Chapter 47 [VIP]
Qin Jianling came and went in a hurry, passing through the sweet life of the young couple, and went to the airport all alone.
Han Shu sat on the skateboard, his two feet on the ground, swinging back and forth. "Teacher Qin has been traveling back and forth a lot, we should see him off."
Wen Zhiyu sped over, his back foot pushing off and his front foot sliding forward. He flipped 360 degrees in mid-air, and the moment his wheels hit the ground, he regained control of the direction. Finally, he braked to a stop next to her. "No need. He's not a three-year-old."
Han Shu stared in disbelief, immediately forgetting the lonely and helpless Teacher Qin. "When did you learn the pirouette?! How come I didn't know?!"
Wen Zhiyu straightened his back and said casually, "You only practiced a few times during the time you went back to Beicheng."
several times?
Han Shu got up, blinked, pointed to himself, and said, "I want to learn too."
Wen Zhiyu braced himself against the skateboard, extending his palm upwards. Han Shu naturally pulled him along, carefully stepping onto the board. Just as he was about to ask for tips, he smirked and said, "Pay your tuition first."
"...How do I pay?"
Wen Zhiyu turned his head and tapped his cheek, his gesture full of implications.
Han Shu smiled, pursing her lips. This time, she stood on the skateboard, raising herself by ten centimeters. Although she was still not as tall as Wen Zhiyu, she was still taller. So she grabbed his collar, pulled him closer, and kissed his right cheek that he offered.
Wen Zhiyu deliberately kept a straight face, but the smile in his eyes and brows was impossible to hide.
Han Shu scoffed, turned his head, and planted another kiss on his left cheek. "Double the amount, will you teach me or not?"
Wen Zhiyu took a half step back, then took her other hand, saying, "Teach me."
Unfortunately, the sharp turn cannot be mastered in a day. Han Shu practiced for an hour before he had just grasped a tiny bit of the trick.
She sat down on the curb to rest and asked suspiciously, "You've only practiced a few times, how could you learn it?"
"Um."
Wen Zhiyu quickly got onto the board, then did a shovit backwards, deliberately circling in front of her. Sure enough, Han Shu was captivated by this display of skill and forgot about the question from earlier. Recalling how he had fallen flat on his face or sprawled on the ground while practicing tricks, he shuddered and decided to bury that memory and never let Han Shu know.
As darkness fell, the two skated side by side, one on double skis and the other on a road ski. When they reached the front door, they put away their boards. Wen Zhiyu carried one in each hand and put them into the garage, while an exhausted Han Shu swiped his fingerprint to enter the house first.
After breakfast on the first day, Wen Zhiyu drove Han Shu straight to Houhai.
On the way, Han Shu was restless. She had sent several WeChat messages yesterday, but Chun Jing hadn't replied and she didn't know what was going on.
Wen Zhiyu noticed her emotions, took her hand, and intertwined their fingers.
As the typhoon passed, the road in front of Jielang Gate was littered with broken branches and leaves, and pebbles lay scattered everywhere. Occasionally, the sound of breaking branches could be heard as tires drove over them. Although the sky had cleared, very few shops were open, and there were only a few pedestrians, making the scene appear particularly desolate.
Han Shu went straight to Jielang, only to find the shop's doors and windows locked. "Is it still at the police station?"
Wen Zhiyu walked around the steps to the courtyard wall, twitched his ears, and said, "There's a sound coming from the courtyard."
Han Shu jogged over, listened intently, and heard crying.
The two exchanged a glance and sensed something was wrong. They immediately squeezed through the half-open iron gate and moved closer to the source of the sound.
Bypassing the pool covered with fallen leaves, and passing through the lush green flowers, grasses, and trees that had drunk their fill of water, the crying grew clearer and clearer, accompanied by the muted explanation of spring scenery.
"The waves were quite big that day, making it easy to lose your grip. Especially when you're swimming outwards and the board is being dragged behind, the rope is taut and can't withstand the huge tension, so it will break."
After crossing the path, the view suddenly opened up.
This is where the surfboards are stored. They stand against the wall, with longboards printed with the JieLang logo for students and for rent, as well as boards stored here by regular customers. They are colorful and come in various shapes and sizes.
This place used to be a place of laughter and joy, where surfers would carry their boards and go into the sea together, or chat about the big waves they had just surfed and the new techniques they had learned, before returning to the beach to enjoy the sand.
However, at this moment, Chun Jing and Ming Ge stood aside with heavy expressions. In front of them, a gray-haired man sat on the ground, covering his face and remaining silent, while a hunched-over woman who was crying stepped forward.
There were more than ten surfboards. She started pulling on the leash of the one on the left. She pulled hard, but the thick rope was very strong and wouldn't break no matter how hard she pulled. So she staggered to the right, sobbing, to pull off another leash, but got the same result.
But the woman didn't give up. She tried to pull at each one, but when she walked past the hose connecting to the faucet, she tripped over her ankle and fell to the ground.
Chun Jing immediately went to help her, but she shook off her hand.
"Why did only my son's surfboard break! There are so many surfboards, why did only my son's break!!!"
But no one can answer this question.
The woman crawled down, her hands still tightly clutching a rope, crying her heart out. It was the agonizing scream of a mother who had lost her child.
Springtime scenery left me momentarily at a loss.
Seeing this, Han Bei took off his floral jacket and silk scarf, walked over and draped them over her shoulders to cover her disheveled clothes.
The woman flinched, looked down and understood. She quickly pulled out her silk handkerchief and tentatively reached out to take the woman's arm. "Auntie, let me help you to sit over there."
Fortunately, the woman didn't get up, and instead gave Chunjing a wink.
Neither the couple knew that they would actually enter the club; they simply sat on the steps at the entrance and drank two cups of tea that Han Shu had brought them.
Han Shu sat on a high stool in the shop, staring intently. Suddenly, he fell into a warm and firm embrace.
She grasped the large hand that rested on her shoulder and sighed, "Tell me, what are they looking at?"
Wen Zhiyu looked at her and then looked outside, saying, "I'm looking at the sea."
The couple stared silently ahead, oblivious to the leaves that had fallen on them, simply gazing blankly ahead.
Han Shu felt a pang of sadness, though he couldn't quite put his finger on why. Chun Jing told him that the victim was an only child whose parents had never supported his surfing career, but he persisted, seeing it as his life's goal and working tirelessly towards it.
Now, the end is a story of the elderly burying their children.
After Chunjing explained the situation with the rope to the police, the police took the couple away.
Chun Jing wasn't surprised to see someone clinging tightly to her, and whispered, "Thank you."
Han Shu shook his head and went to meet them. "What are the police saying now?"
"I don't know yet." Chun Jing and Ming Ge looked at each other. "But no matter what the outcome, since the accident happened while renting a surfboard from the store, I will definitely bear the financial compensation."
"So, what are the club's plans?"
"Let's close for now and talk again once things have settled down. You don't need to come every day during the Lesser Heat period. I'll contact you again when things resume."
This is the only way for now.
After giving Han Shu many instructions, he left at Chun Jingming's insistence.
That night, Wen Zhiyu had an incredibly long dream, in which he spent an incredibly long day.
"Your mother said you can't come out today."
Wen Zhiyu was blocked at the door by his aunt and had no choice but to retreat back into his room, but—
"No buts, go play with building blocks for a while." The aunt suddenly leaned in and listened.
Wen Zhiyu also tried to listen and vaguely heard a man's voice and the sound of a car door closing.
"Alright, go in now," the aunt said, then slammed the door shut and left.
Wen Zhiyu pulled the small stool to the window, stood on it, and tiptoed until he finally reached the window handle. He used all his strength to pull it open, and fresh air, along with their clear conversation, flooded into the room.
"Mr. Wen, the flight is in an hour and a half, so time is very tight."
"Five minutes. Honk the horn to call me when it's five minutes."
"OK."
Wen Qi tossed his suit jacket into the car and quickly disappeared from sight. A moment later, his aunt rode her bicycle out the door.
Wen Zhiyu continued to peer out the window. It was a black sedan, somewhat square in shape, unlike the ones he usually saw. Curious, he climbed onto the windowsill, clinging to the window railing.
"Beep beep!"
The horn suddenly blared, startling Wen Zhiyu so much that she nearly fell. Luckily, she managed to steady herself by pulling on the curtains.
This sudden thought brought him back to his senses. If his aunt came in and saw this, she would definitely tell his mother. Thinking of this, he carefully stepped onto the stool and jumped down.
"Beep beep!"
Before long, there was another series of horn blares.
Wen Zhiyu felt something was amiss, wanting to go out but hesitant because of his orders. As he hesitated, a noise suddenly came from the direction of the stairs. He slowly walked to the door, his ear just touching the crack—
"ah!!!"
It was Liang Song's voice.
This was the first time Wen Zhiyu had heard her make such a sound; she seemed terrified as she trembled.
He felt inexplicably scared and nervous, but he also wanted to know what had happened. For the first time, he mustered up the courage to disregard Liang Song's instructions, open the door, and walk out.
Wen Zhiyu walked barefoot down the corridor, slowly approaching the stairwell. With each step closer, the man's heavy, disordered breathing grew louder.
Finally reaching the railing, he crept closer, grabbed the railing, and stood on tiptoe to look down.
He met Liang Song's eyes.
They met Liang Song's blank, lifeless eyes as he lay face down on the steps, his face covered in blood.
Wen Qi squatted down beside him, his obese body trembling like a sewing machine. He covered his face with one hand and used the other to check Liang Song's breathing.
Wen Zhiyu was completely stunned, his body stiff, unable to move even a finger. He remained in the position of looking down from the third floor, staring into his mother's eyes.
Is she looking at him? Did she see him?
Wen Qi collapsed to the ground and burst into tears. His sobbing sounded like that of an animal cub that hadn't been weaned yet, from an animal documentary.
"Beep beep!"
Another horn sounded.
Wen Zhiyu was finally freed from his immobile state, and rushed back to his room, locked himself in, and hid behind the curtains.
He hadn't yet grasped what was happening. The sky outside was a clear blue, with a few clouds hovering overhead. He forced himself to imagine a castle behind one of those clouds, a place with an endless supply of food and toys, and Liang Song holding his hand. Perhaps—and also that magical-looking car downstairs.
It will be safe there.
Wen Zhiyu slowly loosened his tightly clenched fist, as if he were in that castle, surrounded by happiness.
Until a dark shadow flashed past my eyes.
"Bang!!!"
After the loud bang, the car's piercing alarm sounded.
Wen Zhiyu once again climbed onto the windowsill using a stool and looked down—
Wen Qi's head was on the ground, his body leaning against the car, and a bright flower slowly bloomed on his white shirt.
Wen Zhiyu finally understood.
Wen Qi died, and Liang Song died too.
Helplessly, he retreated, wanting to leave this place, wanting to escape to that happy castle. Suddenly, his right foot, which was resting on the windowsill, lost its footing, and a strong feeling of weightlessness washed over him—
Wen Zhiyu opened his eyes.
After returning from Houhai, Han Shu felt exhausted and went to his room to rest before eight o'clock. Strangely, the more tired he was, the less he could fall asleep, and he endured until after one o'clock in the morning, his eyes still wide open.
She gave up and got up to read, but before she could turn two pages, she heard muffled footsteps coming down the stairs.
It was very light, yet exceptionally clear in the night.
Wen Zhiyu wasn't asleep either?
Han Shu checked his appearance before quietly opening the door and tentatively peeking out.
By the cold white light of the streetlamp streaming in through the window, she could vaguely see a dark figure sitting at the top of the stairs, head buried in his arms, motionless. Suppressing her doubts, she walked barefoot out of the room and squatted down in front of Wen Zhiyu.
"Wen Zhiyu," she called out.
Wen Zhiyu kept his head down, his voice sounding particularly low and hoarse as it was blocked by his arms, "Excuse me, can you stay with me for a while? Just a little while."
Han Shu knelt on one knee, using her slender arms to try her best to encircle the man's broad but no longer upright body, "It can last as long as you want."
She didn't know what was wrong with him, nor did she know what to say to comfort him.
So she whispered, "I love you."
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