Chapter 500 Uncle Zhou, We're Neighbors Now
She grabbed his arm and headed towards the car, her voice filled with unprecedented determination, even a hint of urgency in her eyes, "Come on, I'll take you to the hospital right now. The wound is so deep, it needs to be disinfected and stitched up. If it gets infected, it won't be a small matter."
Zhou Mubin glanced at Xiao Nuomi, who was pale with fright and had tears still on her cheeks, and frowned. He tried to persuade her, "Really, there's no need to go through all this trouble. It's just a minor injury. We can just find a pharmacy to disinfect it. Don't spoil the child's fun. We agreed to see the night view..."
"no."
Cui Xiao's attitude was unusually firm. She interrupted him, reached out to wipe away Xiao Nuomi's tears, and then turned to Zhou Mubin, her tone carrying a barely perceptible plea, "We have to go to the hospital to get it done, otherwise... I'm not at ease."
Little Nuomi peeked out from Zhou Mubin's arms, her little hands tightly clutching his clothes, and choked out with tears, "Uncle Zhou, let's go to the hospital, okay? I don't want to see the night view anymore, I'm afraid you'll be in pain... I'll blow on it and it won't hurt anymore."
As she spoke, she gently blew on his wound.
Seeing the worried looks in the eyes of the mother and daughter, Zhou Mubin sighed helplessly, reached out and ruffled Xiao Nuomi's hair, and compromised, "Okay, I'll listen to you and go to the hospital."
After getting into the car, Cui Xiao gripped the steering wheel with her fingertips, pressed the accelerator almost to the floor, the engine roared with a deep rumble, and the tachometer needle on the dashboard kept approaching the red line, while the street scene outside the car window was stretched into a blurry stream of light.
Zhou Mubin, sitting in the back seat, remained silent, only gently pressing his bleeding left arm with his uninjured hand. Blood beads seeped from between his fingers and dripped onto the beige seat cover, spreading into glaring red patches.
As soon as the car stopped at the entrance of the emergency room, Cui Xiao pushed open the car door and rushed out, oblivious to the cold wind blowing into her collar.
She went around to the passenger side, opened the car door, and carefully took Zhou Mubin's right arm, saying, "Slow down, let me help you."
Zhou Mubin was flattered and then nodded.
The three rushed to the emergency room. As soon as the doctor, wearing sterile gloves, unbuttoned Zhou Mubin's blood-stained shirt cuff, his brows furrowed. "This wound is no small one. Look at the skin and flesh, it's all turned outwards. If it were just half an inch off, it would have rubbed against the ulna. We must clean and suture it immediately, otherwise it will easily get infected."
Cui Xiao paused as she approached, and when her gaze fell on the wound, it felt as if an invisible hand was gripping her heart, causing her to gasp for breath in pain.
Dark brown scabs were mixed with fresh oozing blood, and the skin at the edges was turned outwards as if it had been ripped open, with a few grayish-brown pebbles and small stones embedded in them.
She clenched her fists instinctively. When the truck that ran the red light came rushing over, Zhou Mubin almost instinctively lunged at her and Xiao Nuomi to push them to the inside, but he himself took the brunt of the impact on the rearview mirror.
"Waaah..."
Little Nuomi's cries suddenly rang out in the emergency room. The little girl's hand, which had been clutching Cui Xiao's clothes, instantly loosened and she rushed to Zhou Mubin's uninjured right arm.
Her chubby little hand carefully rested on his arm, but then immediately withdrew as if afraid of touching the wound. Large tears fell like beads from a broken string, landing on Zhou Mubin's trouser leg.
She looked up, her face streaked with tears, and sobbed as she clutched the hem of the doctor's white coat. "Doctor, Uncle Zhou is bleeding so much... Is he going to die? I don't want him to die, I still want him to be my dad."
Zhou Mubin was in so much pain that fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead, his face was as pale as paper, and even his voice trembled slightly, but he still tried his best to soften his tone.
He slowly bent down, gently cupped Xiao Nuomi's small shoulder with his uninjured left hand, and carefully wiped away the tears on her cheeks with his fingertips. "Don't cry, Xiao Nuomi. Uncle is fine. It's just a small injury. I won't die."
The doctor, who was preparing disinfection supplies, looked up at the three of them upon hearing this, a knowing glint in his eyes, and said to Xiao Nuomi, "Don't worry, little one, my suturing skills are among the best in this area. I guarantee I'll cure him and give him the chance to be your father."
The pungent smell of disinfectant filled the air. When the cotton ball soaked in alcohol was applied to the wound, Zhou Mubin's body stiffened abruptly, and cold sweat trickled down his jawline.
But he didn't utter a sound from beginning to end. He just held Xiao Nuomi's little hand tightly, and from time to time, he would raise his other hand and give Cui Xiao, who was standing next to him, a reassuring look.
Cui Xiao watched anxiously from the side, wanting to go forward several times but afraid of disturbing the doctor. She could only bite her lower lip tightly until the stitches were finished and the doctor wrapped the wound with thick gauze before she let go.
The wall clock had already pointed to ten o'clock.
After treating their wounds, the three left the emergency room.
On the way back, Cui Xiao took over driving, while Zhou Mubin sat in the back seat with Xiao Nuomi.
As night deepened, warm yellow light shone on Xiao Nuomi's fluffy hair.
The little guy had cried himself to sleep in the emergency room and was now leaning on Zhou Mubin's shoulder, his little mouth still moving, occasionally muttering a question like, "Uncle, does it hurt?"
Cui Xiao glanced at the heartwarming scene in the rearview mirror, her Adam's apple bobbing. After a moment, she asked, "Where do you live? I'll take you home first."
Zhou Mubin paused, seemingly surprised by her question, and after a two-second silence, he gave the name of a residential complex, "Xinghai Royal Garden".
Before Cui Xiao could react, Xiao Nuomi suddenly sat up straight, exclaiming, "Wow, what a coincidence!"
Her eyes shone like shattered diamonds bathed in starlight. She rushed to Zhou Mubin, grabbed his sleeve with her little hand and shook it, "Uncle Zhou, I also live in this community. We're neighbors."
Looking at the little girl's flushed cheeks with excitement, Zhou Mubin smiled faintly but genuinely, thinking to himself, "She's more than just a neighbor."
He reached out and ruffled Xiao Nuomi's soft hair, his fingertips trembling slightly. "That way I can see Xiao Nuomi more often in the future."
Little Nuomi was so happy that she stomped her feet lightly on her seat, her little feet tapping out a light rhythm on the footrest.
She would usually be fast asleep by this time, but today she was full of energy, chattering away to Zhou Mubin about the funny things that happened at kindergarten.
They even brought up embarrassing stories about who stole her building blocks, what new nursery rhymes the teacher taught, and even the embarrassing incident of her deskmate drooling during nap time.
The car slowly came to a stop at the entrance of the West Residential Area. The security guard poked his head out, glanced at the car, and greeted it with a smile, "Miss Cui is back?"
Cui Xiao nodded in agreement, and the three of them walked side by side into the residential area.
A night breeze blew by, carrying the fragrance of osmanthus trees in the neighborhood. As Cui Xiao walked, she suddenly realized that Zhou Mubin's steps were exactly the same as hers, both heading towards Building 15.
Little Nuomi skipped and hopped ahead, occasionally turning back to ask, "Uncle Zhou, which building do you live in?"
Building 15.
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