Chapter 16 The Young Lady in the Wheelchair 16: Where She Fell, She Fell Asleep

Today, I took a longer route home than usual and it took me much longer to get home.

As the vehicle slowly drove into the garage, Cheng Zhishu was fast asleep, oblivious to the outside world.

The driver reversed into the parking space, stepped on the brake, and the garage lights suddenly turned on, as if it were dawn.

Cheng Zhishu suddenly woke up with a start, opened her eyes and said, "Oh no, the alarm clock didn't go off, I'm going to be late."

Still half asleep, she thought she was lying in bed in her room, had missed her alarm, and was going to be late since it was still broad daylight.

A puzzled voice came from the side: "Late? Where are you going?"

"Go to school." Cheng Zhishu came to her senses and realized that the decorations in front of her were inside the car, not in the room.

My nervousness gradually subsided. It turned out I wasn't late; I had just accidentally fallen asleep in the car.

only……

Cheng Zhishu clearly felt in her dream that she was lying on a pillow, which had a faint fragrance but was not very soft.

Looking around, she realized there were no pillows in the car. How did she sleep?

Ultimately, I attribute it to having a strong cervical spine, which prevents me from experiencing neck pain.

At this moment, Cheng Zhishu's perception of Xi Congshuang largely overlapped with that of the driver—this was a young lady who could only be admired from afar; she wouldn't dare to do something like sleeping on her body.

Xi Congshuang rubbed her shoulders: "We're home, let's get out of the car."

As soon as she finished speaking, the car door on Xi Congshuang's side was opened, and Xiao Liu, who had known the news in advance, stood by the door.

The driver took the wheelchair out of the trunk, pushed it to the side of the car, and held onto the handles with both hands, waiting for Xi Congshuang to get out of the car.

After adjusting the angle, Xi Congshuang unbuckled her seatbelt and, with Xiao Liu's help, settled into her seat. The familiar blanket was once again placed over her knees.

Cheng Zhishu got off the bus from the other side. She didn't take the bus often, so she was a little lost about how to get off smoothly, feeling like no matter which direction she pushed, it wouldn't be right.

It was the driver who noticed her predicament and came over to help open the car door.

Cheng Zhishu's ears burned slightly. She thanked him softly and got off the bus, clutching her schoolbag.

As she left the comfortably warm car, the garage door was still open, and a damp night breeze blew into the garage. Cheng Zhishu, who was circling around the back of the car looking for Xi Congshuang, felt a lump in her throat and sneezed.

She had a premonition about the first sneeze, so she forced herself to hold it in; it wasn't loud, more like a cat's meow.

She took a few more steps with her schoolbag in her arms. Xi Congshuang turned around as if to talk to her. As soon as Cheng Zhishu opened her mouth, that sour feeling welled up in her nose again, and she sneezed several times in a row.

One blow after another struck, leaving Xi Congshuang no room to speak.

When she finally stopped, her eyes were already brimming with tears, as if she had just finished crying.

Cheng Zhishu sniffed, her eyes moist: "What does Sister Shuang want to tell me?"

Xi Congshuang seemed to have the magic to produce tissues at any time. With just a flick of her wrist, a pack of tissues lay in her fair palm: "Wipe your tears. I was going to tell you that during this rainy season, I should have the driver pick you up and drop you off at school."

Cheng Zhishu took the pack of tissues, still warm from Xi Congshuang's hand, and opened it; it also emitted a faint fragrance.

She took out a card and wiped away her tears. The fragrance still lingered in her nose. Suddenly, she realized that everything related to Xi Congshuang seemed to smell good.

I don't know what the fragrance is, it's soft and cool, with a lingering bitter scent, like medicinal herbs.

A beat late, she said to Xi Congshuang, "Just this short period of time?"

Xi Congshuang controlled the wheelchair to move forward: "I would feel more at ease if Xiao Fang continued to pick you up and drop you off."

Cheng Zhishu thought for a moment and said, "Then I will send you messages before and after school so you can know when I arrive at school and when I get home."

Xi Congshuang sensed the subtle refusal in her words and was somewhat surprised: "You don't want Xiao Fang to take you to and from school all the time?"

This is clearly a good thing for Cheng Zhishu, as it will reduce her commute time and make her more comfortable.

Cheng Zhishu's refusal surprised everyone present.

Xi Congshuang was no exception; her feelings toward Cheng Zhishu changed once again.

Cheng Zhishu smiled, neither denying nor revealing her true feelings, afraid of being laughed at.

She feared that if she got used to this lifestyle, she would develop an inappropriate greed, and if she wanted to be independent then, it would only be more difficult.

There's a saying that goes, "It's hard to go from extravagance to frugality."

But after enjoying it all, it ultimately didn't belong to her. Perhaps it was just as Shangguan Yin said: her thinking was too rigid. She couldn't learn to be arrogant because of favor, nor could she learn to ride the breeze to the clouds.

Xi Congshuang nodded: "Okay, then I'll have Xiao Fang take you to and from school on rainy days, and on non-rainy days, it'll be up to you."

The food at home had been prepared long ago and was kept warm since the two of them hadn't returned yet, ready to be served at any time.

After dinner, Cheng Zhishu returned to her room to study as usual.

Xi Congshuang was holding a cup to warm her hands and looking out the window at the wet garden when she suddenly remembered something and called out, "Xiao Liu."

"Yes," Xiao Liu responded, walking to the window. "What are your instructions, Miss?"

Xi Congshuang recalled Li Zhishu's series of sneezes in the garage. She wasn't usually someone who would patiently take care of others, but her years of experience as a sickly person reminded her of that.

So he said to Xiao Liu, "The weather has been changeable lately, and it's easy to catch a cold. Why don't you make some ginger soup for Zhi Shu to prevent her from getting sick?"

She hasn't figured out why the Honkai Values ​​are generated yet, but since the person is already living in the house, she should treat them well.

Xiao Liu had gotten used to Xi Congshuang like this and would no longer steal glances at her like she was looking at a panda. He responded and went to the kitchen to get busy.

In the room, Cheng Zhishu took out all the homework she needed to finish that day, piling it up in a huge stack.

The monthly exam is in a few days, and the teachers have been assigning more homework lately, fearing that someone might catch up with the class average.

After taking a big gulp of water, Cheng Zhishu rolled up her sleeves and got to work.

I felt much better after taking a nap in the car, and I shouldn't feel sleepy tonight.

After a while, Cheng Zhishu, who was engrossed in her studies, was knocked on the door. Her train of thought was interrupted, and she put down her pen to open the door.

The person standing outside was none other than Xiao Liu, who was holding a bowl of steaming ginger soup.

Xiao Liu said, "This is ginger soup that Miss asked me to make to prevent catching a cold. Drink it while it's hot."

Cheng Zhishu took the bowl of ginger soup with both hands, and her mind, which had been filled with various letters, finally came to its senses: "You said that Sister Shuang asked you to give it to me?"

It's strange, are all the pampered young ladies in wealthy families who never lift a finger so meticulous?

But then I think of another wealthy heiress, Xi Hanran, who is the opposite extreme of Xi Congshuang. The only one who is special is Xi Congshuang.

Before Cheng Zhishu could even react, a smile had already appeared on her face, and she forgot to close the door as she carried the ginger soup inside.

Afraid of disturbing her studies, Xiao Liu reached out and closed the door himself. Through the last crack, he saw the girl's slender figure sitting at the table, bathed in the light of the eye-protection lamp.

The ginger soup, which had just been boiled, was still a little hot. Cheng Zhishu felt it was burning her mouth, so she held it in her hands, blowing on it and taking small sips.

However, her eyes were not idle either. She stared at the questions on the test paper and pondered them. After drinking a couple of sips, her eyes suddenly lit up. She casually put the bowl aside, picked up a pen, and began to write.

A major question contains three sub-questions, and even if you have a clear thought process, it will still take some time to complete them all.

Cheng Zhishu has a high level of concentration. After finishing one question, she instantly forgot about finishing the ginger soup and kept writing. Her neat and tidy handwriting filled the blank space.

The ginger soup that was left untouched went from steaming hot to lukewarm, and eventually cooled down.

Finally finished writing, Cheng Zhishu put down her pen, stretched, and folded the exam paper in front of her to reach for the practice exam booklet on the other side. Only when she reached out did she realize what she had forgotten.

I forgot to drink that bowl of ginger soup!

And it's completely cold!

Cheng Zhishu scratched his face, picked up the bowl with great bravado and gulped it down. He smacked his lips, no wonder they always said to drink it while it's hot, it turns out it doesn't taste as good when it's cold. He got up, poured himself a glass of water from the glass bottle, drank it, and then continued working on his desk late into the night.

By the time she finally finished all her homework, picked up her pajamas, and went to take a shower, it was already quite late.

According to Xi Congshuang's schedule, she was already asleep. Cheng Zhishu subconsciously made quieter movements and quickly took a shower.

It rained today, her schoolbag got wet, and her hair felt sticky, so she washed it to feel drier.

I came out drying my hair, with a towel over my head, and paused for a moment to look at myself in the mirror as I passed by.

To make it easier to dry, her wet hair was all swept up, revealing her smooth forehead and making the outline of her eyes, which were usually covered by her bangs, even clearer.

In fact, Shangguan Yin once said that her facial features are three-dimensional and her eyes are bright, so she is not suitable for having bangs, as it would make her look clumsy.

At the time, Cheng Zhishu just smiled and didn't say anything. She didn't tell Shangguan Yin that the reason she grew bangs was because her eyes didn't look like her adoptive parents' and they disliked her. That's why she grew bangs to cover up the differences on her face.

Although the result was of no use.

She looked away and prepared to use the hairdryer to dry her hair when her phone rang. She peeked out to look.

[Little Grass]: My deskmate, can I borrow your homework? I can't finish it!!!

[Little Grass Yinyin]: Tomorrow's first class is with our homeroom teacher, and I completely forgot to do the homework she assigned first!

【Little Grass Yinyin】: (Cat with pompadour eyes.jpg)

[Orange]: [Images][Images][Images][Images][Images]

[Little Grass]: !!! Godmother, I knew you would save me! I bow to you!

[Orange]: (I am the emperor, you may dispense with formalities.jpg)

【Little Grass Yinyin】: (I am the Little Emperor.jpg)

After chatting idly for a while, it ended with Shangguan Yin screaming that she was typing frantically because she didn't have enough time to finish her homework. Cheng Zhishu found a hairdryer and dried her half-dry hair completely.

"So sleepy." Shaking her dizzy head, Cheng Zhishu fell onto the bed and drifted off to sleep.

*

The rain kept falling, and the recent weather kept Xi Congshuang in a light sleep.

It wasn't just the sound of the pattering rain, but also the throbbing pains that seemed to emanate from nowhere that kept disturbing her sleep.

After falling asleep and waking up several times, Xi Congshuang's last bit of sleepiness completely dissipated, but the sky outside the window was still dark.

Feeling a bit thirsty, she stood up, holding onto the armrest, and maneuvered her wheelchair to the table to pour herself some water. After drinking a glass, she was finally relieved of the dryness in her mouth.

Although it was still early, after washing up, she prepared to go downstairs to the study.

Previously, Chairman Xi was worried that seeing Xi Congshuang's old things would trigger painful memories, so he carried out a major renovation of her residence.

However, Chairman Xi had not allowed anyone to touch the things in the study. There were a lot of things related to Xi Congshuang's past, including her past and various confidential documents.

Unfortunately, when Xi Congshuang opened her door, the door to the next room also opened.

Cheng Zhishu, carrying her schoolbag, stood behind the door, doing something slowly. After a while, she finally stepped out, rubbed her eyes, turned around and closed the door, not noticing Xi Congshuang not far away.

Xi Congshuang sat there, waiting for Cheng Zhishu to pass by her door.

Her slender, fair fingers tapped on the handrail. She heard the sound of rain; it was still raining today, so Xiao Fang should pick her up.

After waiting for a while, Xi Congshuang didn't see anyone pass by. She turned her head and saw a girl in a school uniform with a backpack, her forehead pressed against the door and her eyes closed.

She appeared to be awake, but had actually been asleep for quite some time.

Xi Congshuang's lips twitched as she began to ponder whether she owned a house near the school. If not, she might as well buy one.

It feels like if you just give Cheng Zhishu a pillow, she could fall asleep on the spot.

Xi Congshuang pushed the wheelchair to wake her up, thinking that a well-behaved student like Cheng Zhishu would never be late.

Cheng Zhishu, whose forehead was pressed against the door, was startled awake by the sound of the wheelchair. Her hand instinctively tugged at the doorknob, which was already locked.

Xi Congshuang: "What time were you last night...?"

Cheng Zhishu turned her face, her voice muffled: "Good morning, Sister Shuang..."

Xi Congshuang looked at the other person's flushed face, whose eyes, brimming with tears from a cold, were staring at her, their eyes slightly narrowed because they couldn't see clearly.

Xi Congshuang said, "I'm fine, but you don't look so good. Are you sick?"

Cheng Zhishu didn't actually hear what Xi Congshuang said. She only felt particularly sleepy today and mumbled, "Yeah, I'm going to school. I'll text you as soon as I leave."

As she spoke, she tried to walk away, feeling weak in the knees, but ultimately, overestimating her balance, she tripped over her own feet and was about to fall.

"Zhi Shu?" Xi Congshuang quickly maneuvered her wheelchair backward, pulling the person's arm towards her.

With a sudden weight on her body, Xi Congshuang groaned. The unconscious Cheng Zhishu sat diagonally on her lap, his burning forehead pressed against Xi Congshuang's slightly cool neck, his whole body as hot as a giant hand warmer.

Downstairs, Xiao Liu waited for a while, and seeing that it was past her usual time to leave for school, she went upstairs to check.

What I saw was this scene.

"Oh dear, Zhishu, what are you doing..." After glancing at the situation in front of him, Xiao Liu lowered his voice considerably, "...lying in Miss's arms."

Cheng Zhishu didn't react because she had already fallen down and was sleeping right there.

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Once this period is over, Xuehua's wheelchair driver's license should be ready, and she'll be able to pick up and drop off passengers. [Let me see!]