Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Gu Yunshuang felt an intense heat coursing through his body, as if he were a fish flattened and left to bake under a scorching sun, slowly drying out. It was unbearably uncomfortable.

He wanted to wake up, but his eyelids were heavy and stubbornly refused to open.

Thirst gnawed at him, and when he tried to call out to Qi Yue, what came out instead was a childish voice saying, "Daddy," "Mommy," like that of a toddler barely two or three years old.

Then a rough, hoarse voice rang out: "How many times have I told you? If you want to take it out on him, there's no need to rush now. Wait until we get the money; you can cripple him if you want. But now, the money's not even in hand, and you've already tormented the kid to a high fever, almost killing him! If he dies, we won't get a cent—our efforts will all be for nothing!"

Nearby, a woman’s voice sounded plaintive: "I haven’t even done anything to him yet. Who knew the kid was so fragile? What do we do now? Should we take him to the hospital?"

"Are you stupid? Taking him to the hospital means we're afraid the cops will find us, right?"

A third voice suddenly interjected, "Brother Kun, bad news! Check the news—we kidnapped the wrong person! The whole family of three happily went to the amusement park, and the reporters caught it all!"

The woman panicked: "Impossible! How could we have messed up? I was so sure I had everything checked!"

Brother Kun cursed loudly: "If they were really his own family, why would they be taking another kid to the amusement park at a time like this? I knew they were slacking off! Big shots, yet they haven’t gotten the money ready—probably think we’re con artists! This is bad! Let’s get out of here; they might already be working with the cops, staking us out!"

The woman asked anxiously, "What do we do with this brat?"

Brother Kun replied coldly, "Throw him out of the car. If we can’t get the money, keeping him is useless."

"In the middle of nowhere… what if—"

"Hah, then it’s just bad luck for him."

A sudden, overwhelming wave of fear and helplessness surged in Gu Yunshuang’s heart. Instinctively, he reached out, trying to grasp onto someone. "Daddy, Mommy! Don’t leave me! I’m good!"

Strong hands lifted him up, embracing him in a warm, comforting hold. Familiar palms gently caressed his cheek, and his mother’s tender, loving voice whispered in his ear: "Baby, be good. Don’t be afraid. Daddy and Mommy are here."

Finally, Gu Yunshuang opened his eyes to see himself as a thin, small boy. The child’s eyes were mostly black, the whites barely visible, giving a somber, ghostly appearance. His face was pale, devoid of color, like a specter from a horror film—eerily chilling.

Yet, at that moment, a small hand lightly patted his back, clumsily soothing him: "Xiao Shuangshuang, don’t be scared. I’m here. The Tiger Auntie won’t dare come."

He grasped that small hand, hearing his own youthful voice anxiously ask, "What if you’re not by my side and the Tiger Auntie comes?"

Little Qi Yue hesitated but quickly declared with boldness, "Then I’ll always stay by your side, never leave, so I can protect you forever."

"We promised to stay together, never to part."

"Yes, yes, forever together, never apart. I will always protect Xiao Shuangshuang."

Gu Yunshuang’s voice shifted into that of a young boy, clear and bright. Before him, Qi Yue transformed from a skinny little kid into a graceful youth.

The young Qi Yue’s gaze was still warm and intense but now tinged with deep reluctance and guilt.

---

"Um, Shuangshuang, I might have to leave you for a while. It’s all that old man Qi’s doing! I don’t know what he was thinking, giving me a spot to study abroad. Even before he died, he insisted I go overseas. I thought, well, it’s his last wish, and he even paid the tuition, so I can’t just waste it..."

Gu Yunshuang stared quietly at him, watching Qi Yue scratch his head nervously, eyes darting about, unable to meet his gaze. His voice grew softer as he lowered his head onto his chest.

Gu Yunshuang always knew Qi Yue never learned to hide his feelings around him. He could spot right through Qi Yue’s guilty lies. Qi Yue hated lying to him and would never do so without necessity.

But Gu Yunshuang also knew that when Qi Yue lied, it was out of desperation. Exposing him or probing deeper would only make things harder for Qi Yue.

So they had an unspoken agreement—not to expose each other’s lies or pry too deeply. His mother had said that respect and trust between people, giving each other space, was the key to lasting relationships.

Yet that day, Gu Yunshuang nearly broke that pact. He often wondered if exposing Qi Yue’s lie then might have kept him from leaving, from never returning.

He had always been aware that Old Man Qi’s identity and death were far from simple.

In his memories, Old Man Qi would disappear for stretches of time. Qi Yue said he was away on business trips. When he returned, he’d smile and hand them toys only found in big cities, or exotic snacks even their parents had never heard of.

Sometimes, Old Man Qi wasn’t alone when he came back. He was escorted by powerful men in black suits with bodyguards, mysterious figures in traditional Chinese garments or Taoist robes, and even police or military personnel.

Once, Gu Yunshuang saw Old Man Qi get out of an SUV at the back gate of their complex, where few people passed.

A middle-aged man with an ordinary face but commanding presence opened the door for him.

This man’s senses were sharp; he glanced at Gu Yunshuang, who was hiding behind the door, and suddenly turned his head, his gaze like a sword piercing into the boy.

That look reminded Gu Yunshuang of those ruthless generals in TV dramas who killed as easily as slicing vegetables, and it made him shrink his neck in fear.

Old Man Qi noticed him and smiled brightly. "So it’s you, little Shuangshuang! Where’s your brother? Did he leave you here alone because he was playing? When we go back, I’ll give him a good beating."

Gu Yunshuang’s big eyes blinked nervously before he stammered, "No, Grandpa, don’t hit him. He’s inside. I ran out by myself. I just wanted to see if you had come back. You’ve been gone so long this time. I missed you."

Old Man Qi’s heart melted, his smile growing even warmer and more loving. Just as he moved to pick up Gu Yunshuang, Qi Yue suddenly appeared.

Covered in black mud from head to toe, like a little mud creature just crawling out of a swamp, he was dragging a giant rat by its tail, excitedly saying, "Shuangshuang, look what I caught! This rat’s even bigger than a kitten!"

Then the two locked eyes, stiff and wide-eyed.

Qi Yue reacted first, letting go of the rat with a yelp and sprinting into the complex.

"Brat! Stop right there! Three days without a beating and you think you can tear the roof off? I’ll beat you to death!" Old Man Qi shouted, chasing after him. It was hard to believe the man, who usually struggled to walk without gasping, could suddenly sprint like an athlete. He caught up quickly, grabbed Qi Yue by the collar, and, from somewhere, pulled out a long branch to whack Qi Yue’s rear. Qi Yue howled in pain.

Gu Yunshuang shrank back, glanced at the middle-aged man, who only smiled kindly at him and didn’t say a word to Old Man Qi before getting into a car and leaving.

Gu Yunshuang was six then, Qi Yue eight—the age even cats and dogs found annoying.

Time flew by. Old Man Qi’s trips became routine, and no one paid much attention.

---

Until one night, a sudden call woke Old Man Qi, and he left in haste.

No one expected that would be forever.

When Old Man Qi returned, he was a cold corpse, lifeless in an ice coffin, draped with a bright red flag.

Gu Yunshuang and his parents cried themselves swollen-eyed, but Qi Yue remained expressionless, lifeless, never shedding a tear. It was then Gu Yunshuang vaguely realized that Qi Yue had never cried, not even when beaten badly.

At Old Man Qi’s funeral, many men in black suits came—some who had escorted him back before, and others unknown.

After the funeral, many left with grave, hurried expressions.

But Gu Yunshuang knew a few men in traditional Chinese garments stayed behind and talked with Qi Yue for a long time.

Soon after, Qi Yue told him he was going abroad to study.

Gu Yunshuang knew Qi Yue was lying. He was going away with those men, possibly breathing his last breath like Old Man Qi or never returning.

He wanted to expose the lie, to grab Qi Yue’s hand tight, to stop him, to remind him of their promise never to part.

But the words never came out.

Perhaps it was Qi Yue’s resolute, unwavering gaze like Old Man Qi’s, or the vivid red flag that covered Old Man Qi in death.

In the end, Gu Yunshuang only held Qi Yue and cried all night, pleading weakly for him to come back, to not forget their vow.

Now, looking at the young Qi Yue before him—still as innocent as sixteen years ago, spinning clumsy lies—he saw him look deeply into his eyes, retreating step by step, as if imprinting his image into memory.

Step by step, Qi Yue disappeared into darkness.

Then, in a flash, the grown Qi Yue returned, standing before him. But those dark eyes held no warmth of reunion; instead, they were filled with endless sorrow and regret, glistening with unshed tears.

Was Qi Yue crying?

"Shuangshuang, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come back. I thought I was protecting you, making sure you wouldn’t get hurt again, but in the end, I only hurt myself! I’m sorry, Shuangshuang. I really shouldn’t have come back. I have to leave. Don’t worry, before I go, I’ll deal with those who bullied you so no one dares to hurt you again. When I’m not by your side, you have to take good care of yourself. Don’t be foolish and let others bully you without fighting back..."

Qi Yue spoke endlessly, as if a thousand words couldn’t cover all he wanted to say, but his eyes slowly turned a fierce crimson, and he faded into the darkness.

Gu Yunshuang felt panic surge inside him. A strong, ominous premonition warned that if he let Qi Yue go like this, he would lose him forever.

He rushed forward, clutching Qi Yue’s icy, cold hand with all his might. At last, he shouted the words he had longed to say, his voice choked with tears he hadn’t realized were there.

"Brother, don’t go! Last time you left for others, this time, stay for me, please? Qi Yue, I beg you! Don’t leave me again!"

In his final fading awareness, he saw Qi Yue’s stunned face.