277 No place for him
Twelve years ago…
“Why don’t we just let Young Master Ren live here? He gets along well with Ray, after all.”
“That’s what I suggested, but he doesn’t want to.”
“Can’t we persuade him?”
“I’ve tried.”
“Should we try harder? I can ask Ray to help. Madam, this isn’t safe anymore. Not long ago, hel ate something that almost killed him. And now, he was nearly crushed by a shelf. The shelf shouldn’t have collapsed like that unless someone tampered with it.”
“Madam, Young Master Ren has always been in constant danger, and you as well. It’s best if we remove him from family affairs, for both your sake and his. His experiences so far are simply worsening his condition.”
As the adults talked quietly with their voices filled with worry and anxiety, Renren stood outside. He had his back against the wall, right beside the slightly open door. His eyes were cast down, his pale lips drawn into a thin line.
“Renren is a stubborn child, but to be honest, I think I should look after him,” Old Mrs. Pierson’s helpless voice came through. “I understand your concerns, but I’m afraid if I send him
somewhere else, he’ll only feel even more lonely. At the same time, I don’t want harm to come your way. It’s too dangerous at the moment.”
Renren’s jaw tightened, but he wasn’t surprised at all. Leaving his grandmother’s care wasn’t something he wanted, but he would do it if it would lessen her problems. But then again, if Renren moved into Ray’s family, it would weigh heavily on Old Mrs. Pierson and Old Mr. Pierson’s conscience if something happened to their family. Moreover, they knew Renren would blame himself if the worst occurred.
Basically, Renren had nowhere to go.
Renren let out a shallow breath, lifting his eyes to the door leading to the garden.
Without a word, Renren peeled his back from the wall and walked toward it. When he stepped outside, he looked around until his gaze fell on the high fence,
‘What if… I’m not here anywhere?”
Would they still have to worry?
Renren’s gaze remained on the top of the fence for a long time before he approached it. His body was small for his age and also weak. Hence, reaching and climbing the fence was impossible. Even so, he tried.
“Ugh!” Renren winced as he fell back onto the grass. Holding his shoulder, he looked up at the fence again. “It’s not designed for someone to climb it, huh?”
14
277 No place for him
His heart sank at the thought.
Leaving the manor through the front door was impossible as well. The guards would automatically notify the adults. Considering Renren’s health, he was very delicate.
“I give up,” he muttered, laying flat on the grass, staring at the sky that seemed almost impossible to reach. Even from a plane, it would still feel out of reach. “Would I… would I be able to reach it if I… died?”
To be honest, Renren was certain he wouldn’t reach adulthood, not just because of his illness. In fact, he was certain their family’s fortune was enough to keep him alive for as long g as possible. The only reason he wasn’t hopeful was because of the dangers lurking in the dark.
Though, he thought it would be better if his illness would take his life. In that case, it would be less painful for his grandparents and those who genuinely cared for him.
While Renren was thinking about this, he heard a faint meow from his side.
Deep lines appeared between his brows as he turned his head.
“What is that?” he whispered, rolling onto his side and moving the bushes aside.
Meow.
Renren squinted and saw a kitten’s tail. He intuitively lay on his stomach and crawled closer, catching sight of the small cat going through what seemed to be a secret small gate hidden behind the thick bushes. He squeezed himself in and approached, staring at it in surprise.
Meow.
Renren snapped his eyes back to the kitten, which had already Pd out of the fence. He didn’t
think much of it, refocusing his gaze on the small gate before him.
“A secret exit?” he whispered.
The small gate was cleverly hidden behind the bushes surrounding the household, but it was also big enough for a grown adult to crawl through. There was a padlock on it, but it wasn’t locked. The corners of his lips stretched into a smile as Renren unhooked it before carefully opening the gate.
Thanks to his small body, squeezing through was easy.
On the other side of the gate, more bushes surrounded the house, making it impossible for anyone to see someone leaving. Renren didn’t know there were secret exits around the house, but it shouldn’t have been a surprise.
After all, Ray’s family might not have been directly involved in the Pierson Family’s affairs, but many knew they were allies. Setting up secret exits and passages was a smart idea.
Soon, Renren found himself outside the house. Peeking over the bushes, he scanned the area for any security guards.
Meow.
277 No place for him
He turned his head at the sound, only to see the kitten’s tail swaying behind the bushes.
“I thought it had already left, he murmured.
Meow.
On his palms and knees, Renren followed the kitten until he found himself moving further away. from the household. He continued following the kitten until it suddenly disappeared into another household.
“Oh…” Renren stood outside the house and glanced up at the tall fence surrounding it. He peeked over the bushes and caught sight of a broken metal bar underneath, rusted over time. “Oh…”
He could get in if he crawled, but that would be trespassing. Renren backed away and looked around. He pursed his lips.
“I’m lost.”
A deep breath escaped him, but he didn’t feel any panic or worry. Instead, Renren thought this was where he would part ways with the kitten. He walked aimlessly along the side of the road until he noticed a small frog in the middle of the empty street.
“Huh?” Renren stopped as he noticed the frog facing his direction. “Why is it in the middle of the
street?”
The distance between him and the frog was far enough that he didn’t feel the need to dwell on it. But when the frog jumped in his direction, he froze.
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