Chapter 12

It was like punching cotton; Uncle San couldn't understand what Ren Yi was saying at all.

He treated her like a random passerby, turned around and continued to point at Ruan Mianmian's nose and curse, getting more and more excited, and even raised his hand to hit her.

Before he could throw the water bottle as planned, Ren Yi quickly stepped in front of Ruan Mianmian to block her.

"Smack!"

The rimless glasses flew off and landed on the ground, cracks spreading across the lenses.

Red marks instantly appeared on her fair skin, and blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.

Renyi took the slap head-on.

As soon as Uncle San saw the blood, he hurriedly tried to cover it up with things like "She asked for it" and "I didn't mean to hit her, she came here on her own," and then ran away.

Ren saw him flee in panic and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She felt a burning sensation on her face, and her mouth was also a little sore from a cut she had made somewhere from her teeth.

If you don't apply ice immediately, the mark will last a long time, and the side of your face that was hit will also swell.

I'll be scared when I get home.

She looked down and searched her supermarket pocket for some cool water, then picked it up and pressed it against her face.

Ruan Mianmian slammed the door shut, then knelt down to help her find her glasses.

"I've been wearing these glasses for a long time, so I guess I'll just forget about them." He glanced around casually.

Even though her vision was not very clear at the moment, she could tell that the living environment here was not good.

Especially the high temperature, which is no different from that outside.

Is the air conditioner broken? Do we need to call someone to fix it?

Ruan Mianmian found her glasses on the ground and tried to wash the stains off the lenses with water, but the lenses were already broken.

"Mianmian, you can get a new pair of glasses if they're broken." Renyi took her trembling hand, which was submerged in the pool. "It's okay."

"Really?" Ruan Mianmian looked up at her, like an insecure child, asking repeatedly, wanting to get a positive answer again.

Before Ren Yi could answer again, tears had already streamed down her face.

"sorry."

To comfort her, Renyi put down the water bottle in his hand, revealing his cheek with a red mark on it.

This made Ruan Mianmian cry even harder.

She dared not touch it; her damp hand fell limply onto Renyi's shoulder, soaking her light-colored shirt.

She knew it must hurt terribly; Renyi's skin was very fair, and even the slightest mark would be very noticeable on her face.

This large red mark now looks quite frightening.

Ruan Mianmian dared not look anymore and buried her head in the crook of her neck.

Even after smelling the lemon soap scent on Ren Yi, Ruan Mianmian still couldn't hold back her tears.

She didn't want to get involved in this mess, but in the end, she still ended up getting hurt because of herself.

How can she escape from that home that clings to her like a leech?

Throughout her many years of life, they have never shown her any concern. Just because they are related by blood, does that mean she should support them?

Why should she be bound by so-called ethics and morality?

She had already tried so hard.

"Why...why do they still hurt you..."

The emotions that had been suppressed for so long erupted at this moment, and Ruan Mianmian trembled violently.

She hugged Renyi's waist like a drowning person clinging to a fragile piece of driftwood.

A large, wet stain appeared on the random shirt.

At first, she just patted Ruan Mianmian's back gently, but Ruan Mianmian's emotions showed no signs of calming down.

She cupped her face, kissed her lips, and helped her breathe steadily.

Tears taste awful, they're so bitter.

He casually put his forearm around her shoulder, doing his best to comfort her.

Ruan Mianmian closed her eyes, immersing herself in the moment.

She forced Ren Yi to retreat step by step until she finally collapsed onto the sofa.

The old sofa let out a scream, seemingly protesting the two people's anything but gentle actions.

Panting, Ruan Mianmian separated from her and lowered her head, still wanting to bury herself in her arms for a little more sense of security.

"Mianmian." Once his breathing had calmed down, he casually touched the person in his arms.

Whether it's a misunderstanding or a difficult situation, we must resolve this issue today.

"This is actually not the first time in my life that I have been slapped by someone."

The person in his arms froze for a moment, their breathing becoming cautious.

“It happened once during my first year as a homeroom teacher.”

“A student fell during PE class and scraped his knee. His parent was very concerned about him and came to the school to demand an explanation. At that time, none of the school leaders were there; only us ordinary teachers were present.”

"While I was making a fuss, she suddenly slapped me."

"She never apologized to me afterward, and the matter just passed by without any clear explanation."

“I haven’t told anyone because I felt that telling them would only make others pity me, and telling you would only increase your worries about me.”

"Anyway, I've already experienced the pain and the injustice."

He forced Ruan Mianmian to raise her head, letting himself sink into her watery eyes.

“But now I realize that if I keep this from you,” she gently wiped away her tears, “you will be even more upset.”

"So when you are in pain and sad, I hope you will remember me."

"While you so desperately want to protect us, perhaps I also so desperately wish I could share the burden with you."

"Does it hurt?"

"It hurts," he forced a smile, "but it's bearable."

"I don't want you to endure this..." Ruan Mianmian said, and then she started to cry again.

I felt so wronged.

Can you tell me everything?

"Why did you leave home? Why did you leave all your savings to me? Why are you so aggrieved?"

"I want to share this burden with you."

Soft fingertips gently stroked her hair, where there seemed to be something cold and hard.

It's a ring.

A button was undone at the collar of a casually placed shirt, revealing a pendant on a necklace.

It's also a ring.

It was the ring that Ruan Mianmian took off and returned to her on her birthday.

She reached out her hand to her.

"Would you like to come home with me, Ruan Mianmian?"

"But……"

“We can wait a little longer before leaving. Yunyun is with my mom. Xiaoyu went home today, so Yunyun won’t be lonely with her playing with her.” Renyi guessed what she meant and spoke first to dispel all her concerns.

"She's safe over there."

"Then I'll ask you one more time, do you want to come home with me?"

"Yes." Ruan Mianmian nodded obediently.

Having cried for so long, she was a little exhausted, and used this position to rest her head on Renyi's lap.

The room was very stuffy, so I took out a small fan from my bag and used it to blow on Ruan Mianmian and then on myself.

She picked up the remote and turned on the TV. The room was filled with comical sound effects and exaggerated laughter. The most popular variety show of the moment was playing.

Everyone was all smiles, trying their best to engage the audience's emotions.

Unfortunately, neither of the two people watching on TV were amused.

"I'm sorry, Yi." Her voice still trembled with sobs, and the last notes of her voice were still shaking uncontrollably.

"Yes, I accept."

Ruan Mianmian turned over and buried her face in her soft belly.

It smells so good.

She drifted off to sleep, and when she woke up, she was hugging her pillow and had a blanket draped over her.

The air conditioner has been repaired and cleaned, and it is running quietly now, making the room cool.

The water in the kitchen had just boiled, making a bubbling sound.

Break the lettuce leaves apart as desired, wash each leaf carefully, and put them into the pot.

There was a bowl of cooked noodles on the side.

"Awake? Are you going back after having a midnight snack?" Renyi asked her.

"good."

Ruan Mianmian walked up to her and examined the injury on her cheek.

His red and swollen eyes looked on with exceptional focus.

"It feels much better after applying ice for a while." Ren Yi tilted his head slightly. "Let's eat our noodles."

She lives alone and eats hastily.

We either eat instant noodles or order takeout; we've never cooked at home.

I wanted to fry two eggs, but when I opened the refrigerator, there were only a few bottles of beer inside.

To make matters worse, she also found a pack of cigarettes on the kitchen windowsill.

He raised an eyebrow casually and made another note.

However, she waited until Ruan Mianmian finished the last bite of noodles before pushing the cigarette pack in front of her.

“I remember you only found out you had lung nodules during your physical exam last year.”

Feeling guilty, Ruan Mianmian buried her head in her soup.

She couldn't sleep that night, so she went to a convenience store to buy alcohol in the middle of the night. Standing in front of the cashier, she inexplicably asked the clerk to give her a pack of cigarettes.

When she got home, she discovered that she hadn't bought a lighter and could only use the gas stove to light the fire.

At first, the spicy taste would make her eyes water, but after a few puffs, seeing the sparks burning up to the mouthpiece, she reluctantly tried again.

I still haven't learned it.

The act of escaping is tantamount to adding fuel to the fire; he remains expressionless and taps his fingers on the table.

She was very angry.

"Which package is this?"

"The first pack." Ruan Mianmian opened the cigarette pack, showing Ren Yi that there was still plenty left. "I've only smoked it twice."

He raised the corners of his mouth, picked up a cigarette with his fingertips, and offered it to Ruan Mianmian's lips.

"Want another smoke? Should I light one for you right now?"

Ruan Mianmian shook her head like a rattle drum.

It was already late at night. The two packed a few things and called a car to go home.

Home is still the best.

Ruan Mianmian lay in the bathtub, staring blankly at the bathroom ceiling.

It seems like nothing has changed.

The books she left on the study table before she left are still neatly stacked there, only now some random books have been placed on top of them.

Yunyun's painting was framed and hung in the most conspicuous position on the wall of the corridor.

She had subconsciously asked Ren Yi if she wanted to shower with her, intending to save time so she could go to bed earlier.

He glanced at her with the eyes of someone looking at a thug, tossed her a change of clothes and a hairdryer, and left.

She's your ex-wife.

Ruan Mianmian raised her forearm to cover her eyes.

When she left the bathroom feeling refreshed, Ren Yi had already finished showering in the master bedroom bathroom and was sitting in front of the dressing table drying her hair.

Fearing that she would kick people out again, Ruan Mianmian took a blanket and lay down on the other side of the bed.

"I'll be very good." She added at the end, "I won't touch you indiscriminately."

The effect was counterproductive.

Ren Yi cautiously covered his clothes.

Ruan Mianmian's gaze remained fixed on her and never left her.

I watched as she finished blow-drying her hair, took off her ring, and prepared to remove her necklace.

Every move he made gently touched her heart.

“Ayi,” Ruan Mianmian tugged at her little finger, “I want my ring back.”

She sat casually on the edge of the bed, having just taken off her necklace.

"This?" She held it up in front of her eyes, as if examining it closely. "No."

"You returned it to me yourself."

"I want to leave it to Yunyun's stepmother."

"You should give the ring that was given to me to someone else."

"snort."

Ren Yi's expression at this moment was exactly the same as Ren Yunyou's.

Ruan Mianmian, wrapped in a blanket, looked at her with her eyes crinkling with laughter.

Goodnight, Ayi.