Old Wounds, New Growth - Chapter 27. 1

Translator: Deyonna

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It has been a while since I last brought up the matter about our future home because I believe it is important for Li Chishu to have his own space for independent thinking.

With three days remaining until school starts, I realized that I hadn't made any plans with Jiang Chi since the Lunar New Year. So, I decided to give him a call and propose going to our favorite open-air bar this afternoon, where we used to hang out often and enjoy a barbecue together for fun.

When I mentioned the plan to Li Chishu, I didn't really expect him to agree to go with me. Li Chishu has always been someone who only socializes when necessary. Besides, he slept last night with his feet outside the blanket when I wasn't paying attention, and this morning he started coughing and sneezing. It seems like he's even less willing to go out now.

But after dinner, I still casually mentioned, "Are you going? It's a self-service restaurant, and there's no limit on the number of people. It would just be me and Jiang Chi.”

Li Chishu held the fruit bowl I made for him in one hand and the medicine for colds I prepared in the other. His mouth was full of fruit as his eyes turned to me and said, "Okay.”

I paused in the middle of putting away the dishes and looked at him. I saw the natural calmness in his expression, without any hint of resistance.

"Well then..." I tilted my head towards him, "Finish the medicine and take a nap. We'll leave at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, okay?”

-

The weather today was quite considerate. It was cloudy all day, but as the afternoon approached, the sun came out.

Before leaving, Li Chishu also brought a formula notebook with him, so he could read it while sitting in the car. However, he couldn't resist the side effects of his cold and ended up falling asleep with Potato in his arms until we reached our destination. By the time we arrived, Jiang Chi had already set up the barbecue grill, and there were rows of meat skewers grilled in a mess.

"You've finally arrived," Jiang Chi said, wearing a pair of unnecessary sunglasses under the balcony where not much sunlight could penetrate. "I ordered some desserts from Kong Kee. They'll be delivered soon to accompany the barbecue.”

I said, "Okay," and took Li Chishu to sit on a chair on the artificial turf. Once he was settled, I went over to help Jiang Chi.

Jiang Chi glanced at Li Chishu and leaned in to whisper in my ear, "Have you been staying with him these past few days?”

I was busy preparing the barbecue sauce. "How did you know?”

"How could I not know!" Jiang Chi sent me a glare. "On Lunar New Year's Eve, in the middle of the night, your mom called my phone after finishing a game of mahjong. You ask me how I know.”

"You didn't leak anything, did you?" I asked.

"That's impossible." Jiang Chi was quite proud of himself. "After the glass-breaking incident, I bet you're not having an easy time in front of your mom, right? I'm not someone who drops the ball[1].”

[1]Used to describe a situation where someone fails to fulfill their responsibilities or duties, resulting in a mistake or failure. 

I responded with a thumbs up. "Good brother.”

Jiang Chi chuckled and winked at Li Chishu. "How about you lend and let me pet your family’s Potato someday?”

"Well, you'll have to ask Li Chishu." I chimed in with a laugh. "Can't you tell who Potato listens to? Even if you want to flatter someone, you also have to choose the right person to bootlick.”

Jiang Chi grumbled and threatened to kick me, but I dodged and took off the disposable gloves to retrieve something from my bag. Suddenly, I became serious and said, "Okay, okay, enough with the jokes. Let me show you something serious.”

"What is it?" The man leaned his neck closer. "Show me, show me.”

I turned on my phone screen, adjusted the brightness to the maximum, and swiped away all the apps on the home screen to fully showcase the wallpaper. "This is my family’s Xiaobao. You haven't seen him before, right? He just turned eighteen a few days ago.”

“......”

"This photo was taken by me."

“......”

“Is the photo good?”

I turned to look at Li Chishu, then brought the phone a bit further away to examine it closely. I answered my own question, saying, "Tsk, he looks just as good in person.”

“......”

I seemed to have heard the sound of Jiang Chi grinding his molars.

Eternally young, eternally pure and clean.

[2]I don't really know who this phrase was addressed to. LCS or JC?

Just before he could get angry, I quickly ran back to Li Chishu's side and took a sip of the lemon tea on the table. I noticed that Li Chishu's gaze was fixed on a spot not far away to the right. So, I followed his gaze and asked, "What are you looking at?”

As I spoke, I had already noticed what he was looking at. It was a small rock climbing wall set up in the water park's game area, about two or three stories high. At the moment, there were a few kids in their teens and young adults, wearing climbing gear and harnesses, playing on the wall. Their respective parents were cheering and encouraging them from below.

"Do you want to play?" I asked.

"Um... no," Li Chishu denied, but his gaze still lingered on the climbing wall. He blinked slowly twice before shifting his gaze back to the formula notebook on the table.

He probably wanted to go, but didn't dare to. When he was torn between anticipation and fear, he often allowed the negative emotions to take control, leading him to reject new experiences.

I reached out and closed his notebook, taking hold of his wrist as I stood up. "If you want to give it a try, just go for it. I'll accompany you."

Once I took Li Chishu away from his seat, he didn't resist anymore. After informing Jiang Chi, I went to the area and found a staff member to buy tickets.

There was one climbing spot left at the site, so I asked Li Chishu to go change his clothes first. After getting permission from the staff, I put on the harness myself and gave it a try, climbing up about one story high. Once I confirmed that the harness was safe to use, I descended just as Li Chishu finished changing his clothes and came out.

I helped him put on the equipment and accompanied him to the base of the rock climbing wall.

Li Chishu seemed a bit nervous. He kept holding on to the rock steps but didn't step up. He turned back several times to look for me in the crowd.

I stepped forward and grabbed his arm, focusing on the first climbing step beneath his feet. I whispered, "Step on it.”

Li Chishu finally lifted his foot.

"Good, this time step with your right foot." Li Chishu took a step up. I then held onto his waist. "Hmm, the next one, step on it.”

Until I held onto his ankle and helped him reach the highest point I could, Li Chishu broke away from my protection, clinging to the wall at a height of about one person and was reluctant to move. His back became noticeably tense.

He faced upward from beginning to end, both hands gripping the rock steps tightly. Perhaps he didn't want me to think that he was backing down, so he hesitated to look back.

In the end, he still quietly lowered his head to look at me.

I stood in place. "Don't be afraid! Li Chishu, I will be right below you.”

He seemed somewhat comforted as he took a deep breath and gritted his teeth before taking the first step without my assistance.

Actually, in his past life, he never tried these activities. Li Chishu had a fear of heights. I believe it all stemmed from that New Year's Eve when he fell down in the dark corridor and remained unconscious for half the night. He knew that I knew him too well, so in the end, despite the heavy protection I had set for him, he chose a method of taking his own life that I had never anticipated.

How could I have anticipated that someone who had been afraid of heights their whole life would dare to jump off such a high rooftop in search of liberation? In the last second before the fall, was he silently saying to me those long-overdue words of “don't be afraid”?

When there was still about one-third of the way to go, Li Chishu didn't dare to move again. Even looking down at me took a great deal of courage for him.

I pulled out my phone and shouted at him, much like those parents who encourage and cheer on their children as they look up at them. "Li Chishu! Take two more steps! You'll be fine!”

"I’ll catch you!" I said. "Even if you fall, I'll put you back together, piece by piece!”

Li Chishu must have heard my words because he chuckled twice, his spirits relaxed, and he finally mustered the strength to continue climbing the wall.

At the moment he stood firmly at the highest point, I shouted to him, "Xiaobao—”

Li Chishu turned his head and looked down, and when he found that I was pointing the camera of my phone at him, he smiled awkwardly.

This was the second photo I took of him.

-

Translator's Corner: Check out the Update Calendar below for schedule of releases. Hopefully, I can finish this novel this month.🤞

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