Chapter 14 Wen Zhi had also relied on others in this way...
Song Juelan's gaze was fixed on the photograph in the elegant frame.
In the photo, Wen Zhi sits on a chair with her eyebrows curved and a faint smile on her lips, holding Xiao Tang, whose teeth haven't fully grown in yet, on her lap.
On either side of him stood a gentle, middle-aged woman whose features bore a resemblance to Wen Zhi, and a refined-looking middle-aged man.
Their arms were casually draped over the back of Wenzhi's chair, their smiles bright, creating a warm and relaxed atmosphere.
Song Juelan guessed that the two people were probably Wen Zhi's parents.
His gaze lingered on Wen Zhi's face for a long time, unable to ignore an important fact.
—Wen Zhi's partner is not in this family photo.
Xiao Tang in the photo looks to be just over a year old. Was Wen Zhi already all alone at that time?
Song Juelan gently pursed her lips, a complex emotion that was hard to describe passing through her heart.
He caught a glimpse of the slender figure approaching out of the corner of his eye. He composed himself, turned his head, and saw Wen Zhi's eyes widening slightly, staring at him nervously like a small animal.
Song Juelan didn't delve into the reason for his nervousness, but strode over and helped Wen Zhi back to the sofa.
Wen Zhi was still worried about whether Song Juelan had noticed anything, and her heart was pounding.
The next moment, the tall man squatted down in front of the sofa, gently took his injured foot and placed it on his thigh.
The moment his foot touched the thin fabric on the other person's leg, his other thoughts vanished instantly, his long eyelashes trembled, and he instinctively wanted to pull his foot back.
However, the large hand, seemingly without much force, rendered him completely immobile, his ankle firmly fixed in place.
Wen Zhi quietly pursed her lips.
People who are into sports are all about brute strength.
"It will hurt a little," Song Juelan suddenly whispered a reminder.
He picked up the ice pack from the table, wrapped it in a towel, and applied it gently to the swollen area.
The cool touch didn't actually hurt much, but Wen Zhi still couldn't help but hiss softly.
Immediately afterwards, Song Juelan's handsome brows furrowed tightly.
It looks like she's complaining that he's too spoiled.
Wen Zhi could only purse her soft lips, suppress her gasps, and stare intently at the person in front of her to distract herself.
Even from this overhead view, Song Juelan's figure remains impeccable.
With broad, straight shoulders and an upright back, the smooth lines of his back muscles are faintly visible beneath his clothes, giving him an air of explosive power.
The large hand holding his ankle had prominent knuckles, visible veins on the back of the hand, and a strong, muscular forearm.
His gaze slowly moved upwards, landing on that deeply contoured face, and he noticed that Song Juelan's forehead was covered in fine sweat.
"Are you hot?" Wen Zhi asked curiously.
The air conditioning in the house was on full blast, and he even felt a little cold.
Song Juelan paused slightly in the hand holding the ice pack, her gaze still focused on his ankle, and replied softly, "It's okay."
After a long ten minutes, the ice pack was finally removed.
The pain in her ankle had lessened considerably, and Wen Zhi couldn't wait to pull her foot back, feeling that her previous posture was somewhat strange.
"Thank you, I feel much better."
Song Juelan stood up and looked down at his pants, where there were several wrinkles where he had stepped on them.
He looked away and whispered a reminder: "You need to apply it again in two hours."
Wen Zhi looked up and obediently nodded.
Song Juelan gently twirled her fingers at her sides.
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but after being injured, Wen Zhi's attitude seemed to have become exceptionally... docile.
Like small animals encountering danger, they instinctively rely on powerful creatures that can help them.
Before losing her partner, was Wen Zhi so unconditionally dependent on that person?
The thought entered his mind without warning, causing Song Juelan to frown and feel a slight, barely perceptible irritation.
After all that commotion, it was already getting dark.
Wen Zhi invited Song Juelan to stay for dinner, and Song Juelan did not refuse.
When the cook arrived, she saw a tall, handsome young man in the living room besides Wen Zhi and Xiao Tang, and her face showed surprise.
She carried the groceries she had just bought into the kitchen and asked with a smile, "Are we having guests today? Why didn't you tell me? I would have bought more groceries."
"It's alright, we'll just grab something to eat," Wen Zhi quickly replied, not wanting to trouble her aunt.
After she finished speaking, she remembered that Song Juelan was a guest, so she turned her head, blinked her long eyelashes, and looked at the man beside her with a questioning look.
Song Juelan felt a tightness in her throat as those beautiful eyes stared at her. After a pause, she whispered in agreement, "Yes, either way is fine."
The cook smiled with relief and turned to go into the kitchen.
In the living room, Wen Zhi and Song Juelan sat on the sofa, watching brightly colored cartoons on TV.
Xiao Tang knew that Wen Zhi was injured and couldn't play with him, so she was watching TV quietly by herself and even dancing along to the music, imitating the cartoon characters' movements.
Wen Zhi's eyes were full of smiles as she praised Xiao Tang for her good dancing, and then she saw the little bottom wiggle even more energetically.
Looking at the heartwarming scene before him, Song Juelan's thoughts drifted away.
Why would that person abandon Wen Zhi and Xiao Tang?
Having a beautiful and gentle partner and a well-behaved and adorable child is probably the dream of most people.
Even if a person's ambitions don't lie in their family, they should still take responsibility.
For the first time, Song Juelan felt a strong aversion to a complete stranger.
Even an outsider like him could see how difficult it was for Wen Zhi to raise Xiao Tang alone. Did that person really not know?
Recalling the first time he met Wen Zhi, her pale face and forlorn expression, Song Juelan unconsciously clenched his fists.
"Dinner's ready!" came Xiaotang's sweet, childlike voice.
Song Juelan snapped out of his daze, only to be grabbed by a finger by Xiao Tang, who ran over and pulled him toward the restaurant.
Wen Zhi, who was sitting next to him just now, went to the restroom at some point.
He followed Xiaotang to the restaurant, where the rich aroma of food wafted towards him, and the sumptuous dishes on the table were steaming hot.
Xiao Tang let go of his hand, ran to the dining table, stood on tiptoe, stretched out her chubby little hand, and excitedly pointed to a dish on the table.
"Look, this is Dad's favorite dish!"
Song Juelan paused in his steps.
His gaze suddenly fell on the braised fish head, his eyes darkened, and he walked over to Xiao Tang's side, asking as if casually, "Really? Where is he now?"
Xiao Tang tilted her head back and looked at the tall man beside her. She racked her brains for a while, her little face scrunched up in distress.
Zhizhi had told him that his parents had gone to a very far place, but he couldn't remember the name of that place.
A moment later, Xiaotang lowered her head shyly, fidgeting with her clothes, her voice muffled:
“Zhizhi said…he went to a very, very far place.”
A note from the author:
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Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution!
I'm so sleepy (16 bottles); one apple box, 10 bottles of Xie Lan; Wen Weiyan, don't cry, author, when will you update (1 bottle)?
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