Chapter 16: A Soft-Hearted Person

“I’m awake.” He hadn’t been that clear-headed to begin with, but with Fu Huan leaning in this close, he was more awake now than if he’d smeared menthol rub under his nose.

Fu Huan stepped back, returning to a safe social distance. “I bought breakfast. You should eat something first.”

Gu Shiying deliberately used politeness to create distance. “Yeah. Seems I’ve troubled you again.”

Fu Huan’s eyes darkened slightly as he fixed his gaze on him. “You’re my roommate. You don’t need to be so polite with me. Gu Shiying, this distance feels off.”

Gu Shiying sensed Fu Huan seemed a bit irritated. He forced a smile at him, but internally he thought, This distance is exactly what I want. Otherwise, who knows if Fu Huan would try to push further? The guy had actually fantasized about praying for me to turn gay. This needed to be taken seriously.

After breakfast, Gu Shiying finished the rest of his IV drip. Once the drip was done, his body felt basically fine. As long as he followed the doctor’s orders, there shouldn’t be major problems. After all, he was young; his body recovered quickly.

Gu Shiying asked the class monitor for the day off and even got a sick leave certificate from the doctor.

Before leaving the hospital, Gu Shiying made a trip to the restroom. Fu Huan waited for him in the lobby.

But after waiting for quite a while, Gu Shiying still hadn’t appeared. Worried that his diarrhea hadn’t stopped, Fu Huan was about to go looking for him when he saw Gu Shiying walking towards him, holding the hand of a small child, about four or five years old, dressed in a hospital gown.

Fu Huan’s gaze landed on Gu Shiying’s hand holding the child’s. “Whose kid is this?”

Gu Shiying looked distressed himself. “When I came out, he suddenly ran up, grabbed my hand, and wouldn’t let go. I asked him questions, but he just wouldn’t talk, just staring blankly.” Most likely a child with a slight mental or developmental issue.

Fu Huan: “Then let’s take him to the information desk. He probably wandered away from his ward.”

Gu Shiying: “Yeah.”

Although Gu Shiying agreed with Fu Huan’s decision, the reason he hadn’t let go of the child’s hand earlier was because the child had been transmitting his inner thoughts to him the entire time. The thoughts were heart-wrenching.

【Mama.】

【Mama.】

【Mama.】

Gu Shiying feared this kind of familial heartbreak in inner thoughts the most. But he also didn’t want to upset the child. He crouched down in front of the kid. “Do you want to hold this gege’s hand?”

The child tilted his head way back, trying to look up at the other gege. Just as Gu Shiying figured the kid might need to lean back so far just to see Fu Huan’s face, Fu Huan crouched down in front of the child.

He showed no displeasure, his face simply wearing that indifferent, inscrutable expression that made him hard to read.

Fu Huan glanced at Gu Shiying. “I’ll carry him to the front desk to find someone.”

Coming from the restroom, Gu Shiying had checked the map. “The information desk is at the main entrance.”

The ER and the regular outpatient clinics were separate. The spot where Gu Shiying had gotten his IV last night was close to the main outpatient entrance, which was also convenient for getting a taxi. They had originally planned to exit through this door, but a child had seemingly fallen from the sky, forcibly halting Gu Shiying’s return to campus.

The child was well-behaved, just not talking. His large, round eyes simply watched them. His skin was exceptionally pale, making him look even smaller in Fu Huan’s arms, light as a feather. He felt even lighter than the basketball Fu Huan usually handled.

The two of them brought the child to the information desk. A volunteer staff member said they would help find the child’s parents.

But when Fu Huan tried to hand the child over to the volunteer, the child tightened his grip around his neck, extremely unwilling. His small mouth flattened, his eyes reddened, and tears began to drip steadily from his big eyes.

Fu Huan could have easily used force to hand the child over, but he instead looked at Gu Shiying. “He’s not willing.”

Gu Shiying was soft-hearted and couldn’t stand seeing a child cry. He offered a compromise. “How about we stay with him here until they find his parents? I’ve already taken the day off, anyway.”

The volunteer, seeing the child wouldn’t respond or speak no matter how much they coaxed, assumed he was a child with some special needs. “Then I’ll trouble you two young gentlemen to keep him company for a bit. We’ll page for his family over the loudspeaker and have security check the surveillance footage. If we truly can’t find them, we’ll contact the police then.”

The hospital had a professional security team. Gu Shiying and Fu Huan just needed to wait.

The volunteer led the three of them to a quiet rest lounge. There was water here. Gu Shiying poured a cup of warm water for the child.

The child sensed these two gege would stay with him, and no longer clung tightly to Fu Huan’s neck. He was content to sit on a chair, but he still wouldn’t speak.

Fu Huan: “Can’t talk or just won’t talk?”

Gu Shiying: “Maybe something happened at home? Little one, are you waiting for your mom?”

At the mention of the word “mom,” the child finally showed a reaction beyond simply refusing to be separated from them. But still, no words came.

Fu Huan: “He responds to the word ‘mom.'”

Gu Shiying: “He looks perfectly fine physically, though. Delicate and well-cared for. His family seems to have raised him well.”

Fu Huan: “We’ll know when his parents arrive.”

They had already explained to the volunteer where exactly the child was found. All they needed was to trace back through the surveillance footage. Hospital cameras were everywhere. Security was able to locate the child’s department and find his parent in less than half an hour.

While waiting, Fu Huan even took the child to the restroom.

The two waited quietly. Gu Shiying also took the opportunity to reply to Zhang Zhi’s messages, informing him about rushing to the hospital in the middle of the night with acute gastroenteritis.

Zhang Zhi: You’re way too accident-prone. We’re all fine. Only you managed to eat your way right into the hospital.

Gu Shiying mentally nodded in agreement. I’m thinking maybe I should find time to go pray at a temple.

Zhang Zhi: We can go next weekend. I want to ask for luck in love and marriage!

Gu Shiying: Do you know which temple is good for severing karmic entanglements?

Zhang Zhi: What, did that person with a crush on you finally make a move? What kind of heinous stuff did she do?

Gu Shiying raised his eyes and secretly glanced at Fu Huan. This was far more terrifying than mere heinous acts. Honestly, Fu Huan had never done anything truly transgressive to him. In fact, he’d helped him time and time again. Without this sudden supernatural mind-reading ability, he likely would have gone through graduation without ever suspecting the secret desire Fu Huan harbored for him. A desire so secret it made his heart tremble.

Gu Shiying: A little worse than making a move on me.

Zhang Zhi: How’s it worse?

Gu Shiying: It’s just too vexing.

Zhang Zhi: Just how annoying is this person? Must be a personality issue.

Gu Shiying: Actually, not really. Just… vexing. Really want to get this resolved soon.

Zhang Zhi, completely missing that Gu Shiying had used the male pronoun on purpose, just thought it was a typo.

Zhang Zhi: Why don’t you actually find a girlfriend and just flaunt it in front of her all the time?

Gu Shiying: But I don’t like any girls right now.

Zhang Zhi: With so many beauties at our school, you seriously haven’t taken a liking to a single one? Not even some high school crush you never got over, no heart palpitations for anyone?

Gu Shiying thought carefully. His high school life couldn’t exactly be called dull, but his interactions with female classmates were certainly bland. There had been girls who confessed to him, but he’d had no impulse to like them. He’d never actually experienced liking a girl himself.

Zhang Zhi, seeing his slow reply, added: If girls don’t work, then find a guy!

Seeing that terrible suggestion, Gu Shiying’s heart seized. Just then, the volunteer came looking for them in the lounge. The child’s parent had arrived.

The person who came was a grandmother with graying hair, probably in her sixties. This was completely different from what Gu Shiying had imagined. He’d thought it would be the child’s father or mother coming to pick him up.

The elderly woman thanked them profusely.

Grandmother said, “Thank you for helping me find the child.”

Gu Shiying: “It was no trouble.”

Fu Huan lifted the child from the chair and placed him in front of the grandmother.

Grandmother took the child’s hand. “Guoguo, say thank you to the gege.”

So the child’s name was Guoguo.

Guoguo actually tilted his head up to look at the two gege now. His eyes seemed to genuinely convey a thank you.

Grandmother sighed. “I truly am grateful. Sorry for taking up your time.”

“It’s nothing, no time wasted at all. Just glad Guoguo is okay. Goodbye, Guoguo.” Gu Shiying crouched down to wave at Guoguo.

But just as Grandmother turned to leave with Guoguo, Gu Shiying suddenly remembered the child’s most urgent inner thought.

“By the way, ma’am… does Guoguo miss his mom? When we mentioned his mom, he reacted.”

Actually, during the half-hour they’d spent with him, they felt that this child Guoguo had some psychological issues.

The grandmother’s expression, so full of gratitude a moment ago, froze briefly. She just looked at Guoguo, sighed, and led him away without another word.

Before they left, Guoguo looked back at Gu Shiying and Fu Huan.

Gu Shiying pressed his lips together. The grandmother’s silence had said everything. Every family had its own difficult stories.

Seeing Gu Shiying hadn’t moved, Fu Huan patted his shoulder. “Let’s go.”

Gu Shiying: “Mm.”

Leaving the lounge, they had to pass by the information desk. The two volunteers were quietly chatting about Guoguo’s family situation.

“I remember that. That little boy is so pitiful. The car accident was too severe. He lost both his parents in a single night. His dad was already gone by the time they brought him in. His mom was in surgery for an hour, but in the end, she couldn’t be saved. The child was covered in blood. I heard his mother shielded him, which is why he only had some minor scrapes and bruises. Probably because the accident was so terrible, seeing his parents die right in front of him… the child developed autism afterwards and hasn’t spoken a single word since.”

“Yeah, so pitiful. His grandmother is old too, living on a meager pension, and her own health isn’t good.”

The two sighed over the tragic fate of others. However, their work soon pushed these things aside, turning a family’s tragedy into mere gossip that drifted into other people’s ears.

Gu Shiying’s footsteps paused. Fu Huan watched him intently, noticing the shift in his mood, but didn’t interrupt his thoughts.

They stepped outside the hospital’s main entrance. Gu Shiying suddenly said, “I want to buy some toys for Guoguo. Want to come?”

Fu Huan nodded, going along with him. “Fine.”

While waiting for Guoguo’s grandparent, they’d learned which ward Guoguo was in.

There was a decent mall near the hospital. Not knowing what Guoguo might like, Gu Shiying, considering his age, got him some educational toys: puzzles, a Transformer, and the ever-popular excavator toy all kids loved these days.

Fu Huan paid before Gu Shiying could.

Gu Shiying refused to take advantage. “Let’s split it fifty-fifty.”

Fu Huan knew his personality. “Mm.”

Carrying the toys, the two returned to the hospital and found Guoguo’s ward.

Thankfully, they’d made it in time. Grandmother Lin was changing Guoguo’s clothes. They were preparing to be discharged today.

Gu Shiying walked in, toys in hand. “Guoguo! The gege are back!”

Guoguo’s eyes showed a flicker of change, as if they lit up, just a little.

Grandma Lin: “What are you two doing back here?”

Gu Shiying: “We felt a connection with Guoguo, so we just went and bought a few toys to give him.”

Grandma Lin: “How could we accept this?”

Gu Shiying: “Are you being discharged now?”

Grandma Lin: “Yes. I was just finishing the discharge paperwork earlier. Lost track of Guoguo for a moment, and he ran off. Thank goodness he met you two.”

Fu Huan: “We drove here. We can give you a ride home.”

Grandma Lin: “But we live quite far from here.”

Gu Shiying: “Then how were you planning to get home?”

Grandma Lin: “Taking the public bus should be fine.”

Fu Huan: “Don’t worry about it. I’ll drive you.”

Grandma Lin didn’t refuse any further.

They brought the toys they’d just carried up back down to the car. Fu Huan scooped Guoguo up in one arm and carried the toys in the other.

Gu Shiying reached over and took the toys from him. “Let me take those.”

Fu Huan didn’t argue and instead used his freed hand to help carry Grandma Lin’s bag of daily necessities.

Gu Shiying: “…” So you were never planning to fight me for them anyway.

Grandma Lin was so moved she didn’t know what to do. “You boys are really… oh my, we’ve troubled you far too much.”

In the car, Gu Shiying sat in the back with Grandma Lin and Guoguo.

Fu Huan asked him, “Should I drop you at school first so you can rest? I’ll drive them home.”

Gu Shiying: “I’m alright. No need. Let’s just take them home.”

Fu Huan knew Gu Shiying wouldn’t change his mind once he’d decided, so he didn’t mention it again.

Throughout the drive, Gu Shiying kept chatting with Grandma Lin. She didn’t pour out her hardships. Instead, she told them many amusing stories about Guoguo from the past.

The once lively and cheerful Guoguo, now withdrawn and autistic due to a car accident. And Grandma Lin spoke of these memories with a smile on her face. It was even more heartbreaking than hearing her lament her suffering.

Grandma Lin and Guoguo indeed lived quite far. Even without rush hour traffic, it still took half an hour to drive. By public bus, it would’ve easily taken over an hour.

They helped the two carry their things into a small, simple flat, maybe sixty to seventy square meters. Grandma Lin had wanted to keep them for tea, but Gu Shiying and Fu Huan excused themselves, claiming they had afternoon classes.

On the drive back, exhausted from the turbulent night of illness and all the morning’s activity, Gu Shiying fell asleep in the passenger seat not long after getting in.

Fu Huan slowed the car down. At one red light, he stopped and turned his head to look at Gu Shiying.

Gu Shiying was deep in sleep. The hand resting on his seatbelt belt slipped downwards unconsciously. Seeing this, Fu Huan gently took his hand and placed it on his lap, careful not to wake him.

【He’s clumsy and soft-hearted, but truly adorable. Seems like I like him even more now.】

What Fu Huan didn’t know was that at the very moment he leaned down to touch Gu Shiying’s hand, the latter’s eyelids had fluttered, ever so slightly.