novel
| ← Ch.098 | Ch.100 → |
Chapter 99
The corner of He Shen's lips were hooked up. He added, "En, I'll be jealous."
The petrified Zhao Puyu went 'pa-da' and crumbled into rock pieces.
Qiao Shao silently looked at He Shen."And you're proud of it?"
He Shen took advantage of a blind angle and kissed the back of his hand."I'm very proud." He got Qiao Shao to like him. He deserved to be proud.
Qiao Shao hurriedly withdrew his hand and said, "Okay. Don't get ahead of yourself. I give you an inch and you take a mile!"
He Shen no longer flailed about. He stared fixedly at him, his feelings on full display, filled with ingrained fondness.
The frightened Zhao Puyu couldn't say even half a word, and immediately fled.
Qiao Shao didn't care about him anymore. That stone head knew how to make a pest of himself. He should have left earlier. He had absolutely zero awareness of when he was being a light bulb.
He Shen glanced at Qiao Zongmin from out the corner of his eye and asked Qiao Shao, "Would you like to go outside?"
Qiao Shao said, "Okay."
He came here to find his memories. As a result, he hadn't found any memories but found his boyfriend instead.
He Shen said, "Come here."
Qiao Shao asked him, "Is it okay for you to leave?"
He Shen said, "It's fine."
Although he was the host of the banquet, after the formal portion was over, everyone was more inclined to mingle and talk. Especially since one Qiao Zongmin was here. Who in the banquet wouldn't want to talk to President Qiao? After all, He Shen was just some reckless youngster and they couldn't let go of their image to come talk to him.
Qiao Shao also glanced at his father and found that he couldn't pull away. He led He Shen by the hand and said, "Take me outside to have a look."
He Shen intertwined their fingers and the two went out together, hiding from the crowd.
The heat of summer nights had already faded away from the September evening. It has become pleasantly cooler. Although they wore a full set of western formal suits, they won't feel stifled.
The Xie Family garden was expansive. Although it had been decorated with countless lights, it still felt open and spacious.
He Shen was concerned about him."Won't you be scared?" After leaving the banquet hall, it was very quiet outside.
Qiao Shao held his hand tightly and said, "As long as you're here, I'll be fine."
He Shen's heart went soft and he couldn't help it."There's no one here."
Qiao Shao: "Huh?" He completely failed to realize that he had been tantalizing a certain someone this whole evening.
He Shen pulled him to hide behind the fountain and held his neck. Qiao Shao's eyes widened, his heart pounding. His hands subconsciously grabbed his back, leaving creases on the expensive suit.
When the two separated, one was reluctant to let go and the other was completely red in the face.
Qiao Shao: "What if someone passes by?"
He Shen said, "Then I'll introduce them to my boyfriend."
Qiao Shao inwardly felt very pleased. Outwardly, he still tried to intimidate the other."What if it were my dad!"
He Shen said, "Mr. Qiao can't possibly leave the party right now."
After some thought, Qiao Shao had to agree. He finally relaxed.
He Shen remembered about his condition."Let's go and take a look at the garden?"
Qiao Shao also wanted to retrieve his memory."Okay. I'll see if I can remember anything."
He Shen made as if to speak but stopped. He wanted to ask but was afraid of triggering Qiao Shao.
Qiao Shao sensed his thoughts, and he said frankly, "I don't remember anything about it."
He Shen held his hand tightly. Until now he still wasn't able to get shake of the shock he'd received at finding out that Qiao Shao was Qiao Yi. This shock had nothing to do with anything else other than the agony of knowing what he had gone through.
What exactly had Qiao Shao experienced when he'd been kidnapped for that entire year? Qiao Zongmin had overturned the entire S city but found no one. Just where had Qiao Shao been hidden? One year later, how did Qiao Shao come back by himself?
When he returned, Qiao Shao's body and spirit had completely collapsed. What kind of treatment did he have to go through to get to how he was now?
He Shen had an eidetic memory, so he could easily recall every little detail after the two of them met.
When he first saw him, Qiao Shao had been as thin as a grade schooler. His growth had been severely stunted. And when he remembered how lightly Qiao Shao slept when he had first stayed over, He Shen felt like his heart was being gouged out.
He Shen had a lot he wanted to ask, but he dared not ask a single thing.
Qiao Shao sighed lightly."I forgot all about that year. I even forgot all my previous memories before that. After more than two years of treatment, I had basically recovered and could go back to school, but I couldn't eat anything. I couldn't sleep well and I was afraid of the quiet."
He Shen's fingers trembled. He held Qiao Shao's hand like he was holding fragile porcelain.
Qiao Shao said, "During those two years when I wasn't doing well my mom passed away from sickness, and I..." He laughed at himself uneasily, "forgot about her too."
He Shen felt a stab in his heart. He understood this same kind of suffering."Don't be sad." These three words were so futile, but what could he say? The pain of losing someone you loved dearly could only be understood by someone who had gone through it as well.
Qiao Shao sighed softly and said, "Later, my therapist suggested a change in environment. I should go to a completely unfamiliar environment." He had too many acquaintances in his previous high school. Even if he changed his name, everyone knew that he was Qiao Yi, everyone knew what he had gone through, and everyone knew that he has severe PTSD.
For these reasons, both the teacher and the students treated him cautiously. Even the simple-minded Zhao Puyu didn't dare speak to him loudly.
Being treated in such a special manner, not only was Qiao Shao not able to make progress, he was even sinking deeper and deeper.
Everyone was an unwitting reminder. You were kidnapped for a year, you're sick and unwell, you're not a normal person.
If Qiao Shao were to remain in such an environment, his mental state would only get worse. His lack of appetite and insomnia would only become more severe.
He Shen asked him, "So you came to East High?"
Qiao Shao said, "Yes, I concealed my identity not because I'm Da Qiao's son, but because I was Qiao Yi." The incident had been too sensational, the news had spread everywhere. If he had exposed himself as Qiao Yi, East High would have become just like his previous middle school. He'd be given special treatment once again and his transfer would be meaningless.
What He Shen cared about was, "Then it seems like the new environment is very effective for you?"
Qiao Shao turned to look at him."You're very effective for me."
He Shen's heart trembled.
Once the words were out, Qiao Shao found that he had been too cheesy. He quickly added, "And... There's also Chen Su, Song Yixu and Wei Jiayu, those guys..."
He Shen said back in a low voice— You are also very effective for me.
Qiao Shao didn't hear it clearly."Huh?"
He Shen smiled at him."Nothing."
Qiao Shao accused him."Don't leave people hanging."
He Shen said, "Let's talk about it later."
Qiao Shao was very dissatisfied.
He Shen said, "I want to hear more about you."
Qiao Shao saw that he really didn't want to talk about it, so he didn't pursue the matter anymore. He talked about the memory fragments he remembered, all of which happened at the Xie Family's house.
He Shen was startled when he heard this."Can you remember what flower it was?"
Qiao Shao had a memory of the previous Xie Family birthday banquet where he picked a flower and gave it to his mother.
When He Shen asked this question, Qiao Shao had the appearance of the flower appeared in his mind."Pink... It's quite big and very fragrant..." Qiao Shao remembered."Lily!" A pink lily!
He Shen said, "Are you sure? It's now September. The lily's flowering period has already passed." There were spots for lilies in the gardens, they were even pink ones. But after July, they have all wilted already.
Qiao Shao didn't have such a good memory, but he remembered this part particularly clearly."It was a lily. I'm sure."
He had been very young at the time and he didn't know what kind of flower that was. But now he knew. He brought it to mind again and said, "That kind of lily can't have been kept out in the open air."
Although lilies flowered during summer, it was often available in the flower shops. Even in winter, they were cultivated in greenhouses.
He Shen took a breath and said, "Was it ten years ago?"
Qiao Shao really couldn't remember this point very well. He said, "In any case, I was very young then."
He Shen said, "Come with me."
Qiao Shao followed him and they passed through a small footpath. They arrived at a side door on the east side of the mansion.
It was already eight or nine o'clock. It was all dark, the moon hung curved on the horizon and the light it cast was very faint. The farther east they went, the dimmer the lights from the mansion got. In front of this side door, the only light left was a dim floor lamp.
He Shen asked him again, "Are you afraid?" It was extraordinarily quiet here.
Qiao Shao shook his hand and said, "I'm fine."
He Shen said, "Then, I'll open the door."
Qiao Shao was inexplicably nervous, staring at this time-worn and weathered door.
The door opened with a creak, and Qiao Shao saw a small courtyard.
The courtyard was bleak and desolate, but very clean. There was a big emerald colored tree leaning against the side of the wall. There was an old wicker chair under the tree, a small table with a vase on top stood beside it.
Seeing this scene, Qiao Shao suddenly saw the light.
The night disappeared, the old and worn courtyard was replaced by dazzling daylight and everything looked new.
Qiao Shao remembered...
At the Xie Family's mansion ten years ago, he was annoyed by the dull and boring banquet and slipped away by himself. He ran around until he came to this little side door.
He saw a child in front of him and wanted to go play with him, but then he heard a scolding.
A maid whose features he couldn't see clearly was shouting."Where are you going, young master? The master has been looking for you everywhere!"
Hearing this commotion, Qiao Shao hid in the bushes, revealing only a pair of big eyes as he secretly watched.
He couldn't see the child's face clearly. He only saw that he had a beautiful pink lily clasped behind his back.
The boy's voice was very soft: "I... will go back immediately."
The maid said, "Today is the master's birthday banquet. What will we do if the master finds out you ran to this place!"
The boy said, "I just came to see my mother..."
The maid said, "The madam is sick, you shouldn't disturb her!"
The boy said, "She isn't."
The maid scolded, "The madam is very sick. Young master, don't make trouble!"
The boy insisted, "She's not sick, she's very healthy. She's here, I..."
The maid grabbed the boy's arm and said, "No! She can't go out today. If the young master keeps on making trouble, I will have to tell the master so that you won't be able to come here in the future!"
The boy compromised."I'll go back with you, but can I give her this flower?"
The maid saw the pink lily and ignored his request."Young master, don't make things difficult for me. No one can see her today. Come back with me right now."
The boy gritted his teeth and said, "I won't go see her. I'll just put this flowers down and leave."
The maid didn't relax one bit."No!" She grabbed the boy roughly and tried to pull him away.
The boy was only seven or eight years old, how could he possibly break free? There was pleading in his voice."I promised my mother. I promised her a lily. Can I give it to her? I promised my mother."
Unfortunately, the maid had no intention of letting go, and even knocked down the flower from his hand."Stop this already!"
The flower fell on the ground and was stained with mud. The boy was stunned and gave up the struggle completely.
Qiao Shao, hiding in the bushes clearly saw the boy's face, especially the utterly disappointed expression on his fair face.
Qiao Shao came out and saw the beautiful flower that had fallen on the ground. He picked it up and tried to push open the door. It was locked. He shouted, "Is anyone there?" There was no response.
Qiao Shao felt a bit regretful. He wanted to help the boy fulfill his wish, but unfortunately the door wouldn't open and he couldn't get over the wall.
What to do? The boy wanted to give this flower to his mother.
Qiao Shao came back to his senses and looked at He Shen."That flower was yours..."
He Shen said, "You really had been here."
Qiao Shao could no longer find the bushes where he had hidden. He said, "En, I saw you then."
He Shen said regretfully, "Unfortunately, I didn't see you."
Qiao Shao looked up at him, "I wanted to help you give the flower to your mother."
"I know, " He Shen said, "But the door was locked, you couldn't get in."
Qiao Shao felt ashamed."Then... I took it to my mother."
At that time, Xiao Qiao Shao's idea was very simple-
Since he couldn't give it to his mother then he'll give it to his own mother.
Every mother in the world was all equally good, giving it to any mother would be the same thing!
He Shen's heart felt warm and he said to him, "Thank you."
Human memory was such a magical thing. Qiao Shao didn't have a highly retentive memory, he even forgot a great many things.
But after meeting He Shen, he started to remember him bit by bit, he started to remember this connection that originated from his childhood.
The author has something to say: this section has been brewing for a long time, and it was written in one go ~
The next was my original intention for writing this story. Rubs hands.
| ← Ch. 098 | Ch. 100 → |