Chapter 33 Part 1

The water deep in the lake was very cold, so cold that Gu Yuan’s entire body ached. He tightly grabbed the hemp rope toward the direction where Zhou Chiyu was sinking.

His eardrums buzzed incessantly. He coughed once, and brackish lake water rapidly flooded his nasal cavity and lungs.

He instinctively clutched his chest, slightly loosening his grip, but in a moment of clarity, he yanked the rope back with all his might.

Time dragged on, and Gu Yuan’s vision grew blurry and scattered. With his last ounce of strength, he untied the rope bound to the massive stone. His heartbeat faded into a distant, faint whisper in his ears…

“Little Fish…”

He failed to grab those orange sneakers. Dizziness overwhelmed him.

…

In the hospital room, Zhou Chiyu slowly opened his eyes. The unfamiliar surroundings made him instinctively curl up, crying out in fear, “Brother! Grandpa!”

He lifted his IV-dripping wrist and scrambled off the bed in a hurry.

“Brother! Grandpa!”

Pain assaulted Zhou Chiyu’s nerves relentlessly. His lips were pale, and every breath scorched his trachea like fire.

“Brother, where are you?”

“Wahhh.”

Zhou Chiyu grew more and more afraid as frightening memories flashed through his mind.

Teacher Zaoxao had been so fierce, tying him up painfully tight. He hadn’t even had time to call for help before being thrown into the dark lake water.

“Wahhh, Mommy.”

Zhou Chiyu covered his cracked lips as the sweet, metallic taste in his mouth grew stronger.

“Little Fish.”

Gu Lao heard the noise and hurried over, leaning on his cane. “Why are you standing on the ground?”

“Grandpa!” Zhou Chiyu sobbed and buried himself in Gu Lao’s arms. “Grandpa, the teacher threw me into the lake.”

The terrifying memory made Zhou Chiyu even more uneasy. He clutched his aching ribs, coughing up traces of blood.

“Don’t be scared, don’t be scared. Grandpa’s here.”

In just one short day, Gu Lao seemed to have lost all his vigor. The white hair at his temples had thickened, and his pupils repeatedly focused and unfocused.

“It’s Grandpa’s fault.” Gu Lao’s withered hand gently lifted Zhou Chiyu’s bottom, holding him close. “With Grandpa here, no one will bully you again.”

At that moment, Butler Chen returned hurriedly with hot water. Seeing Zhou Chiyu awake, he sighed in relief and discreetly wiped the corner of his eye.

Thank goodness their Little Young Master was okay.

“Grandpa, Grandpa…”

Zhou Chiyu huddled in Gu Lao’s arms, his chubby little legs clinging tightly to Gu Lao’s waist like a life jacket in the water—he refused to let go no matter what.

“Don’t be scared, don’t be scared.” Gu Lao’s heart ached at the sight of the frightened child. He lovingly rubbed his forehead. “The police are catching the bad guy. Trust Grandpa—we’ll make sure you get justice.”

“Mm-hmm!” Zhou Chiyu nodded, his furrowed brows relaxing under Gu Lao’s soothing words. At the same time, the recent memories flooded his mind.

Just before falling into the lake, he thought he’d heard Gu Yuan’s voice.

“Grandpa, where’s Brother?” Zhou Chiyu pouted, tears of grievance spilling down. “I miss Brother.”

For some reason, thinking of Gu Yuan made his ribs hurt even more.

“Little Yuan, he…”

Gu Lao’s barely contained emotions erupted. A tear slid from his stinging eyes. “He’s in the emergency room.”

Zhou Chiyu froze, his eyes widening in confusion.

“Emergency room?”

…

Outside the glass window, Gu Lao held Zhou Chiyu’s small hand as they silently watched the doctors bustling inside.

Gu Cheng and Bai Wenran kept vigil within. Bai Wenran, dressed in sterile garb, sat on the floor sobbing uncontrollably.

“Brother.”

Zhou Chiyu pressed his little hands against the window, his eyes brimming with tears. “What’s wrong with Brother?”

He tilted his head up, brows tightly knit. “Did the bad guy throw Brother into the lake too?”

Gu Lao gazed at the tear-streaked child with complex emotions, his trembling fingers gently stroking Zhou Chiyu’s hair. “Yes.”

“Big bad guy! Big bad guy!”

Zhou Chiyu’s throat choked with sticky sobs. “It’s all his fault! I want to beat him up!” He cried heartbreakingly, tears falling like maple leaves scattered by a cold wind.

“Brother!”

“Brother…”

Zhou Chiyu ran to the other side of the wall, craning his neck desperately until he spotted a strand of Gu Yuan’s hair dangling outside the oxygen mask.

“Grandpa, is my brother going to die?”

In his memory, Gu Yuan had never been this seriously ill.

Zhou Chiyu squatted on the ground. His once clear, lively voice cracked into hoarse fragments as he mumbled through sobs, “Brother, please don’t die.”

Gu Lao’s face was soaked with hot moisture. He walked over and gently pulled Zhou Chiyu into his arms, choking out, “Don’t worry, Brother won’t die.”

“Grandpa… Grandpa…” Zhou Chiyu’s tear glands had failed completely. Tears streamed down his cheeks, soaking a large patch of his hospital gown. “Really? Brother’s really okay?”

Why were there such bad people in the world?

His brother was so good, yet someone hurt him.

Gu Lao nodded gently and wiped Zhou Chiyu’s tears. “Go sleep for a bit first. Maybe when you wake up, Brother will be fine.”

When Gu Yuan and Zhou Chiyu had the accident, Gu Lao and Gu Cheng had been in a meeting. By the time they rushed to the hospital, Gu Yuan was already in the emergency room.

The cameras by the Vacation Resort lake were outdated and malfunctioning, making it difficult to track the suspect. Though the motive was still unknown, the teacher who pulled them out claimed Gu Yuan had jumped in on his own.

The two boys were close, and only Zhou Chiyu had been tied up. The police concluded Gu Yuan jumped in to save his brother.

The doctors said the time underwater hadn’t been too long, and the school rescue was prompt, so Zhou Chiyu recovered after expelling the water. But Gu Yuan had aspirated more severely—possibly due to emotional overexcitement at the time—compounded by his rapidly declining lung function and frail constitution. He required emergency intervention.

The medical team and equipment from the USA were en route to the airport. For now, Gu Yuan remained in critical condition and needed further monitoring.

“I’m not sleeping.” Zhou Chiyu tucked his hands under his arms, sitting tearfully by the glass window. “Grandpa, can I go in and see Brother too?”