All these years, Da Bao has helped him and Yin Zhihao a lot, yet he himself almost never asks for help from others.
This gave Yin Zhihao and Ren Weiqi the illusion that Ji Dabao was an omnipotent god!
It was not until this mont that the two realized Ji Dabao was not without troubles; he just buried them deeper than anyone else.
Da Bao finally turned his gaze to Ren Weiqi, his black, bright eyes deep and unfathomable.
He shook his head, "No, it’s not that I don’t trust you." He paused, "It’s just that you and Nie Wei have been childhood sweethearts for so many years. Have you two ever gone through anything? You rarely even argue, right?"
Da Bao’s words, unfortunately, hit the mark completely!
Ren Weiqi and his girlfriend Nie Wei, though they only started dating in high school, lived in buildings opposite each other and reportedly even slept together and wore each other’s clothes when they were little. They went to the sa schools from kindergarten to university, their relationship enviably good.
This kind of smooth, enviable relationship, to be honest, is truly as pure as a blank sheet of paper.
Ren Weiqi and Yin Zhihao looked at Da Bao helplessly, noticing Da Bao was in a bad mood, and they felt bad as well, but knowing the other person was upset and being unable to help at all was a feeling not easily described as rely uncomfortable.
The two, feeling quite depressed, grabbed so beer and imitated Da Bao’s earlier gesture, pulling the tab and gulping down the beer.
"Since we can’t help with anything, let’s keep you company until we’re all drunk. How about that?"
Yin Zhihao gulped down the beer heroically in one go, tossed the can, and it landed beautifully in the trash bin.
Watching his friend down an entire can of beer in one go, warmth rose in Da Bao’s heart.
Regarding his own feelings, he really couldn’t talk to anyone about them, but having friends around to make so noise and vent was actually quite nice.
Thinking this, the originally gloomy mood began to show a bit of brightness.
Actually, it’s not that he has no one to confide in. Another person aware of his situation, his mother, Le Tong, is actually the best confidant he could have.
But in this matter, aside from himself, no one else could help, and confiding in her would only add to her worries.
Da Bao ultimately didn’t say anything to Yin Zhihao and Ren Weiqi, but the three drank heartily and sang loudly into the microphones.
The three stayed until the KTV closed before settling the bill and leaving. Yin Zhihao and Ren Weiqi decided to go back to the company apartnt to sleep, while Da Bao insisted on returning ho because he was worried his family might be concerned.
So, the three of them hailed two cabs and went their separate ways.
It was the first ti Da Bao had touched beer; he thought he’d be drunk after one or two cans, but his tolerance seed to far exceed his own expectations.
The three drank four dozen beers, and though Da Bao visited the restroom a few tis, he showed no signs of being drunk.
Sitting in the cab, his mind was clearer than ever.
"Little brother, drunk?"
The taxi driver was quite uncomfortable with the sll of alcohol filling the car. Seeing the person behind him sitting as still as a statue, he assud Da Bao was drunk, just hoping he wouldn’t ss up the car.
"Uncle, I’m not drunk."
Da Bao’s voice was clear and bright, indeed showing no signs of drunkenness.
The driver breathed a slight sigh of relief. The roads were not busy at night, so he drove a bit faster. Over half an hour later, the car stopped in front of the wooden fence at Da Bao’s house.
Da Bao, clear-headed, paid the fare, got out of the car, and quietly pushed open the gate.
Dim yellow light shone through the French window, undoubtedly left on by his mom for him.
The night wind was strong, like icy blades cutting across Da Bao’s face, but after having drunk so much, he only felt warmth, completely unaware of the chill.
He walked slowly, silently counting his steps to himself, one, two, three, four...
It took him one hundred sixty steps to walk from the wooden fence to the first swing.
Grabbing onto the chain, he sat on the swing, leaning his head against the cold iron chain, rembering when Nuonuo was just learning to walk, and he followed her staggering little figure, helping her count, "one, two, three, four..."
At that ti, her legs were very short, and her steps very unsteady, falling down several tis in between. Every ti she fell, she would turn around and look at Da Bao, stretching out her hands and making a face like she was about to cry.
Seeing her fall back then, his heart ached quite a bit; after all, he was only a little over seven years old himself, still a child.
But despite the heartache, he never bent down to help her. He just kept encouraging her, "Nuonuo, be good, get up by yourself and keep walking..."
At first, Nuonuo would pout and ask for help, but seeing her Brother Da Bao ignore her, she even stopped asking in the end. Whenever she fell, she’d humph and slowly squat up, then brace herself on the ground, gradually standing up to resu her steps toward the swing.
Sixty-seven, sixty-eight, sixty-nine... Da Bao continued following behind her, loudly counting her steps.
Three hundred seventy-one, three hundred seventy-two, three hundred seventy-three...
Finally, the little short-legged girl made it from the wooden fence to the swing, taking a total of three hundred eighty steps.
Da Bao bent down to pick up the little girl, sweaty and panting from exhaustion, placed her on the swing, and gently pushed it.
The sound of her silver-bell-like laughter mingled with the rise and fall of the swing, spread across the courtyard. At that ti, with her own ability, she had walked step by step to the swing she dread of.
At just over seven years old, he already understood that what Nuonuo wanted, he could easily fulfill. He just needed to pick her up and run to the swing. In a matter of tens of seconds, she would be sitting on the swing she wanted.
But he chose to let her walk there step by step on her own. For an adult, three hundred eighty steps are just an extrely short journey.
But for that little short-legged girl, it took her a good ten minutes to finish walking that distance.
In between, she fell, cried, and got hurt, but he only watched from behind, never thinking of finishing for her this extrely short journey.
And she, from initially crying loudly to later not even bothering to shed any tears, got up to fight again after every fall.
Back then, he was very clear that even if he could give her everything, he couldn’t replace her growth!
So, back then, he hardened his heart to let her walk forward step by step through hardships, letting her use her own strength to reach where she wanted to be.
Why, now, at seventeen, has he forgotten this principle?
He likes her, from the past to the present, always has, only before it was a brother-sister kind of affection, but now it’s a romantic affection.
But regardless of the type of affection, he has no right to interfere with her growth, nor does he have the right to forcefully impose on her life directions before she can choose on her own!
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