Chapter 29   Wen Xingshen’s choice

"You can stay in here." Su Qingtang said warmly, as she led her little brother to her guest room.

The Su mansion was quite far from her school, so she thought it would be better if Su Rui stayed with her as well. It would make things convenient and would stop Jiang Shu from constantly worrying about her wellbeing. Thus killing two birds with one stone. Plus, she seemed to like this little brother of hers, so living with him wouldn't be too much to ask.

The room itself wasn't much, Su Qingtang had moved out all the stuff she used to store in there to make space for him but it still was quite sad looking. It was simply bland. With someone living in it, that shouldn't be the case for too long.

Su Rui smiled happily as he entered his new room putting his backpack on the bed. His eyes looking around. "I like it."

"Awesome. I called home. They'll just send your suitcases here. Its not like you really had time to unpack anyway. You'll have to make do for a while." Su Qingtang continued, reaching out to pat his head, a habit she had unknowingly formed. "If you want something to eat, you'll have to order takeout or something."

Su Rui nods, before taking out his phone, probably to game again. Su Qingtang leaves him to his own devices as she goes to her own room in the apartment. With the sudden addition to her apartment, her house seemed a bit more.. homey and Su Qingtang welcomed the change. Living with someone wasn't such a bad idea after all, was it?

The system quietly made note of this in its records. It seemed like its mission of repairing the damage to the plain was not going as bad as it did before. It sighed sadly. Being human sure is underrated.

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The sickly woman woke up. She blinked her eyes in confusion, seeing another person in the room. She turned towards him. Her eyes unfocussed for a while before she recognizes her son, her face blossoming into a smile which soon fades.

"My… My son." She reached out a hand to him, caressing his face weakly before dropping her hands back onto the bed.

Wen Xingshen's eyes turn soft as he looks at his mother. Her cheeks had sunken and her face was haggard. His mother that used to smile and laugh all the time had somehow disappeared. Sickness doesn't only take a toll on a person's body, it takes a toll on a person's life, their emotions and their spirit. It sucks you dry until you are only a husk of the person you once were.

"You must blame mom. Don't you?" His mother broke the silence first. Her eyes laden with the confusion of someone who had been asleep for a while.

Wen Xingshen, reached for her hands surprised to find them cold. He rubs them to give them warmth. "Of course, I don't, mom."

His mother gives him a shallow smile, before glancing at the clock on the wall. 11:04.

"You should go home. Your uncle and aunt must be worried about you. It's a school night isn't it? Visit me tomorrow after school."

Wen Xingshen frowns for a bit. He was reluctant to leave but he couldn't bear to disobey his mother. He looks down to hide the sadness in his eyes before he gets up to leave the room.

He couldn't bear to be one more burden for her to bear.

He grabs his busted up bike and speeds down the street. He doesn't even look towards the hospital behind him, for if he did he would probably break down in tears. He was never a crier but somehow tonight was just a night that drove tears into he eyes.

He speeds up. Lights blur and he rushes towards his destination before he skids to a stop. He parks his bike before calmly walking to a window. Hoisting himself up by stepping on a garbage bin he easily slips into his room.

His room. If you could even call it a room. Wen Xingshen sighed sadly as he drops his backpack to the floor and sits on his bed. He reaches for his script but not even the land of stories could calm his mind. He looks out the window and listens to the voices he could hear coming from the room next door. It was not like he wanted to but the soundproofing was horrible.

"…Are you just going to let him continue to leech off of us?"

"He's family we can't abandon him."

"Family? Don't make me laugh. All he and that mother of his is just bad luck. We'd be better off if they were gone."

"Don't say that."

"Don't say what? The both of us are thinking it, so what's wrong with saying it out loud. That mother of his is sick basically dead. Wasting a good amount of this families hard earned income plus just keeping her alive. We don't have enough money to save her, so why keep dragging out her miserable life further, ah? We even have to take care of that good-for-nothing bastard son of hers, who knows what sort of wild man is his mother chose to be his father. We've already done him a favor by putting a roof over his head, shouldn't he repay us? I say he should drop out of school. Do something useful with himself for once…"

Wen Xingshen shook his head. They sure do a good job worrying for his well being, he thought sarcastically. He wasn't mad. He had heard this same argument through the walls many times. Somehow he had become desensitized to it all and had resigned himself to being scarce.

He knew perfectly well how to keep out of sight and out of mind, and gradually his aura became one of a wallflower. No one would notice him unless they had to. He had lived perfectly well that way for years. He would also keep living that way until he amassed enough wealth for himself to leave.

He disdained to revenge. Why should he get back on them when they don't matter to him at all?

He reaches for his phone, the last present his mother had given him before she fell sick. He stares at a number before making a decision in his heart.