Apply medicine
Inside the dilapidated residential building, the motion-activated lights flickered on and off, illuminating the faces of two people at the door, making them look like they were haunted.
Qi Zui fumbled around for a while before finally pulling the key out of his pocket. He inserted the key into the lock, but as soon as he turned it, he suddenly stopped.
Amidst Wen Xubai's puzzled gaze, Qi Zui suddenly put his index finger to his lips, making a shushing gesture, and whispered, "My mom should be asleep already. Let's keep our voices down and not wake her up."
Wen Xubai: "·······"
What was supposed to be a normal request for lodging has turned into something like a son secretly bringing his "girlfriend" home, afraid his mother will suddenly find out...
But after all, he was the one who needed his help...
So Wen Xubai nodded and softly said, "Mm."
Seeing that Wen Xubai had agreed, Qi Zui smiled at him.
Then came the creaking sound of the iron gate scraping against the floor. Qi Xiaoxiao opened the door halfway, then gave a wink, slipped in first to let Wen Xubai go in, and then tiptoed to close the door behind him.
Wen Xubai: "·······"
Okay, he takes back what he just said.
They don't seem like "cheating lovers" anymore; they're more like...
A thief who steals things...
With a crisp "click," the last ray of light coming into the corridor went out, and the two were plunged into complete darkness.
When Qi Zui came to his senses, he inadvertently glanced at the innermost room in the house.
Wen Xubai looked over as well and saw that the door was tightly closed.
"Come on, let's go to my room."
Qi Zui found a small portable lamp from somewhere, stuffed it into Wen Xubai's hand, and then pushed Wen Xubai's shoulder, leading him into the room opposite the door.
After making sure the door was closed tightly, Qi Zui finally breathed a sigh of relief, turned off the small lamp in Wen Xubai's hand, and turned on the light in his own room.
"Smack!"
The scene before him finally became clear, and the furnishings in the room were laid out before Wen Xubai's eyes.
I was stunned at first glance.
The room was incredibly small. There was a bed, a moldy wooden table, a small sofa they'd found somewhere, and a small shelf—that was about it.
Wen Xubai couldn't help but be somewhat surprised.
Even though he had guessed that Qi Zui's family wasn't well-off, he never expected his room to be like this...
Having seen so many high-rise buildings and luxury homes, Wen Xubai found it hard to believe.
The room, which was already quite small, suddenly became incredibly crowded when two grown men squeezed in.
Qi bent down to move the boxes that were blocking his way, and as soon as he bent down, he couldn't help but let out a muffled groan.
This has aggravated the wound on my back...
Wen Xubai stepped forward and helped him move the box away.
"Thanks..." Qi Zui rotated his aching shoulders, then grimaced again...
"Do you have a first-aid kit at home?" Wen Xubai asked.
"Oh? Yes."
Qi Zui pointed to the small medicine box on the bottom shelf of the cabinet. Just as he was about to get up, Wen Xubai pressed him down to the bedside.
Qi Zui: "???"
"Are you injured?" Qi Zui couldn't help but ask.
Wen Xubai suppressed the urge to retort, sat down next to him while holding the box, and said coldly, "Take off your clothes."
Qi Zui: "!!!"
"Hey, hey, hey, Chen Che, what... what are you doing?! You wouldn't be...?!"
"Fine, I treated you like a brother, and you actually..."
Seeing Qi Zui glaring at him with his arms crossed over his chest, looking like he'd rather die than submit, Wen Xu's forehead veins bulged. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he grabbed the other's clothes and interrupted through gritted teeth, "Apply the medicine!"
Qi was stunned for a moment, and when he came to his senses, his clothes were already almost pulled up to his chest. He quickly shouted as if facing a great enemy, "I can do it myself!"
As he spoke, he deftly took off his vest and tossed it onto a shelf to the side.
Then he closed his eyes, puffed out his chest, and struck a pose of "I'm going all out," shouting, "Come on!"
Wen Xubai: "·······"
Wen Xubai tossed the first-aid kit next to the man, then sat down on the sofa with his arms crossed, saying speechlessly, "Do it yourself!"
"Oh, no, no, no..." Qi Zui finally composed himself, fawningly moving to Wen Xubai's side and pleading, "I was wrong, I was wrong... How could I reach it myself? Please, have mercy and help me..."
Hearing the other person's seemingly coquettish tone, Wen Xubai couldn't help but feel a chill, but remembering that he was still in the other person's room, he still kept a dark face and snatched the medicine box away.
"Turn around."
Qi Zui obediently turned around.
Wen Xubai was suddenly taken aback.
The man had a great physique, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and no excess fat. His muscles, however, were not the bulky build of those who work out, but rather the lean and muscular physique developed from years of hard labor.
However, the bruises on his back were an eyesore. The bruises were a patchwork of blue and purple, clearly indicating that he had been hit hard at the noodle shop. They were even more serious than the wounds on his face, with many places broken and still oozing blood.
Just looking at it makes me feel pain...
Wen Xubai recalled that Qi Zui had argued with the police at the police station and even dragged him along, which immediately surprised him...
He couldn't help but ask, "Qi Zui, can't you feel the pain?"
His head is still wrapped in bandages...
Qi was completely taken aback by the question; even with his silver tongue, he was momentarily stunned…
After a long pause, he shrugged indifferently and said, "Oh, it's nothing, just a minor injury. It's not even as bad as the injuries I got when I was in middle school fighting with those thugs. I'm used to it."
Wen Xubai's eyes darkened. "Why did you fight with those thugs?"
Qi Zui suddenly froze.
Wen Xubai seized the opportunity and pushed a dollop of ointment on it!
"Hiss—" Qi Zui gasped, abruptly suppressing the urge to cry out in pain.
"No, why didn't you give anyone a heads-up?"
"Studies have shown that shifting your focus can reduce the sensation of pain," Wen Xubai said calmly.
Upon hearing this, Qi Zui's lips twitched.
As he spoke, Wen Xubai applied another dab of ointment.
The bruises needed to be pushed away, so Wen Xubai didn't hold back. He pulled Qi's body away from the pain, but then forcefully pulled it back.
Qi Zui's forehead was covered in cold sweat from the pain. He gritted his teeth and said, "You know so much about this. It seems you got into a lot of fights when you were a kid, huh?"
Upon hearing this, Qi Zui felt a weight on Wen Xubai's hand and fell silent again.
His hands continued moving, but Wen Xubai's eyes lowered...
It's not that we fight more, it's that we get beaten more...
After the medicine was applied and the ointment dried a little, Wen Xubai asked Qi Zui to find a loose-fitting piece of clothing for him to put on before preparing to apply the medicine to his head.
Just as he reached out, he suddenly heard a sharp "crack" from outside the door, as if something had broken!
Qi Zui's eyes narrowed, and he quickly opened the door and rushed out!
"mom?!"
Wen Xubai followed him out.
Upon entering the living room, it was still dark, with no lights on. I could vaguely make out a figure standing in the center of the room…
"Ah! Ahhhhh! Who?! -- Don't come any closer, don't come any closer!" A shrill female voice rang out!
Wen Xubai clearly saw that Qi Zui's back suddenly stiffened and then stopped in place.
The figure quickly retreated, disappearing into a corner and adopting a defensive posture, seemingly terrified.
"Mom, it's me, it's Xiao Zui..."
As Qi Zui spoke, he found the button on the wall and pressed it!
Instantly, the entire living room lit up!
The woman in the corner was startled and couldn't help but flinch. Her disheveled hair and nightgown immediately caught the attention of the other two people in the room.
The woman's face was filled with terror; she seemed still shaken, staring at Qi Zui with her pupils slightly contracted...
Wen Xubai frowned slightly.
It's not surprising to be startled by a sudden voice or figure in the darkness. Perhaps the person was so agitated and frightened... even seeing their son's face didn't lessen their excitement in the slightest...
Whether it was Wen Xubai's imagination or not, he felt that Qi's mother's expression... seemed even more terrified when she saw Qi Zui.
Would a mother be so afraid of her own child?
Qi Zui couldn't help but frown at this moment, looking at the woman's bare feet standing in the middle of a pile of broken glass, and asked anxiously, "Mom, why aren't you wearing slippers?"
As he spoke, he quickly found the woman's slippers in the room and made her put them on.
Qi's mother seemed to have finally calmed down a bit. She touched her messy hair and said in a trembling voice, "It's...it's you..."
As if trying to cover up the truth, she reached for a broom to clean up the broken glass. But Qi Zui snatched it from her and said softly, "I'll do it."
Throughout the entire process, Wen Xubai stood to the side, while Qi's mother seemed completely unaware.
"Mom, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Do you want me to go to the hospital with you?"
"No...no, I...I was just thirsty and wanted a drink of water, and my hand slipped..." Mother Qi's voice was still trembling.
Qi Zui's eyes dimmed slightly. As he swept up the debris, he asked softly, "Mom, did you take your medicine today?"
"I ate...I ate..." The woman brushed her hair back together, seemingly a little guilty.
Only then did she notice Wen Xubai standing to the side, and she was taken aback, asking, "This is...?"
“Mom, he’s my friend. He just arrived in Jiangcheng and has nowhere to stay, so I asked him to stay for the night,” Qi Zui answered first.
"Oh, is that so... Well... you guys play, I... I'm going back to my room to sleep first..." After saying that, Qi's mother quickly fled back to her room and slammed the door shut.
Only the two people left in the living room, bewildered in the wind...
Wen Xubai clearly saw a hint of disappointment on Qi Zui's face...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
