Youth: You’re my Redemption
Chapter 6: No One is You (2)
“What do we do, they won’t separate?”
“How can they be inseparable?”
“Their hands are holding on too tightly, I’m afraid of hurting them…”
“The rain is so heavy, we can’t just leave them out here, let’s bring them in together.”
“Where should we take them?”
“…”
Qin Lou drifted on the edge of consciousness, his mind oscillating between awakening and sleep. Several times, fragmented and distorted images passed by like overexposed negatives, accompanied by the chaotic and tormenting sound of metal pieces scraping against glass.
He felt irritated, wanting to cover his ears, but he felt something holding his hand tightly, very tightly—his body cold, with only a slight warmth in the palm of his hand.
Qin Lou couldn’t bear to let go.
After all, he was accustomed to pain, numb to it over time. It didn’t matter how uncomfortable he felt—if he could hold onto that warmth for just one more second in his dreams.
Amidst the pain so cold it tightened his heart and made him shiver, Qin Lou once again sank into darkness.
The only difference this time was that he held onto the warmth in his palm tightly, like grasping the only straw left in his life. In the darkness, he finally had something to anchor him, no longer just falling into the nightmare hell echoing with devilish laughter…
After who knows how long, Qin Lou’s consciousness slowly returned.
The first sensation that surged was a burning heat, starkly contrasting with the previous coldness. His whole body was scorching hot, his throat felt like it was about to crack and smoke, and his head was heavy as if filled with lead.
But it wasn’t unfamiliar.
Qin Lou was even accustomed to it: despite having better physical resilience than his peers, without exception, he would fall seriously ill after every thunderstorm night.
Physical illness was also a mental affliction.
For the former, the Qin family provided the most expensive medicines and the best doctors to treat his fever and heat; for the latter, there was no cure needed or available.
No one cared about the scars and past of the Mad Young Master of the Qin family; leaving him to fester alone was sufficient. They just wanted to keep him as far away as possible.
Who called him a madman?
No one could be blamed.
The young man on the large bed let out an emotionless chuckle and slowly sat up. The room’s blackout curtains were tightly drawn, blocking out all light, leaving him in pitch darkness—his least favorite environment. But at least it was quiet.
According to routine, the household servants should have already…
The young man’s figure suddenly stiffened.
A few seconds later, he hesitantly clenched his left hand again—feeling something soft, small, delicate fingers that he could distinctly touch in his palm.
Qin Lou was certain it wasn’t his right hand.
Especially since “it” moved.
The palm of his hand was gently scratched by slender little fingers, their ticklish touch sending a sensation through his body.
So, in this vast and usually solitary room where only he ever woke up, there was now another person.
And judging by the size of this hand and the fact that its owner had clearly awakened without making a sound…
“Little Clam?”
“…”
The small hand began to struggle to break free from his grasp.
He silently chuckled, a genuine pleasure in his voice as he tightly held onto the tiny hand, allowing no room for further resistance.
“Doll.” He regretted that his Little Clam didn’t like that name, so he “generously” compromised for the time being, reverting back, “How did you end up here?”
The air was quiet, and Qin Lou hadn’t expected to hear an answer.
But he heard it—
“Last night, in the courtyard, I was…” The girl’s voice was slow, tinged with bitterness.
“…”
The young man’s smile faded, his voice lowering.
“And yet you dare to come back? Aren’t you afraid that next time I lose control, I’ll hit you too?”
In the darkness, the girl shook her head lightly.
The young man scoffed, “Don’t shake your head, I can’t see.”
Song Shu fell silent, then spoke softly, “I know you won’t hit anyone. Even though you knocked those barrels over, you were just trying to save yourself.”
The young man’s smile froze.
Once again, the darkness settled into silence.
Several seconds passed before Qin Lou snapped out of it.
He deliberately lowered his voice, making it sound particularly menacing, “Who said I wouldn’t hit anyone? Next time, you better stay far away. Haven’t you seen what others do?”
Perhaps forgetting that he still held the girl’s hand tightly, his threat sounded even more intimidating.
The girl didn’t expose him but remained quiet, eyes cast downward. “Next time, I’ll still be here.”
Despite this, Qin Lou felt a blush of embarrassment, feeling like he had been found out. He forced a tough laugh, “Who asked you to be here? What can you do here?”
“…”
The girl fell silent.
Qin Lou suspected she might reconsider, so he beat her to it, “You… You’re my doll, and indeed you should be here.”
To emphasize his determination, he squeezed the doll’s hand even tighter.
Song Shu nodded.
The young man said, “Don’t nod, it’s too dark to see.”
But this time, the girl didn’t fall for it again.
She didn’t speak, and the young man felt a bit regretful.
He thought that if he could open his Little Clam every day and hear her say a few words to himself, he would definitely be happier every day.
~
Neither of them had expected that the promised “next time” would come so soon.
After that thunderstorm, the sky remained overcast for two days, and the sun refused to show itself. Qin Lou’s fever recurred several times, finally subsiding reluctantly by the evening of this day.
The distant rumble of thunder returned not long after.
Song Shu caught a slight cold after getting wet in the rain, feeling a bit drowsy after taking medicine. But the muffled thunder outside immediately woke her up. This chapter was taken from novelping(.)com without permission.
Coughing softly, the girl ran out of her room.
In the hallway, she coincidentally met one of the mansion’s servants.
“Here we go again. Will this rain ever stop?”
“I wish it wouldn’t thunder. Whenever it does, he’s sure to stir up trouble.”
“He’s had a high fever these past few days, too weak to do anything.”
“That little madman, who can predict what he’ll do? Anyway, let’s keep our distance from him these days!”
“Good point. He’s still in a stupor now. Let’s hurry and take his medicine to him and then head downstairs.”
“Okay.”
The two figures moved away.
Behind them, the girl’s expressionless face looked somewhat pale under the hallway lights, her lips pursed slightly.
Song Shu was usually slow to react emotionally, in all aspects. However, combined with the emotional build-up from that night, this was the first time she felt such anger about something.
She clenched her fists and then hurried down the corridor towards Qin Lou’s room.
When she reached the door, it was slightly ajar.
Inside, it was pitch black.
Song Shu pushed the door open. By the light from the hallway behind her, she saw the medicine and water that had been delivered placed in the corner of the room— even the servant who brought the medicine didn’t dare to enter the room.
As if there was some kind of devouring demon inside.
Song Shu stepped into the room.
The light from behind her fell on the floor and the bed, casting distorted squares of light and shadow.
Distant thunder rumbled outside the window.
From beneath the dark covers, the boy’s voice was hoarse, “Close the door!”
Song Shu shut the door behind her.
“Qin Lou.”
The girl’s hand wriggled out from his grasp, as if she wanted to leave—Qin Lou snapped out of his daze and instinctively reached out into the darkness to pull back his only warmth—then his ears were gently covered.
The bed beneath him sank, and the girl knelt by the bedside, covering his ears and pulling him into her embrace.
Qin Lou was stunned.
The girl with soft, slightly curled long hair that approached had a faint floral scent.
Which one? Rose, daisy, jasmine, or violet… Qin Lou couldn’t tell, but it smelled good. It made him feel very peaceful.
His sanity, which had almost been torn apart and swallowed up, slowly returned.
Before the thunder sounded again, he heard the girl’s heartbeat close by. The hard spikes of the hedgehog, the pus-filled scars, and the calloused heart were all covered by those small hands, slowly becoming soft.
The voices that almost drove him crazy began to fade away.
Only her heartbeat became clearer and clearer.
The demon with hoarse laughter, who emerged from the hell of his memory, was blocked by his doll outside the door.
She said.
“I’m here.”
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