Chapter 62 - 1#
Jing Shun was very interested in this charity event, agreeing to the invitation as soon as it was extended. A week later, he set off with the official team of the charity organization—
Starting from Haishi, they traveled all the way to Yi County, a poverty-stricken county in the southwestern part of Chuanshi.
The bus, loaded with charity supplies and volunteers, stopped at the gate of the county’s only Love Primary School.
The mountain roads were full of twists and turns. The nearly dizzy crowd scrambled off the bus. Jing Shun deliberately stayed until the end, slowly stepping down the ladder with his crutches.
“Jing Shun.”
Someone called his name.
Jing Shun looked up to see Chi Gui standing by the door, waiting to help him. He reached out a hand. “Come on. How do you feel? Tired?”
As an officially initiated charity event, the team had dedicated personnel to film and document the trip.
Chi Gui never liked being on camera. For other commercial events in the past, whenever he was caught on film, Chen Yiming had to review and delete the footage.
To avoid any trouble this time, after the team landed at Chuanshi Airport, Jing Shun had proactively suggested that they travel in separate vehicles—
He would ride with the other artists, entrepreneurs, and organizers on the charity bus, while Chi Gui would join the ordinary civilian volunteers on the private bus.
Jing Shun got off the bus and said in a low voice, “I’m a bit sleepy, and my lower back is a little stiff.”
They had set out early this morning—a three-and-a-half-hour flight, plus nearly four hours on mountain roads. Even without moving much, their physical and mental energy was mostly drained.
“Want to rest?”
“No, I’m not going to be special.”
Doing charity wasn’t like going on a trip; there was no leisurely break time. Jing Shun wasn’t delicate.
Soon, the lead organizer raised a megaphone and spoke. “Alright, everyone, attention, please!”
“The teachers and students are now gathered on the playground to welcome us! In a moment, please follow the groups assigned to you on the bus—”
“Group A is responsible for organizing the group movie screening, Group B for distributing the aid supplies, Group C for setting up the overnight tents, and Group D for preparing the group dinner.”
“That’s all for now. Thank you for your hard work!”
Yi County was very small, with only one run-down guesthouse in the entire county. The school didn’t have enough beds either, so for convenience, all volunteers would sleep on the school playground tonight.
The two stood at the back of the crowd. Chi Gui’s sharp eyes caught the camera crew starting up again, so he cautiously put his mask back on.
He asked, “Which group are you in?”
Jing Shun said, “I didn’t draw. Teacher Chen, the organizer, knew I wasn’t very mobile, so he put me in Group A.”
All he had to do was play the film on a computer, explain some film knowledge, and answer the students’ questions about the movies.
For Jing Shun, it was a perfect fit.
He asked in return, “What about you?”
Chi Gui replied, “The organizer probably didn’t know how to assign me, so he told me to do whatever I wanted. I chose Group B.”
Hearing this, Jing Shun smirked. “Yeah, after the Chi family donated so much money this time, you’re basically the golden benefactor. Who would dare give you a tough task?”
“Charity isn’t about status. We’re all the same.”
Chi Gui kept a low profile. As far as the team knew, he was just an ordinary civilian volunteer. Besides Jing Shun and Chen Yiming, who had come along, only two organizers knew his real identity.
The school gates opened, and the volunteers began to enter.
Chi Gui made the most of the time to urge, “Shunshun, be careful. If you need to go up or down stairs, take it slowly.”
Even though they were only moving around campus, Chi Gui still reminded him repeatedly. “Call me immediately if anything comes up. Don’t push yourself.”
Jing Shun felt helpless but agreed anyway. “Alright, alright, you’ve said it several times. My ears are about to grow calluses.”
Chi Gui sighed. “Go on in.”
All the teachers and students were already lined up on the playground to welcome them. After the organizer and the principal each gave brief speeches, the groups immediately started on their tasks.
This long-term film charity event had been going on for over two months, with many celebrities actively participating earlier.
Jing Shun was among the later batch of celebrity volunteers. Besides him, there were three newly debuted actors in the team, who kept calling him “Teacher Xiao Jing” with great respect.
The three newcomers were very observant. Knowing that Jing Shun’s legs couldn’t handle strenuous activity, they volunteered to do the heavy lifting, taking charge of setting up the outdoor screen.
Jing Shun accepted their kindness, planning to invest more effort in the later film explanations. With nothing to do in Group A for the moment, he returned to the playground and decided to help Group B distribute supplies.
The county was surrounded by endless high mountains, so it always got dark faster.
Suddenly, a row of high-power floodlights lit up the playground, making the area as bright as day.
Jing Shun instinctively searched the crowd for the most familiar figure, and soon found him. Chi Gui still wore his mask and cap, but his superior height made him easy to spot.
At that moment, Chi Gui was busy handing out schoolbags to the students in line and receiving their innocent, grateful thanks in return:
“Thank you, teacher.”
“You’re welcome.”
Those eyes, usually known for being cold and assertive in the business world, were now filled with the gentlest smiles.
Chi Gui was very focused.
After handing out each item, he carefully checked the student’s name to avoid mistakes, and would even bend down to listen attentively to the children’s words of thanks.
He even reached out to pat the heads of the younger students, doing his best to convey goodwill.
“…”
The more Jing Shun watched, the more his heart swelled—but his nose stung inexplicably.
He suddenly wanted to run over and give his lover a tight hug from behind.
If it had been any other volunteer standing there doing the same thing, Jing Shun wouldn’t have felt this inexplicable rush of affection.
But Chi Gui’s childhood had the same foundation as these children. He wasn’t just doing charity; it was as if he was looking back at his former self through them.
Jing Shun understood, and that was why it hurt.
There were many outsiders around, as well as cameras that could sweep over at any moment. To avoid any unnecessary trouble, Jing Shun ultimately suppressed the urge to hug him.
He stepped forward with a smile and asked, “Teacher Chi, need any help?”
“…”
Chi Gui turned his gaze, a little surprised to see him. “Your group’s done?”
“Not yet. They’re setting up the viewing platform, climbing up and down. I can’t help, so I came to see what you’re doing here.”
As he explained, Jing Shun proactively handed a schoolbag to a primary school student at the table, wearing a warm smile.
“Take this. What’s your name? What grade?”
“Fourth grade. Mo Axi.”
“Okay.”
Jing Shun responded, exchanging a glance with his lover.
Chi Gui found the name on the handwritten list, checked it off, and then handed the pen and paper to his partner.
“I’ll move the supplies and hand them out. You check the class list and check off the names.”
“Alright.”
They split the work, and their efficiency improved quickly.
Soon, the line in front of their table came to an end.
Chi Gui glanced at the nearby table, which was also almost done. “Almost finished. Are you hungry?”
“Not really.”
Jing Shun had just answered when a timid voice came from behind them. “Excuse me, teachers, can I… can I get another set of supplies?”
Both of them turned to look.
It was a little boy. His dark, chapped cheeks held a pair of innocent eyes mixed with a humility that shouldn’t belong to a child his age.
Chi Gui vaguely remembered his face. “You’re in fourth grade? Didn’t you already get yours?”
His tone was calm, but the boy still nervously clutched the hem of his shirt.
“Teacher, I did get mine.”
He nodded honestly, then cautiously explained, “I have an older sister! She’s also a student here! But she’s been sick lately and hasn’t come to school.”
The boy gathered his courage to ask, “Can I take one for her and bring it home tomorrow after school?”
Chi Gui confirmed again, “What’s your name? What’s your sister’s name?”
It wasn’t that he begrudged giving away one or two sets of supplies—but with nearly a hundred students in the school, as volunteers, they had to be fair and fair-minded, or things would easily get messy.
“My name is Gao Changqiu, and my sister’s name is Gao Ruxia. She’s also in fourth grade.”
“…”
Chi Gui confirmed that such a student existed and immediately took out a set of supplies to hand to him. “Take it.”
Gao Changqiu received it with both hands. “Thank you, teacher!”
The shoe on his left foot had a big hole in it. Maybe because he was excited, his toes curled up inside.
Jing Shun noticed this detail and called out to him before Gao Changqiu could run off. “Hey, wait a moment.”
He walked over to the spare supply box, found a new pair of sneakers, and brought them back.
“Here, try them on. See if they fit?”
“…”
Gao Changqiu’s eyes widened in surprise, but he didn’t dare try them. “It’s okay, teacher. My shoes… they’re fine.”
Jing Shun could tell he was embarrassed and shot Chi Gui a look.
Chi Gui knew his partner couldn’t squat for long and took the shoes, taking his place to persuade him. “Come on, give them a try.”
“…”
Gao Changqiu didn’t know how to refuse such unfamiliar kindness, so he cooperated.
Chi Gui estimated the shoes were one size too big, but he didn’t plan to have Jing Shun switch them.
Boys grew fast, and so did their feet—but not every child could afford to replace their shoes multiple times as they grew.
Jing Shun asked, “Do they feel comfortable?”
Gao Changqiu nodded eagerly. “Very soft. Very comfortable.”
Jing Shun said, “Then these are yours.”
Gao Changqiu was overwhelmed with gratitude. Clutching his little backpack, he almost bowed to the ground. “Thank you, teacher.”
Jing Shun asked him, “What illness does your sister have? Is she okay?”
Gao Changqiu shook his head, a look of sorrow spreading across his face. “There’s a tumor in her brain. It hurts. The doctor in the county said she needs to go to the big city for surgery to get better.”
“…”
Jing Shun hadn’t expected this, and his brow furrowed. “Who’s taking care of her at home now?”
“My grandparents are taking care of her.”
Gao Changqiu, innocent and trusting of these teachers who had given him things, candidly revealed his family situation.
“My mom passed away a long time ago. My dad… my dad went out to work many years ago and never came back.”
The family had no money, so they couldn’t treat the illness.
Gao Changqiu lived in a mountain village more than ten kilometers away. Every week, it took him two or three hours to walk to and from school, but he still insisted on going home.
Not only to be with his twin sister, but also to help his grandparents with farm work. Children from poor families grew up early—that had always been the way.
Gao Changqiu suppressed his reddening eyes. “My grandma said that every time my sister and I meet, there are fewer chances left.”
“…”
Misfortune always singled out the unfortunate; the rope always broke at the thinnest point.
Jing Shun’s heart ached. Before he could react—
Chi Gui moved faster. He took off his baseball cap and placed it on Gao Changqiu’s head. The brim cast a shadow that concealed those knowing, tearful eyes.
Chi Gui was silent for a moment, then simply said, “This hat is yours too. It’s almost time for school dinner. Eat well tonight. Go on.”
Gao Changqiu nodded and ran off.