Butterfly and Whale - Chapter 10

On the night when she came back from Tan Island, Hu Die suddenly developed a fever, probably because she had overdrawn too much energy from a trip, and the symptoms of low-grade fever lasted for several days. She lay on the hospital bed all day, and except for eating and taking medicine, she basically slept the rest of the time.

The night before Shao Yun and his party were going back to City B, he did not tell Fang Jiayi and the others that they had visited the hospital with Jing Yu, but at that time Hu Die had just taken the medicine and fell asleep, and they just chatted with Jiang Man After a few words, he put down his things and left.

Hu Die didn’t contact Shao Yun until after the fever subsided.

It was quiet in the afternoon, and there was an endless smell of medicine in the room. She lay on the bed and looked at the photos sent by Shao Yun. He had slightly edited each of them, except for the photo of her and Jing Yue, which he did not touch.

Shao: The angle and light of the two of you are very suitable, so I didn’t fix it, and I adjusted the light for the others. You can see if there is anything else to fix. I will find time to go to the darkroom to develop the photo later. Come out and send you a copy.

Hu Die swiped to the group photo, and she looked up at the camera with a dazed expression. The boy beside him didn’t move, but turned his head sideways, and his eyes fell on her side.

In the large silent blue background, it seems that only his gaze has warmth, even if it is only through the photo, she seems to be able to find the gaze that she missed at that time.

Butterfly: No need to fix it, I like it very much, thank you Brother Shao Yun.

Shao: OK.

Butterfly: Brother Shao Yun, is it convenient for you now? I have something to ask you.

Shao: It’s convenient, what’s the matter?

Butterfly: Then shall we talk on the phone?

The next second, Shao Yun made a voice call, and as soon as he got through, Hu Die heard the sound of rushing water from his side.

Hu Die asked, “Are you training?”

Shao Yun laughed: “No, I’m watching a video.”

“Oh.”

“What’s the matter with you?” Shao Yun paused, and the background became quiet instantly.

“Hmm…” Hu Die hesitated, and slowly asked: “You told me that Jing Yue dropped out of school because of an injury, so where is his injury, is it his arm?”

“The arms were all slightly injured, mainly in the shoulder. When the car accident happened, his right shoulder was impacted, and the scapula was comminuted and fractured. More than 20 stitches were needed for the trauma.”

Hu Die took a pen to write down a few words in the notebook, and then asked: “Do you know how he is recovering now?”

“I don’t know. He walked very anxiously after he was discharged from the hospital. We were busy preparing for the competition. I didn’t meet him until March today. When we talked about swimming, he was anxious with me and asked him to do rehabilitation training. I don’t want to, like a stubborn donkey, hey.”

“So… he doesn’t want to go back to swimming now. On the one hand, it may be because of the injury, and on the other hand, it is because of his parents, right?”

Shao Yun: “Probably yes.”

“Then do you think there are more reasons for the injury, or more reasons for the parents?”

Shao Yun was silent for a few seconds: “I can’t tell, maybe half and half.”

Hu Die said yes.

Shao Yun smiled and asked, “Why did you suddenly ask about this today?”

Hu Die pressed the pen and said, “I want to try.”

“what?”

“Try to see if we can save this stranded whale.”

After Shao Yun listened, he didn’t speak for a long time, and Hu Die didn’t speak when he heard his breathing far and near.

After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly said seriously, “Thank you, Little Butterfly.”

Hu Die chuckled: “I don’t know if I can succeed.”

“No matter what the result is, thank you.” Shao Yun took a deep breath and said, “Then do you need my help?”

“There is really one thing that needs your help.”

Hu Die told Shao Yun about his plan, and after listening to it, he was silent for a long time, and when he spoke again, his voice seemed to be choked with sobs: “Little Die, thank you very much.”

He paused for a few seconds, and then said: “I’m sorry to tell you something. After I knew you were sick, I actually thought about persuading Jing Yushao to associate with you.”

He couldn’t bear another life and death.

“I understand.” Hu Die said: “You don’t need to blame yourself for this. My life is doomed to be limited, but Jing Yue still has infinite possibilities. I know what it feels like to fall from the peak, I can understand He also understands that he wants to get back on the court more than anyone else.”

Shao Yun gave a low “hmm” and slowly calmed down and said, “Then wish us success.”

Hu Die smiled: “Okay, I wish us success.”

…

After finishing the call, Hu Die read some of the contents written down in the notebook, opened a new page, and wrote six words with a pen.

— Save the Whales Project.

Hu Die stayed in the ward for the whole June.

The summer in coastal cities is long and hot. After entering July, the weather forecast has not stopped warning of high temperature.

Mo Hai’s birthday was on the second Saturday in July, Hu Die was invited to his house for dinner, and he didn’t go out until evening with gifts.

On the way, I ran into Jing Yue and Mo Hai who came to pick her up.

During this time, Hu Die hadn’t been out of the house. Jing Yu took Mo Hai to the hospital to see her a few times in time. Later, Mo Hai knew the way by himself, so he came over by himself if he had anything to do.

“Happy birthday.” Hu Die handed Mo Hai the oversized Transformer she bought for him, shook her arms and said, “It’s a good thing you’re here, I didn’t expect this thing to be so heavy.”

“There’s no need to buy him a gift, he will dismantle it after playing for a few days.” Jing Yu patted Mo Hai on the head: “I don’t know how to say thank you?”

Mo Hai hugged the toy, “I’m about to thank you!”

He bowed to Hu Die: “Thank you sister Hu Die! I like this gift very much, and I will give you a gift when you celebrate your birthday.”

Hu Die was amused: “Then sister, thank you in advance.”

The three of them walked towards Hairong Street, Jing Yu and Hu Die walked behind Mo Hai, he asked, “When is your birthday?”

Hu Die looked at him: “What? Do you want to give me a gift too?”

“Well, can’t you?”

“Of course.” Hu Die said, “My birthday is not far from Mo Hai’s. I am on July 23. The year I was born was a great heat, the last solar term in summer.”

Jing Yue nodded: “Is there anything you want?”

Hu Die was dissatisfied and said, “Is there anyone who gives gifts like you?”

He chuckled: “Okay, then I will think about it myself.”

“That’s about the same.” Hu Die asked again: “Is your birthday on November 7th?”

“Yes.” Jing Yu imitated her: “The day I was born was Lidong, the first solar term in winter.”

Hu Die complimented perfunctorily: “Wow, that’s great.”

Jing Yue: “…”

The old houses of Mo Hai’s house and Jing Yue’s house are both on Hairong Street, not very far away, separated by two alleys, the old banyan tree of the old house can still be seen from the roof of Mo Hai’s house.

Dinner was also eaten on the rooftop. Mo Hai’s parents were very hospitable. They learned about Hu Die from their nephew, and they didn’t keep her overnight, but they insisted on keeping her to eat watermelon before leaving.

The watermelon has been frozen in the well in the small courtyard. It is icy and cold. When you bite into it, the sweet juice overflows, and the summer heat seems to dissipate in this bite.

Hu Die couldn’t eat too cold, took two bites and held it in his hand to cool off, looked back at a strange blank wall in the room, and moved to Jing Yue’s side in a squatting position on the ground: “Brother Jing Yue .”

He seemed to be used to her addressing him, so he responded very naturally: “Huh?”

“What was hanging on the wall in the living room before?”

Jing Yu looked back and said, “The certificate Mo Hai got before.”

“Then why…” Hu Die realized something and stopped.

I probably feel sorry, so I put it away.

Jing Yue was silent for a while before he said: “I said that Mo Hai was very smart before, but in fact he was not just smart. Do you know what the neighbors on Hairong Street used to call him?”

“what?”

“Child prodigy.” Jing Yu squatted under the eaves, looked at Mo Hai who was sitting on the threshold of the courtyard, playing with Transformers, and said in a low voice: “Before his accident, he participated in dozens of math competitions and modeling competitions, basically He has never lost. Three years ago, he led the team to participate in a city-level competition. He had a bad stomach the day before and was still running a fever during the competition. Later, he only won the bronze medal because of his mistakes. It’s amazing, but after all, I’m still a child, and I have the mentality of not admitting defeat. Several children in the team don’t recognize him as the captain. He can’t stand the blow…That night he jumped into the sea and committed suicide. Fortunately, someone nearby saw him and rescued him At the beginning, some neighbors jokingly called him a little child prodigy. Who knew that he would lose control when he heard these words. Later, my aunt was afraid that he would be stimulated again, so she put away all the things related to the game at home. And the people around him are not allowed to call him a child prodigy again.”

Hu Die looked at Mo Hai’s back, with both unbearable and distressed eyes, and muttered in his mouth: “Why… it all ends like this…”

Jing Yue didn’t hear clearly, turned his head and asked, “What?”

“It’s okay, nothing.” Hu Die sighed lightly: “Then can he recover?”

“It’s hard. The brain damage caused by drowning is irreversible.” Jing Yue said, “Two years ago, my aunt and the others took him to see a doctor, but the results were the same. Maybe I don’t want to be disappointed anymore. They didn’t stick to it any longer.”

“Maybe it’s like what you said, maybe it’s the best for him now.” Hu Die pointed out: “But not everyone’s ending should be like this.”

Jing Yue looked at her and asked, “What do you mean?”

“It’s not interesting, I’m just talking casually.” Hu Die looked into his eyes: “What do you think I mean?”

“how could I know.”

The two suddenly played a charade.

“You really don’t know?”

“Didn’t you say it’s not interesting? How would I know?” Jing Yue stood up, his slender figure covering the moon in front of Hu Die.

He unconsciously clenched his right hand, and said in a calm tone, “It’s getting late, let’s go, I’ll take you back.”

“Wait until I finish eating this.” She shook the watermelon in her hand.

Seeing that she was eating in a hurry, Jing Yu pursed his lips and said, “It’s not that urgent.”

“Really?” Hu Die’s mouth was full of watermelon: “I hear what you mean, it seems to be driving me away.”

“No.”

Hu Die swallowed the watermelon, stood up and walked to him: “Then can I still come to play with you tomorrow?”

Jing Yu looked down at her.

Her eyes were dark and bright, and she just stared at him like that, as if as long as he refused, she could cry in the next second.

He thought of her red eyes from crying at sea before, but he still couldn’t bear it, so he sighed softly and said, “Yes.”

The author has something to say:

Start the Save the Whales Project! >3