Being carried by her mother, it was perhaps really strange, but Wan Qiu buried herself in Yang Xiaoyu's long hair.
But Wanqiu didn't know why he had to bury himself.
It seems that looking at others through Yang Xiaoyu's hair, which is like wisps of ocean waves, makes them seem less strange.
Through Yang Xiaoyu's hair, Wan Qiu suddenly made eye contact with Chu Jianshu.
Chu Jianshu's face showed no displeasure, but it seemed to be something else entirely.
Wan Qiu couldn't discern anything Chu Jianshu needed him to do; it seemed he was just there to observe.
A strand of Yang Xiaoyu's hair was bothering Wan Qiu's nose. He reached out and rubbed the tip of his nose before looking at Chu Jianshu.
This time, Chu Jianshu shifted his gaze to Yang Xiaoyu: "Xiaoyu, we're about to go downstairs outside the hall. It's a bit dangerous. Put Wanqiu down."
Wan Qiu, still leaning on Yang Xiaoyu's shoulder, adjusted her posture, ready to get down.
However, Yang Xiaoyu didn't move. Holding Wan Qiu in her hands, she squinted and looked Chu Jianshu up and down.
Chu Jianshu simply looked back.
Yang Xiaoyu asked, almost as if possessed, "Will you hug me?"
Chu Jianshu froze.
Yang Xiaoyu raised an eyebrow in surprise and tugged at Wan Qiu's leg: "Want to give it a try? Come and hug your son?"
Chu Jianshu didn't react for a moment.
Given Chu Jianshu's personality, the fact that he didn't refuse immediately is enough to raise suspicion.
Yang Xiaoyu's teasing gaze lingered on Chu Jianshu before she whispered something in Wan Qiu's ear.
Wan Qiu blinked, turned around, and looked at Chu Jianshu.
Those clear eyes seemed to reflect Chu Jianshu's image clearly, like a mirror showing his slight unease in every detail.
But Chu Jianshu couldn't look away; he was drawn to Wan Qiu's gaze that was fixed on him.
"Daddy, hug me." Wan Qiu's voice was too low, his lips seemed to have no curve, and it was easily drowned out in the crowded hospital lobby.
However, Chu Jianshu managed to discern Wan Qiu's voice amidst the chaotic and disordered sounds.
Wanqiu was probably uneasy.
His eyelashes trembled slightly, causing Yang Xiaoyu's hair, which was caught, to sway gently. Wan Qiu seemed to want to rub his eyes, but he held back.
The easily startled birds tentatively probed Chu Jianshu's emotions with their tiny claws, raising their wings in advance to guard against any potential danger.
But Chu Jianshu knew very well that nothing would happen.
He had no reason to be feared by Wan Qiu.
Chu Jianshu, who had always been extremely restrained in his emotions towards this child, finally let out a trace of tenderness that he could not hide when he heard this soft murmur.
Chu Jianshu stepped forward, getting closer to Wan Qiu and Yang Xiaoyu.
They were very close, and Chu Jianshu saw Wan Qiu slightly lift her head from Yang Xiaoyu's hair.
This wasn't a fearful retreat because of his approach, but rather a reaction to his actions, and simply a tendency to move closer to him.
Chu Jianshu opened his arms: "Let Daddy hug me."
Chu Jianshu noticed Yang Xiaoyu's obvious surprise, and he knew he wouldn't say such a thing.
But the timid bird first quietly pecked at his fingertips.
Chu Jianshu took Wanqiu from Yang Xiaoyu's hands.
At that moment, it seemed as if everything had returned to the time when Wanqiu was still a soft, cuddly baby, and he took the child who had never been lost from his wife's arms.
Small and soft.
From this moment on, time, which had once stood still for this child, began to flow around him again, and little by little he grew into the Wanqiu he is today.
Wan Qiu was a boy, and even though Yang Xiaoyu said he was very light, Chu Jianshu could vaguely imagine Wan Qiu's possible weight in his hands.
When Wan Qiu, unfamiliar with being embraced, opened her arms and wrapped them around his neck, pressing herself close to his embrace, Chu Jianshu felt as if he were embracing a cloud.
Wanqiu was too light; the boy's body hadn't yet grown strong enough to support him. Clinging to his shoulder, his slender waist was easily encircled by one hand.
Fragile, soft, timid, yet undeniably real.
Chu Jianshu pondered how long it would take for them to see the child fully recovered.
Wan Qiu lay in Chu Jianshu's arms, somewhat bewildered.
Chu Jianshu was very tall and strong, with broad shoulders, and he seemed very steady, as if he would never fall.
When Yang Xiaoyu hugged him, Wan Qiu didn't feel such a big difference.
So men and women feel things completely differently?
Yang Xiaoyu's embrace was like a marshmallow, soft and elastic, with a sweet scent.
Chu Jianshu's embrace was more like a mint candy, with a hint of coolness, yet it was very resilient, firm, and reassuring.
Wanqiu had never considered the distinction between men and women, but under the embrace, the gender that she had never paid attention to before gradually began to take root in Wanqiu's mind.
The exchange of warmth between the two people who were close to each other was an extremely novel experience for Wan Qiu.
Holding Chu Jianshu's neck, Wan Qiu wanted to bury her face in Chu Jianshu's hair, but then realized that Chu Jianshu didn't have any hair.
He opened his eyes and his gaze met that of Chu Yigui, who was standing quietly behind Chu Jianshu.
His friend and younger brother, Chu Yigui, followed them at a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
As Chu Yigui left the hospital lobby, and the sunlight suddenly shone on them, Wan Qiu noticed that Chu Yigui squinted slightly because of the sudden sunlight.
His expression was calm, almost transparent in the sunlight, and even though his eyes were bathed in the sun's rays, they seemed unable to reach the depths of his dark pupils.
Chu Yigui noticed Wan Qiu's gaze and smiled at him.
There was still no trace of 'happiness'.
Wan Qiu quietly stepped over Chu Jianshu's shoulder and reached out his hand to Chu Yigui.
The slender fingers couldn't even leave a clear shadow on the ground under the sunlight, but a solid finger hooked onto the delicate fingers, and the black shadows gently intertwined and collided, like a little secret left under the sunlight.
Touch it once and you're done.
When Wanqiu was put on the ground and made to stand, he was still not fully conscious.
Blocked by Chu Jianshu's figure, he could no longer see Chu Yigui at all.
"Why are you spacing out?" Yang Xiaoyu found Wan Qiu's blank expression incredibly cute. She pinched Wan Qiu's cheek and nudged him, "Baby, get in the car."
Wanqiu looked back at the car.
The car, a dark and understated solid color under the sunlight, shone brightly in Wan Qiu's eyes.
Wan Qiu sat inside the car, which was filled with a light, sweet fragrance—a scent that Wan Qiu liked.
The soft, fluffy cushion was very comfortable. Wanqiu's fingers sank into the soft fur of the cushion, and the delicate feel was like stroking the belly fur of a kitten.
Even the blanket that my mother once bought with a lot of money and cherished is not as good as this.
Even though Wanqiu had only ridden in the car a handful of times, he still found the interior to be very spacious and clean.
Wanqiu unconsciously pulled his hands and feet together, instinctively worried that he might dirty the beautiful car interior.
Even though he is clean now.
Yang Xiaoyu let Chu Yigui sit in the front seat, and seeing Chu Jianshu about to walk around to the other side of the vehicle, she suddenly said, "What I told Wan Qiu was not 'Daddy, hug me'."
Chu Jianshu opened the car door and looked up at Yang Xiaoyu.
“I meant ‘Daddy wants to hug you.’” Yang Xiaoyu finished her sentence and laughed to herself.
Chu Jianshu didn't answer and quietly got into the car.
He didn't look directly at Wan Qiu, but instead looked out the car window.
But Wanqiu's shadow was not reflected in the car window during the day.
The driver in front turned around and smiled at Wan Qiu.
"Hello, Wan Qiu." The man smiled kindly at Wan Qiu, a faint 'happiness' emanating from the stranger. "My name is Song Wenqiu, you can call me Uncle Song, I am your father's secretary."
"Hello, Uncle Song." Wan Qiu didn't know what the meaning of "secretary" was. He had heard of it but had forgotten it; it didn't seem to be a word he could use.
Seeing that everyone else had gotten into the car, Song Wenqiu smiled and said, "Your father and I are friends. We both have the character 'Qiu' in our names. It's fate."
Wanqiu gleaned the most important information—his father's friend.
The first person that came to Wan Qiu's mind was his friend from Ninghai.
Chu Jianshu's friends are very different from Ninghai's friends.
He had no beard, his hair was very neat, the cuffs of his white shirt were spotless, and there were no decorations on his neck or ears. He sat there casually and comfortably.
Song Wenqiu was dressed casually, with a friendly smile. While not exactly handsome, he was capable and spirited.
Like her father, she is unique, as if standing there, she sets herself apart from passersby.
It's amazing how different friends can be.
"Uncle prepared a small gift for you." After everyone else got into the car and started the engine, Song Wenqiu didn't speak to Chu Jianshu, but directly asked Wan Qiu, "Guess what Uncle prepared for you?"
Yang Xiaoyu grasped Wan Qiu's hand, enveloping it in her own palm, and smiled as she leaned against Wan Qiu.
She was always smiling and looked genuinely happy.
Chu Jianshu, who had been keeping an eye on Wan Qiu, noticed that Wan Qiu glanced at Yang Xiaoyu subconsciously when she heard the word 'gift'.
Those were eyes that questioned, observed, and pleaded; they were small gestures etched into Wanqiu's habits.
Chu Jianshu's faint smile faded slightly as he looked away from the window.
Yang Xiaoyu noticed it too, and she naturally understood its meaning.
Wan Qiu was observing her.
Observe her expression to determine whether he can accept the gift.
She unconsciously tightened her grip on Wan Qiu's hand. It was hard to imagine how Wan Qiu had always been so mindful of Ning Qiaozhen's feelings when she was by Ning Qiaozhen's side.
“Wenqiu will definitely play favorites, but Wenqiu has never met Wanqiu, so even I can’t guess who it is.” Yang Xiaoyu squeezed Wanqiu’s hand. “Baby, you can guess whatever you want.”
For Wan Qiu, this sentence meant that he had obtained Yang Xiaoyu's consent, and he was able to calmly let down all his guard in front of a stranger, his father's friend.
Wan Qiu was very inexperienced with this kind of riddle game without an answer, not to mention that he had never received a real gift.
After thinking for a long time, Wan Qiu asked in a low voice, "Is it a beer bottle?"
However, as soon as Wan Qiu uttered these words, a brief silence fell over the moving car.
Song Wenqiu spoke again: "No, why don't you guess again?"
"A tin can?" A tin can is a toy that can be played with after the beer bottle cap is flattened. It's a rare toy for Wan Qiu, given to him by a friend from Ninghai.
Wanqiu had no friends to play this with, and those tinplates lay quietly in his desk.
"Ah..." Song Wenqiu's voice was already a little weak, "Is there...is there anything else that you find interesting?"
Because of a series of mistakes, Wan Qiu's voice gradually lowered. Not being able to guess the item made him anxious. The thought of being punished for not completing the task assigned to him prevented him from concentrating on thinking.
"balloon?"
I heard an unexpected answer.
Even Chu Jianshu turned around to look at Wan Qiu.
Using the 'guess the gift' method is an opportunity to test someone's interests.
Generally speaking, when ordinary people are making guesses, they will first say the first thing that comes to mind subconsciously.
Even if you don't like it, you must have cared about it.
The beer bottle and the tinplate were things that Wan Qiu cared about, not necessarily things he liked, but he could guess that these were the most common gifts he had ever received.
As Chu Jianshu's longtime friend and secretary, Song Wenqiu naturally wanted to help Chu Jianshu and Wan Qiu build a relationship.
"Wanqiu, do you want balloons?" Song Wenqiu was already thinking about whether to make a detour to the commercial street on the way back, where they should be able to sell helium balloons.
However, Wan Qiu shook his head.
"Why? Doesn't my darling want it?" Having finally caught a clue that Wan Qiu might have mentioned his preferences, Yang Xiaoyu didn't want to give up so easily.
Wan Qiu unconsciously clasped his hands together, but noticed that Yang Xiaoyu's hand was in his.
He wanted to see Yang Xiaoyu, but Yang Xiaoyu suddenly pulled her hand away, hugged Wan Qiu's shoulders, and covered his eyes.
Wanqiu could see nothing anymore.
Everything was pitch black and very quiet, except for the sound of vehicles driving by.
“If my baby says they want it, Mommy will give it to them.” Yang Xiaoyu’s voice came from the darkness.
The inability to see anyone caused Wanqiu to feel a growing sense of panic.
Wanqiu is not good at expressing his likes and dislikes. Once these feelings are spoken, the desires become more profound and hard to forget.
Wanqiu cannot get what he likes.
There's no way to get rid of things you hate.
The sudden silence that filled the car couldn't be moved out as the vehicle moved. Unable to determine whether the silence was because of him, Wan Qiu felt an uncontrollable anxiety.
"Tin-top toys are actually quite fun," Chu Yigui, who had been in the passenger seat, suddenly said. "Can I play with you, brother?"
In the pitch black, the sudden sound of Chu Yigui's voice drew Wan Qiu's attention, and the anxiety that was gradually building up was quickly forgotten.
Wan Qiu said, "Okay."
"Is your technique good, brother?" Chu Yigui asked.
"I don't know." No one played with Wanqiu, there was no comparison, and Wanqiu didn't know the definition of good and bad.
Chu Yigui's laughter in the darkness was like natural white noise, soothing Wanqiu's emotions: "Then how about I compete with my brother in the future?"
Wan Qiu had never even imagined playing with tin cans with his friends.
This is probably not a fun thing; at least he's never seen anyone play it at school.
"My metal parts are all at home, I can't go back." Wan Qiu consciously tried to avoid the topic.
"It's okay, we can smash a few more," Chu Yigui said.
"Beer bottles are not easy to find." Getting a beer bottle was a bit difficult for Wan Qiu.
“We can go to the food street; there will be lots of beer bottles there,” Chu Yigui said with a smile. “After selling the bottles, we can also buy balloons.”
Wan Qiu opened his mouth, but finally murmured, "Not enough."
Wan Qiu said "not enough," and Yang Xiaoyu guessed that Wan Qiu had already looked up the price of the balloons, wanted them, but didn't buy them.
"If there are enough, which balloon would you like, brother?" Chu Yigui slowly enunciated each word, and only their voices could be heard in the car.
“…Red.” Perhaps he was too used to talking to Chu Yigui, Wan Qiu didn’t even realize it himself before answering Chu Yigui’s question.
"Red or green, which one do you want, brother?" Chu Yigui continued to ask.
Wan Qiu stared blankly at the back of Chu Yigui's neck; he didn't even turn his head.
Wan Qiu thought seriously: "Green."
"Would gray be okay?"
However, Wan Qiu blinked and after a long while asked, "Are there gray balloons?"
"I've forgotten, how many kinds are there?" Chu Yigui's voice sounded like he was racking his brains.
"Apples, blueberries, bananas, grapes, watermelons." Wan Qiu tried hard to recall the things in her memory.
Song Wenqiu, in the driver's seat, saw Chu Yigui leaning against the car window, searching for something on her phone.
"I remember now." As if he had found the answer he was looking for, Chu Yigui turned off his phone. "It's a character from the animated series 'Fruit World'."
Wan Qiu, as if possessed, responded with a soft "Mm".
Chu Yigui's words brought the previously somber atmosphere in the car back to normal.
Song Wenqiu was clearly surprised by the communication between Chu Yigui and Wan Qiu.
Although he had always known that Chu Yigui was a very good communicator, Chu Yigui's question this time sounded completely unruly and not even worthy of being called a proper conversational style.
Moreover, why would Chu Yigui use the balloon to elicit Wan Qiu's true preferences?
Yang Xiaoyu didn't know what "Fruit New World" was, but based on the two points of "balloon" and "character", it's not hard to imagine that Wan Qiu might not like balloons, but rather the merchandise related to this work.
"Fruit New World" should be a children's animation, Yang Xiaoyu thought of Wan Qiu's love for animation.
As for why it's a balloon...
Yang Xiaoyu's only guess was that the balloon was the cheapest merchandise Wan Qiu could covet.
That's just a child's mentality.
Yang Xiaoyu gently stroked Wan Qiu's slightly long hair, her expression softening and showing some heartache.
She's still a child who loves watching cartoons and wants a balloon just like the cartoon characters.
Knowing that Wanqiu liked watching cartoons, she had Yang Ze prepare a new screening room at home and buy all the cartoons that were currently available on the market.
Let's give Wan Qiu a surprise, Yang Xiaoyu said, nuzzling Wan Qiu's hair with a smile.
"Yi Gui, could you please give the gift in the storage compartment to Wan Qiu?" Now that she had gotten the answer they wanted, Song Wenqiu stopped being coy.
From Chu Yigui's hand, a square object fell into Wan Qiu's hands.
Wrapped in gift paper.
The brand-new gift wrapping with a starry sky pattern was adorned with a pink gift ribbon, a vibrant wrapping style that Song Wenqiu wouldn't normally use on gifts.
But at this moment, Wanqiu held it in her hands, her clear eyes seeming to take in all the colors of the gift, and those beautiful stars seemed to be about to twinkle and burst out of the starry sky paper, lying in Wanqiu's palm.
Wanqiu handled it with extreme care, as if afraid of breaking it.
"Shall we open it and take a look?" Song Wenqiu saw Wan Qiu's expression in the rearview mirror and seemed to be infected by his emotions.
Wan Qiu glanced at Yang Xiaoyu, who excitedly poked Wan Qiu's gift with her finger, equally curious: "Want to open it and see?"
Wan Qiu then carefully began to open it.
This was the first real gift Wanqiu had ever received, wrapped in gift paper.
When he was unwrapping the packaging, for some reason, his fingers seemed to be out of control, trembling and he couldn't use them properly.
Wan Qiu didn't know why he was so nervous; his palms were sweating.
Song Wenqiu seemed to have noticed Wan Qiu's actions and drove the vehicle more smoothly.
Wan Qiu unpacked it very slowly, and Song Wenqiu couldn't help but chuckle. Perhaps he should have packaged it more simply?
Wan Qiu's careful handling of the wrapping paper, as if afraid of damaging even the slightest bit, warmed Song Wenqiu's heart—no one dislikes a gift that someone cherishes.
The wrapping paper was finally opened intact, and what appeared in Wanqiu's sight was a very beautiful thick-covered notebook and a very beautiful fountain pen in a box.
Song Wenqiu did not choose expensive gifts, but rather everyday items that are popular and frequently used by students.
These days, colorful notebooks are very popular, with flower baskets, lamps, clouds, rainbows... carrying all sorts of warm and beautiful little things on different pages.
The fountain pen is inexpensive, but it has many cute chibi-style animal engravings on it.
For a moment, the car was quiet.
Yang Xiaoyu leaned against the car window with one hand, looking at Wan Qiu's expression.
Wan Qiu carefully opened the notebook and examined the fountain pen several times.
He ended by saying 'thank you'.
A calm tone.
Wanqiu did not smile happily.
But Yang Xiaoyu could clearly see that Wan Qiu's eyes were sparkling, like a window that had suddenly been wiped clean of dust, revealing the first hint of spring green through the glass.
As Yang Xiaoyu watched, she came to her senses and realized that she too had a smile on her face.
"Wenqiu, you still have a great eye for choosing gifts." Chu Jianshu leaned back in his chair, taking in all of Wanqiu's expressions.
"Having been your secretary for so many years, I should have this much of a sense of observation," Song Wenqiu replied with a smile.
Song Wenqiu quietly observed Chu Yigui, who had never been at the center of the incident. The boy's expression was calm, as if everything happening around him had nothing to do with him.
Wan Qiu wanted to put the gift back in its original packaging, but Yang Xiaoyu said that since it had already been opened, there was no need to wrap it again.
Wanqiu could only fold the gift paper and put it into the notebook.
Wanqiu didn't know what he could do with this notebook.
This was the first time he had ever received such a beautiful notebook, and even though he had seen his classmates with them, he had never coveted it.
But suddenly it appeared.
Wan Qiu looked at the notebook, a very subtle feeling that he couldn't quite grasp.
It feels like standing after a long, rainy summer night.
The city's air, washed clean by the rain, flowed down the drainage ditches to lower places, until it disappeared from his sight.
He was bathed in the direct sunlight that broke through the clouds, his eyes filled with gold, and the world he saw shimmered brightly.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
