CH 91

Chapter 91 – University Campus

Today was a crisp autumn day. The morning air carried a slight chill. It was time for class. Students holding books or wearing backpacks could be seen everywhere on the university campus, full of youthful vigor.

Wei Chen took Chen Li’s hand and entered Q University.  Q University was a century-old institution with a rich humanistic atmosphere. As soon as Chen Li entered, his curious eyes looked around, sparkling with excitement and curiosity.

Having studied at Q University for four years, Wei Chen was extremely familiar with the campus. He took Chen Li on a tour around Q University, sensing his excitement. Looking into Chen Li’s eyes, filled with tenderness, he could tell that he longed for this experience.

When Chen Li expressed his yearning for learning and for the school, Wei Chen imagined that Chen Li did not have the opportunity to receive education during his childhood. The Chen family did not provide him with the chance for schooling, which explained why he couldn’t even recognize basic characters before.

Wei Chen could see that Chen Li had a desire for learning. Perhaps there were regrets in his heart from not being able to attend school during his childhood. Wei Chen would make sure that Chen Li could study at Q University and had set a condition before Zhuge Yu, nothing more than to fulfill Chen Li’s longing for learning and satisfy his aspirations.

After everything that happened yesterday, the knot in Wei Chen’s heart regarding Chen Li’s recovery had disappeared. Without this obstacle, Wei Chen’s desire to fulfill Chen Li’s wishes became even stronger. That’s why he brought Chen Li to Q University on the second day. Now, Wei Chen was Chen Li’s exclusive tour guide, introducing the origins, history, and culture of each landmark building they passed. Chen Li listened with great interest, his face filled with fascination.

Q University was vast, and Wei Chen never thought they could explore the entire campus in just one morning. In fact, there were people who didn’t want them to spend all their time touring the campus today. After Wei Chen and Chen Li walked around Q University for about half an hour, Zhuge Yu called impatiently.

After ending the call with Zhuge Yu, Wei Chen led Chen Li straight to the School of Fine Arts at Q University.

Zhuge Yu had his own art studio in the School of Fine Arts. He had already given Wei Chen the address of the studio during their phone conversation. Although Wei Chen had never been to the School of Fine Arts during his time at Q University, his strong sense of direction allowed him to quickly find Zhuge Yu’s studio.

Zhuge Yu’s studio was not big, but it had excellent natural lighting. The autumn sunlight poured in, illuminating the room with warmth. As soon as Chen Li entered the studio, he was immediately captivated by the array of art materials and tools. His gaze remained fixated on them, unable to look away.

Zhuge Yu finally fulfilled his wish of having Chen Li as his student. He had been so happy that he hadn’t slept the entire night. Even now, the corners of his mouth remained wide open. As soon as he saw Chen Li enter, he immediately grabbed his hand and started introducing him to the various painting materials and tools he hadn’t seen before.

Chen Li listened attentively while Wei Chen quietly observed from the side.

Immersed in their studies, time passed quietly and unnoticed. In the blink of an eye, half a day had already gone by.

Zhuge Yu originally planned to introduce Chen Li to his colleagues, but Wei Chen refused. After thinking about it, Zhuge Yu realized that he was too hasty. Chen Li didn’t like interacting with strangers, so it wouldn’t be easy for him to adapt if Zhuge Yu suddenly brought him to meet those teachers. After all, those people were curious about Chen Li, and Zhuge Yu couldn’t predict what kind of behavior those old fellows would display.

In the afternoon, Zhuge Yu had a theoretical class on Western Art History, and he invited Chen Li to attend the class.

Upon hearing this, Chen Li immediately turned his gaze to Wei Chen. When he saw Wei Chen nod, a gleam of light appeared in his eyes, indicating his desire to attend the class.

Zhuge Yu’s theoretical class was a large class held in the main lecture hall of the School of Fine Arts, with students from two classes attending together.

Wei Chen sat with Chen Li at the back of the classroom. During the class, Chen Li listened attentively to Zhuge Yu’s lecture, while Wei Chen watched Chen Li’s focused expression and couldn’t get enough of it.

The day was very fulfilling. When Wei Chen and Chen Li returned home, Chen Li was holding the freshman textbook given to him by Zhuge Yu. As soon as he entered the house, he didn’t even have time to take off his shoes. He sat on the sofa with the book in his hands and started reading.

It was his first exposure to fine arts and his first systematic understanding of the field. Before this, Chen Li had been completely self-taught.

Wei Chen walked over and squatted beside Chen Li, helping him take off his shoes. Then he went into the kitchen to prepare dinner for the two of them. The aroma of the food awakened Chen Li from his immersion in the book. It was only at this moment that he realized he was hungry.

Carefully placing the textbook on the coffee table, Chen Li saw that Wei Chen had already placed a pair of slippers nearby. He obediently put on the slippers and walked to the bathroom to wash his hands. When he came out, he sat at the dining table and waited for Wei Chen.

“Let’s eat,” Wei Chen said, serving the dinner and saying, “After we finish eating, let’s go to the supermarket.” The supplies in the refrigerator were running low, so it was time to stock up again.

Chen Li nodded, and his eyes were already glued to the food on the table.

Wei Chen knew that Chen Li was hungry, so he picked up a spoonful of Chen Li’s favorite dish and said, “Eat.”

Chen Li obediently started enjoying his meal.

The dinner was warm and cozy. After finishing the meal, it was already dark outside.

Wei Chen and Chen Li tidied up a bit and went out again. This time, their destination was the nearest shopping mall to the residential area. They not only needed to replenish the supplies in the refrigerator, but Wei Chen also planned to buy Chen Li a few sets of autumn clothes. Although it was still the scorching hot season of July, in a few days, the cold air from the northwest might arrive suddenly. If they waited until then, it would be too late to buy clothes for Chen Li.

Since being with Chen Li, Wei Chen discovered his hidden nurturing instinct. He always considered Chen Li’s needs in terms of clothing, food, shelter, and transportation. But Wei Chen didn’t find it bothersome at all; on the contrary, he found joy in it.

At this hour, it was no longer the peak shopping time in the mall. The usually crowded plaza had significantly fewer people at this time. Wei Chen led Chen Li straight to the men’s clothing section, and the stores were already displaying the new season’s clothes in preparation for the upcoming season change.

The salesperson stood lazily, but as soon as they saw customers enter, they immediately approached and asked about their purpose. After understanding their intentions, the salesperson enthusiastically showcased various clothing styles, but Wei Chen didn’t pay attention to any of it. He only observed Chen Li’s gaze. If Chen Li showed even the slightest hint of liking a particular piece of clothing, Wei Chen immediately asked the salesperson for Chen Li’s size and decided to buy it without letting Chen Li try it on.

The initially lazy salesperson became attentive upon seeing Wei Chen’s generous spending. They followed closely behind Wei Chen without saying a word.

After half an hour, Wei Chen and Chen Li finally left the men’s clothing section. Wei Chen initially planned to buy a few sets, but he couldn’t resist his desire to buy more clothes for Chen Li. They walked out of the store with many bags in their hands, and the salesperson, with a smile on their face, respectfully saw them off.

Because they bought so much, they went back to the parking garage to put the clothes in the car before heading to the supermarket on the first floor.

Compared to the department stores upstairs, the supermarket had more people. Wei Chen tightly held Chen Li’s hand, and Chen Li followed closely behind him, his gaze fixed on his own feet without any curiosity.

The supermarket was bustling with noise, and the voices of promoters could be heard continuously. At this hour, many fresh vegetables were on sale, and several middle-aged women and men gathered around each booth, selecting their produce.

As Wei Chen led Chen Li through the fresh produce section, they picked a few items and were about to leave when an argument broke out between an elderly man and woman. They were yelling and had attracted a crowd.

Wei Chen didn’t enjoy such commotions. He was about to leave while holding Chen Li’s hand when the old man suddenly raised his hands, unable to speak coherently. When the people around realized something was wrong, the old man collapsed to the ground.

Immediately, the surrounding people became restless. The woman who had been arguing with the old man panicked and looked helplessly at the collapsed figure.

Wei Chen quickly took out his phone and dialed 120 for emergency medical assistance. Many others at the scene did the same. Without medical knowledge, all they could do in such a situation was dial 120 and wait silently for help to arrive.

The news of someone fainting quickly spread, and the supermarket announced through the speakers, calling for any doctors among the customers. Everyone urgently called out, not wanting to witness the loss of a life.

Chen Li held onto Wei Chen’s hand and stood still, his gaze fixed on the elderly man on the ground without looking away.

At that moment, amid the noisy crowd, a clear voice rang out like an angel descending.

— “Excuse me, please let me through. I’m a medical student!”

Immediately, the crowd made way, and a young man wearing jeans and a casual short-sleeved shirt rushed in.

The young man didn’t care about the dirt and water stains on the ground; he immediately knelt beside the elderly man, assessed his condition, and quickly began performing chest compressions. The young man was focused and composed, without a hint of panic on his face, and his movements were strong and steady.

The people around placed their hopes on the young man, hoping that he, as a medical student, could save the old man before the ambulance arrived. Each person silently applauded the young man in their hearts.

Time passed second by second, and sweat began to form on the young man’s forehead. Yet, his actions remained unwavering, his lips pressed together as he continued the emergency procedures for the old man.

Perhaps it was fate that the old man’s life was not meant to end at that moment. He encountered a young man during his fainting spell, and under the young man’s unwavering efforts, the old man slowly regained consciousness. The young man had bought the old man a few crucial minutes.

Before long, the ambulance arrived, and the old man was taken to the hospital, but the young man who had saved him disappeared without a trace.

He was like a superhero who, after saving someone, vanished, concealing his deeds and name.