Chapter Twenty-Two: Under the Same Roof
It was Chu Zhen, it really was Chu Zhen. The moment he got out of the car, my mental defenses completely collapsed, and I went limp.
"Who told you to come along alone? Didn't I tell you not to act rashly? Do you have a death wish?" Chu Zhen said seriously. This was the first time in a long time that he had spoken to me like this.
"My feet hurt, they hurt terribly!" I only realized my feet hurt when I got to the car.
"You seem to be quite fast!"
When the car reached the main road, Chu Zhen stopped and looked at my feet. Only then did I realize that my ankle was swollen like a bun, my pants were torn, and blood was seeping out.
How did you get injured?
"I think I just slipped on one of those concrete channels. I've realized I'm actually pretty amazing. Even in this situation, those three guys couldn't outrun me. Looks like I'll have to participate in the city marathon next year." I was in a lot of pain, but the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive, so I tried to sound relaxed.
"You still know pain! How can anyone feel at ease with your recklessness? Why didn't you call me? I might not even read your messages right away. What if I didn't see your message? What if I was delayed on the way? Have you thought about the consequences?"
"Aren't there no 'what ifs'? You've come, haven't you?"
"Don't try to argue with me. I'm not joking. You must never do things without thinking and considering the consequences. You must never do that again."
"Okay, drive carefully and get home quickly!"
"Why go home? You're injured like this. Just go to the hospital."
Along the way, Chu Zhen kept babbling like Tang Sanzang, and the aloofness I had in my mind vanished instantly.
"There's a bone fracture, and the ligaments in your ankle are also injured. You need to be hospitalized for observation!" the doctor diagnosed after taking X-rays.
"Can I not be hospitalized? I still have classes to attend."
"Why don't you be more careful? I'll write you a sick note and have your boyfriend ask the teacher for leave!" Despite being misunderstood again, Chu Zhen still didn't object, and I secretly rejoiced.
I was put in a private room. Having never been hospitalized before, this was my first time being admitted to a VIP ward. Huang Yanyan contacted her father and asked him to find a good doctor, since I was still young and if I were left with a disability, my life would be ruined. My parents also came from City B. If it weren't for my hospitalization, they might have already forgotten about me, the "other woman."
I didn't tell them the real reason for my injury; I just said I fell while riding my bike.
"Lin Dang, be honest, is this Chu Zhen your boyfriend?" My mother asked me this the first time she saw Chu Zhen, when he went to the nurses' station.
"Not for now."
"What do you mean 'not yet'? Does it mean they're still in the planning stages and haven't confessed to each other yet?"
"Mom, I'm injured. You've been staring at Chu Zhen ever since you walked in. Did you see your daughter's leg hanging up? What if she's crippled?"
"Isn't this because we're worried you'll become disabled, so we're rushing to find you a good family to marry into? I think Chu Zhen is pretty good; he's good-looking and quite considerate."
"Yes, yes, girl, I think your mother is right. Based on my experience, Chu Zhen probably likes you. The way he looks at you is the same way I looked at your mother back then."
The two elders were talking in unison in front of me, only discussing Chu Zhen and showing no concern for my injuries. Indeed, I was an "accident," and now they really wanted to find a way to get rid of me, this accident.
Chu Zhen said that he originally wanted to go to the nurses' station, but as soon as he stepped out the door, he heard my parents' conversation. He heard every word, which made him more confident, since he had gained his parents' approval just by his appearance.
I stayed in the hospital for ten days before leaving. My parents stayed here the whole time. I originally wanted them to stay in a hotel, but Chu Zhen said the hospital was close to his place, and they could cook and bring me food, which would be more convenient. During those days, Chu Zhen stayed here during the day and went out at night. Our relationship grew closer, but neither of us said anything first. It seemed like we were both pretending not to know. My parents, on the other hand, would occasionally give us some alone time.
Although I've been discharged from the hospital, the cast still can't be removed. I don't know how Chu Zhen managed to get me leave; I was allowed to take time off until the cast was removed before going back to school. Originally, I was going back to Huang Yanyan's place, but Chu Zhen changed his route halfway and went directly to his place.
"She's just a young girl, she doesn't know how to take care of people. At least I can guarantee your nutrition here." Chu Zhen's reasoning was irresistible, but this time, I insisted on staying in the guest room.
"Chu Zhen is a really nice girl. She's very respectful to a nanny like me and never puts on airs. You can tell she really cares about you!" This auntie is Chu Zhen's hourly cleaner, but Chu Zhen offered her double the price so she could turn down other jobs and focus on taking care of me here.
“Auntie, Chu Zhen is my supervisor. This is considered a work injury. He felt guilty, which is why he treated me like this.”
"What kind of leader treats their employees like this? At most, they would visit them in the hospital to offer their condolences, but they even brought them home to recuperate after discharge. This is more than just a leader's behavior!" The aunt is a straightforward person; couldn't she have been a little less blunt?
Recently, Chu Zhen switched to the day shift. Usually, the nanny is there during the day, and he will be there at night. He said that he had a lot of footage before, which he could edit and use.
"Lin Dang, is your leg itchy today?" These past few days, the area where the cast is applied has been a little itchy, probably due to scabbing or healing.
"Don't even mention it, it makes me itchy." I really want to take the cast off and scratch it properly.
"Let me show you a magic tool." Chu Zhen took a very thin back scratcher and stuck it into the gap in the plaster cast. "Does it feel better now?"
"Really? How can it be so thin!"
"I interviewed a folk craftsman before and asked him to make one for me."
"Chu Zhen, is this dirt on my leg?" The back scratcher brought out some black, unidentified substance.
"Lin Dang, you're a girl, please be more polite."
"What's wrong with that? Dirt is a byproduct of metabolism, don't you have any?" I deliberately stuck the back scratcher in front of him.
"Lin Dang, you're disgusting!"
...
Another day.
"Chu Zhen, what have you done?" When I woke up from my afternoon nap, there were some patterns on my white bandages.
"Isn't it much better? White is too monotonous. I realize I really learned a lot from those few art classes I took when I was little. This pattern is so beautiful." I was speechless looking at his narcissistic attitude. Sure enough, boys are too childish.
"Is this a concept car?"
"Yeah, look, it can fly when there's a traffic jam, and it can transform into a boat when the city's drainage is poor during the summer rains. How am I so amazing? I had this concept since I was a kid." Looking at Chu Zhen's serious nonsense, I suddenly found him quite cute.
That afternoon, we talked a lot about our childhoods. Although there was a generation gap of more than two generations, our childhoods seemed to be quite similar. We would play similar games and listen to the same songs. Chu Zhen said it was because I had an old mindset. Even though they were things that were his age, I was obsessed with them.
...
"Didn't I tell you to sit still and not move? I can do whatever you need." I thought I had improved my skills with the cane, but I still managed to fall down.
"I understand, your floor is too slippery. If you changed it to a carpet, you wouldn't slip and fall!"
"Did you hurt yourself anywhere?" Chu Zhen ignored my question.
"I'm not that fragile!" I patted my arm and lifted my injured leg. "See? Everything's fine, isn't it!"
"Lin Dang, can't you be a little more delicate like a woman? Do you know how a normal woman should behave right now?" Chu Zhen helped me to the sofa, which has now become my base. Except for sleeping, I spend almost all my time on the sofa.
Does your crying break your heart?
"Do you know why you don't do that?"
"Do you think this matches my style? Do you know what my mom said about me? She said I was reincarnated too fast."
"Haha~ Auntie makes a lot of sense." Chu Zhen has been smiling a lot lately, and this kind of hearty laughter often appears.
...
That month, we encountered many awkward situations, but I always managed to defuse them in time. So, we didn't make any further progress, but I was certain I had fallen for Chu Zhen, a seemingly aloof but actually immature young man.
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