Chapter 28 I want to...sleep...here......
Chapter 28
Ever since that night when she heard herself call out "brother," Yu Pan has developed a clumsy yet stubborn curiosity about her ability to make sounds.
He was no longer as shocked and bewildered as before, and began to consciously and secretly try to imitate some of the words he heard most often in daily life.
Shen Yanzhou saw this and guided him even more carefully.
In the days that followed, he no longer limited himself to asking "Do you want it?", but began to point to common objects and slowly teach him how to read them.
Shen Yanzhou pointed to the water glass and said slowly and clearly, "Water."
Yu Pan would then reach out and place his fingertips on Shen Yanzhou's Adam's apple, feeling the subtle vibration. He frowned, staring at the shape of Shen Yanzhou's lips as they opened and closed, and after holding it in for a long time, he finally uttered a "sui (first tone)".
Shen Yanzhou immediately handed him the water glass and praised him generously: "Yes, it's water. Panpan is right."
Shen Yanzhou peeled open a White Rabbit milk candy, and the sweet, milky aroma filled the air. He held the candy to Yu Pan's lips, saying, "Sweet."
Yu Pan stared at the oval-shaped candy ball, swallowing hard. After a long while, she let out a short "Mmm!"
Shen Yanzhou smiled and fed him the candy, then ruffled his hair: "Mmm, sweet."
Yu Pan, with a milk candy in her mouth, puffed out a little bit of her cheek and smiled with her eyes crinkling.
These simple, monosyllabic words, which are frequently used in their lives, became a game among them.
Yu Pan's learning progressed at varying degrees, but she mastered interjections like "ah," "oh," and "um," which conveyed the most direct emotions and needs, the fastest and most naturally.
But the word he uttered most clearly and accurately was always "brother".
He even learned to change his tone without being taught. When he was anxious, he would say a short and loud "Brother!"; when he was being affectionate, he would say a drawn-out "Brother~"; and when he was confused, he would say "Brother?" with a slight rise in his voice at the end.
However, the three characters "Chen Yanzhou" were still a bit difficult for him. He could pronounce them vaguely, but the pronunciation was a bit off, unlike the character "brother," which he could shout out repeatedly.
When Shen Yanzhou returned from his work trip, the door opened from the inside as soon as he inserted the key into the lock. Yu Pan stood in the doorway, her face beaming with joy, and called out loudly, "Brother!"
When Yu Pan woke up in the morning, before she was fully conscious, she would groggily snuggle up to Shen Yanzhou, hug his neck, bury her face in the crook of his neck, and softly murmur, "Brother~"
They sat side by side at the small dining table reading in the evening. As they read, Yu Pan's head would gradually tilt to the side, resting on Shen Yanzhou's shoulder, and she would unconsciously murmur, "Brother."
Every "brother" touched the softest spot in Shen Yanzhou's heart, making him want to offer the whole world to him.
...
At the same time, the residential community project that Lin Siyuan had taken on in cooperation with a state-owned enterprise was officially launched. He overruled objections and handed the project over to Shen Yanzhou.
In the early stages of the project, there were many complicated matters to attend to, including contacting partners, standardizing technical specifications, coordinating personnel, and dealing with a mountain of meetings and documents.
Compared to the experienced engineers at his partners who had received systematic training, Shen Yanzhou knew the shortcomings of his self-taught background and could only push himself to learn and absorb knowledge more quickly.
During the day, I handle various tasks and run around the site; at night, I immerse myself in professional books and atlases.
Shen Yanzhou calculated the time; it was almost time for Dr. Wang Hongjuan to return. He squeezed time out of his busy work schedule to take Yu Pan to see Dr. Wang Hongjuan for a follow-up appointment, only to be told that Dr. Wang Hongjuan was still on a business trip and would not be returning to Lanzhou in the short term.
Shen Yanzhou's heart skipped a beat, and he could only take the somewhat disappointed Yu Pan home.
"I still want to talk to Director Wang," Yu Pan gestured.
Yu Pan couldn't say long sentences like these yet, so Shen Yanzhou kissed his lips reassuringly, "It's okay, let's practice some more. Panpan will be able to say sentences when we meet next time, and Director Wang will definitely be very happy."
“Yes!” Yu Pan replied.
As the project manager, Shen Yanzhou couldn't refuse the necessary social engagements. The company provided him with a nearly new black Santana and assigned a quick-witted and diligent young man named Chen as his assistant.
When Yu Pan first sat in the car that the company had provided for Shen Yanzhou, she curiously touched the leather seats and dashboard.
Shen Yanzhou started the car and turned to look at Yu Pan, "From now on, I'll be able to get home faster after get off work."
Yu Pan's eyes crinkled into a smile as she clearly replied, "Okay!"
After nearly a month of practice, putting aside the tone and clarity of speech, Yu Pan can now pronounce many everyday words.
The vehicle improved efficiency, but it also meant heavier responsibilities. Especially during an initial meeting with a foreign trade firm that provided design consultation, most of the materials they brought were in their original English versions.
Although Xiao Chen was there to translate the key clauses, stumbling along, the feeling of relying on others and being unable to directly grasp the core information made Shen Yanzhou secretly make a decision.
So the scene at home often turned out like this—
Yu Pan lay on the bed with a row of flashcards spread out in front of him. He tried his best to spell out the words "apple," "orange," and "banana" one by one.
Sometimes he would talk while looking at pictures and swallowing hard, looking both pitiful and adorable. Shen Yanzhou even wondered if he was abusing him, as if he wasn't giving him anything to eat.
Shen Yanzhou sat at the dining table, a thick English-Chinese engineering dictionary and several English textbooks spread out in front of him. He was studying the unfamiliar technical terms and sentence structures in the dictionary while making dense notes in his notebook.
When Yu Pan got tired of studying, she would put down her flashcards, sit on Chen Yanzhou's lap, and skillfully find a comfortable position to snuggle in his arms.
Sometimes Shen Yanzhou would let him do whatever he wanted, keeping his arm around him as he continued reading; other times he would hold him tighter, point to a relatively simple word in the book, such as "door" or "map," read it aloud in both Chinese and English, and then look at Yu Pan expectantly.
Yu Pan would usually blink his big eyes, trying to get away with being cute. But Shen Yanzhou would just kiss him and teach him again.
In the end, Yu Pan could only give him face and vaguely imitate that strange pronunciation. Although it was impossible to understand what he was mumbling in English, he could still get a comment from Shen Yanzhou: "Panpan is really smart."
Then Yu Pan would rest her head on his shoulder contentedly, feeling the rise and fall of Shen Yanzhou's chest and the deep, unfamiliar foreign syllables he read aloud. Before long, her eyelids would droop and she would fall into a deep sleep.
Occasionally, the small room would be filled with the sounds of Yu Pan stumbling through the initial consonant list, reciting words, and Shen Yanzhou repeating English sentences.
The two sounds intertwined, creating a strangely warm and harmonious sound.
Life went on in this mundane yet busy way, and Shen Yanzhou's abilities and vision improved rapidly through the tempering of his work and high-pressure self-study.
On the day of Lixia (the beginning of summer), Shen Yanzhou was promoted to deputy chief engineer of the project. They also moved from the alley to a spacious and bright apartment building with a bathroom and kitchen, which was allocated by their work unit.
The new home is a one-bedroom, two-living room apartment with smooth wooden floors throughout and bright glass-shaded chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.
Shen Yanzhou turned the smaller bedroom into a study. To the left of the door, there were two large desks placed side by side against the wall, and to the right, there was a bookshelf that covered the entire wall, which was almost full of the various new books that Shen Yanzhou had bought for Yu Pan.
When Yu Pan first saw this wall of books, her eyes widened in disbelief, and she couldn't move her feet at all.
The wall of books was clearly to Yu Pan's liking, so much so that when Shen Yanzhou came back from working overtime one day, he saw a straw mat about a meter wide spread on the ground, with a pillow and a thin quilt on it.
Shen Yanzhou was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled and leaned against the door frame, asking Yu Pan, who had turned around after hearing the noise, "Where did this mat come from?"
Yu Pan was a little smug. "I bought it from the convenience store!"
"Why put it in the study?" Shen Yanzhou asked, suppressing a laugh.
Upon hearing this, Yu Pan's gaze began to wander, avoiding direct eye contact with Chen Yanzhou, and she muttered softly, "I want... to... sleep... here..."
The sound grew fainter and fainter until it was almost inaudible.
Shen Yanzhou was overjoyed. This shelf of books was really worth it; it even made Yu Pan go downstairs to buy things on her own initiative.
He walked over, squatted down in front of the mat, and teased him deliberately: "Oh? You want to sleep in the study by yourself? Not sleeping with your brother anymore?"
"Yes! Yes!" Yu Pan exclaimed anxiously. He had indeed considered sleeping in the study... but couldn't Shen Yanzhou sleep in the study with him?
“Panpan,” Shen Yanzhou knew exactly what Yu Pan was thinking. He put away his smile and looked at him seriously. “If you don’t want me to lock up the study tomorrow, now, right now, tidy up the bedding on the floor.”
Yu Pan's face immediately fell, and she grumbled in dissatisfaction. Her bottom seemed to be glued to the floor, and she twisted and turned, unwilling to move.
"Panpan—" Shen Yanzhou called out to him in a drawn-out voice.
Yu Pan glanced at him with a wronged look. Seeing that Shen Yanzhou seemed to be serious, she slowly and reluctantly stood up and began to roll up the mat, muttering under her breath as she did so: "Going...going...going."
It was as if they had been bullied.
Shen Yanzhou watched Yu Pan's angry figure as she packed her bedding, and fell into deep thought.
The treatment of Yu Pan has always been a major concern for Shen Yanzhou.
Yu Pan can now utter two or three words at a time, forming a sentence, except for some inaccurate pronunciation.
The First People's Hospital in Lanzhou City has the only department of psychiatry. Director Wang has not returned for a long time, so they tried to get an appointment with another doctor.
However, after one consultation, Yu Pan returned home somewhat sullen and refused to speak for half a day. No matter how Shen Yanzhou tried to coax him, he would only shake his head, which frightened him quite a bit. After that, he dared not easily try to change doctors again.
Driven by anxiety, Shen Yanzhou went through several twists and turns before finally managing to contact Wang Hongjuan, who was far away in Beijing, by phone.
"Director Wang... I apologize for bothering you, I am Shen Yanzhou..."
Wang Hongjuan's voice on the other end of the phone was as gentle as ever: "Xiao Shen, hello, how's Panpan doing lately?"
Shen Yanzhou recounted to Wang Hongjuan in one breath Yu Pan's recent progress, how she imitated pronunciation, learned simple vocabulary, and her setbacks in trying out new medicine.
After listening quietly, Wang Hongjuan exclaimed with genuine joy, "That's wonderful! This is much better than I expected! And much faster too!"
She paused, her tone becoming more serious: "As for other doctors, it's better not to see them for now. Every doctor has a different style, and unfamiliar people and methods might make them feel uneasy."
"Also, if his condition stabilizes, we can consider gradually introducing him to some simple, friendly interactions with the outside world. For example, letting him greet a familiar neighbor?"
"Or he could attend some classes designed for people with special needs, which could help him build a wider range of communication information. Of course, all of this is on the premise that he feels comfortable and should never be forced."
"Study class..." Shen Yanzhou was thinking when someone shook his hand.
Yu Pan looked up at him and gestured, "I'm all packed."
“Panpan, speak,” Shen Yanzhou said.
Yu Pan was clearly unhappy about not being able to sleep in the study. She turned her head away, pouting and refusing to speak.
"Panpan?" Shen Yanzhou emphasized his tone slightly.
Yu Pan reluctantly turned around and glared at Shen Yanzhou: "I've packed up!"
Every word was crystal clear, even carrying a tone of protest.
Looking at the sullen Yu Pan, Shen Yanzhou bent down, picked her up, and spun her around.
"Ah!" Yu Pan was startled and quickly hugged his neck, then laughed as Shen Yanzhou rubbed his face against her neck.
In the end, Shen Yanzhou was still the most important person, and Yu Pan's little grievances disappeared in no time.
There was a reason why Shen Yanzhou didn't allow Yu Pan to sleep on the floor. After moving in, the weather got hotter and hotter, and Yu Pan, wanting to cool off, slept on the floor with the fan on all afternoon.
As a result, she started vomiting in the middle of the night, and her body temperature was frighteningly high. She was whimpering when given medicine or water and remained listless for several days.
Therefore, sleeping on the floor is absolutely out of the question. If she catches a cold, not only will Yu Pan feel uncomfortable, but Shen Yanzhou will also feel sorry for her. However, simply forbidding her from sleeping on the floor is not an option either...
Two days later, on the weekend, Shen Yanzhou was on leave at home, and the two of them slept in late, a rare occurrence, not waking up until the sun was high in the sky.
Even after Yu Pan woke up, she refused to get up and kept pestering Shen Yanzhou. She kept her eyes closed and whined that she didn't want to get out of bed. Only after Shen Yanzhou tickled her did she reluctantly open her eyes.
Just as they were making a ruckus, there was a knock on the door.
Yu Pan looked up curiously at Shen Yanzhou.
Shen Yanzhou smiled and said, "Go, open the door and see who it is."
Yu Pan slipped on her slippers to open the door, where two men in work clothes stood. "Hello, is this Mr. Shen Yanzhou's house? Furniture delivery."
Yu Pan nodded blankly, then subconsciously turned around to look for Shen Yanzhou. Shen Yanzhou had already walked over and nodded to the workers: "Please move it in, it's the room on the left."
Under Yu Pan's questioning gaze, two workers carried in a simple, smooth, light-colored wooden single bed and placed it steadily in the study near the window.
As soon as the worker left, Yu Pan couldn't wait to run to the small bed, press the soft cushion on it, and then suddenly turned her head to look at Shen Yanzhou, who was leaning against the door frame and looking at her, her face full of surprise and confusion.
"elder brother?"
"Didn't you want to sleep in the study?" Shen Yanzhou walked over, put his arm around his shoulder, and said with a hint of teasing, "Sleeping on the floor won't work, you'll catch a cold. Remember who slept on the floor last time and had a runny nose the next day?"
Yu Pan wrinkled her nose sheepishly and retorted softly, "No... I didn't have any snot."
"Okay, no." Shen Yanzhou smiled, looking at his excited eyes, and asked the question that had been on her mind for some time, "Panpan, do you want to go to school?"
-----------------------
A note from the author:
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
