Chapter 129: Breaking Through the Clouds

Liang Zhirou hesitated for a moment before slowly extending her hand and using it to stand up.

She hadn’t expected Chen Lu to bring her back to the park where they had first met.

Perhaps because the elderly gentlemen and ladies who exercised there had already bought their breakfasts and gone home, the entire park was empty and deserted.

Chen Lu occasionally looked around, searching for traces of his memories.

Since moving, he hadn’t actually returned here once.

To be honest, his memories were quite blurry. Even the slide he used to play on frequently, he only recognized after staring at it for a long time, realizing it had been replaced with a new one.

Kids these days don’t play on these anymore, they probably all gather together to play mobile games during their vacations.

He really missed the days when he used to play spinning tops with them every day.

Just as he was thinking this, the girl beside him suddenly stopped.

“You said that to me here.”

Liang Zhirou pointed to a spot nearby, speaking softly.

Chen Lu looked at her in surprise, “You remember so clearly?”

The girl gently nodded her head, her gaze still fixed on that spot, as if recalling something. “At the time, they wouldn’t tell me how serious my dad’s illness was. I figured it out myself. Kids just don’t know much, they’re not stupid…”

She turned her head and met Chen Lu’s gaze, “For me and my mom, it really felt like the sky was falling. Even back then, I was wondering, what would happen to us?”

Chen Lu didn’t say anything, just listening quietly.

“Back then, I couldn’t understand why everyone else had a dad, but I was about to lose mine. Then, because I couldn’t breathe, I ran away by myself.”

“Actually, I’ve always wondered, why do so many hardships have to happen to me?”

“But not anymore.”

As Liang Zhirou spoke, the corners of her eyes curved upwards, revealing an extremely sweet smile. “At least, heaven let me meet you.”

How could her smile be so beautiful…

Chen Lu only had this thought at the moment.

For some reason, he suddenly remembered Yu Hua’s words, ‘Never believe that suffering is worthwhile.’

Dwelling on past or present suffering is truly meaningless. What matters is to always have a heart ready to embrace the sunshine while seeking solutions.

After all, the gloom will eventually dissipate.

Losing the ability to smile when the dawn arrives is when you are truly defeated by suffering.

Fortunately, this silly girl was far stronger than he imagined. She had succeeded.

Chen Lu smiled and took the girl’s hand, saying softly, “It seems I didn’t play with you back then, so I’ll play with you now.”

Seeing that Chen Lu was pulling her towards the slide, Liang Zhirou quickly whispered to stop him, “That’s too childish…”

“I bet you’ve never played on this thing since you grew up.”

After all, this silly girl was already a freshman in college when she returned here.

Chen Lu looked at the girl with disdain and pulled her to the tall slide. “This might be childish for elementary school kids, but it’s just right for college students.”

He then set an example by bending down and climbing up.

The slide that took several steps to climb up as a child, he could now climb in one or two steps, even bending over.

“I’m coming down!” Chen Lu shouted with a smile.

However, because he was tall, his feet touched the ground as soon as he slid down the slide.

He blinked in astonishment.

It felt like he could slide for a long time when he was younger.

Seeing this, Liang Zhirou turned her head, unable to help but smile slightly.

Seeing the girl’s smile, Chen Lu felt even less embarrassed. He walked over and tried to pull her to play together.

When will this silly girl realize that she can’t smile secretly in front of me? I’m watching you all the time.

In the end, she was coaxed and pushed onto the slide by Chen Lu.

“Hurry up and slide down.”

Chen Lu raised the corners of his lips and urged her.

Liang Zhirou looked down at Chen Lu from above, then at the slide that was too short for her now, and simply placed one foot on the railing, saying to Chen Lu:

“Catch me.”

Even big kids have their childish ways.

Chen Lu was stunned for a moment, then saw the girl leaping high into the air.

She closed her eyes tightly, unable to feel the weightlessness before Chen Lu rushed over and caught her.

This was the first time she had experienced being carried like a princess, and she didn’t expect it to happen in this way.

“If I were any weaker, I wouldn’t have been able to catch you,” Chen Lu said with a hint of reproach.

Really, how could a simpleton like her be so crazy at times.

Liang Zhirou hugged Chen Lu’s neck tightly and smiled faintly, “You won’t, my boyfriend is the strongest.”

Chen Lu felt very flattered and held the girl even tighter.

“You can play however you want, after all, I said ‘if’.”

In the time that followed, Chen Lu took Liang Zhirou to experience all the things he used to play as a child. He even ran over to borrow a remote-controlled airplane when a child came to play with it.

Finally, they were tired from playing, and the two walked hand-in-hand, slowly. Liang Zhirou felt the touch of his hand, and her mood became increasingly calm.

After all these years, coming back to this place that meant nothing to her, there were many similarities, but also many differences.

“Let’s go back,” Chen Lu said to her.

No matter what the future holds, you don’t have to face it alone.

……

After returning, they waited at the operating room door for three hours. The door, which seemed to never open, finally creaked open slowly.

A doctor wearing glasses, looking extremely capable, walked out.

“How is she?”

Before Chen Lu could stand up, Liang Zhirou, who was always shy, ran to the doctor first, asking anxiously.

“Very optimistic. With today’s medical technology, there’s no problem dealing with this situation.”

“The rest depends on how the post-operative recovery goes. Anyway, she’ll definitely be able to walk in the future. Oh, and the most important thing is that she can’t stop rehabilitation training.

Good recovery is the key to getting rid of the crutches.”

The doctor instinctively reminded her, but for those who have lost the ability to walk, this reminder is unnecessary.

Because they understand the value of it more than anyone else, they will never neglect rehabilitation training.

“The patient has severe muscle atrophy, and it may take a long time to recover. Be prepared.”

The doctor pulled his mask, looked at Liang Zhirou and said, “You’ve done a good job. If she hadn’t been massaged regularly, she wouldn’t be so optimistic now.”

He turned and went back to the operating room, feeling a little bit of emotion. For so many years, he had been massaging his mother’s legs on time every day. Could he do it if it were him?

He couldn’t help but ask himself this question.

Later, Liang Zhirou leaned against Chen Lu’s arms and cried for a long time.

……

A week later, even though the doctor suggested observing her for another two days, Xiao Xunfang insisted on being discharged.

After all, she wasn’t even receiving fluids anymore, just observing her condition, which could be done anywhere.

Even if she didn’t understand, she knew the difference in cost between a single room and a multi-bed room.

Chen Lu pushed the wheelchair, Liang Zhirou carried a canvas bag, and they followed slowly behind him.

“I owe you so much.”

Xiao Xunfang said softly.

“Auntie, she’s recovered!” Chen Lu ignored this and pushed the wheelchair, smiling as he said, “Next time my mom wants to beat me up, you can protect me!”

“Okay, okay.” Xiao Xunfang nodded with a smile.

The three of them chatted and laughed as they walked down the alley, eventually disappearing around the corner.

A ray of morning light finally broke through the clouds, shining into the quiet alley, illuminating the dewdrops on a blade of grass by the wall.

Like a transparent diamond, sparkling brightly.