They drove all the way back home. During the journey, Shen Muchuan hardly spoke, only speaking up when it was necessary to remind him.
“Did you take the medicine prescribed by the doctor today?”
2333 also reminded, “Dear host, please remember to take your medication every day. After all, once our bodies are damaged, we can’t exchange them, and we are going to stay in this world for a long time.”
The system’s implication was for Chu Yan to be more careful. If he needed to take medication, he should take it regularly. If treatment was required, he should cooperate with it. Since his vision was impaired, he shouldn’t wander on the road too often, avoiding unnecessary trouble with the police. Otherwise, if a real accident happened, it would indeed be troublesome.
Qiao Yue nodded.
Shen Muchuan looked at him, half in doubt, and asked, “Where did you put them?”
Qiao Yue hesitated for a while and didn’t answer. Shen Muchuan realized that he might not remember where he put them himself. He searched around the living room but couldn’t find them, so he sighed and had to return to his bedroom to look for them.
The bedroom had the most complete furniture. They had discussed whether to clear out the extra furniture, but Qiao Yue had firmly refused, with an almost stubborn attitude.
So, nothing had been moved here. Shen Muchuan touched the bedside and table, then opened the drawer of the bedside table, and one by one, he found the medicines according to the names he remembered.
However, there was one bottle that he still couldn’t find.
Shen Muchuan crouched down by the bed, searched again, and finally found a small white medicine bottle at the foot of the bed.
As he picked up the medicine bottle, just as he was about to get up, he caught sight of a box under the bed.
Shen Muchuan’s brow suddenly jumped, and he placed the medicine bottle back in the drawer. Almost uncontrollably, on impulse, he reached out and pulled the cardboard box out from under the bed.
The box was quite large and heavy.
What exactly was in this box that made his brother move with it?
Shen Muchuan’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. It was not so much curiosity as a near-desperate hope.
Although the cardboard box was stored under the bed, its surface was almost dust-free, indicating that it hadn’t been sitting there untouched for a long time.
Shen Muchuan opened the box, and before he could even move his hand away, his gaze was immediately captivated by what was inside the box, causing his very being to tremble with shock.
Inside the box, apart from a few small boxes on top, it was filled neatly and meticulously with letters.
When the number of letters accumulated to a certain amount, the visual impact was undoubtedly tremendous. Shen Muchuan casually picked up one of the letters, only to find that it was addressed to himself. Not just this one, but all the letters in the box had the same recipient.
Furthermore, none of these letters had ever been sent, as they lacked postage stamps and postmarks on the envelopes.
Shen Muchuan’s hands trembled, and he breathed heavily. Inside, there was a voice urging him to open the letters, louder than the beating of his heart. However, his blood seemed to freeze, and he couldn’t move. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Shen Muchuan slowly opened the first letter.
What met his eyes was handwriting so familiar that it made his eyes sting.
“Muchuan, five years have passed, and it still feels like a dream. Perhaps it’s by some stroke of luck that I can actually see you again before losing my sight completely. You appear taller than five years ago, more composed. However, you’ve stopped smiling, become more silent…
During these days that I’ve spent with you, I can hardly recall seeing you smile.
Also, I remember that you weren’t particularly good at finance courses back then, but now you’re still a capable businessman.
From this perspective, it seems that some things don’t have to remain the same.
It’s quite absurd when I think about it. Back when we were studying in M country, I used to daydream about the future, hoping that when I grew up and gained my freedom, I could do whatever I wanted. But now that I’ve actually grown up and gained my freedom, my mind is filled with thoughts of the past.
The more I think about it, the more I can’t help but miss those days. I miss the times when we were studying together, when we were together. But more than that, I wish I had understood what was in my heart sooner.
I used to not understand the things you said to me. I always took them as jokes, thinking that sincerity was something easily lost in this world. How much sincerity could one person have? Who could say for sure? It’s like there’s no scale to weigh it, to measure it, to see if it’s as abundant as people claim, or if it had already been worn down by the passage of time.
But after you left, I realized that not only can a person not see through the intentions of others, but they also can’t see through their own.
Five years isn’t long, and sometimes in the depths of the night, I can’t help but wonder why fate gave me these five years. If everything had ended five years ago, wouldn’t it have been better? But then I realize how selfish that thought is. I should stay clear-headed and see how much I regret it.
To be honest, I’m not sure when I finally understood. Maybe it was after that car accident, or maybe it was when I woke up from countless dreams, or perhaps it was when I walked the paths we used to walk together… During those times, I knew that there were so many things I wanted to tell you. I thought that if I could see you again, I would have to say them. But after thinking for a long time, I realized that those words were the simplest of all: “I love you,” and “I’m sorry.” Yet gradually, I felt that if I hadn’t said those words to you five years ago, then I didn’t have the right to say them five years later. I should never find redemption, just like these past five years…”
“I love you.”
Shen Muchuan read those three words one by one, with only these three words echoing in his mind, a sour taste filling his nostrils as he looked at them. Just by reading these words, his heart felt a piercing pain.
He recalled the times when he had asked Qiao Yue before, asked many times, whether he had ever regretted.
Now all the doubts had been confirmed, and besides the bitter sadness filling his heart, he felt his heart suffocating and aching unbearably. Both of them had merely been puppets of fate. But for these past five years, at least he had someone to hate. Yet, in these five years, who could Qiao Yue possibly hate?
After a moment of rummaging sounds coming from the bedroom, the noise abruptly ceased. Sitting on the sofa, Chu Yan listened for a while and realized that he had hidden his things a bit too well. He wasn’t sure if the other person could find them. If not, perhaps he should give them a hint…
Qiao Yue got up from the sofa and made his way to the bedroom door, but he didn’t hear any noise. Finally, he spoke up, asking, “What’s going on?”
2333 watched as the male protagonist sat on the floor, several opened envelopes scattered around him. His eyes were red, and he seemed on the verge of crying like a fool. It was really heart-wrenching to witness.
However, when he saw that Chu Yan still appeared clueless, he couldn’t hold back any longer: [Master Host, you really have no heart.]
Chu Yan sighed, [Well, I did put a lot of effort into this. I’ve been writing these letters for a long time, and I went to great lengths to make them look old. Also, each letter’s content had to appear genuine, with emotions that weren’t too explicit yet not too subtle. Ideally, they should convey deep pain and love in a subtle way.]
The system recalled the time Chu Yan spent in prison and how he persevered despite his illness. It turned out it was all for this purpose. In hindsight, it could be considered a well-thought-out plan.
[But those letters don’t seem to have any substantial content. Why didn’t you just tell the male lead directly? This seems like so much trouble.] 2333 remarked.
[People tend to believe what they discover themselves. If I had said it, the credibility wouldn’t be as high, and the effect wouldn’t be as good as it is now.] Chu Yan explained.
2333 couldn’t help but believe, although it still found the approach quite cruel. Master Host seemed to be using the most extreme methods repeatedly to force the male lead to face the “truth” he had created for him.
Shen Muchuan heard the voice and looked towards the door where Qiao Yue was standing. His vision was blurred, and he felt like he couldn’t see clearly. He rubbed his eyes, but the more he rubbed, the blurrier his vision became.
Qiao Yue didn’t get a response and took a few tentative steps forward. However, in his current state of blindness, he naturally couldn’t see where he was stepping.
Seeing that he was about to bump his knees into the corner of the table, Shen Muchuan immediately warned, “Don’t move!”
His voice, still hoarse from the earlier emotional turmoil, sounded like an excited reprimand in the silence of the room.
Qiao Yue instinctively halted his steps, and before he could react, he felt a strong force gripping his shoulder.
“You mustn’t move…”
Shortly after, Qiao Yue felt a warm dampness on his shoulder.
[What’s the benefit of making him cry all the time? Look, now you have to comfort him.]
Qiao Yue was puzzled, allowing Shen Muchuan to hold him for a while. Before he could ask, Shen Muchuan said, “Didn’t you have a lot to say to me?”
“But why am I here in front of you… and you’re not saying anything anymore?”
After saying this, Qiao Yue stiffened all over, and his face visibly paled.
A deep sense of regret flashed in Shen Muchuan’s eyes. He didn’t want to force Qiao Yue, but if he didn’t explain everything clearly, he didn’t know how much more Qiao Yue would hurt himself.
“What did you say?”
Shen Muchuan nodded within Chu Yan’s pale gaze, his voice choked. After hesitating for a moment, he whispered, “I’ve seen it all.”
Chu Yan’s lips trembled, and his gaze was both pale and desolate.
“You won’t give yourself a chance, but won’t you give me a chance?”
“That’s different.”
Shen Muchuan stared at Qiao Yue firmly and said, word by word, “You don’t need to rush to deny it. I have eyes, and I have a heart. I’ll see for myself.”
2333 read through everything and didn’t want to say anything anymore. Shen Muchuan was practically offering himself on a platter.
“If you really don’t want to feel sad, then don’t say things that hurt both me and yourself, against your own heart.”
Qiao Yue opened his mouth, initially wanting to say something, but after Shen Muchuan spoke that sentence, he couldn’t say anything at all.
“All these years, whatever you wanted to say to me, I’m here now. Tell me, I’m listening.”
Qiao Yue’s lips trembled, and after a long while, he closed his eyes heavily.
Shen Muchuan knew he couldn’t push him too hard, so he sighed softly and said, “Then, take your medicine first. You said you already took it, but just now, I counted, and not a single pill was missing.”
Shen Muchuan helped him sit by the bed, then turned to get some water. However, before he could step away, his arm was suddenly grabbed.
“…I love you.”
He heard Qiao Yue say it with almost urgency and nervousness.
Shen Muchuan was completely stunned. Those three words hung lightly in the air, but they hit Shen Muchuan’s heart, making it feel both bitter and hot. A warmth surged from his heart to his eyes, instantly moistening his dry eyes.
For the first time in five years, he felt his heart was still capable of warmth.
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