Yang Xiaoyu noticed Yan Hua's gaze and quickened her pace, reaching Wan Qiu's side in a few steps.
Yang Xiaoyu's always sweet and soft scent enveloped Wanqiu, and the warmth was transmitted between the two in their embrace. Wanqiu's tenseness, which was like static electricity, was completely calmed down.
"Honey, Mom just had the kitchen prepare some afternoon tea. Would you like to go help Butler Bai?" Yang Xiaoyu said softly.
Wanqiu agreed.
Yang Xiaoyu released him, and Wan Qiu immediately went to carry out Yang Xiaoyu's orders, even forgetting Yan Hua who was beside him.
Before leaving the living room, Wan Qiu glanced back at Yang Xiaoyu and Yan Hua.
Yang Xiaoyu's displeasure even showed on her face.
Like crushed dried flowers, they drifted around Yang Xiaoyu.
Wan Qiu was standing next to the chef, but the chef didn't seem to need his help.
As Wanqiu waited quietly, he recalled the feeling of being by Yanhua's side.
Helpless and bewildered, it was as if he were groping in murky sewage, having no idea what it was.
Fearful, tense, and anxious because they couldn't find anything.
After taking over the afternoon tea table, Butler Bai handed over the task of pushing the food cart to Wan Qiu, who now had something to do and could fulfill Yang Xiaoyu's request.
Wan Qiu carefully pushed the food cart back to the living room, where Yang Xiaoyu and Yan Hua's voices grew closer as they talked.
Wan Qiu noticed that he called his name while the two were talking.
Wanqiu, pushing the food cart, unconsciously slowed down.
Don't interrupt your mother's conversation.
Wan Qiu stood at the door, and even though he wasn't paying attention, he still overheard their conversation.
"It is indeed not a simple matter. I will be troubling you for a long time in the future, Dr. Yan."
Yang Xiaoyu's voice was clearly conveyed to Wan Qiu, and the word 'doctor' was directly understood by Wan Qiu.
"Treatment is a long-term process. Right now, the most important thing for him is the support of his parents and relatives. At the very least, we need to let him study more and learn to express himself."
Yan Hua's voice was different from the one Wan Qiu had heard.
More serene, like grass blades in the morning mist, their green surface covered with a thin layer of cool white frost.
Wan Qiu didn't hear much of Yang Xiaoyu and Yan Hua's conversation; it was mostly long sentences.
Wanqiu had difficulty understanding long sentences and only managed to grasp some of the information he could understand.
Words like 'doctor,' 'treatment,' and 'long-term' are easy to understand, but in Wanqiu's world, they are like rocks torn apart by a tornado, creating fear and pain.
A doctor is someone who treats diseases.
This time, someone was diagnosed with a disease that requires long-term treatment.
Who is sick?
The person being seen by a good doctor right now, is... Mom?
When Wanqiu's understanding of this conversation settled on this final conclusion, Wanqiu's heart suddenly tightened.
Yan Hua left.
After all, it was only the first day of contact, and it was difficult to even start a normal conversation.
Yang Xiaoyu also felt somewhat powerless. In Yan Hua's view, all of Wan Qiu's actions were now just a reaction to the behavior of the people around him.
Yang Xiaoyu knew, of course she knew.
Yan Hua offered Wan Qiu no advice or guidance, and this complete lack of direction made Wan Qiu extremely nervous.
Offering advice and guidance is not something Yan Hua should do; it's something her family members should do.
Yang Xiaoyu had a headache.
While she was pondering her conversation with Yan Hua, she noticed that Wan Qiu was beside her.
Wan Qiu was looking at her, but compared to the gaze that was always observing and probing, always reflecting the gaze of others, Yang Xiaoyu vaguely sensed that there seemed to be some more subtle emotion swirling in Wan Qiu's eyes at this moment.
Wan Qiu sat beside Yang Xiaoyu, maintaining the same level of intimacy that didn't overly intrude on their personal space.
In a corner out of Yang Xiaoyu's sight, Wan Qiu's fingers secretly pressed down on the hem of Yang Xiaoyu's clothes, silently.
Because Wan Qiu had always paid attention to Yang Xiaoyu, he spent almost the entire night by Yang Xiaoyu's side after she returned.
Wanqiu has always been like this.
No one noticed that Wan Qiu was being unusually affectionate with Yang Xiaoyu, more so than usual.
Except for Chu Yigui.
In the bedroom late at night, under the bright lamplight, Chu Yigui closed his book, rubbed his temples to relieve the fatigue from reading.
Chu Yigui stood on the balcony. The summer night temperature was still hot, but the gentle breeze brought a sense of comfort that was absent in the air-conditioned room.
At this time, most people are already asleep. From Chu Yigui's direction, one can see the faint light coming from Yang Ze's room, hidden by blackout curtains.
Wanqiu's room had become completely dark.
Chu Yigui fixed her gaze on the balcony, which was completely dark.
After being asked to do so once by Yang Ze, Wan Qiu knew to turn on the lights when necessary.
The lights are all off now, is it because people are asleep?
Chu Yigui lowered her eyes, returned to her room, and drew the curtains, blocking out the last ray of moonlight.
Chu Yigui did not intend to go to sleep, but instead opened the door and walked out of the room.
We arrived at Wanqiu's door.
Chu Yigui pressed the handle of Wanqiu's bedroom door, and there was a click, the sound of the door lock not being engaged.
Chu Yigui did not go directly into Wanqiu's room, but let go of her hand.
Even without entering the room, he knew that Wan Qiu was not in the bedroom at the moment.
Continuing forward into the dimly lit corridor, illuminated only by nightlights, Chu Yigui's direction was quite clear.
Finally, outside Yang Xiaoyu and Chu Jianshu's room.
Chu Yigui found Wan Qiu.
A small, thin figure in the vast corridor.
Wan Qiu stood at the door of Yang Xiaoyu's room, holding a pillow and a small blanket.
The thin blanket was still neatly folded and not unfolded, indicating that Wanqiu had not been there for long.
Wan Qiu leaned against the wall with his eyes down. Footsteps came from beside him. Wan Qiu was startled and looked up abruptly, only to see Chu Yigui, who shouldn't be there.
They stared wide-eyed in surprise.
Chu Yigui put her index finger to her lips, signaling Wan Qiu to remain silent.
Wan Qiu stared blankly as Chu Yigui grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward.
The two walked in another direction, with Wan Qiu quietly following behind Chu Yigui.
They eventually reached a secluded open-air balcony with fixed seats on the ground. The place was clean and was swept daily.
On a clear summer night, the night sky is filled with twinkling stars, and the bright moonlight is enough to illuminate every detail without any additional lighting.
Wan Qiu hugged her pillow and thin blanket, looking at Chu Yigui with a helpless expression.
"Why is my brother going to Mom's bedroom door so late?"
Chu Yigui's voice seemed to fit the late night, not noisy, but this little sound gave the nervous Wan Qiu proof that he was not alone.
Wanqiu unconsciously hugged the pillow and thin blanket in her arms, and a hint of worry finally showed on her face in the moonlight: "Mom... is sick."
Is Yang Xiaoyu sick?
Even Chu Yigui couldn't quite grasp the logic at first; Yang Xiaoyu looked very healthy today.
"Why do you think Mom is sick?" Because she was certain that Yang Xiaoyu was not sick, Chu Yigui chose to ask "why she is sick" rather than "what illness".
"A doctor came today." Chu Yigui caught Wan Qiu's voice, which was barely audible.
The doctor who came today was Yan Hua.
Chu Yigui knew that Yang Xiaoyu had brought a psychologist back and had met with Wan Qiu, so he did not take the initiative to come out.
In retrospect, it is clear that Wan Qiu misunderstood the meaning of a psychologist.
“Don’t worry, brother, Mom isn’t sick,” Chu Yigui said.
Wan Qiu suddenly looked up, her eyes, which had been welling up with tears due to her worry for Yang Xiaoyu, now shone with surprise.
If Chu Yigui said that, then Mom must not be sick.
The thing that had been troubling Wan Qiu all night was extinguished by just one sentence from Chu Yigui.
"The doctor is Mom's friend." Wan Qiu suddenly realized this. It turned out that the doctor wasn't there because of illness, but because a friend happened to be a doctor.
“No, it’s only when someone is sick that a doctor comes.” Chu Yigui knew what Wan Qiu was thinking and said directly, “Brother, you are sick.”
Is he sick?
Wanqiu felt around in confusion, pressing and touching everything, but...
"It doesn't hurt..." For Wan Qiu, being sick would definitely hurt, but he didn't feel any pain anywhere, so why was he sick?
Are you so sick that you need to see a doctor?
"Brother, do you know that you are different from other people?" Chu Yigui did not choose to beat around the bush or hide it, but told Wan Qiu directly.
Wan Qiu was suddenly stunned.
Wanqiu lowered his head.
A gentle breeze stirred, causing Wanqiu's slightly longer, stray hairs to flutter softly, just like the way she nodded—so gentle it was almost imperceptible.
“This is an illness,” Chu Yigui said. “That doctor is here to treat your illness.”
Is it an illness?
Wanqiu realized for the first time that the reason he was different from others was because of his illness.
If it's an illness, will I get better as long as I follow the treatment without worry?
If he recovers, will his parents like him more and will his relationship with Chu Yigui improve?
Nobody likes being sick, and Wanqiu didn't either.
Wan Qiu recalled Wan Xiaohua in his mind.
Grandma has been sick for a long time, and it seems like she'll never get better.
Will he be like his grandmother?
"Can it be cured?" Will I die if it can't be cured?
"Yes." Whether or not it can be cured is not up to Chu Yigui to decide.
However, in this matter, Chu Yigui chose to conceal the unknown and tell Wan Qiu the affirmative answer.
Wanqiu believed it.
Chu Yigui said he could be cured, so he definitely could.
Wan Qiu has been trying hard to become smarter, but he can't find a way. Is Dr. Yan Hua the way for him to become smarter?
If it returns to normal...
You'll definitely be liked.
I will never be abandoned again.
"I will listen to the doctor."
My teacher taught me that if you're sick, you should listen to the doctor so you can get better faster.
But Wanqiu thought of the daytime. He couldn't meet the doctor's expectations. Suddenly, Wanqiu felt like a terminally ill patient who was refusing to take the medicine the doctor prescribed, and he was filled with panic.
"Doctor, I can speak." In front of Chu Yigui, Wan Qiu always found it easier to express her thoughts. Mixed with anxiety and panic, Wan Qiu gripped her pillow tightly, nervously rubbing it. "I...can't...I don't know..."
Chu Yigui listened to Wan Qiu's intermittent expressions and tried to understand Wan Qiu's worries.
Yan Hua's profession made all her questions to Wan Qiu purposeful.
Wan Qiu was very perceptive; he could clearly sense the existence of a 'purpose'.
When there is no 'goal' or 'direction', Wanqiu will begin to spontaneously do things.
But Yan Hua's goal was to target Wan Qiu himself.
Yan Hua may not have found a way to communicate with Wan Qiu yet, but as a professional, she will find out soon.
so……
Chu Yigui was willing to help Yan Hua avoid some detours, and he also wanted to be able to participate in a small part of Wan Qiu's psychological treatment journey.
"Don't worry, brother. She's a doctor, and you're the patient. The patient doesn't know what's wrong, but the doctor does. You just need to trust her and cooperate with her."
Wanqiu lowered his head.
He looked very lost in the moonlight.
"I didn't cooperate well today..."
"It's alright," Chu Yigui reassured her.
"I don't know how to cooperate..." Wan Qiu didn't know how to listen to Chu Yigui's words.
"Do what your brother can do." Chu Yigui's gentle voice, like the moonlight at this moment, illuminated Wanqiu's bewilderment. "If you can't do it, then don't do it."
Wan Qiu raised his eyes and gazed at Chu Yigui. Once again, Chu Yigui gave him a guide that did not conform to the rules.
If you can't meet other people's needs, won't that lead to 'unhappiness'?
Won't it hurt after accumulating 'unhappiness'?
He couldn't avoid Yan Hua; Yan Hua was someone his mother trusted, and also a doctor whom patients couldn't defy.
How could Chu Yigui not have noticed Wan Qiu's inner turmoil and unease?
Just like every time before, Chu Yigui once again grasped the iron chain that bound Wanqiu. The cold chain seemed to cover his palm with icy coldness, refusing his pull.
However, Chu Yigui still clenched her fists, not giving the chains that bound Wanqiu a chance to escape from her grasp.
"If you're scared, run away and come find me." Chu Yigui said this to Wan Qiu in the simplest, most familiar words, at the clearest pace that Wan Qiu could accept.
Wan Qiu remained silent.
"Brother, I have never lied to you."
Chu Yigui's words suddenly pierced through Wan Qiu's tension and fear. In Wan Qiu's eyes, Chu Yigui always stood on the straightest road, holding his hand and moving forward.
He never made a mistake; Chu Yigui was always right.
Wanqiu didn't know how Yanhua cured her illness.
Wanqiu didn't know how to cooperate with Yanhua in treating her illness.
Chu Yigui's guidance led Wan Qiu to look directly into that fog.
Do what you can do, and don't do what you can't.
Before Wanqiu's eyes, the mysterious thing gradually revealed itself as the fog was lifted.
It was a mirror.
Wan Qiu stood in front of the mirror, but he had no idea what he looked like in the reflection.
But at least Wanqiu knew that this was a mirror, which was enough to put his mind at ease.
The chains that bound them shattered with a snap, scattering unease across the ground.
"Go to sleep, brother." Chu Yigui stood up and said with a faint smile, "Go back to your room."
Wan Qiu nodded.
The hands that were holding the pillow loosened, resting loosely on the abdomen.
Following behind Chu Yigui, Wan Qiu looked up at Chu Yigui.
Even under the dim corridor lights, his friends and his brothers remain a source of immense comfort.
On this otherwise ordinary night, Wan Qiu seemed to have gained some insight into the word 'comfort'.
Is comfort the same as a feeling of peace of mind?
Or is it the feeling of returning from a sweltering summer night to a cool indoor environment?
Is it the feeling of tightly hugging a soft pillow in your arms?
Since that night, Wanqiu has seen Yanhua twice more.
This time, however, the tension and anxiety were relieved considerably, and Wan Qiu finally saw a tiny glimmer of 'happiness' emerging in Yan Hua's emotions.
Yan Hua praised him and gave him a candy filled with stars, saying it was his reward.
Wan Qiu looked at the candies, those colorful candies shimmering with different hues, and the little smiley faces drawn on them, all seemed to be telling the story of Wan Qiu's success after listening to Chu Yigui's advice.
Wanqiu placed the candy she received on her bedroom desk, gazing at the twinkling stars in the sunlight. These beautiful stars, like Chu Yigui's wisdom, were something that brought Wanqiu peace of mind.
His friend is omnipotent.
——
One morning, when Wan Qiu went downstairs, he saw Chu Yigui, but this was a Chu Yigui that Wan Qiu had never seen before.
In Wanqiu's memory, Chu Yigui always wore loose and comfortable clothes, and she looked beautiful in every outfit.
Today he was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt, navy blue trousers, and a shirt with a style that was very similar to Wan Qiu's that he was familiar with was hanging on his arm.
Chu Yigui was wearing a school uniform.
Wan Qiu had seen many, many beautiful classmates, but Chu Yigui was more beautiful than any of them he had ever seen.
Wan Qiu, however, thought that Chu Yigui was the prettiest person in school uniform.
Chu Yigui actually has a very good figure. The boy is not muscular, and the school uniform naturally drapes down, which actually shows off Chu Yigui's good body lines.
Chu Yigui seemed to notice Wan Qiu's gaze fixed on him, and turned his head to ask, "What's wrong, brother?"
Wan Qiu snapped out of her daze, looked at Chu Yigui, and then glanced at the school uniform.
Chu Yigui understood and slightly tugged at the collar of her school uniform: "We have class today. I went to school yesterday; it's the start of the semester, remember?"
Wan Qiu nodded. He remembered that Chu Yigui had left, but he didn't know where he had gone.
"I'm not here during the day, but I'll go home after school," Chu Yigui said.
Wan Qiu remained silent, and he had no reason to speak.
Looking at Chu Yigui, Wan Qiu suddenly realized that Chu Yigui was his younger brother, a younger brother who was a little younger than him.
His younger brother is very outstanding. Is he like the top student in the grade, with many teachers and classmates liking him?
It must be.
School is about to start.
Wanqiu's school start date is a few days later than Chu Yigui's, and Wanqiu also counts down the days until school starts by looking at the date on her phone every day.
Upon seeing Chu Yigui's school uniform, Wan Qiu realized that all his school uniforms were in his rented apartment, and he had nothing left.
He had a desk, books, and lots and lots of pens, but Wanqiu no longer had a school uniform, a schoolbag, or summer homework.
Wanqiu started to feel anxious. He hadn't finished most of his summer homework yet, and the thought of being punished by his teachers and having his parents called in made him nervous.
He moved to a new place, but he dared not mention his old rented apartment again.
Wanqiu noticed that her mother would become unhappy whenever the topic of renting a house was brought up.
Wanqiu didn't know how to get from her new home to her new school.
Dr. Yan Hua said that for things he doesn't know but wants to know, he should learn to ask more questions.
For Wanqiu now, the biggest problem is how he should go to school.
Yang Xiaoyu has been going out during the day and returning home at night recently.
Wan Qiu knew that Yang Xiaoyu had gone to work.
But Yang Xiaoyu would always make time to be with him at night.
Wan Qiu never dared to mention the start of school to Yang Xiaoyu.
He can apologize and rewrite his summer homework.
He can buy school uniforms; he still hides a lot of money—the money his father gave him—under his mattress.
but……
On the day before school started, Wan Qiu, unable to contain herself any longer, secretly followed behind Butler Bai.
Butler Bai was very busy, and Wan Qiu quietly followed in the distance, waiting for Butler Bai to have time.
Butler Bai noticed Wan Qiu following him from the very beginning. Although he hadn't finished his tasks for the day, he simply took off his gloves and the coat of his butler's uniform, sat in a shady pavilion, and leisurely poured himself a cup of tea.
The housekeeper, Bai, stared blankly into the distance, not even looking at his phone.
Wan Qiu hesitated.
Butler Bai wondered if he should stop waiting for Wan Qiu to take the initiative and go ask him himself.
But considering Dr. Yan Hua's request, since Wan Qiu has such a proactive idea, it's best to go along with Wan Qiu.
Butler Bai had already drunk his second cup of tea, and had been lost in thought for a long time, even starting to think about going to the restroom.
He hadn't expected that their third young master would be so patient. If he had normal intelligence, he would definitely achieve great things in the future.
When Wan Qiu finally stood in front of Butler Bai after much hesitation, Butler Bai finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Uncle," the boy's voice was young and a little nervous, "I have a question."
"Of course you can ask. I'd be very happy to. I love answering questions the most." Butler Bai realized he was exaggerating a bit after saying that.
Although the goal was to motivate Wanqiu, he was still a little embarrassed to speak in such a strange voice at his age.
"I think... I should... how do I get there...?"
Wan Qiu's words took the butler a long time to understand. After careful consideration, he asked, "Do you want to know how to get to the place you want to go?"
Butler Bai waited a while before Wan Qiu gave a firm nod.
"You can tell me where you want to go, and I can have someone take you there." Butler Bai also began to soften his tone, patiently waiting for Wan Qiu to understand.
“Then, tomorrow…” Wan Qiu wanted to keep this promise, but after thinking for a moment, she said, “Today.”
Tomorrow is the first day of school.
Wanqiu's school admission notices were all in her old rented apartment, and Wanqiu couldn't remember what she needed to bring to school.
Wan Qiu didn't remember his homeroom teacher's phone number, or rather, he never had it.
I'll go to school today; I should be able to get another school admission notice.
In any case, at least he needs to be able to go to school. If he didn't bring the things listed on his school admission notice, does that mean he can't go to school?
Wan Qiu actually asked to go out? Butler Bai was also a little surprised.
"Where do you want to go?" Butler Bai asked, noticing Wan Qiu's tense posture and somewhat dazed expression.
"The school," Wan Qiu replied.
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