Chapter 63

Chapter 63

Madam Du was frail and was always accompanied by a medical team of five. No one dared to move Du Danren, so he lay stiffly on the floor until two doctors hastily flipped him over.

Du Danren lay there like a salted fish (Chinese idiom for helplessness), his first move was to check his glasses—sure enough, one corner was cracked.

"Danren, how are you?" Madam Du asked. "Doctor, check him right away."

The doctor didn’t have X-ray vision and couldn’t spot anything obvious at a glance, so he asked, "Mr. Du, where do you feel discomfort?"

Du Danren thought about it. "My bones hurt."

"...We should take you to the hospital for a check-up."

Du Danren tried to get up on his own, but being fifty years old, his bones weren’t as resilient as they used to be. The moment he sat up, the pain sent him right back down.

Tian Ruan blurted out, "In this state, you’re still doing sit-ups?"

Du Danren: "..."

Yu Jingmo hid a smile and pulled Tian Ruan aside. "Stop causing trouble."

Tian Ruan: "??"

Soon, with the combined efforts of Du Henbie and the doctors, Du Danren was lifted onto the medevac van originally prepared for Madam Du.

The vehicle was outfitted with all the necessary equipment. The doctor first immobilized Du Danren’s aching leg with a small wooden plank to prevent movement—though Du Danren remained completely still, only his eyes occasionally scanning as he asked, "Can I wear my glasses? I can’t see clearly."

Madam Du sat beside him. "What's the point? You’ll have to take them off at the hospital anyway. Just leave them off."

"Oh."

Tian Ruan sat on the other side. "So can you see me?"

Du Danren looked at Madam Du. "I can see you."

"..."

Madam Du: "Xiao Ruan is on the other side."

Du Danren: "? Isn’t his mother you?"

"..."

Tian Ruan: "Yes, but not Mom."

Du Danren didn’t get the difference and frowned slightly, turning his face toward the ceiling.

In the close quarters of the vehicle, the silence felt awkward. It was Yu Jingmo’s deep, gentle voice that finally broke the tension: "Father-in-law, have you ever experienced nerve issues before?"

Du Danren: "No."

"I suggest getting a neurological examination as well."

Madam Du jumped in, "Jingmo, are you knowledgeable in this area?"

"I know an expert in this field. He mentioned that as people age, especially those who are constantly stressed, their nerves become highly sensitive. The slightest thing can lead to imbalance, resulting in tumbles."

Madam Du's face grew serious. She added, "It’s been two years since your last complete physical anyway. Might as well get one done at the hospital."

Du Danren thought for a moment, "I have a cocktail party to attend, and there's less than half an hour left."

"Then don't go," Madam Du fumed. "What's more important, your life or your work?"

Du Danren was stunned, "Of course my life is more important. If I'm gone, who'll provide for you all?"

"...Henbie can contribute too. You're already fifty, it's time to take it easy."

Du Danren, "I feel just like I did at thirty."

Madam Du, "Just look at your son-in-law, and you'll see the difference between now and thirty."

Du Danren looked at Yu Jingmo—the contrast was stark.

At thirty, Yu Jingmo was in his prime, built like a tank, his handsome figure as dazzling as the rising sun.

In contrast, Du Danren already carried a whiff of... decay.

Yu Jingmo smiled politely, "You’re still youthful, Father-in-law."

Du Danren, "..."

At the hospital, Du Danren was sent for emergency treatment. The orthopedic doctor said it wasn't a big issue—just a fracture that would heal in ten days to half a month.

Du Danren was devastated, "What about my work? I’ve got meetings lined up tonight, play golf tomorrow, attend a meeting the day after, site visit the day after that..."

Du Henbie said, "Dad, I’ve got you covered."

Du Danren, "...So now I’m just a useless old man?"

"Of course not, Dad. Everyone grows old someday. When I'm old, I might not even be as fortunate as you."

"That's true. Well, you chose men over kids." Du Danren seemed slightly comforted and turned to Madam Du, "Honey, I’m starving."

The butler Dew, who had followed in another car, said, "Your dinner’s packed and ready."

"Hmm." Du Danren prepared to eat, but seeing four or five lunch boxes with small portions inside, he asked, "This can’t feed all five of us, right?"

Madam Du, "You eat here; we’ll grab dinner at home."

"..."

Before leaving, Tian Ruan seemed to see the words "abandoned old man, dining solo" flash in Du Danren's eyes.

Yu Jingmo was impeccably polite, "Father-in-law, Tian Ruan’s got school in the morning, so we’ll take our leave."

Du Danren, "Hmm, hit the books, aim high."

Tian Ruan, "...Okay."

They rode back in the Du family car first, accompanying Madam Du for a meal. Without Du Danren, dinner went smoothly. But Tian Ruan had a nagging sense, as if something was missing.

Even if his old man wasn't very noticeable, he was still a person.

But they couldn’t even eat together.

After dinner, back at the manor, Tian Ruan heaved a deep sigh.

"You're so young, what are you sighing about?" Yu Jingmo headed straight to wash up.

Tian Ruan played with the snow-white soap bubbles in his hands. "I don't know."

Yu Jingmo grabbed his hand and carefully scrubbed his slender fingers. Only his palm had a bit of flesh, soft and nice to hold.

The hand-washing bubbles merged together, clinging inseparably. Tian Ruan's fingers were played with by Yu Jingmo's slightly rough hands, making him feel a little ticklish, yet he didn’t want to pull away, leaving the sink covered in bubbles.

Yu Jingmo gently pulled his hand under the sensor faucet. The rushing water washed away the foam, revealing two pairs of clean, slender hands.

"Still such a kid, playing with bubbles like this," Yu Jingmo chuckled.

Hearing this, Tian Ruan also felt a bit childish. After washing his hands, he yawned.

"Go to sleep."

"Mm." Tian Ruan ran to the guest room, and Yu Jingmo didn't say anything else.

The next day at school, Tian Ruan was relieved to find that Yu Shang and Lu Qiuyan weren't having any issues, avoiding the drama-filled misunderstandings from the original plot.

After lunch break, Wang Weiqi excitedly ran up to Tian Ruan. "Tian Ruan, you're insane!"

Tian Ruan: "?"

Wang Weiqi: "Didn't you see the group chat? The homeroom teacher posted the winners of the city essay competition—you got first place!"

Tian Ruan: "Huh? What essay competition?"

"The one during the break. You forgot?"

Tian Ruan thought for a while before finally recalling that during the holiday, he had finished all his homework, including the essay, in half a day and just submitted it to the class group.

The homeroom teacher had indeed mentioned selecting a few essays for the competition. Tian Ruan had thought of it as homework and forgotten about it afterward.

Now he was being told he won? It felt totally unreal, he thought.

Wang Weiqi said enviously, "You’re seriously impressive. Everything comes so easily to you."

Tian Ruan: "I just wrote it casually. Maybe it's someone else with my name?"

"That's 100% you."

Before afternoon classes, the homeroom teacher came in and handed Tian Ruan his certificate of honor, praising, "Your essay was excellent. It’s already posted on the bulletin board."

Tian Ruan quietly messaged Yu Jingmo about it.

Tian Ruan: Was this some kind of inside job you arranged?

Yu Jingmo: What kind of inside job could there be for an essay competition?

Tian Ruan: Then why didn’t Yu Shang’s essay win? His was better than mine.

Yu Jingmo: He didn’t participate.

Tian Ruan: ...

The main characters didn’t want this spotlight, and by some twist of fate, it ended up on Tian Ruan instead.

During the afternoon break, Tian Ruan got curious and quietly went to check the bulletin board. Sure enough, many students were gathered around, admiring his essay. "This is so good," they whispered.

Tian Ruan quietly slipped on his mask, suddenly feeling the weight of being a "school celebrity."

Pushing through the crowd, he looked at the enlarged essay displayed on the electronic screen—four pages of graceful, fluid handwriting, neat and poised.

Tian Ruan had already forgotten what he had written. Now, as he read it again, he suddenly realized the essay was truly inspired.

The essay was titled *I Am a Tree*.

It began with the tree’s death, then recounted the defining moments of its life in reverse chronological order. Finally, the tree, which had died at dawn, came back to life under the moonlight, beginning a new life cycle.

The theme was standard, and the life cycle of a tree was nothing unusual. Yet, for some reason, as Tian Ruan reread the essay, he felt a nameless emotion.

Perhaps it was because he had died once before.

*"...I stand in the wilderness, standing against the wind. Grass fades and blooms with the seasons, geese fly south year after year, winter brings snow and ice—and also a squirrel. The squirrel takes shelter in my branches, gathering nuts, until spring arrives and it leaves... only to return again."*

*"I want nothing, expect nothing, fear nothing—I am just a tree. Yet every year, I still sprout new buds to embrace the spring breeze and feed the cicadas and bees. Until the great drought comes, and I finally understand: I, too, am struggling to take root, struggling to live."*

A short-haired girl read the essay aloud with heartfelt emotion, breaking down in tears by the end: *"I am a tree—a tree born in the wilderness, destined to die in the wilderness!"*

Tian Ruan: *"..."*

Sporadic applause rose around him.

The girl let out a theatrical *"Ah!"* then pushed her way to Tian Ruan. *"You—you're Tian Ruan, the genius from Class 1, Grade 11!"*

Tian Ruan: *"?"*

Everyone turned to look at him.

Tian Ruan sprinted away.

*"Don’t run—!"* The crowd, driven by mob mentality, immediately gave chase—dozens of students, boys and girls alike, shouting, *"Genius, don’t run!"*

Embarrassed, Tian Ruan ran even faster, locking himself in the classroom as soon as he reached it.

On the way, the group drew in even more students, spreading the word until it became *"A celebrity is holding a concert at Deyin High School—in Class 1, Grade 11!"*

Hundreds of students poured in, buzzing with speculation. *"Which celebrity? Male or female? Is it Yan? Could it be Yan XX?"*

*"Ahhh! Yan XX!"*

Tian Ruan: *"?"*

Wang Weiqi, also in the classroom, looked around in shock. *"Where’s Yan XX?"*

Tian Ruan: *"No idea."*

Students pressed against the doors and windows, faces flushed with excitement, like a zombie horde. *"Did you see him? Where’s Yan XX? Stop pushing—"*

Wang Weiqi: *"...Bro, this is kind of scary."*

Tian Ruan: *"I’m scared too."*

There was no telling what these NPCs would do. Tian Ruan called Yu Jingmo for help. *"Mr. Yu, I’m under zombie siege."*

Yu Jingmo: *"?"*

Before Yu Jingmo arrived, the student council showed up.

With so many people, Yu Shang had to use a megaphone. *"Everyone, return to your classrooms—or get demerits!"*

Nobody listened to him.

Yu Shang: "Everyone return to your classrooms, or you'll get docked credits!"

Still, nobody budged.

Tian Ruan could hear it clearly from inside the classroom—there was no way those outside hadn’t heard. It seemed the student council's authority was on its last legs. As a member himself, he had to step up.

So he opened the classroom door, wisely taking a few steps back in anticipation. Sure enough, the students outside poured in, piling into a messy heap.

Tian Ruan squeezed through the crowd and escaped. The crowd barely reacted to him before continuing their charge into the classroom.

Wang Weiqi, however, wasn’t so lucky. For the first time, he experienced what it felt like to be a "human doormat," getting stomped on a bunch.

Director Hu and Principal Li arrived after receiving Yu Jingmo’s call, chewing them out and stopping more chaos.

Wang Weiqi whimpered as the student council carried him out. His expression turned even more despairing when he spotted Nan Mengyao—because even *she* stepped on him!

Nan Mengyao: "...Sorry, I didn’t mean to! I was pushed."

Wang Weiqi: "Why are you even here? You’re just here for Yan XX, aren’t you?!"

Nan Mengyao: "Who I like is none of your damn business!"

Wang Weiqi: "Waaahh..."

Tian Ruan silently poured one out for the unfortunate Wang Weiqi.

Then he reported to Yu Jingmo: *Mr. Yu, I'm fine now.*

Yu Jingmo: *Mm. Come to the school gate.*

Tian Ruan: *?*