Chapter 14.1: Broken Heart

Title: Baby”s Breath

Translator: System Yaoi

Note: Kindly read this novel at https://secondlifetranslations.com/novel/babys-breath/

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Chapter 14 Broken Heart

“What to consider?

Xue Youka didn’t know, but then he heard Cheng Yu say, “Did you hear clearly?”

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“R blyae nzlyazu, usw pyke vs nsdpkela kv, bxx.”

Ubldt Zw qkdyzzu vwadle vs zssj yv bkx yde pyo vbyv bl oyp pvkzz byrrkzu lyvkdt nakpru dssezlp.

Rq R alqwpl, okzz Dwl Ykxk nau?

Ubldt Zw clnyxl lhld xsal yddsule.

“Mbl xleknkdl kp yrrzkle,” Dwl Zswjy vkzvle bkp blye yde zssjle kdvs bkp lulp, “Jasvbla, uswa oyvnb byp clld akdtkdt.”

Mbl oakpvcyde nswzed’v cl vwadle sqq, yde Ubldt Zw nswzed’v vyjl kv sqq lkvbla, ps bl bye vs vau vs nsdvasz bkp lxsvksdp. “Nlv’p ts, R okzz vyjl usw bsxl.”

Dwl Zswjy oyp yqayke sq lmrspkdt vblka plnalv, ps bl oldv cynj vs bkp ywdv’p bswpl qkapv. Tl pyo vbyv bkp nswpkd byed’v alvwadle ulv, ps bl pyke bl nyxl cynj lyazu, yde bkp nswpkd oswze byhl vs pvyu cynj qsa y obkzl – vbkp oyp kd zkdl okvb vblka eywtbvla’p pvuzl, yde bkp ywdv eked’v pwprlnv yduvbkdt. Fbl pkxrzu eashl bkx cynj.

Rd vbl nya, bkp ywdv xldvksdle vbyv vblu oswze cl pbkqvkdt rzynlp kd y qlo eyup. “El yal xshkdt, ps vbl bswpl okzz cl lxrvu.”

“Aunt, won’t you come back?”

“We will come back, but your cousin has to go to school, and I have to take care of Gaogao. We won’t be able to stay for more than a few days.” The main reason for going to the big city was not only for their daughter’s education but also for their son’s illness. “When the time comes, you can come to Beijing and visit during your vacation. Aunt will take you to climb the Great Wall.”

His aunt drove slowly. “The house will be empty, when you start middle school, come live at your aunt’s house.”

Xue Youka shook his head and said he could ride a bike to school.

“It’s not about letting you stay for free. When you have free time, help your aunt clean the house. A house needs people living in it to have vitality. Your grandparents are also moving in to live with us, and your grandmother can cook for you. With so many people taking care of you, you won’t lack motivation for studying.” She said this because she knew that there wouldn’t be many opportunities to come back, and it wouldn’t be good to leave the house empty or rent it to someone else. It was better to let family members live in it.

When they arrived home, Xue Tianliang was passed out on the sofa, unconscious.

He Xiaoyou was humming a song while washing her hair in the bathroom, sounding in a good mood. Xue Youka greeted her and was about to go to his room when He Xiaoyou stopped him. She turned her head, her hair full of foam, and said, “Mimi, this weekend, Mom will take you to Qingzhou to attend an English lecture.”

He Xiaoyou occasionally took him to attend lectures, and Xue Youka had gotten used to it. He responded with affirmation and went into his room after washing up. After locking the door, he released the fireflies from the bottle.

In a dark room without lights, scattered fluorescent lights illuminated the walls covered with anime posters.

In a drowsy state, Xue Youka suddenly heard suppressed arguing.

“Xue Tianliang! I won’t give you a single cent anymore. Mimi still needs to go to school, and this money is for his education. Don’t even think about touching it!”

“You come home only once a month. How can you call yourself a father?!”

“Lower your voice… Don’t wake up Mimi.”

Xue Tianliang came back for a few days every month, which avoided conflicts, but sometimes they still argued.

Xue Youka thought sleepily, could it be true what Hupi’s Mama said, that Dad was gambling outside.

Soon, the arguing outside ceased. The next morning, Xue Youka saw that all the fireflies had died, so he picked them all up and put them back in the glass bottle.

He Xiaoyou made breakfast for him. “Mimi, your dad will take you to Grandma”s house for a few days. He will bring you back on the weekend.”

Xue Youka looked at her and then at Xue Tianliang. Both of them didn’t seem as happy as yesterday.

“Okay,” he obediently replied.

At Grandma’s house, Xue Tianliang turned off the car engine, took out his wallet, and gave Xue Youka two hundred yuan. “Buy a gift for your mom. Did you empty your piggy bank?”

Xue Youka didn’t want to take it at first, but suddenly remembered their argument last night.

He reached out and took the money.

“Dad, I’ll keep this money for you and give it back to you later.”

Xue Tianliang chuckled lightly, as if sighing. “Good child.”

“Don’t buy lottery tickets anymore,” Xue Youka didn’t know if he was gambling outside or not, and he didn’t bring up the topic. He leaned over and hugged Xue Tianliang. “Don’t make Mom angry either.”

Xue Tianliang’s nose felt a bit sour, and he rubbed his son”s hair. “Hmm, Dad promises you.”

After getting out of the car, Xue Youka suddenly shouted “Dad” through the car window.

Xue Tianliang watched as his son kissed the glass and heard his voice saying, “Dad, I love you.”

Then Xue Youka ran off.

The word “love” was not easy for them to say out loud, but Xue Youka would occasionally say it. Because he knew his parents loved him, and his thinking was simple. He believed that adults could also be hindered by love, and no matter what conflicts arose, they would vanish because of this ordinary yet powerful word.

Hu Pi knew he had come back and ran to find him to go to the arcade, and although Xue Youka really wanted to go, he still refused.

“I have something to do this afternoon. I made plans with a friend.”

“Which friend did you make plans with? A classmate? We can go together!”

Xue Youka thought for a moment and felt that Cheng Yu would definitely not like Hu Pi.

“It is someone you don’t know. He asked me not to tell anyone.”

Hu Pi left a little unhappy, and seeing him like that, Xue Youka also felt uneasy. It was probably because of Xue Tianliang and He Xiaoyou’s issues that his mood was affected, and he couldn’t get excited all day.

In the afternoon, he buried the glass jar containing the fireflies under the fig tree and created a makeshift grave for them. Then he lay in the treehouse alone, listening to music and daydreaming.

Children at this age are most sensitive to their surroundings. Adults treat them as children, but they don’t realise that children understand everything. Xue Youka fell asleep like that and was awakened by someone.

He crawled out of the treehouse and was surprised to see Cheng Yu standing below. “Why are you here?”

“Your house door was open, and no one was inside. Aren’t you afraid of burglars?” Cheng Yu called out to him. “Kid, come down.”

Xue Youka rubbed his eyes. “No one will steal anything.”

“You said you’d be my guide. You didn’t forget, did you?”

“Where do you want to go? Shall I take you to see a waterfall?”

“There’s a waterfall here?”

“Yeah!” he exclaimed. He climbed down the rope ladder, but unexpectedly, the wooden planks on the ladder suddenly broke. He stepped into thin air, and Xue Youka didn’t even have time to react before falling from the one-metre-high rope ladder. In an instant, everything spun around him.

He happened to fall in the direction where Cheng Yu was standing. Cheng Yu initially intended to move out of the way, but in that split second, there was no time for rational thinking. He instinctively reached out and caught him.

Cheng Yu held onto his waist from behind, but the sudden force of gravity was too heavy. Cheng Yu took a step back and fell to the ground.

Cheng Yu lay on the grass, with the fig tree leaves rustling above his head and a pollution-free blue sky with white clouds. The scent of Xue Youka’s short hair was near his nose, along with the warmth of his skin, causing Cheng Yu’s heart to beat uncontrollably.

It felt incredibly unfamiliar.

After several seconds, Xue Youka finally reacted. He wasn’t hurt from the fall, and someone was holding him – beneath him was a cushion of flesh, and he could clearly feel the warmth emanating from Cheng Yu”s body.

“Hey,” Cheng Yu, lying underneath, moved his arm from around his waist and lightly tapped his arm with his fingertips. “Take me to see the waterfall?” he said.

**

“So this is the waterfall you were talking about?”

Cheng Yu looked up at the stream of water gushing out from the centre of the mountain gorge and falling into the pool.

The pool was about half the size of a basketball court, not deep, and the water was crystal clear, allowing the bottom to be seen.

“Of course, it’s called a waterfall. I used to come here with Hu Pi and a few other guys to swim.” Xue Youka sat by the edge of the pool, took off his shoes, and put his feet in the water. “We would take turns showering underneath it.” He pointed at the waterfall. “We would all take turns.”

“Showering?” Cheng Yu turned his head to look at him, unable to help his surprise. “You, with… several boys?”

“Yeah, it was either third or fourth grade. I can’t remember,” Xue Youka lay down and gazed at the sky, watching the daisies sway in the wind by the poolside.

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