Yang Xiaoyu also knew that Wan Qiu's feelings for Ning Qiaozhen over the past three years could not be so easily severed.
But at least now, when Ning Qiaozhen is mentioned, Yang Xiaoyu has not found the stubborn trust in Ning Qiaozhen that Wan Qiu had always seen in her eyes.
If it's just a casual question...
Yang Xiaoyu was willing to be patient.
Huang Hu seemed to sense Wan Qiu's hesitation, and after thinking for a moment, he chose an ambiguous answer.
"Our job is to do whatever the customers ask us to do, do you understand?"
Wan Qiu remained silent for a while, then nodded, remembering that he was on the phone, and replied, "Understood."
"Just like a taxi, we go wherever the passenger tells us to go. We're not familiar with the passenger, and we might not even know them, understand?" Huang Hu continued to explain, pausing after saying one sentence.
Wan Qiu pondered for a long time before finally figuring out the relationship and said, "I understand."
"So I don't know if he knows him or not." Huang Hu finally gave his answer, and it wasn't a lie; every word was true.
"Hmm." Wanqiu understood this sentence very quickly.
Huang Hu secretly wiped away his cold sweat on the other end of the phone and quietly breathed a sigh of relief: "So there's nothing else to be curious about?"
However, Wanqiu remained silent.
Huang Hu felt Wan Qiu's slender fingers quietly grasping his fragile heart. It wasn't heavy, but it felt like he was being held in mid-air, unable to go up or down.
Huang Hu unconsciously swallowed: "Is there anything else?"
Wan Qiu remained silent for a long time, but finally said, "No."
Wan Qiu's voice was quiet and hesitant, and it also revealed a hint of... reluctance?
Huang Hu thought for a moment, trying to confirm his guess, and asked, "Wan Qiu, do you not want to hang up the phone?"
Yang Xiaoyu noticed that Wan Qiu was clearly stunned after hearing those words.
His eyes, which had been fixed on the horizon but were actually quite empty, flickered slightly, revealing a hint of panic as if his true thoughts had been exposed.
Wanqiu was reluctant to hang up the first phone call, and also believed that making phone calls repeatedly was a bad thing.
Huang Hu breathed a sigh of relief, his voice full of laughter: "It's okay, you can call me anytime in the future. Uncle still has time to chat with you."
After Wanqiu was suddenly granted rights, it was like a rose locked in a black glass bottle, which was suddenly found to have a crack by its bee friends, allowing the wind and sunlight to sneak in.
Wan Qiu gripped his phone tightly and, out of Huang Hu's sight, slowly replied, "Mm."
"Okay, I'll hang up now? Contact me again if you need anything?" Huang Hu ended the call proactively.
The beeping sound of the phone being hung up quickly disappeared along with the screen turning off.
But Wanqiu was still staring blankly at her phone.
Rather than the disappointment of being hung up on, it feels more like the anticipation of receiving something entirely new.
He made a phone call that wouldn't upset him.
In the heavy, dark pool that seemed like a stagnant pool, a string of small bubbles rose from the bottom and burst in the air, creating shallow ripples that stirred the nerves of the eternally silent water.
Yang Xiaoyu smiled, letting Wan Qiu quietly savor this small, insignificant yet novel experience that was enough to shake Wan Qiu's mind.
The telephone is a completely different medium. Wan Qiu's expression is not visible, and he speaks less, but Huang Hu is a very good person to communicate with on the phone.
"Well done, baby."
This simple compliment, like a magenta rose petal falling into a bottle, also drifted through the air, creating a gentle breeze.
Yang Xiaoyu's phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, Yang Xiaoyu patted Wanqiu's head helplessly: "Mom is going to answer the phone. You wait here for Mom."
Wan Qiu watched as Yang Xiaoyu left his side with her phone in hand. His elegant and refined mother tilted her head, speaking seriously to the person on the phone.
"Didn't I tell you I've been very busy lately, and you guys handle things yourselves? I remember I arranged the work... How come there's another scandal? Is the PR department eating shit?... What resources can't money buy? I told you not to be afraid to spend money... You guys are really driving me crazy!"
Yang Xiaoyu hung up the phone with a dark expression and stood in front of Wan Qiu.
Wan Qiu looked up, somewhat confused.
Although Yang Xiaoyu was clearly unhappy during the phone call, her unhappiness dissipated considerably once she was in my presence.
"I'm sorry, baby, could you wait for Mommy for a little while? Half an hour. Mommy will take you out for a walk in half an hour. Now, play on your phone for a bit."
Yang Xiaoyu was extremely annoyed by the sudden change in work, but she hadn't been back for a while.
Wan Qiu nodded and watched as Yang Xiaoyu left the large living room in a few steps.
Wan Qiu sat on the sofa, holding his phone, unsure of what to do, staring at his reflection on the screen, which seemed to be framed in a black world.
He looked up at the living room, which he hadn't really looked at closely.
A vast, bright world that seems to encompass all the sunlight, with high ceilings and intricate, beautiful chandeliers, a comfortable temperature, and soft, comfortable sofas...
All of this was completely different from the enormous house that Wanqiu had ever known.
It's almost like...
Like the new world.
Wan Qiu blinked.
For Wanqiu, everything now seemed like a brand new candle, its flame already lit, the bright light illuminating the dark world, concentrating all fear and pain into the small shadow beneath it.
A candle may gradually shrink and deplete until it eventually goes out and can never be restored.
But at least now is when he has the most.
Wanqiu carefully held the small candle flame, sincerely praying that it would burn slowly.
"Is it beautiful?" Suddenly, a soft, smiling voice rang in Wan Qiu's ear, and the familiar warmth of fingers brushed against his earlobe. "That patch of sunlight you've been looking at is indeed the best view here."
Wan Qiu turned around, and Chu Yigui came into view.
In that brief moment, Chu Yigui, who suddenly appeared in Wan Qiu's eyes, was the most beautiful and incomparable thing in the world.
Chu Yigui changed her clothes; these clothes were neat, clean, and comfortable.
He seemed to have taken a shower, and his body exuded a faint, comforting fragrance, like that of clear water, which subtly drew Wan Qiu's attention.
"You got a cell phone and a bracelet."
Chu Yigui looked down and saw what Wan Qiu was holding. She bent down and leaned against the back of the sofa behind Wan Qiu.
"I have a cell phone now." Wan Qiu was more free and seemingly bolder around Chu Yigui, revealing a small part of herself that she only showed in front of Chu Yigui. "I even made a phone call."
Chu Yigui knew better than anyone that Wan Qiu had refused to call Ning Qiaozhen.
Under Yang Xiaoyu's guidance, Wan Qiu did things he had never been able to do before.
Chu Yigui gazed at Wan Qiu, finding in those empty eyes the joy of trying something new for the first time.
It felt empty, as if I didn't understand what my actions represented.
I'm vaguely trying to understand something based on my feelings, but I can't figure it out.
"This is something to be happy about; you made a phone call."
Chu Yigui spoke slowly and deliberately to Wan Qiu, placing his hands on either side of the sofa back, as if enveloping Wan Qiu in his embrace, and gently telling him some important things that only the two of them would understand.
"Is this something to be happy about?" Wan Qiu trusted Chu Yigui, and a small spark ignited in his empty eyes because of Chu Yigui's words.
“Yes,” Chu Yigui replied to Wan Qiu, “You did a great job. This is a compliment. You can enjoy your happiness.”
I was praised.
Wan Qiu didn't quite understand the meaning of being praised. Even though Yang Xiaoyu praised him, Wan Qiu didn't know how to react.
Chu Yigui told him that this was something to be happy about.
In the vast, dark pool, if a small stream emerges, you can see that the seemingly lifeless black water is actually transparent and clear.
Chu Yigui, on the other hand, was going to the extreme to create small openings around the deep pool, giving the emotions that had been dormant in the stagnant water an outlet.
Wan Qiu smiled slightly.
The subtle curve is so fine that it can only be seen by comparing and contrasting photos.
But this was already the greatest joy Wanqiu could express.
“Yes, that’s it. You can show a little smile.” Chu Yigui stretched out his finger and lifted one corner of Wan Qiu’s mouth. “Remember this smile. Do it to other people, and they will be very happy.”
Wanqiu will change. In this family that showers Wanqiu with all its love, Wanqiu will gradually learn things he never had before.
Chu Yigui tried to leave her mark on every path of change that Wanqiu took.
Chu Yigui smiled.
Now, with the morning light illuminating the entire living room, his smile seemed to melt into the sunlight.
Wan Qiu looked up, but felt that the smile was not genuine.
Long, slender, white fingers brushed past Wan Qiu's eyes, like a fluttering butterfly landing on Wan Qiu's wrist, the fingers slipping into Wan Qiu's bracelet, filling the wide gap.
"It's so thin. Even with the bracelet at its narrowest setting, you can still fit your finger in."
Chu Yigui sighed, her eyes narrowing contentedly, as if she were lazily teasing her owner's big cat with her tail.
Wan Qiu looked at his wrist, which was vastly different from Chu Yigui's. His wrist was slender, almost inhuman, and quite ugly.
"Do you know what this is for?" Chu Yigui asked, rubbing Wanqiu's bracelet with his thumb.
Wan Qiu shook his head.
"It's for finding you. With it, I can find you no matter where you are. Mom is very afraid of not being able to find you."
Wanqiu's eyelashes trembled as she looked at the wide bracelet.
“But I can find you even without this.” Chu Yigui leaned against the back of the sofa, gazing at Wan Qiu.
Why?
Seemingly sensing Wan Qiu's confusion, Chu Yigui said, "Because we are very close."
Why is it that if we're very close, I can find him?
Does his location matter to his current parents and Chu Yigui?
Wan Qiu opened his mouth and said, "I won't run around anymore."
"Hmm?" Chu Yigui's voice rose at the end. Wan Qiu was looking at him, observing his expression out of the corner of her eye.
“I can stay in the same place.” Wan Qiu’s hands unconsciously tightened, but were stopped by her phone. “I can stay in the place you know, and not go anywhere.”
The delicate, snail-like antennae landed on Chu Yigui's fingers, carrying a slight coolness.
Wan Qiu carried a heavy shell on his back, as if he could settle down anywhere in a safe place, even by Chu Yigui's side.
Wan Qiu stayed by Ning Qiaozhen's side, and if Ning Qiaozhen needed him, he could stay in the rented house indefinitely.
However, Ning Qiaozhen never made such a request.
Wanqiu waited quietly in the narrow, silent, dark space where he could see nothing.
He can stay in a fixed place, even one that he fears, for longer than anyone else.
Chu Yigui silently shifted her gaze away from Wan Qiu.
But his eyes were unfocused.
Wan Qiu was looking at Chu Yigui.
He still couldn't find any 'happiness' in Chu Yigui, nor could he find any 'unhappiness' in her.
At this moment, Chu Yigui was calm, as if she didn't exist.
The butler, who was not far away, walked to the door. Chu Yigui and Wan Qiu looked over at the same time. The butler opened the door and a man walked in.
A middle-aged man came into view, wearing a white shirt and trousers in the summer heat. His hair was neatly combed, and he was slightly overweight with a small, protruding belly, but he had a smile on his face that made him appear somewhat kind.
Wan Qiu heard Chu Yigui behind him and said, "Teacher."
"Chu Yigui, are you done with your work?" The middle-aged man walked up to Chu Yigui and smiled kindly.
"Yes, teacher." Chu Yigui stood up straight, and was actually more than half a head taller than the middle-aged man.
"Shall we start learning now? How about a little quiz first?" The middle-aged man was clearly very familiar with Chu Yigui, and Chu Yigui always had a smile on her face when she spoke to him.
"Sure, but if I do poorly on the test, I'm afraid the teacher will have to teach me more."
Wan Qiu looked at Chu Yigui and vaguely noticed that his tone of voice seemed to be different from when he spoke.
Slightly lighthearted, if Chu Yigui's conversation with her teacher was like a carefully constructed ski slope, smooth yet resilient, then Chu Yigui's treatment of herself was like a soft ball of snow, impossible to grasp, and somewhat astringent.
But no matter which one...
Wan Qiu couldn't sense any 'happiness' from Chu Yigui.
"Huh, who is this?" The male teacher only noticed that there was a child sitting on the sofa when he approached Chu Yigui.
The child was so small and thin that he was completely obscured by the sofa from a distance and could not be seen at all.
The male teacher was somewhat surprised. How could he see a thin, frail child, looking like a famine refugee, in the Chu family?
“This is my older brother,” Chu Yigui said to the male teacher. “My mother once lost a child, my older brother, named Wanqiu.”
The male teacher clearly couldn't immediately hide his astonishment.
The male teacher's gaze immediately fell on Wan Qiu, his eyes darting between Wan Qiu and Chu Yigui. Wan Qiu felt a strong, strange sense of being investigated.
"Have you been going to see your brother all this time?" The male teacher composed himself, his gaze towards Wan Qiu filled with complex emotions. "It seems he has suffered quite a bit."
“My brother is indeed not doing well,” Chu Yigui said.
Wan Qiu noticed that the male teacher's expression was somewhat subtle, a shift from 'happy' to 'unhappy', a shift that began when he became aware of himself.
He has annoyed people again.
The male teacher seemed to notice Wan Qiu's gaze and revealed a smile that matched his gentle appearance: "It's good that you're back. You should get along well with Chu Yigui."
Wan Qiu opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
Wan Qiu couldn't find any indication in the male teacher's expression that he needed a response.
The male teacher suddenly said, "You said he's your older brother, is he older than you? Does he receive the same education?"
Chu Yigui replied calmly, "No."
The male teacher was clearly a little 'happy' when he received this answer: "Indeed, Chu Yigui's academic achievements are truly rare. I have never seen such a smart child as you. I always praise you in front of my colleagues."
"Thank you, teacher. Rather than being praised for being smart, I actually hope to be praised for my hard work." Chu Yigui's expression was calm, yet appropriate.
Chu Yigui's words startled the male teacher, who then burst into laughter: "You've always been a very hardworking child, with both hard work and talent. You'll always be better than others."
Wan Qiu didn't quite understand.
These chaotic sentences, without any pauses, gave Wan Qiu no time to think or understand.
Wan Qiu vaguely felt that he didn't seem to be sitting here.
Even though they were only separated by the back of a sofa, he was sitting in a very distant place, watching a pantomime with sound.
"By the way, Chu Wanqiu must also need a private tutor, right? Should I recommend one for him?" the male teacher suddenly said.
"No need. What my brother needs more is a special education teacher who is patient and loving."
The male teacher didn't seem to understand Chu Yigui's words at first, but after fully understanding the words 'special education,' he was stunned and made no attempt to hide it. He immediately turned to look at Wan Qiu.
He's actually an idiot.
However, the male teacher was also paying attention to Chu Yigui. Chu Yigui, without any reservations, directly exposed Wan Qiu's intellectual disability, which was quite intriguing.
"He hasn't spoken at all. Is there a language barrier to him?" the male teacher asked.
“Brother’s words are fine.” Chu Yigui simply replied before changing the subject, “Teacher, class time is up, we’ve been delayed here a bit.”
The male teacher's expression stiffened slightly, but he immediately smiled and said, "Look at me, I haven't seen you for a few days, I'm so excited that I forgot the time. Let's go to the classroom."
"Brother, I'm going to class."
Wan Qiu heard Chu Yigui say this to him.
Wan Qiu sat on the sofa, showing no intention of leaving it from beginning to end.
But as Chu Yigui and the male teacher's footsteps and conversation gradually moved away from her, she realized that...
When Wan Qiu turned around, he saw the high back of the sofa, which blocked his view of Chu Yigui.
Wan Qiu's mind was filled with the image of 'intimacy' that Chu Yigui had mentioned.
He understood the meaning of the word, but he couldn't feel that there was any definition of 'intimacy' between him and Chu Yigui.
Wan Qiu had been watching the conversation between Chu Yigui and the male teacher.
Their words were filled with laughter.
The male teacher's expression towards Chu Yigui was full of 'happiness'.
Even without any physical contact, they can still convey feelings of 'happiness' to each other.
Is Chu Yigui's relationship with the male teacher also intimate?
When talking to other people, Chu Yigui would not look at Wan Qiu.
When Chu Yigui took the initiative to touch him, the brief, fleeting emotions he experienced vanished quickly after she left.
It's like candle wax dripping onto your skin, bringing a burning sensation, but then quickly disappearing, leaving only a patch of scalded red skin.
The burned area.
Is it just intimacy?
Wan Qiu sat quietly in the empty living room.
The sounds of birdsong and insect chirping could be clearly heard through the huge, sunlit French windows.
Wanqiu's voice seemed to consist only of the sound of blinking.
Suddenly, the phone that Wanqiu had been secretly holding in her hand rang loudly. Wanqiu abruptly shifted her gaze from the sunlight to the phone and stared in disbelief as it displayed 'Mom'.
Even though Wan Qiu had already learned how to answer the phone, she was still a little flustered when she answered the phone for the first time.
The key point... is it the green phone button?
Wanqiu's heart involuntarily quickened, and he pressed down.
"My dear Wanqiu?" Yang Xiaoyu's relaxed and cheerful voice came from the other end of the line.
Wan Qiu suddenly jolted awake, opened his mouth, and it took him a long time to find his voice.
The intense, strange feeling of receiving a phone call almost made Wanqiu lose his composure.
"Yes...yes, it's Wanqiu," Wanqiu stammered.
Yang Xiaoyu remained silent for a while, and Wan Qiu, unable to hear any sound, assumed the call had ended.
Listening closely, one could hear Yang Xiaoyu's muffled voice, as if she were speaking through a microphone: "My darling... how can my darling be so cute? It's Wanqiu... really..."
Wan Qiu held his phone so tightly that he didn't even dare to put it directly to his ear. The clean, bright phone screen seemed to be dirty if he put it on his face.
“Honey, you’re still in the living room, right?” Yang Xiaoyu continued.
"Yes, it's in the living room," Wan Qiu replied.
"Honey, go to the entryway and put on your shoes," Yang Xiaoyu said.
Wanqiu was somewhat bewildered, but still stood up. After sitting in the same position on the sofa for a long time, Wanqiu even staggered. Only then did Wanqiu realize that his body was a little stiff due to prolonged tension.
The new shoes that Wanqiu would wear were already laid out in the entryway.
Wanqiu hasn't changed his shoes in a long time.
When he first arrived at Ning Qiaozhen's house, Ning Qiaozhen bought him clothes and shoes. Because he was still growing, she deliberately bought him shoes that were a size too big.
During the three years Wanqiu lived at Ning Qiaozhen's house, she didn't grow much taller, and she never changed her shoes. No matter how much Wanqiu cherished them, she couldn't prevent them from becoming so worn out that they were almost unwearable.
Wanqiu's shoes were always much cheaper to repair at the shoemaker than to buy a new pair.
Brand new shoes, encasing his feet.
There are no uneven soles, and the soles aren't so thin that even a small stone can cause foot pain.
The shoes were soft, comfortable, and breathable; Wanqiu even felt that her field of vision had increased after wearing them.
Some strange feelings suddenly vanished without a trace.
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