SDVPP Chapter 61

When Chi Han woke up, Rong Xu was already gone.

There were several new voice messages on WeChat.

Chi Han lowered his eyes and listened to them one by one.

——Chi Han, by the time you wake up, I should be on the plane. I had someone bring breakfast over, remember to eat.

——I didn’t finish opening last night’s gifts with you. I didn’t know what you’d like, so I bought a lot. If there’s anything you don’t like, just toss it.

——While I’m away, don’t move out. You can use any of the rooms. If there’s anything you don’t like, just throw it away and replace it with something you do.

This was probably the most Rong Xu had ever spoken.

Chi Han buried his head into the pillow, replaying the messages over and over. His heart ached terribly.

After a while, he took a deep breath and tapped on the next voice message.

——This time I’m going abroad mainly to treat my leg. The team over there said it’ll probably take about a year, so I might not be able to come back anytime soon…

——Chi Han, don’t be mad. I didn’t ask you to come with me because it’s too far, and the treatment plan is a closed-off one—no visitors allowed. Even if you came, you wouldn’t be able to see me.

At that, Chi Han couldn’t hold back and cursed.

Bullshit!

What closed-off treatment, what not being able to meet!

This was clearly just a way of telling him not to secretly come over!

“You think I’m an idiot? Damn Rong Xu…” Chi Han’s lips trembled slightly. A moment later, he suddenly covered his eyes and felt a patch of dampness in his palm.

Not letting him come along. It was clearly because even Rong Xu himself didn’t know whether his leg could be cured.

To first give hope, only to crush it into the dust with utter despair… Rong Xu had intended to swallow all of it alone from the very beginning.

“Idiot…”

Chi Han pressed the phone against his chest, feeling pain all over his body.

In the original novel, even when Rong Xu held immense power in the end, he still couldn’t stand. Let alone now.

Duo Fu also seemed to sense that someone was missing from the house today. It crouched by the edge of the bed, front paws up and head resting on them, silently watching Chi Han.

Chi Han sniffled, the corners of his eyes red. He reached out and placed his hand on the dog’s head, and at once felt it nudge against his palm a few times.

“Duo Fu…” Chi Han let out a small laugh. Looking into those round, dark eyes, his voice came out hoarse. “What do we do if your dad doesn’t want the two of us anymore?”

Duo Fu could only sense that its owner seemed very sad. It gave a small “woof” and licked Chi Han’s hand.

Chi Han reached out and lifted it into his arms. The warmth brought him some comfort.

He gently stroked its fur and murmured, “Then let’s wait for him to come back together, okay?”

Duo Fu let out a soft, contented hum as it was petted and settled obediently into Chi Han’s embrace, unmoving.

In the end, Chi Han didn’t say anything else—he just replied to Rong Xu’s WeChat with one message:

I’ll wait for you to come back.

……

There were still more than half the gifts left unopened in the living room on the first floor, so Chi Han had no choice but to take another day off.

In the end, even the butler joined in on the battle of unwrapping presents.

Peace Day candies, Christmas hats, winter scarves and earmuffs, red envelopes for the New Year, and even clothes and accessories for every season…

These weren’t just birthday gifts—it was like he had bought every holiday gift and daily necessity for the whole year!

The butler sighed with a smile, “This is way too much…”

Chi Han’s lips pressed into a slight line, but there was a stinging soreness in his eyes. He quietly stacked the gifts neatly to the side without saying a word.

He didn’t dare imagine what kind of mood Rong Xu had been in when picking out these presents.

Just the slightest thought made his chest ache unbearably.

Seeing Chi Han like this, the butler also sighed softly to himself.

Others might not have noticed, but he could see it most clearly. Young master Rong had obviously held young master Chi at the very center of his heart.

Though he didn’t know why the Rong family’s young master had left so suddenly, judging from the current situation… it seemed unlikely he’d be back anytime soon.

The butler let out a quiet sigh, the smile fading from his face, and said no more.

The two of them spent the whole afternoon sorting the gifts into the cabinets. After dinner, Chi Han returned to his room and didn’t come back out.

Later in the afternoon, Rong Xu finally replied on WeChat—just a single, short word: “Okay.”

There was no other message after that.

Chi Han opened the chat again and again, over and over, but in the end, he still didn’t send a single word.

Right now, Rong Xu was probably undergoing examinations or maybe still en route.

He didn’t know anything. He couldn’t do anything.

Rong Xu had only been gone for a single day, and yet Chi Han already felt as though there was a vast distance between them.

So far that he couldn’t even hear his voice anymore.

After lying there for a while, Chi Han sat up in bed. He picked up a set of exam papers, forcing all the thoughts in his heart to scatter.

At this moment, only studying could temporarily pull his mind away from missing Rong Xu.

That’s right. He had to focus on preparing for the college entrance exam.

Chi Han gently stroked the photo on the desk, the one of the two of them together in the classroom. His eyes softened a little.

Once the exams were over, Rong Xu would probably be back.

By then, no matter what stood in their way, he would confess his feelings.

…

In a private hospital room abroad.

Rong Xu sat frowning as he endured various instruments probing at his legs. Ever since he left Chi Han, that gentle tenderness in his gaze had completely disappeared.

“What’s the result?”

He reached out and pulled the blanket beside him over his legs, his face ice-cold.

Several doctors in white coats were studying the examination report and discussing quietly. When they heard Rong Xu’s voice, the lead doctor pushed up his glasses, thought for a moment, and said, “Mr. Rong, for now, you can rest for the night. We’ll have the detailed surgical plan ready for you by tomorrow at the latest.”

Rong Xu gave a slight nod and reached for the phone by his side.

The assistant, seeing this, immediately stood up and ushered all the doctors and technicians out of the room, thoughtfully closing the door behind them.

The room was well soundproofed. The moment everyone left, silence fell.

Rong Xu had long grown used to such an environment.

He opened WeChat and saw that their chat history still stopped at several hours ago. A chill surged up and threatened to swallow him whole.

Chi Han… was he angry?

The moment the thought arose, Rong Xu suddenly panicked.

Separated by such a great distance, he couldn’t see Chi Han and couldn’t hear his voice.

What if Chi Han never spoke to him again?

If Chi Han never responded again…

Rong Xu clutched the phone tightly, like a fish thrown onto the shore, chest so tight it felt like it would explode.

He regretted it.

He wanted Chi Han to be by his side.

If Chi Han refused, then even if he had to tie him up, he would never let him leave again.

Rong Xu felt as though he were sinking right from the center of a swamp.

Everything around him was dragging him down together.

And the only one who could save him hadn’t come.

“Chi Han…”

Rong Xu murmured softly. The nightmare that had haunted him again and again these past days was finally coming true.

Buzz buzz…

The phone clutched in his hand suddenly vibrated, and a message popped up.

Rong Xu slowly loosened his grip and lowered his head to look. His pitch-black eyes seemed to be veiled by a mist that wouldn’t lift.

Chi Han: [Did you arrive at the hospital? Is it cold on the way?]

Chi Han: [What a pity. Without Teacher Rong’s private tutoring, I don’t know how well I’ll do on the college entrance exam next year.]

Rong Xu let out a deep breath, his heart thudding wildly.

It felt like someone had pulled him out from a cold, suffocating swamp and brought him somewhere warm, so familiar it made his whole body tremble.

Rong Xu raised a hand to clutch his chest, his palm jolted by the violent pounding inside.

He slowly typed out a reply, word by word: “Just finished the examination. If there’s anything you don’t understand, just send it over.”

Chi Han’s response came quickly: “Can we video call?”

Rong Xu paused, then looked toward the mirror on the nearby table. The face reflected in it was frighteningly pale, and the hospital gown he wore was a constant reminder that he was a patient.

The white walls of the hospital room were so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

He didn’t want Chi Han to see him like this.

Rong Xu hurriedly replied: “No. I have more tests coming up soon.”

Chi Han was silent for a moment before finally sending: “Alright then, go to sleep early after your checkups.”

Rong Xu’s fingertip hovered over the screen. No matter how he tried, he just couldn’t bring himself to send that one simple word—“Goodbye.”

He wanted to see Chi Han. He wanted to hear his voice. He wanted this moment to last forever.

Just one day apart, and the longing in his heart had already grown wild like weeds.

But no matter what, even the longest separation would eventually pass.

And now that he knew Chi Han wasn’t mad at him, he was already more than content.

The corners of Rong Xu’s lips lifted faintly, and at last he sent the word: “Goodbye.”

But before he could put his phone down, a new message from Chi Han arrived.

Rong Xu paused in surprise. Usually, once their conversations ended, Chi Han wouldn’t send more messages—worried the vibration might wake him.

Did something come up suddenly?

Rong Xu furrowed his brow and opened the message.

And in just one glance, he froze.

Chi Han had sent a tiny emoji. It might’ve been a mistake. The emoji showed two little bunnies lying under the same blanket, giving each other a goodnight kiss.

Maybe it was just a built-in emoji from the keyboard. Maybe Chi Han tapped it by accident. Or maybe…

Rong Xu kept searching for a reason, but after the message was sent, Chi Han never retracted it.

Rong Xu held the phone tightly. Slowly, his ears began to heat up.

He kept staring at those two little bunnies kissing each other over and over again.

Just like him and Chi Han…

Rong Xu suddenly tossed the phone aside and pinched the bridge of his nose.

What should he do? Right now, he really, really wanted to go back.

---