Withdrawal

Fu Zhi Zhou was home.

Zhou Zhou gege was here.

Qiao Luo’s fingers stuck onto Fu Zhi Zhou’s dry and warm palm. Qiao Luo nodded in his direction, placing his small legs on Fu Zhi Zhou’s knees, agreeing in a soft voice, “Okay.”

Too obedient. Fu Zhi Zhou’s heart was aching even more now, till the point of breaking.

He would rather have the little rascal make a fuss.

Fu Zhi Zhou helped him put the milk aside and said to Father and Mother Qiao, “Uncle, Aunty, you two should get some rest too. I’ll bring him back to sleep. It will be fine after some sleep.

Qiao Luo followed as he said very obediently, “Mom, Dad, I’m okay, don’t need to worry about me.”

Mother Qiao rubbed Qiao Luo’s head and said to Fu Zhi Zhou, “I’ll have to trouble you again”. Then, she went to get a new blanket for him.

Father Qiao went to wash the cup and also pack up Qiao Luo’s messy school bag.

The two of them weren’t in a good mood either. Qiao Luo had grown up sheltered and spoiled. They had never and couldn’t ever bear to even touch Qiao Luo’s fingers. Even if he was naughty and did something wrong, they would only scold him verbally.

Now that his own child had been bullied, a gentleman like Father Qiao couldn’t resist wanting to sniff out the gangster that had dared to bully Qiao Luo, and give him a good beating.

Fu Zhi Zhou caressed Qiao Luo’s fine and soft hair. He pulled his hand to stand up, “Return to your room and sleep.”

Qiao Luo earnestly stood up with him, but sat back down before standing upright.

His slender pair of legs trembled. He looked at Fu Zhi Zhou, eyes reddening.

He wasn’t fine at all, only afraid of making his parents worry.

Fu Zhi Zhou was especially gentle today. He squatted down, touching that small face, then pinching the thighs, asking, “Should gege carry you?”

Qiao Luo’s big pair of eyes carried a bag of water, threading on the edge of the waterline. He stayed silent, biting his lips and opening his arms aggrievedly towards Fu Zhi Zhou.

Father Qiao returned from washing the cup and saw Qiao Luo wrapped up in the blanket like a baby in a swaddle, only revealing his fluffy head full of hair. He was stably nested in Fu Zhi Zhou’s embrace.

Father Qiao’s emotions had been suppressed and constantly changing for the entire night and couldn’t resist losing his smile, “Come down quickly, Luo Luo. You are so old already. Your gege can’t carry you up like this. Zhi Zhou, you can’t spoil him like this, lest he makes a habit out of this.”

Qiao Luo’s head was drilled into Fu Zhi Zhou’s arms, refusing to let out any sounds. The moment he let a sound escape, it would have exposed the fact that he had already started to cry.

Fu Zhi Zhou’s hug was very stable and he said to Father Qiao, “No worries, I can carry him.”

He was still able to control himself in front of his parents, but the moment Fu Zhi Zhou carried him, the beans in his eyes fell from his eyes. Before reaching the bedroom, the face as big as a hand was already completely drenched.

Fu Zhi Zhou put the person on the bed, comforting him as he caressed his head. As he got up to take a wet cloth to clean Qiao Luo’s face, he was deathly gripped in the arm before he even turned around.

Qiao Luo cried till he was able to sprout some buds. The pair of teary deer-like eyes resembled a hatchling who just entered this world, a gaze filled with a thick sense of unease and reliance.

Fu Zhi Zhou’s temples throbbed with his heart.

He wanted to hug him into his embrace, wanting to kiss away the teardrops, wanting to turn back the time, wanting to make himself do a better job at protecting him, wanting to block out all sorts of evil and pain.

Fu Zhi Zhou was vexed and regretful, feeling angry at himself. 

What should he do? He didn’t protect his little tail properly.

He wasn’t calm at all. He too was almost frightened to death.

Fu Zhi Zhou gave up the idea of going to the toilet to get a towel. He turned back, bent his waist and looked at him. He stretched out a hand to wipe the tears at the corners of his eyes, coaxing, “Little liar, you said that you were fine just now.”

He bopped Qiao Luo’s nose, “Gege’s here, stop crying, alright?”

Qiao Luo tugged Fu Zhi Zhou’s arm, drilling it into his bosom and explained, sniffing, “I didn’t want to worry my parents, but I’m really scared.”

Fu Zhi Zhou hesitated for a moment, but still stretched out an arm to hug Qiao Luo. He carried the person up to sit on his lap, putting the entire being into his bosom. He touched the fine strands of hair, used his fingers to comb through his hair, giving him a relaxation massage, “How about me? Aren’t you scared that I’ll be worried? What if I didn’t come?”

Qiao Luo leaned against Fu Zhi Zhou. He felt a sense of security from having support. He rubbed all his tears on Fu Zhi Zhou’s shirt. His whole body finally relaxed, “I originally wanted to tell my dad secretly, but you came.”

Fu Zhi Zhou hugged the soft person and abandoned the words, “You must call me if anything happens in the future”, that he had wanted to say. He lightly touched Qiao Luo’s legs, “What’s wrong with your leg? Injured?”

He wasn’t very worried because he knew that the Qiao parents must have already checked for injuries. As expected, Qiao Luo nodded, “Ran too fast, feeling a little out of strength.”

He was a little ashamed for a moment. His head thrashed around in Fu Zhi Zhou’s arms and softly said melancholically, “I…… My thigh hurts a little.”

Fu Zhi Zhou was frightened to death, “Where?!”

Oh my god, if he was hurt there, how could he delay the treatment for so long!

Qiao Luo felt even more embarrassed, “No…… that, it’s the upper thigh. When bathing, I was embarrassed so I didn’t tell my mom.”

The atmosphere turned silent in an instant. Fu Zhi Zhou’s entire body was stiff. He inhaled deeply, asking, “Then…… let me see?”

He confirmed it. The little rascal had no other thoughts, didn’t think of him in another direction, honestly treating him as an older brother.

“I looked at it myself. It’s bruised and needs cream.” When Qiao Luo practices his dance, he would inevitably knock everywhere. The room had several creams around. He grabbed Fu Zhi Zhou’s waist in a death-grip, leaning on him. His voice was slurred and sticky, “The medicine kit is in my wardrobe. Can you carry me over to get it? I want you to hug me.”

Fu Zhi Zhou showed a willow’s benevolence. He was an upright gentleman and a man of honor. Restraint was a golden virtue, never straying1……

But once he saw the big patch of bruise on Qiao Luo’s thigh, he calmed down thoroughly.

Fu Zhi Zhou didn’t change his expression and didn’t look around, pretending that he didn’t see Qiao Luo’s round and tender little butt. He took the cotton ball, soaked it in medicine and applied it. Then, he used the blanket to pick up the person, hugged him to his embrace and exhaled a long breath.

A little lingering fear.

Had the wound been just a little more slanted, something bad would have happened2.

Fu Zhi Zhou rubbed Qiao Luo’s back, gently comforting him.

Comforting the frightened Qiao Luo, comforting himself.

Qiao Luo was insistent on wanting him to carry him. And it wasn’t that he didn’t want to carry this little one. He wanted to make sure that he was fine, staying steadily in the protective zone where he could touch him by reaching out a hand.

They were each other’s security.

He gently asked, “Does your leg still hurt? Are you still scared? I’ll hug you, always hug you. Go to sleep, okay?”

Qiao Luo had already stopped crying, but his eyes were still watery, making his entire being especially pitiful. The soft hair rubbed along Fu Zhi Zhou’s jaw, carrying a soft nasal voice, “They said that they wanted to cripple me today so I was even more scared.”

He rubbed himself in Fu Zhi Zhou’s arms, “But you said that you’ll pick me up in the future, so I’m not scared anymore.”

Fu Zhi Zhou calmly hugged him closer to his bosom, but his voice was very stern, “What exactly happened? A bunch of hoodlums blocking a student outside usually means that they want to extort money. They want to cripple you? Did you provoke them?”

Fu Zhi Zhou was home.

Zhou Zhou gege was here.

Qiao Luo’s fingers stuck onto Fu Zhi Zhou’s dry and warm palm. Qiao Luo nodded in his direction, placing his small legs on Fu Zhi Zhou’s knees, agreeing in a soft voice, “Okay.”

Too obedient. Fu Zhi Zhou’s heart was aching even more now, till the point of breaking.

He would rather have the little rascal make a fuss.

Fu Zhi Zhou helped him put the milk aside and said to Father and Mother Qiao, “Uncle, Aunty, you two should get some rest too. I’ll bring him back to sleep. It will be fine after some sleep.

Qiao Luo followed as he said very obediently, “Mom, Dad, I’m okay, don’t need to worry about me.”

Mother Qiao rubbed Qiao Luo’s head and said to Fu Zhi Zhou, “I’ll have to trouble you again”. Then, she went to get a new blanket for him.

Father Qiao went to wash the cup and also pack up Qiao Luo’s messy school bag.

The two of them weren’t in a good mood either. Qiao Luo had grown up sheltered and spoiled. They had never and couldn’t ever bear to even touch Qiao Luo’s fingers. Even if he was naughty and did something wrong, they would only scold him verbally.

Now that his own child had been bullied, a gentleman like Father Qiao couldn’t resist wanting to sniff out the gangster that had dared to bully Qiao Luo, and give him a good beating.

Fu Zhi Zhou caressed Qiao Luo’s fine and soft hair. He pulled his hand to stand up, “Return to your room and sleep.”

Qiao Luo earnestly stood up with him, but sat back down before standing upright.

His slender pair of legs trembled. He looked at Fu Zhi Zhou, eyes reddening.

He wasn’t fine at all, only afraid of making his parents worry.

Fu Zhi Zhou was especially gentle today. He squatted down, touching that small face, then pinching the thighs, asking, “Should gege carry you?”

Qiao Luo’s big pair of eyes carried a bag of water, threading on the edge of the waterline. He stayed silent, biting his lips and opening his arms aggrievedly towards Fu Zhi Zhou.

Father Qiao returned from washing the cup and saw Qiao Luo wrapped up in the blanket like a baby in a swaddle, only revealing his fluffy head full of hair. He was stably nested in Fu Zhi Zhou’s embrace.

Father Qiao’s emotions had been suppressed and constantly changing for the entire night and couldn’t resist losing his smile, “Come down quickly, Luo Luo. You are so old already. Your gege can’t carry you up like this. Zhi Zhou, you can’t spoil him like this, lest he makes a habit out of this.”

Qiao Luo’s head was drilled into Fu Zhi Zhou’s arms, refusing to let out any sounds. The moment he let a sound escape, it would have exposed the fact that he had already started to cry.

Fu Zhi Zhou’s hug was very stable and he said to Father Qiao, “No worries, I can carry him.”

He was still able to control himself in front of his parents, but the moment Fu Zhi Zhou carried him, the beans in his eyes fell from his eyes. Before reaching the bedroom, the face as big as a hand was already completely drenched.

Fu Zhi Zhou put the person on the bed, comforting him as he caressed his head. As he got up to take a wet cloth to clean Qiao Luo’s face, he was deathly gripped in the arm before he even turned around.

Qiao Luo cried till he was able to sprout some buds. The pair of teary deer-like eyes resembled a hatchling who just entered this world, a gaze filled with a thick sense of unease and reliance.

Fu Zhi Zhou’s temples throbbed with his heart.

He wanted to hug him into his embrace, wanting to kiss away the teardrops, wanting to turn back the time, wanting to make himself do a better job at protecting him, wanting to block out all sorts of evil and pain.

Fu Zhi Zhou was vexed and regretful, feeling angry at himself. 

What should he do? He didn’t protect his little tail properly.

He wasn’t calm at all. He too was almost frightened to death.

Fu Zhi Zhou gave up the idea of going to the toilet to get a towel. He turned back, bent his waist and looked at him. He stretched out a hand to wipe the tears at the corners of his eyes, coaxing, “Little liar, you said that you were fine just now.”

He bopped Qiao Luo’s nose, “Gege’s here, stop crying, alright?”

Qiao Luo tugged Fu Zhi Zhou’s arm, drilling it into his bosom and explained, sniffing, “I didn’t want to worry my parents, but I’m really scared.”

Fu Zhi Zhou hesitated for a moment, but still stretched out an arm to hug Qiao Luo. He carried the person up to sit on his lap, putting the entire being into his bosom. He touched the fine strands of hair, used his fingers to comb through his hair, giving him a relaxation massage, “How about me? Aren’t you scared that I’ll be worried? What if I didn’t come?”

Qiao Luo leaned against Fu Zhi Zhou. He felt a sense of security from having support. He rubbed all his tears on Fu Zhi Zhou’s shirt. His whole body finally relaxed, “I originally wanted to tell my dad secretly, but you came.”

Fu Zhi Zhou hugged the soft person and abandoned the words, “You must call me if anything happens in the future”, that he had wanted to say. He lightly touched Qiao Luo’s legs, “What’s wrong with your leg? Injured?”

He wasn’t very worried because he knew that the Qiao parents must have already checked for injuries. As expected, Qiao Luo nodded, “Ran too fast, feeling a little out of strength.”

He was a little ashamed for a moment. His head thrashed around in Fu Zhi Zhou’s arms and softly said melancholically, “I…… My thigh hurts a little.”

Fu Zhi Zhou was frightened to death, “Where?!”

Oh my god, if he was hurt there, how could he delay the treatment for so long!

Qiao Luo felt even more embarrassed, “No…… that, it’s the upper thigh. When bathing, I was embarrassed so I didn’t tell my mom.”

The atmosphere turned silent in an instant. Fu Zhi Zhou’s entire body was stiff. He inhaled deeply, asking, “Then…… let me see?”

He confirmed it. The little rascal had no other thoughts, didn’t think of him in another direction, honestly treating him as an older brother.

“I looked at it myself. It’s bruised and needs cream.” When Qiao Luo practices his dance, he would inevitably knock everywhere. The room had several creams around. He grabbed Fu Zhi Zhou’s waist in a death-grip, leaning on him. His voice was slurred and sticky, “The medicine kit is in my wardrobe. Can you carry me over to get it? I want you to hug me.”

Fu Zhi Zhou showed a willow’s benevolence. He was an upright gentleman and a man of honor. Restraint was a golden virtue, never straying1……

But once he saw the big patch of bruise on Qiao Luo’s thigh, he calmed down thoroughly.

Fu Zhi Zhou didn’t change his expression and didn’t look around, pretending that he didn’t see Qiao Luo’s round and tender little butt. He took the cotton ball, soaked it in medicine and applied it. Then, he used the blanket to pick up the person, hugged him to his embrace and exhaled a long breath.

A little lingering fear.

Had the wound been just a little more slanted, something bad would have happened2.

Fu Zhi Zhou rubbed Qiao Luo’s back, gently comforting him.

Comforting the frightened Qiao Luo, comforting himself.

Qiao Luo was insistent on wanting him to carry him. And it wasn’t that he didn’t want to carry this little one. He wanted to make sure that he was fine, staying steadily in the protective zone where he could touch him by reaching out a hand.

They were each other’s security.

He gently asked, “Does your leg still hurt? Are you still scared? I’ll hug you, always hug you. Go to sleep, okay?”

Qiao Luo had already stopped crying, but his eyes were still watery, making his entire being especially pitiful. The soft hair rubbed along Fu Zhi Zhou’s jaw, carrying a soft nasal voice, “They said that they wanted to cripple me today so I was even more scared.”

He rubbed himself in Fu Zhi Zhou’s arms, “But you said that you’ll pick me up in the future, so I’m not scared anymore.”

Fu Zhi Zhou calmly hugged him closer to his bosom, but his voice was very stern, “What exactly happened? A bunch of hoodlums blocking a student outside usually means that they want to extort money. They want to cripple you? Did you provoke them?”