This Mind-Reading Technique Is Useless. - Chapter 16
Chapter 16: Soft-hearted people seem to like it even more.
“I’m awake.” He wasn’t particularly awake to begin with, but with him so close, he felt more awake than someone with medicated oil smeared under his nose.
Fu Huan retreated to a safe social distance between them: “I bought breakfast, you should eat some first.”
Gu Shiying deliberately politely replied: “Well, it seems I’m bothering you again.”
Fu Huan stared at him with a slightly sullen look: “You’re my roommate. There’s no need to be so polite to me, Gu Shiying. You’re being so distant.”
Gu Shiying sensed a hint of anger in him and smiled at him. He was thinking that this distant feeling was exactly what he wanted, otherwise he didn’t know if Fu Huan would push him further. He had even considered praying for him to become gay, so he had to take this seriously.
After breakfast, Gu Shiying finished the remaining IV drip. Afterward, he was basically fine. As long as he followed the doctor’s instructions, there wouldn’t be any problems. After all, he was young and had a strong recovery ability.
Gu Shiying asked his squad leader for a day off and even asked the doctor for a sick leave certificate.
Before leaving the hospital, Gu Shiying went to the restroom, while Fu Huan waited for him in the lobby.
After waiting for a long time, Gu Shiying showed up, no sign of him. Fu Huan, worried that his diarrhea hadn’t subsided, was about to look for someone when he saw him walking towards him, holding the hand of a four or five-year-old child in hospital gown.
Fu Huan’s gaze fell on Gu Shiying’s hand, holding the child’s. “Whose child is this?”
Gu Shiying himself was troubled. “When I came out, he suddenly rushed up to me and held my hand tightly. He wouldn’t say anything, and his expression was blank.” He was probably a child with some minor mental problems.
Fu Huan: “Then take him to the front desk. He must have run away from the ward.”
Gu Shiying: “Yes.”
Although Gu Shiying agreed with Fu Huan’s decision, he didn’t let go because the child had been conveying these sentiments to him while holding his hand, and it was heartbreaking to hear them.
[Mom.]
[Mom.]
[Mom.]
Gu Shiying dreaded this kind of emotional outburst, but he didn’t want to upset the child. He squatted in front of the child and asked, “Do you want to hold this brother’s hand?”
The child strained to look up at the other brother. When Gu Shiying thought the child might have to lean back to see Fu Huan clearly, Fu Huan squatted down in front of the child.
He didn’t show any dissatisfaction, but his expression was so indifferent that it was hard to tell what emotion he was feeling.
Fu Huan glanced at Gu Shiying and said, “I’ll carry you to the front desk to find someone.”
Gu Shiying came out of the bathroom and looked at the map. “The service desk is at the main entrance.”
The emergency room and routine outpatient clinic were separate. The place where Gu Shiying had received an IV drip last night was close to the routine outpatient clinic entrance, making it easy to get a taxi. They had originally intended to leave through this door, but unexpectedly, a child suddenly appeared and abruptly stopped Gu Shiying on his way back to school.
The child was also well-behaved, silent, his large, rolling eyes staring at them. His skin was incredibly pale, and in Fu Huan’s arms, he seemed even smaller, lighter than the basketball he usually held.
The two of them took the child to the information desk, where volunteers said they would help find the child’s parents.
But when Fu Huan was about to hand the child over to the volunteers, the child clung to his neck, extremely reluctant. His mouth pouting, his eyes reddening, tears streaming from his large eyes.
Fu Huan could have easily forcefully handed the child to the volunteer, but he looked at Gu Shiying and said, “He doesn’t want to.”
Gu Shiying, feeling soft-hearted and rarely seeing the child cry, compromised, “How about we stay here and accompany him to find his parents? I’m off today anyway.”
The volunteer, seeing the child remained silent despite all their attempts to coax him, assumed he was disabled: “Then, please, two brothers, stay with him for a while. We’ll broadcast a call for help and have security check the surveillance footage. If they can’t find him, we’ll call the police.”
The hospital had a professional security team, so Gu Shiying and Fu Huan only had to wait.
The volunteer led the three of them to the lounge, where there was water. Gu Shiying poured the child a glass of warm water.
Knowing the two brothers would be there for him, the child stopped clinging to Fu Huan and happily sat in a chair, but he remained silent.
Fu Huan: “Can’t talk or just don’t want to talk?”
Gu Shiying: “Maybe something happened at home? Little one, are you waiting for Mom?”
As soon as the word “Mom” came out, the child finally showed some emotion beyond reluctance to be separated from them, but he still didn’t speak.
Fu Huan: “He reacts to the word ‘Mom’.”
Gu Shiying: “He doesn’t look seriously ill. He’s delicate and well-cared for at home.”
Fu Huan: “We’ll know when his parents come.”
They had just explained to the volunteers where the child was found, and they could track him down using the surveillance footage. The hospital’s surveillance cameras are ubiquitous, and the security office located the child’s department and his parents in less than half an hour.
While waiting, Fu Huan even took the child to the restroom.
The two of them waited quietly, and Gu Shiying even took the time to text Zhang Zhi, telling him about his late-night hospital visit with acute gastroenteritis.
Zhang Zhi: “You’re being too naive. We’re all fine, and you’re the only one who went straight to the hospital.”
Gu Shiying nodded vigorously inwardly: “I’m wondering if I should find time to go and pray.”
Zhang Zhi: Sure, let’s go next weekend. I’m going to pray for a good marriage!
Gu Shiying: Do you know which temple I can go to to pray for a good relationship?
Zhang Zhi: What? Did that person who’s secretly in love with you attack you? Did she do something heinous?
Gu Shiying glanced up at Fu Huan. This was far more terrifying than even the most horrible thing. In reality, Fu Huan hadn’t done anything inappropriate to him. She’d even helped him time and time again. If it weren’t for this sudden supernatural power of mind reading, he wouldn’t have known Fu Huan’s secret thoughts about him until graduation. They were so secretive that it was horrifying.
Gu Shiying: It’s a little worse than attacking me.
Zhang Zhi: How bad is it?
Gu Shiying: So upsetting.
Zhang Zhi: How disgusting is that person? It seems he has bad character.
Gu Shiying: Not really. Anyway, I’m just upset and really want to get rid of him as soon as possible.
Zhang Zhi didn’t even notice that Gu Shiying said “he,” just thinking it was a typo.
Zhang Zhi: Why don’t you actually find a girlfriend and keep hanging around her?
Gu Shiying: But I don’t have any girls I like.
Zhang Zhi: There are so many beautiful girls in our school, are you really not interested in any of them? Didn’t any of your high school classmates have a crush on you?
Gu Shiying thought about it carefully. His high school life wasn’t exactly ordinary, but his interactions with female classmates were certainly dull. There were girls who confessed their feelings to him, but he didn’t feel any attraction to them, and he himself had never been attracted to any girls.
Zhang Zhi, seeing that he was slow to respond, said again: If girls aren’t okay, then find a boy!
Gu Shiying had a heart attack when he saw this bad idea. Just then, a volunteer came to take a break and look for them, and the child’s parents arrived.
The arrival was a white-haired grandmother, probably in her sixties. This was completely different from what Gu Shiying had imagined; he’d thought it would be the child’s father or mother.
The elderly woman thanked them profusely.
The grandmother said, “Thank you for helping me find my child.”
Gu Shiying: “You’re welcome.”
Fu Huan lifted the child from the chair and placed him in front of the grandmother.
The grandmother took the child’s hand and said, “Guoguo, say thank you to your brothers.”
The child’s name was Guoguo.
This time, Guoguo looked up at his two brothers, his eyes genuinely expressing his gratitude.
The grandmother sighed, “Thank you so much for taking up your time.”
“It’s okay, it wasn’t a big deal. I’m glad you’re okay, Guoguo. Goodbye, Guoguo.” Gu Shiying knelt down and waved to Guoguo.
But as the grandmother was about to turn with Guoguo, he suddenly remembered Guoguo’s most pressing concern.
“By the way, Grandma, does Guoguo miss Mom? He reacted when we mentioned her.”
In fact, after spending half an hour together, I also felt that Guoguo had a little problem.
Grandma’s grateful expression paused slightly. She just looked at Guoguo, sighed, and left without saying anything.
Before leaving, Guoguo looked back at Gu Shiying and Fu Huan.
Gu Shiying pursed his lips. Grandma’s silence said it all; every family has its own problems.
Seeing that Gu Shiying didn’t move, Fu Huan patted his shoulder and said, “Let’s go.”
Gu Shiying: “Okay.”
As they left the lounge, they had to pass by the front desk, where two volunteers were quietly chatting about Guoguo’s family.
“I remember that child being quite pitiful. The car accident was so severe that he lost both his parents overnight. His father was already dead when he arrived. His mother tried to save him for an hour, but he eventually passed away. He was covered in bl00d, and I heard his mother protected him, so he only had minor scratches. Perhaps because of the severity of the accident and seeing his parents die before his eyes, the child has become withdrawn and hasn’t spoken since.”
“Yes, it’s truly pitiful. His grandmother was elderly, living on a meager pension, and in poor health.”
The two sighed over the tragic fate of others, but work quickly forgot about the incident, turning it into gossip that reached others.
Gu Shiying paused. Fu Huan stared at him intently, noticing his changing moods but not interrupting his thoughts. As they left the hospital, Gu Shiying suddenly said, “I want to buy some toys for Guoguo. Are you coming?”
Fu Huan nodded and agreed, “Sure.”
While they were waiting for Guoguo’s parents to arrive, they had already found out which ward Guoguo would be staying in.
There was a nice mall near the hospital. Gu Shiying didn’t know what Guoguo would like, so considering his age, he bought him some educational toys: puzzles, Transformers, and even the excavator, a favorite among children these days.
Fu Huan paid before he did.
Gu Shiying didn’t want to take advantage of him: “We’ll split it in half.”
Knowing his character, Fu Huan said, “Okay.”
The two returned to the hospital with the toys and found Guoguo’s ward.
Thankfully, they arrived just in time. Grandma was changing Guoguo’s clothes; they were preparing to be discharged today.
Gu Shiying walked over, carrying the toys: “Guoguo, brother’s here again!”
Guoguo’s eyes changed, a hint of brightness.
Grandma Lin: “Why are you here?”
Gu Shiying: “We feel like we have a connection with Guoguo, so we bought him some toys.”
Grandma Lin: “How could we be so embarrassed?”
Gu Shiying: “Are you guys about to be discharged?”
Grandma Lin: “Yes, I was just going through the discharge paperwork. I wasn’t paying attention, and Guoguo ran out. Luckily, we ran into you.”
Fu Huan: “We drove here, so we can give you a ride home.”
Grandma Lin: “But we live quite far away.”
Gu Shiying: “Then how are you going to get home?”
Grandma Lin: “Just take the bus.”
Fu Huan: “No problem, I’ll take you.”
Grandma Lin didn’t refuse.
The two of them carried the toys back to the car. Fu Huan held Guoguo in one hand and the toys in the other.
Gu Shiying snatched the toys away: “Let me do it.”
Fu Huan didn’t try to grab them back, but instead used his other hand to help Grandma Lin carry the packed groceries.
Gu Shiying: “…” Apparently, she hadn’t tried to argue with him.
Grandma Lin was so moved she was speechless: “You guys are so… Oh, such a bother.”
After getting in the car, Gu Shiying sat in the back seat with Grandma Lin and Guoguo.
Fu Huan asked him, “How about I take you back to school to rest while I take them home?”
Gu Shiying: “I’m fine. No, I’ll just take them home.”
Fu Huan knew Gu Shiying had made a decision and wouldn’t change it, so he didn’t bring it up again.
All the way, Gu Shiying chatted with Grandma Lin. Grandma Lin didn’t complain, but instead told them a lot about Guoguo’s fun past.
The lively and cheerful Guoguo of the past, now withdrawn due to a car accident, and Grandma Lin’s smile as she reminisced was even more heartbreaking than her complaints about her suffering.
Grandma Lin and Guoguo didn’t live close to each other. Driving there outside of rush hour would take half an hour, and taking the bus would take at least an hour.
They helped the two carry their belongings into a 60-70 square meter bungalow. Grandma Lin wanted to keep them for tea, but Gu Shiying and Fu Huan left, saying they had classes in the afternoon.
On the way home, exhausted from last night’s discomfort, he fell asleep in the passenger seat shortly after getting in.
Fu Huan slowed down, stopping at a traffic light, and glanced sideways at Gu Shiying.
Gu Shiying was fast asleep, his hand slumping from the seatbelt. Seeing this, Fu Huan took his hand and gently placed it on his thigh to avoid waking him.
[Although he’s a clumsy and softhearted person, he’s very cute, and I seem to like him even more.]
What Fu Huan didn’t know was that when he lowered his head to shake Gu Shiying’s hand, her eyelids fluttered slightly.
Author’s Note:
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Fu Huan: [Dog-headed rose] Wife, stick with me, rub me.
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100 random red envelopes for rub me~