Bai YuTong was confused. Bei Yao asked, “Can I come in to see Pei Chuan?”
The girl’s voice was crisp and sweet. Bai YuTong hated it. Only God knows if he is still alive, imagine him contacting the virus and becoming a crazy dog, and bites anybody he could chase.
Both herself and her mother didn’t dare to approach him. Bei Yao arrived at the perfect timing.
Bai YuTong stepped aside to give way for the latter.
The Cao Li family glanced at each other silently. They stared at Bei Yao approaching the tightly shut door.
The girl bent her knuckles, “Pei Chuan, are you fine?”
Pei Chuan got up from his bed, eyes hollow, “What are you doing here?”
Bei Yao suppressed her urge of crying, “I saw you’re injured, let’s visit the hospital alright?”
Pei Chuan replied in a low voice, “Just leave, I’m fine”
Bei Yao was worried and upset, she couldn’t leave no matter what. Pei Chuan knew she was still outside, the Cao Li family was there too.
Pei Chuan stared at the broken prosthesis leaning against the wall and shut his eyes. The injury was coincidentally on his calf. People looked towards the torn part at the hem of his pants. Their first glance would be his unique prosthesis, instead of the horrifying wound.
The room was like a prison. Losing his pair of prostheses meant he couldn't even walk outside.
“Pei Chuan,” gently, Bei Yao called. She leaned against the door on the opposite and said nothing.
Pei Chuan didn’t need her sympathy.
Separated for a year, lived and worked like a normal being. He learned how to play basketball, pokers, and consistently practiced boxing. How he wished his first meeting with Bei Yao, was of him as a normal healthy being.
He craved to be a normal, strong man, in contrast to his childhood, gaining sympathy from her by being crippled.
However, once the prosthesis is broken, even getting up from the ground takes a herculean effort.
He knew that staying any longer will be Pei HaoBin returning and bringing him for a check-up.
He didn’t want an ending like this. For so many years, even for his own father, never saw the former’s prosthesis.
Pei Chuan fished out his phone, “Wang Zhan, the prosthesis broke. Fetch me.”
He was quick-witted. After a while, he shifted towards the edge of the bed and grabbed his forlorn wheelchair.
This was the wheelchair that the Pei family bought him when he was around fifteen. It was far inferior to the one he owned in the condominium. Yet with only his arms supporting, he got up the wheelchair with ease.
The blanket he had was far too thin for the autumn, yet Pei Chuan used it to cover his legs.
Pushing around his wheelchair, he kept the prosthesis at the side into a box and locked it inside a cupboard.
Afterwards, he was left only with his two hands drenched in the blood of the stray dog.
Pei Chuan half-closed his eyes and opened the kettle in his room.
The water was hot, it was the water boiled by Cao Li for showing her “care”. Pei Chuan never waited for it to cool down. Bei Yao was standing outside for too long. He proceeds to wash his hands and head out of the room.
After taking care of this, he opened the door.
Bei Yao never anticipated the door to be opened suddenly. Tears were still rolling in her eyes, like the morning dew.
The boy had pale lips, he glanced at Bei Yao, “Go back home, I’m fine.”
Aren’t you used to that as well?
Cao Li didn’t expect Pei Chuan to step out, and she didn’t know what to say. Bai YuTong was more straightforward. All this time, she knew her step-brother lost his legs. Yet every time they met, he had a prosthesis on and appeared like a normal person.
This was her first time seeing Pei Chuan in a wheelchair, realising he was crippled for the first time.
Yet, he was unlike any normal crippled person. She could still vividly
recall that pitiful dog having its brain juices spurting out, refrained her contempt towards Pei Chuan.
Soon the doorbell rang. This time round Pei Chuan didn’t see anybody. He pushed forward the wheelchair to open the door.
Sitting on the wheelchair, his long and slender fingers held strength. However, red swollen marks were hidden in his palm.
Outside the door stood Wang Zhan.
Wang Zhan was donned in a white lab coat, panting profusely. He had rushed over the moment he reached the neighbourhood.
“Pei Chuan?”
Pei Chuan nodded, Wang Zhan signaled to push the former’s wheelchair.
Both Cao Li and Bai YuTong never spoke a word. When he arrived, the family was silent. When he left, it was silent as well, as if a passer-by.
Pei HaoBin was still working and couldn’t come back on time. Pei Chuan was no longer a helpless little one anymore. He could plan the future and stepped out of this neighbourhood confidently.
Bei Yao wiped her tears, catching up behind the duo silently.
Wang Zhan turned back, confused. About Pei Chuan’s private life, the doctor paid no heed. This girl was a real beauty, someone who cannot be ignored. Yet his client, despite the nasty personality, never chased her away. Doctor Wang could only ignore this fact.
Getting down the stairs with Pei Chuan’s wheelchair was tremendously difficult.
Not to say, Pei Chuan’s physique was not skinny. Wang Zhan was incapable of bringing both the Pei Chuan and his wheelchair downstairs.
Their gnarled neighbourhood didn’t install elevators. Going down to level two, Wang Zhan was exhausted and lost grip of the wheelchair. The wheelchair tumbled down the stairs. His heart almost stopped, and only to see Pei Chuan clamping his hands to the railing, stabilising himself and his wheelchair.
Despite this, Pei Chuan’s expression was not positive. Due to this exertion, the blanket covering his legs slipped.
His other hand could only grip the hem of the blanket. Almost instantly, he chose to give up the hand gripping the railing and rather fell than to expose the hollow end of his pants.
The fragrance of clove wafted. A slim, petite hand pulled up the blanket and covered his legs.
He glanced and made contact with the girl’s red almond eyes.
She pressed her lips, doing her utmost effort to help stabilise the wheelchair for doctor Wang. Pei Chuan gripped onto her slender wrist, shifted it from his wheelchair. Wang Zhan signed softly, putting in herculean effort to get this great master downstairs.
-
The night falls.
Wang Zhan assisted the person that was in charge of putting on the new set of prosthesis onto him. Pei Chuan had been growing for the past few years, and the statistics for the prosthesis had to be changed as well. Being Pei Chuan’s doctor, he was very clear about how he was doing.
By the time that they were done, it was already half-past eight.
Wang Zhan took a breather after Pei Chuan had the new prosthesis put on for him. However, he still lamented, “What did you do? The prosthesis doesn’t break easily.”
The ones that he had were resistant and water-proof, being among the best prostheses that he could find. To what extent had he gone until it broke to the state that was unable to walk?
“Killed a stray dog.”
Wang Zhan was stunned. “WHAT? Are you being serious? Let me check the rest of your body.”
Pei Chuan swiped his hands away. “I didn’t get bitten elsewhere.”
He found it funny too that it was his prosthesis that had saved his life.
Pei Chuan got off the bed. Wang Zhan said, “She’s still waiting outside.”
Having no idea what this rascal was doing, made her follow to the hospital.
Pei Chuan hummed in response, he knew.
He opened the door and saw Bei Yao sitting on the benches of the hospital corridor. Upon seeing him walk out, her wide eyes were fixated on him.
Pei Chuan asked, “Aren’t you cold?”
Bei Yao shook her head in response and replied. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Her mouth was agape. All the things that had happened throughout today had completely changed what she knew. Human emotions, Pei Chuan had experienced it all. She was the only one being naive, hoping that he turned out to be a good person.
But with everyone treating him in this manner, what reason does he have to be a good person?
All those parents were busy tending to their children, even Zhao ZhiLan almost fainted due to her son.
Bei Yao was extremely uneasy, she felt guilty.
The world was beautiful in their childhood. However, some circumstances forced them to grow.
It was already late. Before leaving, Bei Yao informed Bei LiCai. Nonetheless, a ride home from the hospital was tedious. Pei Chuan neither drove his own car nor asked Wang Zhan to send him home.
He brought Bei Yao forward.
The light breeze had Pei Chuan shoving his hands into his pockets. He wasn’t a talkative person. If no one started a conversation with him, he could remain quiet for the entire day.
The moon was up high above the clouds.
Bei Yao trailed behind him slowly, her eyes were still red from the crying. She got gradually more upset. If Pei Chuan had not come back on his own, had she lost him as time passed on?
Some things just won't affect their precious love.
She saw an old man selling balloons. “Pei Chuan, wait up.”
Pei Chuan stopped and watched her jogging over, pointing to the balloons he was selling. The old man handed her a balloon shaped like a dragonfly.
She held it in her hands and jogged back to him.
Countless kids were staring at her and her balloon. She spoke with a tone that only girls could, “Pei Chuan, take out your hands.”
He clenched his fist tight and pulled out his left hand. Not letting her see the redness of his palms.
Bei Yao tied the balloon onto his wrist with a knot. The poor balloon floating between them made it look extremely awkward.
Yet Pei Chuan didn’t take it off.
The inflated dragonfly floated in the air with ease, like her fingertips touching her accidentally.
His pride had lost to his desires, and that’s why she was here with him.
Pei Chuan asked, “What are you doing?”
Bei Yao replied, “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault. Were you really sad when you left home a year ago?”
He watched her silently.
She gave him a concerned smile, quietly waiting for his answer.
That moment, he felt a sense of grieve within him.
“No.”
That was his nature. He wasn’t sad, he just left because he felt like it.
Bei Yao continued, “I almost got lost once. My mum tied a balloon to my hand, said that she could find me at a moment's notice. Pei Chuan, sorry I couldn’t find you, please forgive me.”
His gaze landed on her.
The night was chilly, she was wearing a light coloured shirt, shivering in the wind. However, her smile only grew brighter. She held out her hand. “Hit me once then we’ll call it even?”
Just like how he got angry at her crossing the border, Bei Yao would ask Pei Chuan to lightly hit her hand and forgive her.
His heart melted.
She was never wrong in the first place. It had always been him that was being the selfish one. He came back only for his greed and temptation.
She didn't change, it was him who became worse.
He wanted to hold this hand even more. At first, when he allowed her to follow behind, he should’ve held her. In the end, nothing happened.
He thought to himself. I’m done for. I’m liking her even more.
And hence he said. “Let’s go home.”
The countless tricks were all useless, all was futile in front of her smile. There was someone that had never given up on him.
The last bus arrived on the dot, the ride back was rocky.
It was the first time that Bei Yao had slept so soundly.
Pei Chuan was beside her, the window had a small opening.