Chapter 58 They've already kissed on the lips, how could they not be familiar? ≧≦…
Cheng Shiyun slept for a long time.
So long that she thought she would be trapped in that damp, cold rain forever.
In her dream, a never-ending downpour poured over her, and she kept running forward.
She ran a long, long way, her feet were blistered, and she even tripped and fell, but instead of falling, she ran into someone's arms.
Someone hugged her.
...
I opened my eyes to a snow-white ceiling. The window was half-open, and the sunlight outside was bright. The blue curtains swayed slightly in the breeze.
Her soaking wet dress had been changed, and her body had been dried off. She nestled in the warm, fluffy blankets, feeling very comfortable.
"Little Cloud?"
The familiar call rang in her ears, and an overwhelming sense of surprise and eagerness, like a fine needle, pierced through her hazy consciousness.
Cheng Shiyun turned her head away, and it took her a while to refocus her gaze.
She saw Ran Hongyin by the bedside.
Ran Hongyin slowly stood up from the chair, sat on the edge of the bed, leaned over, touched her cheek, and asked gently yet urgently, "Little Cloud is awake. Is anything bothering you? Does your head hurt? How about your body? Does your body hurt?"
Cheng Shiyun: "Mom..."
The hoarse, breathy sound had barely escaped his throat when tears welled up in his eyes and streamed down his cheeks, wetting his pillow.
"Why are you crying as soon as you wake up?" Ran Hongyin wiped away her tears. "Mommy is here. Mommy is here with you, Xiaoyunduo."
Cheng Shiyun threw herself into Ran Hongyin's arms: "Mom..."
The familiar fragrance enveloped her, dispelling the fear in her heart, and Cheng Shiyun burst into tears.
"Were you scared?" Ran Hongyin hugged her back, knowing she must have been frightened.
Ran Hongyin was also startled. She was at home cooking and waiting for the father and daughter to come back, but she called them several times and no one answered. When she received another call, it was from the police, saying that Cheng Shiyun had been taken to the hospital unconscious.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Mom..." Cheng Shiyun buried her face in Ran Hongyin's neck, her shoulders trembling violently, sobbing uncontrollably as she apologized, "I shouldn't... I shouldn't have gone out alone so late to look for Dad, making you all worry..."
"Silly daughter, why are you apologizing? Is it wrong for you to go to your father?" Her tears soaked Ran Hongyin's clothes. Ran Hongyin gently stroked her sweaty forehead and comforted her softly, "It's not your fault, neither your father nor your mother is at fault."
"It's good that you're safe, it's good that you're safe..."
Cheng Shiyun raised her tear-filled face and saw Cheng Jinghua again. The usually refined young teacher had stubble on his chin, looking like he hadn't shaved for several days.
“Dad…” Cheng Shiyun felt even more aggrieved.
“Dad’s here.” Cheng Jinghua’s voice was also a little hoarse. His hands, which were used to writing on the blackboard for many years, were calloused but warm and strong. He hugged the mother and daughter tightly. “Come on, let Dad hug you too.”
The girl nestled in her parents' arms, sobbing, her face streaked with tears.
"Are you still angry with your father?" Cheng Jinghua patted her back, his tone apologetic. "You should blame your father. It's my fault that I didn't answer your call... My phone was dead, and I didn't find you in time."
Cheng Shiyun shook her head: "The phone... the phone you bought me broke."
Two days before her birthday, the father and daughter were still arguing over some trivial matters. The new phone was bought by Cheng Jinghua to coax her, and she hadn't even used it for half a day.
Cheng Jinghua chuckled and said, "If it's broken, it's broken. Dad will buy you another one."
"I don't want a new phone..." She wanted her whole family to be safe and healthy.
Cheng Jinghua's hair is still not white, Ran Hongyin's mental state is not problematic, and their family is all doing well.
She dreams of hugging them again.
Cheng Shiyun's tears, which she had just managed to stop, flowed again. She choked out, "Dad, Mom... I miss you so much."
Ran Hongyin laughed and said, "You've only been away from your mother for three days and you're already crying like this? What will you do when you go to college?"
Cheng Shiyun shook her head.
No.
She hadn't hugged them for two years.
She really, really missed them.
Ran Hongyin was heartbroken.
Cheng Shiyun has a sharp tongue. Her teachers all say she is quick-witted. When she was a child, if any kid in the teachers' apartment took her toy, she wouldn't cry. Instead, she would roll up her sleeves, beat the kid up, and then take the toy back.
Her little cloud is strong, brave, and kind. Ran Hongyin had never seen her cry like this before.
Ran Hongyin's heart also ached, as if she had really lost her precious child for a very long time.
"Stop crying, your face is all stained." She was sweating profusely from crying, so Ran Hongyin said, "Mom will wring out a handkerchief to wipe your face."
Cheng Shiyun sniffed twice, leaned against Cheng Jinghua's chest, and asked in a muffled voice, "Dad, who saved me?"
"Xie Shijin, your classmate," Cheng Jinghua said. "The police came this morning..."
Cheng Shiyun asked worriedly, "Where is he?"
"Who? Xiao Xie?" Cheng Jinghua said. "He's next door."
"Next door?" This is a hospital. Cheng Shiyun's heart clenched. "Is Xie Shijin injured?"
She threw off the covers and ran outside.
Ran Hongyin came out of the bathroom with a handkerchief: "Wipe your face."
...
Cheng Shiyun knocked on the door of the next ward.
"Enter."
An elderly, kind voice came from inside the room.
Taking a deep breath, Cheng Shiyun slowly pushed open the door and went inside.
The first thing that catches the eye is an elderly man sitting in a chair next to the hospital bed, his back hunched, his head full of silver hair, and he looks very kind.
Cheng Shiyun's heart raced, and she took two steps forward uncontrollably.
When the boy on the hospital bed came into full view, she felt as if her feet had suddenly lost their footing, as if she had fallen from the clouds into a weightless abyss.
Xie Shijin lay quietly, his long eyelashes closed on his eyelids, his lips as white as snow, his whole body wrapped in a thick white quilt, exuding a fragile sense of vulnerability that could dissipate at the slightest touch. The slight rise and fall of his chest was the only sign that he was still alive.
"Grandma..." Cheng Shiyun froze on the spot, fighting back tears welling up in her eyes, "Has Xie Shijin not woken up yet?"
The old man said, "I woke up in the morning, the police came and asked me a couple of questions, and then I fell asleep again."
Cheng Shiyun wanted to approach, but her steps felt as heavy as lead, and she struggled to ask, "Where...is he injured?"
"Arm fracture."
Xie Shijin smashed Guo Renyi's car with a steel crowbar. The reaction force was amplified and transmitted, causing Guo Renyi's right wrist ligaments to tear, his forearm radius and ulna to fracture, and soft tissue damage.
Cheng Shiyun's voice trembled: "Did you have surgery?"
"No surgery was performed, just a cast was applied."
Looking at the fragile and pale boy on the hospital bed, Cheng Shiyun blinked, and silent tears rolled down her cheeks.
He got injured again.
He got hurt because of her again.
Did Xie Shijin owe her something in his past life, so he needs to protect her in this life, and even give his life for her?
life……
Xie Shijin had already died for her once.
She thought that if Xie Shijin hadn't saved her this time, he would have become that drowning boy again.
He certainly won't survive alone.
He would only follow her and die again.
"Oh dear, why are you crying?" Grandma looked up and saw the pretty girl crying so sadly. She felt heartbroken and quickly comforted her, "The doctor said there's nothing seriously wrong. She'll be fine after some rest."
Grandma quickly took two pieces of tissue from her pocket and handed them to her: "Don't cry, wipe your tears."
"Thank you, Grandma..." Cheng Shiyun took the tissue and pressed it to her eyes.
Grandma looked her up and down curiously: "How did you know I'm Xie Shijin's grandma?"
Cheng Shiyun: "..."
She had never met Xie Shijin's maternal grandmother before.
But after her grandmother passed away, her portrait was always placed on the altar in the living room, and she would bow twice to it every morning.
I can't very well say it's because I've seen your portrait before; that would be too impolite.
"Xie Shijin's eyes look a lot like yours." Xie Shijin's eyes resemble her mother's, and her mother resembles her grandmother's, which makes perfect sense.
Cheng Shiyun's nose tingled again: "Grandma, I'm sorry..."
She was in a coma for three days, and Xie Shijin was also in a coma for three days. Grandma is so old, she must have been here for three days, worrying about Xie Shijin.
"Why should you apologize?" Grandma took her hand and pulled her to sit down beside her, her wrinkled face beaming with a kind smile. "Silly girl, you must have been quite frightened."
Cheng Shiyun shook her head and said, "No, Xie Shijin saved me. He arrived very quickly."
Grandma nodded: "Grandma knows."
The police came this morning and took Xie Shijin's statement. The old woman was there with him. Grandma said, "You don't need to blame yourself. Xiao Jin saved you willingly. If he hadn't saved you, he would have lived a life of unease for the rest of his life."
"I know……"
She saw what he looked like two years later.
He was thin and bony, with long hair covering his eyes, and his whole being seemed shrouded in a layer of dead mist, so much so that she didn't recognize him at first glance.
But Xie Shijin on the hospital bed was a completely different person from the gloomy, self-harming boy he was two years later.
Cheng Shiyun had never looked at him so closely two years ago.
His features were a bit youthful, and his hair wasn't that long; he had a very refined and bright appearance.
Everything is different now, everything will be alright, right?
“Cheng Shiyun…”
On the soft, white pillow, Xie Shijin slowly opened her eyes and saw a slender, familiar figure.
Cheng Shiyun's heart skipped a beat. Her hands rested on the edge of the bed, wanting to touch him but not daring to. Helplessly, she asked, "...Xie Shijin, are you awake?"
Xie Shijin nodded.
His skin was so white that it almost blended into the sheets beneath him, and his hair was thick and black, with long, soft eyelashes hanging down in a delicate and fragile way.
Cheng Shiyun's nose was wet and red, and her throat felt a little choked up: "How come... you slept longer than me?"
Xie Shijin swallowed; his throat felt very dry, making it difficult for him to speak.
The water dispenser was in the hallway. Grandma said, "You two chat, I'll go get a glass of water."
After closing the door, Cheng Shiyun leaned closer to look at his injured hand.
Not only his wrists and arms, but also his fingers were injured, with a large patch of skin broken off his knuckles, which scabbed over after the blood clotted.
"Does it hurt a lot?"
She took his hand in hers and felt his pain as if it were her own.
"It hurts a little." The boy's voice was terribly hoarse.
A person who never complains of pain, when they say it hurts a little, means it hurts terribly.
Her heart felt like it was being repeatedly pounded by a blunt instrument. She couldn't bear to see him hurt in the slightest, and her tears flowed more and more fiercely, blurring her vision.
Xie Shijin struggled to raise his hand, wanting to wipe her tears, but the pain from his injured arm made him groan involuntarily, and a fine layer of cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.
Cheng Shiyun froze in fright, quickly stopping her crying, flustered and at a loss for what to do: "Do you want some water? Or do you need to go to the toilet? I'll go call Grandma, but... never mind, I'll go with you..."
Xie Shijin's lips moved, and his voice was very low: "...Don't cry."
He turned his head to look at her, his gaze deep and calm, with a lingering weariness.
He ran that road for two years, and when he finally reached the finish line, he was so tired that he slept for so long.
"You think I want to cry?" Cheng Shiyun wiped her wet face a couple of times and reached out her hand. "Xie Shijin, how about... you bite me? That would make me feel better."
The girl's slender, white fingers reached out and rested near his lips.
Xie Shijin raised his uninjured left hand, grabbed the girl's hand, and held it in his palm.
The boy's palm was burning hot as he covered the back of her hand and pressed it against his chest.
His heart beat steadily beneath her palm, each beat clear and powerful.
He held her tightly, and Cheng Shiyun's cheeks flushed red. She squeezed her legs together and dragged the chair a little closer to him. "Thank you, Xie Shijin."
"What are you thanking me for?" he asked.
Cheng Shiyun leaned closer, staring at his somewhat pale face, and whispered, "Thank you for saving me, and thank you... for liking me."
"And you?" Xie Shijin looked up at her, the deep calm in his eyes was disrupted, and a hint of fear rose up, like a child who was afraid of not getting what he wanted.
Cheng Shiyun moved closer and quickly said, "If you like me, then I definitely like you too."
When Xie Shijin heard her utter those three words, his hand holding hers trembled slightly, as if he had finally woken up from a nightmare, and he breathed deeply.
"I thought..."
His Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty, and his eyes showed sadness and fear.
Cheng Shiyun paused for a moment, then continued, "You thought I had amnesia, that I had forgotten what we went through together, that I didn't like you anymore?"
Xie Shijin nodded.
Cheng Shiyun felt a dull pain in her chest, and gently placed both of her hands on his: "How could this be..."
She also felt like she had been dreaming.
It still feels like a dream.
If it really is a dream, then let the dream continue, never shatter it, and never wake up.
She was willing to be trapped in the same dream as him.
Cheng Shiyun lay down beside him, facing him: "I knew you would come to save me."
"I wasn't scared at all."
Upon hearing Guo Renyi's screams, Cheng Shiyun knew it was him.
She was terrified. The trunk was wet and cramped, and she huddled up in a ball, crying in fear.
But when she heard Xie Shijin's voice, before she even saw him, she gave up struggling and waited patiently for him to come and save her.
No one else could give her such a sense of security except him.
Cheng Shiyun grasped his hand in return, interlocking their fingers: "From today onward, every day will be a new beginning."
She paused, nuzzled the tip of her nose against the back of his hand, and added.
"Our new life."
Before she knew it, tears were flowing again, and she secretly wiped them away with Xie Shijin's sleeve.
She wasn't usually such a crybaby; today she cried all the tears she had shed in the first sixteen years of her life.
"Cheng Shiyun!"
The ward door was flung open with a bang, and Ni Jiaqi rushed in.
Cheng Shiyun was startled by him. She wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, stood up, and scolded him, "Who let you in? Why didn't you knock? Have you no manners?!"
Looking at the weak boy lying on the hospital bed, Ni Jiaqi said, "I'm sorry."
He apologized verbally, but his actions showed no sign of formality.
"You just woke up and you're already running around everywhere." Ni Jiaqi strode in. "You didn't even put on your shoes. I've been looking for you for ages..."
Cheng Shiyun followed his gaze and looked down, only to find that she was barefoot. She glanced at Ni Jiaqi's leg and saw that it was not broken and was fine.
Ni Jiaqi walked up to her in a few steps, ignoring the stares of others, and pulled her into his arms.
Cheng Shiyun was stunned for a moment, and her first reaction was to look at Xie Shijin on the hospital bed.
The gentle look in the boy's eyes turned cold, as if shrouded in a layer of cold mist.
Cheng Shiyun was startled and immediately pushed Ni Jiaqi away forcefully: "What are you doing? Ni Jiaqi, let go of me! You're choking me!"
Ni Jiaqi released her, but his eyes remained fixed on her face: "You woke up without telling me. You disappeared in the time it took me to make a phone call. How can you be so capable?"
Cheng Shiyun said irritably, "I don't even have a phone, how can I tell you?"
Her phone has been handed over to the police as evidence.
Too.
Ni Jiaqi immediately calmed down: "Then you should have waited for me to come back before coming over."
Cheng Shiyun choked, wasn't she... impatient?
"You're awake?" Ni Jiaqi's gaze passed over Cheng Shiyun and landed on Xie Shijin.
Xie Shijin, with his deep-set eyes, silently looked back at him.
"Thank you for saving Cheng Shiyun." Ni Jiaqi's expression became more serious, and although there was some awkwardness in his tone, it was still quite sincere. "I am really grateful to you. I will take care of Cheng Shiyun from now on. You can focus on recovering."
Xie Shijin said, "Of course."
Ni Jiaqi frowned: "What do you mean by 'should'?"
Cheng Shiyun immediately sensed something was wrong and interrupted Ni Jiaqi's spellcasting: "He just woke up, don't bother him."
She nudged Ni Jiaqi to leave, then turned to Xie Shijin and said, "You get some rest, I'll come see you tonight."
Suddenly, someone grabbed the hand that was hanging by the side.
Xie Shijin took her hand, as if he had something to say to her.
Cheng Shiyun understood, grasped the boy's fingers, and leaned closer to him: "What's wrong?"
"Wear my shoes," Xie Shijin said.
Cheng Shiyun's ears burned: "Okay."
She bent down, picked up the slippers from the bedside, and put them on. The slippers were too big and fit loosely on her feet.
"You can wear it." She looked up and smiled at Xie Shijin, "I'll bring it to you later."
The girl followed Ni Jiaqi out of the ward. Xie Shijin leaned against the headboard and could still hear their voices.
Ni Jiaqi pressed on, clearly annoyed, "He just held your hand?"
"You're even letting him wear his shoes?"
"You still wore it?"
The girl changed the subject: "Where's my dad?"
"I'm going to process your discharge paperwork."
...
Xie Shijin closed his eyes and clenched his injured right hand tightly. A sharp, unmistakable pain shot through him.
It's not a dream.
He saved her.
She still likes him.
A faint smile slowly crept onto the boy's lips.
...
When Cheng Shiyun returned home in the afternoon, the police came to take her statement.
Outside the door stood three uniformed police officers, led by a tall and upright policewoman.
Cheng Shiyun called out to her, "Officer Yang."
The girl's voice was clear and crisp, and her smile was bright and cheerful. Yang Shengnan asked in surprise, "How did you know my surname is Yang?"
"..."
Cheng Shiyun's mind raced: "Xie Shijin told me that the person in charge of my case is a very capable and powerful policewoman surnamed Yang."
Yang Shengnan laughed upon hearing this: "He really said that?"
"Yes, Officer Yang, please come in."
Yang Shengnan came to visit today mainly to ask Cheng Shiyun what had happened since she entered the school.
Cheng Jinghua listened from the side. Cheng Shiyun went upstairs at 9:18 PM, argued with Guo Renyi and Feng Yue at 9:20 PM, and left the office at 9:25 PM. If he had gone upstairs to take a look before going downstairs, he would have found Cheng Shiyun struggling by the railing with her neck being choked and her mouth covered.
Cheng Jinghua felt guilty and fearful.
His daughter almost left him.
Cheng Shiyun sensed her father's emotions, patted his hand to comfort him, and then turned to Yang Shengnan: "Officer Yang, is Guo Renyi dead?"
Yang Shengnan closed the notebook and said, "He's not dead, but he's practically dead. He suffered comminuted fractures of both patellae and blunt force trauma to the head, resulting in intracranial hemorrhage and brain contusion. He's still in the intensive care unit and hasn't been out of danger yet."
Cheng Shiyun asked worriedly, "What about Xie Shijin... will he be alright?"
"Don't worry," Yang Shengnan said. "Guo Renyi's car was equipped with a dashcam, which fully recorded the entire process of his intentional murder of the victim and his plan to dispose of the body. This constitutes attempted murder."
"Xie Shijin's actions constituted defensive behavior to stop an ongoing violent crime, and are therefore recognized as acts of bravery in accordance with the law, and he will not bear any legal responsibility."
Cheng Shiyun let out a long sigh of relief.
Yang Shengnan looked at her: "But I'm very curious, how did Xie Shijin know you were in danger?"
She checked both kids' phones; they'd been friends for a month, but they hadn't even chatted. They weren't exactly close.
Xie Shijin only saw her go to school.
Furthermore, Xie Shijin did not call 110 to report the crime, but instead dialed her private number directly and blurted out her surname.
Yang Shengnan thought back carefully, and realized that she didn't seem to have seen these two children before.
Cheng Shiyun clutched the hem of her skirt: "It's probably because he and I... have a telepathic connection."
“It really is a telepathic connection.” Yang Shengnan suddenly smiled and didn’t ask any further questions. “He said he had a premonition that something would happen to you, so he was determined to save you no matter what.”
She stood up: "No matter what, it's good that you're alright. If I need your cooperation in the further investigation, I'll come and bother you again."
"No need to bother you, thank you Officer Yang." Cheng Shiyun offered to see them off.
Yang Shengnan smiled and said, "No need to thank me, you should thank him."
Xie Shijin carried her out of the trunk, and the girl fainted in his arms. They got into the ambulance, their hands still tightly clasped together.
His injuries were much more serious than Cheng Shiyun's. When the doctor came to examine Cheng Shiyun, he stayed by her side until Cheng Jinghua and the others arrived, at which point Xie Shijin suddenly fainted.
Cheng Shiyun's eyes welled up with tears again; Xie Shijin hadn't told her any of this.
"I will."
Cheng Shiyun saw them to the door: "Officer Yang, take care."
Yang Shengnan said, "Please stay."
The moment the door closed, Yang Shengnan looked back one last time.
She had never seen this girl before, yet she felt a sense of familiarity and warmth towards her. Even the stairs in the hallway seemed strangely familiar, as if she had been there many times before.
After seeing the police off, Ni Jiaqi pressed, "What do you mean by 'telepathic connection'? Are you and Xie Shijin very close?"
Cheng Shiyun leaned back on the sofa, hugging a teddy bear with a missing ear: "We're familiar with each other."
They've already kissed, how could they not be familiar with each other? ≧≦
-----------------------
Author's note: After hardship comes happiness!
Small detail: Dad hasn't sewed the teddy bear's ears onto Little Cloud yet.
[Laughing out loud][Laughing out loud][Laughing out loud]
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