Accompany you back
The world crumbled before Time's ears. The screams and the crash of objects shattering were like a poisoned key, prying open the Pandora's box he had painstakingly sealed for twenty years. All the fear and helplessness he had forcibly suppressed in the deepest recesses of his memory surged back like a black tide, breaking free from its chains, drowning him completely.
Lu Yu felt the person in his arms was as cold as a stone fresh from a icy pond. The bone-deep chill and uncontrollable trembling were clearly transmitted to Lu Yu's chest through the thin fabric of his clothes. Lu Yu's heart was pierced by this chill, and he subconsciously tightened his embrace, trying to use his body temperature to warm the almost frozen body.
With an unwavering gentle strength, he half-carried, half-supported Shi Guang, who was barely able to stand on his own, off the ground. Shi Guang's body was as soft as a ball of boneless cotton, and almost all of his weight rested on Lu Yu. Like a puppet with his soul ripped out, he allowed Lu Yu to lead him, step by step, arduously, out.
The road from the third floor of the library to dormitory 602 seemed extremely long at this moment.
Click.
The door to Dormitory 602 finally closed behind him, shutting out all the noise and gazes from the outside world. Lu Yu breathed a long sigh of relief, as if he had completed an arduous migration. He carefully placed Shi Guang on his chair, then squatted down and let him lean against him to prevent him from slipping again.
The room was silent, save for the sound of Shi Guang's suppressed, rapid breathing. He was still in a semi-distant, trance-like state, holding the cup of hot water Lu Yu handed him, watching the steam rise numbly, his eyes unfocused.
Lu Yu looked at his distraught appearance, his heart aching. He didn't waste time asking for details of the call; those fragmented words were enough for him to piece together a cruel truth.
He squatted in front of Shi Guang and held his cold hand with both hands, "Shi Guang, listen."
Shi Guang's empty eyes finally had a slight focus, and he slowly raised his head to look at the person in front of him.
"Let's go back now." Lu Yu looked straight into his eyes.
go back.
Those two words struck Shi Guang's dead consciousness. His chaotic pupils suddenly contracted, and fear flooded him like a tide. He shook his head violently, his voice broken and filled with pleading. These were the first words he had spoken since then.
"No...you can't go..." His lips lost their color due to fear, "It's...very dangerous there...you can't go..."
He tried to pull his hand from Lu Yu's grasp. He instinctively wanted to push Lu Yu away. Not because he was resisting his approach, but because of a deep-seated fear. He was afraid that his dark and rotten world would taint and harm the person before him, who was as dazzling as the sun. He couldn't let him go.
Lu Yu firmly grasped Shi Guang's hand, wrapping the cold, trembling hands tightly in his own palm. His eyes were as firm as iron, without the slightest wavering.
"I'm not asking you, I'm informing you." He looked into Shi Guang's eyes and spoke clearly, word for word, "I'll go back with you. Now, immediately, right away."
There was no room for negotiation in his words.
At the same time as making the decision, Lu Yu had already taken out his mobile phone and sent a short message.
Lu Yu: Red alert. Shi Guang has an emergency at home. I'm going back with him right now. Our return date is undetermined.
The message was like a depth charge dropped into calm waters.
The first person to jump out of bed was Fat Jiang, who was in the internet cafe. He replied with a question mark almost instantly, and then the phone rang. When he learned the general situation from Lu Yu, he was so anxious on the other end of the phone that he could only repeat, "Boss, don't scare me! Brother Lu, you must take good care of him!"
Sun Rui, who was in the library's fourth-floor study area, saw the news, and a hint of solemnity flashed across his usually calm eyes. He didn't ask any more questions, and within three seconds, he switched to "wartime chief of staff" mode.
He calmly replied, "Sun Rui: I'll book the tickets. We're heading to Anhe County. The fastest high-speed train leaves in forty minutes. I'll discuss the reason for your leave with Teacher Zhou Sisi. I'll say there's a sudden illness at home and I need to return home immediately. Please pack your things immediately. I'll meet you at the dormitory in fifteen minutes."
After a while, Fatty Jiang hurried back. He looked at Shi Guang's distraught look and didn't know how to comfort him. He could only clumsily pat his back and say over and over again: "Boss, it's okay. Brother Lu is here. He can hold you up even if the sky falls."
Lu Yu has already started packing his things.
Lu Yu's movements were methodical, like an experienced parent packing the luggage for his child who was about to go on a long journey.
He pulled out a few changes of clothes he often wore from his wardrobe: a soft cotton T-shirt, a clean shirt, and a slightly thicker hooded jacket. He remembered that Anhe County was located in a mountainous area, with a large temperature difference between day and night. He carefully folded the clothes one by one and neatly stacked them in his suitcase.
He opened his backpack again and pulled out his usual medical kit. He checked the cold medicine and band-aids inside, and after confirming they were all there, he stuffed them, along with his power bank and a thick wad of cash, into the innermost compartment of his time-travel suitcase.
Sun Rui arrived at the dormitory three minutes earlier than the promised fifteen minutes. He brought not only two printed high-speed rail tickets but also two steaming hot meat buns he had just bought from the cafeteria.
"Eat it." He forced the buns into their hands. "We're not sure when our next meal will be, so we need to replenish our carbohydrates."
Fat Jiang stuffed his snack bag, which he considered a spiritual food source, into Lu Yu's backpack. Inside was potato chips, chocolate, and energy bars of various flavors. He patted Lu Yu's shoulder, his eyes reddening. "Brother Lu, I'll leave the boss to you. When you get there, call me if you need anything. If you're short on money, I'll help you out!"
Downstairs in the dormitory, the four of them said a brief farewell.
Sun Rui looked at Lu Yu and said, "Be safe and keep in touch. I'm here at the school."
Climbing into a taxi to the high-speed rail station, the familiar campus scene outside the window rapidly receded into the twilight. The car merged into the city's evening traffic, and the vibrant neon lights and shadows streamed across the window, casting a flickering shadow on their faces, as if they were separated by a world.
Lu Yu held the still silent Shi Guang in his arms, let him lean on his shoulder, and soothed his stiff back with his palms.
Time finally closed its eyes, unable to withstand the dual exhaustion of body and mind, like a tired butterfly that finally folded its wings.
Feeling the person in his arms' breathing finally become steady and long, Lu Yu carefully fished out his phone from his pocket. He unlocked the screen and clicked on the top-pinned dialog box with the note "Military Advisor."
He didn't call, but just quickly wrote a message, concise and to the point.
Lu Yu: Sister, something happened. It's serious at Shi Guang's house. I'm going back with him now.
Less than three seconds after the message was sent, Lu Yao called directly. Lu Yu glanced at Shi Guang, who was sleeping soundly in his arms, and immediately pressed the reject button, then quickly sent a message back.
[Lu Yu: Don’t call, he just fell asleep]
There was silence on the other side of the screen for a moment, and Lu Yao obviously understood from these words.
Lu Yaoyaoyaoyao: Send me the address. How serious is the situation? What do you need me to do?
Lu Yu: Anhe County. The situation is very complicated, involving his father's gambling debts and domestic violence.
Lu Yu's fingertips paused on the screen, and he didn't say too much. He didn't want to expose Shi Guang's most unbearable wound so bluntly, even to his sister.
Lu Yao seemed to understand the difficulty of the matter instantly.
Lu Yaoyaoyaoyao: Lu Yu, listen carefully. This isn't a school fight. Family disputes in a small town are ten thousand times more complicated than you might imagine. Human hearts and relationships are the most difficult to deal with.
Lu Yaoyaoyaoyao: First, don't be impulsive. Never use your fists to solve problems. Call the police immediately and expose everything. Let the law intervene. Second, protect him, but more importantly, protect yourself. Don't let yourself get caught up in this. Third...
Lu Yao's message paused for a moment, and then a transfer information popped up.
[Lu Yaoyaoyaoyao transfers 50,000.00 yuan to you]
Lu Yaoyaoyaoyao: I'll transfer 50,000 to you as a backup. If you're short of money, let me know anytime. Remember, don't waste your emotions on problems that can be solved with money. You're his only support now, so you can't mess around.
Looking at the heavy transfer, Lu Yu felt a warm feeling in his heart.
He replied.
【Lu Yu: Got it, I know my limits.】
【Lu Yaoyaoyaoyao: Okay.】
Lu Yao only replied with one word, but Lu Yu could imagine her serious and trusting look on the other end of the phone.
Lu Yaoyaoyaoyao: Lu Yu, remember what I told you before. To like someone is to be the one who can both put on armor for him and let him take it off. Now, it's your turn to put on armor for him.
Lu Yaoyaoyaoyao: He's part of our family now. Protect him, and protect yourself. Go.
Lu Yu put away his phone, and the light from the screen went out in the dark car. He turned his head and looked down at the person in his arms, taking in his furrowed brow and pale lips.
His sister's words, like a key, instantly unlocked the last shackles in his heart. She was right. From the moment he decided to go back with Shi Guang, this was not just his own business, it was their family's business.
He had only one thought in his mind, extremely clear and firm.
Don't be afraid, this time, I am the star that came for you.
No matter how dark the night ahead is, no matter how thorny the road home is, I will light up all the directions for you.
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