Jiang Linchuan was silent for a moment, then opened his thin lips and hummed, "I did."
Xu Xinghe was incredulous. He wasn't the kind of person who would resort to violence so easily. "You really hit Lian Xiao? Why did you suddenly start fighting? No matter how big the conflict was, it's never right to resort to violence!"
Jiang Linchuan looked at her tense little face, bracing himself for a scolding, but the next second, his wrist was suddenly gently grasped. Xu Xinghe's fingertips were slightly cool, and her tone softened, "What exactly happened? You're not an impulsive person, why did you hit him?"
In an instant, Jiang Linchuan's heart felt as if it were enveloped in warmth, both comforting and burning hot.
Instead of making preconceived accusations, she chose to believe that she had something to hide.
This trust moved him more than any explanation.
But no matter how hard Jiang Linchuan tried, he couldn't bring himself to say it.
Lian Xiao never explicitly expressed his feelings for Xu Xinghe. All his probing and concern were hidden in his seemingly casual actions, which she herself might not even have noticed.
Taking action based on such a reason is completely untenable, especially considering how much Lian Xiao has indeed helped Xu Xinghe...
"It's my fault." Jiang Linchuan's Adam's apple bobbed, and he finally mumbled, "He looks down on me, and I couldn't help myself..."
Xu Xinghe stared at him for a few seconds, then didn't press him further. She simply took his hand and said, "Come with me to see him. He said it was his fault for criticizing you. But you hit him, and others saw it. That's your fault."
She had previously thought that the two might become friends, but now it seems unlikely.
I should try to avoid letting them have contact with me in the future.
The reason Jiang Linchuan was sent to apologize to Lian Xiao was twofold: firstly, he should apologize, and secondly, it was for the sake of others.
The two rushed to the spot where the fight had just taken place.
Only a dark red bloodstain remained on the snow; Lian Xiao was nowhere to be seen.
Xu Xinghe pursed her lips and headed straight for a small courtyard at the back.
This is Lian Xiao's residence, and sure enough, there were scattered red dots at the entrance.
She knew that Lian Xiao was proud to the core and would never go to the hospital with the injuries he had sustained.
She raised her hand and gently knocked on the door. "Lian Xiao, are you there?"
After a moment of silence, Lian Xiao's muffled voice came from inside the room, "What is it?"
"I'll go in and check on your injury," Xu Xinghe said gently. "I brought some medicine; I'll treat it for you..."
"No need!" Lian Xiao's voice suddenly rose, then fell back down. "I'm fine, you can go."
He was looking in the mirror, at his bruised and swollen face.
His left eye was bruised, his mouth was cracked, and there was a red mark on his cheekbone. Where was his former handsome and dashing appearance?
How can I show my face like this, especially in front of Xu Xinghe!
He grew angrier the more he thought about it, and abruptly threw the mirror aside.
The mirror hit the wooden table with a loud clang.
"Comrade Lian, I'm sorry." Jiang Linchuan stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "I shouldn't have hit you. I hope you won't take it to heart. I can let you hit me back."
After saying that, he took Xu Xinghe's hand and said, "Since he doesn't want to open the door, let's go back first and let him calm down. I will come to apologize to him separately later. It's too cold outside, so don't stay outside for too long."
Xu Xinghe hesitated and knocked on the door again, but Lian Xiao still refused to come out.
She could only sigh helplessly and whisper to the door, "Lian Xiao, if you're not going to come out, then make sure you take good care of your wound and don't let it get infected. If anything happens... come find me anytime, don't try to tough it out."
There was no response from inside.
Jiang Linchuan put his arm around Xu Xinghe's shoulder and slowly walked back.
The cold wind stung my face like a knife.
Xu Xinghe couldn't help but glance back at the tightly closed door, her brows still furrowed.
Okay, let's leave it at that for now.
I'll come visit again in a few days after Lian Xiao leaves.
Another small courtyard not far away.
Wang Zhizhi watched the two figures leave, then turned and went inside.
The room was as cold as an icebox, with chill seeping in through the cracks in the walls. Only the faint embers in the stove offered a sliver of warmth, barely dispelling the cold.
Wang Zhizhi rubbed her hands, which were red from the cold, and saw that the flames were almost extinguished. She got up to go to the woodshed to fetch some more firewood.
But when you push open the door, the inside is empty; apart from the dusty corners of the walls, you can't even find a single withered branch.
She looked at the empty woodshed, and a lump formed in her throat.
Since Li Xingzhou was injured and the attempt to seize the frostbite cream failed, the two of them seemed to have been completely forgotten by the military.
Many people come and go outside, but no one pays much attention to this door, let alone comes to visit.
She had to swallow her pride and run to the cafeteria for both meals every day, enduring all the disdainful looks from others, before she could bring them back.
Just as I was in a daze, footsteps came from the doorway. A soldier stood under the eaves, his voice devoid of warmth, "After New Year's Day, you'll have to vacate this room."
If Li Xingzhou hadn't been injured and unable to walk, and if there hadn't been a lack of transportation recently, they would have been sent away long ago.
It's true what they say, you can know a person's face but not their heart. Everyone praised Dr. Li, but it turned out he was a hypocrite who was just trying to gain fame and reputation.
Wang Zhizhi's heart sank. She opened her mouth, wanting to ask something, but the soldier had already turned and walked away.
After a moment of stunned silence, she stumbled into the house.
Li Xingzhou was leaning against the kang (a heated brick bed), his face as pale as paper, his lips cracked. The quilt covering him had slipped down to his waist, revealing his bandaged arms.
Because my wrist has been injured several times and not properly treated, it is now swollen beyond recognition.
His breathing was heavy, his eyelashes were drooping, and even moving his eyelids seemed to exhaust him; he was completely unlike his usual gentle demeanor.
"Sailing." Wang Zhizhi's voice trembled, tinged with a sob she herself didn't realize. "They said... we can leave after New Year's Day!"
In fact, she had already thought of it. After Li Xingzhou got into this mess, which almost resulted in a death, it was only a matter of time before he was kicked out.
But when the moment actually came, fear and panic surged up like a tide, making her feel suffocated and her hands start to tremble.
Wang Zhizhi believed that with the memories of two lifetimes, she was confident of victory in Heilongjiang Province.
Having been reborn, he had decades more experience than others. On his way here, his mind was filled with thoughts of how to trample Xu Xinghe underfoot and swindle all of the Xu family's assets from her.
Once things are settled, I'll return to Shanghai and use my family fortune to become a truly privileged person. Then I'll marry Li Xingzhou in style and become her wealthy and leisurely wife. Life should be blissful.
But who would have thought that after only a few months here, not only would he not be able to step on Xu Xinghe, but he would be even more miserable than in his previous life.
Although she suffered all kinds of scorn in the military in her previous life, at least she was Jiang Linchuan's wife, so she was neither cold nor hungry.
Even if others don't like her, they don't dare to make a scene. At most, they'll whisper a few words behind her back, but they can't cause any big trouble.
But what about now?
She lived like a rat in the gutter, avoided by everyone.
Although they hadn't reached the point where everyone hated them, the disdain and wariness in their eyes had already kept her at bay.
Sometimes Wang Zhizhi would even think that if the military hadn't been so strict and the people in Heilongjiang Province weren't as petty as those in some other places, someone would have already kicked her out with a stick.
Now she watches Xu Xinghe's glory every day, but she doesn't even have the confidence to walk with her head held high.
Li Xingzhou finally made a move, his eyelids slowly lifting.
Without the lenses of his glasses to conceal it, the cold undertones in his eyes were fully revealed, like a bottomless, icy pool, devoid of any warmth.
His voice was hoarse. "Help me up."
Wang Zhizhi rushed forward and, barely daring to breathe, helped him move off the bed.
He walked very slowly, his once straight back now bent, yet he stubbornly held his chin up, trying to maintain his former faltering elegance.
"Go to town and send a telegram."
He needs to find someone; he needs to stay.
Only by staying on this land could he have a chance to take revenge.
These days, he lies in bed, his mind replaying this matter over and over again.
From the very beginning, he fell into the trap set by Xu Xinghe.
Having lived this long, this was the first time he had ever been defeated by someone, and it was a woman no less.
He couldn't swallow this insult; he had to get it back with interest!
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