Although it was supposed to be a parent-teacher conference, Wanqiu didn't have any opportunities to be praised or criticized by the teacher.
Wan Qiu had always been unremarkable, with a mediocre performance. This was also his first exam at this school, and his rapid improvement in grades went unnoticed by anyone.
Throughout the entire parent-teacher meeting, Chu Jianshu was more like an observer, or someone who was secretly being judged by others.
Chu Jianshu didn't care; he was attending this parent-teacher meeting for Wanqiu's sake.
As long as he knows that Wan Qiu studies hard and has devoted time and energy to it, that's enough.
Unlike other children, Wanqiu will likely never achieve anything particularly outstanding in his life.
Even if no one else would praise Wanqiu, as a father, he would praise his child.
"You've done very well at school," Chu Jianshu said to Wan Qiu after the parent-teacher meeting. "Dad is very happy."
To keep up with the very tall Chu Jianshu, Wan Qiu took quick steps, the cat-ear hood of his casual clothes swaying behind him.
Chu Jianshu saw a fluffy cat in a good mood, its fluffy tail held high, following him with small, quick steps.
Chu Jianshu's mood was unusually unsettled.
Yang Xiaoyu's parent-teacher meeting lasted quite a long time.
When Wan Qiu led Chu Jianshu to Chu Yigui's classroom, they found that Chu Yigui was different from the other students; she wasn't waiting outside the classroom, but inside.
Chu Yigui consistently ranks first in his grade and is the class monitor. He also has a say in parent-teacher meetings.
When Wan Qiu and Chu Jianshu arrived, Chu Yigui was presiding over a parent-teacher meeting on the podium.
Because the door was closed, Wan Qiu could only stand on tiptoe and look through the window in the door.
At this moment, sunlight streamed into the classroom. Chu Yigui stood on the podium without the slightest fear or hesitation, earnestly analyzing the performance of each student in the class at school.
The sunlight was shining evenly throughout the classroom, but Wan Qiu felt that at this moment all the sunlight was favoring Chu Yigui alone.
His brother seemed to be glowing.
He looks like an adult.
The homeroom teacher looked at the outstanding students in her class with satisfaction and pride on her face.
Chu Jianshu also saw it.
Chu Yigui also noticed Chu Jianshu.
Their eyes met for a second before Chu Yigui quickly looked away, showing no nervousness or hesitation as if she were being watched by her father.
The outstanding, dazzling children standing on the podium.
Chu Jianshu no longer ignored them.
Chu Jianshu lowered his eyes and looked at Wan Qiu.
Compared to when he first met Wanqiu, he was now grateful that Wanqiu had returned to their family.
That's why he was able to see such a magnificent sight.
At the end of the parent-teacher meeting, the homeroom teacher will invite some parents of outstanding students to the podium to share their educational philosophies.
Yang Xiaoyu would never normally miss such an opportunity to show off, but surprisingly, she did nothing this time.
As a mother, she did not educate Chu Yigui well, and she would not shamelessly claim Chu Yigui's excellence as her own.
After the parents' meeting ended, several parents who had not yet left gathered around Yang Xiaoyu, discussing Chu Yigui.
Wan Qiu also approached and heard the homeroom teacher, who was also in the crowd, praising Chu Yigui.
"Chu Yigui being the class monitor has saved me a lot of chores. I even feel that Chu Yigui understands the whole class much better than I do."
"He is not only good at studying himself, but he also always leads his classmates in studying together."
"Our class has always had the highest average score. Chu Yigui always prepares exam review outlines for the students. This child is destined for great things."
Wan Qiu listened as they talked about education, including Yang Xiaoyu.
Yang Xiaoyu received praise from others.
"Are you Mr. Chu Jianshu?... Hello, hello, I am Chu Yigui's classmate and Li Shuo's father..."
Wan Qiu noticed that some people were also approaching Chu Jianshu to chat, and Chu Jianshu responded very politely.
Wan Qiu stood aside, observing everything.
His relatives seem to radiate light, naturally attracting those around them and receiving all sorts of praise.
Wanqiu felt very proud...
I also wonder if I'm too ordinary.
Surrounded by the crowd, Chu Yigui spotted Wan Qiu standing alone through a gap in the crowd.
Amidst the noisy crowd, it seemed that only that place was peaceful.
Chu Yigui passed through the gaps surrounding her and arrived at Wan Qiu's side.
He lowered his head, no longer focusing on the others around him.
"Brother, how did your parent-teacher conference go?"
Wan Qiu looked up and wondered when Chu Yigui, who had just been receiving praise in the crowd, had appeared beside him.
He instinctively grabbed Chu Yigui's hand.
“Dad said I did a good job.” Wan Qiu had no doubt that he had been praised. “My little brother is amazing. He can actually stand on the podium.”
"It's alright." Chu Yigui remained calm throughout, showing great humility in the face of praise from all sides.
Wanqiu felt that Chu Yigui had always been like this.
He was as calm as a still pond.
Wan Qiu's lips would curve into a joyful smile when praised, but Chu Yigui's face showed no such expression.
Wan Qiu asked, "Is your younger brother unhappy?"
"I'm happy," Chu Yigui replied.
But Wan Qiu felt that Chu Yigui was not happy about this; he did not see any joy in her.
"My little brother is really amazing." Wan Qiu praised Chu Yigui earnestly, very earnestly. "Everyone praises him, he's really amazing."
After Wan Qiu's voice, Chu Yigui smiled.
A faint smile.
But Wan Qiu finally realized that Chu Yigui was like a calm lake surface, with ripples gently stirred by a breeze.
My younger brother was happy.
Wan Qiu thought to himself.
Sure enough, no one can be unhappy after being praised.
The same goes for my younger brother.
——
Wanqiu is preparing to go on a trip.
Wan Qiu had no concept of tourism and it seemed there was nothing he needed to do.
Butler Bai and the others simply packed some everyday items they would need for their outing.
This time, Wan Qiu changed to a smaller suitcase with a brighter color, which contained some of his clothes and daily necessities.
Wanqiu also saw the family's suitcases.
This is what it looks like when everyone goes out together.
Wanqiu gradually understood that travel is about going out together with everyone, and all her curiosity turned into anticipation.
This was the first time Wan Qiu had ever seen the whole family go out together.
Wan Qiu got up early, carrying her small suitcase, holding Chu Yigui's hand with one hand, and followed her family.
Wan Qiu turned around, and the tall, silent Yang Ze was always following at the very back.
And the place they went was the airport.
This was Wanqiu's first time on an airplane.
The enormous airport and the constant flow of people were completely unfamiliar to Wan Qiu.
Wanqiu wasn't good at walking around in a completely unfamiliar place, but because his family was all with him, he felt no fear.
As long as Chu Yigui holds his hand, Wan Qiu will never lose his way.
“Don’t be afraid, brother,” Chu Yigui said to Wan Qiu, flicking Wan Qiu’s bracelet with his finger. “As long as it’s still here, and brother’s phone is still here, we will always be able to find brother.”
Wan Qiu was holding her phone and her smart bracelet.
She nodded obediently.
When the plane ascended to high altitude, it was a completely new experience for Wanqiu.
His family made him sit by the window, and Wan Qiu gazed at the ground receding into the distance. Everything that was originally huge gradually became tiny as it flew higher and higher.
They flew high enough that everything didn't seem so frightening anymore.
Even the unfamiliar airport terminal he was seeing for the first time was not a place of fear for him; from here, they gradually became smaller and farther away.
Wan Qiu received a few preserved plum candies, which Yang Ze gave to him.
With the sweet and sour taste in her mouth, Yang said that she had prepared to avoid Wanqiu getting airsick.
Wanqiu distributed the preserved plum candies equally to everyone.
Someone was there to pick them up at the airport where they got off the bus.
When Wan Qiu got into the car, the first thing he saw was Chu Zhang, who was sitting in his seat, had taken off his sunglasses, and was smiling at them.
This is where Chu Zhang filmed, but unfortunately, he couldn't participate in the trip.
Mom said that if Chu Zhang goes out to play together, he will be surrounded by fans if they find out.
Wan Qiu had absolutely no idea what it meant to be surrounded by fans.
But Chu Zhang said they were staying at the same hotel and could hang out together there at night.
Wanqiu traveled with his family, and Chu Zhang introduced them to a tour guide who took them to see many beautiful places.
The beautiful trees, the ancient buildings, the magnificent construction, and the gorgeous streets.
They also went to the mountains, took a cable car, and watched the sunrise together.
Wanqiu learned a lot of things.
I learned what a temple is, what a garden is, and what artificial rocks are.
I also learned that there are so many people traveling during short holidays.
Even when they were in a crowd and were squeezed so tightly that they seemed about to be separated, Chu Yigui always held Wan Qiu's hand.
Whenever Wan Qiu turned around, he would see Yang Ze standing beside him, tall and imposing, as if he possessed an inviolable territory.
Wan Qiu vaguely felt that Yang Ze did not seem to be fully immersed in the fun.
Because no matter when Wan Qiu turned around, Yang Ze's gaze was always fixed on him.
He seemed uninterested in everything around him.
Although Chu Zhang said he would come over to play with Wan Qiu in the evening, he failed to return for three or four consecutive nights.
Chu Zhang finally managed to find time to return, but it was already time for Wan Qiu to go to sleep.
"Wanqiu!" Chu Zhang returned to the hotel very late, and the first thing he did was knock on Wanqiu's door.
Wan Qiu was already dressed in her pajamas and ready to go to sleep when she opened the door and was immediately greeted by a big hug from Chu Zhang.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I can't stay with you during the day, and I have to come so late at night."
Chu Zhang nuzzled Wan Qiu's cheek, then looked up and suddenly saw Chu Yigui in the room.
"Wanqiu, why are you in the same room as Laoyao?"
Wan Qiu stated very frankly, "Because I am the older brother, I have to take care of my younger brother."
Chu Zhang: "..." Was he hallucinating?
"Is Big Brother very tired?" Wan Qiu reached out and cupped Chu Zhang's cheeks, carefully observing him in the brighter indoor light.
"I was very tired, but I suddenly received the healing and warmth of our little angel Wanqiu, and now I feel like I'm full of energy again."
Chu Zhang buried his cheek in Wan Qiu's hand and rubbed it hard a few times.
Wanqiu looked at his hands with a puzzled expression, guessing that his elder brother's statement was probably a metaphor.
"Are you all going to sleep in your pajamas?" Chu Zhang asked.
"Mm." Wan Qiu nodded.
"But we finally get to go on vacation, are we just going to do nothing at night?"
Chu Zhang's eyes were very clear, and his eyes darted around, clearly indicating that he was about to do something naughty.
“Mom and Dad are very tired,” Wan Qiu said.
Although Chu Jianshu and Yang Xiaoyu had better physical strength, they couldn't keep up with the younger people after all the exertion, and had to rest early.
"Where is Yang Er?" Chu Zhang asked.
"Second Brother is taking a bath right now," Chu Yigui replied.
They booked two suites, one for Wan Qiu, one for Chu Yigui, and one for Yang Ze. The suite had exactly two rooms, and Wan Qiu planned to sleep with Chu Yigui.
Chu Zhang chuckled mischievously and suddenly opened the bathroom door.
Yang turned around in surprise, but when he saw it was Chu Zhang, he didn't bother to hide it.
"Wow, Yang Er, have you gotten even stronger in this time?" Chu Zhang grinned mischievously.
"What's wrong, brother?" Yang asked.
"Shall we watch a horror movie tonight?" Chu Zhang suggested.
Yang Ze: "?"
What are horror movies?
Wanqiu didn't know.
It's to the point that I've barely even heard of it.
Wanqiu's interest in television is mostly limited to watching cartoons; he hasn't even watched any TV dramas in detail.
"Does Wanqiu know what a ghost is?" Chu Zhang asked.
Wanqiu shook his head blankly.
Chu Zhang smiled sinisterly: "You'll find out soon enough."
Chu Yigui frowned: "Big brother... wouldn't this be...?"
"There's no problem. Wanqiu is already fifteen years old. It's not a bad thing for her to know more. Besides, isn't it normal for people to have things they're afraid of?"
Chu Zhang put his arm around Wan Qiu and leaned his head against Wan Qiu's, his handsome face full of smiles.
Chu Yigui seemed somewhat disagreeing, but there was indeed no reason to refute Chu Zhang's words.
"Brother, can I finish taking a shower first?" Yang asked.
"Hahaha, Yang Er, hurry up!" Chu Zhang magically produced a small USB flash drive between his fingers. "I came prepared."
Wan Qiu sat on the sofa, waiting for Yang Ze.
A short while later, someone knocked on the door.
"Youngest brother, go open the door, my takeout has arrived." Chu Zhang lazily looked up from the sofa and ordered Chu Yigui.
Chu Yigui stood up and went to the door.
Then, on their coffee table, there was a huge pile of junk food.
"I've had dinner." Wan Qiu patted his stomach. It had been a while since he ate dinner, and he didn't seem to feel full anymore.
"Snacks, just snacks." Chu Zhang said, stuffing a piece of chicken into Wan Qiu's mouth. "Just for fun."
Chu Zhang watched with a grin as Wan Qiu chewed his food with his cheeks puffed out, half-nested on the sofa with his limbs casually spread out.
Yang Ze came out of the bathroom and saw Wan Qiu, who had already washed up and was getting ready for bed. He was then given food again, and Yang Ze sighed deeply, "Big Brother..."
"You bunch of old folks with your sleep schedules, you can't let Wanqiu lose all its vitality!" Chu Zhang pointed at Yang Ze, "What young person doesn't stay up late?"
Yang Ze's expression was somewhat subtle, and he looked away.
Wanqiu thought his elder brother was amazing.
He seemed to be able to leave no one in the family with anything to say.
Except for Mom.
Although Wanqiu didn't know exactly what a ghost movie was, he vaguely felt that it probably wasn't anything interesting.
Wan Qiu leaned back on the sofa, while Chu Zhang lay crookedly on Wan Qiu's lap.
Chu Yigui, who was usually by Wan Qiu's side, unexpectedly sat on the soft couch on the other side.
Yang sat down next to Wan Qiu.
With the tall Yang Ze standing beside him, Wan Qiu had to look up to see Yang Ze's face.
The movie started.
Wan Qiu was also given a cup of sweet corn.
Wanqiu ate while watching the television screen.
All the lights were off, leaving only the dim light from the television, which was even dimmer than the dim moonlight.
The sound from the television began to drift in, not a pleasant sound, but rather...
It was as if they were deliberately tightening their nerves, bringing their anxiety to the extreme.
After gradually gaining the ability to understand what they see normally, they can now understand most of the television programs.
But he couldn't understand horror movies.
Wanqiu couldn't understand any of the actions of the people in the ghost movie.
Why should so many people bully one person?
Why deceive people?
Why cause harm to other people?
...Is there no one to love her?
"Why do the dead still appear?" Wan Qiu asked suddenly as he looked around.
On television, the girl, still dressed in her school uniform and looking as if she had died, had undried blood, disheveled hair, pale skin, and bloodshot eyes.
"Because this is a ghost, and a ghost is the soul of a person after death," Chu Zhang said to Wan Qiu.
"Does one become a ghost after death?" This was the first time Wan Qiu had come into contact with and understood the word "ghost."
"Yeah." Although Chu Zhang ordered a lot of food, he didn't eat a single bite. He was someone who needed to maintain his figure, so how could he eat junk food so late at night?
Although I really crave it.
Chu Zhang kept watching the movie to distract himself from his craving for food.
Meanwhile, Chu Yigui sat on a soft couch not far away, her gaze fixed on Wan Qiu.
Wan Qiu's eyes were filled with shock.
Chu Yigui frowned slightly.
Why did Wan Qiu show such an expression?
Wan Qiu encountered many unfamiliar things and, in the process of learning, came into contact with many new words that he did not even understand.
But never before had he displayed such a complex expression.
Wan Qiu's attention was on movies.
He didn't have the opportunity to multitask; he could only devote himself entirely to the film.
For some reason, Wan Qiu quietly leaned against Yang Ze's arm.
Something strange is creeping up on Wanqiu.
The screams, the dark scenes, the wailing in the movie—Wanqiu seemed to sense something.
Yang looked down and saw Wan Qiu's hands clenched tightly together in nervousness.
He might be feeling fear.
Even though she was immersed in fear, Wan Qiu did not close her eyes in fear, but instead tried to keep her eyes wide open to receive the content of the unfamiliar movie.
"That's enough for today, sorry, brother."
Just as Yang Ze noticed that Wan Qiu's hands seemed to be tense due to excessive nervousness, Chu Yigui's voice suddenly appeared beside him.
At the same time, the light was turned on by Chu Yigui.
The entire room was instantly illuminated.
"Hmm?" Chu Zhang was a bit tired. Having watched quite a few movies, he was somewhat drowsy even watching such an ordinary introductory horror film. Suddenly, the light stimulated him and made him more awake.
"It's too late, I should go to sleep. We're going on a trip tomorrow," Chu Yigui said.
Chu Zhang sat up and said, "If you're too tired, just rest in the hotel. There's no need to go out. The most comfortable state when traveling is to be able to go out whenever you want and to rest whenever you don't want to."
“Everyone is tired today, and Big Brother must be even more tired after working all day.” Unusually, Chu Yigui did not obey Chu Zhang’s words, but instead said more firmly, “Big Brother, take a rest.”
Chu Zhang looked at Chu Yigui and raised his eyebrows slightly.
Suddenly realizing something, he turned to look at Wanqiu.
Yang Ze also looked at Wan Qiu.
In the dim light, it was impossible to discern the other person's expression.
Even Yang Ze was only watching Wan Qiu's movements.
Now, with the lights as bright as day, Wan Qiu's pale face was clearly visible.
Wanqiu was probably really frightened. Although he kept his eyes open, his gaze was very unfocused.
Yang reached out and grasped Wan Qiu's tightly clenched hands, prying them open slightly. He saw that Wan Qiu's palms had several bluish-purple nail marks left from the force.
Chu Zhang clearly realized that horror movies had a more severe impact on Wan Qiu than on normal people.
"I'm sorry, Wanqiu." Chu Zhang cupped Wanqiu's face, making sure Wanqiu could see his eyes clearly. "Don't worry, there are no ghosts in this world, don't be afraid."
Wan Qiu blinked, but didn't say it was okay as usual.
He seemed to take a long time to react.
"Wanqiu, don't be afraid. I'm sorry, it's my fault. There are no ghosts in this world, Wanqiu."
Chu Zhang called out several times, but he couldn't immediately bring Wan Qiu back to consciousness.
"Damn it..." Chu Zhang even wondered if he should be taken to the hospital immediately in this situation.
"Brother." Chu Yigui's voice suddenly appeared in Wan Qiu's ear, "It's time to sleep, I'm sleepy."
Wan Qiu's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she finally looked at Chu Yigui.
Wanqiu reacted, his gaze gradually focusing.
Although he wasn't looking at him, Chu Zhang still couldn't hide his great relief.
She reached up and brushed her hair aside, and the panic in her expression subsided somewhat.
At the same time, he also sensed an atmosphere between Wan Qiu and Chu Yigui that he had not yet been able to understand.
Chu Zhang took the initiative to release Wan Qiu and move aside to make room for her.
The next moment, Chu Yigui almost made no attempt to hide his position and directly took over the spot where Chu Zhang had been standing, the closest to Wan Qiu.
Chu Zhang narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Are you alright, brother?"
Chu Yigui's voice was gentler than Chu Zhang had ever heard before, like coaxing a timid animal cub hiding in a crevice in a rock.
Chu Zhang had never seen such an expression on Chu Yigui's face before.
He was different from the man Chu Zhang remembered.
Chu Yigui's meticulous comforting words to Wan Qiu, his gentle touches, and his close proximity to her.
Everything was completely different from before.
The two boys grew closer and trusted each other.
It made Chu Zhang feel as if he could see a unique bond formed between the two of them, unlike any other.
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