Chapter 41: The Future

The next morning, the sunlight was bright, and the spring breeze was gentle.

The third room at the corner of the second floor of the villa was designed as a resting room in a simple, warm-colored style.

Inside, Venerable Suhua walked to the wall and turned on the television, which had never been used before.

The screen lit up with a dizzying array of options. She picked up the remote, skipping over childish cartoons, then skipping over ridiculous variety shows, and finally stopped at a conventional historical drama channel.

The voices of the male and female leads filled the room.

As if pressing “play,” the surroundings suddenly felt alive.

Venerable Suhua had vaguely noticed last night how overly quiet the vast villa estate was.

Even in spring, it remained cold and desolate each day. The maids moved like precise, silent machinery, walking through every corner of the villa without a sound, day after day, dutifully rotating their tasks.

Even her subconscious had always tacitly allowed and indulged this silent atmosphere.

Only like this…

Only in this way, could the boy, waking from darkness—terrified, anxious, and confused—completely rely on her.

It was not salvation, not redemption.

It was only a self-proclaimed justice for her increasingly obsessive and frenzied love.

He could only look at her, only rely on her, and even…

Only fall in love with her.

Thus, from the beginning, she never thought to hire a psychologist for him.

She had once thought Gu Wanting, who wanted to flaunt a treasure but feared it being stolen, was ridiculous.

But in truth, anyone with such a treasure would behave similarly.

The sorrowful ending theme played from the television.

Venerable Suhua collected her thoughts and released her tightly clenched, blood-stained palms.

Yu Zhu sat in his wheelchair before her, a blanket over his lap, tilting his head back, his gaze fixed on her.

The unease in her heart vanished completely in an instant.

Venerable Suhua covered his lap with the blanket and sat beside him on the soft plush cushion.

“Xihe.”

As usual, she picked up a pen and wrote on the notepad.

“In a few days, a doctor will come home. It’s just to talk to you—don’t be afraid.”

Her tone was like soothing a child. Her pen trembled slightly as she turned the page and wrote, “It’s alright, Xihe, we’ll take it slow. Everything will pass.”

Yu Zhu looked at her, but didn’t pick up his pen. He turned his gaze toward the noisy, chaotic screen before him. Venerable Suhua put away her paper and pen, quietly leaning beside him.

On the screen played a long-standing advertisement.

Students in black-and-white school uniforms busily moved between school and home. A sharp-voiced narrator spoke of promotions for healthy bone development for teenagers.

The luminous movements on the screen flickered. Yu Zhu’s pupils shifted subtly in the light, calm and indifferent.

School.

That year, August 5th.

Only twenty-six days remained until September 1st, when the second-year class of Jinghe Private High School would officially begin.

Everything would pass.

But how could he pass, while avoiding that blinding, scorching sunlight?

The future…

Too far away.

——

Four days later, light rain drizzled continuously, the sky gray and overcast.

Outside the giant floor-to-ceiling windows, the peach branches drooped under the raindrops. Tiny raindrops struck the glass, running down one by one.

Inside another study of the estate, Yu Zhu saw the doctor Venerable Suhua had mentioned.

She followed the maid under a bright yellow umbrella. The hem of her long coat was wet from splashing on the cobblestones as she hurried along, water staining the fabric in blotches.

Venerable Suhua also saw her.

She didn’t focus excessively, merely smoothing a stray lock of hair on Yu Zhu’s head and standing in front of him in a highly protective posture.

The study door was knocked on at the appropriate moment.

“Miss, she’s here,” the maid announced, ushering the visitor in.

“Mm.” Venerable Suhua responded, glancing at Xia Qingyi standing behind her.

Xia Qingyi’s looks were not particularly striking.

Her eyes were classic almond-shaped, the outer corners slightly lifted in a hint of charm. Her nose bridge was not prominent, and at first glance, she seemed approachable but not dazzlingly beautiful.

However, her head of burgundy long curls and tall, full figure peeked out even beneath the oversized dark brown coat.

On closer inspection, she resembled a plump, proud noblewoman from a medieval oil painting.

The maid closed the door and left.

Xia Qingyi stepped forward and said, “Miss Venerable Suhua, I am honored that you ultimately chose me.”

Venerable Suhua had contacted many renowned psychologists during this period, and ultimately selected her.

“Doctor Xia, you are too modest. Your abilities are evident.”

Venerable Suhua didn’t continue with graceful, elaborate conversation as before. Merely speaking this, her inner voice raged to drive the visitor out of her domain.

“Xihe.” She quickly leaned toward Yu Zhu. “Don’t be afraid. It’s just talking to her. Half an hour, that’s all. I’ll wait outside.”

“Miss Venerable Suhua, please rest assured. Our communication will not involve any other matters and will conclude within the allotted time,” Xia Qingyi said.

“Yes.” Venerable Suhua stood, a faint smile on her face. “Thank you, Doctor Xia.”

Xia Qingyi returned a slight smile and watched her leave.

The rain dripped outside. The peach branches outside the floor-to-ceiling windows were battered by the wind and rain; fallen leaves littered the ground, carried along by water.

The sky was dim. The dim orange chandelier inside the study illuminated the two people in its center.

Now Xia Qingyi could fully observe the boy before her.

He sat in a wheelchair, looking very young, with soft, mid-length black hair. His face was thin and pale, lips slightly thin, nose bridge high. His features should have made him unapproachable, yet his eyes were extraordinarily beautiful, clean and clear as a polished black gem, erasing his original coldness.

He wore a soft, pure white sweater. Despite the warm room, he still had a scarf tied around his neck. His left hand resting on his lap was wrapped in bandages.

Holy, innocent, weak, fragile.

Like a god who could be pulled from the pedestal at any moment.

She bent down to meet Yu Zhu’s gaze, her smile naturally warmer than Venerable Suhua’s.

“Hello, Xihe, I’m Xia Qingyi.”

She took out her notepad, wrote her name, and adjusted it so Yu Zhu could clearly see.

“Don’t be afraid. You can treat me as a friend for now. This is just a normal conversation between friends. If there’s something you can’t say, don’t force yourself.”

She sat on the prepared chair. “Xihe, let’s start with small things. Can you tell me about one thing that left a strong impression on you?”

Yu Zhu’s consciousness blanked for a moment.

By the time he heard her voice again, Xia Qingyi had already moved on to another question.

“Sorry, Xihe. Can I ask something else? Do you know what you are thinking about right now?”

Her smile remained unchanged. The polite apology in her tone made her seem even more sincere.

Seeing the boy fall into prolonged silence, she finally seemed to remember something and slowly picked up the pen resting on the wheelchair’s armrest, writing on the notepad.

“Hello.”

He wrote these two words, simple enough that Xia Qingyi didn’t need to adjust her angle to see them clearly.

She didn’t ask anything further, carefully put away the boy’s notepad, and repeated her greeting once more.

“Hello, Xihe.”

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