Chapter 39: A Mysterious Growth Spurt

Hearing Su Yao’s words, Lin Qing immediately raised his left hand.

It was perfectly healthy and whole.

Not a single wound remained.

Moreover, with the two infirmary teachers’ testimonies, the disappearance of the wound was no figment of Lin Qing’s imagination.

Therefore, Su Yao was lying.

Even though she had personally witnessed the wound vanish, Su Yao was feigning ignorance with him. It seemed she didn’t wish to pursue the matter further.

He also knew he wouldn’t get answers by asking.

Yet, Lin Qing didn’t believe Su Yao had truly given up on investigating.

She was a woman of intense curiosity.

After witnessing something that defied common sense, the flame of curiosity within her would undoubtedly ignite.

Unable to be extinguished, it could only be carefully hidden away.

Waiting for the opportune moment to unleash that fiery passion once more.

However, none of this posed a threat to Lin Qing.

He had long since prepared himself.

Su Yao would cling to him for a considerable time; since he was bound to be entangled either way, there was nothing else to fret over.

What’s more, he currently possessed nothing but his own life.

What was there to fear?

Lin Qing’s thoughts weren’t born of self-abandonment; rather, he understood why Su Yao couldn’t kill.

To prevent any unforeseen incidents when she eventually took over the company, Su Yao needed to maintain an impeccably perfect public image.

Both were well aware of the wound’s disappearance, yet at that moment, they continued to feign ignorance with each other.

“You don’t know? Well, never mind then. I’ll keep wearing the bandages for the next couple of days anyway.”

However, Lin Qing’s words were somewhat perfunctory; he couldn’t even be bothered to put much effort into the act.

This prompted Su Yao to let out a soft chuckle, which travelled clearly from the other end of the phone, reaching Lin Qing’s ears.

It was crisp and pleasant.

“You weren’t at school today, so you missed quite a scene. But there’s more entertainment to come tomorrow, you know~”

“Entertainment?”

“That’s a secret for now.”

Then, after Su Yao finished speaking conspiratorially, she hung up before Lin Qing could even press her for more details.

As Lin Qing listened to the ‘beep-beep’ of the dial tone on the other end, a sudden urge to skip school tomorrow washed over him.

Anything Su Yao would call “entertainment” was certainly no minor skirmish; it would undoubtedly cause quite a stir.

Still, even if he didn’t go, it wouldn’t solve the problem.

Su Yao possessed countless ways to make him dutifully attend school.

Pondering these thoughts, Lin Qing couldn’t help but sigh, then slumped weakly onto the sofa.

The incessant ticking of a dozen clocks helped to soothe his mood somewhat, preventing him from dwelling further on what “entertainment” Su Yao had promised.

Although the wound had vanished rapidly, perhaps due to excessive blood loss, Lin Qing felt profoundly exhausted.

Sitting there on the sofa, he felt waves of drowsiness swiftly overwhelm him.

Like ocean waves, they crashed over him, one after another, relentlessly pressing him down.

Previously, it was his inner curiosity about the Red Skull that had kept Lin Qing awake; now that everything was over, he no longer needed to force himself to stay alert.

He might as well get some sleep and allow his body to recover.

****

Initially, Lin Qing had expected only a light slumber.

In reality, when he opened his eyes again, it was already six o’clock the following morning.

He had slept for a considerable amount of time.

Fortunately, upon opening his eyes, all previous fatigue had dissipated, leaving him in excellent spirits.

Indeed, with his energy fully restored, he felt a vitality he had never experienced before.

It seemed his curiosity about the Red Skull had truly impacted his daily life.

Now that the matter was resolved, his life could return to normal, freeing him from further worries.

As for the persistent Su Yao, he considered giving her the cold shoulder. Perhaps by offering no response, he could make her retreat in the face of difficulty.

Holding onto this impractical notion, he racked his brain, trying to figure out how to avoid Su Yao today.

Meanwhile, Lin Qing sprang into action. After a quick wash in the mirrorless bathroom, he immediately left his home.

Lin Qing hadn’t forgotten Su Yao’s words from yesterday.

Since he had to go anyway, he might as well arrive at school early and see what awaited him.

“Oh, Lin Qing, off to school so early? How diligent you are!”

“Woof woof woof.”

Just as Lin Qing stepped out of his house and began descending the stairs, he encountered Auntie Wang from next door once more.

Auntie Wang, now retired, enjoyed taking her Teddy dog, which she had raised for several years, out for walks, in addition to her usual square dancing.

At that moment, Auntie Wang cradled her beloved dog, likely just returning from a walk and heading home.

It was a perfectly common encounter, and Lin Qing paid it no mind, merely nodding towards Auntie Wang.

Having Su Yao intrude into his life was already enough, not to mention Wu Gang, a former patient he had thought he’d never see again. Lin Qing had no desire for more people to enter his small world.

He wasn’t yet ready to accept others.

This fear of others wasn’t social anxiety; rather, it was a subconscious rejection born from Lin Qing’s past experiences.

“Oh dear, Lin Qing, have you grown taller?”

However, before Lin Qing could even take another step forward, Auntie Wang voiced her confusion.

She scrutinized Lin Qing thoroughly, ensuring her eyes weren’t deceiving her.

Just a few days prior, when she’d seen Lin Qing, his height hadn’t changed; he was as short as ever. But now, looking at him, he must have grown four or five centimeters!

Originally just over 1.6 meters tall, he now appeared to be around 1.7 meters.

Auntie Wang herself wasn’t short; in her youth, she had stood at 1.75 meters. Though she had shrunk slightly with age, she still reached 1.7 meters with her shoes on.

Her confusion prompted her to immediately walk over to Lin Qing, dog in arms, and confirm that he had indeed grown taller!

‘These children nowadays, how do they grow so fast? Blink and they’ve shot up!’

Still, for a young boy, rapid growth was understandable.

Especially since Lin Qing had always been so slender; it was a good thing he was finally growing a bit sturdier.

“I have grown a bit taller, Auntie Wang. I’m off to school now.”

“Alright, off you go then!”

Lin Qing didn’t react much to Auntie Wang’s words. After a polite reply, he quickly departed, fading into the distance under her amazed gaze.

Once he was a good distance away, Lin Qing, who had been walking steadily, suddenly halted.

He quickly raised his hands to shed his school jacket, only to discover that his shirt cuffs were indeed shorter.

Lin Qing then looked down at his legs, noticing that his school trousers had also become shorter.

He had really grown taller?

Back home, Lin Qing had been so preoccupied with thoughts of Su Yao that he hadn’t noticed his own physical changes.

There had been no change whatsoever.

Even after escaping captivity, no matter how much Lin Qing ate or how diligently he took calcium supplements, his height hadn’t increased by a single centimeter.

It seemed the starvation and hardship during his imprisonment had stunted his physical development, preventing any further growth.

Yet, after kissing Su Yao, he had grown taller?

Had other parts of him changed as well?

With this thought, Lin Qing gazed at the convenience store around the corner. Its meticulously clean glass windows could serve as a mirror, allowing him a thorough look.

He hadn’t seen his own face in ten years.