Chapter 48: Heart Sealed, Love Locked

Mom, I'm sorry.

Shu Lingchen instantly understood that his mother didn't want to have an unpleasant argument with him, like in that stupid short drama.

The boy lowered his head again, feeling ashamed.

The next second, the sofa beside him sank slightly, and a plain white hand came to rest on his head, rubbing comfortingly.

No need to apologize.

Shu Shu said to him, 'Xiao Chen, teaching people is always hard to get them to learn, but teaching through experience, once or twice and they'll get it. I'm doing this not to laugh at you, but to tell you that as your mother, I can always back you up for the cost of your trial and error.'

Shu Lingchen dazedly lifted his head, looked at Shu Shu, and saw his mother's beautiful, languid peach-blossom eyes, their gaze holding the same gentle softness as in his memory.

She tilted her head: 'In other words, don't be afraid; from now on, I've got your back, got it?'

"……" Shu Lingchen felt a sour sting at the tip of his nose.

Why, upon hearing the neighbor aunt say yesterday that the Chu family owed no debt at all, did he choose to deceive himself and pretend not to know?

It was because his mother had left too early then, leaving him all alone.

A mere four-year-old's weak capacity to endure is obvious; at night he would often wake up crying from fear, but realizing his mother was gone, he knew no one could protect him anymore.

A large part of Shu Lingchen's blind trust in the Chu mother and daughter came from a severe lack of security; he feared loneliness and craved warmth.

Since Shu Shu returned, Shu Lingchen felt each day was like a dream, fearing that one day he'd suddenly wake up and the dream would vanish too; his heart constantly floated in unease, like a creature without a landing spot.

But now, before him, his mother's whole self was real, and the warmth from her palm was hot.

All of these told him his mother had truly returned.

From now on, he would no longer be alone.

A surge of pent-up grievance and longing, layered unknown how many, burst forth like a tide; the boy could no longer hold back, bending his neck, he rested his head on Shu Shu's shoulder, pressing into his mother's long-missed embrace, and began to choke back sobs.

Shu Shu let out a soft sigh, her heart turning to mush, and she raised her hand to pat her son's back of the head.

Just like when he was little and scared by thunder, crying in a babyish voice for his mother to protect him, she did the same, then said to him, 'Pat-pat hair, don't be scared.'

In the living room.

Shu Lingchen cried for a good while.

While crying, he suddenly heard Shu Shu's strange voice from above his head: 'Hey Shu Lingchen, I discovered your hair color looks great against my white hand.'

Shu Shu spread the back of her hand and placed it on Shu Lingchen's red-yellow-blue hair, showing it off in various ways.

"……"

Shu Lingchen really wanted to ask, 'Mom, are you polite?'

He was still crying sadly!

He straightened his back, left Shu Shu's shoulder, turned his head, and hurriedly wiped his tears with his sleeve; a second ago he had been sniffling, but now he began to feel embarrassed.

"Cough, that, Mom, let's discuss something..." After a while, he spoke awkwardly, his voice still carrying a trace of post-crying: 'Could you not tell anyone about what just happened? If it gets out, my reputation as a school bully will suffer.'

Before Shu Lingchen could finish speaking, he heard the 'click' of a camera shutter.

Turning his head, he saw Shu Shu aiming the camera at him.

!

"Mom, what are you doing!"

Shu Shu lowered her eyes to admire the new photo in the album, replying: 'Oh, I'm recording you crying.'

In the photo, the boy's freshly blown-dry short hair spiked up like a mini lion's mane; below the hair tips, his eye sockets were red, his cheeks wet and glistening, looking exactly like a rain-soaked little turkey.

He looked quite pitiable.

Shu Lingchen: '……'

Shu Shu asked: 'By the way, did you keep the camera I used before? It's full of your photos; I want to transfer them all to my phone.'

As a child, Shu Lingchen was an extremely handsome little shota, and also a little crybaby who would burst into tears at the drop of a hat; his pair of black eyes were as pure as glass beads soaked in water.

Most parents might find a child's crying annoying, but Shu Shu always took an interest, immediately snapping a photo and sighing while shooting: 'A baby crying is also so cute.'

Then little Shu Lingchen would cry even more sadly.

Back then he truly loved to cry: he'd cry if woken too early, cry if he ate something delicious too fast, cry if he couldn't poop.

Shu Shu bought a camera just to film him crying, recording many photos.

So, for the now-grown Shu Lingchen, those are completely his black history!

Absolutely! Yes! No! Can't! Hand! Over! Camera!

"No!" he denied firmly, his heart anxious, planning to wait until Shu Shu wasn't paying attention, then he would hide all of his mother's previous 'relics'!

"I don't remember having any camera; it must be gone!"

Hearing him say that, Shu Shu nodded: 'That's a pity.'

Shu Lingchen heaved a huge sigh of relief, feeling fortunate to have protected his 'purity'; being teased by Shu Shu dispelled much of his low spirits.

An Shi San Zhong.

That morning, during a certain break.

"Shu Sis." Bo Luo Zai crept over like a thief, looking at the listless Shu Lingchen slumped over his desk elsewhere, and asked Shu Shu: 'It's been two full days; Brother Chen has been like this for two full days—what's wrong, what happened?'

Shu Shu's pen didn't stop scratching out answers, she didn't lift her head, and replied: 'Oh, he's sealed his heart and locked love.'

"What?"

Bo Luo Zai froze, guessing: 'Could it be because of the rumor post on the Tieba about the Chu school belle and someone surnamed Shi, making Brother Chen jealous and unhappy?'

At noon.

Shu Shu and Pei Muyin went to eat together; Shu Lingchen, Bo Luo Zai, and a group of people went together.

After finishing their meal, they walked toward the classroom; passing the store, Shu Lingchen had his hands in his pockets and stared straight ahead.

Bo Luo Zai spoke up to remind him: 'Brother Chen, you've passed the store; today isn't your fixed weekly day to unconditionally give yogurt to the Chu school belle, right? Aren't you buying yogurt?'

Hearing that, Shu Lingchen's steps paused slightly.

But it was only a pause of less than half a second; he didn't turn his head: "I won't send it."

Bo Luo Zai and the people around stared at each other, looking as if something big had happened.

"Brother Chen." Bo Luo Zai took a few quick steps to catch up, angrily said to Shu Lingchen: "Brother Chen, you don't need to be sad because of that post; after school a few brothers will go block that surnamed Shi, make him stay away from the school beauty Chu, otherwise we'll make him look bad!"

Shu Lingchen stopped, looked over: "Zhao Heping."

"Ah?"

Bo Luo Zai was surprised; Brother Chen rarely called his full name so seriously, then he heard Shu Lingchen ask him: "Is your brain sick?"

"No sickness, my brain is fine." Bo Luo Zai scratched his head.

"..." Shu Lingchen was speechless for a second, drooping his eyelids, bluntly said: "I won't send yogurt."

The youth's voice calm: "From now on I won't send it again."

Having said that.

He then continued walking forward.