Chapter 25 Trauma from the Car Accident

Chapter 25: Trauma from a Car Accident

Shen Qingci had slept until nearly ten o'clock again.

He leaned against the headboard, his gaze somewhat dazed. Staring at the bright sunshine outside the window, he thought for a good while before finally getting up to wash up.

He had slept too deeply.

So deeply it felt unnatural.

Standing in front of the mirror, Shen Qingci looked at his own face in the reflection, slightly flushed from sleeping well, and frowned slightly.

He remembered the two glasses of milk.

The warm milk Lu Lin brought him every night before bed.

Could it be... there was something wrong with the milk?

This thought surfaced, only to be pushed down again.

He was certain Lu Lin wouldn't harm him.

After washing up, Shen Qingci went downstairs.

Uncle Fu was already waiting in the dining room. Seeing him come down, he immediately went to bring out breakfast.

"Where's Lu Lin?" Shen Qingci asked.

"Mr. Lu went to the company early this morning," Uncle Fu said. "He mentioned there's an important merger deal to discuss today and might be back late tonight. He prepared breakfast himself, saying it was to your liking."

Shen Qingci glanced at the breakfast on the table, sat down, and slowly finished it.

Then he said to Uncle Fu, "I'm going out. No need to prepare lunch."

Today, he was going with Lin Wei to purchase equipment. Qingye Company was officially entering its preparatory phase, and things would be very busy lately.

---

Lin Wei was highly efficient. In half a day, she finalized the office equipment supplier. In the afternoon, she took Shen Qingci to see demonstrations of several smart office systems.

Shen Qingci learned quickly, but the knowledge gap from a decade of tech advances still made it a bit of a struggle for him.

By the time he returned home in the evening, it was already nine o'clock.

Lu Lin wasn't back yet. Dinner was prepared by the chef.

Shen Qingci ate a little and asked Uncle Fu, "Lu Lin still isn't back?"

Uncle Fu hummed in agreement, hesitated for a moment, then spoke up, "Mr. Lu... actually rarely comes back. Before you returned, he was lucky to come back three to five days a month. The company is busy, there are many social engagements, and he often sleeps at the office or in hotels."

He paused, then added, "It's only since you came back that he's been returning on time every day to accompany you."

Shen Qingci nodded, not saying anything.

He went upstairs using his cane, but Uncle Fu's words lingered in his mind.

He knew all too well how exhausting it was to run a company.

Back then, Tianchen Group, though large, had a relatively simple structure, and he was still constantly swamped.

The internal relationships within the Lu Group were extremely complex. As the person in charge, Lu Lin undoubtedly had it tougher.

Lately, he had been busy with Qingye Company's affairs, and Lu Lin rarely discussed company matters with him.

When Lu Lin returned, he needed to have a proper talk with him.

So he wouldn't get pushed around at work again.

Thinking of this, Shen Qingci's brow furrowed again.

The kid was clearly shrewd when he was little. How did he become more and more foolish as he grew up?

Getting bullied and not fighting back, still needing his deceased guardian to step in and resolve things.

He pushed open the study door and went in, planning to read for a bit while he waited for Lu Lin to return.

He had just turned a page when his phone suddenly rang.

Caller ID: Zhou Jin.

Shen Qingci answered the call.

"Mr. Shen," Zhou Jin's voice was urgent, with chaotic background noise, "Could you come to the Imperial View Hotel? President Lu, he..."

Before he could finish, the call cut off.

Shen Qingci held the phone, silent for two seconds, then stood up and turned to go downstairs.

Uncle Fu heard the noise and came out of the kitchen. Seeing Shen Qingci heading out in a hurry, he wanted to ask but ultimately just watched him leave.

---

Imperial View Hotel.

Zhou Jin was already waiting at the entrance. Seeing Shen Qingci's car, he immediately went up to open the door.

"Mr. Shen." Zhou Jin's face looked terrible, with a cut at the corner of his mouth.

Shen Qingci got out of the car with his cane and glanced at him. "What happened?"

"After the social engagement ended, as we were about to leave, a car accident happened at the entrance," Zhou Jin explained quickly while leading the way. "President Lu watched for a while."

He paused, his voice lowering. "Then he started acting strange."

Shen Qingci's brow furrowed.

The sound of his cane tapping the ground was faster than usual, revealing a rare urgency in him.

"Has he been in an accident before?"

"No." Zhou Jin shook his head, then glanced at Shen Qingci. "It was fine at first, but that car... it was the same model you drove back then."

It wasn't that Lu Lin had been in a car accident.

It was his accident.

It was his car accident ten years ago that had affected Lu Lin.

But Shen Qingci couldn't understand. Lu Lin hadn't witnessed the scene of his accident, so why would an unrelated car accident trigger such a strong reaction?

Zhou Jin stopped at the entrance to the first-floor banquet hall.

The door was slightly ajar, and inside was pitch black.

"Boss Lu is inside," Zhou Jin whispered. "Our people are guarding outside, and no one's been let in."

Shen Qingci pushed the door open.

The banquet hall was vast and empty, with only a few emergency lights on.

In the dim light, he could make out a figure curled up in a corner.

Leaning on his cane, Shen Qingci made his way over step by step.

Footsteps echoed through the empty hall.

Lu Lin was huddled into a ball, his back against the wall, head buried in his knees, trembling slightly.

Shen Qingci stopped in front of him.

"Lu Lin," he called out.

No response.

Shen Qingci called again, "Xiaoye."

Still no response.

Shen Qingci was silent for a few seconds.

Then he raised his cane and gently tapped Lu Lin's calf.

"Xiaoye," Shen Qingci called again, his voice softer than usual.

Lu Lin's body jerked.

He slowly lifted his head, his gaze still somewhat unfocused.

He stared for a few seconds, then his eyes gradually widened.

"...Brother?"

His voice was hoarse, trembling with disbelief.

"It's me," Shen Qingci said.

Tears slid from Lu Lin's reddened eyes.

"Brother," Lu Lin's voice choked with emotion, "have you come to pick me up?"

Shen Qingci gave a soft hum and extended his hand:

"Come home with me."

Lu Lin looked at the hand before him, slowly reached out, and grasped it.

His hand was cold, like ice in the dead of winter.

Shen Qingci held his hand and pulled firmly.

Lu Lin obediently stood up, his steps somewhat unsteady.

Shen Qingci steadied him and turned to walk toward the door.

Lu Lin followed closely by his side, just like when he was a child, clutching the hem of his clothes, never straying more than half a step away.

They walked all the way to the car.

Shen Qingci wanted Lu Lin to let go and sit properly on his own.

But Lu Lin stubbornly refused to release his hand, gripping it tightly as if afraid that if he let go, the person before him would vanish.

Shen Qingci glanced at him.

Zhou Jin, sitting in the passenger seat, turned around and whispered, "Mr. Shen, Boss Lu might not be fully himself yet. Perhaps..."

"To the hospital," Shen Qingci cut him off.

The car started and headed toward the nearest hospital.

Along the way, Lu Lin kept holding Shen Qingci's hand, his eyes fixed intently on him as if to confirm that this person was real and not an illusion.

Shen Qingci let him hold on, turning his head to look out the window.

The city at night was brightly lit, with streams of traffic weaving through it.

He recalled the car accident ten years ago.

He remembered his final thought before dying:

I wonder if that child I raised for eight years—fierce-tempered like a little wolf but only crying in front of me—would be bullied by others in the future.

Looking at it now...

This child wasn't just bullied.

He was nearly driven mad.

Shen Qingci withdrew his gaze and looked at Lu Lin beside him.

Lu Lin was still watching him, his eyes red like a rabbit's, but his gaze was much clearer than before.

"Brother," he said softly, "don't leave."

Shen Qingci remained silent for a moment before saying:

"I won't leave."

After a pause, he added:

"At least not until you turn eighteen."

Lu Lin's eyes reddened again.

He lowered his head, his voice muffled, "And after that?"

Shen Qingci didn't answer.

He simply looked at the rapidly receding street scenes outside the window, gently patting the back of Lu Lin's hand twice as if comforting a frightened little animal.

The car stopped at the hospital entrance.

Zhou Jin got out first to check him into the ER, while Shen Qingci helped Lu Lin out of the car.

Walking into the emergency hall, the sharp smell of disinfectant assailed them.

Lu Lin's body visibly tensed, and Shen Qingci could feel his grip tightening even more.

"Don't be afraid," Shen Qingci said softly. "We're just getting you checked out."

Lu Lin nodded, still clinging to him.

The doctor examined Lu Lin and diagnosed him with "Acute Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder."

The doctor only prescribed some sedatives, ultimately recommending that Lu Lin see a therapist.

After picking up the prescription and returning to the car, it was nearly midnight.

Lu Lin took the medicine, leaned against Shen Qingci's shoulder, and drifted off almost immediately.

Shen Qingci glanced over at Lu Lin's sleeping face.

Light from outside the car window swept across his face, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow.

Shen Qingci watched for a long time, then asked in a low voice, "How long has he been like this?"

Zhou Jin was silent for a moment before replying, "Ten years."

"Be more specific."

"I'm not sure about the details, but I heard that after your death, Mr. Lu started showing symptoms." Zhou Jin shared everything he knew. "When I became Mr. Lu's assistant, he was already an adult, but he still often suffered from insomnia, nightmares, and sometimes... self-harm."

Shen Qingci's fingers clenched.

"Self-harm?"

"Yes," Zhou Jin said. "Burning himself with cigarette butts, cutting his wrists with a knife, slamming his head against the wall... The doctor said it was his way of coping with the pain, but that was a long time ago."

Shen Qingci closed his eyes.

"As for today's car accident," Zhou Jin continued, "it probably triggered his traumatic memories. Although he didn't witness your accident scene firsthand, later... he must have seen photos of the scene, videos of the crash, and other materials."

Zhou Jin paused and glanced at Shen Qingci. "Mr. Lu often takes them out to review, almost like self-torture, especially on the anniversary of your death."

Shen Qingci opened his eyes and looked at Lu Lin, who was sound asleep on his shoulder.

Then he raised his hand and gently stroked Lu Lin's hair.

"From now on," Shen Qingci said, "don't let him see those things anymore."

Zhou Jin nodded. "Yes, sir."

The car drove back to the villa.

Shen Qingci helped the half-asleep Lu Lin out of the car and into the house.

Uncle Fu was still awake, waiting in the living room. Seeing them return, he hurried over.

"Sir, Mr. Lu, he..."

"He's alright," Shen Qingci said. "Go rest, Uncle Fu."

He helped Lu Lin upstairs and into Lu Lin's bedroom.

The room was large and empty.

Unlike Lu Lin's room from before, this room now hardly seemed like a place where someone lived.

Apart from the necessary furniture, there were few personal belongings.

Only a photo frame on the bedside table held a picture of Shen Qingci taken when he was twenty-seven.

Shen Qingci helped Lu Lin onto the bed, took off his shoes and coat, and tucked him in.

Just as he was about to leave, Lu Lin suddenly grabbed his hand.

"Brother..." he murmured, half-asleep.

Shen Qingci stopped and looked back at him.

"Don't go," Lu Lin said with closed eyes, his voice muffled.

Shen Qingci was silent for a moment.

Then he sat down by the bed and said softly,

"Sleep, I'm here."

Lu Lin seemed to hear him, loosening his grip slightly but not letting go completely.

His breathing gradually steadied.

Shen Qingci sat by the bed, watching Lu Lin's sleeping face for a long, long time.