The Seaview Villa quietly changed owners.

This matter didn’t stir up much of a splash. The heir of the Ren family had mental problems and was undergoing compulsory medical treatment for intentional injury. Naturally, the family was beset by troubles both internally and externally.

Business ran into trouble one after another, and many partnerships were severed. Amidst the panic, the Ren family had already packaged and sold off many assets.

Although the villa at Seaview was sold smoothly, no one was seen moving in immediately. Instead, it was first thoroughly cleaned and renovated from the inside out, and the garden was also re-landscaped by professionals.

Although no one knew the situation inside the villa, the old shop owner near the villa’s private beach and the regular tourists who came to chat all felt that the beach seemed to be starting to look like it did ten years ago.

…

Ten years ago, Seaview was specially renovated by Ren Shuangmei, intended as a gift for Luo Chi.

This villa was supposed to be Luo Chi’s thirteenth birthday present, and every detail inside was filled with thought.

The ocher-red roof had an extremely high saturation. On a clear day, it would merge with the clouds into a burnt sunset glow. If the sea became foggy, one could recognize the villa’s location at a glance by its red spires.

The villa originally had brick walls, but many of them were painted snow-white, with paints readily available everywhere, so that Luo Chi could paint anything he liked on them.

The small house Luo Chi lived in was embraced by the garden. At that time, it was always meticulously cared for by dedicated staff, ensuring that one could see vibrant and lush vegetation from the window, while also guaranteeing that sunlight could shine in at any time.

If Aunt Ren had also come to the villa, she would have most likely pulled Luo Chi to stay in the main villa without a second thought—there was actually a room for Luo Chi there as well. The rooms she chose for Luo Chi all had super spacious terraces, from which one could see the sea at a glance and hear the gentle sound of the waves at night.

The back of the villa was surrounded by reefs. Following the reefs up the low mountain, there was a pavilion in a very good position at the top. Standing in the pavilion, one could just see Luo Chi’s small house.

Down the stone steps was the beach, which was well-sheltered from the wind, perfect for barbecues and bonfire parties.

…

These arrangements were kept as a surprise, a secret strictly guarded, with not a single detail revealed to Luo Chi. By a careless mistake, it was hidden for ten years.

For ten years, the villa had been inhabited by many unrelated people. Many of the original arrangements had also been altered or left to fall into disrepair.

Ming Lu had his men thoroughly clean up the traces of the past, found the designer who was originally responsible for the villa’s renovation, and renovated it from the inside out as much as possible, finally restoring it to its original appearance.

Until this evening, the main house was finally almost tidy.

When Ming Lu crossed the garden and arrived at the small house, Luo Chi was being picked up by Ming Weiting and placed on the hammock in the garden for successfully picking up ten seashells.

The hammock was installed by Ming Lu and his men, intended only for decoration. Luo Chi’s right leg was completely useless, making it difficult to maintain balance. The moment he was placed on it, it began to swing violently.

Ming Lu’s heart leaped, and he hurried over. “Sir—”

Ming Weiting shook his head. “It’s fine.”

His expression was not serious when he said this, and there was even a very faint smile in his eyes.

Ming Lu turned his head to look closely and found that Luo Chi, despite swinging around dizzily, still had the leisure and energy to raise a hand and greet him.

The one who was fearless was, naturally, the happy Luo Chi.

Although the hammock was swaying violently, he firmly believed he was a great flame who could handle anything, so he found it exciting instead, even wanting it to swing more violently.

Ming Weiting had been watching him intently, only suddenly reaching out a hand to steady him in time when Luo Chi was about to fall out of the hammock.

Luo Chi hadn’t had his fill of swinging. Ming Weiting adjusted the ropes of the hammock again and gently pushed and pulled him back and forth a few times.

This time, the hammock only swayed slightly. Luo Chi gradually found the knack for balancing, holding the edge with his left hand and slowly poking his head out from inside.

Luo Chi was having a great time, his eyes sparkling, his forehead beaded with a thin layer of sweat. “Uncle Lu.”

Ming Lu breathed a sigh of relief and smiled along with him, walking over to greet him. “Huo Miao.”

While Luo Chi’s attention was diverted, Ming Weiting suddenly reached out and gave the hammock another gentle swing.

Luo Chi was startled and immediately found it exciting. He was swung back and forth by Ming Weiting holding the hammock and couldn’t help but laugh out loud with excitement.

…

It wasn’t hard to see that this game had probably gone on for several rounds already.

Ming Lu actually hadn’t expected Ming Weiting to play this with Luo Chi, but looking at the scene before him, it didn’t seem surprising either. On the contrary, after watching for a while, even he couldn’t resist grabbing one of the hammock ropes and swinging it in the opposite direction.

Luo Chi was attacked from both sides and swung even more unsteadily. He laughed until he coughed a little and immediately guessed someone else was causing trouble. “Uncle Lu!”

Seeing that he was about to fall, Ming Weiting switched sides and steadied Luo Chi along with the hammock.

One of Luo Chi’s hands and legs was inconvenient, but it didn’t affect his ability to find his balance at all.

Luo Chi held onto the rope with his left hand and immediately popped his head out of the hammock.

He was faster this time than the last. Ming Lu hadn’t even had time to withdraw his hand from the rope.

Ming Lu coughed lightly and raised his hands in surrender in coordination.

Luo Chi sat majestically in the hammock.

There was also a smile in Ming Weiting’s eyes. He reached out and picked Luo Chi up. “Uncle Lu, is the main house tidy?”

“Yes,” Ming Lu said. “Sir, are you staying the night?”

Ming Weiting looked down at Luo Chi. “Sleep in the villa?”

Ever since his right hand had shown improvement, Luo Chi refused to let people help him with too many things. He was leaning against Ming Weiting’s shoulder, concentrating on wiping his sweat with a few tissues.

He had been too absorbed in playing just now. His heart was still pounding hard, and the sounds around his ears were almost drowned out.

Only when he felt the shadow beside him fall did he realize the other person was talking to him. He raised his eyes and met Ming Weiting’s gaze.

“Do you like it here?” Ming Weiting stroked his hair. “Do you want to stay?”

Luo Chi recognized the content and blinked lightly.

…

Before this, Luo Chi had been recuperating on the cruise ship. It had been adjusted to be very comfortable, but the cruise ship was moored at the pier, and it was still some distance from the real sea and beach.

The happy Luo Chi was naturally satisfied with everything—in fact, for most of the time, Luo Chi hadn’t paid much attention to where he was.

As long as Mr. Shadow was by his side, Luo Chi would bury his head and single-mindedly exercise his right hand. Recently, besides strength, a new item of control had been added. Ming Weiting would hold a seashell in his hand, stand a few steps away, and have Luo Chi reach out to take it, which made it much more difficult than before.

The Luo Chi who was focused on tackling difficulties was the same everywhere. As long as he wasn’t in a hospital, not tied to a bed with tranquilizers and unable to move, he felt very satisfied.

It was just that when he was half-asleep, he would sometimes be unable to suppress the part of him in the fog due to exhaustion. The Luo Chi who briefly woke up would stare blankly at the distant sea outside the window.

…

After remembering the incident with the seashell, Luo Chi would often be in a daze like this.

He had already sorted out the memories from the Luo family to Seaview, but the larger part submerged in the fog was still a vast expanse of chaos and blur.

To this day, Luo Chi still hadn’t completely figured out what had happened to him.

Why Mr. Shadow had suddenly appeared, why he had to take so much medicine just for a broken leg.

Why, when they had arrived at the seaside, they weren’t in the villa, and he hadn’t seen Aunt Ren.

“You can sleep here, or in the main house.”

Ming Weiting slowly laid out the options for him. “You can also go back to the cruise ship and come back tomorrow.”

Luo Chi hesitated for a moment. “Is Aunt Ren coming?”

“She can’t come for now,” Ming Weiting said. “Huo Miao needs to recuperate properly.”

This was not the first time he had answered this question from Luo Chi.

The last time Luo Chi remembered the seashell incident, the headache had been so severe he had lost consciousness. He had later slowly fallen into a deep sleep while unconscious and had slept like that for a day and a night.

Because he had slept for too long, Ming Weiting had already planned to take him for a check-up early the next morning. Luo Chi happened to wake up at that time.

The awakened Luo Chi seemed to have sorted out more content than before, but also because of this sorted-out content, he subconsciously believed he was recovering from a broken leg, so he had been waiting for Aunt Ren.

…

Luo Chi, having gotten his answer, slowly nodded.

He looked at the small path in the garden. His expression, which had been carefree for many days, seemed to have unknowingly acquired a hint of worry.

This bit of worry would not exist in his outer consciousness for long. After a night’s sleep, it would be collected back into that fog.

The sky gradually darkened, and the moonlight became more obvious, leaking through the leaves of the lush climbing vines.

The weather had been very good all day, and there was not much wind at night. Ming Weiting didn’t have to worry about him catching a cold, so he wasn’t in a hurry either, just waiting patiently for Luo Chi.

“…The main house,” Luo Chi finally made a decision. “I’ll be a guest.”

All the details had been specially restored. Luo Chi shouldn’t have felt unfamiliar with the Seaview Villa. Ming Lu was stunned for a moment. “Who’s the guest?”

Ming Weiting’s shirt was pulled by Luo Chi. He answered proactively, “Me.”

Ming Lu still hadn’t quite come to his senses. He watched as Luo Chi was carefully placed in a wheelchair by Ming Weiting. His body slumped softly to one side. He subconsciously went to support him but was stopped by Ming Weiting’s raised hand.

Luo Chi’s expression was exceptionally serious.

He was not at all uneasy because of his poor condition, nor did he ask a single question. He just focused on trying to adjust his strength and regain control of his body.

Today’s physical strength had been almost exhausted. A thin layer of sweat slowly beaded on Luo Chi’s forehead. He found the knack for exerting force bit by bit, propped up his body, and sat up steadily in one go. He finally straightened his shoulders and let out a satisfied sigh of relief.

…

In the morning, he still had to rely on Mr. Shadow for help. After a whole day, and with the experience of sitting up in the hammock just now, he could smoothly find the corresponding skills and tricks.

Today’s exercise was an absolute success. Luo Chi couldn’t help but feel happy again, the corners of his pursed lips unable to suppress their upward curve.

It wasn’t his first time in a wheelchair. He still remembered how to operate it. He skillfully turned the electric wheelchair in a circle, so he was facing Ming Weiting.

Luo Chi’s eyes were super bright. “Who’s the guest?”

Ming Weiting had seen him and Aunt Ren play this question-and-answer game. He smiled along with him and squatted down. “Me.”

Luo Chi immediately pursed his lips, then immediately suppressed the smile, looking super serious. “Who’s the guest?”

Ming Weiting was also serious, tidying his collar. “Me.”

“Huo Miao’s lucky fan, visiting Huo Miao’s house as a guest.”

Ming Weiting answered him seriously, then, in a tone learned from the internet, made an objective comment on the matter, “Why is the lucky fan so excessive? He didn’t even bring a gift.”

Luo Chi really couldn’t hold back his laughter this time. He didn’t know what he was happy about, but he just couldn’t stop laughing. It wasn’t until he wanted to raise his hand to wipe his tears that he finally remembered his left hand had to support his body, and his right hand was too tired to move.

If he couldn’t move, then he couldn’t move. Who cares?

Anyway, he would definitely get better in the future. Mr. Shadow said he would get better in the future.

Since he could get better in the future, what he had to do now was to work hard to prevent this body from getting worse, to ensure that on the day of recovery, he could jump up on the spot and play the guitar, drive, and surf.

Ming Weiting raised his hand and lightly tapped the wet eyelashes with his bent index finger.

He seemed to know what Luo Chi was thinking and specially reminded him, “And pay back your debts.”

Luo Chi laughed until he coughed and had to nod. “Pay back debts, pay back debts.”

How could there be such a lucky fan? He had already come back to the villa with him as a guest, and all he knew was to ask him to pay back his debts.

He wouldn’t default on his debts. He never defaulted on his debts.

…

This thought came up. His heart, which had been filled with so much happiness that it was almost like soaking lazily in sun-warmed seawater, was suddenly knocked twice by a particularly familiar force.

The place that was knocked suddenly hurt a little. It wasn’t a sad kind of pain, but more like a guilty conscience of knowing one was wrong, finally quietly rising from a long-frozen numbness.

…How could he not default on his debts?

He had promised so much, yet he hadn’t been able to accomplish a single thing.

He had promised Aunt Ren many things, he had made many guarantees… He clutched that seashell, and his head was tapped again and again by the bedridden Aunt Ren.

“You have to find someone you like the most,” Aunt Ren tapped him. “Bring them back for Auntie to see.”

Aunt Ren tapped him. “You have to bring them back as a guest.”

Because of some very boring people and very boring things, he had not fulfilled a single appointment with the most important person… This serious mistake made him unwilling to just end it like this. He still wanted to live.

He still wanted to live.

He still wanted to live.

Luo Chi’s chest felt as if it had been suddenly knocked open by these few words, and a cool breeze suddenly rushed in. He subconsciously held the armrest of the wheelchair.

It wasn’t any of the many kinds of pain… it was a feeling he hadn’t had for a very long time.

He remembered his broken leg. When the wound began to heal, it was itchy, a special kind of pain and numb itch that ran all over his nerves and kept him from sleeping.

Aunt Ren held him, not allowing him to move around and touch the wound, and chatted with him all night.

They talked about the places they wanted to go, the things they wanted to do, the most important person they would definitely meet in the future.

They talked about all the things that could only be done by living for a long time.

For some reason, the heart in his chest suddenly began to pound, as if it was fulfilling an appointment that had not been realized for too long.

…

Luo Chi recovered from a palpitation. His clammy palm was covered by another hand.

The owner of the hand held his, while the other hand was raised to carefully wipe the moisture from his eyelashes. “Why are you crying?”

Luo Chi did not answer, did not hide, and did not move. His eyelashes trembled slightly at his touch.

Ming Weiting was slightly stunned. He held Luo Chi’s hand and looked carefully into those eyes.

Those eyes were covered with a layer of mist. It was the first time he had seen this situation when Luo Chi was fully awake.

The awakened Luo Chi was also dazed. He seemed to have no idea what had happened either, just looking around slowly with some confusion.

A wind blew into that dense fog for the first time.

The figure trapped in the fog, almost melting into it, suddenly struggled silently. That struggle seemed to have quietly cracked open a gap.

In the dense fog where there was nothing, a tender leaf stubbornly emerged, looking at the figure in front of it.

“Recuperate well,” Luo Chi suddenly said.

He found this word, and then he had to find the next one.

…

There was a very important matter to ask about.

Ming Weiting squatted down and looked into Luo Chi’s eyes.

Luo Chi looked at him, seeming to want to ask a very important question, but was a little afraid to speak.

Ming Weiting repeated in a low voice, “Recuperate well.”

Luo Chi nodded.

He slowly clenched his palm.

He had been in this fog for a long time. It had been a long time since he had thought so seriously, racking his brains about something.

He hadn’t thought about this for a long time, so long that just thinking about it, a longing that had burst its banks, a longing he himself had never noticed, suddenly overflowed.

Luo Chi’s throat moved slightly.

He clenched his fist and asked softly with extra care, “Can I live for a long time?”