Arc 2: Chapter 7
Lin Yuan thought he heard wrong and blinked doubtfully: “What did you say?” Did he hear Fu Cheng, who didn’t like him, ask him not to leave?
Fu Cheng had just reacted subconsciously, and now his face inexplicably flushed and his ears burned. His hand that grasped the teenager’s clothing loosened, but then quickly grasped it again.
He couldn’t help but hope.
Fu Cheng remembered what it was like to have a family, but because it ended in such a disgusting way, he didn’t want to remember. Now the house was quiet and cold, and there was no trace of warmth. The sun might shine in from the window, but it could never light up the decaying darkness of the room.
Fu Cheng hasn’t experienced the feeling of someone accompanying him for a long time. The feeling of when he opened his eyes, someone was by his side.
This person saved him and stayed by his side.
Fu Cheng looked into Lin Yuan’s bright, warm eyes, and his voice was hoarse: “Don’t go.”
Lin Yuan heard him clearly this time. His eyes couldn’t help staring at Fu Cheng’s hand that was holding the corner of his clothes. The hand was slender and pale, and blue veins protruded from the surface because of its exertion, like a river crossing a snowfield.
“I’m not going anywhere. I just wanted to push the button.” Lin Yuan clarified. He stood up and walked over to press the call button.
Then he smiled and looked at Fu Cheng: “Look, I didn’t lie to you. I’m not going anywhere.”
Fu Cheng flushed hotter when he saw this. He didn’t know what to say, but luckily the nurse quickly came over. Seeing that Fu Cheng was awake, they went to find the doctor.
After the check up, Lin Yuan forgot about Fu Cheng’s moment of embarrassment, and Fu Cheng naturally didn’t bring it up. He asked in a low voice: “...... How did you know where I was? It was a very remote place.”
Lin Yuan couldn’t tell him the truth, and thought hard about it before saying tentatively: “I passed by……?”
When he said this, Lin Yuan didn’t even believe himself, much less Fu Cheng. But Fu Cheng pretended to believe it: “So you were passing by, what a coincidence.”
Lin Yuan nodded quickly: “En, really a coincidence. I also didn’t expect to see you when I passed by there.”
Fu Cheng didn’t ask any more about this topic. He looked at the teenager in front of him. The other still had the same clean and warm appearance he remembered, and the dimples on the other’s cheeks deepened, tempting Fu Cheng to poke.
“Last night, did you stay here?”
Last night, Fu Cheng repeatedly confirmed this by himself, but he still wanted to hear the teenager say it.
Lin Yuan obediently nodded: “En, I stayed here last night.”
Fu Cheng’s eyes narrowed in satisfaction. A ray of sunlight shone onto the bed from the window, and Fu Cheng spread out his hand and slowly clenched it into a fist.
He seemed to have caught a sliver of light.
The world…… seemed to be brighter than he thought.
Fu Cheng stayed in the hospital for a week, and Lin Yuan accompanied for an entire two days and two nights. Later, he went back home at seven p.m. and came back in the morning.
Everyday, Lin Yuan would bring a test paper with him. He leaned on the drawer next to the hospital bed to do his test papers, and if he had problems he didn’t know, he would ask Fu Cheng.
The evening before Fu Cheng was discharged from the hospital, Fu Cheng looked at Lin Yuan and said: “Tomorrow you don’t need to come. I'll see you at school.”
Lin Yuan already knew that Fu Cheng was going to be discharged. He looked at the other in puzzlement: “Why? I can help you when you’re discharged.”
Fu Cheng’s thoughts were simple. He didn’t want Lin Yuan, this bright young master, to see where he lived. His place was old and dark, and dust layered the walls. How could he bear to let the dust stain Lin Yuan? Moreover, Fu Cheng was still proud and had a strong ego. Lin Yuan had only seen his excellence so far, but his place was too dilapidated, he didn’t want Lin Yuan to see the rot behind him.
Fu Cheng casually made up an excuse: “I can go back myself. You already stayed in the hospital with me for so long, thank you. You should go home and rest.”
From the past few days, Lin Yuan thought that Fu Cheng didn’t hate him anymore, because Fu Cheng talked to him gently, and even with a little friendliness. But it seemed like he thought too much, Fu Cheng only treated him well for a few days because he saved him, but that was it.
Lin Yuan wasn’t mad at Fu Cheng though. He just felt like the difficulty of his task was indeed much harder, worthy of a mission target with blackening value of 99.99%.
Lin Yuan said a little dejectedly: “Ok then, I won’t come tomorrow. I’ll let my driver come over and send you back, okay?”
Lin Yuan intently looked at him and said softly: “Fu Cheng, I know you dislike me and don’t want to see me. I’ll listen to you and stay away, but you haven’t completely healed yet, and I’m worried about you.”
Fu Cheng frowned and wondered to himself why Lin Yuan would say such a thing. When did he dislike Lin Yuan……
Memories from the last day of school came to his mind and he panicked a little. He looked into Lin Yuan’s round eyes and secretly gave himself a couple punches in his heart.
“I… I don’t dislike you…”
Fu Cheng seemed calm on the surface, but his black hair covered his ears that were flushed red.
Lin Yuan was stunned for a moment: “You don’t dislike me? But then why don’t you let me help you? So, you don’t dislike me, but you still don’t want to see me?”
521 also interpreted the situation in this way, and said with a little sadness: “Senior, what should we do next? The mission target doesn’t want to see you. If you pester him, will the blackening value rise?”
Lin Yuan was also worried, he would have to experiment step by step.
Fu Cheng had never done anything he regretted. He didn’t even regret calculating his own death. But this was the first time he felt regret, he regretted projecting his inner malice onto Lin Yuan and saying mean words.
He fell silent for a long time, and then said in a stiff, low voice: “Sorry……”
“What I did that day, I’m sorry……”
“I don’t dislike you, and I didn’t mean it when I said I didn’t want to see you. I was just… a little scared of you……”
Right, he was scared.
Fu Cheng finally figured out why he was irritated that day. He was afraid, and he felt an instinctive resistance towards this unknown variable. Fu Cheng was accustomed to hiding in the shadows, and instinctively backed away from things that were bright and warm. This was how he survived and avoided being hurt.
Lin Yuan couldn’t understand. Fu Cheng was so smart and talented, if he didn’t choose to die to get revenge on his parents, he could’ve easily received respect and favor from others and live a good life.
Why would he say he was afraid of him?
Lin Yuan voiced his doubts and asked softly: “Why? Fu Cheng, why were you afraid of me?”
Fu Cheng hesitated and said half-truthfully: “I used to always be alone, and it became a habit. You suddenly approached me, and I wasn’t accustomed to being close to someone. I felt insecure, so I was afraid.”
Lin Yuan thought, so it was like this ah. Considering his family’s situation, it wasn’t too strange.
Knowing that Fu Cheng didn’t dislike himself, Lin Yuan was a little excited, and sat down beside him: “Fu Cheng, don’t be scared. I’m very well-behaved, and I’ll do whatever you tell me to.”
Coaxing the mission target to be happy should decrease the blackening value right?
Fu Cheng was stunned by Lin Yuan’s obedience and his long eyelashes trembled slightly. He almost didn’t believe his ears: “...... Really?”
“Really.”
Fu Cheng gathered his courage to raise his hand, and stretched out a finger to Lin Yuan’s face, and poked the dimple on the other’s cheek.
Lin Yuan was dazed for a second. Huo Chen also liked to poke his dimple, and liked to kiss and lick it until he was dizzy and panting.
Now that Fu Cheng poked it, Lin Yuan felt a little strangeness in his heart, but he didn’t think it was bad. It was just that Fu Cheng did the same thing Huo Chen used to do, and he felt a little awkward.
Fu Cheng finally accomplished what he had wanted to do for many days, and he was a little happy. He wanted to poke again, but Lin Yuan grabbed his hand and shook his head: “Don’t poke anymore.”
“Why? Didn’t you say that I could do whatever I wanted?” Fu Cheng was puzzled.
Lin Yuan didn’t know what to say, and could only stiffly change the topic: “Fu Cheng, since you don’t dislike me, then can I pick you up from the hospital tomorrow and send you back home?”
Fu Cheng didn’t want to, but he was afraid that if he refused Lin Yuan, the other party would overthink and he could only agree: “Lin Yuan, the place I live isn’t good. If you’re not used to it, tell me.”
The next morning, the million dollar car that picked up and dropped off Lin Yuan was parked in front of Fu Cheng’s residence.
Fu Cheng didn’t want Lin Yuan to go up to see his place, but as soon as the car stopped, Lin Yuan got out of the car holding something in his hand and asked Fu Cheng with a bright smile: “Fu Cheng, which floor do you live on?”
Fu Cheng looked at the warm and clean teenager and couldn’t say the words he wanted to say. His previous ego disappeared in an instant and he quickly walked towards the other party.
Water and electricity bills hung at the entrance of the corridor and various small advertisements were stuck on the moldy white wall. Fu Cheng led Lin Yuan to an iron door on the third floor and took out his key. For some reason, he had a sense of expectation.
The key rotated and the door lock popped open. Fu Cheng opened the door, and Lin Yuan did a quick probe around the room with his eyes like a cat, and then walked in and closed the door, which shut with a click.
Lin Yuan explored around curiously while Fu Cheng looked at him. Fu Cheng was quite scheming, and immediately started his green tea act again.
Fu Cheng covered his wound and groaned in a low voice.
Lin Yuan heard it and immediately turned towards him: “What’s wrong?”
Fu Cheng pretended to be weak and whispered: “The wound hurts a little.”
Lin Yuan quickly walked over and supported him nervously: “It hurts? I’ll help you sit down.”
Fu Cheng took the chance to hug Lin Yuan, and naturally hooked the other’s shoulder and pulled the other into his arms. The novel feeling of warmth in his arms made Fu Cheng smile in satisfaction, but his mouth said in a weak voice: “You hold me like this and let me rest a bit.”