BDBE 54

Chapter 54 Healing 

When Shen Wanchao and the other two returned to the camp, the rain had mostly stopped, leaving only a little bit of moisture on their bodies.

Fang Chi was the first to notice their return, and he immediately exclaimed with delight, “They’re back!”

Everyone crawled out of their tents to welcome their safe return.

Lin Anyi was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses and heard his own heartbeat again.

He wanted to get up quickly to check if Zhou Mingchen was alright, but as soon as he took a step, he remembered something, turned around, and took out a pair of white wristbands from his backpack. He put them on his wrists and then walked over with peace of mind.

Zhou Mingchen appeared to be uninjured; he was able to stand up and walk on his own.

Lin Anyi breathed a sigh of relief. Taking advantage of the moment when the crowd surrounded them, he quietly retreated back to his tent.

Zhou Mingchen followed Shen Wanchao’s advice and did not tell anyone what he had experienced, so as not to frighten his classmates.

Zhou Hui had just hung up a phone call when he announced to everyone, “Kids, the camping trip is over. I’ve already called someone to bring the car up. Pack your bags, we need to head down the mountain.”

After what happened, everyone was still shaken and had no interest in continuing their trip. No one expressed any dissatisfaction with Zhou Hui’s decision.

Fang Chi was somewhat disappointed, but he only said, “I thought we unauthorized copy could see the stars.”

Yu Tianqing glanced at the cloud-covered night sky and comforted his new tent-pitching buddy, “Don’t be too disappointed, we can come again next time. Besides, even if we don’t leave, we won’t see any stars tonight.”

Unexpectedly, Fang Chi asked without hesitation, “Why?”

Yu Tianqing: “…” He’d better stay away from Fang Chi. Who knows if stupidity is contagious?

Zhou Mingchen looked around twice, making sure that Lin Anyi hadn’t come to check on him. His anger, which had gone down a lot because of the incident, came back.

Okay, you don’t care. I won’t care about you either.

Zhou Hui’s men quickly drove a car from the foot of the mountain to the top, and together with the two cars they had brought, a total of three SUVs parked at the mountaintop campsite.

Although Fang Chi was occasionally a bit slow-witted, he wasn’t truly stupid. He sensed that the group was quiet, well-trained, and packed their luggage efficiently. One of them even carried a first-aid kit and, under Zhou Hui’s instructions, began examining Shen Wanchao and Zhou Mingchen.

He quietly sidled up to Lu Niannian and asked, “Hey, do you think these people are…?”

Lu Niannian was also surprised. Qiongya’s tuition fees were not low each year. She herself was able to study here because she got a tuition reduction based on her grades, but she also knew that many of her classmates came from wealthy and powerful families.

Even so, this was the first time she had ever witnessed firsthand the power of money to summon several bodyguards and a doctor with a single phone call.

“Are they thugs from Zhou Mingchen’s household?” Fang Chi whispered.

Lu Niannian: “…” She really didn’t Read onwant to continue being deskmates with this person.

The doctor gave Zhou Mingchen a quick check-up and confirmed that apart from a few abrasions, he was otherwise unharmed.

The person with the real problem was Shen Wanchao, whose right arm was dislocated and needed to go to the hospital immediately for further treatment.

So the group split into two groups. Shen Wanchao and his family took one car to the hospital, while the other students, under Han Zhen’s supervision, took another car to go home.

On the way to the hospital, Shen Wanchao disregarded all the trivialities of his current identity and stayed by Zhou Mingchen’s side the whole time.

At this moment, Shen Wanchao could only feel a little more at peace when he could feel Zhou Mingchen’s body temperature and confirm that he was still alive and well in front of him.

Zhou Mingchen was initially a little embarrassed, but for some reason, the aura Shen Wanchao exuded made him feel close to him.

Enveloped in this atmosphere the life-or-death crisis he had just experienced, and the night and rain started to fade from his mind. All that was left was a peaceful, calm green light.

Zhou Hui and Lin Anyi sat in the front row and didn’t say anything during the whole trip.

They went to the hospital where Qi Xiao worked.

The accompanying doctor briefly discussed Shen Wanchao’s condition with the hospital doctor before handing him over to them for treatment.

Zhou Hui was still worried, so he asked the doctor to order several more tests for Zhou Mingchen.

After the two completed several urgent examinations, the doctor began to reposition Shen Wanchao’s arm, while Read on Zhou Mingchen sat opposite and watched.

The doctor’s movements were quick and precise, and he immediately pushed the dislocated arm back into place. Shen Wanchao’s face turned pale, and cold trickled down from his forehead. He clenched his jaw to keep himself from screaming.

If it weren’t for the fact that Zhou Mingchen was watching, Shen Wanchao wouldn’t have been able to tolerate it.

Zhou Mingchen was startled and felt even more guilty. He asked the doctor, “Is everything alright now?”

While bandaging Shen Wanchao’s arm, the doctor replied to Zhou Mingchen, “The misalignment has been corrected, but there’s still a slight muscle strain. Go home and take some medication. Don’t move this arm too much in the meantime. Come back for a follow-up appointment in a week.”

“Thank you, doctor.”

As Zhou Mingchen said this, he reached out to help Shen Wanchao up. However, when his hand touched Shen Wanchao’s injured arm, he immediately pulled back as if he had been electrocuted.

Shen Wanchao couldn’t help but chuckle, and offered his uninjured left arm so that Zhou Mingchen could help him walk outside.

Although he injured his arm instead of his leg and didn’t need anyone’s help, he couldn’t very well refuse his child’s rare attempt to show filial piety.

Lin Anyi waited at the door. When he saw the two walking towards him, he stepped aside to let them pass before following them to leave together.

Suddenly, the doctor stopped him and asked, “Young man, don’t you need to have your hand treated?”

Lin Anyi was startled and subconsciously raised his hand to take a look.

The white wristband was soaked in blood, as if a scarlet rose were slowly blooming on it.

Lin Anyi saw the bloodstains and immediately knew what had happened. He quickly hid his hand behind his back and glanced guiltily at the two people in front of him.

However, he was a step too slow, Shen Wanchao and Zhou Mingchen had already seen the dark red patch on his wristband.

Lin Anyi pursed his lips and lowered his head like a child who had done something wrong.

Shen Wanchao was shocked and could roughly guess what Lin Anyi was thinking. He opened his mouth to speak, but didn’t know how to start, until Zhou Mingchen patted him on the shoulder.

“Go find my father first,” Zhou Mingchen said with a stern face. “I’ll talk to him.”

Shen Wanchao remembered that Lin Anyi had mentioned that they had had an argument, so he couldn’t help but worry and said, “Speak properly and don’t fight.”

Zhou Mingchen grunted in response. He took a few steps forward, avoided the wound, grabbed Lin Anyi’s forearm, and dragged him away without saying a word.

Zhou Mingchen dragged the person all the way to a secluded corner outside the hospital before letting go.

Unable to contain his turbulent emotions any longer, he asked in a strained voice, “Do you still have that razor blade?”

“Tell me honestly,” Zhou Mingchen grabbed Lin Anyi’s shoulders, “What are those razor blades you always carry around for?”

Lin Anyi knew he had misunderstood, and quickly said, “I don’t have any razor blades.”

“I don’t believe it.” Zhou Mingchen stolen content exhaled heavily. “Unless you let me examine it.”

Lin Anyi became very well-behaved now, and he lowered his head to take off his wristband.

The fabric had been pressed against the wound for too long. When it was removed, it caused slight pain. However, Lin Anyi seemed completely oblivious; his movements showed no hesitation or pause.

“There are no blades in the wristbands.” Lin Anyi handed both wristbands to Zhou Mingchen and then held up his hands. “You can see the wounds too; they weren’t cut with a razor blade.”

The wound looked messy and disorganized, definitely not like it was caused by a blade.

Zhou Mingchen glanced at it twice and couldn’t bear to look anymore. He lowered Lin Anyi’s and said, “Even if it wasn’t a razor blade that caused the injury, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re hurting yourself.”

The young Alpha raised his eyes and looked directly at the person in front of him, his expression more complex than ever before.

A mix of heartache, anger, and helplessness intertwined and converged in his eyes as a dim light.

“What are you thinking? I got into this mess because I didn’t come back to camp with you. You should blame me instead of hurting yourself in silence.”

“I didn’t…” Lin Anyi tried to defend himself.

But Zhou Mingchen interrupted him: “Do you dare say you’re not blaming yourself? Do you dare say you haven’t thought that if it weren’t for our argument tonight, I wouldn’t have been left alone in the woods, and I wouldn’t have encountered all of this? So you feel guilty and thought that you’ve let me down, that you’ve let Dad down, and that you wish you were the one who got hurt?”

Lin Anyi was shocked. He tilted his head slightly and stared at the person in front of him. He was overwhelmed by a sudden, intense feeling of shame that rose from the soles of his feet.

Zhou Mingchen had completely seen through him.

The person in front of them saw all those awful, horrible, dark thoughts.

He had nowhere to hide.

Indeed, while Shen Wanchao and Zhou Hui were searching for Zhou Mingchen, the thoughts he had seen through kept resurfacing in his mind like an incurable ailment.

He wondered, why wasn’t he the one who got lost?

Zhou Mingchen had parents and family who care about him, close friends, and a bright future. His mere existence brought strength and joy to those around him.

He was just an insignificant person, and no one would be sad if he disappeared into thin air.

He thought it would be better if he disappeared.

Only after seeing Zhou Mingchen return unharmed did Lin Anyi finally escape from those toxic thoughts.

But soon after, he heard that Shen Wanchao’s arm had dislocated.

With a little thought, it was easy to deduce what happened during the time Zhou Mingchen disappeared; it was definitely not just a simple matter of getting lost.

Those dark emotions, like a nightmare, once again engulfed Lin Anyi, and even intensified.

Tears welled up in Zhou Mingchen’s eyes, and his voice trembled stolen content slightly: “Are you stupid? All of this happened to me because I insisted on staying alone in the woods. It has nothing to do with you.”

“No…it’s me…” Lin Anyi clenched his hands tightly and choked back tears, “It’s all because I insisted on arguing with you, that’s why you got angry and didn’t want to go back to camp with me…it’s all because of me…”

Tears fell one by one.

Zhou Mingchen pulled the person into his arms and sighed almost imperceptibly: “Forget it, cry it out, we’ll talk after you’ve cried enough.”

All the grievances, anger, self-blame, and fear from the previous night rushed to his head.

In Zhou Mingchen’s arms, Lin Anyi cried without restraint for the first time since he became conscious.

“I couldn’t help but think that way… I shouldn’t have argued with you…. You’re right… It’s such a small thing, it’s not worth arguing about…”

“I was just… I was just so scared… It was still raining… I was afraid I would never see you again… I don’t want to never see you again…”

“The thought that I might never see you again… makes my heart ache so much… it hurts so much I wish I were dead, so without realizing it I scratched myself, because only in this way could I not feel the pain in my heart…”

After talking about things that even he couldn’t understand, Lin Anyi put his head on Zhou Mingchen’s shoulder and his voice gradually softened:

“Please don’t go.”

Zhou Mingchen’s face was also covered in tears, but it wasn’t entirely because he was heartbroken.

Tears ran down his face, but he smiled as he gently hugged Lin Anyi and whispered, “That’s right, Lin Anyi. You have to tell me stolen content everything so I can understand.”

…

Not long after, Lin Anyi calmed down in Zhou Mingchen’s arms.

He sniffed, then gently pushed Zhou Mingchen, who quickly let go of him.

After his emotional outburst, Lin Anyi belatedly started feeling embarrassed.

Zhou Mingchen didn’t think anything of it. He patted Lin Anyi on the back and emphasized his praise: “You were doing great just now. No matter what’s on your mind, just say it. Don’t keep it to yourself. That way, others will know what you’re really thinking and be able to get along with you better.”

“Otherwise, since you didn’t come with a special instruction manual for Lin Anyi when you left the factory, how am I supposed to know when you’re happy, when you’re unhappy, when you’re hungry, or when you’re thirsty?”

Zhou Mingchen’s words soon became inappropriate again.

Lin Anyi wiped his tears with his sleeve; he couldn’t help but laugh out loud, and then fell silent again.

This time, however, he wasn’t holding back his thoughts; he genuinely didn’t know what to say.

Everything Zhou Mingchen said today was a completely unfamiliar, even unimaginable, way of doing things to him.

He said that no matter what was on his mind, he could say it so that the people around him could understand him better and get along with him better.

However, from a young age, Lin Anyi was taught to be strong and independent, to do things for himself, and not to cause trouble for those around him; he was Read on to be obedient and sensible, and not to cry, because children who like to cry will be disliked by teachers.

After all, there were too many children in the orphanage, and the teachers couldn’t patiently comfort every crying child.

Moreover, children were naturally inclined to be affectionate, and once they discover that crying got them extra attention from teachers, they would cry even more frequently.

Experienced teachers had summarized a highly effective approach to this: when a child is crying, leave them alone and attend to other tasks, such as helping the child who isn’t crying get dressed. Within minutes, the child will tire themselves out and stop crying on their own.

Over time, all the children will discover that no matter how loudly they cry, they won’t get any extra candy or hugs. Only by behaving well and doing their own thing will the teacher give them more attention and praise.

As a result, the children naturally learned to be resilient, and it also made them easier to manage in a centralized manner.

Lin Anyi, who had grew up in such environment, had long forgotten how to use crying to get the attention those around him, nor had he learned to express his thoughts to others.

Expressing his needs contradicted his long-standing survival strategy.

Because no one would consider his emotions and thoughts as something worth paying attention to.

No one else would do what Zhou Mingchen did: after he cried and rambled on about a bunch of incoherent nonsense, he hugged him and praised himself for doing a good job.

Seeing that he was silent again, Zhou Mingchen sighed inwardly, but he could understand. A quiet and reserved person like him couldn’t be changed in just a few words. He would take it slowly.

“Also, you don’t need to care too much about what others think of you,” Zhou Mingchen added. “For example, you might worry that if you let someone else carry your bag, they’ll think you’re too weak. Let them think what they want. Who cares what others think?

Zhou Mingchen reached out to brush away the hair that was stuck to the corners of his eyes because it was wet with tears: “People who really like you won’t [Read on]hate you because of something like this. And people who hate you will still hate you even if you are as perfect as a god descended from heaven.”

Lin Anyi lowered his eyes; he didn’t understand, but nodded obediently for the time being.

Everything Zhou Mingchen said was completely different from the way he had learned to handle things based on his past life experiences.

He cared about what others thought, because children who behave well and are liked by teachers can get praise and occasionally an extra piece of candy; while obedient children who are liked by visiting parents may be adopted and have a mom, dad and a home of their own.

Conversely, disobedient children will be disliked by teachers, criticized, made to stand facing the wall in self-reflection, and ridiculed by other children.

But Zhou Mingchen told him now that he didn’t need to care what others think, and he should just do what he wanted.

One was a set of survival rules he had gradually developed over the past decade, and the other was someone he wanted to trust. Which one was right? Lin Anyi didn’t know.

However… the old director said that he had started a new life, so the old rules of survival might no longer apply.

If that was the case, he would try his best to learn this completely new set of rules.

Zhou Mingchen sensed that the person in front of him had calmed down. He took his hand, looked at the injury on his wrist with concern, and said, “Let’s go, I’ll take you to get your wound treated.”

“Mmm.” Lin Anyi was led by him and followed him back into the hospital.

…

Qi Xiao’s home was nearby. Upon hearing that Shen Wanchao was visit our siteinjured, he immediately pushed aside the Alpha who was preparing for a night of passion and hurried over.

After seeing with his own eyes that Shen Wanchao’s injuries were indeed not serious, Qi Xiao breathed a sigh of relief.

But he insisted on saying, “It’s just a minor injury. I thought it was much more serious. You won’t die.”

Shen Wanchao was grateful for his thoughtfulness in coming all the way to see him, and smiled at him: “Thank you.”

“What are you thanking me for? I’m not your attending physician.” Qi Xiao yawned. “I was just about to leave work and stopped by to drop by.”

Shen Wanchao didn’t know if he was going that way on the way, but in any case, this sentiment was the most precious thing.

After confirming that Shen Wanchao was alright, Qi Xiao stayed for a while before taking his leave.

Shen Wanchao sat in the observation room, and Zhou Hui personally brought over the medicine he would need to take for the next few days.

Zhou Hui sat down next to Shen Wanchao and lowered his head. He still looked unwell. He couldn’t even force a smile, and was like a wolf caught in the rain.

Shen Wanchao touched his head with his uninjured left hand.

After taking a deep breath, Zhou Hui finally spoke, “You shouldn’t have been so impulsive as to pull Xiao Chen up today. There were better ways.”

“Is the better way to wait for you to come and pull Xiao Chen up?” Shen Wanchao pointed out.

Zhou Hui replied without hesitation, “That’s right, ​Read on​that way you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”

Shen Wanchao smiled and shook his head: “But you might have been the one to get hurt.”

After a pause, Shen Wanchao slid his hand to Zhou Hui’s cheek, looked at him earnestly, and said, “What happened today would have been the same for you and me. Just like you don’t want to see me get hurt, I don’t want to see you get hurt either.”

Zhou Hui stared at him without saying anything more.

Shen Wanchao touched his injured arm that was hanging up and continued, “At that time, I arrived first and saw him hanging over the edge of the cliff. I didn’t have time to think too much. If you were in my shoes, you would have made the same choice as me.”

“As long as Xiao Chen is safe and sound, it doesn’t matter if my arm is completely broken.”

Zhou Hui clenched his fists on his lap, took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and said, “That brat Xiao Chen is too naughty.”

Shen Wanchao laughed: “So you’ve finally realized that, dear father?”

Not long ago, when he brought up Zhou Mingchen’s education with him, he argued that the child was old enough to be given the freedom to grow and that he shouldn’t be too controlled.

The two had a big fight over this, and Shen Wanchao was so angry that he didn’t go home for several days.

Zhou Hui sincerely reflected on himself: “I spoiled him. When I get back, I will discipline him strictly and tighten his belt.”

Shen Wanchao laughed, and then said, “There’s no need to be so strict. After this incident, Xiao Chen will definitely have learned his lesson.”

After going through this dangerous situation once, Zhou Hui finally felt relieved to have survived. He stolen contentleaned back in his chair and sighed.”How could I not have made progress?”

The chaotic night had finally come to an end.

The two sat side by side in the observation room, where no one else was around, listening to the ticking of the clock as time slowly passed.

Shen Wanchao pressed his injured arm. He thought for a long time, and then said, “I want to tell Xiao Chen about my identity.”

Zhou Hui sat up straight again and asked him, “I have no objection. But why did you suddenly make up your mind?”

Shen Wanchao’s voice, gentle and calm, was like a light veil in the quiet space: “Tonight’s events made me suddenly realize that unexpected events can happen at any time in life. All plans can change unexpectedly one day.”

“I used to always wait, thinking that once this busy period was over, I would take Xiao Chen to the theme park; once this program was finished, I would take some annual leave to cook a few meals for Xiao Chen and read a few stories with him; once the documentary production was over, I would stay at home to accompany Xiao Chen to take the college entrance examination… Once I figured out why I suddenly became young and what I would become in the future, I would tell Xiao Chen my true identity…”

Shen Wanchao pursed his lips: “But there are too many variables in the world, and I’m always busy with work. I promised Xiao Chen I’d go to the theme park for his sixth birthday, but I still haven’t been able to go with him.”

“And now, I don’t know when I’ll be able to figure out why I’ve become younger.” Shen Wanchao stared at his palm. “If I continue to wait, I’m afraid I’ll lose the chance to be honest forever.”

His hands trembled as he finished speaking.

Zhou Hui grasped his hand.

“Xiao Chen is safe now, don’t think about what happened tonight anymore.” Zhou Hui put his arm around his shoulder and let him lean against him. “You can say whatever you want anytime, don’t worry so much.”

Shen Wanchao closed his eyes briefly and softly hummed in agreement.

After a moment, Shen Wanchao calmed down and sat up. Zhou Hui asked him, “Shall we go tell them now?”

Shen Wanchao choked up for a moment.

Then, sounding a little guilty, he said, “Well… let’s wait until tomorrow. Xiao Chen went through a lot of stress tonight, and I’m afraid he won’t be able to process it all.”

Zhou Hui laughed.