Chapter 94 Treating the Wounds (Zhu Wan x Fang Qibai)
Fang Qibai gently snapped the iodine swab in half with his long, pale fingers, and the dark brown liquid slowly soaked into the white cotton tip.
Zhu Wan sat in the passenger seat, obediently stretching out her hands under Fang Qibai's gaze.
He leaned closer, his fingertips holding a cotton swab, and gently wiped the wound on her palm.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a soft blush on the girl's cheeks, and she even deliberately softened her breathing. Fang Qibai spoke casually, his voice low and slow: "Why are you always so nervous when you see me?"
Zhu Wan's face flushed as she looked into his deep eyes beneath his thin eyelids.
"No, I'm not nervous."
She was stubborn, but her whole being was tense like a taut string. Her voice was hesitant, her eyes flickered, and even her fingertips trembled slightly.
From her angle, she could clearly see his lowered eyelashes as he intently disinfected her wounds. His eyes were long and narrow, and the corners of his lips curved into a faint smile.
Zhu Wan's heart clenched.
She restrained herself from looking any longer, but she could hear her own heart pounding in the quiet carriage.
“Ah Yuan, I don’t eat children.”
Fang Qibai's lazy voice fell from above.
Zhu Wan looked up with an "Ah," and her bewildered yet well-behaved appearance made him smile.
His intention was to help her relax, but her words only made her more nervous, and she even instinctively pulled her hand back from in front of him.
"Does it hurt a lot?"
Zhu Wan quickly shook her head, "It doesn't hurt anymore, I don't feel anything."
Fang Qibai tore off the adhesive bandage, his voice softening: "It might hurt a little when it's on, just bear with it."
Zhu Wan stared at her palm, obediently holding it up without moving.
His movements were very light; his fingertips occasionally brushed against her skin, sending a tingling sensation through her.
It didn't hurt, just itchy. The itch made her heart tremble.
Fang Qibai glanced at her and said, "If it hurts, just say so. Don't hold it in."
"It really doesn't hurt," the girl said with a hint of nonchalance. "It's okay if you hit me harder."
Both hands were covered with blue Cinnamon Dog Band-Aids.
Fang Qibai's gaze shifted to her knees—the black stockings were now stained with blood and stuck to the wound.
Even so, she never cried out in pain from beginning to end.
He thought to himself that he should have bought a pair of medical scissors earlier.
Zhu Wan picked up a cotton swab and said softly, "Brother Qi Bai, I can fix my knee myself."
Fang Qibai didn't respond, but carefully wrapped the used cotton swabs and put them into a plastic bag. "Wait a few minutes, I'm going to buy scissors."
Before she could finish speaking, Zhu Wan had already bent down and deftly torn open the stockings at the knee.
The congealed blood clung to her stockings and skin, but the little girl seemed oblivious to the pain. She didn't even flinch.
His hand was still on the car door. Seeing her reckless and painless action, he remained silent for a few seconds.
Zhu Wan then realized that her behavior was not ladylike.
She didn't want her brother Qi Bai to make another trip.
This injury is nothing serious. Back in the countryside, bumps and scrapes were common while working, and she had never treated it with such care before. With time, the wound will scab over and heal on its own.
Zhu Wan used the application of medicine as a cover-up to hide her embarrassment and discomfort.
Unbeknownst to her, Fang Qibai had been quietly watching her as she applied the medicine.
As soon as she put down the cotton swab, he handed her a torn band-aid.
The injuries to her knees and palms were carefully hidden under cute patches.
Zhu Wan pointed to the band-aid, a smile appearing in her eyes: "This is the first time I've used such a pretty band-aid."
She used to only use the most basic kind.
Fang Qibai placed the entire box of bandages into her hands. "There's aloe vera gel in the bag. Apply it once a day before bed after the scab falls off. Don't get the wound wet; it will heal faster and won't leave a scar."
Zhu Wan nodded obediently.
The carriage fell silent for a moment. Fang Qibai turned on the car's music player, "Whose songs does A-Yuan usually like to listen to?"
Hearing the little girl say that was fine.
He tapped his fingertips twice casually.
When the nursery rhyme melody played in the car, Zhu Wan paused for a moment.
Fang Qi rested his hands on the steering wheel, and while waiting at a red light, his gaze fell on her profile bathed in the sunset.
The little girl's fair skin was coated with a warm gold, making her appear even softer and more adorable.
He smiled slightly, "Don't like nursery rhymes? Change them yourself."
His voice was deep, with a nonchalant ending, yet inexplicably gentle.
Zhu Wan then realized that he was teasing her on purpose.
She leaned forward slightly, her fingertips just about to touch the screen, when she was interrupted by an unexpected call.
The screen displays: Mother.
Fang Qibai hung up the phone expressionlessly.
The phone rang again.
He hooked his fingertip into his pocket and turned off his phone.
The carriage fell into an even deeper silence.
Traffic was gradually becoming congested during the evening rush hour.
Fang Qibai turned to the girl who had been sitting quietly ever since he hung up the phone, raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Find the song you want to listen to."
Zhu Wan didn't ask any further questions.
But she could sense that the smile in his eyes was no longer as genuine as before.
Fang Qibai's hand subconsciously reached for the cigarette pack in the center console, but withdrew it the next second after touching it.
Zhu Wan noticed his actions and chose a quiet and soothing song.
She opened the schoolbag at her feet and took out a bag of candy.
She specifically asked Lin Zhenzhen to bring her some handmade gummies. The package contained twelve small bags, each shaped like a different fruit. Lin Zhenzhen had brought her some before, and she loved them.
It's not as cloyingly sweet as regular sugar.
"Brother Qi Bai, do you want some candy?"
Fang Qibai glanced sideways, his gaze falling on the bag of candy in her palm, before opening his hand.
Zhu Wan tore open a packet of peach gummies and was about to hand it over when he withdrew his hand.
She was slightly taken aback.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone on her face, and a trace of unconscious disappointment flashed across her eyes.
Fang Qibai looked at her, slowly opened his hands again, and lazily lifted his eyelids: "Pour it into my hand."
Seeing the little girl carefully trying to pour the whole bag of candy into his palm, he gently clenched his fingers and said, "That's enough."
Every time, she would unhesitatingly give away everything she had to others, never caring how much she had left.
He understood the little girl's clumsy yet sincere attempt at comfort.
The dryness in my throat caused by the craving for cigarettes was somewhat relieved.
He popped a gummy into his mouth. The rich peach aroma spread between his teeth, soft, sweet, and not cloying at all.
"Trying to coax me with candy?" he chuckled.
Seeing him smile, Zhu Wan's eyebrows unconsciously curved into a gentle arc: "Are you any happier?"
Fang Qibai had expected her to ask if he had had a fight with his family, but he didn't expect to receive such a gentle and concerned question. The corners of his lips lifted slightly, and the cold weariness in his eyes faded a little.
He chewed on the candy and responded softly, "Mmm."
Zhu Wan gently placed the remaining candy on his lap, saying, "These are all for you."
Just then, her phone rang. She answered, and Aunt Leng's voice came through. Zhu Wan gripped her phone, instinctively glancing at Fang Qibai.
He was chewing on a candy, and the lazy smile in his eyes instantly turned cold when he heard her call him "Aunt Leng".
"Ah Yuan, can I give the phone to Qi Bai?" Leng Qiyi asked gently.
Zhu Wan covered the receiver, looked into Fang Qibai's eyes, and silently mouthed, "Do you want to answer the phone?"
He casually gripped the steering wheel and shook his head.
Zhu Wan hung up the phone decisively.
Fang Qibai chuckled softly, his voice carrying a barely perceptible gentleness: "Thank you, A-Yuan."
"I'll make up your piano lesson this week at another time, okay?"
Zhu Wan nodded. The words "Don't be unhappy" were on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them back.
-
When Leng Qiyi walked into the house with her schoolbag on her back, her mother was chatting with Aunt Leng in the living room. Leng Qiyi looked behind her and saw Zhu Wan greeting her politely.
Leng Qiyi stood up, took her hand, and smiled gently: "If you ask me, it's better to have a daughter. You've become even more beautiful since I last saw you."
Meng Yin smiled and replied, "Then shall we switch?"
"Then I'll give you my son, and you give me A-Yuan," Leng Qiyi joked.
Meng Yin got up from the sofa and asked her daughter softly, "Why didn't you wait for Brother Qi Bai to park the car before coming in together?"
Zhu Wan stretched out her hands, revealing bandages on her knees and palms: "I accidentally fell at school, and my hands and knees hurt so much... I asked Brother Qi Bai for leave from today's piano lesson."
Leng Qiyi carefully examined her injury and asked with concern, "A-Yuan, is the injury serious?" She then casually added, "I thought Qi Bai would bring you back. I was planning to wait for him to finish his class so we could go home together."
Her son had been avoiding her lately, which left her helpless. That's why she contacted Meng Yin in the afternoon to order wine. During their chat, she learned that her son had changed the time he was supposed to teach Zhu Wan, so she made sure to arrive at the Zhu family home on time.
Zhu Wan met Aunt Leng's concerned gaze, gently shook her head, and remained silent.
Leng Qiyi assumed she had returned alone, so she didn't ask any further questions.
Seeing that her daughter's wounds had been properly treated, Meng Yin gently pulled her to sit down: "Sit with Mom and Aunt Leng for a while longer, then go upstairs to do your homework later."
Leng Qiyi quickly waved her hand: "Let the child go do their homework. Senior year is a busy time with many tasks." She stood up to take her leave, her tone still gentle: "Qi Bai didn't come, and I've already bothered you long enough. Mrs. Zhu, you go ahead with your work."
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