Chapter 49: A Suicudal Childhood Sweetheart 08
Metal chimed through the cave, creating an irritating echo. The person moved a little yet the chain was like an umbilical cord connected to the womb, still uncut.
In there, a young man with tattered black clothes hung. half his body was submerged into the water and the other half was bare to endure the cold wind. Red hair hung down from his forehead while his eyes were closed.
"Why did you do that again?" A person stood from the edge of the prison pool. A man covered in a black cloak, only his black leather shoes peered from the covers.
The young man restrained in the pool smiled. "Aren't you used to this by now? My heart is so soft, and my love for my host is bigger than the universe. Not that you have to care." he said sarcastically.
The mysterious man was motionless. Only stared at the person in front of him.
"Why are you here anyway? You're disturbing my peace." A short cough escaped the young man's lips, red hair following his head movement.
"Give him up. You will only destroy yourself." The man said.
The young man glared at him like a wounded cat being vigilant to humans. "That's the last thing I want to hear. Why do you always say things that destroys my mood?" he spat.
"He's given up on his life. Why are you still trying to keep him? Ling Si, you should let him go."
The person in the pool was indeed the system 1204. Currently under punishment break.
"Ling Si." The hooded man sighed. He stepped inside the pool, half his body submerged as he approached the young redhead. As soon as the two were facing each other closer, chains began to unlock, releasing the young man from his shackles and fell forward. The man caught him, touching his forehead and muttered: "Sleep."
The young man wanted to refute. But the burst of comfortable illusion set his exhausted mind to suddenly relax. His eyes became heavy as it slowly closed.
The man carried him out of the punishment pool and opened a hologram just by saying "on." Blue transparent screen lit in the dark place showing a type of encrypted script. Then he chose various of options verbally. The screen followed his command. "The system 1204 is released. Returning him back to his host after full recuperation. Do not release him until all damage was fixed." he said.
The blue screen lit in confirmation of command. After that, the small person in his arms also glowed blue. His body beginning to disappear into sight until the weight and the solid image dissipated together with the blue light.
.
Xiu Lin lived the life of a pampered child for years. Although this was the case, he still tried to secretly find traces of his family through computers, trying every country he could remember that might have had placed his face on a missing person logs. Every time Gu Han left for school, he would spend a few minutes of his day searching, the other hours from tuition and the other half with grandpa Gu who always search for boardgames or card games.
Then afterclass, Gu Han would suddenly sweep him away, carrying him and recharging his seeped out energy with a hug. Xiu Lin cooperates by patting his head, soothing the soft hair that follows through the young man's fingers while he was being carried.
Gu Han enjoyed his time leaning his head on the crook of the younger's shoulder while carrying him. He started business at a young age. As a person who only went back in time, his mind was already enough to stablish his own successful investments. Thanks to the future knowledge, Gu Han was able to pinpoint the best business strategies, trends, effective businesses and more. So aside from school, he goes to take care of a big company.
Grandpa Gu was delighted, his parents who were abroad were relieved, left the business to the genius son and went somewhere only god knows.
"How's the baby's day?" Gu Han raised his head and looked at the young man who was sitting on his lap looking back at him still holding his head.
Xiu Lin signed 'Good. Usual' and smiled at him. He signed again. 'Is Ge tired again?'
"Yeah." Gu Han held the boy's waist tighter. "How's your class today?"
'Fine.' Xiu Lin signed. 'Got full scores.' Then he raised his chin proudly after saying those.
"Xiao Lin is so smart!" The older praised, laughing as snuggled and kissed the boy's cheeks one by one.
Xiu Lin blushed but still smiled shyly.
"Not only smart, but so cute." He added, pinching the red cheeks and laughed again when he noticed the rejection in Xiu Lin's eyes when he called him cute. "Our family Lin is really cute." He teased again and laughed.
Xiu Lin snorted but snuggled to Gu Han with a satisfied sigh. A long day of not seeing this bastard, did he miss me?
"So, what reward do you want for another full score?" The older teen asked, kneading the young man's soft hair.
Xiu Lin grabbed his hand while still hiding his face on the young man's chest and wrote on his palm. 'Custard cake and milk tea.'
"Anything else?"
'Take me to business trip with you.'
"Really? You want to come with ge?"
The boy nodded.
"Okay." Gu Han was happy to hear that. He really want to spend time with him no matter what the occasion is. Especially just the two of them. He wanted Xiu Lin to see the world too, but was too anxious and worried that he might get hurt. So like a parent on a three-year-ols, this man doesn't even let go of Xiu Lin's hand even when they're at the mall.
He had a lot of fears, especially with regards to the younger's safety. He felt like he wasn't safe anywhere he had not explored. The safest place he can entrust the boy was to his grandfather. Xiu Lin was obedient to grandpa Gu. If he said to stay and sit with him, the boy would obliged, compared to when he's with the guards.
Xiu Lin is really playful with them. Given that he couldn't talk yet, his movements were very small and quiet. Even blinking an eye, he would be gone, went somewhere else entirely. He even got out of the villa gates and played on the road alone while everyone were searching inside the residence in a panic.
If Gu Han wasn't on his way home that afternoon and hadn't seen the familiar silver speck of hair at the very gate of the residential area being asked by the guard where he lived, the boy would have gone farther.
He scolded Xiu Lin without prior punishment. Well, if being hugged so tight all the time is a punishment, then yes, he was punished. After that, Grandpa Gu was next to put up his sermon, giving the boy a coaxing tone yet telling him not to do it again. Since then, he had been on the look out and told Xiu Lin to always follow him after class.
So the obedient boy never got out of the house again. Well, at least once to thrice a month to play.
But it wasn't enough for Xiu Lin who was mentally an adult. Although he is an indoor type of person, he always have rights over what he wanted to do without anyone telling him back then. However, because in everyone's eyes, he is now a short, traumatized, and gullible mute. Which means, he is completely vulnerable.
He didn't know how he lost his voice, but he was guessing that it's something in the mind and not physically. So he endured sessions to psychiatrists and tried his best to cope with fear yet to no avail, was still unable to speak.
He tried different solutions. But whenever he opened his mouth, he could only let out air. As if he couldn't feel his own vocals. Unlike mutes who can still utter sounds, he was completely voiceless.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone