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Chapter 27: I have a friend…
When Qi Tongzhou slowly returned to the parking space of the convoy, the student union and others were busy assigning tasks for loading the goods onto the cars.
Zheng Yucheng, who had stepped out ahead of him, was nowhere to be seen.
Qi Tongzhou knew that he had been manipulated by Zheng Yucheng, who was deliberately trying to tarnish his impression of Chen Wengang. However, he couldn’t immediately erase this mental contamination and go back to the time when he hadn’t heard anything.
So, when he saw Chen Wengang, he couldn’t help but recall Zheng Yucheng’s words about him admiring strength.
Was it true? What kind of person was considered strong? Were there any standards? How could one be considered capable of protecting him?
In short, he became entangled in his own thoughts.
His teenage concerns were temporarily ignored, and one volunteer after another boarded the cars.
Each Jinbei van, besides the driver, had a tall male student accompanying them, enough for unloading at the destination. Among them, Chen Wengang also joined one of the vans, but his had the student union president, You Ying, in it as well.
When Qi Tongzhou snapped out of it, not wanting to be left behind, he boldly squeezed himself into one of the vans.
The Jinbei van, modified for transporting goods, had its rear seats removed. Chen Wengang and You Ying, taking care of the prospective junior, spontaneously offered him the only available front passenger seat. They sat face-to-face on crates in the cargo area, making Qi Tongzhou feel a bit embarrassed.
You Ying, not particularly concerned, chatted with Chen Wengang, “It’s a pity you weren’t there last time. Professor Huang invited us to his house for dinner, saying it was to reward everyone for their hard work during this period. He’s really nice and even promised to guide me in my thesis next year.”
Chen Wengang remarked, “Congratulations. It looks like you won’t have trouble getting recommendation letters then.”
You Ying, very pleased, replied, “Of course not. I can’t let him off easily.”
Qi Tongzhou, listening to their conversation with his ears perked up, took the opportunity to interject whenever he could.
In a good mood, You Ying promised the aspiring freshman, “Tongzhou, when you report for the next semester, if you want to join the student union, make sure to apply right away. I won’t step down by then, and I can speak up for you in any department you want to join.”
“Sure.” Qi Tongzhou seized the chance to ask Chen Wengang, “Which department are you in?”
Chen Wengang smiled, “You’ll have to ask the senior about this matter. I haven’t joined the student union.”
Unexpectedly, You Ying suddenly mentioned, “Speaking of this, there’s something strange. Do you know where the rumors came from? Recently, someone on the school forum even hinted that our event was a preparation for you to parachute in as the vice president of the student union.”
Qi Tongzhou twisted his neck and asked, “What do you mean by parachuting in? What’s the meaning?”
You Ying explained, “Normally, students join the student union in their freshman year, do various tasks for a few years, and then run for office. Of course, no one works for free; they all aim to earn extra points here and there. Suddenly bringing in a student leader like this, how do you think people would perceive it?”
Qi Tongzhou immediately understood. This was behind-the-scenes manipulation, insinuating that Chen Wengang was benefiting from privileges without putting in the effort.
Moreover, his quick-thinking mind wondered why these baseless rumors existed. If it wasn’t true, then someone must feel blocked by Chen Wengang.
“In any case, this is absolutely baseless,” You Ying confidently said. “I was the one who decided to appoint an additional vice president, and there’s no way to bypass me in the process. How could I not know?”
“After you replied, how did that person respond?” Qi Tongzhou asked.
“What else could they say? They just remained silent,” she replied.
“Is this forum from our school?” Qi Tongzhou took out his phone with some curiosity and said, “I want to check it out.”
“It’s from our school, but you won’t be able to see it now; it has been deleted,” Yu Ying said, “thanks to my efforts.”
Chen Wengang was a bit puzzled, as if sensing something.
Qi Tongzhou looked at her curiously and asked, “Are you also a forum administrator, senior?”
Yu Ying said, “No, I’m not. I just submitted a suggestion to the school suggestion box on behalf of the student council, stating that we recently discovered poor management of the student forum, chaotic order, and rules being virtually ignored. I suggested that the Network Technology Department conduct a rectification… and it got approved.”
Chen Wengang was momentarily stunned, as if having a premonition.
Qi Tongzhou laughed, as if listening to a story, “Our school principal is so easy to persuade?”
Yu Ying said, “I wasn’t sure initially. But the student council should be concerned about student affairs, so why not give it a try? If he doesn’t take it seriously, I can always go to the school media. Especially the Confession Wall section, it’s a disaster area. How can people still dig into girls’ information under the guise of confessing? With just the initials, grade, and major, it’s easy to identify. Anyway, I didn’t like it, so I got rid of it.”
***
The scenery outside the car changed from the urban area to the suburbs. The welfare home they were heading to was on the far outskirts, and it took the driver two hours to get there.
The streets were narrow and packed with illegally parked cars, causing a traffic jam. The Jinbei couldn’t get through and had to stop outside the intersection.
With the driver included, the four of them got out of the car. However, Chen Wengang grabbed Qi Tongzhou, who was about to run ahead, and said, “Wait.” He took the bewildered Qi Tongzhou to a small clothing store by the roadside, smiling, “I’ll buy you a pair of pants.”
Qi Tongzhou lowered his head, “Isn’t my pants okay?”
Chen Wengang pointed to the logo on the edge of his pants pocket and said, “When we go in later, these rhinestones of yours might be picked off by the kids. If another child picks it up from the ground and puts it in their nose, it could be dangerous. It’s dangerous for your pants and for them.”
Qi Tongzhou followed him in, casually picking up a pair of sports pants. Such stores were not known for their styles, falling somewhere between ordinary and old-fashioned, making him completely abandon the trendy route. When he came out of the makeshift changing room after lifting the curtain, he felt a bit disdainful.
But as he looked up, Chen Wengang had already given the money to the shop owner, who was giving him change.
Qi Tongzhou touched the pants seam and suddenly felt that these pants were not that ugly after all; instead, they carried a unique significance.
Back at the street corner, the driver had already unloaded two boxes of books using a trolley. They helped push them across the uneven streets.
Qi Tongzhou saw the dreary cement walls, topped with glass shards, enclosing two six-story buildings that resembled teaching blocks. A faded sign hung by the door, vertically displaying the institution’s name, “House of Hope Children’s Welfare Institution,” which was their destination.
The moment Qi Tongzhou entered, he was stunned.
In his eyes, this black iron gate separated two completely different worlds.
As soon as he entered the courtyard, Qi Tongzhou understood why there was concern about his rhinestones—several children playing freely rushed toward them. The older ones were in their teens, and the younger ones were five or six years old, bustling around, clinging to them without letting go.
Chen Wengang, at some point, had bought a bag of fruit candies. He handed them to You Ying, and upon opening it, they were quickly shared among the children.
The director signed a “Confirmation of Donation Acceptance” in the office and handed them the prepared donation certificate.
Subsequently, the staff led them on a tour of the living area as visitors.
Here, Qi Tongzhou realized that the kids who could run and play were considered lucky.
With You Ying leading, he followed. As soon as they entered a room, he saw about a dozen infants in cribs.
The room environment wasn’t bad; there was air conditioning and air purifiers. However, it still felt oppressive. Some of the children lay in cribs with abnormally large heads, while others were held by staff members, their mouths slanted and their eyes askew. Some had saliva dripping, and others had physical disabilities…
Hardly any of them were physically healthy.
Under the bright incandescent lights, staff members fed them, gave them medicine, and changed diapers soiled with feces and urine.
The smell of disinfectant mixed with various odors, creating a scent that even the air purifier couldn’t completely eliminate.
Goosebumps appeared on Qi Tongzhou’s arms. He hesitated and bumped into Chen Wengang’s chest, who was behind him.
Chen Wengang supported him, “Are you okay?”
Qi Tongzhou was momentarily stunned, feeling embarrassed for himself.
Actually, they didn’t explore too deeply; they took a quick glance and were about to leave to avoid disturbing the normal life here. As they descended the stairs, Qi Tongzhou saw a little boy hiding at the corner of the staircase. The boy was eight or nine years old, physically healthy, and looked like he could run and play.
Qi Tongzhou waved at him, wanting to greet him. He silently wondered why no one had adopted such a healthy child. Suddenly, the child, full of hostility, gestured with his middle finger and mouthed, “Get out.”
When they walked out of the gate, he unexpectedly felt a sense of regaining freedom.
The driver asked if they needed a ride, and upon receiving a negative answer, he drove away in the Jinbei, leaving three students strolling along the street.
Chen Wengang bought three ice creams from a roadside window – one strawberry, one chocolate, and one vanilla.
Unable to carry all of them, he gave one to You Ying first, then took one from the shop assistant and gave it to Qi Tongzhou.
Qi Tongzhou took a sip, tasting the cool sweetness of chocolate ice cream, and finally, his scattered thoughts returned.
It seemed that in just half an hour, the concept of happiness had been redefined. Being able to buy and enjoy ice cream outside made him feel that life was good.
Chen Wengang seemed to understand his feelings, “Were you a bit shocked?”
“Ah, no, no,” Qi Tongzhou quickly denied, “Actually, I just… didn’t quite grasp it for a moment. I know that most abandoned infants are left because they are sick, and the pediatric intensive care unit in the children’s hospital might be similar… I guess I overreacted.”
Chen Wengang smiled at him.
Qi Tongzhou admired his composure but didn’t know if he had already been through this phase of desensitization.
Fear of deformed bodies was an instinctive reaction for ordinary people, but exposure could lead to desensitization. In his previous life, the team from the Niansheng Foundation had brought many college student volunteers to such places, which was also why Chen Wengang was willing to bring Qi Tongzhou along.
Feeling that he didn’t handle it well, Qi Tongzhou thought for a moment and asked Chen Wengang, “Do you usually volunteer at this place?”
Chen Wengang replied, “No, at another one in the city.”
Qi Tongzhou made a request, “Could you take me there next time too?”
Chen Wengang didn’t refuse, “I happen to have something to do there tomorrow; you can come along.”
***
The next day, Qi Tongzhou went with him as expected.
This time, he remembered to wear lighter clothes and brought some candy.
The welfare institution Chen Wengang mentioned, called “Home of Love,” indeed had better facilities, but it still accepted many disabled children. However, Qi Tongzhou had prepared himself mentally and didn’t show any signs of distress. He gave the candies to the staff.
There wasn’t a tour today, but as they passed a partially open door, Qi Tongzhou peeked through and saw a two or three-year-old girl.
The child sat on the couch, giggling at him, incredibly sweet and without a hint of worry.
Qi Tongzhou couldn’t help but feel happy, “Wengang, look, she’s so cute.”
Chen Wengang knew her and whispered some information to him, “She’s not actually laughing… she can only make that one expression.”
Qi Tongzhou exclaimed, “Oh.”
The child suffered from a rare developmental disorder known as Angelman syndrome.
She always had a radiant, angelic smile, but that smile held no meaning; it was merely a sickly facial expression. The child’s intellectual capacity was limited to that of a two-year-old, and she would never establish a genuine emotional connection with the world.
She wouldn’t remember those who cared for her, couldn’t learn to speak or think, and wouldn’t even crawl or walk without training.
This disease was a genetic problem, and currently, there was no specific treatment or any possibility of a cure.
Qi Tongzhou felt a tightness in his chest, but this time in a different way.
He stood outside the door in a daze, and the staff who was feeding the child noticed them.
She seemed to be familiar with Chen Wengang because when the diaper was used up and needed to be replaced, she asked him to help watch for a while.
The overhead monitor was flashing red, making Qi Tongzhou a bit nervous as he stood with his hands hanging down, afraid of being caught doing something inappropriate.
Chen Wengang picked up the spoon and continued to feed the child with supplementary food. She took a couple of bites, but it all came back out. Chen Wengang swiftly caught it with his hands, threw it into the trash bin, grabbed a tissue, and casually wiped his hands, accustomed to the routine.
In an instant, something unspeakable swelled up in Qi Tongzhou’s heart.
Director Liu of this Home of Love was very familiar with Chen Wengang and warmly received them in the meeting room.
Soon, another middle-aged man, self-introduced as Ma Wen, the person in charge of a certain Hope Foundation, arrived.
If You Ying were here, she might recognize him as the one with the stubble they had met before.
While the discussion included Qi Tongzhou, it was conducted professionally and was not entirely comprehensible. He could only lean on his chin and watch Chen Wengang, listening to them talk about ABA behavior analysis, key response training, targeted intervention methods, behavior management, and behavior therapy… The only thing he understood at the end was that Director Liu wanted to establish a non-profit special education institution.
The foundation took the lead in proposing the project and had already applied for a location from the government. Currently, they were in the process of recruiting staff.
Qi Tongzhou interjected, “Does it require a substantial amount of funding?”
The rugged Ma Wen laughed at the university students and said, “Money is always a problem. However, talent is an even scarcer resource. You future pillars of society, if you want to gain some experience, we welcome you.”
Qi Tongzhou politely nodded.
Unexpectedly, Ma Wen patted Chen Wengang’s shoulder and said, “Someone like him has already been informally accepted. The appointment letter has been signed. He will be a cornerstone of our team in the future.”
Chen Wengang smiled shyly under Ma Wen’s pat. He had too much scholarly aura, making this bearded man look like a weather-beaten sailor.
Qi Tongzhou was surprised and asked Chen Wengang, “Are you planning to dedicate yourself to this full-time?”
Chen Wengang did have that plan, and there was nothing to deny.
Director Liu thought that the young student might find this job’s starting point low, “Working in an NGO, the initial salary may not be very high, but for young people, it’s a different kind of experience, a unique life experience.”
Qi Tongzhou knew the general principles she was talking about. What surprised him wasn’t that.
His surprise was more like suddenly realizing that Chen Wengang was such an independent-minded person.
And this uniqueness was unexpectedly discovered by him, making him secretly delighted.
***
In the evening, Qi Tongzhou was having dinner at home, but his mother noticed his absent-mindedness and laughed, “What are you thinking about?”
Qi Tongzhou quickly lowered his head and continued eating, “Nothing, Mom, just eat your food.”
In reality, his thoughts had drifted off, and he had shamelessly fast-forwarded to a scenario where he wondered if his future in-laws would like him. His parents doted on their youngest son, and even when he came out during adolescence, they accepted the fact very calmly. So, there were no obstacles in that regard.
Since imagination wasn’t against the law, Qi Tongzhou began fantasizing about how he would introduce Chen Wengang and his career to his parents.
However, when he hesitated to speak, “I have a friend…”
His older siblings teased, “Yes, you have a friend.”
Qi Tongzhou got a bit annoyed: “It’s not about me! I really have a friend, and I’ve noticed that he’s exceptionally kind.”
But after hearing his story, his older brother calmly said, “He should be considering a career in politics.”
This reaction left Qi Tongzhou a bit confused, “What politics? From which politics? He hasn’t mentioned any such intentions.”
His older brother sighed: “Didn’t you say he’s actively involved in charity work and plans to gain experience working for an NGO?”
Qi Tongzhou confirmed, “Yes.”
His sister asked, “Didn’t you also say he wants to pursue a master’s degree in sociology to research certain social issues?”
He nodded, “That’s right.”
He saw his older brother and sister exchange a glance.
Then his older brother chuckled, “Silly little brother, isn’t he accumulating political capital? Especially in the field of charity and public welfare, as long as he can make some remarkable achievements, long-term attention, and promotion of certain social issues, most likely he’s thinking of taking this shortcut.”
Qi Tongzhou turned his gaze toward his father, who agreed, “We aren’t sure about his future plans, so you guys shouldn’t make baseless speculations. But if he’s considering a political path, this plan seems suitable. I think this young man should be quite intelligent.”
The more he heard, the heavier Qi Tongzhou’s heart became. It was like unrequited love, not yet reaching its climax, suddenly having the rug pulled out from under it.
Qi Tongzhou might be slow to react, but he wasn’t foolish. He had already figured it out—his family was more astute than he thought, and the words were meant as advice for him.
It’s not that entering politics was a bad thing; Chen Wengang could shine on this path. However, the atmosphere in the country was not very open. If he decided to climb the political ladder, he would inevitably have to compromise with tradition. At most, he could resist the pressure and not get married… in reality, Qi Tongzhou didn’t dare to expect even that much.
Let alone hoping that he could defy all odds and find a lifelong partner in another man.
Qi Tongzhou’s heart sank; even without much thought, he knew he wouldn’t have any place in that scenario.
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