You never really know how tall the diving board is until you climb up there.
âHow does it feel? Is it different from how it looks from below?â
Jian Dan nodded honestly, âIt seems not as high from below.â
âWhenever I have something on my mind, when Iâm unhappy, or when thereâs a problem I canât solve, I come here to dive!â
The moment you leap out, abandoning everything, all your troubles seem to become insignificant.
And the charm of diving is that itâs not like bungee jumpingâyou know you have safety measures attached to your legs. With diving, there are no safety measures whatsoever, so you have to be brave enough to take that step, with only the cold pool water waiting to embrace you!â
After hearing Mu Yiâs words, Jian Dan looked down from the edge of the diving board, and indeed, it felt nothing like bungee jumping.
âWhat do you think? Do you want to give it a try?â
Jian Dan hesitated.
âDonât be scared, Iâll jump first to show you!â he said, walking to the edge of the diving board.
Without any elaborate pose, he simply leaped forward and with a splash, he was in the waterâ¦
âJian Dan, donât be afraid. Youâll feel much more relaxed once you jump. Trust me!â
At that moment, Jian Danâs heartbeat was racing fast. He kept adjusting his breathing, but he couldnât manage to normalize the rhythm.@@novelbin@@
âIâll be down here to catch you; itâll be fine!â
When Jian Dan thought about retreating, the image of Chen Xirui and Uncle embracing each other flashed through his mind, and his heart clenched once more.
Jian Dan gripped his hands tightly and instead of retreating, he advanced.
As he reached the edge of the diving board and looked down, perhaps because of the depth of the water, it appeared especially high.
Mu Yi didnât come out of the water; he waited for her withinâ¦
Jian Dan closed his eyesâ¦
It was too unbearable. Maybe, just as Mu Yi said, diving would indeed bring relief?
Jian Dan clenched his teeth, took a deep breath, and stepped forward. His center of gravity shifted, and he fellâ¦
He went blank in midair until his back slapped the surface of the water hard.
The loud noise indicated how painful it was; Jian Dan nearly passed out from the impact.
âJian Jian, are you alright?â Mu Yi swam over nervously to check on Jian Dan.
Jian Dan was a bit dazed from the hit, so he didnât notice Mu Yiâs term of endearment.
Mu Yi helped Jian Dan out of the water and onto a nearby lounge chair. âHow do you feel?â
By then, Jian Dan had recovered a bit, and his head wasnât so dizzy anymore. âIt hurts,â he said with a laugh.
âYou can still laugh?â How could one laugh instead of cry at a time like this? What kind of logic was that?
âI really do feel a lot better!â Jian Dan said, a faint smile on his face.
âTurn around, let me have a look,â Mu Yi said, his heart had skipped a beat when he saw Jian Dan hit the water so hard.
If he had known it would turn out like this, he would never have let Jian Dan dive!
âIâm fine, no need,â Jian Dan said, how could he possibly let Mu Yi check his back!
Mu Yi saw Jian Danâs reluctance and, though still worried, didnât press him.
âThen Iâll take you to the hospital!â
âWhy go to the hospital? Iâm fine!â
âButââ Mu Yi was well aware it couldnât be âjust fineâ.
âStop worrying, Iâll be alright after resting a bit!â Jian Dan said, comforting Mu Yi with a smile.
âAlright! But if you feel uncomfortable at all, you must tell me right away!â
âI will!â Jian Dan said and then slowly closed his eyes.
Mu Yi sat on another lounge chair, watching Jian Danâs sleeping face and felt a ripple in his heartâ¦