Chapter 9: Redemption (Part 3)

Chapter 9: Redemption (Part 2)

At the entrance of the neighborhood, a black car was parked.

The man left the Li residence with two men dressed in black and caught the security guard's attention.

The man got into the car calmly.

"Young Master, Madam Li has agreed; she won't go back on her word."

Song Wuyi leaned back on the sofa, taking a sip of his cola.

It tasted terrible.

But he often saw Li Su coming out of the convenience store, holding a can just like it and drinking it with gusto.

To want.

To possess.

This was Song Wuyi's life principle.

Whether it was cola

or Li Su.

Two figures passed by outside the black car window.

Song Wuyi looked up.

Li Su and Li Shuo walked together with their arms draped over each other's shoulders.

Song Wuyi rolled the window down a bit and listened as their voices faded into the distance.

"How do we explain to Mom that we owe twelve dollars to the school clinic?"

"Just say we fell down, I guess."

"Big brother, do we tell Mom that both of us fell at the same time? She'll definitely blame me for not taking care of you and won't let me go out with you anymore."

"Hmm... then let's say we got into a fight."

"Big brother! Saying that will make Mom even angrier!"

"Just kidding. And how could you ever hit me?"

"Right, how could I ever fight with my big brother? I love my big brother the most. Even if you hit me, I won't get angry."

Li Shuo hugged Li Su's arm, leaning affectionately on his shoulder.

"I love going out with my big brother. I want to be with my big brother forever and take care of him for my whole life."

Song Wuyi silently rolled the window back up.

He was quiet for a long moment.

Song Wuyi let out a cold laugh, muttering to himself: "Promises of forever are so easily made."

The man glanced at Song Wuyi, his eyes flickering with complex emotions.

"Butler, did you arrange the room for Li Su according to my requirements?"

The butler hesitated and then asked cautiously: "Sir, are you sure you want to set it up like that?"

Song Wuyi: "It has to be done."

.

The mood in the house had been tense for several days. Li Su had no idea why.

Maybe it was because the final exams were approaching.

Li Su hadn't been to school for almost half a semester. Even if he did badly, his parents couldn't say anything to him about it.

But Li Shuo, that bookworm, was studying very hard with his head down, and Li Su couldn't find anyone to play with him.

Around seven in the evening.

After dinner, Mom and Dad locked themselves in their room, doing God knows what.

Li Su was watching TV in the living room, and Li Shuo was sitting on the floor nearby doing his homework.

Li Shuo was very smart. Although he was a grade lower than Li Su, he could already solve Li Su's homework problems.

"Big brother, there's a note on the previous page of your homework that says—'Do it yourself.'"

The teacher had long realized that Li Su's homework was done by someone else.

Li Su was watching the prime-time TV drama, completely ignoring Li Shuo.

"Don't bother me! The main couple is kissing!"

Hearing this, Li Shuo looked at the TV.

The male lead held the female lead, in super slow motion, lips pressed together, heads tilted to the side.

"Big brother, kids shouldn't be watching this!"

"You're a kid. I'm not a kid."

Li Shuo got angry. Compared to the evening prime-time soap opera, he preferred it when his brother watched the legal program in the morning.

Li Shuo stood up, blocking the passionately kissing couple.

Li Su was really getting into it when Li Shuo completely blocked his view. He also got angry.

"What are you doing? Move!"

Li Su rarely got mad at Li Shuo, and Li Shuo rarely made him angry.

Even when Li Su got mad, Li Shuo would quickly calm him down.

But even after being yelled at, Li Shuo didn't move.

"Hey! Move already! They're almost done kissing!"

"Big brother, you shouldn't watch this."

"Are you crazy?"

After Li Su snapped, the door to the master bedroom opened, and Mom stood there looking helpless.

What's all the fighting about? Li Shuo, did you make your brother angry? Do your homework, why are you fighting with your brother over the TV?

Li Shuo: "I'm sorry, brother. I just don't want you to watch these trashy TV shows."

Mom pushed Li Shuo aside and saw the two people on the TV screen who had just finished kissing were embracing, staring lovingly into each other's eyes.

For kids from regular families, there just aren't that many ways to have fun.

Besides going out with friends, it's just staying home playing games or watching TV.

However, children from wealthy families are different; they hardly ever focus their attention on electronic products. When they have free time, they have all kinds of interesting and meaningful activities that let them pass the time while also bettering themselves.

Just like the butler said, growing up happy.

Mom could provide so little for Li Su that she started feeling anxious and insecure, unable to offer Li Su the best growth conditions in the world.

"Gu Zi, go to your room. I need to talk to you in a bit."

Li Su: "Ah...but I haven't finished watching TV yet."

Mom: "You don't have school tomorrow. There's a rerun at 2."

Li Su jumped up in surprise: "Awesome! No school tomorrow!"

Li Shuo watched Li Su bounce back to his room, and a panic rose in his heart out of nowhere.

Mom...

Li Shuo looked at Mom.

Mom's eyes held the same complicated, dazed look as his.

Like

something

was really about to be lost.

After Li Su had been playing his handheld game for a while, Mom knocked and entered, holding a plate of blueberries.

Li Su didn't like blueberries, but ever since his eyes were injured, Mom would buy him blueberries every couple of days.

She always said that eating blueberries could improve eyesight.

But Li Su didn't think he was blind. His eyes were obviously the same as before, except sometimes when he stood in the sun they'd sting. He never told Mom.

"Gu Zi, how about I transfer you to another school?"

Li Su was stunned for a moment, thought for a while, "Whatever."

Mom added: "How about a boarding school?"

Li Su pouted, a bit annoyed: "No, I don't like school anyway. If I have to live at school, that's like going to jail!"

Mom sat next to Li Su and put her arm around his shoulders.

"Not a school. You'll stay at your friend's house."

Li Su was taken aback.

"It's Wu Yi. Do you still remember Wu Yi?"

Li Su looked away, "I remember."

Mom said: "Although that incident is over, your Brother Wuyi has been left with trauma. Medically it's called PTSD. He has nightmares every night—for over two months, not a single peaceful night."

Li Su also has nightmares, dreaming of all those terrifying scenes.

He wondered if in Wu Yi's nightmares, he was also being chased by a madman covered in blood wielding a knife.

Sometimes, it was Wu Yi holding the knife in the dream.

At some point, Wu Yi replaced the madman and became the boss in Li Su's dreams.

"So this is PTSD, huh."

Li Su murmured softly.

"Gu Zi, Brother Wuyi is in great pain. Would you be willing to go help him?"

Li Su was torn.

The Wu Yi who showed up at the door last time seemed like a stranger, nothing like the poor brother in the warehouse back then.

Li Su couldn't match up the two faces. The one Mom talked about was that glamorous Wu Yi, giving off a vibe that was hard to get close to. Li Su felt that such a Wu Yi was not pitiful at all and didn't need to be saved.

"Mom, how can I help him? I'm not a doctor."

"You go hang out with him for two days. Maybe if you play with him, he'll cheer up, and then he won't have nightmares."

Uh.

Li Su's mind was racing.

He was just a kidnapping victim, just a witness to a brutal murder, and the whole school isolated him, his friends abandoned him.

Then Wu Yi's situation must be even worse than his.

Anyway, it's only two days.

"Alright, when?"

Mom was a bit unwilling, her voice trembling slightly: "This weekend."

Li Su: "Isn't that the day after tomorrow!"

Mom smiled and rubbed Li Su's head, then gently touched his eyes, finally placed her hand on his shoulder and pressed her thumb against Li Su's Adam's apple, which hadn't grown in yet.

"Your Brother Wuyi's family is different from ours. You need to behave when you get there. They have a lot of people. Just play with Brother Wuyi. Don't bother the others."

"When have I ever not been good?"

Mom scolded affectionately: "You little rascal, if you'd just behave a little better, I wouldn't have to worry so much!"

Li Su threw himself into Mom's arms, acting cute to express his dissatisfaction.

Li Shuo crouched at the door, hearing every word of the conversation inside.

.

His fists were clenched at his sides.

That strange feeling wasn't for nothing.