Chapter 6
As always, Bai Sinian would appear at the corner of "The Corner" on time every day, ordering his cup of bitter coffee that he never touched. But this time, his gaze was almost entirely focused on Lin Xiaotang's right hand, which was wrapped in gauze.
Lin Xiaotang tried her best to ignore that gaze, managing the shop's affairs with only one hand and her less-than-nimble injured hand. But when busy, it was inevitable that she'd overlook something. Once, she instinctively reached for a mug waiting to be washed on the bar, along with the other cups, and placed it in the sink—
"Don't move!"
A deep, urgent shout suddenly erupted from the corner, carrying an almost stern anger.
Lin Xiaotang was so startled that her hand trembled, and she almost dropped the cup. She turned her head in surprise and saw that Bai Sinian had stood up at some point, his face tense, and his eyes filled with anxiety and anger that she had never seen before, staring straight at her injured hand that had almost been submerged in water.
"Your hands can't get wet! Didn't you listen to a word the doctor said?!" He strode over, his tone quick and sharp, as if scolding a disobedient child. "What if you get an infection? What if you get inflammation? What if you have long-term effects? Don't you care at all?!"
His voice sounded particularly abrupt and loud in the quiet shop, and the few scattered customers looked over in surprise.
Lin Xiaotang was stunned by his barrage of questions, and then a surge of grievance and anger welled up inside her. The wound on her wrist was still throbbing, and this man in front of her had first inexplicably avoided her, and now he was interfering with her in this way?
She took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, and tried to keep her voice calm, yet with a clear sense of distance and boundaries: "Mr. Bai."
Persian seemed startled by his out-of-control emotions and the words that slipped out, and his expression froze.
Lin Xiaotang looked at him and said, word by word, "Thank you very much for your continued patronage, and thank you again for taking me to the hospital last time. However," she emphasized, "our relationship is nothing more than this. You are no one to me and have no right to speak to me in this manner. I will take care of my own health. If you insist on 'caring' for someone in this way, then I'm sorry, I may have to ask you not to come again."
These words were like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing all the anxiety and anger in Bai Sinian's eyes, leaving only a deathly silence. His lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to explain something, but in the end, no sound came out. He looked at Lin Xiaotang's cold and distant expression, his eyes gradually dimming until they completely lost all light and became empty.
He nodded slowly, as if he had exhausted all his strength. Then, without a word, he turned around and walked unsteadily toward the door, his back stiff and forlorn, even a little disheveled.
The glass door closed gently, shutting out his vanished figure.
For the rest of the week, that corner spot remained empty.
Percy never appeared again.
Lin Xiaotang's hand injury gradually healed; the stitches were removed, leaving a new pink scar. She looked at the clear yet slightly hurried handwriting on the medicine bag—"Precautions: Reminder for dressing changes and stitch removal"—and even the clinic's address and phone number were carefully noted next to it. The handwriting, like the man himself, carried a restrained seriousness.
She felt a strange mix of emotions, like a sigh of relief, or a void. The agitation vanished, replaced by a more complex feeling, one she couldn't quite grasp. She shook her head, trying to shake off the man and that odd feeling.
That evening, it was closing time. Xiao Wei finished cleaning and left first. Lin Xiaotang finished counting the day's revenue and was about to lock the door when she suddenly heard a soft "ding-dong" sound behind her.
Without turning her head, she said habitually while locking the cash register, "Sorry, we're closed."
There was no response from behind, nor the sound of footsteps leaving.
A strange premonition made Lin Xiaotang's heart skip a beat. She slowly turned around.
Bai Sinian stood quietly at the door, the glass door slightly ajar behind him. He seemed to have rushed over; his hair was a little disheveled, and his breathing was slightly rapid. Only a few warm yellow wall lamps were on inside, casting a dim light that elongated his tall figure, making it difficult to discern his expression. Only his eyes, unusually bright in the dim light, gazed at her with a complex and deep intensity.
After a week apart, he seemed to have lost some weight, and his jawline was more defined.
The two stared at each other silently across the empty, cleaned shop. The air seemed to freeze, leaving only the sound of their clearly audible breathing.
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