Wan Qiu simply lowered his head slightly, looking at Yang Xiaoyu beside him.
The vast space felt like it had been enclosed into a small cubicle, and a thick sense of displeasure, like water being constantly poured in, gradually began to engulf Wanqiu from her ankles.
The clothes, soaked with water, hung heavily on my body, providing a cool sensation to every inch of my skin.
Finally, Wan Qiu turned his gaze to Chu Yigui.
But Chu Yigui was different from usual.
There was no guidance, no explanation.
Unlike Chu Jianshu and Yang Xiaoyu, he didn't tell Wan Qiu about what had happened in the past.
Chu Yigui simply turned her head away quietly: "Brother is already very confused, Mom and Dad, please give him some time."
Chu Yigui kept her eyes fixed on Wan Qiu.
He knew that those eyes, which were always filled with simple joy and confusion, were now filled with something complicated.
Chu Yigui chose to give Wanqiu more time to sort out these thoughts.
Even if Wanqiu memorized all the words and pondered them repeatedly in his heart, he still could not understand these complex emotions.
Everyone has their own reasons, and everyone is admitting their mistakes, but it sounds like everyone is right.
Wanqiu was completely thrown into chaos.
He didn't know what to say or how to react.
If it were in the past, Wan Qiu would have wanted Chu Yigui's help.
But now that Chu Yigui has also become involved, Wan Qiu doesn't know who to seek help from.
Chu Yigui said that Wanqiu needs more time to accept and understand what he heard today.
Chu Jianshu and Yang Xiaoyu said that it wouldn't matter if Wan Qiu didn't answer.
Wanqiu will always be an important child to them, a child who needs to be loved.
Under such a promise, Wanqiu is like a child lost in a crowd of tall adults, trying to find the direction of his parents' voices.
No matter how hard he searched, he found that the sound only echoed around him, and his complicated emotions interfered with everything, hindering his steps.
He stood there, looking up, and could only see the azure sky.
But the sky is never a direction.
Chu Jianshu and Yang Xiaoyu slept here that night.
They dared not stray too far from Wanqiu.
Chu Yigui watched Wan Qiu go through her usual bedtime routine.
Before closing the bedroom door, Wan Qiu's bewildered gaze remained fixed on the outside. Chu Yigui knew that Wan Qiu was hesitating about whether to close the door.
Chu Yigui stood at Wanqiu's door, separated by the door frame, one inside the room and the other outside.
Chu Yigui vaguely felt that they were always like this, standing at opposite ends of the dividing line.
In the end, Chu Yigui simply said, "Brother, close the door. It's late. Get some sleep."
Wan Qiu nodded: "Your younger brother should also get a good night's sleep."
As Wan Qiu closed the door, Chu Yigui stared at the door that had separated them.
His gaze traced the simple patterns on the door, and he stared at the nameplate hanging on it, which they had cut out from scraps of handmade material during the door's construction and bore the name 'Wanqiu'.
Only when footsteps came from the stairs did Chu Yigui turn her gaze away and return to her room.
The door was left ajar, with a crack in it.
Anyone can push open this door.
Chu Yigui wanted to see Wan Qiu push open his door.
But he knew very well that Wan Qiu wouldn't come.
Chu Yigui lay on the bed, looking at the empty bedroom.
His gaze was fixed on the small house on the table beside him, which was already mostly completed. They wouldn't have a chance to finish making it today.
There are only a few left, which should be finished before the final exams.
Chu Yigui rarely focuses on simple things; he always wants to learn.
At this age, what parents hope for most is their child's education. This is the best way to repay Chu Jianshu and Yang Xiaoyu when the child is unable to repay them for their nurturing.
Chu Yigui also knew that she was probably smart, more focused, easier to learn, and more likely to achieve good results.
But that's all there is to it.
With perfect essay examples and standard answers provided for exams, it's not difficult for him to grasp anything that has a reference point.
Upon first meeting Wan Qiu, he complied with Chu Jianshu's request and reciprocated Chu Jianshu's wishes.
But now...
When he saw Wanqiu and himself, he looked back on the past and saw only foolishness.
Only Chu Yigui knew that he himself was quite foolish.
He and Wanqiu are opposites.
Despite not being particularly intelligent, Wan Qiu possesses the methods of intelligence. He searches for himself, learns everything, and strives to grow.
Once he loses his benchmark and his direction, he will get lost in a blank world without any goals.
He couldn't leave Wanqiu.
His brother will probably never understand how much he needs his brother.
Chu Yigui always calmly adjusted himself, but he couldn't do it this night.
I always wake up in the middle of the night.
He would always listen to see if there were any sounds coming from inside the closed door of Wanqiu.
The chaotic dream mocked his incompetence.
——
Wanqiu still had to attend class the next day.
Even though her mind was full of random thoughts, Wan Qiu still slept well, as if her body had remembered to sleep well.
When Wan Qiu got up, Chu Yigui was already in the kitchen.
But Chu Yigui usually goes for a morning run and doesn't stay in the kitchen.
"I told Auntie I could come to clean up a little later today, and I'll make breakfast," Chu Yigui said calmly.
Wan Qiu looked at Chu Yigui, whose younger brother's face seemed paler and more haggard than usual.
A faint sense of 'unhappiness' permeated Chu Yigui's body like smoke.
It seems like I didn't sleep well.
"Brother, go wash up quickly." Chu Yigui didn't look up at Wan Qiu, but focused on the breakfast in his hands. "Mom and Dad should be up soon too."
Wan Qiu watched Chu Yigui's retreating figure before finally turning and heading to the bathroom.
Chu Yigui still looked up in Wan Qiu's direction, her movements as she was making breakfast somewhat sluggish because of Wan Qiu's departure.
"Mom will take you to school today, and it's on the way to the company too," Yang Xiaoyu tentatively suggested, wanting to say something to Wan Qiu.
The school is located very close to this place, and the walking time is short, so there is no need for a car to pick them up or drop them off.
However, because Wan Qiu had not made a statement about what happened yesterday, Yang Xiaoyu was a little overly concerned.
Wan Qiu did not refuse.
Chu Yigui also noticed Wan Qiu's unusual silence.
But Chu Yigui could only watch, and that was all.
Chu Jianshu drove the two to the school gate, where Yang Xiaoyu said goodbye.
Yang Xiaoyu's expression was also somewhat subtle as she asked Wan Qiu, "Sweetie, shall Mommy pick you up from school tonight?"
Wanqiu lowered his head.
Wan Qiu would still not refuse Yang Xiaoyu; if Yang Xiaoyu made such a request, Wan Qiu would only agree.
"Mom, give my brother some space," Chu Yigui said to Yang Xiaoyu.
Yang Xiaoyu hesitated for a moment, and although she could not hide her disappointment, she still agreed.
"Then... if anything happens, remember to tell Mommy. As long as you call for Mommy, Mommy will come to you as quickly as possible."
Yang Xiaoyu's voice, though seemingly coaxing, concealed her unease.
Wan Qiu remained quiet until Chu Jianshu and Yang Xiaoyu's vehicle left.
Head down, fingers gripping the straps of his backpack.
Chu Yigui wanted to say something, but she just turned around and waited for the red light to cross the street.
He kept an eye on the people around him out of the corner of his eye.
Even though he couldn't see Wan Qiu's expression, at least Wan Qiu was right beside him, very close.
Chu Yigui lowered her eyes and looked at Wan Qiu's hand.
He closed his fingers, seemingly in a fantasy or out of habit, holding Wanqiu's hand in his own.
However, Chu Yigui sensed something, and he was unusually taken aback.
The familiar feeling was palpable; Wan Qiu could sense it was him simply by touching his hand. She took his hand in her own.
It was so natural, as if nothing had ever happened.
"elder brother……"
There was no joy in Chu Yigui's voice at Wan Qiu's initiative to touch him.
He knew perfectly well that this was not a sign of reconciliation.
"I must protect you." Wan Qiu still didn't let go of Chu Yigui's hand, and he said it very seriously.
Even if I'm engrossed in something else right now, this is still this matter.
Chu Yi returned and grasped Wan Qiu.
Use more force than usual.
The two held hands as always, walking together on their way to school.
Chu Yigui's emotions, which had been suppressed for too long, were soothed after Wan Qiu took his hand.
Chu Yigui never cared about Wan Qiu's blame.
He was bothered not by Wanqiu, not by Wanqiu's side, and by the fact that he had lost his brother.
As always, Wanqiu was very active in class, taking notes diligently and listening attentively.
It looks no different from before.
But as soon as get out of class ended, Wanqiu would start daydreaming.
The student sitting in front of Wan Qiu felt like Wan Qiu was staring right through his head.
After enduring for a long time, she finally turned around and looked at Wan Qiu, staring at him for a full three minutes.
Mingming was sitting right in front of Wanqiu, in the position most easily seen by Wanqiu.
But Wanqiu remained unmoved by the stare from the front seat.
The person in the front seat raised both hands and suddenly slapped Wan Qiu hard in front of him: "Hey, why are you staring at me? I didn't do anything to you, did I?"
Wan Qiu was suddenly jolted back to reality by the actions of the person in the front seat. He stared at the other person with a lingering sense of bewilderment in his eyes.
"What's wrong with you? Fu Zhengyu isn't here, and nobody's hanging out with you. Are you upset?" the person in the front seat said to Wan Qiu.
Wan Qiu blinked, still looking dazed.
"What's wrong with you?" The person in the front seat also felt that Wan Qiu was acting very strangely today, and he felt uneasy being stared at.
“I’ve encountered something I can’t understand,” Wan Qiu said.
"What's up?" the person in the front seat asked.
Wan Qiu opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but then realized he didn't know what to say.
Wan Qiu knew he wasn't very smart, but the student in front of him had even worse grades, so maybe the student in front of him was even dumber.
Wanqiu remained silent and did not answer.
"Don't keep staring at me, you can stare at the table instead," Wan Qiu said from the front seat.
Wanqiu nodded blankly, then stared at the table. The person in the front seat also turned away, feeling bored.
Because Fu Zhengyu wasn't there, no one else would bother Wan Qiu like Fu Zhengyu did, and no one could distract Wan Qiu.
Wanqiu's mind was always filled with yesterday's events.
Wan Qiu absentmindedly opened her phone and found a message sent by Fu Zhengyu.
Fu Zhengyu: It's so great not having to go to class! My mom even made me a lot of meat today.
Fu Zhengyu: That's so pitiful, hehehe, you still have to go to school.
Fu Zhengyu: Do you want to come see me after school today?
Looking at the long list of messages from Fu Zhengyu, Wan Qiu asked: Are you alright?
Fu Zhengyu replied immediately.
Fu Zhengyu: It doesn't hurt anymore. I don't feel anything today, but I'm afraid to put pressure on it.
Fu Zhengyu: Today my dad went to the school to find the people who beat me up. I had sent a message to Brother Li Shuo before, and Brother Li Shuo said he knew who they were.
Wanqiu: That's great, you're alright.
Fu Zhengyu: I feel like you don't miss me at all. You didn't send me any messages yesterday.
Fu Zhengyu: You ingrate.
Wan Qiu looked somewhat flustered; he had intended to reply to the message but then went to class.
As soon as get out of class ended, I saw that Fu Zhengyu had sent a series of messages.
Fu Zhengyu: I didn't insult you, I was just saying that.
Fu Zhengyu: Why are you ignoring me?
Fu Zhengyu: I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insult you.
Fu Zhengyu: Oh right, class starts at this time.
Looking at Fu Zhengyu's message, Wan Qiu's previously chaotic and heavy thoughts finally began to clear up somewhat because of his friend's relaxed and cheerful mood.
Wanqiu: I didn't mean to ignore your messages.
Wanqiu: Something happened that I can't understand, and I've been thinking about it ever since.
Fu Zhengyu: What's up?
Wanqiu: I don't know how to say it.
Fu Zhengyu: About love?
Wanqiu: What?
Fu Zhengyu: Aren't girls the most difficult thing to understand in this world?
Wan Qiu was puzzled for a long time, and in the end, he just sent out a question mark.
Fu Zhengyu: When it comes to girls' matters, why don't you ask Brother Li Shuo? He's very smart!
Fu Zhengyu thought that Li Shuo had never failed in pursuing girls. According to Li Shuo's friends, the line of people who liked Li Shuo was incredibly long. Asking Li Shuo was definitely the right thing to do.
Wan Qiu couldn't connect the 'girl' to the fact that 'Li Shuo is very smart', but he understood that 'Li Shuo is very smart'.
Wan Qiu knew he was slow-witted, so he always needed Chu Yigui's help to understand.
His younger brother could always make Wanqiu understand using the simplest language.
Is Li Shuo the same way? After all, Li Shuo is very smart.
"Should I... ask him?" Wan Qiu murmured.
Wan Qiu sent a message to Li Shuo.
Wanqiu: Are you there?
Li Shuo also replied quickly, clearly bored and playing with his phone as soon as get out of class was over.
Li Shuo: What's wrong?
Wanqiu: Can I have a chat with you?
Li Shuo: What do you and I have to talk about?
Wan Qiu looked down at his phone and was also taken aback.
Wanqiu: Fu Zhengyu said you are very smart.
Li Shuo:
Li Shuo: Bullshit.
Wanqiu: What's wrong?
Li Shuo: It's okay.
Li Shuo: Wait for me at the usual place after class.
Wan Qiu turned off her phone, but she didn't quite understand what Li Shuo's reply meant.
Wan Qiu and Li Shuo didn't actually have much interaction.
Or perhaps it's just that Li Shuo has so many friends that there's always something for everyone to do.
Wan Qiu was not talkative and rarely spoke to Li Shuo when he was in a crowd.
However, Wan Qiu felt that Li Shuo had always been very kind to the people around him.
When everyone was with Li Shuo, Wan Qiu could always see all sorts of different kinds of 'happiness,' as if Li Shuo was someone who was gathered by 'happiness.'
Even though Li Shuo always looks a bit fierce, he is different from Yang Ze, who always has a cold face.
He's a very easy person to talk to.
Wan Qiu still remembers Li Shuo carrying Fu Zhengyu to the hospital yesterday.
Wan Qiu vaguely felt that Li Shuo was probably a very reliable person.
This was the first time Wan Qiu had gone to the playground on her own initiative without Fu Zhengyu present. Standing by the court, Wan Qiu watched her classmates in the same school uniform playing basketball together.
Everyone looked very happy.
Wan Qiu didn't have to wait long before Li Shuo arrived alone beside her.
Wan Qiu subconsciously looked for Chu Yigui's figure, but did not see him.
Li Shuo, who skipped class: "What's up? Are you looking for me or your brother?"
Wan Qiu then said, "I'm looking for you."
Li Shuo sat directly on the basketball hoop, without even moving, and asked, "What's up?"
Wan Qiu also sat down next to Li Shuo.
He turned his head to look at Li Shuo and found that Li Shuo was probably not as tall as his younger brother, but he was much stronger.
Lazy and listless, with a fierce face, not as good-looking as his younger brother.
Wan Qiu recounted the events of yesterday to Li Shuo in fits and starts.
Li Shuo was completely confused and had no idea what Wan Qiu was trying to say.
"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Li Shuo asked.
Wan Qiu looked bewildered: "Is there no problem?"
Li Shuo and Wan Qiu looked at each other, each finding confusion in the other's eyes.
Wan Qiu vaguely sensed that Chu Yigui could understand what he was saying as soon as he started speaking.
But it seems that others are not like that.
Wan Qiu had unconsciously gotten used to talking to Chu Yigui, but now that he thought about it, it seemed that apart from Chu Yigui, everyone else was quite different.
Wanqiu noticed the difference.
"My parents apologized to me. Did they do something wrong?" Wan Qiu tried hard to organize her doubts.
"This... how do you explain this?" Li Shuo also found Wan Qiu's situation too complicated to understand, and pondered deeply. "If I were you, I wouldn't think they did anything wrong; I think they did the right thing!"
Wanqiu: ?
"Back then you didn't know anything, you just thought he was a good person, didn't you? You just needed someone to slap you and wake you up, right?"
Although Li Shuo couldn't explain it clearly, he felt that it was acceptable to explain it in terms of the logic of someone stubbornly insisting on becoming someone else's mistress.
"Just watching someone make a mistake, are we just going to ignore it? Whatever the method, at least make them wake up, right?" Li Shuo was quite open-minded.
"Is...is that so?" Wan Qiu was shocked by Li Shuo's simple and straightforward ideas.
"Besides, didn't those two guys from before deserve it? Sending them to jail wouldn't be a problem, would it?" Li Shuo shrugged.
"Ah..." Wan Qiu lowered her head, then looked up again, "Then why did Mom and Dad apologize to me?"
"..." Li Shuo couldn't figure it out, and tentatively said, "Maybe... I hurt you?"
Wan Qiu completely failed to understand the metaphor.
Li Shuo forced a smile and said, "What I mean is, this is going too far and making you feel uncomfortable."
Undeniably, Wanqiu was distressed.
The fear of being abandoned, the fear of being abandoned, still lingers deep in Wanqiu's memory.
That……
"Where is my younger brother?" Wan Qiu asked again. "Why is he apologizing to me?"
At this moment, Li Shuo really couldn't make up any more stories.
Wan Qiu vaguely sensed that Li Shuo probably really didn't know.
Unlike his younger brother, Li Shuo was simply expressing his own thoughts.
Wan Qiu lowered his head, and for some reason, he was not disappointed that Li Shuo could not answer his question.
Li Shuo is very smart, so his younger brother must be even smarter, right?
"There's nothing wrong with that, is there? If your parents feel guilty towards you, wouldn't you be able to do whatever you want?"
What Li Shuo cared about was not at all the complicated thoughts that Wan Qiu was having.
Wan Qiu also failed to understand Li Shuo's logic.
"They feel guilty towards you, so they'll go along with you. They'll be more likely to fulfill any request you make. If my parents treated me like that, tsk..."
Li Shuo smiled wickedly, as if he had thought of something amusing.
"Since things have come to this, why not take advantage of the resources to fulfill a wish you usually wouldn't dare to do? They'll make up for their guilt, and you'll get what you want—it's a win-win situation."
Wan Qiu was very shocked.
"Don't you want anything?" Li Shuo asked.
Wan Qiu shook his head.
"Is this all you're looking for in life?" Li Shuo mocked Wan Qiu.
Unable to refute, Wan Qiu asked, "What are your pursuits?"
"Me? I want a lot more. Stop controlling my gaming all day long. Stop nagging me every day if I don't come home. I've got my eye on a mountain bike that costs over 100,000 yuan. Oh right, I want to live in that house my dad bought in the city center..."
Wan Qiu was bewildered: "Is this a sign of ambition?"
Li Shuo: "..."
Li Shuo seems to want a lot, so much so that Wan Qiu doesn't even know what he wants.
But Wanqiu really didn't want anything.
He has far too much.
Li Shuo glanced sideways at Wan Qiu, who was lost in her own thoughts, and secretly rolled her eyes.
Talking to a younger brother with intellectual disabilities is really giving him a headache.
He couldn't ignore his own brother.
However, this is indeed outrageous.
Chu Yigui didn't notice anything unusual all day, but it would be strange if there were no clues.
Just two days ago, I felt that Chu Yigui was getting better, but today she has reverted to her rigid and inflexible self.
"elder brother."
Suddenly, Chu Yigui's voice came from behind them.
Li Shuo suddenly jolted awake and turned around to see Chu Yigui.
Li Shuo's expression was almost one of terror: "What are you doing here? Did you skip class?"
When the tall boy stood on the playground, his school uniform, which clearly showed his youthful innocence, made him appear much more mature because of the person wearing it.
Chu Yigui was staring intently into Li Shuo's eyes.
I don't know why...
Li Shuo felt a chill run down his spine.
Chu Yigui glanced at Wan Qiu, who was also looking at him, before turning back to Li Shuo's face: "Excuse me, could you give me and my brother some time alone?"
Li Shuo stood up, feeling somewhat depressed, as if he had been used and then discarded.
If it weren't for the fact that Wan Qiu usually treated him with respect and even gave him gifts...
However, just before Li Shuo was about to leave, Chu Yigui suddenly said, "Thank you."
Li Shuo paused, and for some inexplicable reason, looked Chu Yigui up and down several times, then pursed his lips.
"Alright, alright, you should handle your own family matters and stop causing trouble for others all the time."
"I'm sorry." Chu Yigui actually apologized very sincerely.
Li Shuo walked far away, but couldn't help looking back one last time.
Chu Yigui didn't bring any books with her, so she definitely didn't ask the teacher for leave.
It turns out they really did skip class.
Even the model student, who was practically the perfect example, had a day like this.
Although Li Shuo had walked far away, he could still see Chu Yigui's profile as she gazed at Wan Qiu when he looked back.
Tsk, what a brother complex.
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