Chapter 3163: Plum Tree Alley: Bitter Summer 03

Chenshu had been back in the country for ten days, and the handsome, quiet neighbor boy could already exchange a few words with him before he finally received a call from home, which was truly laughable.

However, Chenshu could still understand, after all that family was indeed chaotic.

On the phone, Chenshu heard his second sister break down in complaint: within the short three months after Old Master's passing, Dage had suffered a series of car accidents, which turned out to be the doing of the third brother; when he went to confront him, he found the third brother already half‑killed and turned into a vegetative state by their uncle, and Father flew into a rage, even suffering a heart attack……

Her voice trembled with tears, yet sounded like she was gritting her teeth: "You're such a pervert, the people in this family are even more perverts than you!"

Chenshu moved the phone a little farther away, his gaze cold yet his tone surprisingly gentle: "Your family's affairs are too chaotic; it's better not to tell me, lest I wake up laughing in the middle of the night."

That end suddenly went silent.

Chenshu waited two seconds, then heard his second sister's voice drop, weary pleading: "This is also your home; you really won't come back? As long as you fix that… flaw, Father and Dage will still accept you."

Chenshu gave a light laugh: "No need, homosexuality can't be changed. Speaking of which, Dage probably doesn't want me to go back anyway."

He truly couldn't understand why, after Dage learned he was gay, he could still feel a hint of fear amid his disgust. He neither wanted to commit incest with his half‑brother nor despise a man like Dage.

In the other hand hanging at his side, Chenshu held a whole bag of various‑flavored ice cream, strolling leisurely toward the building: "All right, miss, if you're really upset……"

Before he could finish speaking, Chenshu caught sight, out of the corner of his eye, of an ugly little bear placed beside the bushes downstairs, its body crawling with black lines in a haphazard pattern, its left arm twisted and attached, ugly in a rather distinctive way.

Chenshu stared at it for several seconds, then suddenly thought it matched the dingy old building. He squatted, lifted the bear by one ear with two fingers, and rain dripped down from its body.

"What's wrong?" his second sister asked over the phone.

"Nothing. I'm saying, if you're really upset, go see a psychologist to talk it out. Goodbye."

After hanging up, Chenshu held the bear in one hand and examined it closely, not sure which brat's handiwork it was; he took a photo and didn't intend to meddle further, but then noticed that the bear's ear had the same few holes as the neighbor boy's, a stud thrust through it, giving it a cool kind of ugliness.

"A coincidence?" Chenshu curled the corner of his mouth, shook the bear slightly, and turned to walk back into the building.

——

On Monday afternoon, Jin Xiumei went to the garment factory, Zhang Yue went to the remedial class, and only Jin Chen remained at home.

Since being fired from the supermarket, Jin Chen's life had lost its original order and needed to be rebuilt, but that wasn't easy, so he unusually took a nap.

When he woke again, Jin Chen uncomfortably drew his knees up to his abdomen, curled his body into a ball, closed his eyes and rested for a while before slowly sitting up.

The room was stuffy, the air sticky and damp, and Jin Chen felt his bones itch, as if something beneath his skin wanted to burst out.

So, it must still be raining outside.

Jin Chen thought that while immersed in the abundant moisture, his somewhat unfocused gaze fell on the doorway; after a while he slipped on his slippers, put on a thin long‑sleeved shirt, then pushed open the door and stepped onto the balcony.

Outside, indeed, a light rain was falling. The rain threads were fine, the air full of a damp, oppressive smell. Jin Chen stood at the doorway, slightly narrowed his eyes to adjust to the outside light, and his gaze suddenly locked.

On the clothesline, the empty clips swayed slightly in the wind, and the ugly bear was gone.

Jin Chen lowered his head to look below the balcony, saw nothing, and wondered if the wind had blown it away.

Jin Chen Jin Chen withdrew his body, his fingers unconsciously tugging at the hem of his shirt, his expression somewhat anxious, he had not yet prepared to throw away that ugly bear and must go retrieve it.

He thought he could go down quickly, glance at the bushes, check the ditch, and return if he didn't find it; if he hurried, he probably wouldn't run into anyone.

Jin Chen pushed the door open and went out.

The hallway light was dim; Jin Chen's black long‑sleeved shirt made his face and the bare bony wrists look especially pallid, his expression showing a hint of tension, his lips pressed together.

At this time of day, he would normally avoid appearing in the building no matter what.

As expected, as soon as he reached the second floor, Jin Chen heard that familiar bark.

"Woof woof woof! Woof woof woof!"

The Teddy that Jin Chen dreaded meeting dashed out from the second‑floor hallway, barking furiously at him; its shrill, fine voice made his temples throb.

He stood on the platform and halted his steps.

The dog didn't dare to lunge, but it blocked the stairway, so Jin Chen couldn't pass and could only stand there waiting for it to leave or for Song Nainai to come and take it away.

Jin Chen's dark eyes were lowered, handsome yet gloomy, revealing a hint of anxiety.

So noisy.

Noisy noisy noisy noisy noisy.

After a while, Song Nainai slowly came out of the house, saw Jin Chen standing at the stairway and jumped in fright, then put on a stern face: "Oh dear, it's you again, this eyesore! Why are you back? Watch out, I'll let Jin Jin bite you!"

"Get out, get out!" Feng Nainai walked downstairs holding the dog, and as she passed Jin Chen she turned her body slightly, as if disgusted.

Jin Chen's voice was low, tinged with gloom: "You're not leashing it again."

He felt helpless toward people who always ignore the rules; his head was already not very clear, and the dog's barking only made him begin to ache faintly.

Song Nainai was furious, shouting at him: "Mind your own business! Whether I leash the dog or not is none of your concern! Just take care of your own madness! You wander the halls like a ghost all day, scaring people—you ought to pay for it!"

Jin Chen didn't argue further; his chest felt a bit stuffy, his breathing uneven, he hurried through the first‑floor lobby, pushed open the squeaky iron door, and stepped out into the alley.

Only when he could no longer hear the dog's barking did Jin Chen stop, lean against the wall, close his eyes, and rest for a moment.

Jin Chen began searching downstairs.

The alley's ground was damp, with many puddles; the roadside drainage ditch carried murky wastewater, giving off a faint fishy odor.

Jin Chen walked a circuit along the flowerbeds and drainage ditch below the building, checking the edges of the ditch and even crouching to look under the flowerbeds, but found nothing.

He stood at the edge of the ditch, staring at the murky water, hesitated for a few seconds, and had no thought of reaching in to scoop it out.

Jin Chen's expression grew solemn; if he fell into the ditch, he would still have to give up.

"Hey, young man—" a cheerful shout came from the third floor.

Hearing the voice from above, Jin Chen's spine stiffened slightly.

He recognized it as Chenshu and didn't want to look up.

But if he didn't give a response, Chenshu might shout even louder, and everyone in the alley would hear.

Jin Chen could only raise his head reluctantly, slowly.

On the third‑floor balcony, Chenshu leaned on the rail, holding the bear by one arm, swaying it, and his voice drifted down: "Hey, young man! Are you looking for this? It really is yours—come to my place to get it."

Jin Chen pressed his lips, feeling vexed, his face showing no expression; he didn't want to go to Chenshu's home, but he wanted that ugly bear.

He tilted his head up to look at the little bear, seeing it being held aloft on the third floor and swayed back and forth, his heart torn.

Looking down at him from above, Chenshu thought he was quite obedient and felt a mischievous urge; he loosened his grip a little and said, "Or should I just drop it? Catch it again?"

Jin Chen's pupils contracted slightly, he walked toward the building, to show that he did not want Chenshu to throw the ugly bear down.

It had been less than an hour since he woke up at noon, Jin Chen's mood was terrible to the extreme, everything around was noisy, making his head buzz, some sensory overload.

When going upstairs, Jin Chen habitually pressed on the ear stud that had just been pierced in his left ear less than half a month ago, pressing hard into it, feeling a sharp sting, his tense brows and eyes relaxed for a few seconds.