Chapter 25.1 :
A kind of like that gradually became clear
Author: Jianjia Nizi
Translator: FoxyJung
Proofreader: KainGuru
Meng Ting looked at Yan Sui for a long time. He lifted his hands then tightly embraced Yan Sui by his neck. After that, Meng Ting buried his face in Yan Sui's neck.
"Thank you." It did not matter whether Yan Sui could really do it or not. Meng Ting was already grateful for Yan Sui's intention to protect him. When he woke up after he was reborn, he wanted to become a good-for-nothing. He intended to break his own pot since it was already broken, but he did not expect that he would meet Yan Sui.
He was lucky, but he did not know how long he could take hold of this luck. However, it comes with no surprise that, as long as he could seize it, he would use all his strength to seize it. It was not only because he wanted to stay away from his previous path of fate, but also because this man was Yan Sui, a person who already became special enough for him.
"We don't need to thank each other," Yan Sui said. He looked a little helpless. He reached out and ruffled Meng Ting's hair. In his heart, he knew very well that it would take some time and effort for him to build Meng Ting's absolute trust on him.
Meng Ting gradually became elated in Yan Sui's warm embrace. He still had his arms wrapped tightly around Yan Sui's neck, then he asked in a low voice, "Are you still going to the study room?"
Yan Sui gently smiled. He continued ruffling Meng Ting's hair and said, "No, I'm going to stay here to watch TV with you."
"Okay," Meng Ting answered, but he did not sit properly. He was still stuck close to Yan Sui. He was afraid that he would not hear what was said on the TV, let alone watching it.
Yan Sui's embrace and scent made him feel safe, making him feel loved. He just wanted to be hugged like this.
About half an hour later, Meng Ting fell asleep while leaning on Yan Sui's shoulder.
Yan Sui picked up Furball from off his lap first, then he placed it aside with one hand. After that, he wrapped his hand around Meng Ting's shoulders and used the other to hold up Meng Ting's thighs. Without waking Meng Ting up, Yan Sui carried him up and went to their room, step by step.
He laid the person on the bed and Meng Ting continued to sleep. Yan Sui breathed out a sigh of relief. However, Meng Ting's arms were still wrapped around his neck and had not let go, so Yan Sui also could not take off his clothes; hence, he lied down fully dressed like this and continued patting Meng Ting lightly. Yan Sui did not get up until Meng Ting was sound asleep.
He dimmed the light, went to the study to get his laptop, then went back to their room; however, it was not because he had official business that he wanted to work on; instead, he wanted to rush the person he ordered to make a thorough investigation to pass him over bits of information about the investigation that had come out. He took his laptop to read this information.
When this information was revealed right before his face, his expression gradually changed from serious to gloomy and disheartened. He consciously suppressed his emotions. If it was not because Meng Ting was sleeping soundly beside him, maybe his complexion would have been a little more ghastly.
The best information that he had gotten from the investigation about Meng Ting was that Meng Ting followed his grandmother back home at age of seven. From the age of seven to fourteen, a child would really grow up to maturity during this seven-year period, but those seven years of Meng Ting's life... in fact, really made people furious.
Meng Ting's grandmother was really his grandmother, but her relationship with Meng Ting's mother, Yu Meixuan, was basically not good. The mother and daughter were like enemies — practically to the point where they never contacted each other, so it was impossible expecting her to be good to Yu Meixuan's son, Meng Ting.
After she took money from the Mengs, she used it for gambling on horses all day long and directly locked Meng Ting in the house, almost every day. It was common for her not to go home for two or three days. At first, Meng Ting had some congenital deficiencies. He did not know how to cry and speak until he was seven years old. Even if he was very hungry, he could only endure it.
Yan Sui saw in the file that there were pictures of Meng Ting all throughout the season when he was eight years old. He looked deathly pale, his hair was yellow, his face was as big as a palm, and his eyes were particularly big. Those eyes were full of fear and helplessness. He did not get any love and care from his grandmother — only imprisonment and hunger.
This situation lasted until Meng Ting was nine years old. He was so ill so that he almost died. His grandmother was a little scared, but in those fears, she was probably more scared if Meng Ting died, later on, the Mengs would not give her money anymore.
After his illness was cured, Meng Ting — who had never received elementary education until he was nine years old — was sent by his grandmother directly to the third grade of the neighboring elementary school to study, so it was hard to expect Meng Ting to follow and understand the lessons in the classroom. One could imagine how helpless Meng Ting was when he came to school for the first time, and also how his teachers and schoolmates looked at him.
He was almost nine years old, but he did not know a single character. He could not answer any questions and was incompatible with everything around him. Even without punishment and scolding, such a strange gaze was enough to crush a little boy, who was still less than nine years old.
However, this did not mean that Meng Ting's grandmother began to take responsibility. She still played cards and she would give Meng Ting some money when she remembered him. It was even more impossible for her to pick up and drop him off to school every day. Their living space was very messy. Meng Ting's particularity was very obvious, and he easily became the target of bullying for some older children.
From third grade until he finished junior high school, Meng Ting's daily routine was all about how not to starve, how not to get beaten, and how to make himself a little more normal.
Yan Sui looked at these few pictures. Every time he saw each of them, he felt very sorry for Meng Ting. Meng Ting's fear of taking pills and IV bottles probably started during this time. What did Meng Ting experience so that when he was hungry, he could only take medicine? Yan Sui really could not imagine it.
Yu Meixuan was too irresponsible. The Mengs were too irresponsible. Meng Ting's grandmother was also the same. She was the most irresponsible of them all. It was simply a miracle that Meng Ting was able to stay alive and reserve such temperament despite what he had experienced.
Yan Sui put his laptop aside, then lifted Meng Ting's right hand out of the quilt. There was a long thin scar on the palm of his hand. According to the results of the investigation, he had this scar when he was fourteen years old. It was before he was sent to the reform senior high school.
It was from the time when Meng Ting almost killed someone by mistake when he confronted a man. The scar was left by a middle-aged man who suddenly broke into his house and wanted to molest him.
According to the file, after a careful investigation on the man, he was actually Meng Ting's grandmother's lover. His grandmother was also partially to be blamed for the disaster that Meng Ting met.
In the end, nobody knew the situation at that time, except for Meng Ting and that man. However, everyone did not expect Meng Ting would be so fierce. He almost killed the man.
The man did not die. The Mengs spent their money and strategized to keep this matter under control. As a punishment, Meng Ting was sent to a reform senior high school, which they said would correct his violent behavior.
As for Meng Ting's grandmother and the man, they still lived well in Donglin Town.
These were all the contents in the file and there might be some mistakes and omissions, but either way, the experience that Meng Ting had in those seven years was the same as a nightmare.
Yan Sui looked at the long scar on Meng Ting's hand. The coldness in his eyes was even more distinct. He believed that the Mengs were behind this incident. Otherwise, it was impossible for Meng Ting to get away from the punishment. Instead of getting punished, he was subjected to distress continuously.
As for who was behind it, Yan Sui was still uncertain at the moment; but now that he was actually investigating it, he would not let go of all the people who were connected to the Mengs.