GBT Chapter 131

Autumn had just begun, but for some, it felt like they had already entered a winter covered in ice and snow.

This heavy snow sealed their hearts, freezing their inner worlds.

Zhang Zhen, unshaven and disheveled, rushed to the hospital under the Qi Corporation’s name. His steps were unsteady, his cheeks sunken, his clothes wrinkled, and he exuded a stale odor, as if he hadn’t changed in days.

The guards stationed outside the ward, seeing him, had their tense expressions crack a little, revealing anxiety: “Brother Zhen, Mr. Qi, he…”

Zhang Zhen waved his hand, coughed a few times, pushed open the ward door and went in. He looked at the person in the hospital bed and before he could speak, he heard the other person ask, “How long have I been unconscious?”

“Less than two days.” Zhang Zhen’s throat hurt terribly, and a bitter taste rose from his stomach. “Third Brother, how do you feel? The doctor said you walked through the gates of hell, the wound was only a fraction away from your heart…”

Qi Yi Liao had just woken up, and his memories and senses were still slowly returning. He didn’t pay attention to what Zhang Zhen was saying, but was wondering what was missing from the ward.

Someone was missing.

Where was that kid? Why hadn’t he come to see him?

A sharp pain suddenly shot through Qi Yi Liao’s head, and all his memories snapped back into place in that instant. He remembered that the kid had taken advantage of him being asleep and left Lan Mo Manor alone.

He also remembered finding the person by the river and encountering a car accident on the way back to Lan Mo Manor.

“Where’s Xiao Bai?” Qi Yi Liao pulled out the IV needle and got out of bed. His tall figure swayed slightly, but his expression was the same as usual.

Zhang Zhen didn’t speak.

Qi Yi Liao walked barefoot towards him: “A Zhen, I’m asking you a question.”

“Cough!” Zhang Zhen coughed, his pale face flushing a little with physiological redness, but the corners of his eyes were red as if stained with blood.

Qi Yi Liao patted him on the back, saying gently, “Take your time.”

The ward was filled only with Zhang Zhen’s painful coughing and ragged breathing.

Qi Yi Liao was like a living person without breath.

After a while, Zhang Zhen’s coughing subsided. He said in a hoarse voice, “Third Brother, I buried Bai Bai.”

The hand on his back stopped.

“I know you ordered a crystal coffin before the car accident, but Bai Bai’s body wasn’t whole anymore. There was no way to keep it. The side of the car that crashed into the mountainside was exactly on his side… Really, I didn’t want to either, there was really no way to keep it…” Zhang Zhen lowered his eyelashes, a momentary daze in his eyes, like a dream, a dream within a dream, a terrible nightmare he couldn’t wake up from. But after a few seconds he was invaded by unspeakable grief, reality was strangling his neck, not letting him die, but not letting him live either.

Qi Yi Liao took his hand off Zhang Zhen’s back. His dry, muddy eyes moved slightly, and he sighed: “A Zhen, do you know what you’re saying?”

Zhang Zhen was frightened by Third Brother’s calm tone. He raised his head, meeting Third Brother’s complaining gaze.

“Xiao Bai is your younger brother, also the heir of the Qi Corporation, and my partner. How can you say such nonsense when I’ve only just woken up?” Qi Yi Liao patted Zhang Zhen with his hand that was oozing blood. “Which ward is he in? Take me there.”

Zhang Zhen was stunned for a moment, his whole body turning cold.

“I was protecting him in my arms, I could have dodged it. Logically speaking, he shouldn’t have been hurt too badly,” Qi Yi Liao frowned. “Did he hurt his leg? Can’t get out of bed?”

Zhang Zhen moved his lips: “At the time of the accident, Bai Bai was already…”

“That kid was climbing mountains and staying up late yesterday, and ran to the river to catch the wind early this morning, not even afraid of catching a cold. Too restless, I’ll go ask him,” Qi Yi Liao walked towards the ward door. He had only taken a few steps when he weakly fell to the ground.

The effect of the medicine slowed Zhang Zhen’s reaction, making it far worse than usual. He stood there motionless, muttering something nervously.

Qi Yi Liao struggled to get up, his hospital gown stained red on both arms, shoulders, back, left waist, and chest. The red areas were still expanding.

“Third Brother!” Zhang Zhen finally returned to reality, running over in disarray.

The ward was noisy for a while, then fell silent again.

Qi Yi Liao rebandaged his wounds. He hadn’t been feeling well since waking up from the research institute five days ago. He was also mentally unwell, and had injected medicine during the “instinct” resistance period. Then, on the third day, he had an accident in the mountains and was injured, followed by a car accident the next day, injury upon injury. Now he was physically exhausted, the flame of his life flickering. He couldn’t even remember how to do it.

Zhang Zhen’s forehead and temples were wet. He had washed his face, as if the water flowing from the tap could act as a sedative: “Third Brother, all the examinations except the autopsy have been done, and it’s confirmed to be Bai Bai himself.”

“The cause of death wasn’t the car accident, but sudden cardiac death.”

This was a very common cause of death in recent years, and the proportion of young people among those affected was increasing.

His younger brother’s death didn’t reveal anything suspicious, except for one thing he couldn’t understand: why did he go to the river?

But the person was gone, and everything was meaningless.

Zhang Zhen couldn’t accept such a blow. He took a large amount of medicine. If the psychiatrist hadn’t discovered it in time and sent him to the hospital for a stomach wash, he would have already gone to the underworld.

“He’s not dead.” A low, weak voice sounded from the hospital bed.

Zhang Zhen turned his head sluggishly.

Qi Yi Liao’s eyes were closed, his face serene without any blood vessels. His pale lips uttered three words: “Still alive.”

Zhang Zhen’s reddened eyes widened. He had always regarded Third Brother as an elder brother, a relative, someone he respected and admired. But he had been watching the examination of his younger brother’s body the whole time, never leaving for a single step, and he had personally handled the body.

Bai Bai was gone, and Third Brother had gone mad.

Zhang Zhen covered his face with both hands, crying out in grief. The sobs were filled with heavy sorrow and pain.

“A Zhen, don’t make noise here, I want to rest,” Qi Yi Liao said hoarsely.

Zhang Zhen went out with his head lowered. Every time he cried, the protruding bones on his back trembled. He was a fighter, a carefully trained bodyguard captain of the Qi family, who had experienced countless partings and deaths, but his ability to withstand pressure had deteriorated again and again since some point, so much so that he needed to rely on drugs to hold on.

The door of the ward opened from the inside, and the brothers expressed their concern for Brother Zhen. At the end, they peeked into the ward, sadly bowed and called out: “Mr. Qi, please accept our condolences.”

The door closed gently.

No one saw the person in the hospital bed open his eyes, staring at the void with a sinister and terrifying gaze, as if staring at an enemy who had wiped out his entire family.

Zhang Zhen didn’t hold a funeral for his younger brother. The school only knew that he was unwell and had withdrawn from school to recuperate.

His younger brother’s body was buried in the cemetery in the backyard of Lan Mo Manor, buried in the tomb that Third Brother had prepared for himself. Zhang Zhen only told Third Brother about this afterwards, he had taken it upon himself.

Third Brother returned from the hospital early, and didn’t say anything when he learned about this. He didn’t go to the cemetery either, but ordered everyone to search for someone all over the world.

The person they were looking for wasn’t anyone else, it was Zhang Zhen’s younger brother.

Zhang Zhen heard the psychiatrist say that Third Brother was currently being protected by his self-defense system, escaping reality, and living in a false illusion of hope that he had created himself. It was best for outsiders not to interfere with him.

So Zhang Zhen didn’t dare to mention Bai Bai’s death to Third Brother again. He accepted the order and handled matters, and his mood improved a lot. It wasn’t that he had accepted it, but because he had taken a medicine that slowed down his emotions.

On the third day that Qi Yi Liao sent people to look for his lover, Cen Jingmo came to visit.

No one in Lan Mo Manor greeted him.

Cen Jingmo was dressed casually, not as if he had come to offer condolences. He acted as if he was visiting a friend, a light smile in his slender, upturned eyes: “Where is Mr. Jiao?”

Mr. Qi clenched his fists, and the people behind Cen Jingmo drew their guns.

Qi Er and a few other brothers who hadn’t gone out also aimed their guns at the Cen family.

The Cen family of East City must be out of their minds, running to West City was bad enough, but they even came to Qi’s territory to act wild. If it wasn’t for the fact that the Qi family was in mourning during this period and couldn’t shed blood…

As tensions rose, Cen Jingmo saw a familiar figure. He politely called out, “Mr. Zhang.”

Zhang Zhen waved his hand to dismiss his brothers. He was full of the smell of Chinese medicine: “What’s the matter, Crown Prince?”

Cen Jingmo’s hands were in the pockets of his windbreaker: “I’m looking for your younger brother.”

“Since the Crown Prince has come here, he must have received some news and know that he is no longer here.” Zhang Zhen took a deep breath. Third Brother had people investigating, and although the news could be kept from the outside world, it couldn’t be kept from people in the circle. He expected that someone would come to the door, but he didn’t expect Cen Jingmo to be the first.

“My family doesn’t offer condolences, please go back.” Zhang Zhen issued an eviction order.

The curve of Cen Jingmo’s upper lip straightened: “I’m here because I don’t believe it.”

“You don’t believe what you don’t believe? Would I curse my younger brother to die for no reason!” Zhang Zhen roared.

“Mr. Zhang, don’t misunderstand, I’m not provoking you,” Cen Jingmo explained. “I feel that your younger brother has extraordinary qualities, and is uniquely loved by God. He will receive as much as he overcomes…”

Cen Jingmo’s voice stopped abruptly. He looked at the figure in the courtyard not far away, and didn’t recognize who it was at first glance, but knew it was Qi Yi Liao, with a lot of white hair, like a widowed old man.

“Really dead…” Cen Jingmo murmured, laughing in a sinister way. “What’s going on, Mr. Jiao, you’re…”

Zhang Zhen punched him to the ground, kicking him several times in a row, each time using all his strength. The suppressed negative emotions in Zhang Zhen’s heart took the opportunity to vent. After he finished beating the helpless and half-crazy Cen Jingmo, he turned around and left in a dejected manner, his steps faltering, his back desolate.

Cen’s family also started fighting with Qi’s family.

Lying on the ground, Cen Jingmo gasped rapidly, his chest rising and falling with difficulty. Jiao Bai was dead.

Tch, he actually died.

How could he die?

Even he is dead, then what in this world is worth me watching and studying?

Cen Jingmo recalled his two lives, and left with his guards. As soon as the group left, the Shen family’s car arrived.

The people in Lan Mo Manor were polite to Shen Er’an. Seeing that the boss hadn’t shown up, they called and asked, and only led Shen Er’an to the backyard after receiving permission.

Shen Er’an stayed in the backyard until dark before leaving. When he left, there were several cuts on his hands, all cut with scissors.

He had used the small scissors for many years, and this was the first time they were so uncooperative, making his hands full of blood.

Shen Er’an stood by the car, looking back at Lan Mo Manor, where Jiao Bai had lived the longest, treating it as home.

“Er’an, people can’t come back to life, you have to cherish yourself.” Tan Jun comforted.

Shen Er’an suppressed the grief in his eyes and sneered: “Did you think the same when my mother passed away?”

Tan Jun froze. He looked at the young man getting into the car: “Er’an, it will eventually pass.”

Shen Er’an turned his head to look out the window. Jiao Bai was gone, gone before him.

The most important position in his life was empty, and wind and snow drilled in, freezing into ice in an instant.

In the middle of the night, the grass in the backyard was trampled on by shoe soles, the rustling sound spreading all the way to a new grave.

There were a few paper dragonflies in front of the tombstone, folded from old, worn-out paper. Different parts of the dragonflies were stained with blood, weak and poignant.

With a gust of wind, all the dragonflies flew up.

Qi Yi Liao grabbed the tombstone, slowly squatting down, and then sitting down on the ground little by little. He tilted his head slightly, exhaling a puff of bitter smoke, “I know that the one buried underneath isn’t you.”

The smoke climbed onto Qi Yi Liao’s eyebrows. He “Heh”ed, “You’re still alive.”

The curve of Qi Yi Liao’s lips faded in the next moment, as if it had never appeared. He casually stroked the tombstone, all the resources accumulated over the years were being mobilized, but there was still no news.

This was within his expectations, because he didn’t even know where to start looking.

Qi Yi Liao didn’t believe that his lively, strong little wildcat was gone, and he couldn’t believe it either, otherwise the road beneath his feet would collapse.

So as long as he had a breath, he would continue to investigate, waiting for a miracle for the rest of his life.

“Xiao Bai,”

Qi Yi Liao’s forehead was against the tombstone, smoke swirling around his lips. He frowned, his voice very hoarse, “Every time I gave you a question, I guided you to answer it, what about you? Did you leave any clues for me?”

“Where are you hiding? Did you consider my age and physical condition?” Qi Yi Liao finished speaking, shaking his head with a self-deprecating laugh. He put one hand into his greying short hair, the force of his fingertips rubbing against his scalp was irritable and violent, and his finger joints were trembling.

“Show your face sooner, let my people discover your news, don’t make me wait too long.”

There was a long silence in front of the tombstone, followed by a low, almost inaudible voice.

“Uncle misses you.”

A line of words suddenly appeared in the void.

“Broken Wings” Part 2 – To be continued.