26 Gotcha

At that moment, Song Zhuyu felt like he had become a wildlife photographer as he crouched amidst the shadows with his senses on high alert, ready to catch the faintest movement around him. 

After maintaining the same position for fifteen minutes and swatting away three mosquitoes that wanted to suck his blood, he finally heard the crisp crunch of dried leaves being stepped on, signaling someone else's presence. 

From within the darkness, Rui Ye came into view, his fingers delicately caressing each trunk he passed through as though ensuring the path he took was correct. 

His eyes were still blindfolded with a black cloth as per last night. Dressed in a pristine white shirt and black straight-cut pants, he looked almost like a forest spirit.

Song Zhuyu watched unblinkingly as the blind man slowly made his way to his location, even forgetting to breathe. His eyes traced over the man's visage— his black hair was braided on one side, with the longer part ended in a short braid that barely touched his shoulder, his complexion still appeared as pale as ever, and he looked so skinny that Song Zhuyu couldn't help but wonder if the food Ma Boliu brought was his only meal for the day. 

This person was a human, without a doubt. At least, Song Zhuyu couldn't sense any abnormal dark energy around him. 

And the realization prompted him to release a quiet sigh. How old was this person again? Eighteen? Nineteen? One thing for sure, he seemed no older than twenty. To think that such a clean and beautiful young man was being ostracized and secluded from birth until this day…

Song Zhuyu had no idea whether he should call the islanders ruthless or ignorant. 

Without moving, Song Zhuyu continued to watch as the young man halted five steps away from him before bending down to grab his food… only to touch empty air. 

"...?" A look of confusion crossed his features as he groped around, yet still touched nothing. 

The corner of Song Zhuyu's lips twitched with a hint of amusement. The box of food Rui Ye was searching for was right beside Song Zhuyu's feet, and at this rate, it would be impossible for the blind man to locate it even until sunrise. 

Feeling a little bad for bullying the innocent, Song Zhuyu finally opened his mouth to reveal his presence, "Rui Ye, isn't it? Is the character 'Ye' taken from the night sky? You have a beautiful name."

The sudden voice echoing in the middle of the clearing where there wasn't supposed to be anyone, even more so at such close proximity, spooked Rui Ye so much that he literally jumped in extreme shock. His mouth fell open in a silent scream as he frantically snapped his head to the direction of Song Zhuyu's voice, panic and confusion evident in his features. 

In reflex, he retreated a few steps in an attempt to flee, but the haste caused him to trip on his own feet instead. His breath abruptly seized when he felt himself losing balance, and he subconsciously flailed his hands to grab onto something – anything – yet all he could reach was empty air. 

Yet one second before he tumbled to the ground, a strong and muscular arm swooped in to catch him by the waist, preventing his fall!

"Careful," Song Zhuyu couldn't help but click his tongue as he examined the young man whose height barely reached his shoulders. He pulled Rui Ye back to his feet, yet his arm remained looped around the young man's slender waist, preventing him from running away. "Why are you always so quick to run? Hmm? Am I a monster?" he teased. 

In order to inspect Rui Ye's appearance more closely, Song Zhuyu pinched his chin to raise his head, but then his brows creased when he heard the young man's short and rapid breathing. Not only that, his entire body was trembling like a leaf, and he looked like he had difficulty breathing.

"Ah," a sudden realization dawned on Song Zhuyu. He released his hold on Rui Ye and took a step back, creating some space between them. "I'm sorry, was that too much?"

For someone who had gotten used to being isolated, who had lived most of their life with minimum human interaction, they would surely find themselves at an utter loss if they were suddenly approached. Song Zhuyu admitted it was entirely his fault for springing up on the other person without much thought, but he certainly did not expect that, as soon as he let go, Rui Ye would turn around and bolt away!

Barking out a surprised laugh, Song Zhuyu easily grabbed the blind man's arm and pulled him back to him. What he did not take into account was how light Rui Ye was. As a result, his back promptly collided with Song Zhuyu's chest, causing their bodies to press together. 

"Gotcha," Song Zhuyu whispered with a low voice, stifling a mirthful chuckle. He hooked an arm around Rui Ye's neck and this time, he no longer let go no matter how badly the other person was shaking and trembling in fright. 

For some reason, the sight of Rui Ye's bloodless and quivering lips amused him to no end. This was the first time someone had been so greatly frightened of him upon first encounter, and it was a very novel experience for Father Song. Nonetheless, the thought of scaring such a kiddo didn't quite sit well with him, and he released a helpless sigh, his tone softening as if he was coaxing a child,

"Don't be afraid," he soothed. "I'm not going to hurt you, okay? I just want to talk. Aren't you here to fetch your food? Here." With gentle care, Song Zhuyu dropped the box onto Rui Ye's arms. "Don't forget it. Also, I'm so sorry for scaring you last night. Did you even eat after that?"

Perhaps it was the familiar shape and weight in his arms, or the comforting aroma of the food, or maybe it was the magical effect of Song Zhuyu's gentle and reassuring tone, but Rui Ye quickly began to calm down, though his lips remained bloodless. 

Tilting his head up, he parted his lips to speak, allowing Song Zhuyu to catch a glimpse of his quivering throat. "You… last night…?"

His voice was soft, light, and extremely hoarse, indicating that it had been some time since he had last spoken. He also spoke in halting words as though he had forgotten how to form coherent sentences, but Song Zhuyu understood him nonetheless.

"Ah yes, it's me." At that moment, Song Zhuyu's grin resembled a predator who had caught his prey, but too bad the other person couldn't see it. "Apologies for not introducing myself sooner. I am Song Zhuyu, and I arrived here just yesterday. Pleased to make your acquaintances."

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A/N: father song, don't scare the baby too much QAQ