SDVPP Chapter 16

Chi Han felt as if he were tightly wrapped in something heavy, his nerves severed, making it clear to him the presence of his body, yet he couldn’t even lift a finger.

So heavy…

After an indeterminate amount of time in a hazy stupor, a faint light finally penetrated.

He struggled to move his eyelids and opened his eyes.

“Young Master Chi… Young Master Chi…”

“Uncle Wu?”

Chi Han half-opened his eyes, and opened his mouth, feeling his throat stuck and painfully dry.

“I want water…”

He thought he had spoken a complete sentence, but in the eyes of Butler Wu, he had only opened his mouth and made a few sounds.

The butler looked at the pale, dry lips and quickly said, “Do you want water?”

Seeing Chi Han nod, the housekeeper immediately took the pre-prepared warm water and inserted a straw.

Chi Han drank several sips in a row before feeling relief in his throat that seemed about to smoke. He waved his hand, his gaze following the intravenous drip on the back of his hand.

“This is a needle inserted by Madam Chi’s family doctor. Don’t move it randomly. Once this bottle of saline is finished, your fever should go down.”

As if suddenly remembering something, Chi Han coughed violently. After finally catching his breath, he grabbed the butler’s sleeve.

“Uncle Wu, what time is it now?! Is it already past three o’clock?!”

The curtains in the room were tightly drawn, with only a bedside lamp on. It was impossible to tell what time it was.

He remembered arriving home at eleven in the evening. If it was still morning, he could still make it to Rong Xu’s house!

The sudden excitement of Chi Han startled the butler, who hurriedly pressed him back, saying anxiously, “Young Master, you have a needle on your hand! You mustn’t move it randomly!”

The butler carefully examined his hand, relieved to find no needle protruding. After tucking the blanket neatly, he smiled at Chi Han and said, “It’s eleven at night now, and tomorrow is the weekend. Don’t worry about school matters. You haven’t eaten all day; I’m preparing plain porridge downstairs. Sit up and have some?”

“It’s already eleven…”

Chi Han murmured in a low voice.

He and Rong Xu had plans for three in the afternoon. He had promised to take Rong Xu to the nearby mall to buy a cake, birthday hats, and colorful lights, and to get snacks that Rong Xu liked.

It was too late now.

Chi Han reached for his phone, only to realize he didn’t have Rong Xu’s number. He thought about calling the class teacher, but a split second before dialing, he quickly hung up.

What’s the use of calling Rong Xu now?

To explain the reason for standing him up?

Chi Han closed his eyes, easing his somewhat foggy head. He knew how much Rong Xu had anticipated his birthday today.

After a night of nervous anticipation, he was still alone, and this contrast made the disappointment even more unbearable.

“Uncle Wu…”

The butler turned around to see his young master leaning against the cushion, bathed in warm light. The once vibrant eyes were now filled with weariness, coupled with a pale complexion, evoking a fragile sense of pity.

Chi Han coughed softly, but his voice remained as steady as ever.

“After this bottle of saline is finished, take me somewhere.”

Upon hearing this, the butler immediately furrowed his brows. However, Chi Han was determined to go, and in the end, they compromised.

Chi Han had to finish half a bowl of plain porridge before they could leave.

When they arrived downstairs at Rong Xu’s house, it was already 11:40. Chi Han bundled up, and pressed the doorbell of the small villa.

They waited for almost five minutes before someone opened the door—a middle-aged man with sleepy eyes, wearing a look of annoyance at being disturbed.

“Who are you?”

Chi Han adjusted his mask, concealing the anxiety in his eyes. “Hello, I’m Rong Xu’s classmate. I promised to come and celebrate his birthday today, but I’m late. Is Rong Xu okay?”

The man was momentarily surprised, scrutinizing Chi Han for a moment before muttering to himself with a strange look, “No wonder he’s so enthusiastic today…”

“Alright, come in. It’s better than him going crazy in the middle of the night.”

The man gestured for Chi Han to enter and, without much ado, pointed to a room on the second floor before yawning and heading off.

Seemingly, he was going back to sleep!

Could anyone be so trusting with a stranger in their home?!

Chi Han gave the man a cold glance and hurriedly went upstairs.

He couldn’t care about anything else right now; he just hoped to wish Rong Xu a “Happy Birthday” before midnight.

The second floor consisted of a row of rooms, all tightly closed.

The man had only given a vague direction, so Chi Han had to knock on each door one by one.

When he reached the second-to-last door, he heard the sound of something breaking inside. Chi Han paused, gently knocked on the door, and called out, “Rong Xu… Rong Xu… Are you in there? It’s me, Chi Han!”

But after that sound, there was no more movement inside.

Checking the time, Chi Han gritted his teeth and pushed open the door.

There were only five minutes left until midnight.

“I’m coming in…” Chi Han walked in slowly. The room was pitch-black, and he widened his eyes, trying to locate the switch for the overhead light.

“Sss…”

His fingertips brushed against something in the darkness, and that something lightly drifted over his fingertip and fell beside him.

Something seemed to brush against his calves and the tops of his feet.

Chi Han, lips pursed, broke into a cold sweat on his back. His greatest fear was the strange things in the dark.

So, he never watched horror movies.

“Rong Xu…”

Chi Han pretended to be calm, his body stiff. His fingertips lightly grazed the wall as he felt for the switch.

“Don’t scare me, okay? I’m terrified of the dark.”

Just as Chi Han was about to turn and leave, the room’s light suddenly “clicked” on, exposing all the oddly shaped objects in detail.

There were balloons with ribbons tied to the ground, and colorful ribbons and paper adorned the walls.

The entire room was filled with bright colors, like a carefully prepared surprise party.

But the birthday boy, at this moment, sat alone in a corner, surrounded by colors, yet a pervasive gray enveloped him.

Chi Han’s fingers curled, the corners of his eyes turning red.

What mood had Rong Xu been in when he slowly arranged all this by himself in the afternoon?

“Rong Xu… Happy Birthday…”

Chi Han choked on his voice, walking towards Rong Xu through countless balloons and ribbons.

He saw Rong Xu slowly lift his head, eyes incredibly bleak.

The dim light that Chi Han had illuminated extinguished.

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