The Sweetest Marriage Ch.188

Chapter 188 – Going to School Alone

Time quietly entered April, and the harsh cold of winter had completely left this world. After a few spring rains, whether it was the distant mountains or the trees lining the nearby streets, they all displayed a lush and vibrant green color. Spring had thoroughly arrived in this world.

It was a Monday, and Chen Li woke up early. He was awake before Wei Chen, which was quite rare.

Although Chen Li was awake, he didn’t move. He lay in Wei Chen’s embrace, rubbing against him, and the scent of Wei Chen filled his every breath. It was the same scent of shower gel they both used, but Chen Li found it quite pleasant.

Before long, Wei Chen’s internal clock woke him up. He lowered his head and met Chen Li’s slightly excited gaze. He lightly kissed Chen Li’s forehead and said with a smile, “Good morning, Li Li. Why did you wake up so early today?”

“Morning,” Chen Li nuzzled against Wei Chen again before getting out of bed. His messy hair stood on end, his large eyes sparkled, and there was no trace of sleepiness. His lips were plump, and they naturally pouted slightly. His face seemed a bit rounder than before.

Why did he wake up so early today?

Because Achen had promised him yesterday that he could ride his bicycle to school today. Chen Li felt a little excited about it, so he woke up early in the morning.

Wei Chen understood Chen Li’s thoughts. He got up from the bed and couldn’t resist pinching Chen Li’s slightly plumper cheek. “Get up. I’ll make breakfast for you.” He thought that Chen Li should gain a bit more weight. Although he looked much better than before, he was still quite thin compared to his peers.

Afterward, they both went to the bathroom to freshen up. Wei Chen finished first and went to prepare breakfast, while Chen Li sat on the couch, holding a book and reading it attentively.

Breakfast was simple, just congee and side dishes, but because they were eating together, even the simplest meal tasted like a gourmet feast.

Today, Chen Li was going to ride his bicycle to school on his own, but Wei Chen was still worried, despite having checked everything with Chen Li yesterday.

So when Chen Li rode out of the community on his bicycle, Wei Chen followed behind. He didn’t drive but jogged behind Chen Li, being careful not to let him notice his presence.

At first, Chen Li was a bit nervous, especially when there were many people around. Wei Chen could see that Chen Li’s back was tense, and the handlebars of his bike wobbled slightly. However, the wobbling was not too pronounced, and he was steadily moving forward.

Even so, Wei Chen couldn’t help but sweat nervously behind Chen Li several times. He wanted to rush forward and tell Chen Li not to push himself too hard, but he held back every time.

Li Li wants to give it a try, so let him try, Wei Chen thought to himself.

Chen Li didn’t ride his bicycle very fast, and he habitually slowed down when encountering people instead of maneuvering around them. Sometimes he even stopped and waited for pedestrians to move away before continuing to ride.

He carefully and nervously, but determinedly, rode his bicycle all the way to Q University.

Fortunately, the residential area where Wei Chen lived was not very far from Q University.

Wei Chen encountered Chen Li’s classmate at the entrance. They wanted to greet Wei Chen, but he stopped them.

At first, the classmate didn’t understand, but following Wei Chen’s gaze, when they saw Chen Li’s figure riding a bicycle, everything became clear.

Chen Li’s classmate understood that he was trying to go to school on his own, and Mr. Wei was worried, so he secretly followed to check on the situation.

For an average person, going to school alone might be the most normal thing, but for Chen Li, it required immense courage. Individuals with autism tend to subconsciously avoid things they perceive as dangerous. Chen Li had once seen a news story about an autistic child who refused to use the bathroom because they believed it was dangerous. It took his father three years to slowly change this perception.

So, for Chen Li to attempt going to school alone was an almost impossible feat for him. However, he bravely completed it.

For a while, the classmate didn’t know what to think but followed Wei Chen silently, staying behind Chen Li and silently cheering him on.

From start to finish, Chen Li didn’t notice anyone following him. His attention was solely focused on the road ahead. When someone got too close, he would tense up, even his hairs standing on end. His hands trembled, and there were many times he thought about giving up. Sometimes, due to the crowd, Chen Li would stop his bicycle and put his hands in his pockets. But just as he was about to touch his phone, he electrifyingly pulled his hand back, repeatedly encouraging himself mentally.

He stubbornly followed the route Wei Chen had shown him yesterday and didn’t dare deviate. Even when he saw the gates of Q University in the distance, he didn’t allow himself to slack off.

The spring morning was slightly cool, but by the time Chen Li had parked his bicycle in the parking lot, his forehead was covered in tiny beads of sweat. This journey had drained him of endless energy.

However, the moment his feet touched the ground at Q University, something in Chen Li’s heart exploded. He had done it; he had really done it!

A wave of boundless joy surged, causing Chen Li to stand outside the bike shed, unable to stop his lips from curling into a smile, his eyes sparkling.

A ray of sunshine fell, illuminating Chen Li’s face, making him look alive and vibrant.

The classmate couldn’t help but take out their phone and snapped a picture, capturing this moment forever. As they were about to put their phone away, they remembered Wei Chen was nearby and looked at him somewhat awkwardly.

“Mr. Wei, this…”

Wei Chen didn’t ask the classmate to delete the photo, only saying, “Send me a copy.”

The classmate, pleasantly surprised, nodded and added Wei Chen as a friend, sending the candid photo to him.

Wei Chen immediately set the photo as his desktop and screensaver, thanked the classmate, and then walked away.

The classmate stopped Wei Chen and asked, “Mr. Wei, aren’t you going to find Chen Li?”

Wei Chen shook his head and said, “Let him be on his own.”

The classmate said, “Oh,” and he probably understood what Mr. Wei was thinking. Since Chen Li wanted to try going alone, Mr. Wei respected Chen Li’s decision, refraining from intervening or letting Chen Li know that he was silently caring for him from behind.

Although he didn’t know the relationship between Mr. Wei and Chen Li, for some reason, he couldn’t help but feel envious of Chen Li.

Chen Li’s classmate gazed at Wei Chen’s departing figure for a while. When he snapped back to reality, he noticed Chen Li’s gaze was directed towards him. He instinctively nodded at Chen Li but didn’t know if Chen Li had just seen Mr. Wei.

Chen Li also nodded at the classmate and then walked towards the classroom. He kept his head down, looking at his own feet.

The classmate didn’t dare to approach closer, but soon, he realized that Chen Li had just greeted him!

This realization made him happy, but he still didn’t move closer. He knew that Chen Li would greet him because Chen Li was keeping a safe distance. If he blindly approached and broke that safe distance, it might distress Chen Li.

So, the classmate followed behind Chen Li, at a safe distance, keeping an eye on the road conditions around him.

Chen Li arrived at the classroom without any issues. On his desk was a small gift and an encouraging note, with different fonts and words of encouragement. But they all had the same effect on Chen Li’s heart.

Chen Li couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows, revealing a fleeting, faint smile.

Many people noticed, and their hearts exploded with joy, filled with excitement and surprise. Although Chen Li’s smile was faint and brief, he had really smiled, and they felt like they had gotten closer to him.

Although these classmates didn’t show much emotion on their faces, it was mainly because they didn’t want to startle Chen Li. However, in their class group chat, the news about Chen Li’s fleeting smile created a buzz.

【Did I see that right? Our classmate Chen Li smiled!!!!】

【You didn’t see wrong. Chen Li really smiled!!!! 😲😲】

【Chen Li looks so good when he smiles, so cute! 😍】

【Image】

【I regret so much; I didn’t capture it, and the photo I took is blurry. 😭】 The classmate who had followed Chen Li and snapped the photo a while ago posted the candid picture.

【Is this what you guys are talking about?】

【Image】 The picture showed a slightly warm ray of sunlight, a young boy with a faint smile, looking pure and clean.

【Ahhhhh, how do you have this picture!!! I want it as my wallpaper!!! What should I do? Why do I suddenly find our classmate Chen Li so handsome!!!】

【So handsome!!!】

【So handsome!!!】

Soon, the screen was filled with comments about how handsome Chen Li looked in the photo. Not just the female students, but many male students also joined in, flooding the chat with praise. In the instant the photo appeared, everyone intuitively saved it.

After a full minute of excitement, someone finally noticed the key point and quickly typed a message on their phone. 【This seems to be the bicycle parking shed at our art school. Why is Chen Li here? Did he ride his bicycle here today?】

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