"Baby?" Wan Qiu ran too fast, and Yang Xiaoyu didn't have time to stop him. She subconsciously wanted to chase after him.
"It's alright, Mom." Chu Yigui, who had been watching Wan Qiu, said to Yang Xiaoyu, "Brother probably needs to calm down."
Because of Chu Yigui's words, Yang Xiaoyu did not pursue the matter further.
She reached out and rubbed her scalp where her hair had been pulled, looking somewhat bewildered.
In the living room, Chu Jianshu examined Yang Xiaoyu's scalp. Although Wan Qiu had pulled it hard, it hadn't left any serious marks.
"It's okay, it didn't hurt too much." Yang Xiaoyu only had a few strands of hair pulled out.
Although Wan Qiu was grabbing and tearing, he wasn't actually swinging wildly; it seemed more like he didn't want her to get close.
"Baby doesn't even know how to vent her anger, she barely used any force." Yang Xiaoyu casually tidied her hair, returning to normal from her slightly disheveled appearance.
Chu Jianshu sighed. Compared to Yang Xiaoyu now, Chu Jianshu's feelings were more complicated.
Being abandoned hurt Wan Qiu more than he had imagined.
This is enough to prove how misguided and arrogant his past decisions were.
Even though he wanted to make amends to Wanqiu, Chu Jianshu couldn't even find a way to do so.
When Chu Jianshu hugged Wan Qiu, he realized that Wan Qiu was really too thin and weak; even his struggles could be easily controlled.
And he was also involved in this vulnerability.
Yang Xiaoyu noticed Chu Jianshu's disappointment and said, "This may not be a bad thing. At least we saw the emotional side of our darling. I thought it would take a long time for him to truly reveal his feelings."
Chu Jianshu understood as well, and said, "If possible, let Yan Hua come back and see if we can communicate with Wan Qiu again."
"Yan Hua also said that the real reason for Wan Qiu's psychological problems lies with us. Only when we do what parents should do will Wan Qiu's condition naturally improve."
Wan Qiu had once strongly rejected Yan Hua, and Yang Xiaoyu did not want Yan Hua to upset Wan Qiu again.
Chu Jianshu sighed, "Wan Qiu's reaction is very slow; what happened yesterday is only starting to erupt today."
Yang Xiaoyu nodded: "You must have thought about it a lot."
Listening to the conversation between the two, Chu Yigui vaguely sensed that it was his communication with Wan Qiu that had played a role.
He continued to guide Wanqiu as always, and he still gained Wanqiu's trust.
However, Wan Qiu's reaction was more intense than he had expected.
Fear and shadow, like a torrential downpour in the dead of night, obscured the already dark sky, leaving no light whatsoever.
"I don't know how to coax him." Yang Xiaoyu, who was originally uneasy, breathed a sigh of relief because of Wan Qiu's emotional outburst. "I wonder if giving him fruit salad will make him feel better."
Chu Jianshu was also thinking about this question, and looked up at Chu Yigui, who had been silent all along: "Yigui, do you have any good suggestions?"
Chu Yigui could picture Wan Qiu suddenly running away from Chu Jianshu and Yang Xiaoyu after being released by Yang Xiaoyu.
After thinking for a moment, she said, "My brother is probably feeling regretful and guilty. I should be able to comfort him no matter what."
Chu Jianshu paused for a moment: "Regret and self-blame?"
Yang Xiaoyu didn't react either: "What are you regretting, baby?"
“My brother isn’t the type to throw tantrums at people so easily; this time it was just a sudden outburst due to pent-up emotions…”
Chu Yigui had been watching Wan Qiu closely, observing his silence and repression, his probing and his outburst.
"It's a terrible thing for my brother to hurt our parents; he'll regret it."
Yang Xiaoyu's expression was very subtle, and finally it settled on a subtle expression.
"How come this kid is so good at finding his own faults?" Chu Jianshu's voice sounded like he was sighing.
However, everyone present knew the reason behind Wan Qiu's personality.
Yang Xiaoyu pursed her lips, and finally sighed helplessly, "Baby should at least give us the cold shoulder for a month, then throw a tantrum and deliberately cause some trouble, right?"
When Chu Jianshu heard Yang Xiaoyu say that, the image of Chu Zhang came to mind.
When Chu Zhang gets angry, he likes to go against him like this.
"I'm afraid my brother will be too embarrassed to see Mom and Dad for a while."
Chu Yigui thought of Wan Qiu's retreating figure, who didn't dare to look back, his face flushed with panic.
Yang Xiaoyu sat on the sofa, her hair still a little messy, a soft and tender light shimmering in her eyes.
“Our baby is so innocent and adorable. It’s my fault for making such a baby cry.”
Chu Yigui remained noncommittal and said, "Let your brother calm down during this time."
Yang Xiaoyu had no choice but to follow Chu Yigui's advice, as Chu Yigui had always been the closest to Wan Qiu.
Looking at Chu Yigui, Yang Xiaoyu suddenly said, "Yigui, if you're going to find Wanqiu, could you please pass on a message for your mother?"
Chu Yigui was not surprised that Yang Xiaoyu had guessed his next move.
He would always go to see Wanqiu.
"Okay," Chu Yigui replied.
——
Wan Qiu lay on the bed, curled up in the quilt, leaving a gap above his head to breathe.
If the air conditioning hadn't been on, Wanqiu would probably be suffocating from the heat right now.
Wan Qiu's face turned red when he thought about what he had just done.
He seems to have done something terrible.
Wan Qiu also realized that his emotions had been unusual just now.
He spoke loudly, pulled his mother's hair, and even kicked his father's legs.
Wan Qiu couldn't understand why he would do that.
Does Mom's hair hurt a lot from being pulled?
Did he just yell at his brother?
Wanqiu huddled under the covers, hugging her legs, her whole body tightly curled up, not daring to peek out.
He felt he must be going crazy.
He was so crazy, it was like he was a completely different person.
what to do……
what to do?
As he fled, there seemed to be no angry shouts coming from behind him.
Are his parents blaming him?
He thought that going crazy would make him disliked, and that his parents' gentleness towards him might just be his imagination, and that it never actually happened.
Wan Qiu was caught between the possibilities and the impossibilities, a tug-of-war between reason and desire.
Until Wanqiu's door was knocked on.
Wanqiu, curled up in bed, paused.
I could hear the constant knocking on the door.
It was a familiar, rhythmic knocking sound.
It's his younger brother.
Wanqiu was unwilling to leave his bed, afraid of anyone who might blame him.
No matter how much she tried to avoid it, the knocking on the door persisted relentlessly.
Wan Qiu lifted the covers, and the cool air from the air conditioner felt like a cold water bottle pressed against his neck, jolting him slightly awake.
He stepped onto the soft carpet, in this space that belonged to him, without any memory of being violently invaded.
Wan Qiu opened the door anyway.
Chu Yigui knew that Wan Qiu would definitely open the door.
Because I can't refuse others, and I don't want to make others wait in vain.
At this moment, Chu Yigui saw that Wanqiu's door was only half open.
Wan Qiu hid most of his body behind the door, peeking out half of his head.
Her reddened eyes revealed a hint of confusion and helplessness; she was nervous through the door.
Like a timid squirrel, its attention was drawn to a chestnut trap called Chu Yigui outside the door, and it dared not immediately step forward to test it.
Chu Yigui would often hear Yang Xiaoyu say that Wan Qiu was very cute.
Yang Xiaoyu kept calling Wanqiu "baby," exaggeratingly saying that she was so cute that she fainted.
However, in Chu Yigui's eyes, his brother was a powerful figure worthy of respect, learning from, and relying on.
And now...
Chu Yigui seemed to vaguely understand Yang Xiaoyu's feelings.
He thought his older brother was cute.
"Brother, I brought dinner." Chu Yigui even pushed over the food cart prepared by the butler. "May I come in?"
In Chu Yigui's opinion, Wan Qiu probably wouldn't want to leave his bedroom today.
Wan Qiu stood guard at the door, clearly still hesitant.
"It's alright, brother." Chu Yigui coaxed, without saying anything more, his voice still calm and steady, as he waited.
Wan Qiu would never refuse Chu Yigui.
Wan Qiu complied with the other party.
Wanqiu opened the door.
Wan Qiu lowered his head, cowering, and kept glancing behind Chu Yigui.
Chu Yigui pushed the food cart into the room, closed the door behind him in front of Wan Qiu, and locked it.
In this spacious bedroom, only they remained.
There was no one waiting outside the door, only two people.
The small animal, who was so nervous it was almost curled up in a corner, realized it was safe.
"Didn't you change your clothes after you got home?" Chu Yigui said to Wan Qiu. "Change into your pajamas, I'll help my brother set out dinner."
Wan Qiu listened to Chu Yigui's words and found the pajamas that Butler Bai had placed on the bedside table before he returned.
When Chu Yigui looked up, she saw that Wan Qiu had taken off her shirt, leaving her body exposed to the air.
Wanqiu's once uneven skin tone, caused by long hours of running around outdoors, is no longer so clearly defined.
Her milky-white skin, inherited from Yang Xiaoyu, seemed to glow under the light.
“Brother’s scars have faded a lot.” Chu Yigui left the dining car and went to Wan Qiu’s side.
Before Wan Qiu changed her clothes, Chu Yigui grasped Wan Qiu's wrist and looked at Wan Qiu's arm.
Chu Yigui had once observed Wan Qiu's wounds with the same meticulous care.
He clearly remembered every scar and memorized the origin of each scar that Wan Qiu had told him.
And now, even those scars have disappeared.
Some areas still have red marks, while others only show slight differences on the skin.
"These scars will disappear completely when my brother grows up a bit more."
Chu Yigui murmured, but because the bedroom was too quiet, it reached Wan Qiu's ears.
“I apply scar-reducing ointment every day.”
Wan Qiu has been persisting, and he is also being supervised by Yang Xiaoyu or Butler Bai.
Now Wanqiu doesn't even remember what those scars originally looked like.
"Mom hopes that my brother will not dwell on the wounds of the past."
Wan Qiu nodded.
"Mom hopes to see her brother, whom she raised, doing better."
Wanqiu bowed his head and nodded.
Thinking about what he did to Yang Xiaoyu today, he felt somewhat down.
Chu Yigui reached out and picked up the pajamas beside her, helping Wan Qiu put them on and buttoning them up one by one.
Wan Qiu clutched the hem of her clothes with both hands, still feeling uneasy.
Chu Yigui lowered her eyes, looked at Wan Qiu, and said, "I asked my brother to focus on his own feelings, so he expressed them, right?"
Wan Qiu nodded.
"Did I help my brother? Do you feel better now?" Chu Yigui's voice remained gentle.
After voicing the fear that even Wanqiu himself hadn't realized he harbored, he did seem to feel much better.
"But if I go crazy, will my parents be unhappy?" Wan Qiu didn't even dare to look up at Chu Jianshu and Yang Xiaoyu's faces at that time.
"My mother asked me to pass on a message to my brother."
Upon hearing Chu Yigui's words, Wan Qiu immediately perked up his ears and gripped his clothes even tighter.
"Mom said, 'Baby did a great job. You should always act cute like that in the future.'"
Wan Qiu slowly opened his eyes wide. After finally understanding the meaning of the sentence, he immediately looked up.
“Dad said he was glad to see you express your emotions. If we can’t even take care of your emotions, then we as parents haven’t grown at all.”
Wan Qiu didn't quite understand what Chu Jianshu was saying.
Chu Yigui seemed to see Wan Qiu's confusion and explained, "Dad said it's okay, brother did a good job, and they will be understanding towards him."
However, Wanqiu was even more confused: "Why? I clearly did something wrong."
"Brother, do you know that when you see a doctor, you should tell the doctor where it hurts?" Chu Yigui asked.
Wan Qiu nodded.
“Only by knowing the symptoms can the doctor prescribe the right medicine.” Chu Yigui’s fingertips pressed against Wan Qiu’s heart. “Only when your brother expresses your emotions will your parents know how to treat you.”
Wan Qiu looked at Chu Yigui's slender fingers and asked blankly, "Even if it's a wrong emotion?"
Chu Yigui, however, said, "Emotions are neither right nor wrong; it is the actions that arise from emotions that distinguish right from wrong."
Wan Qiu felt that Chu Yigui's words were very profound.
But vaguely, it seemed that he understood what Chu Yigui was saying.
"I don't understand," Wan Qiu simply said.
"Brother, do you remember what I said?" Chu Yigui smiled, as composed and calm as ever. "Brother, you can show me your emotions, and I will guide you."
Wan Qiu stared longingly at Chu Yigui, his younger brother as reliable and comfortable as the space created by the bed and bedding.
But……
"And what about the younger brother's feelings?" Wan Qiu asked.
Wan Qiu would always ask Chu Yigui about it, and upon hearing the expected words, Chu Yigui smiled.
"My brother has always been understanding of my emotions."
Wan Qiu's eyes widened, as if asking, "What? When? How did I forgive you?"
Chu Yigui didn't offer any special explanation; he believed that things were in the best possible state right now.
"As long as you know that Mom and Dad aren't angry, that's enough for you, brother," Chu Yigui said.
"But you have to apologize to your parents," Wan Qiu said.
"Then brother should find an opportunity to apologize, if he wants to do so." Chu Yigui would not stop Wan Qiu from doing this.
Wan Qiu found no words such as 'blame', 'mistake', or 'cannot' in these conversations.
It was as if he was allowed to do anything.
Is this really not a dream? Wan Qiu wondered.
"Shall we have dinner now?" Chu Yigui returned to the food cart.
Wan Qiu watched as Chu Yigui arranged the food on the food cart one by one. She was methodical in everything she did, understood logic, and knew right from wrong.
Wanqiu sat at the dining table, waiting.
Suddenly something flashed through Wanqiu's mind, and she asked, "What did my brother want to say to me the night that Mom and Dad apologized to me?"
Chu Yigui paused.
“I want to apologize to my brother.” Chu Yigui sat down opposite Wan Qiu. “I’m so sorry, brother, I didn’t do anything for you back then.”
Wan Qiu was puzzled.
But Chu Yigui did not explain.
This apology was less an apology to Wan Qiu and more a self-inflicted apology addressed to Wan Qiu.
The time he and Wan Qiu spent together, by a twist of fate, left imprints on each other's past because of each other's existence.
Chu Yigui once chose Chu Jianshu and Yang Xiaoyu over Zhenxi Wanqiu.
He once wanted to become Wanqiu.
He used to neglect himself the most.
so……
Chu Yigui turned a blind eye to Wanqiu's suffering.
"I also wanted to thank my brother." Chu Yigui thought for a moment, "Perhaps I should say thank you first, and then apologize."
Because he saw himself through Wanqiu first.
That's why we want to cherish every moment.
These chaotic emotions are something Wanqiu will probably never be able to understand.
"Then... I forgive you? And... it's okay?" Wan Qiu hesitated before responding to Chu Yigui.
Chu Yigui smiled.
"I'm just indulging in self-satisfaction, brother, you don't need to worry about it."
Wan Qiu looked at Chu Yigui.
Although his younger brother was speaking in a language he couldn't understand, Wan Qiu felt that Chu Yigui's expression didn't show any displeasure.
Like sand grains blown by a gentle breeze, leaving a unique mark on a sand dune, forming a natural painting that has no particular meaning but is very beautiful.
"Dad specially asked the chef to prepare a lot of meat. The satisfaction of eating meat should make my brother feel better."
"This fruit salad was prepared by my mother. Although she really wants to cook, unfortunately she can't."
"Butler Bai also hopes that my brother can be in a better mood, so he put some sugar in the milk he prepared for him today."
"My second brother came back late, but he brought back a crepe. Apparently, he went out of his way to queue up to buy it."
There wasn't much food on each of the dishes on the table.
But it also embodies everyone's worries about Wanqiu.
Wanqiu put the food in his mouth, and no matter what it was, it tasted delicious.
This was the first time Wan Qiu had expressed his emotions so clearly.
This was the first time Wan Qiu had realized that he was being treated with such tolerance.
Perhaps many of the fears in the future, like the scars, will fade away with growth and healing.
Aside from being afraid of ghosts, everything should be alright.
Wanqiu's emotional outburst is not something that will pass quickly.
Wan Qiu was indeed reluctant to immediately contact Yang Xiaoyu and Chu Jianshu because he had done something he was not good at and because of a little dissatisfaction in his heart.
For some reason, Wan Qiu couldn't bring himself to be wary of Chu Yigui.
Chu Jianshu and Yang Xiaoyu were not angry at all. They had spoken to Wan Qiu that morning, but Wan Qiu did not respond.
Wan Qiu saw 'unhappy', but did not feel threatened.
Although some strange feelings still lingered deep inside, Wan Qiu still found an opportunity to apologize to Chu Jianshu and Yang Xiaoyu for the hair-tearing and kicking he had done when venting his emotions.
However, Yang Xiaoyu and Chu Jianshu said that this was what they deserved and there was no reason for them to apologize.
Wanqiu received their apology once again, and also received a promise.
He will never be abandoned again.
For Wanqiu, anything he received in return for this promise was more important than anything else.
Although Wanqiu always believed in the fragments of his memory about being abandoned in the future.
But compared to those memories that Wanqiu still doesn't understand, Wanqiu trusts her parents who are right next to her.
This sense of security seems to have given Wanqiu a more thorough understanding of emotions.
Wan Qiu made a request.
"I want to go see where my parents are now." Wan Qiu tugged at Chu Yigui's sleeve, refusing to hold Chu Yigui's hand.
Chu Yigui also noticed this small thing; it was Wan Qiu's way of rebelling against him.
"Can Mom take you?" Yang Xiaoyu asked tentatively, lowering her voice and adopting a humble attitude.
But Wanqiu shook his head.
Wan Qiu rejected Yang Xiaoyu and Chu Jianshu.
She also rejected Yang Ze.
In the end, it was Butler Bai who drove Wan Qiu there.
Fortunately, Wan Qiu allowed Chu Yigui to come along.
Butler Bai drove even more smoothly, just like his own calm and composed nature.
Wan Qiu and Chu Yigui can be seen sitting in the back seat in the rearview mirror.
The two boys, who were usually inseparable, were unusually quiet this time.
Butler Bai vaguely felt that the entire space was excessively quiet.
The vehicle drove from the suburbs to a more remote place, where, on the edge of a city of low-rise bungalows, prison walls appeared.
Butler Bai parked the car on the side of the road.
"That's the prison over there. Wanqiu, Ninghai, and Ning Qiaozhen are there," came the butler's voice.
Wan Qiu, who had been staring out the window, finally snapped out of her daze.
He got out of the car, stood by the roadside, and looked at the prison not far away.
The large, well-organized buildings are tall and equipped with anti-climb barbs and wire mesh.
Wan Qiu gazed into the distance.
The weather wasn't too hot today; a gentle breeze was blowing without the shade of tall buildings.
The two people Wanqiu thought he would never see again are now within sight of him.
“If you want to visit me in prison, I have brought my credentials, and we can go in at any time,” Butler Bai said to Wan Qiu.
However, Wan Qiu shook his head and just stared at the high wall.
Wanqiu sat down by the roadside.
It's very quiet here.
Even vehicles rarely pass by.
Wanqiu didn't want to see Ning Qiaozhen and Ning Hai anymore, but she didn't know why she wanted to come here to take a look.
What is life like in prison?
Will Mom and Dad do bad things again in the future?
Is it really true, just like Dad said, that even if they come out, they won't treat him well?
Wanqiu's feelings were complicated.
Wan Qiu sat at the prison gate for a long time, his gaze fixed on the prison.
Chu Yigui stood beside Butler Bai, his eyes fixed on Wan Qiu.
Wan Qiu had lunch here.
It was Butler Bai who took the initiative to buy it from the nearby area, and it was also Wan Qiu who took the initiative to eat here.
There were still two people beside Wanqiu.
Wanqiu also has memories of having meals with Ninghai and Ning Qiaozhen in a harmonious manner.
Peaceful times are also a form of happiness.
Wan Qiu simply wanted to stay here, and the people around him gave him enough time.
When Wanqiu stood up again, the sun had already set.
My eyes are a little tired.
Wan Qiu turned around and grasped Chu Yigui's hand.
The warmth mingled between the two boys' clasped hands.
When Wanqiu left, he never looked back at the prison again.
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