T/N: Sorry for not updating for so long. I was busy and couldnât find the time to translate.
World Seven. Stand-in Lover (40)
After taking a large sip of water, Chi Yu told the story.
âXue Dehui should have told you about our familyâs background.â
âMy hometown is in Jinghe.â
âMy grandfather came to Jinghe to avoid disaster during the war, met my grandma, and finally settled there.â
While Chi Yu paused for a moment, Xue Xue asked, âYou already knew that Xue Dehui was investigating you?â
Chi Yu didnât deny it, and Xue Xue remained silent.
The manâs background seemed to be more unusual than she thought. The kind of control that seemed to have everything in his hands, like the Buddhaâs five-finger mountain. No matter how powerful the Monkey King was, he thought he had reached the end. In fact, he just jumped in the palm of his hand for a few times and could not get anything out.
But she quickly put aside the unspeakable feeling in her heart, pulled herself together and focused on Chi Yuâs next words.
âMy father originally had four brothers and sisters, but because of various man-made accidents, he was the only one who survived in the end.â
âFrom a very young age, he told me that we must be strong enough to have enough ability to protect the people we want to protect.â
Probably because of mentioning his parents, Chi Yuâs facial expression was like a forest in the misty morning, through the thin sunlight of the forest, soft and warm.
âMy parents are very good people, at least for me, they are the best parents.â
âI wrote an essay in elementary school about my dream to become a superhero who can protect my family, just like my father.â
At this time, Chi Yu was in a very rare state.
Xue Xue has seen the happy Chi Yu, the gentle Chi Yu, the coquettish Chi Yu, the angry Chi Yu, the out-of-control Chi Yu, the restless Chi Yu⊠As a lover and cohabitant, she can say that she has seen many faces of the man, including those he usually showed and those he seldom showed in front of people.
But now this side of Chi Yu was very strange to her.
He seemed to be missing something, and he seemed to be sad for something.
The contradictory emotions plunged Chi Yu into a situation that only he could understand.
Xue Xue didnât want to make a sound to break it, but just put her palms on his clenched hands, silently giving encouragement and comfort.
âI had a very happy childhood.â
âI think âŠâŠ should be very happy, right?â
Chi Yu said the last few words very lightly, as light as a breeze that leaves no trace, if it werenât for the quiet surrounding environment, and Xue Xue was listening to Chi Yuâs words with special concentration, she wouldnât be able to make out what he said.
It looked as if it was just the lips moving.
âWhy do you say it should?â
âWhy?â Chi Yu chuckled. âBecause itâs too far away.â
âChildhood, happiness, parentsâŠthese are all too far away from me.â Chi Yuâs eyes were deep. âItâs far away like it happened in my previous life.â
Hearing this, Xue Xue was startled.
Chi Yu is just a young man now. In the eyes of ordinary people, he is at a very good age with both depth and vitality in his life. However, just listening to his tone, he seemed like an old man in his twilight years looking back on the past, full of regrets about the ruthless time.
Although she already knew from Xue Dehui what Chi Yu might have gone through in the past without her involvement, when the words came out of Chi Yuâs mouth, the impact on Xue Xue was stronger.
And this was only the beginning.
Xue Xue held Chi Yu subconsciously, not knowing whether she wanted to comfort his heart or her own.
Chi Yu lowered his eyelids, his eyes fell on their hands, and with a backhand, he wrapped Xue Xueâs small hand into a circle formed by the big hands.
âMaybe things go against each other when they reach the extreme. When I was ten years old, they had an accident and left.â
âI was very sad at that time, so sad that even if it was a sunny day, I still felt that the sky was gray.â Chi Yu paused. âAt that time, everyone was busy with my parentsâ funeral affairs, and they couldnât care about me at all. I didnât want to see those adults who only talked about inheritance, so I cried and they simply locked me in a room and didnât allow me to come out. I just fed myself with snacks and drinks that were put in the cabinet.â
Following Chi Yuâs description, Xue Xue sketched out a picture in her mind.
A beautiful and quiet child with exquisite eyebrows, staying alone in a dark room, with blank eyes, holding his knees and crying silently.
Xue Xue only felt that her heart was tightened all of a sudden.
Sensing the womanâs affectionate gaze, Chi Yu raised his eyelids, his peach blossom eyes were dazed and slightly hazy.
He grabbed Xue Xueâs elbow suddenly, and pulled her into his arms with all his strength.
The muscles under pressure were firm and tight, and the undulating lines can be felt even through two layers of fabric.
Only then did Xue Xue realize that Chi Yuâs mood was far more restless than he showed.
Perhaps, this was a kind of self-exposing scar for him.
Xue Xue felt distressed, but she knew that if the roots were rotten, they had to be dug out, otherwise, they would only be dragged along to corrupt.
It was hard to get Chi Yu to speak, Xue Xue couldnât ask Chi Yu to retract himself into his shell just because he felt a little uncomfortable at this time, and continue the attitude that he had previously ignored and regarded things as nonexistent.
With this in mind, Xue Xue just curled up in the manâs arms and adjusted a comfortable posture to listen to the next story.
Little did she know that her dawdling movements seemed to Chi Yu like a familyâs precious little white cat looking for a nest for herself.