seem to have the habit of closing the door; a faint light shone from the room from the finished handmade little house.
Wanqiu huddled at the doorway.
Chu Yigui's bed is not visible from here.
But that dream made Wanqiu unwilling to go any further away from Chu Yigui.
The corridor wasn't large, unlike the spacious corridors inside a villa.
The city's unique light could still be seen coming from outside, illuminating the high-rise rooms with a soft glow.
The handmade little house lamp in Chu Yigui's room was lit up like a nightlight.
Even though there were lights everywhere trying to illuminate Wanqiu, Wanqiu was so afraid that she huddled up.
I was still a little sleepy, but now it has completely disappeared.
Wanqiu felt his heart beating faster and faster.
The large door, visible directly from the corridor, appears to be gradually opening, its dark surface seemingly ajar.
Something looks like it's trying to come in through the door.
Wan Qiu stared wide-eyed, not daring to look, yet not daring not to look.
It was as if the moment he looked away, the door would open just as he closed his eyes.
Suddenly, Wan Qiu sensed something approaching from behind him.
His breathing gradually became rapid.
Wan Qiu froze in fear, and when he felt a hand reaching out from behind him, his mind suddenly went blank.
However, a warm hand covered Wanqiu's mouth, preventing Wanqiu's terrified voice from escaping immediately.
When the familiar scent entered his nostrils, Wan Qiu knew who was behind him without even turning around.
At that moment, the fear was dispelled.
"Shh, brother, don't make a sound, you'll disturb second brother."
Chu Yigui soothed Wan Qiu with a whisper, then half-carried Wan Qiu and pulled her into the room.
Chu Yigui, who never closed doors, shut the bedroom door.
Wanqiu was released.
However, Chu Yigui's hand did not leave Wanqiu's ear.
Chu Yigui gently ran her fingers through Wan Qiu's hair, then withdrew her hand, her fingers feeling a damp coolness in the slightly chilly night air.
"You're sweating a lot, are you scared?"
Chu Yigui's voice remained soft and gentle, not at all out of place in the dead of night.
Chu Yigui pulled out a tissue from the side and wiped Wan Qiu's sweat. In the dimly lit room, Chu Yigui had no intention of turning on the light.
Wan Qiu stared at Chu Yigui, who looked handsome even in the dim light, and just kept staring.
The lingering smell of ashes after the anxiety in the dream was replaced by Chu Yigui's aura.
Chu Yigui sighed.
"Sorry, brother." Chu Yigui put down the tissue in his hand, the crumpled tissue tangled around his fingers.
Wanqiu suddenly heard an apology, but was bewildered.
What was Chu Yigui apologizing to him for?
"I'm sorry, brother, I made you feel uneasy."
Wan Qiu was pulled onto the bed by Chu Yigui, and the two lay down together.
Wanqiu only realized that her body had become cold when she was in the soft quilt.
The lingering warmth of Chu Yigui's bedding eased Wanqiu's chill.
"It's not that I don't want to tell my brother, it's just that I haven't found the right time to tell him."
Wan Qiu was bewildered, turning to the side, where he could see Chu Yigui's perfect face so close to his.
He listened to Chu Yigui speak.
"The man my brother saw at the orphanage was my biological father."
When the news was suddenly announced, Wan Qiu was unable to react immediately.
However, after understanding the content, Wanqiu's breath suddenly caught in his throat.
“He lost his son and now wants to take me back.”
—'Go back to your broken home, you piece of trash.'
Wan Qiu could not hide his astonishment as he stared at Chu Yigui, who stood calmly before him.
"I didn't intend to hide it from my brother, but I also didn't intend to tell him."
Wanqiu sensed something.
"I didn't want to make my brother feel uneasy."
Unwittingly, Wan Qiu seemed to smell that strange, burning smoke once again.
—He left the Chu family.
Are those memories going to come true again?
Suddenly Wanqiu rolled over and got up.
Under Chu Yigui's astonished gaze, the blankets fell off the two of them.
Wan Qiu pressed down on Chu Yigui, his hands gripping Chu Yigui's shoulders.
Even Chu Yigui, who was usually very composed, showed a rare look of surprise.
Wan Qiu opened his mouth, as if to say something.
However, Wanqiu found himself unable to say anything.
The sudden surge of emotion led him to suppress Chu Yigui, but he didn't know what he wanted to say.
Wan Qiu released his hands from Chu Yigui's shoulders, sat on the bed, and lowered his head.
Chu Yigui sat up.
"That's why I don't want to tell my brother about this; he'll definitely overthink it."
Chu Yigui sighed and rested her chin on Wan Qiu's head.
"But perhaps I should have said it sooner."
Wanqiu was somewhat saddened.
I'm so upset that it's hard to figure out what I'm thinking right now.
A jumble of thoughts churned in my mind.
"I'm sorry, brother, I'll handle it as soon as possible."
Chu Yigui's voice, as always, seemed to be comforting Wanqiu.
But this time, Wan Qiu could not be appeased.
Wan Qiu's gaze drifted to Chu Yigui's bent legs.
The black figure that appeared in the dream, with its strangely shaped collapsed leg and the ashes all over the ground, made Wanqiu feel so sad that he could hardly breathe.
The next day, Yang saw Wan Qiu come out of Chu Yigui's room.
"What's wrong? Did you have another nightmare last night?" Yang Ze also noticed that Wan Qiu seemed a bit down today. "Take a day off today, and your second brother will take you to the hospital to get checked out, okay?"
Wan Qiu shook his head.
“But…” Yang felt sorry for Wan Qiu’s condition, “Then how about taking a day off and resting at home today?”
Wan Qiu shook his head again.
“You’re still growing. If you keep doing this, it will be bad for your health.” Yang found it difficult to give Wan Qiu orders; he was more inclined to offer advice.
But Wanqiu was surprisingly stubborn today.
Yang looked at Chu Yigui, but Chu Yigui only went along with Wan Qiu's wishes.
Yang Ze had spoken with Chu Jianshu on the phone that morning, asking Yan Hua to come and visit again.
However, Wan Qiu suddenly grabbed his sleeve: "No, Dr. Yan."
"Then, shall I find you another doctor, second brother?" Yang asked.
Wan Qiu shook his head again.
Yang Xiaoyu is currently abroad, so it's not appropriate to inquire about her needs.
Having nightmares every night is usually related to mental stress.
"Then let's take a break from studying for a while," Yang said, wondering if he was putting too much pressure on Wan Qiu.
Wan Qiu neither nodded nor refused this time.
Yang called Wanqiu's homeroom teacher and asked the teacher to keep an eye on Wanqiu's condition. If anything happened, they would come to pick her up immediately.
"Cheer up, Wanqiu," Yang Ze said. "Tomorrow is Yigui's birthday, isn't it? You've been looking forward to it for a long time."
Wanqiu suddenly came to her senses and said, "Today, I'm waiting for my younger brother to leave school together."
Chu Yigui glanced at Wan Qiu for a moment.
"Don't you need your second brother to pick you up?" Yang Ze asked.
"Um."
"Alright," Yang sighed.
Chu Yigui said nothing.
Yang looked at Chu Yigui through the rearview mirror, but Chu Yigui kept looking out the window.
But his fingertips, as always, were pointing towards Wanqiu.
It was as if he was waiting for Wanqiu to grab his hand.
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