Chapter 24 I Like to Hear That Roll

Chapter 24 I Like to Hear That Roll

After Shen Juanjuan fell asleep, Chu Ya finally had the chance to sink into his own thoughts.

He stared at a point in the grayish-white sky, his heart throbbing with pain as tears streamed down the corners of his eyes and into his hair. Only by clenching his teeth and digging his nails deep into his palms did he manage not to cry out loud. Once he calmed down a bit, he began to piece together the events.

Why did Gu Lin betray Father?

Father had been grooming Gu Lin, and under Father's leadership, the Morning Star Club had already begun to overshadow the Sunburn Club. In such circumstances, it made no sense for Gu Lin to betray Father. What was his motive for doing all this?

Moreover, once the Morning Star Club realized what happened, they would never spare him, even if he had colluded with the Sunburn Club.

Gu Lin was not the type to act recklessly; on the contrary, he was very cautious, deliberating every step carefully. What assurance did he have that he could escape unscathed after killing the president of the Morning Star Club?

Unless...

A terrifying conjecture flashed through Chu Ya's mind, making his limbs cold and his heart sink.

— Unless some members of the Morning Star Club shared Gu Lin's thoughts and participated in this betrayal.

The hatred rising in Chu Ya's heart felt like tiny insects gnawing at his flesh, causing intense pain to seep into his organs. But then he suddenly thought of another possibility.

Who said his parents were really dead?

He had never seen their bodies; he only heard Gu Lin say so, but his words were not trustworthy.

This thought made Chu Ya feel relieved, his breathing easier, and the pain in his body lessened considerably. He wished he could return to Cloud Peak immediately, but he knew he had to wait for Yun Tuo to come pick him up, no matter how anxious he was.

With new hope, Chu Ya felt as if a plug had been pulled from his chest, allowing the pain and darkness to dissipate. He started to examine his mental domain.

He had successfully broken through and become a novice sentinel. Typically, after a few years, he would enter the second breakthrough, advancing to a higher rank.

The rank after the second breakthrough is the final rank for a sentinel. He remembered that Gu Lin had initially broken through to the B-level novice rank and then surged to the A-level after the second breakthrough.

He didn't know his own rank, but both his father and mother had high ranks, so he assumed his wouldn't be too low either.

Chu Ya also thought about his quantum beast, unsurprisingly the silver wolf he had always been sketching. But since Gu Lin had attacked his mental domain, he wondered how badly it had been destroyed and whether the silver wolf had suffered severe damage.

Chu Ya tried to enter his mental domain with his consciousness, but just as he focused, a sharp pain shot through his head. He tried repeatedly, sweating profusely without success, and eventually had to give up temporarily.

Chu Ya lay there for a while, waiting for the pain in his head to subside.

His mental domain had just been damaged; he would check again after it recovered for some time. Besides, Yun Tuo was a high-level guide and surely had a way to repair his mental domain. Everything would be fine.

Chu Ya's body was still weak, and once he relaxed, he quickly fell into a deep sleep.

The entire landfill was illuminated by pale light, making it appear even more desolate and lifeless. Only in this tin shack, two children lying side by side murmured in their sleep.

"Mom, run... run..."

"I love eating ghosts, one comes, one goes."

"Gu Lin, I will kill you."

"Are you scared? If you're scared, don't come out."

...

Shen Juanjuan was awakened by the roar of a spacecraft. Normally, he couldn't be woken up even if someone pulled his ears, but realizing that it was garbage delivery time, he instantly woke up and flipped over.

"Huh... The spacecraft has arrived."

Shen Juanjuan's voice was still hoarse and drowsy, yet filled with excitement. He quickly crawled to the other end of the cart to grab his clothes and pants from the sofa.

Pulling down his T-shirt and putting it on, he slipped into his cotton jacket and saw that Chu Ya had propped himself up. He greeted him eagerly, "Shen Miaomiao, you're awake too?"

Chu Ya didn't respond, only struggling to turn his head to look outside, urging, "Quickly, hide under the bed."

Shen Juanjuan was puzzled. "Huh? Under the bed? Did something fall in there that I need to pick up?"

"No need to pick anything up; you need to hide now. No, go outside and find the adult who brought you here to take care of me," Chu Ya explained briefly.

Shen Juanjuan looked outside, then turned back to Chu Ya, his face full of confusion.

"Go quickly! I don't want to involve anyone else!" Chu Ya heard the sound of the spacecraft overhead, his heart racing, and he coughed violently, managing to utter, "Go... go outside..."

Shen Juanjuan stood still, the spacecraft about to land, casting a large shadow through the open door into the room. Chu Ya's eyes reddened, gripping the spoon tightly, thinking that if Gu Lin arrived, he would fight regardless.

But the roaring sound lingered, and the spacecraft remained suspended overhead. Just as Chu Ya began to wonder, a loud crash echoed, as if something heavy had fallen from above, shaking the ground.

"Woah..." Shen Juanjuan exclaimed excitedly.

Boom!

Another loud crash.

"Woah, there's a pile of them."

Chu Ya, facing away from the door, struggled to turn his head and see. Now that it was daylight, he could clearly see the black spacecraft hovering low in the sky, its cargo bay wide open, dumping tons of garbage.

After a few seconds of shock, he realized this wasn't Gu Lin arriving in a military spacecraft; this was just a garbage transport spacecraft.

So here, here...

Chu Ya's gaze fell on the stack of metal blocks, recognizing them as purified waste metal. This type of metal typically came from garbage processing stations, used as materials for ordinary civilian machinery. He had seen it during visits to smelting plants with his father.

"The new garbage has arrived today. The senior students haven't come yet. If I start working now, I'm sure to find lots of treasures," Shen Juanjuan said excitedly, stomping his feet.

Chu Ya slowly withdrew his gaze and examined the room again, everything that was unclear last night now clear.

His gaze followed the walls covered with colorful pictures, and he saw a red plastic basin with a missing corner, a broken blue umbrella, empty beauty capsules, half of a slipper printed with the name of a hotel in Cloud Peak, an empty tape measure box, and so on.

All the items were scattered haphazardly, incomplete and old, giving off an indistinct sense of origin.

"Guess where I went to get water for you? It was Mixin Town. I went there to fetch it for you. I even met a ghost..."

"Here used to be Mixin Town, later known as Mixin Death Town, and it also became the largest landfill. Trash from Cloud Peak and the Abyss is all brought here for disposal..."

Shen Juanjuan's words to Gu Lin echoed in Chu Ya's mind, and he finally understood where he was.

This was not a welfare home; this was a landfill at the edge of Mixin Death Town.

Chu Ya's expression turned strange. He opened his mouth as if to say something but then closed it again tightly.

Shen Juanjuan noticed his unease: "What's wrong? Are you going to sleep again?"

Chu Ya remained silent. Shen Juanjuan walked over and touched his forehead, then his own: "Not hot, not hot. Ah! You haven't taken your pills or applied today's ointment yet."

Feeding Chu Ya his medicine and changing his bandages were top priorities for Shen Juanjuan. He immediately forgot about the fresh trash and hurriedly searched his bag for the medicine.

"Can you give me my pants first?" Chu Ya said from behind him.

"Oh, let me check if they're still wet."

Shen Juanjuan had hung Chu Ya's tie and clothes on a pile of cardboard boxes by the door. Now, he felt them and found they were still damp.

"No, they're not dry yet. You can't wear them."

"It's okay, I can wear them wet."

Shen Juanjuan shook his head firmly: "The manager said wet clothes can make you sick."

Chu Ya had no choice: "Then please give me my underwear."

Shen Juanjuan checked the underwear: "Oh, this is dry. You can wear it."

Chu Ya took the underwear and put it under the blanket. With both his legs injured, dressing himself was difficult, but he could manage when he was alone.

Shen Juanjuan continued searching for the medicine, muttering to himself: "Pills twice a day, ointment once a day. One pill lasts two days, ointment every day... how many times a day?"

He stood there, eyes unfocused, thinking for a moment: "Oh, once."

While Shen Juanjuan was looking for the medicine, Chu Ya instinctively picked up a picture book beside the pillow but suddenly noticed some dried yellowish-black stains on its cover, which were now between his pale fingers.

He quickly threw the book away and looked down at his fingers, his expression turning unpleasant.

"Shen Juanjuan."

"Yes." Shen Juanjuan responded without turning around.

"Is there really only you here?" The sight before him made Chu Ya reconsider what Shen Juanjuan had previously told him.

"Not just me, there's you too."

"...Yes." Chu Ya fell silent for a moment. "Where did you find me?"

"On the garbage mountain. I thought you were a garbage person, so I picked you up there and brought you back in a cart."

Chu Ya realized that he was lying on a metal cart, not a low bed.

Shen Juanjuan suddenly reacted, covering his mouth with his hand, looking at Chu Ya with a hint of panic: "I was just joking. How could I think you were a garbage person? You're Shen Miaomiao. We've always been together; I didn't just find you. Ha ha, saying I just found you is funny, ha ha."

Shen Juanjuan laughed nervously while observing Chu Ya. Seeing no unusual reaction, he relaxed.

Shen Juanjuan brought the medicine to feed Chu Ya: "Be good, open your mouth."

"I can do it myself." Chu Ya said hoarsely.

Shen Juanjuan watched as Chu Ya swallowed a pill, then hurriedly fetched a water bottle and handed it to him: "Here, there's still water inside."

It was a blue stainless steel water bottle with a gray strap that was frayed and tied in a knot. The body was dented and scratched, but one could still see the words: "Plantation Wheat Processing Plant."

Knowing it must have been picked up from the trash, Chu Ya shook his head, indicating he wouldn't drink, and tried to swallow the pill dry.

But the pill stuck in his throat, making him frown even more. The sensation was uncomfortable, and he felt a slight urge to vomit.

Shen Juanjuan stared at him with round, suspicious eyes: "You really don't want to drink water?"

"No." Chu Ya squeezed out the word hoarsely.

Chu Ya kept swallowing, and Shen Juanjuan squatted in front of him watching.

Seeing Chu Ya's face turn redder and his frown deepen, Shen Juanjuan raised his right hand: "Do you want me to use a stick to push it down?"

Chu Ya glanced at the popsicle stick and finally made a choking sound, then quickly grabbed the water bottle from Shen Juanjuan's other hand and gulped down several mouthfuls.

After finally swallowing the pill, he heard Shen Juanjuan say: "There's a lot of new trash outside. I'll go find something for you to eat."

Chu Ya looked at Shen Juanjuan sharply, disbelief written all over his cold, handsome face. Shen Juanjuan patted his back reassuringly: "Wait for me. I'll find something for you to eat soon."

"No, don't go. I won't eat." Chu Ya grabbed Shen Juanjuan's arm, fearing he would go scavenging for food. "I won't eat, don't go."

Having just choked, his eyes were watery and red. Shen Juanjuan paused: "Don't cry. I won't go, really. Don't cry."

Chu Ya slowly calmed down, breathing heavily and leaning back against the pillow. He then flicked an old wallet that was near his pillow away.

"You can't go without eating. You'll starve to death."

"If I starve to death, so be it." Chu Ya replied wearily.

Shen Juanjuan persisted in trying to persuade him: "If we go look for it now, I can find you some really delicious bread. There's still a lot of it left, and it has something sweet and runny inside—"

"No, let me starve to death," Chu Ya interrupted him, his breathing becoming rapid again.

The room fell silent. After a moment, Chu Ya looked at Shen Juanjuan and saw the child staring back at him, a look of confusion on his face. He lowered his eyes, his eyelashes trembling slightly, and said softly, "I'm sorry, Shen Juanjuan. I'm in a bad mood, so my attitude isn't good. Thank you for taking care of me, thank you for giving me water, and thank you for finding food for me. I'll try to adjust myself, but I just don't want to eat right now. If I get very hungry, I'll ask you to... please..."

Chu Ya knew he was severely injured and couldn't walk. If he had to survive by scavenging from the garbage dump, he could grit his teeth and endure until Yun Tuo came to take him away. But asking for help from a child who looked no more than five or six years old was something he found hard to say.

"Please help me find food?" Shen Juanjuan kindly completed his sentence.

Chu Ya's lips moved slightly, and Shen Juanjuan continued, "I'm very smart. You've said 'thank you' so many times, which means you must be hungry."

Shen Juanjuan sat down beside Chu Ya and reached out to hug his arm. Chu Ya reflexively moved away, but immediately realized it wasn't appropriate. However, Shen Juanjuan didn't seem to mind and continued to hold onto his arm.

"When you're hungry, I'll bring you food." Shen Juanjuan's bright eyes looked at Chu Ya. "You're Shen Miaomiao, Shen Juanjuan's big brother. You helped me beat up Wang Zhusheng's brother, making him hide everywhere. You peeled the sweet potato skin for me, and I held one in each hand while you fed me. Since you like me so much, I'll definitely bring you food."

Chu Ya turned his head to look at Shen Juanjuan, and after a few seconds of silence, he replied softly, "Thank you."

"You're saying 'thank you' again, which means you must be very hungry." Shen Juanjuan released Chu Ya's arm and stood up, turning to look at the mountain of garbage outside the door with regret. "Finding something delicious might take a long time. Should I go back to the orphanage to get breakfast? I'll be quick, but it won't be as tasty as what I can find here."

Chu Ya realized he could still go back to the orphanage and nodded, "Thank you."

"I'll leave right now." Shen Juanjuan, urged by the repeated thanks, immediately grabbed his bag and put both water flasks inside, saying, "Your ointment needs to be changed. I'll do it when I come back."

"Okay."

Shen Juanjuan was about to leave when Chu Ya called out, "Shen Juanjuan."

"What is it, Shen Miaomiao?" Shen Juanjuan turned to face him.

Chu Ya hesitated, then pointed to the cotton cap on the sofa, "It's cold outside, and you haven't put on your hat."

Shen Juanjuan paused, "Oh, I forgot my hat."

He put the cotton cap on, pulling down the earflaps and tying them under his chin, standing in front of Chu Ya like a little tiger, "I've put it on."

"Good."

"I've put it on." Shen Juanjuan didn't move, repeating himself, his bright eyes looking at Chu Ya as if expecting something.

Chu Ya had to emphasize, "Good!"

Shen Juanjuan scratched his chin and whispered, "You should pull me over, check my hat, and hit my head, saying 'go away.' Then, if you catch me running around without a hat, you'd loosen my skin."

Chu Ya remained silent, and after a while, Shen Juanjuan awkwardly laughed, "Never mind, never mind." He pinched the corner of his clothes and started walking towards the door, "I'll go get breakfast from the orphanage."

"Wait." Chu Ya called him back.

"Huh?" Shen Juanjuan quickly turned around.

Chu Ya considered for a moment and asked hesitantly, "Can you keep it a secret and not tell anyone else that you met me?"

Seeing Shen Juanjuan's puzzled expression, he patiently explained, "No one else can know I'm here; otherwise, it will cause a lot of trouble."

Shen Juanjuan's eyes slowly moved in their sockets, "But everyone already knows."

"Everyone knows? How many people? Who are they?" Chu Ya's expression changed, and he propped himself up to sit straighter.

Shen Juanjuan sensed something was wrong and immediately counted on his fingers, "There's Lin Duozhi, Tang Yuanyuan, Chen Hongliang, Liu Sijin, and Yu Datou... one two three one two three one two three people know."

Chu Ya thought for a moment, "Are they all children?"

"Yes."

"Did you tell them who I am?" Chu Ya's voice became stern.

"Yes." Shen Juanjuan stammered nervously, "I said you're my big brother, and you're sick. I didn't say you're Shen Miaomiao."

Chu Ya was taken aback, realizing he had reacted too strongly and scared the child. He softened his tone, "It's okay, I was just asking casually."

Shen Juanjuan seemed unsure whether to believe him, clutching the strap of his bag tightly.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked softly.

Chu Ya paused, "No, you didn't do anything wrong. It's just that I spoke harshly and scared you."

"Oh."

Shen Juanjuan finally relaxed and slowly walked towards the door. But after a few steps, he suddenly turned back, "Since I didn't do anything wrong, don't speak to me like that. You scared me."

Chu Ya apologized softly, "I'm sorry. I got worried and couldn't control my emotions."

Shen Juanjuan still seemed hurt, "Even if you couldn't control your emotions, you shouldn't be so mean. You have to be nice to me and not be mean."

Chu Ya, having never dealt with a five- or six-year-old before, didn't quite understand their mindset. After a few seconds of silence, he said, "You wanted me to scold you and tell you to go away earlier. Why do you think I'm being mean now?"

"That's different."

"How is it different?" Chu Ya countered.

Shen Juanjuan paused for a while before saying, "I like hearing 'go away,' and you didn't hit my head. It's just different from how you were being mean earlier."

Chu Ya turned his head to the side, frowning deeply as he took a long breath. Shen Juanjuan glanced at him and muttered, "I'm not mad at you. I'll go get breakfast from the orphanage. Wait for me."

Chu Ya called him back again, "Shen Juanjuan, can you do me a favor when you get back to the orphanage?"

"Huh?"

Chu Ya carefully said, "Find the manager, no, the director or the head of the orphanage, and discreetly inquire about the situation at Cloud Peak these past two days. Is there anything unusual..."

Chu Ya looked at Shen Juanjuan, whose round eyes were wide open, and his voice grew softer until it finally faded into silence.

He shook his head: "Forget it, there's no need to ask. Don't go prying."