Jiang Chuting was so surprised, and knowing that he was the one the man disliked, he didn't know how to face the smiling face in front of him, and remained silent for a long time.
Therefore, compared to Lin Zhi's fiery enthusiasm, his reaction was far too indifferent.
Lin Zhi quickly realized it, and suppressed the huge disappointment in his heart. He thought Chu Ran would be happy to hug him, pat his head and say, "Que'er has grown so much."
Slowly releasing his arm, Lin Zhi continued to smile and casually asked him, "Where have you been all these years? What have you been doing? I couldn't find you anywhere."
Jiang Chuting felt quite uncomfortable. It was really hard to connect the bright and obedient child in front of him with the boy who had maliciously provoked and mocked him back then. After forcing himself to calm down, he finally spoke after hearing this, "You were looking for me?" Even though he had taken a disguise pill and his voice would be different from before, he was still worried about being recognized, so he deliberately lowered his voice.
His gentle, wind-like voice overlapped with the one in her memory, and Lin Zhi's eyes brightened as she looked at him. "Yes, I looked for you. I was taken back by my family and couldn't get out. When I was finally able to get out, I could no longer find you."
Lin Zhi had sneaked out of his house, but by mistake, he stumbled into a heavily guarded medicinal herb garden. Chased by people with knives, he tripped and tumbled down a hillside, his face scratched by poisonous plants. He barely made it to the street before collapsing from the pain. This person took him in and cared for him tenderly, not minding his face covered in sores, bleeding, oozing pus, and even foul-smelling fluid, and personally cleaned it for him. When Lin Zhi was in pain and unable to sleep after applying medicine, this person held him in their arms, speaking softly and comforting him, staying up all night with him.
Lin Zhi felt that he must be the gentlest person in the world, and her deep attachment to him even exceeded that to some of her family members.
Later, he was found and taken home and put in solitary confinement. When he was allowed to go out, he couldn't find the person anywhere. He felt extremely sad and regretted not revealing his real name and identity sooner.
Although so many years have passed, everything about Chu Ran is still miraculously etched in Lin Zhi's mind; she has never forgotten him. His bright, gentle black eyes, like stars; his clear, relaxed smile; his pleasant voice; his fragrant scent; his warm embrace… From childhood to adulthood, she would recall him when she was happy, and even more so when she was unhappy. Gradually, it seemed to have become a kind of obsession, always thinking that she had to see him again in this lifetime.
We had only brushed past each other on the street, just a fleeting glance, but I quickly realized what was happening and turned back to catch up.
It really was him! There was no mistake! In that instant, Lin Zhi felt as if a thousand fireworks had exploded brilliantly in his mind, and the extreme joy made his blood boil. So it turns out that obsession really works; even God remembers it for him.
Even though Chu Ran's reaction was not quite what he expected, he was still very satisfied to meet this person again.
Jiang Chuting temporarily put aside her chaotic thoughts, tried to make her tone sound more natural, and replied, "I see." Then she answered his previous question, "These past few years, I've had no plans and just wandered around wherever I wanted. It's normal that you couldn't find me."
Although the man's features were gentle, there was always an inexplicable sense of distance between him and Lin Zhi. Lin Zhi couldn't help but think that when he was a child, even though he was so ugly, the man didn't mind holding him and sleeping with him, and he gently pampered him. Now that Lin Zhi had grown up and become handsome, the man had become indifferent.
Could it be that Chu Ran only likes ugly kids?
Or is it that he is just as kind and warm to everyone else, and I am just an ordinary person among those who are kind and helpful to him, and after so long, I am no longer special to him?
The moment this thought popped into Lin Zhi's head, he felt an overwhelming sense of frustration and bitterness, as if what he had been caring about was actually insignificant to others.
Lin Zhi pursed her lips, secretly observing his expression, and asked in a low voice, "Then when I disappeared, did you look for me?"
Jiang Chuting truthfully replied, "I searched for a long time and asked others to inquire, but I still couldn't find it." After being forced to swallow the pill by Lin Xuan, he continued to search the vicinity for some time and also asked Jiang Xian to help inquire and keep an eye out, but there was no further news.
She searched for a long time. She even asked around. Hearing this, a hint of sweetness suddenly seeped into the original bitterness, turning it into a bittersweet feeling. Lin Zhi hurriedly said, "Actually, I didn't mean to leave without saying goodbye. I wanted to pick flowers for you, but they caught me and took me back. I didn't even have time to tell you. Later I..."
"It's alright, as long as you're safe." His anxious explanation finally made Jiang Chuting chuckle softly. "I never blamed you."
He finally smiled, his eyes crinkling into a clear, captivating smile, his gaze shimmering with tender affection—exactly the beautiful image Lin Zhiji always longed for. Lin Zhiji felt a warm, tingling sensation in her chest, as if something powerful was surging within her heart, almost bursting forth.
Lin Zhi gently scratched her feverish earlobe with her fingers, then, as if remembering something, she confessed sincerely, "By the way, actually, my real name is Lin Zhi. Yun Que is a name I used to adopt from my father. I was planning to tell you the truth, but I didn't have time. Please don't blame me, okay?"
Jiang Chuting said, "It's not your fault. It's good to be wary of others."
I saved him back then and treated him so well, partly because I was soft-hearted, and partly because his name sounded so similar to Zi Que's.
It turned out he was the one in disguise. Lin Zhi's face was injured back then, making his appearance unrecognizable, and Jiang Chuting had never doubted the child's identity. How could he have known that such a coincidence would happen?
The child was very attached to him when he was little; they ate and slept together and had a very close relationship. If he really raised a son, he wouldn't treat him much the same way.
If he were to reunite with "Lark" today, he would certainly be overjoyed, would hug him, and would offer to find a place to have a good tea and chat.
But Yun Que was no longer Yun Que; she was now Lin Zhi, who regarded him as an enemy.
Not revealing his identity to him would be deception. But if he did reveal it, given the child's misunderstandings and prejudices, he would surely believe he had deliberately deceived him to get close, and his hatred for him would deepen. Jiang Chuting didn't want that.
The best solution is to let "Chu Ran" retain that beautiful impression in Lin Zhi's heart, and for him to never see the child with that face again.
Having made his decision, Jiang Chuting said no more, made an excuse to leave him, and said, "Lin Zhi, I have something to take care of, so I'll be going now."
Lin Zhi was taken aback: "You're leaving already??" After such a long separation, you're already leaving after only exchanging a few words? He felt reluctant and lonely, even a little anxious. In the end, he was unwilling to let him leave like this, so he immediately volunteered: "What do you need to take care of? I can help. You can ask me to do anything, I definitely won't cause you any trouble."
Lin Zhiming's clear, dark eyes were filled with undisguised reluctance and longing, even with a hint of pleading. He tugged at Chu Ran's sleeve and shook it, saying, "Chu Ran, promise me, I don't want to be separated from you so soon."
Jiang Chuting felt her limbs stiffen under his gaze. If he knew the true identity behind that face, he would surely regret it immensely, perhaps even feel nauseous. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "Lin Zhi, really, it's not necessary. I can handle things on my own." She then gently pulled her sleeve back from his hand.
Lin Zhi looked at her empty hand with extreme sadness, her eyes filled with dejection, yet she still refused to give up, saying with a sense of loss, "Then tell me, where do you usually live? Where should I look for you in the future? You have to give me some news, I..."
"It's hard to say." The more sincere he was, the more Jiang Chuting wanted to escape. Before he could finish speaking, he interrupted, "I'm a wanderer, my life is unpredictable. If we're meant to be, we'll meet again."
To Lin Zhi, this was tantamount to telling him directly that she didn't want to see him again. Lin Zhi's eyes instantly reddened and moistened, her cheeks puffed out slightly, and she stared at him intently, her sad and aggrieved tears seeming to well up at any moment.
Jiang Chuting was speechless for a moment, met his gaze, and sighed inwardly. She steeled herself and took a step forward.
As he walked past Lin Zhi, Lin Zhi raised his hand as if to grab his clothes, but failed.
Even after Jiang Chuting had walked far away, he could still feel the gaze following him, making his back burn.
Jiang Chuting knew that Lin Zhi had been following behind her and hadn't disappeared after a quarter of an hour. She couldn't let him continue following her, so she had to stop and turn around.
Before long, Lin Zhi peeked out from the alley not far away, one hand gripping the wall, looking at him expectantly, looking rather pitiful.
Jiang Chuting felt both helpless and troubled. What was she supposed to do with this child?
Lin Zhi traced his fingers lightly back and forth on the wall a few times, and said in a muffled voice, "Can we have a meal together after you're done with your business?"
Jiang Chuting had already reflected on his actions on the way. Lin Zhi so deeply missed the "Chu Ran" of his memories; even if he wanted to avoid him, he shouldn't have been so heartless as to leave in such a hurry, leaving only regret. It would have been better to conceal his identity, have a proper get-together with Lin Zhi, fulfill his wish, and prevent him from feeling resentful and constantly searching for him.
Thinking of this, Jiang Chuting smiled and readily agreed, "Okay."
The word "good" had barely left his lips when Lin Zhi rushed towards him, her eyes wide with disbelief as she asked, "Really? Really? You're not lying to me?"
"I'm not lying to you," Jiang Chuting said to him. "Ten days from now, after I've finished dealing with things, I should still be passing through this place, and I'll meet you then."
Jiang Chuting deliberately postponed the meeting. Lin Zhi was so excited and overjoyed because it was the first time the two had met in many years. In another ten days, his surging emotions would naturally subside with time, and after meeting and saying goodbye, he wouldn't be as sad as he was today.
"Ten days later..." It felt like a long time, but Lin Zhi didn't object. It was good that he agreed. He said to him, "Ten days it is!"
After agreeing on a meeting place, Lin Zhi seemed a little uneasy and repeatedly confirmed with him, "Chu Ran, you're not lying to me, are you? You'll definitely come, right?"
Jiang Chuting said gently, "How could I lie to you? I will definitely keep my promise."
Lin Zhi gazed at him intently for a moment, then suddenly opened his arms and hugged him. Jiang Chuting's expression froze, and before he could react, Lin Zhi had already let go.
Lin Zhi put her hands on his shoulders, smiled at him, revealing her pointed little tiger teeth, and said, "Then it's a deal, okay? I'll wait and wait until you come."
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