HCILH Ch. 129

Chapter 129: Reporting

 In the middle of filling out the form, Hou Mo noticed Sui Houyu getting up to open the door. He couldn’t hear what was said after the door was opened.

He saw Sui Houyu leave the dormitory, and the door was left open behind him.

He hesitated for a moment but didn’t pay much attention and continued filling out the form.

After a while, Sui Houyu finally returned and sat on his bed, silent and not speaking.

From the video, Hou Mo could only see one of Sui Houyu’s shoulders and couldn’t help but ask with concern: “Brother Yu, what’s wrong?”

Sui Houyu didn’t answer.

Not giving up, Hou Mo called again: “Brother Yu, Brother Yu!”

Just as he was feeling confused, Su Anyi unexpectedly appeared in Sui Houyu’s dormitory.

Hou Mo was taken aback. Don’t they separate male and female dorms?

How did Su Anyi get in?

Upon closer inspection, he noticed Su Anyi was wearing a baseball cap and had her hair tied up, probably pretending to be a boy to get in.

“Where are you hurt? Let me see.” Su Anyi said as she closed the dormitory door.

Hou Mo immediately asked: “Hurt? What happened?”

Su Anyi, surprised to hear Hou Mo’s voice, looked around and noticed the phone on the stand. She explained: “Ran Shu’s father came over, and there was a fight  between him and Ran Shu’s father. It looks like he got hurt. Don’t worry, I’ll take a look first.”

“Okay!” Hou Mo really wanted to ask what happened, but it seemed better to check the injury first.

Su Anyi walked over and saw that Sui Houyu had a gloomy expression and wasn’t talking to anyone, so she tried to comfort him: “Brother Yu, don’t worry. Ran Shu is very smart, he should be fine.”

“But his parents are horrible! It’s like they aren’t even human!”

“They’re still his parents, though.”

“We don’t even know if they’re his real parents…”

“…” Su Anyi didn’t know what to say to that.

On the other side, Hou Mo was anxiously pacing, repeatedly asking: “What happened?”

Sui Houyu remained cold and lowly responded: “It’s fine.”

“Forget it, I’ll just come over to your campus. Su Anyi, tell me where I can climb in.”

Sui Houyu could only answer: “It’s no use coming over. Ran Shu has already been taken away by his father. Nothing will happen here anymore.”

“Did you get hurt?” Hou Mo asked, his throat tightening. “You’re in a bad mood today, emotionally unstable. You won’t be able to sleep, and I’ll be worried all night. It’s better if I just come over directly.”

After they separated, Hou Mo’s biggest concern was these things.

One was Sui Houyu’s sleeplessness, and the other was his temper. If he caused trouble, it would be very troublesome, and Hou Mo couldn’t rush over right away.

Sui Houyu finally got up, lifted his shirt, and looked.

His hip had been kicked a few times, and it was already bruised, but there were no other issues.

Hou Mo leaned in close to the screen, then couldn’t sit still anymore. He grabbed his phone, started packing his things, and planned to head to the campus to meet them.

At this time, Sui Houyu saw a message from Ran Shu: “It’s over. This time we’re really breaking up.”

After reading it, Sui Houyu asked Su Anyi: “What does this message mean?”

“Maybe his dad found out he’s with Sang Xian and doesn’t approve?”

“How did his father find out?”

“I don’t know…”

As Sui Houyu and Su Anyi conversed, Hou Mo had just returned to the dorm and was packing up. Sang Xian, who had been reading in the dorm, heard the sounds from his phone and looked at Hou Mo curiously. When he saw Hou Mo quickly packing his bag, he grew suspicious.

The phone continued to emit Sui Houyu’s voice: “I replied to him, but he didn’t respond.”

“Is he still with his dad? Can I call him?”

“If he’s safe, he’ll hang up immediately.”

“I’ll try,” Su Anyi seemed to be attempting to call Ran Shu but heard the “phone off” message. “Ran Shu’s phone is off. What should we do?”

“If his phone was taken and we can’t contact him, we have no idea what’s going on over there.”

Sang Xian stood up and asked Hou Mo: “What’s going on?”

“I’m going to the other campus. Ran Shu seems to be in trouble. Are you coming?”

Sang Xian quickly nodded: “I’ll go. I’ll have the family car come over.”

Ran Shu was in trouble, and he had to go immediately.

Hou Mo had already packed his things and answered: “The car from your house will take an hour. I’ll just call a contact and have them come over.”

Hou Mo and Sang Xian, both big guys, squeezed into a cramped little car to get into the city. The whole trip was uncomfortable.

Along the way, Sui Houyu had applied some medicine and was left in a helpless state.

Knowing the two were coming, Sui Houyu could only ask Su Anyi to go back and rest. He would go meet Sang Xian and Hou Mo himself.

When Hou Mo and Sang Xian arrived at the original Qingyu campus, they circled the school before reaching the back wall. They saw Sui Houyu, dressed and running over, saying: “Jump in here, step on this spot.”

The two big guys jumped over the wall quickly, and once inside, Sang Xian asked: “How is Ran Shu?”

“We can’t contact him for now.”

Sang Xian frowned: “What exactly happened?”

“Let’s go to my dorm first.”

Sui Houyu led the two back to his dorm. Sang Xian sat in the chair alone, while Sui Houyu and Hou Mo sat on the bed.

The small single dorm room became cramped with three large guys.

Once back in the dorm, Sui Houyu called Ran Shu again. His phone was still off. He then answered: “Ran Shu was taken home by his dad. It seems like something happened at home.”

Sang Xian was still confused. He didn’t understand what was going on with Ran Shu’s family, and anxiously asked: “What’s going on with his family?”

Sui Houyu hesitated, knowing he couldn’t keep it from Sang Xian. Since he was Ran Shu’s boyfriend, he should know. He answered: “He’s known since he was young that his mom had an affair, and the person she was having an affair with is my uncle. My mom is an accomplice and has been close friends with his mom for many years. Every time his mom said she was going out with my mom, she was actually meeting my uncle.”

“Oh, and by the way, my uncle has his own family.”

Hou Mo was stunned and could only sigh, “The rich circles are really messy.”

Sang Xian wasn’t surprised. It seemed like these disgusting rumors were common in their wealthy circle. He had seen it all before. What made him uncomfortable was that it was happening to his boyfriend.

Sui Houyu continued: “Ran Shu grew up fast. He knew about his mom and my uncle’s relationship but didn’t dare tell his dad. The main reason is that he looks like his mom and doesn’t look like his dad at all. He even doubted whether he was his dad’s biological son.

“My uncle… he’s a scumbag. He’s been supported by my mom all these years. He doesn’t have a proper job but holds a position in my mom’s company and uses her money.”

“Ran Shu hates my uncle, so he doesn’t want to go to my uncle’s place. When he was younger, he subconsciously didn’t want his parents to divorce, thinking that would be the end of the world, so he helped keep it a secret. But whenever he faced his dad, he would stutter when lying. Later, he was afraid of being caught, so he started stuttering all the time. At first, it was just to cover up, but then it became a habit.”

Sang Xian now understood why Ran Shu stuttered.

He couldn’t help but feel heartbroken.

His father didn’t care for him, and his mother didn’t love him. All his family could offer him was money, which distorted his worldview.

He heard that Ran Shu only started stuttering after he was six.

It seemed that he made a simple decision when he was that age after learning the truth.

“So his father found out his mom had an affair?” Sang Xian asked.

Sui Houyu nodded: “Yeah. Ran Shu said his father wants to take him for a paternity test. It probably caused a big argument. His father has never liked me, but now that he knows his wife had an affair with my uncle, and my mom helped cover it up, he’ll hate me even more.”

Hou Mo, who had been silent, suddenly spoke: “But that doesn’t mean he can hit people!”

He had been holding back his anger this whole time!

He even wanted to wrap Ran Shu’s dad in a bag right now since he didn’t care about that elder.

Sang Xian had left a message for Ran Shu on the road, but had not received a reply. For a moment, he was at a loss and asked: “So what now? What should we do?”

Sui Houyu was also anxious, but there was nothing he could do: “I don’t know. I asked around, and Ran Shu hasn’t returned to the Ran family. No one knows where he’s gone. His mother is with my mom right now; it seems like they’re having a divorce.”

The three boys in the dormitory fell into silence.

After a long while, Sui Houyu stood up and picked up his keys, saying: “We’re just wasting time here. I’ll take you to Ran Shu’s dorm. I have the keys.”

“Okay.” Sang Xian stood up and followed him.

After Sang Xian entered Ran Shu’s dorm, Sui Houyu left.

He turned on the light and saw that the chairs in the dorm were still overturned, and a few pieces of clothing had fallen off—probably from being draped over the chairs earlier.

On the desk in Ran Shu’s dorm, there were many comic books and a Nintendo, but no academic books.

He walked over to the bed and looked at the wall next to it, which was covered with photos of him and Ran Shu. In one of the photos, his face had been marked with a black pen, drawn as a turtle.

He remembered the last time he talked to Ran Shu on the phone, Ran Shu had been angry and scolding him, but then suddenly laughed. When he asked Ran Shu what was going on, Ran Shu had said: “I drew a turtle. It made me happy.”

It was probably this photo.

He looked around at the disarray in the room and thought about how Sui Houyu had been beaten by Ran Shu’s father. From that, he could guess that this father was the kind of person who would resort to physical violence. His heart tightened.

He could only pull out his phone and call his father.

His father seemed to still be in a meeting. The meeting had gone on late into the night and still hadn’t finished. He asked in an unfriendly tone: “What is it? I’m kind of busy.”

“Can you help me find someone? Like, using a detective?”

“Who are you looking for?”

“My boyfriend.”

Sang’s father was silent for 20 seconds before asking: “Are you dating Hou Mo?!”

“No, not him!” He would have to be seriously out of his mind to like someone like Hou Mo, though Ran Shu wasn’t much better.

“Okay, then who is it?”

His father seemed relieved, not concerned whether it was a boyfriend or girlfriend Sang Xian was looking for.

“His name is Ran Shu, from the Ran family.”

“I’ll give it a try, but I don’t have much experience with this kind of thing.”

“Okay.”

Sang Xian lay down on Ran Shu’s bed. The pillow was too small, and as he stretched out, his feet dangled off the bed.

Why is this bed so small?

He had to move Ran Shu’s large pillow aside and use some clothes to prop his head up.

When he moved the pillow, he noticed a small notebook and a pen, placed conveniently at the bedside. He reached over, opened it, and saw that the pages were filled with notes.

He had written down every detail—what day, what time, and what Sang Xian did to make him upset. Every incident was recorded clearly.

Sang Xian felt a little helpless. With that much energy, he could have gotten into Tsinghua or Peking University.

He tossed the notebook aside and rolled over in frustration.

He thought about Ran Shu.

But there was nothing he could do now except feel anxious. This feeling was really… frustrating!

*

After closing the dorm door, Hou Mo lifted Sui Houyu’s shirt, revealing the bruises. He felt deeply pained and took out some bruise ointment from his bag, carefully applying it to Sui Houyu’s wounds.

He had specifically returned to the dorm to fetch the ointment.

He had been training for years and had experienced many bumps and bruises, using various treatments, but this one worked best. So he kept it with him year-round, even having a spare at home.

Now, he had brought it with him, and it was just in time to help Sui Houyu.

After applying the ointment, Hou Mo pulled Sui Houyu into his arms. They squeezed onto the small single bed together. Hou Mo said: “Don’t worry, Sang Xian will definitely figure something out. We just need to wait for news. Honestly, think about it. It’s just a couple having marital problems, heading toward a divorce. Ran Shu has been mentally prepared for years. He probably won’t be too affected by his parents’ divorce.”

Sui Houyu understood all that, but still couldn’t feel at ease: “If they were his biological parents, Ran Shu would probably stay with the Ran family. But his father really doesn’t like me. I’m just a relative from the third party. Ran Shu’s father will definitely prevent him from contacting me again. And if they’re not his biological parents, Ran Shu’s standard of living will drop dramatically. His mother doesn’t have any income, and she relies entirely on his father.”

“The standard of living doesn’t matter. As long as he’s still with Sang Xian, Sang Xian won’t let him suffer.”

“Do you really think they can stay together forever? They’re always arguing about breaking up, and he can’t rely on his boyfriend forever.”

“Sang Xian is stubborn. He came back from abroad just for me and started learning tennis. He hasn’t given up on this for all these years. He doesn’t fall for people easily, so I don’t think he’ll let go. He’s probably in it for the long haul. And besides, there’s me and you. If it comes down to it, we can use our competition prize money to support him.”

“Yeah.”

Sui Houyu lay back down, sighing quietly.

Hou Mo continued to reassure him: “Ran Shu’s an adult now, and he must have his own ideas. What can his father do? Send him abroad? Didn’t he come back last time? As long as Ran Shu posts a message online and contacts any one of us, we’ll help him come back.”

“I’m afraid his father will hit him, yell at him…”

“Then I’ll just bag him up. I don’t care whether his father likes me or not. To me, he’s just an old bastard who makes my boyfriend unhappy.”

“Yeah.”

Hou Mo kissed Sui Houyu’s forehead and said: “Alright, don’t think too much. Go to sleep.”

“Okay.”

“Good night.”

“Hm.”

This time, Sui Houyu took a while to fall asleep, even frowning in his sleep.

He knew that the bond between Sui Houyu and Ran Shu was deep, something that no one else could compare to.

Even though he was in a relationship with Sui Houyu, Ran Shu would always be first in his heart.

Now that something had happened to Ran Shu, Sui Houyu was definitely feeling upset.

He could only lower his head and kiss Sui Houyu’s brow, feeling heartbroken.

*

To everyone’s surprise, they didn’t see Ran Shu until three days later, and it was at the Fenghua campus.

Someone saw Ran Shu at school and immediately notified Hou Mo and the others. Several people from their team hurried over and gathered at the office door of Ouyang Ge.

They peered through the window and saw Ran Shu quickly glance at them before turning away, not daring to look at them again.

His eyes seemed a bit red, and his eyelids were so swollen that they looked smaller than usual.

Deng Yiheng pointed to the corner of his mouth and whispered: “Isn’t Ran Shu swollen here? Did he get hit?”

Sang Xian’s heart tightened at once, and he was about to push the door open.

Ouyang Ge noticed them and walked out with a stern face, saying: “Go back to your classrooms.”

Sang Xian refused to leave and asked: “What happened to him?”

“He’s fine.” Ouyang Ge said, his tone also not good, as if he was holding back anger. “Go back. Hou Mo, keep an eye on them and make sure they don’t cause trouble.”

Hou Mo was also worried and followed Ouyang Ge, asking: “No.. Gege, what’s going on? Why is he talking to Coach Wang? Coach Wang didn’t do anything to him! And the person next to him is the staff member who gave me an award. What’s he doing here?”

Ouyang Ge was helpless, realizing Hou Mo was too sharp, spotting the odd details immediately.

When he didn’t answer, Hou Mo’s face sank, and he asked: “Is Brother Yu here?”

What he had been worried about had finally come true.

Ran Shu’s father was unhappy, and anyone who made him unhappy wouldn’t be in for a good time. Sui Houyu was one of the first to bear the brunt.

Yang Xiangyu’s side was also making a move. Her son would have to be dealt with.

Ouyang Ge could only push people away: “Go back.”

“I won’t!” Hou Mo, unusually defiant, was as stubborn as a mule.

“Then let them go back first.”

The others exchanged glances before reluctantly leaving, leaving only Sang Xian and Hou Mo behind.

Ouyang Ge looked at the two students with a headache. He didn’t want to go in either, as it would only make him more upset to listen. So, he said: “Let’s wait for Sui Houyu to come.”

“Brother Yu is coming?” Hou Mo knew he had guessed correctly. A feeling of discomfort surged in his heart, and he asked with a slight tremor in his voice: “What will happen?”

Ouyang Ge replied in a deep voice: “Actually, the paperwork has already come through… Concealing an illness, resulting to a three-year ban.”