Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
âAfter a while, our grandmother insisted that Jiaojiao come back home to study. She said that Jiao jiao liked to draw. Perhaps I felt guilty, or perhaps I had already passed my rebellious stage, so 1 didnât stop her this time.
âShe returned to the city, but she didnât want to stay at home. She stayed at school and didnât come back even during the weekend. Even when Mom and Dad brought her back during the holidays, she hid in her room after dinner and didnât want to come out again.
âShe was quiet, as if she could only nod and shake her head like a robot. At that time, 1 only felt that it was strange. I wondered if she did it on purpose. Perhaps she was establishing a new persona for herself so that everyone would accept her better? After all, although she lived in the countryside all these years, it wasnât like she was starved or anythingâ¦â
Qi Shenbai pursed his lips tightly. His heart felt as if it had been cut open by a knife. It hurt so much.
At this moment, he wanted to just pull Xu Jiaojiao into his arms and comfort her, breaking her free from her painful past.
Xu Zhengyang took a deep breath. His eyes were already wet, and he did not know what to say. He opened his mouth several times, but no sound came out.
After more than ten seconds, he finally spoke again, âThat night, my father received a call from the dormitory warden at school. She told us that⦠Jiaojiao had attempted suicide by taking an entire bottle of sleeping pills. When she was found unconscious, the warden immediately called emergency services and sent her to the hospital to get her stomach pumped.
âFortunately, they found her in time and Jiaojiao was saved. However, the hospital gave us a diagnosis. It turned out that Jiaojiao was already severely depressed. She had received those sleeping pills from previous prescriptions, but instead of eating them, she had saved up a whole bottle bit by bit. Then she took them all at onceâ¦â
Xu Zhengyangâs voice trembled as he spoke. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Hot tears fell from the corners of his eyes.
âAfter she woke up, she didnât want to tell us anything. She was numb, like stone. Dad and Mom quickly hired the best psychiatrist for her, but her heart was completely sealed off, and the effect was minimal. She didnât even want to take antidepressants. Later, the psychiatrist sought me out specifically and said that my words back then had caused her a lot of psychological damage. Moreover, in schoolâ¦â
Xu Zhengyang did not want to continue speaking. He was not willing to expose his sisterâs scars in front of others.
âThere was nothing we could do. We just watched her eat and sleep every day. She was like a machine. She didnât even have the most basic emotions as a human. Even if we wanted to help her, we were helpless. She resisted us with her entire beingâ¦
âUntil that rainy night, when she ran back to us crying. She was drenched. She just held our hands tightly and told us that she wanted to live. She didnât want to die.â
Qi Shenbai could already roughly guess what happened after that.
After Xu Jiaojiao finally regained her will to live, her treatment quickly showed results. With her familyâs love and support, she finally recovered from her depression and became the sunny little girl she was now.
He had never thought that the little girl with that sweet smile had once swallowed an entire bottle of sleeping pills when she was alone that night. He could not imagine her running home one rainy night, wailing to her family that she wanted to live.
So that was what she meant when she casually mentioned her previous âsicknessâ.
She had healed the people around her, but no one had been able to heal her during those countless cold nights.
Qi Shenbaiâs breathing became heavy, and his heart throbbed in pain.
Xu Zhengyang heaved a sigh of relief and continued, âAfter that, she slowly recovered. After 1 found out how badly 1 had hurt her, I blamed myself. I swore that I would never hurt her again. I wanted to be the best brother in the world. No one could hurt her anymore. I wanted to treat her better than anyone in the world, better than any other man. That way, she would never leave me again.â
Xu Zhengyang muttered. Even though the cigarette butt had burned out and his fingers were scalded, he did not feel anything.
At this moment, he was no longer as arrogant as before. He had thrown away all his pride.
âQi Shenbai, now you know that Iâm not a good brother. I hurt Jiaojiao irrevocably. Now that Iâve seen how happy Jiaojiao is with you, Iâm relieved. 1 only have one request â Make sure sheâs happy forever, okay?â
Xu Zhengyangâs voice was extremely low, almost pleading.
Qi Shenbai finished the wine in his glass in one go. Then he grabbed Xu Zhengyangâs collar and punched him in the face.
His gaze was as dark as ink, and he was furious. For once, he actually swore.. âI donât need you to f*cking tell me that!â