35 injured

Many people in the park rushed to pick up scraps after hearing the news, but the leather sofa hadn't been moved away for a reason. Yang Zhi and Yang Xiao, each carrying one end, were exhausted after just a short walk. Yang Xiao wondered if there was someone stuck under the sofa; how could it be so heavy? They'd only lifted it for less than two minutes before having to put it down again to rest.

An old man wearing an old man's shirt who picked up two large bags of folders looked at the two of them sweating profusely and gasping for breath with exhaustion, and laughed out loud, "Hey, pick up some light things first. Why did you take away the sofa right away? How are you going to continue picking up things later?" After saying that, he shook his head and walked away.

Yang Zhi felt the old man had hit the nail on the head. Why were they moving the big stuff right off the bat? Seeing Yang Xiao's face flushed red, perhaps from the heat or exhaustion, her face clung to the heat, Yang Zhi felt a pity for her. He handed her a tissue to wipe her sweat, then told her to keep an eye on her sofa while he went back upstairs to move some smaller items before moving the Taishan.

The two braved the 30-degree heat and gathered together all the office supplies they might need. The day after the move, Yang Xiao couldn't lift her arm anymore. She messaged Yang Zhi, saying she couldn't come to the office today because she felt a strain on her arm. It was then that she realized Yang Zhi had changed his WeChat name to "Yugong."

What a vivid image.

If nothing else, they moved at least two mountains of leather yesterday.

Instead of going to the company, Yang Xiao finished feeding Wuwu and went back to bed. Last night, as soon as she fell asleep, waves of burning pain shot through her arms and calves. She couldn't even turn over; even the slightest movement would cause her to cry out in pain. Wang Ruopeng came in with safflower oil to rub her, scolding them as he did so. How could they, both big bosses, not even pay someone to move a little?

Yang Xiao buried her face in the pillow, her voice muffled as if the pillow were speaking: "We have no money. We are just sitting around doing nothing." Wang Ruopeng was speechless and began to massage her harder. "Then why did you buy my dad that big ginseng last time you went back to the city, and the colorful silk scarf my mom always shows off to me? These two sums are enough to treat so many people. Don't buy them next time."

The pillow continued, "It's different. I save when I should and spend when I should. I spend money on things I think are worthwhile, and I'm willing to do that."

Wang Ruopeng pouted, unsure how to describe her current feelings and the feelings of her longtime friend. She was clearly holding a hand that looked weak to others, yet she gritted her teeth and played it to her heart's content. Anyone else crossing her river of life would have grown thorns to protect themselves, but she, on the other hand, had thorns growing but pointing in the wrong direction, piercing herself.

Two or three years ago, when her somatization was most severe, she initially pinched her fingers until they turned purple. Afterward, fearing Ruo Peng would find out, she kept her hands tucked behind her back like a little old lady. Then one day, while washing dishes, she accidentally broke one. She quickly removed her foamy gloves, intending to pick up the larger pieces with her bare hands before sweeping up the smaller pieces with a broom.

Ruopeng was preparing lessons in her room when he heard the noise and rushed over to see crescent-shaped scars on her palms and between her fingers, ranging from light blue to dark purple. She confessed that she didn't know why they happened. She didn't feel much pain, but the feeling of "control" made her feel more relaxed.

Wang Ruopeng began to realize his negligence as a roommate, but Yang Xiao smiled every day. The only abnormality was her loss of appetite and increasingly thin body, but she always attributed it to the intense workload, the recent hot weather, and the excessive snacks she had eaten at the office.

So Wang Ruopeng asked a friend of a friend to find a psychologist that evening, and the next day he took Yang Xiao to see a therapist. Yang Xiao, who always hated to burden others, saw Ruopeng running around for her, and she felt even more strongly that she needed to actively seek treatment and listen to the doctor's advice. Meanwhile, Ruopeng was filled with guilt and remorse, wondering why he hadn't noticed it sooner.

Until now, Yang Xiao's condition has become more and more stable, and the dictator who once controlled her life has become the background noise that occasionally makes slight noises in her ordinary days.

Yang Xiao drifted off to sleep, awakened by the aroma of cooking wafting from the kitchen. She slipped out in her slippers. The kitchen door wasn't completely shut, and through the crack she caught a glimpse of Wang Ruopeng twirling around in the apron she'd received when she signed up for her bank account. Yang Xiao opened the door and went inside. Fresh, tender wild rice stems were being stir-fried in the pot.

"Cat, didn't I agree to cook dinner? Why are you making dinner so early?" Yang Xiao woke up, her head aching and dizzy from sleep. "It's already six o'clock, Xiao. You must be exhausted carrying the sofa yesterday, right?" The chef continued to dance to the tune of Titanic, occasionally sprinkling some seasoning and stirring.

"Oh my god, I didn't even check the time. Where's my phone?" Yang Xiao realized she had come to the kitchen empty-handed. Her phone was probably still on silent, buried under the covers. She went back to her room to get it, and as she walked towards the kitchen, she said, "Cat, wait a minute. Let me check the job postings and come help you right away."

As soon as she opened her phone, a bunch of messages popped up on the recruitment app, including one from Fang Qiu. Yang Xiao was puzzled. What was going on? After Fang Qiu and she added each other's new contact information, the two of them had hardly interacted much, at most liking and commenting on each other's Moments and saying hello on holidays.

So Yang Xiao clicked on Fang Qiu's message first.

"Xiao Yang Xiao, are you busy? Oh, Zhou Qi is injured. I thought you're his family after all, so I sent you a message to let you know. It's pretty serious. You should call him and offer your condolences when you're free, but he won't let me tell you."

Yang Xiao's breathing hitched. Through her sleepy head, she could only see the words "quite serious." She subconsciously frowned and quickly replied to Fang Qiu: "Did he go to the hospital? How did he get it? Does he need surgery? Is there anyone with him? Does he need me to come back?" Just as she was about to send the message, she felt the last half sentence didn't make sense, so she deleted it.

Fang Qiu replied very quickly, "Is it convenient for you to talk on the phone? I'll tell you the details." Yang Xiao had just finished sending the message when she received a voice call from Fang Qiu. It seems that they are all impatient.

"Hey, little Yang Xiao, Zhou Qi's in pain." Fang Qiu's voice was a little noisy, occasionally interspersed with the sound of a child crying. "I'm at the hospital right now to get his checkup form, so I've been away from him for a while. He didn't let me tell you."

"Then how did he get hurt? Was it from working in the hospital or from resting?" Yang Xiao didn't even notice that her speech speed had started to speed up. This was her usual subconscious reaction when she was anxious: she spoke faster and there were no pauses between sentences.

Fang Qiu noticed she was a little anxious and found a quieter corridor. "Don't worry. Here's the situation. He was hit by someone while driving on his way home from get off work. He looked scary when he was taken to the hospital, but after looking at the test results... he's fine. He only has a minor scratch on his forehead, a cracked rib, and a minor Colles' fracture in his left hand."

"Is he okay? Is there any head injury? What about Corey?" Yang Xiao clutched her cell phone and began to rummage through clothes in the closet.

"It's just a sprain, nothing serious. Don't worry too much. He'll be fine with some rest. Don't worry, your brother Fang Qiu will make sure he stays healthy and plump." Fang Qiu tucked his phone between his shoulders and placed the medical records in the X-ray film bag. "I won't talk to you anymore. When you have time, give the patient a call. He'll probably get better soon if he's in a better mood."

"Wait, Brother Qiu downstairs, you guys are at the Third Municipal Hospital, right?" Yang Xiao closed the wardrobe door, turned on the speakerphone, threw the phone on the bed, and began to change clothes. Her hands were still a little sore, and it took a lot of effort to put on the white T-shirt.

Fang Qiu heard rustling voices coming from the other end of the line. "Xiao, you're not coming back again, are you? I don't mean to. I can take care of him. I just want you to call him. It's such a hassle running thousands of kilometers back and forth."

"It's okay, Brother Fang Qiu, hang up. I'll be relieved to come back and see him. He's my...brother, after all." Yang Xiao had already changed her clothes. Her next flight was in three hours, so she had to leave immediately. The increasingly rich aroma of food in the house made her feel guilty. Maomao had cooked so many dishes, and she had to leave without being able to help. How disappointed she must be.

"Cat, I..." Yang Xiao just left the room when she saw Wang Ruopeng standing at the door, holding a soup spoon. "Come on, stop being sentimental. You know how bad the soundproofing in this room is. Let's go. I made you a chicken roll to take with you on the way. Be careful. I'm so happy! This big pot is for me, Cat, to eat alone!" Wang Ruopeng saw that she was so moved that she was about to cry. He pointed at the door with the soup spoon and said, "Hurry up, countdown! I won't let you go after one minute."

Yang Xiao smiled and rushed over to hug Wang Ruopeng, then opened the door and left. "Thank you, Cat."

This is what happened again. Wang Ruopeng continued to hum the song of the shipwreck as he poured out the soup from the pot, placed it on the table, and began to enjoy the sunset and the delicious food in front of him.

Yang Xiao was still in the car on the way to the airport when she received a call from Zhou Qi. "Zhou Qi? How are you doing? Are you feeling better?" Yang Xiao subconsciously answered the call when she saw the number. As soon as the concerned words left her mouth, she realized she shouldn't have been so anxious.

"Yang Xiao, don't come back." In comparison, Zhou Qi's tone was much calmer and more peaceful.

"What do you mean?" Yang Xiao shifted her hand to hold the phone, her chest heaving. Hearing the words "Don't come back" made her heart itch and ache like being stung by insects. "Yes, I was the one who threatened to never see you again. But I just can't help but want to know if you're dead or alive, if you were disfigured in the accident, and if there are any missing parts in your hands or feet."

"Just take care of yourself. Don't worry about me. I'm fine." Zhou Qi coughed twice, and then, unsure of where he was pulling something, he gasped in pain and hissed. He then glanced at Fang Qiu, who was holding his phone. He immediately moved the phone away, fearing that the reception was too good.

"Are you really okay? If it weren't for Brother Fang Qiu, you would have planned to tell me nothing and then say it was for my own good, right? Zhou Qi, you are always like this, always replacing my thoughts with your own assumptions. It was like this before, and it is the same now. Do you really understand me well? Or do you think you understand me well?" Yang Xiao tried hard to hold back the tears that were about to burst out of her throat, and the countless grievances and anger she felt from Zhou Qi.

She didn't understand why she still loved him so stubbornly, even though he had been such a good person before and had changed so much. She still got nervous whenever she heard any news about him. After he said he had visited her in Beijing, Yang Xiao would be extra careful about people who looked like him on her way home.

One night, due to the dim streetlights and the countless moths and flying insects that obstructed her view, she even made a mistake. She mistook another man who looked just as tall, thin, and handsome as Zhou Qi for Zhou Qi. Perhaps it was the hormones of her approaching period, or perhaps it was the combination of her years of longing and care, combined with the quiet night and the exhaustion of the day, that she actually called out "Zhou Qi" to the passing figure with tears in her eyes.

In the moment she blinked subconsciously, she felt as if she was relieved.

The past hatred and resentment, grievances and resentment, all seemed to have quietly dissipated under his willingness to come thousands of miles for her under the moonlight. Until he turned around tentatively, looking at the tearful Yang Xiao, he was a little bewildered: "Did we know each other before?"

In another moment, she felt like she had fallen to the bottom of the valley, falling into a pool of sharp stones, and was smashed to pieces, unrecognizable.