Chapter 29
scar?
Zhou Zhixun knew what Chen Mian was talking about, but he didn't answer. He went into the dressing room and came out wearing a white T-shirt.
"Why are you awake? Are you hungry?"
Chen Mian shook his head, persisting, "How did you get those scars on your back?"
Zhou Zhixun stared at Chen Mian's face without saying a word for a long time. Chen Mian was a little flustered by his gaze, but he still didn't answer. Instead, he beckoned to her, "Come here. Since you're here, sleep with me."
And then turned off one of the lights, leaving only the floor lamp by the bed.
The dim light shone on the floor, and Zhou Zhixun stared at her with an inscrutable expression. "Come here."
Chen Mian hesitated, then slowly and reluctantly moved over.
"May I take a closer look?"
"What are you looking at?"
Chen Mian pointed to her back, her meaning all too clear: she wanted to see the scars on Zhou Zhixun's body.
Zhou Zhixun sighed helplessly and relented, "Okay, come and see, I'll hold you."
The scar was about the length of two palms held together, fingertips touching, and it was an old scar. Chen Mian could almost tell that it was an injury Zhou Zhixun sustained before he came of age, because there were signs of stretching and growth around the edges of the scar.
Then, she pulled her nightgown halfway down, saying, "I have a scar like this here too."
“Hey,” Zhou Zhixun looked away and pulled the blanket over Chen Mian to keep her from catching a cold. Sometimes he felt helpless because of Chen Mian’s occasional bold actions.
Chen Mian carefully observed his and her own scars. Hers was much smaller than Zhou Zhixun's, located on the back of his shoulder, just enough to be covered by clothes.
The two people's scars are almost identical, except for the details and size.
"My God, Zhou Zhixun, how could we be so destined to meet?"
Chen Mian tried to combine his scars with Zhou Zhixun's.
"Okay," Zhou Zhixun helped her put her nightgown back on, and they lay down on the bed together.
His embrace was tighter than ever before.
"Go to sleep, I'll make you something delicious tomorrow."
Chen Mian managed to tilt his head back in his tight embrace, "So how did you get injured?"
Zhou Zhixun saw that she was so persistent about it, and it was understandable. It was normal for her to find a scar on him that was similar to her own and to stubbornly ask about the cause and effect.
But he doesn't want to delve into the details right now.
"It's late, go to sleep," he patted Chen Mian's back gently, coaxing him, "I'll tell you everything when I have time."
"Okay," Chen Mian said, unable to get any more information, then pouted and rested his head on Zhou Zhixun's chest.
His strong, broad chest muscles make you feel incredibly safe, like being hugged by a gentle, kind bear.
However, she had a nightmare.
Fragments of the past surfaced in her mind, and many things she thought she had forgotten were pulled out from the depths of her memory by an invisible hand, forcing her to relive them again and again.
Chen Mian had nowhere to avoid it, and his head, which was lying on the pillow, swayed slightly from side to side.
She remembered that extravagant party from her childhood.
At that time, Chen Kang's career was already at its peak, and he and Feng Meixia had reunited and had a daughter, Chen Mian, who was only seven years old at the time.
The gathering invited Chen Kang and his family members, nominally family members, not Feng Meixia.
However, Feng Meixia obtained invitations to the gathering through various channels, and she not only went herself but also brought Chen Mian along.
She did this simply because Chen Kang refused to meet or contact her, and refused to pay any money other than child support.
Chen Kang had experienced hardship, so he held onto his money tightly and spent every extra penny carefully.
The unexpected happened suddenly.
A couple having an affair accidentally knocked over a love lamp on the second floor. The lamp fell onto the soft carpet, and at first, they were so engrossed in their passion that they didn't notice. By the time they realized what was happening, the fire had already begun to spread.
Since their status was lower than the others present, and the incident stemmed from such a sordid matter, the two planned to leave quietly, pretending to be the first witnesses to discover the fire.
This back and forth delayed things further, and by the time the others finally noticed, the fire was already somewhat out of control.
At this point, almost everyone at the party had been drinking, and their minds, like rusty machines, slowly transmitted the instructions in their heads to all parts of their bodies.
Running is the first command the body receives.
The fire, like a ferocious jackal or tiger, tore at the self-esteem and dignity of the wealthy, who rushed toward the door in a frenzy.
Chen Mian is the one who has been forgotten.
In her haste to escape, Feng Meixia had no time to think about her daughter. When she finally came to her senses after reaching safety, her first reaction was not panic or worry, but rather a sense of smug satisfaction.
Perhaps there was also some regret—the connection with Chen Kang was severed.
Because, having lost her child, she could neither be considered the mother of Chen Kang's daughter nor Chen Kang's mistress.
For Feng Meixia, raising a child was too expensive. She would rather Chen Mian perish in the fire, while she pretended to be pitiful and perhaps swindled a considerable sum of money from Chen Kang as compensation.
The raging fire engulfed every corner of the room. Chen Mian was so hot that she couldn't open her eyes, and she explored the room by feeling around.
Each one was piping hot.
Every single item is, even the floor beneath your feet.
In a daze, she felt as if she were in a steamer, with a constant stream of hot air rising from the soles of her feet, unable to dissipate and accumulating on the top of her head.
"Tiara, Tiara"
Chen Mian opened his eyes groggily and instinctively reached out, only to find his hand being tightly gripped.
Zhou Zhixun is a light sleeper. In the middle of the night, he was startled by the strange behavior of the person next to him and immediately called Bella to summon a private doctor to treat her.
"Are you feeling better?" He leaned closer to Chen Mian and asked when he saw that she had woken up.
Chen Mian nodded, thinking to himself, "No wonder I feel hot, I have a fever."
“The doctor said your immunity is a bit low, and you were frightened, it’s due to stress,” Zhou Zhixun looked down at her, his fingers brushing across her cheek. “What’s wrong? Is it because of… the injury on my back?”
Chen Mian opened his mouth to speak, but found his voice to be very hoarse, so he shook his head.
Zhou Zhixun gestured to Bella, who was standing nearby, to pour her a glass of warm water and fed it to her.
"Sleep a little longer, I'll stay with you."
-
The next day, Chen Mian got up very early.
Zhou Zhixun didn't sleep all night, leaning against the headboard and watching over her without moving. He just went to the kitchen to cook some rice porridge for her.
When Chen Mian woke up and didn't see anyone, he got out of bed and couldn't find his shoes anywhere, so he simply walked to the kitchen.
Zhou Zhixun watched the pot in the kitchen. The porridge inside was making a soft gurgling sound, and the kitchen was filled with a fresh yet somewhat bland smell.
“Sit here,” he said, his gaze falling on Chen Mian’s fair and slender feet, somewhat displeased. “You came over like this without even wearing shoes. Do you think you’re in great shape?”
"I didn't mean to, I just couldn't find it," Chen Mian said guiltily.
Zhou Zhixun got her a new pair of slippers, put them on her feet, and touched Chen Mian's forehead. Her fever had subsided. "Are you feeling better?"
"Hmm, much better."
"So, can I tell you why you felt unwell last night?" Zhou Zhixun bent down, her gaze level with Chen Mian's. Her eyes sparkled, her pupils like clear black pearls.
"I had a dream about some things from my childhood."
Chen Mian didn't intend to hide it from him and told him everything he had dreamed about last night.
“I’ve had this dream many times before, but I’ve rarely had it since I started high school. But I had it again last night.”
"Feel sorry."
Chen Mian asked in surprise, "What does this have to do with you?"
"It's because my scars remind you of those terrible experiences."
“It’s alright,” Chen Mian said, taking it all in stride. “These things are all in the past. Besides, how can you say that a dream is definitely because of you?”
His Tiara was just like that—simple and kind.
"Go to the table and wait, it will be ready soon."
"Oh," Chen Mian craned his neck to look at the white porridge in the pot, "This tastes bland, I want something spicy."
“No,” Zhou Zhixun refused her without hesitation.
"Okay," she said reluctantly, glancing into the cupboard where she found her favorite spicy beef jerky and some kimchi and other side dishes to go with rice.
Zhou Zhixun rarely allowed her to eat ready-to-eat side dishes, and besides, the meals at home were almost never the same every day, so Chen Mian didn't get to eat those either.
On her way back to the restaurant, she received a message from China.
It was her father, Chen Kang, who asked her when she would return.
Chen Mian replied that he didn't know yet.
Winter break had already begun, but she hadn't gone back because there was really nothing worth going back to. Going back would mean facing her stepmother, Zeng Bailing, and Chen Yixian, who always seemed to dislike her.
Why go back to a house like this? It's much more comfortable to stay with Zhou Zhixun.
The next moment, Chen Kang called.
Chen Mian answered the call and waited for the other person to speak first.
"Grandpa is sick."
"What!?" Chen Mian exclaimed excitedly, "What illness? When did you get sick? Why didn't anyone tell me?"
Grandpa treated Chen Mian very well; the little care Chen Mian received in his childhood came from him.
Moreover, she remembered that her grandfather was very healthy; the last time she went back, she even accompanied him to climb the Great Wall. How could he have... in just six months?
“He caught a bad cold a while ago, but he didn’t take it seriously and it turned into pneumonia. And you, you never call home, but now you’re blaming me.”
Chen Mian didn't want to argue with him about this nonsense. Chen Kang was the kind of person who would complain whenever he got the chance, only then would he feel at ease.
"I'm on winter break now, so I'll check the plane tickets for the next couple of days and try to come back when I have some free time."
"Just keep it to yourself, that's all."
"OK."
"What's wrong?" Zhou Zhixun had been listening intently since she answered the phone, and since she was quite agitated and speaking loudly, he could easily hear what she was saying. "Has something happened to your family?"
He approached and noticed that Chen Mian's phone screen had already switched to a flight booking view. "So urgent?"
"Yes," Chen Mian replied casually, estimating the time in his mind. If he left now, it would take at least an hour to get to the airport, and he could catch an afternoon flight. With that thought, he tapped on one of the flights, and then his phone was snatched away.
"What are you doing!" She was already in a bad mood, and this disturbance made her vent her anger on Zhou Zhixun. "I'm booking a plane ticket."
How could Zhou Zhixun let her rush back just because of a phone call? He knew nothing, not even who was sick, how serious it was, how long Tiara would be delayed, or when she would return.
He couldn't bring himself to release the person under these circumstances.
"Speak properly. First, tell me what happened."
“My grandfather is sick,” Chen Mian’s eyes welled up with tears as he recalled Chen Kang’s mention of pneumonia on the phone. He silently blamed himself for not calling home more often and for not caring more about the elderly in his family.
Grandma passed away early, leaving only Grandpa by his side. Although he was Chen Kang's father, he never got involved in the family's dirty business. In his early years, he lived on a mountain far from the hustle and bustle, growing vegetables and raising chickens. Chen Mian grew up eating these chickens and eggs.
Later, he learned that Chen Kang had divorced Feng Meixia and had an affair with her, resulting in the birth of Chen Mian. Feeling guilty towards Feng Meixia's family, he moved back to the city from the mountain and would occasionally help take care of Chen Mian.
“Poor Tiara, I can’t go back with you,” Zhou Zhixun said, putting his arm around her with difficulty. He had been very busy with work lately and couldn’t get away; this trip was not in his plans.
"It's okay, I can go back by myself."
"Have breakfast first. Bella will help you pack your luggage tonight, and I'll book your plane ticket. You can go back tomorrow afternoon, and I'll book your return ticket as well."
Chen Mian was unhappy, "I don't know when I'll be back yet."
“Go back according to the flight schedule, or wait until I have time to go back with you. Don’t worry, I will arrange for the best doctors to treat your grandfather.”
That despicable Zhou Zhixun, his untimely possessiveness is always a nuisance.
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