Chapter 58

Chapter 58

Shen Juanjuan walked through the front gate of the courtyard, his head hanging low as he moved forward, not noticing the unusual scene until he was about to enter the passage, where he saw the overturned wheelchair in the yard.

Shen Juanjuan stood there, stunned for two seconds, then went over to touch the wheelchair and looked around the empty courtyard, his expression gradually turning panicked.

"Shen Miaomiao, Shen Miaomiao." His voice still carried the hoarseness from his recent crying.

Shen Juanjuan turned his head to survey the surroundings; the desolate houses were shrouded in the heavy rain, with no one responding to him, only the sound of raindrops hitting the roof.

Shen Juanjuan's breathing grew more rapid, and suddenly he let out a hoarse scream: "Brother!"

His heart was filled with fear, even the sadness of being expelled from the orphanage was forgotten, thinking only that Shen Miaomiao was gone, and his brother was gone.

After standing beside the wheelchair in a daze for a moment, he suddenly remembered to go back and check, and rushed towards the passage.

The passage was dimly lit, and he stumbled and fell to the ground, but without a groan, he quickly got up and hurriedly continued running forward.

"Shen Miaomiao!" Shen Juanjuan pushed open the door with a bang and immediately saw Chu Ya lying on the sofa. He leaned against the door, panting heavily, taking a while to regain his composure, his expression relaxing: "I almost thought you were gone. You're lying here, I almost thought you had run away."

Shen Juanjuan walked towards Chu Ya: "Your wheelchair is outside, why did you throw it so far? I thought you had run away." Seeing Chu Ya lying motionless on the sofa, he squatted down beside him, lowering his voice: "Are you sleeping? Are you—"

Shen Juanjuan's voice suddenly paused.

Light streamed in from the wide-open door, illuminating Chu Ya's face in detail. He saw two transparent droplets slowly roll out from Chu Ya's eyes, then trickle into his temples.

Shen Juanjuan stared at the damp temple for several seconds, reaching out to touch it, and softly called out Shen Miaomiao.

Chu Ya did not respond, so he gently pushed Chu Ya's shoulder: "Shen Miaomiao, what's wrong? Shen Miaomiao?"

Chu Ya remained motionless, but more tears overflowed from his eyes. Shen Juanjuan, who didn't feel anything when he cried, now felt immediate tension upon seeing Chu Ya cry, helplessly squatting beside the sofa, occasionally calling out Shen Miaomiao softly.

"Why are you crying? Are you sick?" Shen Juanjuan used his hand to check Chu Ya's forehead temperature, then pressed his own forehead against it, finding that the skin was not hot but cold like ice.

"Are you cold? Are you cold?"

Seeing that Chu Ya only had a thin blanket covering him, Shen Juanjuan prepared to change it to a thicker one. But just as he lifted the blanket, he noticed something was wrong.

Chu Ya was wearing the surgical jacket he had modified himself, but it was soaked through, covered in mud, and there was a fresh red bloodstain on his chest.

"Did you fall? How did you get hurt like this?" Shen Juanjuan became even more panicked, leaning closer to examine Chu Ya, finding that he had no nosebleed, "Why is there blood on your chest? Your clothes are all wet."

Chu Ya did not respond, so Shen Juanjuan hurriedly unzipped his jacket to take off the wet clothes. But just as he opened the zipper, he saw large bruises on the skin under the T-shirt.

"Why do you have so many bruises? Did you fall? Your wheelchair was in the yard, did you try to climb the steps and fall? Don't crawl around everywhere, if you want to go somewhere, wait for me to come home, I can carry you." Shen Juanjuan's face turned pale, his tone quick and urgent.

He struggled to peel the jacket off Chu Ya, feeling the icy skin beneath, and quickly went to the bathroom, poured hot water from the thermos, and wrung out a hot towel to wipe his body.

"Be careful when you walk, don't crawl around everywhere. Babies who crawl out of their strollers also get hurt."

Shen Juanjuan sniffled, pressing the towel to Chu Ya's chest, his voice choked with sobs. Chu Ya finally reacted, slowly lifting his right arm to press on the hand Shen Juanjuan had placed on his chest.

"Shen Miaomiao!" Shen Juanjuan was both surprised and delighted.

But Chu Ya kept his eyes closed, tears streaming down his face. Shen Juanjuan helplessly reached out to wipe them away: "Where does it hurt? Does it hurt a lot from falling?"

Chu Ya let out a gasping sob, gradually growing louder, like a roar, each cry tearing his heart apart, the broken sounds filled with unbearable pain and sorrow.

Shen Juanjuan, frightened, threw the towel aside, hugging him and crying together, repeatedly calling out to his brother and Shen Miaomiao.

Chu Ya, like a dying person, opened his mouth wide to breathe, his body stiffening as he roared, veins bulging on his neck: "Ah—ah—"

"Does it hurt a lot? Uh uh... Does it hurt a lot..."

Chu Ya cried until his voice was hoarse, his body convulsing, and finally, the cries subsided, leaving him curled up on the sofa, trembling with cold.

Shen Juanjuan held his cold body, unsure how to warm him up. He pulled the blanket over Chu Ya, hugging him tightly, pressing his face against Chu Ya's, and repeatedly asked through his tears: "Does it hurt a lot? Does it hurt a lot?"

Chu Ya panted heavily, and after a long while, he opened his eyes, looking at Shen Juanjuan with red, swollen eyes.

"What happened? Where does it hurt? I'll go find some medicine... uh..."

Chu Ya opened his cracked lips, his voice hoarse and barely audible, calling out Shen Juanjuan.

"I'm here, I'm here," Shen Juanjuan nodded, tears blurring his vision.

"Shen Juanjuan, my dad is gone, my mom is gone, Yun Tuo is gone." Tears rolled down Chu Ya's red, swollen eyes again: "Shen Juanjuan, they left me behind, they abandoned me here, they abandoned me..."

Shen Juanjuan also cried sadly: "It's okay if they abandon you, I won't abandon you, I won't leave you, I won't throw you away."

"Shen Juanjuan, Shen Juanjuan..." Chu Ya reached out, and Shen Juanjuan crawled into his arms.

Chu Ya hugged him tightly, as if the small body was his only support, the only source of warmth, the only lifeline he could grasp. Although Shen Juanjuan was squeezed painfully, he did not struggle, only hugging back tightly.

"Shen Juanjuan..."

"I won't throw you away, I will always take care of you, I will always find garbage to feed you."

Chu Ya sobbed: "You must always stay with me, don't leave me alone here, don't let me die alone."

"Okay, I'll always stay with you, you won't die, I'll find food for you."

The two children embraced and cried, Chu Ya resting his chin on Shen Juanjuan's head, burying his face in it, until the deep sorrow in his heart gradually dissipated, and he slowly released his grip.

"Do you still hurt?" Shen Juanjuan's eyes were also red and swollen.

Chu Ya took his hand and pressed it to his chest: "It hurts, it hurts a lot, Shen Juanjuan, it hurts too much here." Shen Juanjuan bent down to blow on the skin: "I'll blow, blowing will make it less painful. The ointment from last time hasn't been used up yet, I'll go get it."

But Chu Ya held his hand, preventing him from moving: "No, don't use the ointment, just stay here, don't leave."

The two children lay on the sofa, embracing each other until the light gradually dimmed and the landfill's lights came on. Shen Juanjuan had fallen asleep at some point, and Chu Ya held him, quietly watching the raindrops fall from the eaves.

When he was attacked by Gu Lin, the Black Wolf also lost its form and returned to the mental realm, only reappearing now. It stood at the door, watching the two for a moment before lying down to guard them.

Shen Juanjuan tossed and turned on the inside of the sofa, mumbling incoherently, then raised his hand to rub his eyes and yawned long and hard with his eyes closed.

"Awake?" Chu Ya asked softly.

Shen Juanjuan opened his eyes and mumbled "Shen Miaomiao," reaching out his hand to Chu Ya.

Chu Ya held the warm little hand in his palm and asked, "Do you want to sleep more?"

Shen Juanjuan closed his eyes again, whimpering like a spoiled child, and mumbled a song: "Grandpa's little car goes beep beep beep, da da da, beep beep beep..."

His feet were keeping time, kicking the blanket up and down. As he neared the end of the song, he remembered what had happened before he fell asleep, and his singing gradually faded, his expression turning somber.

Chu Ya patted his head and said softly, "I'm fine now, no pain in my heart."

"Mm-hmm." Shen Juanjuan kept his head lowered.

Chu Ya's eyes flickered. "What happened at the orphanage today?"

Shen Juanjuan remained silent, only turning to hug his waist and burying his face in his chest.

Chu Ya thought for a moment. "Once, during a military academy combat competition, I lost and felt very sad. During that period, I went to the training room every night and practiced for a month. By the time of the next competition, I finally won first place."

Shen Juanjuan still didn't speak or move, so Chu Ya continued, "Another time, I had a falling out with my dorm mates over some treasures, like flower papers and steel balls. Later, I went to the garbage mountain to find some new treasures to bring back to them, saying, 'We're still good friends...'"

"Don't talk, don't mention them. I don't want to hear about them right now; I'll cry if I do," Shen Juanjuan's voice was muffled, causing a look of surprise to appear on Chu Ya's face, his eyes filled with deep thought.

"If I don't talk, can you tell me what happened?"

Shen Juanjuan shook his head while buried in his chest, and Chu Ya didn't press further, just holding him and gently swaying. But after a moment, a barely audible voice came from his embrace: "I was kicked out of the orphanage."

Chu Ya paused, his tone calm as he asked, "You mean you were kicked out of the orphanage?"

"Mm-hmm." Shen Juanjuan nodded.

"For how many days? Not allowed to return today? Tomorrow? Or several days?"

Shen Juanjuan sniffled. "I don't know, the director said they would come to pick me up later."

"Oh, I see. Why did he say that? What happened?"

Shen Juanjuan tearfully recounted the events, and Chu Ya listened quietly, gently patting his back.

"... Sniffle, those two people reported me, so I can't go back to the orphanage anymore. I can't bring treasures to Lin Duozhi, Tang Yuanyuan, and Liu Sijin. I also wanted to collect bottles for Wang Xiaoxi, but I can't deliver them because they won't let me go... I didn't do anything wrong, I didn't fight, I didn't fight..."

Chu Ya looked up at the ceiling, his eyes glistening, but his voice remained steady and gentle. "If you can't play at the orphanage, we can play at home. At home, there's Shen Miaomiao and the silver wolf, and the steel ball car, and teddy bears. If you can't give treasures to Lin Duozhi and the others, we can save more and give them all when the director comes to pick you up, filling a big bag to dazzle their eyes. They'll say, 'Wow, Shen Juanjuan, you're so amazing, you saved so many treasures...'"

Chu Ya's calmness quickly stabilized Shen Juanjuan's emotions, who began to sob and imagine, "A huge bag of treasures, I don't even like flower papers, it will be full of cookies, bread, buns, chicken legs—" Shen Juanjuan swallowed audibly, then added, "And black lumps."

"Yes, lots and lots of treasures, all saved up. It will be better than bringing a little bit every day."

Shen Juanjuan laughed through his tears, and Chu Ya comforted him softly. The Black Wolf, which had been lying at the door, stood up and silently left the yard.

Shen Juanjuan lifted his head from Chu Ya's chest, his tear-streaked face smiling despite the tears still in his eyes.

Chu Ya took a handkerchief to wipe his face. "Yes, we'll save every day, one bag isn't enough, we'll need two."

"Three!"

"Okay, three!"

"Four!"

Chu Ya gave a thumbs-up. "Not bad, not counting one, two, three, one anymore."

"Five! I know four is followed by five! One more bag makes five bags."

"Very good."

They smiled at each other for a moment, then Chu Ya lifted the blanket and stood up with his cane. "Come on, your eyes are swollen, let's wash your face."

"Wash face?" Shen Juanjuan's smile slowly faded. "It's not bedtime yet, we have to wash our faces now?"

"Yes, we need to wash our faces now."

Shen Juanjuan sighed as he sat up and put on his shoes. "Washing and washing, every day, washed in the morning, now again..."

Chu Ya stopped at the main house, frowning as he stood still for a moment, looking to the left with his cane.

There was a four-story building, half hidden in the rainy night, the other half illuminated by the landfill's lights, showing some dark windows.

"What are you looking at?" Shen Juanjuan also stretched his neck to look. "What are you looking at?"

Chu Ya stared at the windows for a moment, finding nothing unusual, then turned away. "Let's go to the bathroom."

After the two entered the bathroom, an eagle quantum beast flew out of one of the windows, flapping its wings into the rainy night, heading towards Keke Mountain.

The Black Wolf was running across the wilderness, visible in the faint light, splashing water with its paws, and carrying a nearly lifeless mutant rabbit in its mouth.

At one moment, the Black Wolf suddenly looked up at the sky, squinting its eyes, revealing a cold, sinister gleam. Then it rushed behind a mound, released the rabbit onto the mound, and lay down in the rain.

A dark shadow in the sky quickly descended, the eagle quantum beast circling the wilderness in search. The Black Wolf remained motionless on the ground, and the mutant rabbit on the mound, perhaps awakened by the rain, suddenly started moving its limbs.

The eagle noticed the movement and flew over to investigate. Just as it lowered to a certain height, the Black Wolf, which had been lying in wait, suddenly sprang up, leaping high into the air.

It spread its claws in mid-air, lunging fiercely at the eagle. The eagle, focused on the mutant rabbit, couldn't react in time. The Black Wolf moved with lightning speed, tearing off one of the eagle's wings with a fierce grip.

The eagle let out a painful screech as black smoke rose from its broken wing. The Black Wolf was about to pounce again, but the bird had already flown high and escaped into the distance. The Black Wolf stared in the direction it disappeared, then looked at its paw, where the wing it held had turned to black smoke and vanished into the air.

The Black Wolf picked up the rabbit mutant again, but this time it did not rush toward Mixin Town; instead, it turned its head to the right.

A tall, slender figure appeared on the road ahead, dressed in a long gray robe, holding an umbrella, and carrying a large bag in the other hand.

Rong Chen carried a bag of sweet potatoes, carefully walking on the slippery road, planning to slip quietly into Mixin Town under the cover of night to deliver the food to Chu Ya.

When he saw a beast's corpse slowly drifting through the air, he froze in terror, instinctively turning to run. But then he regained his composure, standing still and tentatively asking, "Chu Ya's quantum beast?"

The Black Wolf made no sound, its cold eyes fixed on Rong Chen as it slowly approached him. When it drew near, a flash of anger crossed its eyes, and it raised its paw, aiming at Rong Chen's chest.

"Is it Chu Ya's quantum beast? The Dean is very worried about them, so he sent me to check on them and bring some food. Shen Juanjuan must be very upset today, thinking he was driven away. I need to talk to him."

The Black Wolf's paw hung in the air, then suddenly dropped, its sharp claws grazing Rong Chen's chest, only tearing open the bag and scattering the sweet potatoes on the ground.

Then it turned around and dashed toward Mixin Town like a bolt of lightning.

Rong Chen watched the beast's corpse gradually disappear into the sky until it was completely out of sight. He sighed, lifted the hem of his gray robe, and gathered the sweet potatoes from the ground. Then he turned and slowly walked back to the orphanage.

"You've washed my hands three times now."

In the bathroom, Shen Juanjuan reminded Chu Ya, not very happily.

"There's mud in your fingernails; we need to get it clean."

Chu Ya wiped his hands dry with a towel and led him back to the main house.

He looked up at the empty building again, this time noticing a glint of light from one of the windows, similar to a moving telescope. This didn't surprise him; since his hiding place had been discovered by Gu Lin but he wasn't taken away, it was inevitable that someone would be monitoring his movements.

Having figured this out, Chu Ya no longer felt the need to be cautious. He simply leaned on his cane and led Shen Juanjuan back to the main house.

As they walked, Shen Juanjuan kept looking at him, touching his stomach cautiously and asking, "Are you hungry? Are you hungry?"

Chu Ya was taken aback, realizing they hadn't eaten anything all day and were too hungry to feel it.

While he could endure the night, Shen Juanjuan couldn't.

"I, I didn't manage to get any food today before being chased away," Shen Juanjuan said, his eyes downcast, his voice tinged with guilt and self-reproach. Before Chu Ya could respond, he quickly added, "But don't worry, we won't starve. I'll go find something, I'll go to the garbage mountain to find something good to eat. Okay? Okay?"

"No," Chu Ya replied.

"Then, then—"

"You stay home, I'll go find food for you." Chu Ya interrupted him.

"You'll go find it?"

"Yes, let Xiao Xiong keep you company while you do your homework. By the time you finish writing five lines, I'll be back."

Shen Juanjuan grabbed his arm, "I want to go too, I want to go with you."

Just as Chu Ya was about to speak, a dark shadow leaped over the wall, and the wet Black Wolf appeared in the courtyard, a mutant in its mouth.