He thought he didn’t need others’ understanding or pity, but apparently, that wasn’t the case.
“Okay.”
He said in a low voice, propping himself up to slowly stand. Zhou Chiyu, perceptive as ever, immediately fetched a small chair for him to sit in.
His gaze closely followed Zhou Chiyu as he softly said, “Thank you.”
“So cool! So cool! I wanna ride it to school too!”
“It even plays music? Can it play cartoons?”
“I wanna watch Cinderella!”
At that moment, Gu Lao returned. Seeing the other little ones clamoring to try Gu Yuan’s wheelchair, he was very surprised. He had four children, and there were many collateral relatives in the family. During holidays, the younger generations always brought their kids to visit him. Those children feared Gu Yuan and wouldn’t play with him. Gu Yuan, with his aloof and sensitive nature, naturally didn’t seek new friends either. Other grandsons or grandsons-in-law often complained to him that Gu Yuan was very fierce. He admitted he’d spoiled Gu Yuan and indulged him intentionally or not, but from today’s events, it seemed Gu Yuan having no friends wasn’t solely his fault.
Gu Yuan was precocious and understood many things adults did. Perhaps he had his own standards for choosing friends.
“Brother Gu Yuan, how do I retract this screen?”
Gu Yuan softly replied, “Press the button on the second row, far left.”
“Grandpa’s back!”
Zhou Chiyu spotted Gu Lao first and enthusiastically stretched out his little arms to hang onto Gu Lao’s leg. Gu Lao chuckled twice and scooped Zhou Chiyu into his arms for a couple of kisses.
Gu Yuan watched the affectionate look in Gu Lao’s eyes and couldn’t help thinking of Zhou Chiyu’s family. Was Grandpa so good to Zhou Chiyu because he knew the boy had become an orphan?
He lowered his eyes, his cold fingertips lightly twisting together.
If Zhou Chiyu knew his family was gone, he probably wouldn’t be this happy anymore.
That night, after Gu Yuan bathed, he sat alone on the bed in a daze.
Bai Wenran blow-dried his hair and then hugged him from behind. “Little Yuan, I heard you were super happy today. Were Little Fish’s friends fun?”
Gu Yuan didn’t speak, still staring blankly at the stars in the sky.
“The moon and stars are sparse.”
Bai Wenran pinched his ear. “The moonlight is too bright tonight; we can only see three stars.”
“Are they Zhou Chiyu’s parents and grandpa who just passed away?” Gu Yuan suddenly asked.
Bai Wenran paused, a mist forming in her eyes. “Probably.”
“After people die, they turn into stars.” Gu Yuan lay down and gently pulled up the covers. “Mom, I’ll watch over you from the sky later.”
Hearing this, Bai Wenran’s tears fell uncontrollably. She wiped them away, choking, “Don’t talk nonsense.”
Gu Yuan looked at her, his hollow, complex gaze filled with sorrow.
After a long time, he lifted his slender arm and wiped away her tears.
Bai Wenran frowned, sobbing uncontrollably.
…
The next day, Gu Yuan’s condition had improved a lot. Surprisingly, he took the initiative for the first time to go out and play.
Doctor Auntie was initially puzzled until she saw the bouncy curly-haired figure across from them, realizing Gu Yuan had ulterior motives.
When Zhou Chiyu saw Gu Yuan, his lips split into a grin to his ears. His chubby little hands waved nonstop in the air, as if celebrating Gu Yuan’s arrival.
Gu Yuan wore a beige sweater today. His naturally pale skin and deep, almond-shaped eyes made him look noble and serene under the thin sunlight, every strand of hair glowing with poise.
Zhou Chiyu ran toward him. “Brother, did you come to find me?”
“No.” Gu Yuan averted his eyes, staring fixedly at the fountain statue opposite, his little hands clasped behind his back in fists. “I didn’t know you were here.”
“Ohhh.” Zhou Chiyu didn’t mind the details and reached out to Gu Yuan. “Brother, wanna go kayaking with me?”
The weather had warmed up lately, and the swans and mandarin ducks raised in the lake center had been released one after another, leisurely swimming and foraging inside. Zhou Chiyu had been looking forward to it for ages. He’d just seen an uncle carrying a kayak and pestered Butler Uncle for half a day before getting permission to sit in the kayak and play for a bit.
Gu Yuan thought for a few seconds and nodded lightly.
Zhou Chiyu beamed. “You’re the best.”
In his eyes, Gu Yuan was a delicate little princess. Even without a skirt hem to lift, he carefully held Gu Yuan’s hand when boarding to prevent him from slipping.
Though Gu Yuan was taller, his limbs were slender and his frame frail, like a porcelain doll on display—precious and fragile.
The kayak slowly advanced toward the lake center. Zhou Chiyu sprawled on it, playfully scooping lake water. Though mischievous, he knew his limits; the water he splashed stayed far from Gu Yuan to avoid wetting him.
The afternoon lake surface shimmered. Butler Chen leisurely leaned at the bow, chatting with the two little ones and the swans.
Zhou Chiyu’s language skills developed quickly, and the stories he made up were lively and heartwarming. For instance, right now he was telling Gu Yuan a tale of The Little Prince’s Adventure.
Little Prince Gu Yuan got lost in the forest and stumbled upon a flock of talking wild swans, obtaining a mysterious Aladdin Magic Lamp and embarking on an adventure.
Butler Chen thought a mature child like Gu Yuan wouldn’t want to hear such childish stories, but unexpectedly, Gu Yuan listened with great interest, gazing intently at Zhou Chiyu, his thoughts drifting far away.
With a loud crash, the kayak struck the wooden houses under repair in the lake center. Due to the low indoor storage temperature in winter, the kayak’s material was more brittle than usual and snapped immediately.
Zhou Chiyu panicked and hurriedly pulled Gu Yuan into Butler Chen’s arms. “Brother, I can’t swim—come here quick!”
In contrast, Gu Yuan stayed calm. He looked up and saw the adults rushing over for rescue, not particularly scared.
On the shore, the newly arrived Bai Wenran and Gu Lao had also learned of the accident. Bai Wenran hysterically shouted Gu Yuan’s name until they safely landed on a new kayak, at which point her emotions calmed.
Gu Lao’s sullen expression was very grim as he leaned on his cane to berate the servants. “How many times have I told you? No kids from the house are allowed to boat on the lake!”
Two years ago, his grandson had fallen into the lake and nearly drowned. From that day, lake activities had been banned.
Zhou Chiyu was clearly frightened; it was the first time he’d seen Grandpa so angry. He twisted his little hands, eyes full of guilt. If not for his playfulness, Uncle and Auntie wouldn’t have been scolded by Grandpa. His legs trembled in fear. He was just about to bravely admit his mistake when Gu Yuan stopped him.
Gu Yuan turned back to look at those tear-filled big eyes and softly said to Gu Lao and Bai Wenran, “I insisted on playing. It’s my fault.”
