But the moment he slipped out the door, he ran straight into Rong Zhenqiao, who was already awake and walking down the hallway.
"Ouch!"
Rong Xingyu's nose slammed into his older brother's firm chest sending a sharp sting through him.
Weren't big brother and the others sleeping on the third floor? Why was he here this early?!
He wanted to rub his sore nose but didn't want to let go of the pillow in his arms, so he just held it tightly and endured the pain.
Rong Zhenqiao didn't speak. Instead, he raised his hand and pinched Rong Xingyu's small nose between two fingers.
Rong Xingyu tilted his head back in surprise. "Uh?"
Then those fingers gently rubbed his nose in small circles.
"…Thank you, big brother?" Rong Xingyu said awkwardly.
Rong Zhenqiao's gaze dropped to the pillow in Xingyu's arms, his brow furrowing slightly.
Before he could ask, Rong Xingyu bit his lip and quickly explained, "I—I accidentally spilled some water, so the pillow got wet. I just wanted to go dry it outside."
"You don't have to do that kind of thing yourself," Rong Zhenqiao said with a tone that was calm but hard to read. "Go back and sleep a bit longer. Come down for breakfast later."
"Ah?" Rong Xingyu blinked his eyes in dazed and then nodded his head obediently. "…Okay."
Rong Zhenqiao watched him turn around and walk back to his room with the pillow in his arms. For some reason, something in his chest tightened.
Had he been crying? Did the boy not realize how red his eyes were?
Of course, Rong Xingyu had no idea what his brother was thinking.
After breakfast, he left the Rong family house.
Rong Zhihao had refused to come down, claiming he was in a bad mood, so only Rong Xingyu and his two older brothers were at the table.
As he sat in the car afterward, Rong Xingyu sighed softly and looked down at his phone. He realized that he had fallen asleep last night without replying to Dr. Ding's message.
Oh—there was a new one.
It was a sticker.
A cute cartoon bunny was lying in bed while rubbing its eyes, saying "Good night."
What was that?
Rong Xingyu couldn't help but laugh out loud.
While smiling, he typed out a reply to Dr. Ding, his fingers moving carefully across the keyboard, he was still not very fast at texting.
Outside, the rain from last night had cleared. A few dark clouds still lingered at the edge of the sky.
Just as he put his phone away, a beam of sunlight broke through the clouds scattering into countless golden rays that shone down across the earth.
Half of Rong Xingyu's face was lit up by the sunlight. He squinted his eyes and for the first time in a long while, he felt a deep sense of peace.
Live well, Rong Xingyu.
In the western suburbs of the capital stood a large villa that few people ever entered. Its basement was dark and damp, untouched by sunlight all year round.