TFSRITA Chapter 126

Jiang Cheng frowned. “I wouldn’t recommend it. The cost is too high.”

The cost would be that she wouldn’t be able to leave him until he was fully recovered.

She was an independent person with her own life.

Right now, Chu Zhao is only in the initial stages of his condition. If things got worse, he might need to stay by her side constantly. Refusing him at that point would make him completely lose control.

Jiang Cheng didn’t want to entertain this suggestion because no one knew whether Chu Zhao’s condition would improve or worsen.

The Chu family fell into silence, unsure how to help Chu Zhao recover.

…

At that moment, Qin Zhen appeared at the top of the stairs. “Chu Zhao is awake, and he’s in pain. Yan Qing, come quickly!”

Yan Qing quickly stood up and rushed upstairs before anyone else could react.

Zhou Huaiya and Chu Heng exchanged looks before quickly following, with Chu Yang trailing behind.

They pushed open the door to Chu Zhao’s room and saw him lying on the bed, both hands tied, his waist restrained by the bed. He was still struggling, his body red from the effort. A cloth was stuffed in his mouth to prevent him from biting his tongue. His eyes were bulging from the excessive blood flow, and his appearance was both disheveled and terrifying.

When Yan Qing saw him, her heart clenched several times.

Earlier, she had only seen him in an attacking state, where she had instinctively calmed herself to fight back. But now, seeing him like this—once a delicate, shy painter—had her heart aching.

It wasn’t fear; it was more a sense of discomfort, primarily from the contrast to his usual state, but also a tinge of sadness.

Yan Qing spoke softly, “Chu Zhao, can you hear me?”

“Thud, thud, thud…” His hands were bound, but he still struck the bed, making noise. It seemed like he couldn’t feel the pain, continuing to struggle.

But thankfully, after Yan Qing spoke, Chu Zhao’s struggles lessened significantly. He slowly turned his head towards her, whimpering as he did.

Yan Qing continued to speak in a calm and soothing voice, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Let’s take a deep breath together, try to calm down…”

She wasn’t sure if she was doing the right thing, but since he was responding to her voice, she chose to continue, trying to calm him down gently.

Chu Zhao stared at her for two seconds, and to everyone’s surprise, he started taking deep breaths.

…

Zhou Huaiya bit her lip, watching her son with deep sorrow. She didn’t understand why her son had to suffer so much. The regret and sadness almost overwhelmed her, but the scene unfolding before her gave her a little comfort, allowing her to continue living.

Chu Heng tightly held his wife, his throat tight, and his breathing heavy.

Chu Yang and Jiang Cheng also stared intently, but not a single person made a sound. They all tried to remain as quiet as possible.

Yan Qing let out a sigh of relief, her voice even softer now. “Chu Zhao, are you hungry?”

Sorry, but it was the only topic she could think of at the moment.

To her surprise, Chu Zhao seemed to calm down even more. His struggles weakened, and slowly, his hands stopped moving. His eyes were no longer as frightening, though they were still red. He looked at Yan Qing, no longer with madness in his eyes, but with a pout, as he softly muttered, “It hurts…”

His voice, muffled by the cloth, was filled with a kind of pitiful whine that made everyone present’s hearts ache.

Yan Qing tentatively reached out to massage his wrists. “Does this help?”

Chu Zhao’s face flushed red, and he obediently nodded, finally quieting down completely.

He stared at Yan Qing without blinking, his eyes filled with a bit of shyness. If it weren’t for his current state, he looked just like a teenage boy gazing at the girl he liked.

Yan Qing carefully removed the cloth from his mouth. Seeing that he didn’t resist, she let out a sigh of relief. “What would you like to do now?”

Chu Zhao seemed unsure of his state. When she asked, he replied casually, “Paint.”

“Okay, let’s paint.”

Qin Zhen came over and removed the restraints from him, lifting him into a wheelchair. Yan Qing stayed by his side, not leaving.

Chu Zhao usually calmed down as long as he wasn’t provoked, so they were relatively confident.

Zhou Huaiya followed her husband out, not wanting to watch anymore. Her heart ached too much.

When Chu Zhao said he wanted to paint, he truly meant it.

He was trained in oil painting, and every tool he used—paper, brushes, paint—was the highest quality. As he painted, he would occasionally glance at Yan Qing with a smile, as if checking to make sure she hadn’t left.

Yan Qing noticed this and stayed quietly by his side, waiting and occasionally lying on the couch to take a nap.

She woke up when she got hungry, and when she opened her eyes, she saw a painting in front of her. It was a picture of her sleeping. Her face, with a little more weight, looked far better than it had when it was too thin. In his painting, she appeared even more beautiful.

Her closed eyes were carefully detailed, with long lashes that created delicate shadows on her eyelids, like a gray little fan. Her pale skin and slim body, casually lying down, had a kind of effortless grace. Even her slightly yellow hair seemed to shimmer with golden light under his brush.

Yan Qing looked at it for a moment, then blushed. “Did you add ten filters to this?”

Chu Zhao blinked, his eyes wide with confusion. His slightly raised eyebrows added a touch of charm, and his soft brown eyes seemed to speak. He asked, “What’s a filter?”

In his eyes, Yan Qing was just like this—beautifully pure, with a voice so soothing it calmed his restless heart. In her eyes, he was just him, a normal, living person. And in her eyes, he too was as beautiful as the painting he’d created.

Yan Qing chuckled and said seriously, “Thank you.”