Chapter 833

The wealthy neighborhood was quiet and peaceful at night; the sound of footsteps returning home felt perfectly natural here, for every affluent and serene resident longed for the embrace of home.

The mailbox, engraved with cursive English words, clattered in the wind; its door bore the name Wei En, and a hand pressed down on the swinging latch, lifting it into place.

Bruce pushed open the manor's gate and, seeing the warm glow seeping through the windows, felt a flicker of comfort.

He had barely stepped into the manor's foyer when a figure lunged at him; Bruce instinctively opened his arms and caught Elsa, while Alfred, following behind, cleared his throat.

Bruce set Elsa before him and said sternly, "Don't jump on people…"

"Dad! Dad!" Elsa cried twice, then wriggled off his lap and ran to Alfred, shaking her head; Alfred picked her up, and she said, "Dad! No smell! No alcohol!"

Bruce shook his head; Alfred smiled at him and said, "Master, have you finished your homework?"

Bruce walked toward the sofa as he replied, "Yes, I've submitted part of it."

"I heard from Mrs. Bird next door that this year's competition for top graduates at Gotham University is fierce—do you have a chance, Master?"

Bruce glanced around the foyer, then looked at Alfred and asked, "Where's Dick? Shouldn't he be home tonight?"

"He's playing in the backyard. Shall I call him over?"

"No need." Bruce stood again. "I'll go see him myself."

Bruce passed through the foyer and down the corridor to the back garden, where he found not only Dick but also Selina.

On the lawn, Selina was playing with a gymnastic hoop—a device consisting of two parallel rings connected by a rigid frame.

Selina gripped the two iron rings, spinning them while performing acrobatic maneuvers inside: "Watch me! I'll teach you the Nine Rings! First, like this—see? Place both arms on the rings, then use momentum to thrust your upper body forward—roll—"

Selina surged forward with fluid motion, rolling headfirst; she swung her hands around the rings once, then landed steadily atop them.

Bruce felt his blood pressure spike—*thump*.

But to his surprise, Dick actually tried it—he leapt onto the rings, gripping both sides and said, "How's it done? Hmm… thrust the upper body forward… oh, damn!"

Dick swung forward, lost his balance, and tumbled off; the rings crashed onto him, eliciting a cry of pain. Bruce hurried over and lifted the rings off him.

Dick scrambled to his feet, rubbing his waist; seeing Bruce, he stepped back nervously and said, "Oh, Mr. Wayne, sorry—I shouldn't be playing with this here. It'll ruin the lawn…"

"What's the worry? He's a rich man—just fix the lawn if it's damaged." Selina shrugged indifferently, trying to push the rings away from Bruce; he gripped them tightly, staring at her. Selina looked innocent. "What? Isn't that true? You actually care about the lawn?"

"Don't you have any safety measures?" Bruce asked. "And you're using equipment without any training?"

Selina gave an exasperated look, waving her hand. "Mr. Wayne, can't you find something else to worry about? We're just playing, stretching our bodies…"

"Besides, Dick and I both trained in gymnastics. You think this is hard? I guarantee he'll be better than me in under ten minutes—you're underestimating him!"

"I'm not forbidding gymnastics—but at least use safety gear. If this hits your spine, you could be paralyzed."

Selina rolled her eyes, grimaced, and said, "You're such a worrywart."

"Sorry, Mr. Wayne, I'll go back to studying." Dick turned to leave, but Bruce paused at his tone.

Dick's first reaction to this wasn't to answer, but to glance at Bruce's face; seeing this gesture, Bruce frowned, certain psychological terms and explanations surfacing in his mind.

Dick's first reaction wasn't to answer—he glanced at Bruce's face. Seeing this, Bruce frowned; certain psychological terms and explanations surfaced in his mind.

Having written his paper until his head spun, he'd absorbed things he hadn't deliberately memorized; now, faced with a relevant situation, they instantly rose to the surface.

"Selina, show it again. Dick, come here." Bruce pointed to the rings. "If you're going to use this, always warm up properly—and have a third person nearby. Otherwise, if your spine breaks, no one will carry you to the hospital."

Dick nodded. Selina swung the rings again, but this time, Dick's arms trembled as he climbed on; his technique was worse than before, and he fell straight down.

Bruce softened his expression as much as he could, but Dick still shook his head where he stood. "I must be out of strength—I'll go back."

"No, Dick—you trained in gymnastics before. I think you should try again." Bruce spoke. Dick's eyes widened in surprise. Bruce continued: "I don't oppose dance or gymnastics. Joining the choir is fine. If you finish your homework, you can play with the equipment—but always prioritize safety."

Selina beamed, pressing against Bruce's arm. "What about me? Can you build a gymnastics room in the manor? I've wanted to use the uneven bars for ages!"

Bruce looked at Dick. "Do you want to? Or do you want to become a gymnast? A circus performer? A dancer?"

Bruce looked down at Selina and said, "Go find Alfred, pick out the gymnastics equipment you like, have it customized and sent over; the warehouses beside here haven't been used in a long time—you can turn them into a playground or a gym."

Bruce bent down to Selina. "Go find Alfred. Pick the equipment you like. Have it custom-made and delivered. Those storage rooms beside the garden haven't been used in years—you can turn them into a playground or a gym."

Selina cheered and ran off to find Alfred. Only Bruce and Dick remained on the lawn. Bruce gripped the rings. "Do you remember what you asked me when you begged me to take you in?"

Dick lowered his head and nodded. "I just wanted to learn skills. I didn't want the Grayson family to keep declining. I wanted to uncover my grandfather's case…"

Dick took a deep breath. "My grades are good, so I…"

"Want to try this again?" Bruce pushed the rings slightly. "I'll hold you steady—you'll find it easier to generate force."

Dick shook his head. "No. I haven't done circus work in a long time. My limbs are stiff. I'll probably fall anyway."

"No, I just… " Dick paused again. "Don't you think it's embarrassing? Falling on the ground, getting hit by the rings, covered in mud, and making Alfred wash my clothes…"

"No. I just…" Dick paused again. "Won't it be embarrassing? Falling on the ground, getting crushed by the rings, covered in dirt, making Alfred wash my clothes…"

"I've always known I couldn't do this here. I couldn't tell my classmates I trained in gymnastics. When my ballet teacher praised my flexibility, I could only smile—I couldn't let them know I was from the circus. Or they'd laugh at me…"

Bruce saw another mask on Dick's face. Perhaps, when he didn't care about Dick's school life, Dick had worn this mask to blend in—for comfort.

Masks aren't formed in a day or by one person. When a person craves love from society, they willingly put on masks.

To remove them, there are only two ways: either realize society won't give you love—or someone else gives you enough love.

"Come on, Dick. If your limbs feel stiff, warm up first. Try again. I'll hold the rings—you won't fall."

Bruce moved to the other side of the rings. "If you want to learn from me, you can't fear falling."

"Tonight I'm going out. If you want to come with me, you'll have to jump from a great height, then swing up with a grappling hook. If you're afraid of heights, you won't be able to fly."

Dick stared at Bruce, his eyes brightening. "You'll take me out? Like Batman? Swinging between alleys and skyscrapers? Really?"

"Only if you finish your homework." Bruce shrugged. "But I think that won't be hard for you. If you've already finished, play with the equipment for a while, then come with me to the basement—I'll teach you how to use the grappling hook."

Dick's face lit up with delight; he gripped the rings. "Really? Can I really become Batman's assistant? Go fight crime with you?"

"I…" Bruce paused, then said, "Yes. That's right. I need your help—tonight."

Dick began stretching for the first time in a long while. As he warmed up, Bruce noticed his flexibility was astonishing—standing forward bends, splits, and high kicks came effortlessly; his balance and suppleness were flawless.

Mounted on the rings, Dick took a deep breath, his fingers twitched on the bars, his waist surged forward, and he rolled out in a perfect somersault, landing back in place.

Bruce raised an eyebrow. Selina hadn't lied—Dick possessed extraordinary balance and muscle memory. In short, he was a natural athlete.

Dick, thrilled by his first success, quickly composed himself and cleared his throat with false solemnity. "Not bad, right? I was probably just short on warm-up…"

"Can you try something harder?" Bruce asked. "Like what Selina just did?"

【62】 Dick bounced on his toes. "I think so—but… but you have to hold me. I'm afraid I'll fall…"

【63】 Bruce fell silent, then whispered, "I'll hold you… don't be afraid."