Chapter 28: Childhood Friend II (Part 2)

Chapter 28: Bamboo Horse II (Part 2)

Song Wuyi kept watch for a long time and only returned to the tent after Li Su had fallen asleep.

Inside the tent, space was limited. As soon as Song Wuyi squeezed halfway in, he bumped into Li Su.

Li Su glanced groggily and, seeing it was Song Wuyi, scooted to the side to make room for him.

Song Wuyi first lay on his side, then lifted Li Su and placed him on top of himself, adjusting to lie flat on his back.

He had truly done as he said during the day: sleep on me.

Li Su was amused by Song Wuyi’s actions, yawning and laughing at the same time.

Li Su realized that being with Song Wuyi was more like the intimate bond between brothers.

Absolute trust—they shared the most unique secret in the world.

He didn’t need to be as cautious with every move as he was around Li Shuo.

He wondered how Li Shuo was doing at home. Was their mother treating him well?

“What are you thinking? Get some sleep.”

Whenever Li Su’s mind was active, his breathing became erratic, especially when thinking about Li Shuo, making his heart race.

Lying on Song Wuyi, only a thin layer of fabric separated their chests, their heartbeats colliding—it was clear which was faster, which slower, which stronger, and which weaker.

Li Su thought of something else and suddenly lifted his head to look at Song Wuyi.

Song Wuyi seemed to sense Li Su’s gaze and slowly opened his eyes to meet it.

“That day in the van, we slept sitting up together. Do you remember?”

Li Su never thought he could fall asleep sitting up.

How had he sat in Song Wuyi’s arms back then? His chin had rested on Song Wuyi’s shoulder, and amid the darkness and jolts, he had gradually drifted off.

Song Wuyi stared fixedly at Li Su, silent for a moment.

“I don’t remember.”

Li Su was momentarily disappointed, yet also relieved.

After all, this wasn’t something worth commemorating.

“Let’s stop chatting, or I won’t be able to sleep.”

Li Su fell asleep quickly. Being held close didn’t bother him, as on every nightmare-filled night, he was used to holding Song Wuyi tightly.

The people who arrived at the abandoned building included not only the police but also the Qi family.

.

The Qi family didn’t take Song Wuyi to the hospital but instead sent him, unconscious, back to the Song family.

The already dismembered corpse seemed more important to them than the living Song Wuyi.

When Song Wuyi woke up, the Qi family had placed the half-decomposed body parts at the Song family’s doorstep.

They wanted to force Song Shuzheng to give an explanation—or rather, to force him to offer satisfactory benefits.

Song Wuyi stood on the second-floor corridor, watching the two opposing groups in the hall below.

His mother’s remains were placed in an ice coffin; no one would associate them with her once-vibrant beauty.

The housekeeper brought Qi Qiao up to see him.

Qi Qiao was his mother’s elder sister. She stood beside him on the corridor, ignoring the dispute below, and indifferently offered a few words of concern.

Song Wuyi pretended to be unresponsive, intentionally ignoring her.

Seeing that small talk was useless, Qi Qiao got straight to the point.

“Your priority now isn’t to wallow in grief and dwell on the past. Ji Baimei and her son are here to steal your position. Your mother is gone—you must guard what she should rightfully have on her behalf.”

“On behalf of my mother, or on behalf of you?”

Qi Qiao was irritated, feeling that Song Wuyi was being disloyal.

“What do you mean ‘you and us’? You are a Qi. Don’t think that just because you bear the surname Song you can rest easy. The only people in the world who truly care about you, love you, and want the best for you are your mother and your maternal family.”

“Men always prioritize profit. A child born from a marriage of convenience—do you think he will value you much?”

“Precisely because of this, outsiders who stray are mistakenly seen as true love.”

“You think it’s ugly for us to come make a scene, but we’re planning for your future. Everything we take from Song Shuzheng now will become your capital to compete against Ji Baimei and Song Xianting later.”

Song Wuyi looked up coolly.

“So what are you here to ask for?”

Qi Qiao hesitated, seeming to realize that laying bare raw interests to a twelve-year-old child was cold and heartless.

But Song Wuyi was no ordinary child. The responsibility on his shoulders would not allow him the luxury of ignorance.

Qi Qiao still decided to be frank.

“Qi Qin’s shares in the Song Group, her personal trust fund, and…”

Her words were cut off by a sudden loud argument from below.

“…you must give half to the Qi family, otherwise…”

Qi Qin’s remains would not be buried by the Song family, signaling the dissolution of their marriage.

Song Shuzheng could, if he wished, welcome his “old flame” into the house while his late wife’s body was still warm, at most earning him a reputation for heartlessness—but in this circle, how many men are faithful?

Song Shuzheng didn’t care about his reputation. People might flatter him to his face but would scorn him behind his back; a few murmurs wouldn’t cost him any real loss.

But the Qi family clearly intended to use the broken marriage to reopen the prenuptial agreement, demanding to divide the Song family’s assets—something Song Shuzheng could not accept.

“Alive, a pawn in a marriage alliance; dead, a bargaining chip in negotiations.”

The fact, calmly stated by Song Shuzheng, coincided with Song Wuyi’s own thoughts.

The Song family was cold, the Qi family mercenary.

Song Wuyi actually thought for a moment that a madman’s frenzy might bring more warmth—the repeated claims of love weren’t false, just so scorching that they burned up on their own.

Even the dead are treated this way, so he, alive, will become a pawn with a clear price tag, a tragic anthem colored by profit.

Who will save him?

Save the wretched, undignified dead down below.

The woman sealed in an ice coffin, kept for sale.

Li Su was awakened by the cold.

.

In his ears was the unique chirping of insects on a summer night, serene yet cacophonous.

He opened his eyes, and the faint campfire outside cast just enough light on the tent for him to barely see.

Song Wuyi was frowning deeply, trapped in a nightmare, his lips slightly parted, an almost imperceptible sound escaping.

Li Su knew Song Wuyi was having another nightmare, but he didn't know what was in it.

Every time he asked Song Wuyi about his dream, Song Wuyi would say he dreamed of a warehouse and a madman.

Li Su never believed him.

Because Song Wuyi's mutterings during his nightmares had nothing to do with those two.

Perhaps in Song Wuyi's mind there was a shadow more terrifying than the madman.

This was just Li Su's guess.

In Li Su's limited experience, he simply couldn't think of anything more frightening than the madman.

But Song Wuyi's world was bigger than his, he had seen more, and naturally had torments beyond Li Su's comprehension.

Li Su couldn't empathize.

Song Wuyi's body was ice-cold, and he lay stiff as if fighting something.

Li Su couldn't wake Song Wuyi, so he could only hold him tightly.

"I want one person."

Li Su suddenly heard these words clearly from Song Wuyi.

"Who do you want?"

"...Exchange."

"Exchange what?"

"...In ten years."

"What will you do in ten years?"

Song Wuyi suddenly opened his eyes, startling the puzzled Li Su, who shot up and hit the tent's steel frame.

Li Su yelped while holding his head, looking at Song Wuyi a little aggrieved.

"Why'd you wake up?"

Song Wuyi propped himself up on one elbow, reached out, and rubbed Li Su's head.

"I had a nightmare. Lie down and let me hold you."

Li Su couldn't bear to see Song Wuyi's wounded and helpless look. He slowly lay back on Song Wuyi's chest and tried to ask about what Song Wuyi had dreamed.

The answer he got was the same.

Li Su was a bit speechless: "I can get used to a horror movie after watching it a few times. Why do you still get scared after having the same nightmare over and over?"

Song Wuyi, too weary to argue, said offhandedly, "Because you are strong."

"I know," Li Su agreed wholeheartedly, "but you need to be strong too."

Song Wuyi nodded, "Mhm, I will. Let's sleep."

Whenever Song Wuyi didn't want to share his nightmare with Li Su, he would do this, abruptly changing the subject.

Li Su had clearly heard him.

One person, exchange, ten years.

This was nothing like what Song Wuyi had told him before.

Li Su lost his confidence that they could fully trust each other. In this world, no one can ever completely share each other's secrets.

Just as he hadn't told Song Wuyi that Li Shuo wasn't his real brother.

Getting too close can backfire.

Li Su understood this lesson very well.

He'd unreservedly shared his secrets with friends, only to end up isolated and helpless, wounded by rumors.

He treated Li Shuo sincerely, but when the truth was revealed, he realized how ironic his protection was.

So Li Su thought, it's enough to be a healing medicine for Song Wuyi; there's no need to truly become one with him.

Early the next morning, the instructor came to announce that they would no longer provide fire-starting materials and cooking ingredients, and distributed a booklet listing the edible wild plants that could be foraged on the island.

Because it was an individual skills training, Song Wuyi was not allowed to participate in team exercises and could only go with the instructor to the observation zone.

Lin Qiushuang was instructed by Song Wuyi to look after Li Su. Li Su recalled the conflict the previous night and felt a bit embarrassed.

Lin Qiushuang was obviously holding a grudge. When he walked up to Li Su, he didn't even look at him and started talking with other team members.

Tao Tao was walking with Li Su.

They came to a fork in the road, one way leading deep into the forest, the other down to the foot of the mountain.

Tao Tao said, "The path down the mountain is for collecting branches. We'd need to pick a lot to make a fire. I can't carry that much. Let's go pick mushrooms instead."

Li Su saw Lin Qiushuang leading the others toward the downhill path, so he agreed to go mushroom picking.

Tao Tao looked around and said, "Did you quarrel with Lin Qiushuang? I saw you talking with him yesterday. Why didn't you even say hello today?"

Li Su didn't let the conflict bother him. He no longer had any expectations of friends, and he didn't think that just from spending an afternoon together and exchanging a few words, he and Lin Qiushuang could become friends.

Having grown accustomed to loneliness, Li Su shook his head and said, "We didn't quarrel. We only exchanged a few words; we're not even friends. There's no need to greet each other."

Tao Tao was a bit surprised: "Lin Qiushuang is a very nice person. He was the ringleader of the kids when he was little, getting along with everyone. I saw you two sitting together chatting the whole day yesterday; I thought he really liked you."

Like him?

But Lin Qiushuang kept pressing him on topics he didn't want to discuss, making him irritable.

Li Su remained silent, bending down to pick up a branch as a walking stick.

Tao Tao glanced at Li Su, then picked up a small branch too. She poked Li Su with it.

"Can you tell me about your relationship with Captain Song? I know you share a tent with him."

Li Su thought for a moment, remembering that people had guessed he was Song Wuyi's distant cousin, so he decided to go along with it—distant, even more distant, a very distant cousin.

"I'm his cousin."

Tao Tao realized in an instant, then looked like she'd expected it: "I knew it! So you're his younger cousin. No wonder he looks out for you so much."

Li Su didn't want to talk too much about himself and Song Wuyi, so he changed the subject: "You seem pretty tight with Lin Qiushuang?"

"Yeah, we've been in the same class since kindergarten. He's a social butterfly, gets along with everyone, and always pulls me into conversations."

"I just think it's weird. I thought Lin Qiushuang would really like you and be eager to be your friend."

Like him?

Want to be friends with him?

Li Su slowed his pace.

For a long time, he had been surrounded by malice, so much so that he forgot the first thing about making friends is talking.

Lin Qiushuang was just finding topics to get closer to him. It was Li Su himself who, trapped in the shadows of his past, mistook kindness for rudeness.

Had no one ever talked to him like that?

Yes, plenty of people had.

He'd just forgotten the feeling.

Well, kicking Lin Qiushuang yesterday was really not okay.

Li Su decided to apologize to Lin Qiushuang when he got back.

They hadn't found a single plant marked in the booklet, but they had picked plenty of mushrooms everywhere.

Li Su carried a small basket back to Song Wuyi. Before Song Wuyi could look, the instructor beside him knocked the basket over.

"These aren't the ingredients listed in the manual! If you pick them randomly, what if someone eats them by mistake?"

Li Su hadn't considered that; he just thought they looked nice. He hung his head guiltily and said he wouldn't make the same mistake again.

Song Wuyi silently squatted down, picked up the scattered mushrooms, and put them back in the basket.

"The manual shouldn't only list edible plants. For wilderness survival, it's more about expanding knowledge of nature. Whether they're edible or not, they should all be included."

The instructor opened his mouth, feeling that Song Wuyi had a point, but he was the instructor—how could he be lectured by a child?

"If you want to expand your knowledge, go to a museum. This is a survival training camp, and the priority is ensuring life safety! Get rid of these mushrooms, now!"

Li Su was a bit intimidated by the instructor's tone. He took the basket from Song Wuyi.

To make sure these mushrooms weren't discovered, Li Su carried the basket to a place far from the camp.

Song Wuyi followed him.

"Let me see."

Song Wuyi picked out a few plain-looking mushrooms from the basket.

"Of course I knew they weren't edible. I just thought they looked nice and wanted to show you."

Li Su was still a bit upset, but the instructor was right—what if someone accidentally ate them? So he had to admit his mistake.

After Li Su spoke, Song Wuyi picked out a slightly blue-brown mushroom from the basket.

"They really are nice. We'll take them home and make them into specimens."

Li Su chuckled, then pulled out a yellow mushroom from the basket and shoved it into Song Wuyi's hand.

"I like this one best. Can we make it into a specimen too?"

Song Wuyi nodded.

They