Chapter Six: The Past · Three

As Gu Yunsheng said, the Gu family members are not present. Upon entering, Gu Yunsheng turned on all the lights in the living room and scrutinized Jiang Tian closely. The more he looked, the worse Jiang Tian's complexion appeared. He muttered a curse under his breath, "Bastard," and then said, "Why don't you take a shower first? I'll see if there's anything to eat. My dad should have left some food for me, and there are instant noodles at home. After you finish washing up, take a moment to recover your spirits before eating."

Gazing at Jiang Tian's smiling face, Gu Yunsheng was once again lost in thought. The previous chaotic confusion seemed to quietly slip away with the laughter. Although he still felt a myriad of thoughts swirling in his mind, it was as if that moment just now was merely a bubble, having just surfaced, only to vanish.

He was so frightened that he nearly lost his wits, scrambling over to help Jiang Tian up, but his hand, as if possessed, reached out first to pull out the long arrow. The shaft had already sunk deeply into Jiang Tian's left shoulder blade, with only the ghastly blue feathers remaining outside, yet he did not exert much force, and the arrow was pulled out in an instant

Jiang Tian only thought that the injury behind was more serious than imagined, and he went to comfort Gu Yunsheng: "What happened? When I touched it while taking a shower, it didn't seem too severe. If you're afraid, just don't move; after all, iodine has been applied, and it will heal."

Rest assured, there will definitely be no internal injuries. This slight bruise will disappear in a few days

You go first, I will find it for you

"Well, just think about my three-point shooting percentage." As he spoke with enthusiasm, Gu Yunsheng momentarily forgot the injury on his face and quickly suppressed the smile that was about to emerge.

Realizing that it was just a dream, he suddenly relaxed, but his whole body was still burning hot, and the injured areas were throbbing with pain. Some fragments of the dream were still very vivid, and he was still haunted by it. Although he knew that Jiang Tian was sleeping right beside him, he couldn't help but want to turn his head and take a look.

Gu Yunsheng also saw his own reflection in the dressing mirror at the door, so he had no objections to Gu Yunsheng's suggestion. He nodded and said, "Then lend me a set of pajamas; if the clothes are washed today, they should be almost dry by tomorrow"

"Then let's go to bed early, don't read today. Or we can play games, I just bought a new cartridge last week," Gu Yunsheng eagerly suggested

It would also be troublesome for your parents to see this

Jiang Tian put down his hands and straightened his back, the streetlight casting a warm glow in his eyes. He glanced at his dust-covered coat; although he could not see his own face, he knew it would not be any better than Gu Yunsheng's, not to mention the wounds on his body that were still not visible. He thought to himself that he could not go home like this, just at that moment, Gu Yunsheng suddenly said: "You can't go back like this, otherwise how will you explain it to your grandparents"

They played until 1:00 AM, engaging in a lively back-and-forth battle. Eventually, both became so engrossed that they simply moved from the sofa to the floor, wishing they had pillows to lie on. In the end, Gu Yunsheng could no longer hold on due to fatigue and, after finishing this round, said, "I am too tired; let's stop playing here for now"

My mother is on a business trip, and my father is working late at the club tonight, so there is no one else at home. In this case, let's go back first, and then I will call my grandfather to say that I will stay with him this weekend to discuss some problems. Not to mention anything else, at least I can avoid being seen for these two days, so I won't go back with a black eye and worry my family

Facing the fiery gaze of Gu Yunsheng, Jiang Tian lowered his head and glanced at the injuries on his body, giving a self-deprecating smile: "Truly a remarkable achievement, getting into a fight and receiving so many souvenirs, it was worth it." Although he spoke in jest, there remained an indescribable emotion in his eyes, and the smile did not penetrate at all.

The bicycle was still left at the school, and both of them had injuries on their legs, limping and supporting each other as they walked back, exchanging faint jokes. Gu Yunsheng noticed traces of unspoken sadness on Jiang Tian's face; he also understood the source of this emotion but felt powerless to alleviate it

Jiang Tian seemed to have no attachment to this, quickly withdrawing his gaze from the television screen. He appeared calm, unlike someone who had just spent several hours intensely playing games, and replied, "I am also tired and want to sleep"

Hmm. Jiang Tian responded in a dull and brief manner.

The brief moment of astonishment was immediately replaced by cheers, as Gu Yunsheng flipped off the sofa and rushed to the television to connect the game console. In the brief moment of connecting the wires, he turned back and said: "Recently, whenever I play for a little while, my mom puffs her nose and glares at me. It's rare that they are all not here; tonight I can play to my heart's content"

In a moment of grief, shock was overwhelmed. Gu Yunsheng could not distinguish whether that moment was for Jiang Tian or for his mother; he only knew that his strength was suddenly drained, and the words he wanted to say were forgotten in an instant. He merely lowered his shoulders and bowed his head, not moving his hand for a long time. Those tears slid through his fingers, completely cold.

The sound of breathing momentarily paused, yet there was no response; Gu Yunsheng waited for a long time, realizing that he was clearly awake but not hearing any reply, feeling a bit worried. He got up and turned on the desk lamp, but when he turned back, Jiang Tian had already wrapped himself completely in the blanket.

I am fine, you can turn off the light

Gu Yunsheng furrowed his brows, pointed to the sofa, and said somewhat stiffly: "Sit down, I will help you apply the medicine"

This is indeed the best solution they can think of at the moment. Jiang Tian did not think much further, and his tone became less tense as he spoke again: "Alright, let's do it this way."

Realizing that he had lost focus, Gu Yunsheng was taken aback and felt flustered, his heart racing and his hands trembling. The hand he had placed on Jiang Tian's shoulder seemed unable to bear the pressure, shaking slightly. Jiang Tian noticed that the action of applying the medicine had paused and asked, "Gu Yunsheng, what is wrong with you?"

Yet the image of the other person in his eyes was indeed strange and comical. Jiang Tian raised his hand to cover his eyes, bent down, and listened to the sound, which seemed to be laughter: "You really are something, just charging in like that. It should have been me to make the first move."

Later, Gu Yunsheng also went to take a shower. After finishing his bath, dinner was ready, the soup was heated, and even the two vegetables had been reheated once. This time, Jiang Tian sat by the sofa, studying the medicine. Seeing him bundled up tightly, he raised an eyebrow in confusion: "Look at you, dressed like this from head to toe, how can you apply the medicine?"

Did you not buy a new cartridge? I haven't played in a long time either

Just as she took out a cultural shirt, she heard a sound from the bathroom door. Gu Yunsheng thought Jiang Tian needed something, so she grabbed the shirt and rushed out. As a result, she saw Jiang Tian coming out wrapped in a towel, with her hair barely dried, looking wet all over, her body marked with bruises and scratches.

Jiang Tian, are you unable to sleep

Only after starting to eat did they realize how much energy this fight had consumed. The two of them finished an entire pot of rice, devoured all the dishes completely, and even drank the soup clean, before contentedly collapsing on the sofa, staring blankly at the television

Gu Yunsheng also wanted to laugh, but as soon as he got involved with the dough, he winced in pain and gasped for air. The events that occurred an hour ago replayed in his mind like a slow-motion film. He scratched his head and said, "I don't even know what happened. I initially thought the situation was off and wanted to pull you away, but as soon as I heard... it was as if my mind went blank, and the ball in my hand just flew out... That guy is a jerk, and what he said was also jerkish, you..." His voice grew softer and softer, and he finally swallowed the last sentence back down.

Gu Yunsheng stiffened for a moment, finally took off his shirt, and sat rigidly at the other end of the sofa. His condition was somewhat better, with no cuts or scrapes, but the patches of bruises were a bit alarming. Jiang Tian leaned in to take a closer look and said, "You should spray some medicine, do you feel dizzy or nauseous?"

As night falls and the streetlights begin to illuminate, two individuals stand one in front of the other beneath a lamp post, gazing at each other in silence for a long time

In the darkness, Jiang Tian's breathing was steady, at least not as if he were having a nightmare. Just as Gu Yunsheng felt a bit relieved, Jiang Tian suddenly turned over heavily, then turned back, lay still for a moment, and then turned over again.

Gu Yunsheng lived to the age of seventeen, having been cherished like a star surrounded by the moon since childhood. Today, he realizes that there exists such sorrow in the world, which concerns others yet feels even more poignant than that which concerns oneself

Gu Yunsheng suddenly opened his eyes

The voice sounded somewhat hoarse; although he was striving to maintain calm, his tone trembled significantly. Gu Yunsheng noticed his hand gripping a corner of the blanket, the knuckles so pale they were turning blue, and he was momentarily stunned.

In the darkness, no one spoke, and the silence was stubbornly maintained. Gu Yunsheng heard Jiang Tian's suddenly deep and heavy breathing, and his hand involuntarily shifted, touching Jiang Tian's face, which was indeed wet.

After taking the medicine, Gu Yunsheng was drenched in sweat, all of it brought on by his anxiety. His mind was in disarray, and after handing his shirt to Jiang Tian, he sat dumbly on the sofa, holding the medicine in a state of helplessness. Seeing this, Jiang Tian couldn't help but give him a push: "Hey, don't forget to give me your pants too."

Gu Yunsheng stared in astonishment as the wound before his eyes shrank without a single drop of blood spilling out, ultimately healing without leaving a trace. That could not possibly be Jiang Tian, he thought in a daze, but at that moment, Jiang Tian turned around, his chest covered in blood, yet he tightly locked him in with both arms, moving so quickly that there was no time to discern his expression

"The strike was quite accurate." Jiang Tian seemed to still be smiling

Jiang Tian made a phone call to his family, and just as he entered the bathroom, Gu Yunsheng was busy rummaging through the pain relief spray, band-aids, ointments, and bone-setting liquid that they had at home. Then, when he looked at the dining table, he found that there was indeed a plate of white cut chicken, two vegetables, and in the kitchen, the soup pot was simmering with radish and pork rib soup, while the rice was already washed and placed in the rice cooker, ready to be powered on. Seeing this, Gu Yunsheng also breathed a sigh of relief, plugged in the power, and then returned to his room to find clean clothes for Jiang Tian.

A gentle word reached Gu Yunsheng's ears, yet it struck him like a thunderclap. He nearly jumped up from the sofa, his hands instinctively recoiling as if shocked.

Jiang Tian was amused by his demeanor and tossed the medicine bottle to him: "The bigger you get, the more peculiar habits you have. You handle it yourself; I will go wash my hands. Once it's ready, we can have dinner."

Gu Yunsheng sighed: "I can't do it; I don't even want to move."

Jiang Tian's smile appeared somewhat forced upon hearing this, but he quickly revealed a more spirited expression and proceeded to spray the medicine on him. As soon as his hand brushed against Gu Yunsheng, Gu Yunsheng let out a chuckle and dodged to the side; Jiang Tian looked at him in confusion. Gu Yunsheng felt a bit embarrassed and leaned in again, but as soon as Jiang Tian's hand touched him once more, Gu Yunsheng burst into laughter again, this time waving his hand while saying, "I'm not being difficult with you, I'm just ticklish..."

Two people grew up together, naturally developing a tacit understanding in everything they did, including applying medicine. Jiang Tian took the adhesive bandage that Gu Yunsheng handed him, first applying it to the small cuts on the back of his hand and arm, then leaving the invisible areas on his face and neck to Gu Yunsheng. They sprayed pain relief spray on the bruised areas, and after a quick discussion, they decided to use iodine to disinfect the severely injured back before applying medicine. Gu Yunsheng saw the large area of abrasions on his back and turned pale with anger: "You scoundrel, if I don't make him find his teeth one day, I'll write my surname Gu horizontally." In a fit of anger, he was careless, causing Jiang Tian's entire back to twitch in pain, and he turned around to pat him: "Be gentle, the red medicine stings."

Uh... Gu Yunsheng doubted that he had heard incorrectly, "Are you saying that I can go to bed earlier? Or that I can play games?"

After he finished speaking, he braced himself for rejection, but to his surprise, Jiang Tian nodded and said: "Alright."

I have also eaten too much Jiang Tian frowned as he looked at his heavy stomach

Gu Yunsheng lowered his head and thought for a moment, then suggested: "Let's go to my house."

Under the light, Jiang Tian's back resembled a taut bowstring, subtly stretching with Gu Yunsheng's movements. It is unclear when it began, but Gu Yunsheng noticed that his gaze unconsciously fell upon the nape of Jiang Tian's neck. He probably hadn't had time to get a haircut recently, as his hair clung to the back of his neck, leaving an uneven yet distinctly defined line of black and white... Then there was the spine, and it naturally continued downward... This was the first time he had paid such attention to Jiang Tian, a mix of novelty and strangeness, intertwined with a vague and subtle sense of confusion. Under the light, every inch of his skin seemed to glow, dazzling Gu Yunsheng's eyes.

Gu Yunsheng played basketball all afternoon and had a fierce match, almost falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. At first, he slept soundly, but later he began to dream, and the dream was filled with bizarre and fantastical elements, almost as if they were truly happening. He dreamed that he drew a bow, and the arrow shot straight out, but it did not hit the prey he initially aimed at; instead, it struck the bare back of the river and sky.

In Jiang Tian's eyes, there was a sense of openness. Gu Yunsheng looked at him and suddenly felt a wave of shame and unease, repeatedly saying: "It's nothing... nothing at all, it's just a scrape, you should turn back, you're almost done."

The wind blowing in from outside stirred the curtains, startling Gu Yunsheng into turning off the light. He did not return to sleep, instead relying on the fleeting memory from earlier to find Jiang Tian's hand, gently pulling the blanket away bit by bit. At first, Jiang Tian resisted in the dark, but as the standoff continued and he realized the light was off, he gradually relaxed his grip.