Su Jingming had no idea when he arrived at the hospital. When the nurse pierced the skin of his arm with a cold needle, he didn’t so much as flinch, offering no reaction at all.
Wen Yan stood silently to the side, watching the doctor perform various examinations on Su Jingming.
Finally, the doctor looked up and asked Wen Yan, "You are..."
"I’m his... friend." Wen Yan felt his strength failing him as he spoke. "How is he?"
"Physically, there are no major issues. It’s psychological." The doctor tapped his temple a few times. "Here. He’s suffered a severe shock; he won’t recover in the short term."
"What is a conservative estimate for how long it will take?"
"It’s hard to say. We’ll need a psychiatrist to evaluate him before a conclusion can be reached." The doctor paused. "His mother..."
Before he could finish, there was a knock on the ward door, and a female police officer in uniform walked in.
"Su Jingming’s mother is here."
Cheng Hui practically sprinted into the room. Seeing Su Jingming sitting halfway up on the hospital bed with vacant, lifeless eyes, she tried her best to suppress her sobs. She reached out to touch the top of his head. "...Jingming."
Su Jingming did not respond.
The female officer, rarely seeing such a scene, felt her eyes grow red. She took a few deep breaths of the cold air and turned her gaze toward the teenager in the gray school uniform.
She coughed softly, walked over to Wen Yan, and lowered her voice. "Student, come outside with me for a moment."
Wen Yan cast an uneasy glance at the situation inside the room before following the officer out.
The officer looked Wen Yan up and down before asking bluntly, "What is your relationship with Su Jingming?"
Only after asking did she realize her tone was too harsh; the person before her was just a child. She was about to soften her voice and ask again when he answered.
"I’m his boyfriend," Wen Yan replied calmly. His gaze was steady, without a trace of cowardice.
The officer hadn't expected Wen Yan to admit it so openly. She took an envelope from her pocket, which contained several photographs, and pulled one out.
"Look at this. Is this you and Su Jingming?"
Wen Yan looked down. The image in the officer’s hand captured the moment he had kissed Su Jingming’s neck. His Adam's apple bobbed as he asked, "Where did you get that photo?"
The officer hesitated but answered truthfully, "In the living room of Su Jingming’s home."
"We’ve discovered that Su Qicheng suffered from schizophrenia and subjected Su Jingming to domestic violence for nine years. Did Su Jingming ever mention this to you?"
"...No." Wen Yan’s throat tightened.
"No? Your relationship with Su Jingming is unusual; he didn't tell you anything at all?" The officer frowned, her tone turning cold and sharp again.
Hearing this, Wen Yan slowly raised his eyes to meet hers.
"He would never tell me those things."
The officer didn't seem to believe him, her expression full of suspicion as she scrutinized him. Wen Yan let out a cold laugh. "He isn't the type of person to show weakness."
"..." The officer followed up immediately, "Then have you noticed any abnormal behavior from Su Jingming recently?"
Wen Yan’s eyes suddenly turned cold. The officer subconsciously swallowed. He asked tonelessly, "What do you mean by that?"
The officer pursed her lips and lowered her voice. "This illness... it can be hereditary. So..."
"So you want to ask if Su Jingming is mentally ill? If he did something irrational that caused his father to jump to his death?" Wen Yan gave a thin smile. "Su Jingming rarely goes home. His grades are among the best in the school. He acts and speaks like a normal person. Officer, is that answer satisfactory?"
Wen Yan kept his hands behind his back. His palms were unnaturally hot, and he rubbed his thumb and forefinger together repeatedly. The officer tried to find a hint of a lie in Wen Yan’s eyes. After a moment of silence, she sighed. "You kids nowadays... you’re really hard to understand."
Wen Yan raised an eyebrow noncommittally; he actually agreed with that statement.
The officer added, "Then do you have a reasonable explanation for this photo?"
"The reasonable explanation is that someone was spying on us. As for why it was with Su Jingming’s father, we don't know." A trace of impatience flickered in Wen Yan’s eyes, his heart swarming with negative emotions.
Just as the officer was about to ask more, the doctor and nurses stepped out of the ward and saw the two of them standing by the door with solemn expressions.
The doctor suddenly remembered something. "You came with him, and you witnessed it together. Were you..."
Wen Yan shook his head. "No."
The doctor looked at him with a hint of doubt. The boy before him didn't look old, yet he was very composed. Still, he added out of concern, "If you feel any psychological discomfort, you must come to the hospital immediately."
Wen Yan nodded and stepped aside to let the medical staff pass. Once they were gone, he immediately went back into the ward.
Su Jingming had fallen asleep. Cheng Hui sat by the bed, weeping softly. Sensing someone behind her, she quickly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and asked in a low voice, "You are..."
"Hello, Auntie. I’m Wen Yan." Wen Yan’s voice was incredibly raspy. After a few seconds of silence, he added, "I was with Su Jingming when the accident happened to Uncle."
Wen Yan felt as though the day had lasted an eternity. It wasn't until the sun began to set that he realized he had forgotten to ask Zhou Hong for leave.
Su Jingming’s home was near No. 2 High School. With such a major event occurring, Zhou Hong would likely have heard something.
After some thought, Wen Yan decided not to call Zhou Hong. Instead, he sent a message explaining the current situation.
A moment later, Zhou Hong called back immediately.
"Wen Yan, is what you said true?"
"Yes."
"Then Su Jingming’s side..."
"Teacher Zhou, I want to stay with him for a while."
Wen Yan sat on a garden bench, his school jacket held in his hand. The afterglow of the setting sun stretched his shadow long across the ground. Half of his face was illuminated by the twilight, making him look somewhat desolate.
Zhou Hong sighed on the other end of the line, gave Wen Yan a few instructions, and then hung up.
Wen Yan gripped his phone, sitting there as if all the strength had been drained from his body.
The evening breeze blew the stray hairs on his forehead into a mess. Even though his feet were on the ground, he felt no sense of reality.
He found it hard to imagine what Su Jingming would be like when he woke up. He would rather Su Jingming scream and shout than remain so silent.
When he heard the officer say Su Jingming had been abused by Su Qicheng for nine years, Wen Yan felt his heart was about to split apart from the pain. It was a sensation he had never experienced before.
It was as if someone had gouged out his heart and thrown it into a vat of boiling oil.
It hurt too much.
So much that he forgot to breathe.
He forgot all his instincts.
He couldn't bear to imagine what Su Jingming’s childhood had actually been like.
How he had survived those nine years.
He suddenly understood why Su Jingming was so obsessed with the idea of there being "light" in the world.
He understood why Su Jingming wore those oversized glasses to hide himself away.
Whenever he thought of the way Su Jingming looked at him—full of hope, filled with expectation, yet so cautious...
Or the clumsy words he occasionally used to express his emotions...
Wen Yan didn't dare think any further.
His Little Hero was a true hero.
The more Wen Yan thought, the heavier his breathing became. His hands clenched into fists, and he felt as though he might crush the phone in his palm.
He didn't dare think about it.
He really didn't dare.
He was afraid he wouldn't be able to control his emotions and would rush to Su Jingming’s bedside to demand an answer.
*Why didn't you tell me?*
*Why did you still choose to forgive him?*
Wen Yan slowly raised his eyes. His reddened rims looked unfamiliar under the glow of the setting sun.
Just as Wen Yan managed to steady his emotions, the phone in his palm vibrated violently.
It was a call from Su Jingming.
The moment he answered, a voice thick with tears came through the line:
"Little Monster, where did you go..."
No matter how strong a heart is, it will eventually crumble at a moment like this.
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
程慧 | Cheng Hui | Su Jingming's mother.
苏启成 | Su Qicheng | Su Jingming's father.
周宏 | Zhou Hong | Wen Yan and Su Jingming's teacher.
小怪兽 | Little Monster | Wen Yan's nickname (used by Su Jingming).
小英雄 | Little Hero | Su Jingming's nickname (used by Wen Yan).
凉城 | Liangcheng | The city where the story takes place.
二中 | No. 2 High School | The school the characters attend.
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Want to Have a Relationship with You | Chapter 48 | A Heart-Wrenching Truth | Novela.app | Novela.app
