Takeshi if line1

In the basement, there is only one small, sealed window, and daylight is split into strips by an iron grille, the only source of light.

Gu Zhao curled up in a dim corner, grasping the cold half of the steamed bread in his hand, and swallowing it with difficulty, one bite at a time.

He couldn't remember how many days he'd been locked in the basement, and every few days the man would open the metal door and throw down a little food and water to make sure he didn't starve to death.

The last time he hid behind the door, he tried to rush out when the man opened it, but he was so starved that he had no strength left, and the man kicked him down the stairs and cursed him away.

So for the past few days, all he had was buns to eat.

Gu Zhao lifted his face against the wall, and his listless gaze fell on the only small window.

The sky was slowly darkening, and the only light had disappeared.

As another long dark night approaches, Gu Zhao hugs his legs and buries his face in his knees.

Suddenly, he heard a thud.

Gu Zhao jerked his face up, carefully recognizing the source of the voice.

"The tinkling of the notes became smooth, and it turned out that someone was playing the piano.

In the darkness, he closed his eyes, and fell asleep to the sound of the piano music.

From that day on, a voice appeared in Gu Zhao's dead world, and the darkness seemed less frightening.

The person playing the piano seems to have nothing else to do and plays the same piano song all day and all night.

Gu Zhao soon figured out his partner's routine, and could even judge his partner's mood by the changes in the sound of the piano.

Like tonight, he leaned against the wall listening to the intermittent piano music, guessing that the other man might not be having a good day.

Why aren't you happy?

Is it because, like him, he's locked up in his house and can't get out, so he has to play the piano over and over again?

Gu Zhao began to imagine that he was talking to the other man, that the uninterrupted sound of the piano was responding to him in another way.

Days went by until one day the heavy iron gate was broken open from the outside.

Bright, blinding light shone into the dark, damp basement as a starving Gu Zhao lay on the floor, struggling to raise one hand to shield his eyes.

Someone came running down against the light in stride, and he subconsciously scuffed backward, trying to hide.

It wasn't until a familiar voice called his name that he looked at the visitor clearly, tears trickling down his thin, sunken cheeks, "Grandpa ......"

Gu Zhao was taken away, and the black sedan drove slowly away from the basement where he had been imprisoned.

Just as the car passed the cottage next door, he suddenly sat up on his upper body and craned his head over the window to look out.

He saw a small figure sitting by the window, playing the piano peacefully.

As if sensing something, the man at the window looked in his direction as well.

The moment was stretched infinitely long in Gu Zhao's eyes, long enough for him to make out the little girl with shoulder-length hair, skin as white as snow, with eyes as big as a doll's, and lips prettier than flower petals.

The black sedan kept going, and Gu Zhao turned his whole body around and slumped against the rear windowpane, his dark, glowing eyes staring unblinkingly at the window.

Until the car drove farther and farther away, and the villa behind it became a small dot.

*

At the end of the summer vacation, Ji Su was taken home and told about her parents' divorce.

Despite the premonition in his mind, he cried when the moment actually came.

"Susu, don't cry." Su Yuelan squatted in front of him, "You're a little man now, promise mommy you'll learn to be strong, okay?"

Big beads of tears rolled down, Ji Su cried up and down, "Don't ...... mom, don't you don't want me oooo ......"

Su Yuelan felt as if a piece of flesh had been cut out of her body, and the pain was so great that she could hardly breathe.

As she hugged her young son, she forced herself to choke back a sob, "Susu, mommy won't not want you, no matter what, mommy will love you forever ......"

Ji Su clutched her shirt tightly with her little hands and begged as she cried, "Mommy, I will be obedient, I will be very obedient, don't you leave me ......"

"Susu, be good." Su Yuelan hurriedly wiped the tears from her face and softly promised, "When mommy stabilizes over there, she'll come back to get you."

Ji Su tearfully confirmed, "Really, really?"

"Really, mommy won't lie to you." Su Yuelan stood up with a hardened heart, "Listen to dad well and don't make him angry."

Su Yuelan was driving away, Ji Su couldn't help but run and chase after him.

But he couldn't catch up with the speed of the car at all, and could only watch the car get farther and farther away from him.

He fell to the ground and gave one last cry, "Mom ......"

It was a long time before Ji Su got up from the ground and walked back in dismay.

Ji Zhenghai was talking on the phone in the living room when he saw his son coming home dirty and frowned, "What have you been up to?"

Ji Su lowers her head, "Dad ......"

His palms and knees fell through, but Ji Zhenghai was completely blind to it and simply informed impatiently, "Your mother doesn't want you anymore and has left you with me."

"No ......" Ji Su denied in a small voice, "Mommy didn't not want me."

"Your mom just doesn't want you anymore, she thinks you're a drag!" Ji Zhenghai tone viciously, "From now on, you have to listen to me, or I don't want you either, understand?"

Ji Su deflated, and the tears that welled up in her eyes froze as they swirled back and forth in her sockets.

Dad never liked it when he cried, saying that a boy who cries is no good.

Ji Zhenghai raised his voice, "Ji Su, did you hear what I said?"

Ji Su shakes with fear: "Hear, hear, dad ......"

Six-year-old Ji Su naively thought that his mom would be back to pick him up soon.

But six months later, instead of waiting for his mom, he waited for news of his dad's remarriage.

Dad's newly married aunt is very young and pretty and speaks in a soft voice, and Dad teaches him to respect her as his own mother.

Ji Su is now in kindergarten and he knows what "stepmother" means, and he has heard his kindergarten teacher say that a child was secretly abused by his stepmother.

He didn't like or want his new mom, but had to behave and obey in order to please his dad.

It wasn't long before he overheard his dad and aunt talking about naming the upcoming Baby.

A month after her brother was born, Auntie Qin returned home with her brother in her arms.

It was the first time Ji Su had seen his brother, and he ran over to see him with a happy heart.

Aunt Qin was holding a wrinkled little baby in her arms, he felt in his heart that his brother was a bit ugly, but still he didn't dislike it, his little face came over and carefully kissed his brother.

Auntie Chin smiled and asked, "Susu, want to hug your brother?"

Ji Su nodded vigorously, "Yes!"

"Then you have to be careful." Aunt Qin admonished, placing her brother in his arms.

Ji Su hugged her baby brother tightly with her skinny arms, feeling fondness in her heart, and lowered her head for another kiss.

However he was too small and not strong enough to hold his brother.

Auntie Chin screamed, bent down to grab Baby, and pushed him away.

Ji Su falls back onto the carpet, still unaware of what has happened.

Just as Ji Zhenghai walked in, "What happened?"

"Ji Su almost fell Baby," Auntie Chin returned, "and scared my heart out."

When Ji Zhenghai heard this, he immediately walked to his eldest son in large strides, picked him up, and slapped him down hard: "That's your own brother, do you want to kill your brother?"

Ji Su was dazed by the slap and instinctively apologized, "I'm sorry dad, I, I didn't mean it ......"

"Zheng Hai, why are you moving your hands?" Aunt Qin's anger subsided and she advised again, "Susu is still young, surely she didn't do it on purpose."

"He's just exactly like his own mother, his mind is not right." Ji Zhenghai let go of his hand and warned sternly, "Don't ever hug your brother again, do you hear me?"

Ji Su walked out of the house in a muddled state, a burning pain coming from his cheeks, but he didn't care, he just kept on walking.

He would go to his mom, who never could spare a beat, and she wouldn't scold him very aggressively ......

Ji Su doesn't know the way, but he clearly remembers the direction his mother left.

He was convinced that if he kept going that way, he would find his mom.

As the sun was going down, Ji Su walked into an unfamiliar neighborhood.

The street was bustling with traffic, people coming and going, and he stood at the end of the street looking confused and utterly lost.

It was getting duskier and duskier, and it was drizzling.

The pedestrians coming and going couldn't help but look at the little boy who had fallen behind, probably about six or seven years old, drenched like a drenched chicken, but it wasn't hard to tell that he was an exceptionally good-looking child.

As the rain got heavier, Ji Su couldn't help but crouch down and huddle under the bus sign.

Meanwhile, Gu Zhao is sitting in his car, looking through the window at the lines of rain.

After coming out of the basement, he couldn't accept the small, enclosed space for a while, and had to keep the windows open every time he rode in the car, even if it was pouring rain outside the window.

There was a stoplight ahead and the driver eased on the brakes.

Gu Zhao's cold gaze stopped casually in front of the bus sign and jerked to a halt as it skimmed over a small figure.

The long line of cars moved up and the driver was about to release the brakes when the door suddenly opened.

The driver was startled, "Young master?"

Without a word, Gu Zhao jumped into the rain and ran towards the bus stop, his feet crackling in the water.

At the sound of movement, Ji Su lifted her face.

He saw a good-looking boy with dark eyes staring straight at him with pursed lips.

Ji Su thought the other person looked familiar, but couldn't remember where she had seen him before, and softly opened her mouth to greet him, "Hello."

Gu Zhao took a step closer to him, "What are you doing here?"

"I ......" Ji Su's eyelashes quivered and she spoke with a bit of a sob, "I'm lost ......"

He can't find his mom or his way home.

Kindergarten taught that children can seek help from police uncles if they are lost, but he didn't dare.

If Dad knew he was away from home, he'd face an even worse punishment when he got home.

At that moment, the driver hurried over with an umbrella, "Young master!"

Gu Zhao didn't say anything, still looking at the tiny one crouching on the ground.

Ji Su's clothes were all wet, her black hair was wet against her cheeks, one side was snow-white and flawless, the other was red and swollen, like an abandoned doll, she looked pitiful.

Gu Zhao held out a hand, "Come with me."

Ji Su's eyes were confused, "Do you know where my house is?"

"Uh-huh." Gu Zhao answered, patiently returning, "I'll take you home."

Ji Su hesitated for a moment, reaching out to latch onto the hand that was reaching toward her.

Gu Zhao held the small, cold hand firmly and carefully pulled the person up.

The driver hastily tilted his umbrella over to protect the two young boys and together they walked to the black car parked on the side of the road.