Chapter Sixty-Nine: I Touched His Abs
Su Xiao put away her phone and hailed a taxi.
The car window rolled down, and the autumn wind swept in, carrying bits of maple leaves that landed on her shoulders.
She turned her head to look at the receding street scene outside the window, the light in her eyes gradually dimming. Her mother's things, even if all that was left was a scrap of cloth, were the memories she had held onto for so many years. How could she throw them away?
By the time I got downstairs to the studio, it was already getting dark.
Qin Yu was squatting in the third-floor corridor adjusting the polishing machine when he heard the noise. He looked up and greeted Su Xiao in a good mood.
"Good evening, senior sister. I've set up the machine and cleaned it up."
"Thanks a lot."
Su Xiao handed the coffee in her hand to Qin Yu.
His gaze swept over the fiery red cinnabar and emerald green on the workbench, and the gloom in his heart dissipated slightly.
Qin Yu had already tidied up the innermost small studio for her. Pushing open the door, there was a wooden table by the window, on which was the brooch design she had drawn last week. On the paper, half of a minimalist sun outline was drawn in pencil.
She pulled up a chair and sat down, then rummaged through a drawer for loose silver pieces, placed them in a small crucible, and heated the silver pieces in the crucible with a welding torch.
She didn't know how much time had passed before it was completely dark outside the window, and she finally raised her hand to rub her aching neck.
Seeing that it was almost time, she packed her things, put the corresponding parts in a small box, and then went out.
Xu Bozhou was already waiting outside the door. He was sitting on a small wooden stool, chatting casually with Qin Yu.
His black turtleneck sweater accentuated his jawline, and the bright red scarf draped around his neck looked warm and cozy in the dim light.
When Xu Bozhou saw her come out, he handed her a cup of warm milk held between his fingers.
"Was the coffee bought for Qin Yu?"
"Hmm." Su Xiao took it and nodded. "What's wrong?"
"fine."
Xu Bozhou glanced at Qin Yu, stood up expressionlessly, and took Su Xiao's bag.
Qin Yu was secretly chuckling to himself, but when Xu Bozhou noticed, he awkwardly covered his mouth and coughed.
"Well, I have something to do, you two should go home early."
"Okay, then I'll be going now."
Su Xiao pursed her lips, feeling that something about what he said sounded off.
They're talking like a married couple.
She blushed and turned her face away.
"You little brat."
Xu Bozhou flicked Qin Yu's forehead and led Su Xiao downstairs.
Chen Huai tactfully opened the car door. The back seat was spacious, and the warm air made Su Xiao feel lazy.
Xu Bozhou spoke only after the car had started moving smoothly; his voice was low and exceptionally clear amidst the wind noise:
“I personally went to the Qin family’s place. The things Zhou Qingmo investigated didn’t go through the Qin family’s channels; he did it secretly behind their backs.”
He turned his head to look at her.
"The Qin family has already investigated."
"Um."
Su Xiao lowered her head and took a sip of milk, somewhat lost in thought.
Suddenly, Chen Huai hissed and swerved the steering wheel sharply to the left, causing the car to tilt to the left instantly.
Su Xiao lost her grip on the milk cup and lurched forward, instinctively reaching out to grab Xu Bozhou beside her.
Instead of touching the shoulder as I expected, my fingertips bumped into something hard and warm.
It slid down half an inch, and through the thin fabric, it just brushed against the outline of the taut muscles under his shirt.
The milk spilled out with a "whoosh".
A pale white liquid splattered on Xu Bozhou's black coat, spreading out into a large wet patch. Even the corner of the red scarf hanging around his neck was stained with a few drops of milk. The red, white, and black clashed together, creating an eye-catching yet ambiguous scene.
Su Xiao stood frozen in place, the burning sensation still lingering on her fingertips. Her ears turned bright red, and she could barely speak coherently.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
Xu Bozhou's Adam's apple bobbed. Without looking at the mess on his body, he reached out and supported her arm.
His voice was lower than usual, with a slightly hoarse quality.
"fine."
He turned to look ahead and asked, "Chen Huai, what's going on?"
Chen Huai steadied the steering wheel and quickly explained:
"Sir, a kitten suddenly darted out from the middle of the road. I was afraid of hitting it, so I didn't dare to slam on the brakes..."
"kitten?"
Su Xiao frowned and looked out the window. Under the streetlights, she could vaguely see a small white shadow moving in the middle of the road.
"Chen Huai, stop the car, let's go down and take a look."
She sounded a little anxious, saying that it was too dangerous at night because there were few cars and visibility was poor.
"Okay." Chen Huai turned on his hazard lights and parked the car on the side of the road.
As the car door opened, a cool night breeze rushed in.
Xu Bozhou got out of the car first, walked around to the other side and helped Su Xiao, gently placing his palm on her waist to prevent her from slipping.
A newborn kitten, pure white all over, lay on the dark asphalt road, its right front paw still stained with blood.
Su Xiao squatted down and gently touched its back with her fingertips. It was still alive, but it was barely breathing.
"Xu Bozhou, can you take me to the vet?"
"..." He silently took off his coat and put the kitten in his arms.
She always picks up things randomly like this.
First, there was the homelessness of herself and Xu An, and then there was Qin Yu, who fainted at the door while trying to become an apprentice.
Perhaps in Su Xiao's eyes back then, they were no different from the cats and dogs on the street who couldn't get food.
The emergency room lights in the pet hospital shone with a cold, white light, and the pungent smell of disinfectant hit you as soon as you opened the door.
Xu Bozhou, carrying the kitten wrapped in his suit jacket, walked straight to the examination room without stopping, with Su Xiao following behind.
The doctor in the white coat took the kitten, stroked it, and slowly frowned. When he looked up, his tone was somewhat somber:
"It's too small. Its right forepaw is fractured, and it's also hypothermic. Its heart rate is very low right now. We need to keep it warm and give it IV fluids. You... be prepared for the worst."
Su Xiao clutched Xu Bozhou's clothes, subconsciously taking half a step forward, her eyes fixed on the kitten curled up on the examination table, her throat tightening.
"Just do your best."
"We will."
As the doctor spoke, he turned to get the IV set. "If you're sure you want to save him, go to the front desk to pay."
Chen Huai tactfully accepted the payment slip and quietly slipped out.
Only Su Xiao and Xu Bozhou remained on the bench outside the consultation room.
Xu Bozhou looked at her, her head bowed, stray hairs falling to obscure her eyes, her fingertips unconsciously picking at the plastic edge of the bench. He sighed softly and sat down beside her.
"If it pulls through, are you planning to keep it?"
Su Xiao hummed in agreement, her voice soft:
"Winter is coming soon. A kitten this small will definitely not survive the first snow if it is left on the roadside."
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