Thirteen Wonders (ShíSānYāo) : Chapter 46 - One Wan Nine Wan
Chapter 46: One Wan Nine Wan
“Maybe it was before I even started elementary school. That game of hide-and-seek… If I could, I wish I had never witnessed it.”
“Zhou Yao and I, hiding in the upstairs cabinet, saw everything clearly. It was because of the shock that I ran out, and that's why I pushed Zhou Yao down the slope.”
“This is all my fault, but it's even more yours.”
The festering wound of many years had finally been cut open, oozing pus and blood. At this moment, whether it was pain or numbness, at least Chen Xuze felt relieved.
“If it weren't for you, Zhou Yao's leg wouldn't be injured. She wouldn't have a ‘flaw’ that can never be erased in her lifetime. I wouldn't have grown up under the shadow you cast over me. I wouldn't, day and night, feel nauseated and disgusted whenever I thought about it.”
“You think I didn't want to live with you just because I couldn't bear to leave Grandpa and Grandma? No. It's because I felt dirty. I felt disgusted. I felt that even the air became suffocating when I was with you.”
Chen Xuze's cold gaze swept over his so-called ‘parents,’ who were now supporting each other, barely standing.
“Do you understand now? Or do I need to spell it out even clearer?”
The three young people stood there, their gazes filled with the cold detachment of adults, scrutinizing them.
“Your happiness, your pleasure, your satisfaction—it's all built on the suffering of the three of us. In this world, anyone can criticize us, or attack us. But the four of you—”
“You don't have the right.”
Mrs. Chen gasped for air, looking as if she was about to faint. She had long lost the arrogance she had shown in front of Mother Zhou.
Zhou Yao calmly adjusted her sleeve, as if this wasn't a confrontation but just a casual chat.
“Auntie,” she said, “did you know? Every time it’s cloudy or rainy, my leg hurts. In the early years, when we were all still young and ignorant, when I was in elementary school and middle school, people who knew about my leg would mock me behind my back and gossip about me.”
“Even in high school, some people used it as a weapon to attack me.”
“What did I do wrong? I only worried about Xuze. Over the years, it was me who stayed by his side, me who knew everything he liked, me who encouraged him when he wanted to give up. Even…”
“When he almost went astray because of you, it was me who kept pulling him back.”
Zhou Yao smiled slightly and swayed her injured leg in the air. “A cripple? Others might have the right to call me that. But you? You don’t. Because all of this was caused by you. You are the real culprits. You owe Xuze. You owe me. You owe us a lifetime. And no matter what you do, you will never be able to repay it.”
Mr. Chen’s eyes widened. “You—”
“Did you hear me clearly? Mock me?” Zhou Yao's smile grew even brighter. “Do you think you're worthy?”
……
The Chen couple fled in a panic, completely losing their usual refined and dignified appearance. Mrs. Chen almost lost a shoe on the stone-paved alley. They had probably never expected that their son had long since made up his mind to leave, determined to sever all ties with the painful past of these past ten years.
And what he wanted to escape from the most—what he found the most ‘disgusting’—was his own parents.
The sun shone brightly in the courtyard.
Gu Yujun ruffled his buzz-cut hair. “Tch, their combat ability is so weak. Their reaction was exactly like my parents’. Why do these adults dare to do things but not face the consequences? If they know it's disgusting…”
He smirked but then suddenly lost interest in finishing his sentence.
Turning to Chen Xuze, Gu Yujun sneered, “You're really useless. I can handle my parents on my own, but you actually needed me to step in. You owe me one, remember that. Without me, how would you have dealt with this so quickly and cleanly?”
Zhou Yao was about to say something—she hadn't expected Chen Xuze to call Gu Yujun here. But before she could speak, Gu Yujun turned to Chen Xuze and said, “I have something to say to Zhou Yao.”
“Go ahead.”
“Mm…” Gu Yujun pursed his lips. “It wouldn't be too much if I gave her a hug, right?”
Chen Xuze’s eyes darkened, but in the end, he allowed it.
When he had called Gu Yujun earlier, the latter had lazily scoffed, “You can't even handle something this small? What's your deal? I'm not coming, no way. How many times do I have to be disgusted by this to be done with it?”
But the moment he heard, “They’re still targeting Zhou Yao. I don’t want this to drag on any longer. Just think of it as me asking you for a favor,” Gu Yujun's attitude changed.
“Targeting Zhou Yao? What, your parents are still insulting her?”
Chen Xuze's silence was his answer.
The next second, Gu Yujun’s tone shifted immediately. “Got it. Send me the address. I’m coming right now.”
So, Chen Xuze had given him detailed directions and a description of his house, and Gu Yujun had rushed over without hesitation. If it hadn't been for Zhou Yao being involved, Gu Yujun might not have stepped into this mess at all. Dealing with his own parents was already nauseating enough—seeing Chen Xuze’s parents was like reliving the experience, only worse.
Now, Gu Yujun asked for a hug, and as long as he didn’t cross the line, Chen Xuze was willing to tolerate it.
Zhou Yao was still trying to process what was happening when Gu Yujun lightly embraced her. Because he was much taller, he had to lean down slightly. His arms wrapped around her, but not too tightly—he kept a polite distance.
“Gu Yujun?”
He had been silent for a long time, so Zhou Yao had to speak first.
“Thank you,” Gu Yujun said. “You know, I got into the school I wanted. It’s not some super prestigious place, but among the choices within my reach, it’s a pretty good one.”
“…Congratulations.”
“If it weren't for you, I'd probably still be living like a wild man somewhere.” He exaggerated, smiling. “You have no idea—back then, I really felt like life had no meaning.”
“I…”
“Listen to me.” He cut her off. “It was like I was stuck in a deep pit. A lot of people knew I was there, but they just passed by or stood watching. Only you—stubbornly and inexplicably—insisted on pulling me out. You meddle too much, you know that, Zhou Yao? You can't keep doing this. If you run into someone who's not as decent as me, don't you think you'll end up at a disadvantage, hmm?”
He patted her on the back.
Zhou Yao smiled helplessly. “Mm, you're right.”
Gu Yujun tightened his grip slightly. “I really envy Chen Xuze. If, back then, I had someone like you by my side… maybe…”
He seemed to have reddened eyes, struggling to finish his sentence. Lowering his head, he hid his expression from Chen Xuze.
He held Zhou Yao for a long time without moving, brushing his face lightly against her shoulder.
“That thing you bought me to eat… red bean bun or something… whatever, it was really good.”
“Mm.”
“—Thank you, Zhou Yao.”
As he spoke, Zhou Yao looked over his shoulder, gazing into the distance. The vast sky stretched endlessly, like a grand and beautiful future, waiting quietly for a young man to arrive.
……
Gu Yujun walked away swiftly and effortlessly. Knowing that Chen Xuze and Zhou Yao were watching him from the courtyard, he raised a hand in farewell without looking back, perfectly executing his practiced ‘cool guy’ exit.
Zhou Yao was still watching his figure disappear at the alley’s end when Chen Xuze suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace.
“…What's wrong?”
He held her firmly, his chin brushing against her neck, his skin rubbing against hers, making her feel a little ticklish.
He didn’t speak for a long time before finally murmuring:
“—You can only smell like me.”
Zhou Yao: “…”
After holding her for a while, Zhou Yao said, “If you don’t let go, the sun’s going to roast me dizzy.” It wasn’t true at all, but as soon as she said it, he immediately loosened his grip and led her inside.
Stepping into the now-empty house, everything inside—the furnishings, the decor—felt familiar.
The invasive scent of Mrs. Chen’s perfume was gradually carried away by the wind flowing through the open doors.
Once again, the house felt like the home Zhou Yao and Chen Xuze knew.
“Just now…” Chen Xuze looked unhappy. “I’m really sorry.”
“Sorry for what?” Zhou Yao asked in confusion.
“For making you—”
Zhou Yao didn’t let him finish. “Isn’t this normal? We’ve been prepared for this for a long time. We’ve considered worse outcomes. Compared to those… and to the worst possible scenario… this was nothing.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist.
“We agreed to face this together, didn’t we?”
“…Mm.” Chen Xuze lowered his head and kissed her hair.
“Hey—”
Zhou Yao suddenly looked up, almost hitting his chin.
“What is it?”
“Well…” She looked at him with a troubled expression. “Next time you run into my mom, try to stay as far away as possible. And if you pass by my house, walk faster. I’m afraid she might throw water at you.”
Chen Xuze: “…”
How did he forget about that?
Thanks to his ‘parents,’ it seemed he had thoroughly offended his future in-laws.
He used to be ‘Shisan’ or ‘Xuze’—someone who could enter the house, have soup, share meals, and even have a room to stay in. But now, in the eyes of his future father- and mother-in-law, he wasn’t just ‘Shisan’ anymore. He was probably nothing more than a ‘little bastard’.
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