Chapter 23 The Young Lady in the Wheelchair 23: Don't Move (Three-in-One)
"Don't just stand there, come over here and let me take a look."
With a clang, the stick in Cheng Zhishu's hand fell to the ground and rolled away from her feet.
Several students, with a tuft of hair on their backs, instinctively shrank their heads when the other person passed by, fearing that the other person would slap them in the face.
This situation is truly a role reversal. In the past, they were the ones who would slap someone in the face, but unexpectedly, a transfer student who seemed to only know how to study was so strong that several people couldn't hold her down.
Instead, she found an opportunity to run to the storage room and even got a mop that had been abandoned for many years.
The homeroom teacher arrived a step too late: "Which class are you from? Who is your homeroom teacher? Why are you here?"
The three questions were fired in quick succession, leaving everyone completely bewildered.
Previously, only a few students knew how to get here, and the door lock was rusty. How did these ghostly people get here?
However, the doubts remained unanswered, as each and every one of them was stopped by the homeroom teacher, who then identified the homeroom teacher by recognizing their face and calling them.
Parents must be called in; this situation must not be tolerated.
Xi Congshuang only had eyes for Cheng Zhishu.
Her wet shoes left footprints on the ground with each step, and her slender figure slowly walked out of the shadows where the setting sun did not reach, the slanting sunlight lengthening her shadow.
Cheng Zhishu wasn't sure what she was feeling when she walked up to Xi Congshuang. Like a robot with a pre-programmed routine, she forgot what she was thinking when she saw Xi Congshuang's hand, and just walked forward and put her hand on it.
Then I grabbed her hand and pulled her close.
Her calves touched the wheelchair footrests, and the tips of her shoes under her soft skirt pressed against Cheng Zhishu's legs—the distance was incredibly close.
Xi Congshuang was in a rush to leave today, so she didn't cover her knees with a thin blanket, and the ankles below her skirt were as white as a handful of fresh snow.
But it's very thin, as thin as a newly sprouted bamboo shoot.
Cheng Zhishu lowered her eyes and saw that section of her lower leg. Suddenly, she wondered if she had forgotten to bring the thin blanket to cover her legs because of me.
When she first arrived in Wenhai, Xiao Liu carefully reminded her not to look at or mention Miss's legs too much, as that was her sore spot.
Xi Congshuang held Cheng Zhishu's hand and turned it over, opening her palm. Sure enough, it was red and worn, with the most severe cuts at the base of her fingers, where green sap remained.
These are marks left from climbing over the wall while holding onto the ivy. I don't know if I wasn't very skilled at climbing and ended up scratching myself instead.
She turned his arm over to check, and found the other side was also injured. Xi Congshuang asked, "Are you hurt?"
Cheng Zhishu: "No."
Xi Congshuang raised her other hand and pressed it against her abdomen.
Caught off guard, Cheng Zhishu was pressed down and instinctively shrank her stomach, but then hissed in pain. Realizing what had happened, her back stiffened, and she lowered her head without saying a word.
Sure enough, a soft sneer came from above: "Not injured."
"You breathe so carefully, do you think I can't tell?"
Cheng Zhishu: "..." This is a bit scary.
To be honest, Xi Congshuang rarely showed her emotions. Most of the time, she was calm and gentle. Even when she had difficulty moving around, she would not show any impatience. It seemed that nothing could change her emotions.
Everyone always says that Miss Xi has a bad temper and you should never provoke her, but Cheng Zhishu has never seen Xi Congshuang angry.
But now, Cheng Zhishu had a hunch that Xi Congshuang was angry...
Because of his own stubbornness?
Fighting during school is indeed a sign of bad behavior.
She wiped the marks off her hands little by little with a wet tissue, the dust staining the tissue black, before Xi Congshuang casually tossed it aside.
The abandoned building used to be a teaching building for students. The ground was paved with cement, but because it had not been used for a long time, the ground cracked and many weeds grew out of the cracks.
Xiao Li quietly picked up the wet tissue from the ground, not daring to make a sound.
Okay, I'm definitely angry.
Once Cheng Zhishu understood this, she dared not breathe loudly, and her expression gradually became guilty.
Xi Congshuang took out a clean handkerchief from somewhere and said calmly, "Look down, your face is dirty too."
Cheng Zhishu squatted down, her brown eyes meeting Xi Congshuang's eyes briefly before looking away, and something soft pressed against the side of her face.
A gentle touch slid across her face as Xi Congshuang bent down to wipe away the dust she couldn't see. The distance between them shortened, and the faint scent of medicine seemed to embrace Cheng Zhishu, enveloping her in its shadow.
Cheng Zhishu blinked uncomfortably; the area where she had been touched felt hot.
Xi Congshuang pinched her chin: "What did they take from you that made you so anxious?"
After waiting for a while, Cheng Zhishu didn't receive Xi Congshuang's scolding, but instead received this question.
Cheng Zhishu was stunned, and just looked up at her blankly: "Huh?"
Isn't she angry?
In the public's perception, good students and well-behaved children should not be able to climb over walls, let alone get into fights.
Xi Congshuang rubbed her face harder, tucking a stray strand of hair behind Cheng Zhishu's ear with her fingertips, and sighed softly, "What 'ah'? Tell me the answer."
This tone doesn't sound like someone who isn't angry.
Before Cheng Zhishu could even process what was happening, the answer had already slipped out: "They...they took my necklace."
Under Xi Congshuang's gaze, Cheng Zhishu spoke more and more, her tone aggrieved: "They told me I could only get it if I came here, so I came. It was something my grandmother had prayed for for me at the temple before."
*
"It's a worthless necklace, I'll give it back to you, but you can't hit my child! Look, her hands are all bruised!"
In the brightly lit office, an elegantly dressed woman stood with her hands on her hips, pointing at the items on her desk with her manicured fingers.
"It's just a stone. We'll pay whatever you want. We're not short of money. But you should at least explain why someone was injured, right?"
On the desk, which was pressed down by glass, lay a necklace, white as jade, engraved with the shape of a peace buckle, strung on a silver chain.
It does not look very valuable. It is similar to the overpriced jade necklaces that can be seen everywhere in the scenic area, except that it is made of red rope and is made of gold and silver chains.
Cheng Zhishu is in Class 1. The Class 1 homeroom teacher said, "But your child used a necklace to blackmail you, saying that she must come after the exam, or else she will destroy the necklace."
The parent turned to look at their child and asked, "Did you say that?"
The girl covered her arm and said nonchalantly, "What do you mean, 'I didn't'?"
He turned to the other three girls and asked, "And what about you?"
It was just something they said verbally, so of course there was no evidence, and they weren't even caught on camera talking.
They were already adept at avoiding being monitored and threatened.
As for why I did this, why would there be a reason? It's simply because I couldn't stand it and thought it was pretentious.
This worthless stone was kept like a treasure in his pencil case, and he wouldn't let anyone touch it.
The answer is unanimously: no.
The parent instantly became furious: "My child says no, but you say yes, do you have any proof?"
Class teacher: "But the fact is that the necklace was indeed taken from your child, and everyone saw it."
"Without evidence, who knows if she tricked my child into going there and then beat them up?"
The homeroom teacher argued logically: "Zhi Shu has only been a student at this school for less than a month. How could she possibly know so much about the abandoned buildings here?"
Seeing the atmosphere getting increasingly heated, the other teachers quickly tried to smooth things over: "Teacher Yang, calm down. I know you care about your students..."
The parents of the other three immediately chimed in: "That's right! Is this the quality of your class? She was unharmed, yet she falsely accused someone of tricking her into going there."
"I told you I'm very busy. I have to go back to the company to reply to my boss later. My boss said he doesn't ask for much, just to reimburse the medical expenses."
"He just wanted to chat with her and say a few words, and she reacted so strongly. How will she survive in the future?"
"I think this kind of black sheep should be expelled."
"It's not just the medical expenses; my child's camera was smashed too. I brought it back for her from abroad, and I have to pay for that as well!"
This was undeniably a sophistry. Xi Hanran, who was sitting in the corner with her driver, Xiao Li, filling the audience seats, picked at her ear.
Being able to argue and make a fuss to this extent is also a skill.
Xi Hanran looked at the group of people, who had filled the office to the brim.
There are four students standing here: two from the class next to Cheng Zhishu's, and two from other classes. Even their parents are from different classes.
Some parents didn't come and had their assistants handle it for them; some were glamorous stay-at-home wives who came in person; some were heavily pregnant businessmen; and some were company executives who rushed over from their workplaces.
And their respective homeroom teachers, as well as the teachers in the teaching affairs office who reached a settlement through mediation.
She didn't know any of them, and they were probably not people she would have the opportunity to meet.
However, she still felt it was absurd. Back then, Xi Hanran was a top student praised by everyone, but this was the first time she had participated in such a scene.
It was also thanks to Xi Congshuang. By the way, Xi Congshuang was also the kind of top student who deeply abhorred any violation of discipline.
"Then what was she doing with the camera all of a sudden?" Xi Congshuang suddenly asked.
She hadn't said a word since the group arrived, sitting there silently with her paper cup in hand, not participating in the teachers' mediation.
If it weren't for the fact that she was sitting in a wheelchair, one would have thought she was sitting in an upholstered wooden chair in an office, just like any other person.
Her sudden speech overwhelmed the noise of the crowd, and her voice clearly reached everyone's ears.
"An abandoned building, the toilet door locked from the inside, a piece of clothing with a button torn off, and a camera. Tell me, what was she planning to do with the camera?"
Xi Congshuang retorted, "Are you trying to tell me that your child is a member of the school's photography club and took a camera to an abandoned building to take post-apocalyptic style photos of my child?"
"..."
The parent who had been arguing the loudest was speechless, even though she did want to retort in that way, and it wasn't the first time she had done so.
"My child is a member of the photography club at No. 1 Middle School. She just likes taking pictures. Who knew this student would make such a fuss and misinterpret her good intentions?"
However, since it all happens off-campus, if you encounter difficult parents, you can just use some money; there's no need to worry about it.
“I won’t pay for the medical expenses or the camera.” Xi Congshuang put down the paper cup in her hand. “The perpetrator must apologize to Cheng Zhishu and be severely punished.”
The portly boss grew impatient: "Who do you think you are? Do you even know who I am? Do you still want to work in Anshi?"
Xi Congshuang: "My surname is Xi. May I ask your surname?"
"So what if my surname is Xi!" The boss was about to continue threatening when the young man in a suit tugged at his arm.
The boss flung his arm away, turned around, and yelled, "Why are you pulling me?"
The assistant, sweating profusely, tried to solve a problem for his boss, only to discover that the other party turned out to be a huge nuisance: "Her surname is Xi, her surname is Xi!"
"So what if the surname is Xi? It's rare to have the surname Xi in Anshi..." The boss paused, then finally remembered something, and his face turned ugly.
It's not uncommon to have the surname Xi in Anshi, but it is quite unusual for someone in a wheelchair to also have the surname Xi.
The boss's arrogance was instantly extinguished by a flood of water, and he became extremely nervous: "Miss Xi, did you work at Xi's before?"
He subtly probed, hoping the answer wasn't what he expected.
Xi Congshuang did not deny it, and the boss instantly felt utterly hopeless. He looked at his daughter, who still seemed indifferent, and was furious, wanting to scold her but holding back.
In the past, when I was hanging out with friends, if something happened, I could easily settle it with some money. Who knew I'd run into a tough nut to crack?
The assistant whispered an explanation to the other parents behind the boss. The parents who were originally indignant and wanted to fire Cheng Zhishu changed their expressions and didn't dare to look at Xi Congshuang.
Although she is now disabled in both legs and no longer works for the Xi Group, she is still a member of the Xi Group, a top-tier wealthy family in Anshi, and could be crushed with a single finger.
They were people they couldn't possibly befriend, but who knew that the owner of the broken stone necklace was a member of the Xi family.
The teachers wiped their sweat, finally calming down; the noise was deafening.
In the ensuing, eerie silence, Xi Congshuang asked, "Why isn't anyone saying anything? Where were we? Were we talking about Shu being expelled?"
Xi Congshuang grasped the hand that was hanging down to her side; she always had a low body temperature, like cold jade.
Cheng Zhishu felt a warmth rising in her heart.
Inside the office, the narrative suddenly shifted.
"No, no, no, it's a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding."
"Minor squabbles between classmates are hardly grounds for expulsion."
"Yes, yes, I will tell my boss when I get home, and I hope to have the opportunity to apologize to you."
The stay-at-home mom instinctively felt that her child had gotten into trouble with someone she shouldn't have, but she didn't understand these things. She was playing mahjong when someone called her over, and the anger was mostly extinguished. All that was left was confusion.
What's with the surname Xi? What's wrong with having the surname Xi? She's never heard her husband mention it.
Even she didn't know, let alone the student's daughter, so she asked in a low voice, "Who exactly is the person you want to take a picture of?"
The daughter remained unconvinced: "Cheng Zhishu is such a poor wretch, she wouldn't even let me copy the answers for a hundred yuan."
Although she was in Class 2 because of the exam that divided her into classes based on her grades, she had been admitted through money since junior high school and was able to directly enter senior high school three years later. Her parents felt that this was not good and tried to transfer her into Class 2.
She knew Cheng Zhishu and saw that Cheng Zhishu always ordered the cheapest set meal at the school cafeteria, so she thought Cheng Zhishu must be a poor person.
So she offered to pay him 100 yuan to help her cheat, but this poor guy didn't know what was good for him and made her so angry that she wanted to teach him a lesson.
The wife usually doesn't care much about the child's education and had already planned to send him abroad. She put him in the second class in the hope that he would learn to behave better in a good environment.
She asked again, "Why would you give her a hundred yuan out of the blue?"
Daughter: "I want to buy a new camera, but you said I have to improve my ranking by at least thirty places before you can buy it for me, otherwise I wouldn't have done this."
The lady suddenly felt dizzy.
The people over there were still saying there was some misunderstanding and apologizing to Miss Xi.
The teachers couldn't get a word in edgewise; they all just watched from the sidelines, exchanging glances with their colleagues, just watching the drama unfold.
Xi Congshuang did not accept it, and only said: "The person you should apologize to is not me, but Cheng Zhishu. It's no use talking to me."
I apologized to her, and she was willing to accept my decision and reconsider. Until then, I will not interfere with her choice.
Having finished speaking, Xi Congshuang waited patiently for the answer from the other side.
Xi Congshuang was seeing the pendant on the brown-red solid wood desk for the first time, but she was not unfamiliar with its existence, and it was one of the reasons why the original owner was killed by the female protagonist ten years later.
However, unlike now, no one stood up for Cheng Zhishu when she got into fights at school, and she couldn't produce any evidence that she was coerced, so she was given a demerit and suspended from school.
The original owner discovered that the female protagonist had been suspended from school and mocked her with words. In the end, the necklace in the female protagonist's hand was snatched away and thrown out of the window.
The female protagonist almost jumped out of the third-floor window to look for it. She searched the garden all night but couldn't find the pendant. After returning to school, she went to school with tears in her eyes.
Little did she know that the item had not been thrown away by the original owner; she had kept it, used it to threaten the female lead several times, and suffered all kinds of bullying before finally smashing it to pieces in front of the female lead.
It's only right to resent the things that were finally retrieved and ultimately destroyed by the original owner.
So ten years later, many people wondered why the female lead, who had achieved great success, still carried a worthless gold-inlaid jade necklace, and they didn't understand how the hideous cracks on the white jade were caused.
Her gaze fell on the intact white jade, and Xi Congshuang realized that it was her grandmother's keepsake.
Grandma was a very important person to Cheng Zhishu, and what she left behind was also of great significance.
Everyone was speechless for a moment, looking at each other, unable to bring themselves to apologize to a child, especially one the same age as their own.
If this gets out, don't they have any shame?
Xi Congshuang said, "It's not that there are no other solutions if you're unwilling to apologize."
As if grasping a spider's web, everyone desperately reached out to try and climb up, and voices of dissent arose one after another.
"Please speak, please speak."
"We were indeed wrong in this matter. How about this, we'll each pay one share of the compensation for our classmate's emotional distress and medical expenses."
"To show our sincerity, Miss Xi, our boss is already on his way."
The lady was still unaware of the situation, but she wasn't oblivious to the circumstances, so she quickly added, "You don't need to pay for the camera. I'll definitely give her a good talking to when we get back... Don't pull me away, I'll deal with you when we get back!"
Actually, everyone's thinking is very simple. They see that the child's surname isn't Xi, so he's probably not a junior worth taking seriously. Everyone is willing to pay compensation.
Xi Congshuang asked Cheng Zhishu, "What do you think?"
Cheng Zhishu: "I, I just want to get the things back."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon receiving this answer; it seems the younger ones are indeed easier to fool.
“Okay, then let’s handle it my way.” Xi Congshuang suddenly turned to ask, “Xi Hanran, how were school bullying handled back in our school days?”
While idly picking her nails, Xi Hanran was suddenly called on. She almost blurted out "Call me auntie." She said, "Isn't there always the same way to deal with school bullying? Whoever causes trouble gets expelled."
She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair: "Otherwise, we'll call the police. We won't settle this privately."
Don't let her current arrogant attitude and her indiscriminate attacks on every human being fool you; back in the day, she was a top student who was on the honor roll every year.
"..."
Just moments ago, they thought expulsion was a bit much, but upon hearing that the police had been called, the teachers, whose invisible antennae seemed to stand on end, all exclaimed: "No, no, we can't call the police."
If we call the police, what will happen to the school's reputation?
Moreover, the principal and several other school leaders who could make decisions were attending meetings in other provinces, and they didn't want to get involved in any trouble.
However, our school does have precedents of expelling students for bullying on campus. These students have all received demerits to varying degrees, so it wouldn't be unfair if they were expelled.
After a moment of silence, the lady suddenly shouted, "It's just a small matter! My child was injured and you still want to fire her? You're clearly abusing your power!"
Xi Congshuang revealed a genuine smile and sneered, "Yes, I am just bullying others by taking advantage of my power. What can you do about it?"
She placed her hand on the armrest and patted it: "Aren't you all ganging up on me, a vulnerable disabled person who is single and raising a child alone?"
Cheng Zhishu: "..." Child?
Parents: "..."
Teachers: "..."
...disabled persons.
This is a clash of magic.
Overwhelmed by her imposing presence, I momentarily forgot that she was a patient in a wheelchair.
Xi Hanran dared not listen any longer; she became increasingly convinced that Xi Congshuang had truly lost her mind.
Suddenly, Xi Hanran heard the clicking sound of a phone keyboard next door and glanced at it out of the corner of her eye.
Xiao Li opened a Q&A forum and searched for the question: Will my boss's sudden possession of an evil spirit affect my salary increase?
Xi Hanran: "..."
"You're crazy, Xi Congshuang. Look at your subordinates, they're all crazy from top to bottom!"
*
By the time everything was resolved, it was already quite late, well past dinner time.
The results will be announced over the loudspeaker when Cheng Zhishu goes to school tomorrow.
Of course, the principal and the teaching affairs office were informed of this matter, and they all agreed to expel these students who disrupted campus discipline and repeatedly refused to correct their behavior.
The night breeze blew against her again. Cheng Zhishu followed behind Xi Congshuang, finding it hard to believe that the matter had been resolved so easily, and that she had not been blamed for causing trouble or adding to her family's burdens.
At her previous school, Cheng Zhishu received all the scholarships because of her excellent grades, which caused a lot of gossip. Rumors spread that she had to please the teachers to get the scholarships.
At the time, her homeroom teacher had only recently graduated and was very young and enthusiastic. She comforted Cheng Zhishu, telling her not to worry about these things, as the school had its own evaluation criteria.
But because of her reputation, students from the neighboring school all knew about Cheng Zhishu and would block her at the back gate of the school and extort money from her, demanding one hundred yuan each time.
This group, relying on their numbers, thought they could win big and that spending the whole night at an internet cafe was no problem, but they didn't expect to get off to a bad start.
With extensive experience in gang fights, Cheng Zhishu bent down, picked up a stone from the ground, stuffed it into her schoolbag, and threw it, delivering a devastating blow.
The matter escalated, and her adoptive parents used the excuse of being busy with work to leave Cheng Zhishu alone at school. She was verbally abused by the other parents, but they didn't pay any compensation; the fault truly lay with the other party.
The homeroom teacher, who had only recently graduated, was also criticized by the school leaders and soon resigned due to health reasons.
At that moment, she wondered if she had done something wrong and implicated the teacher.
But what will Xi Congshuang think of me this time?
"Why are you just standing here in a daze?"
Cheng Zhishu felt a slight touch on the back of her hand as it hung down. The cool temperature made her shiver, and then her wrist was grabbed by that hand. Their eyes met.
The summer night sky was clear and cloudless, with countless stars dotting the quiet campus.
The girl, carrying her schoolbag, looked away, as if something was bothering her.
Xi Congshuang had always been curious about Cheng Zhishu and had been observing him.
At first, Cheng Zhishu was the female lead in her eyes, then she became a crybaby who wasn't liked by her adoptive parents, and now... she should be an orange with thorns.
If you dare to take a bite, your mouth will be pierced by a thorn, and the sourness will be unbearable.
She preferred Cheng Zhishu to someone timid and hesitant; every time she saw a new side of her, she felt a sense of wonder.
So she said to Cheng Zhishu, "It's good that you're alright. Don't be afraid if you encounter this situation again. If you can't resolve it, just call me like this time."
Li, who was at the very back, was speechless.
She really wanted to defiantly question her boss: Shouldn't he teach his child not to be impulsive and not to fight next time?!
What does it mean to say "If you can't settle this, call me in"? That's such a villainous statement! In a novel, this would be a classic case of "If you beat the child, the elder will come," and the protagonist would be furious and suffer a miserable end!
Although the boss is not only not old but also young and beautiful... well, that's just how the young lady is, it's just that she's been taking it a little too far with Cheng Zhishu lately.
Looking at the scene before him, Xiao Li clutched his chest, silently suffering internal injuries.
Xi Hanran, who was walking in front, was completely unaware of what was happening behind her. She complained that she was hungry and asked Xi Congshuang if she wanted to go eat, taking it as a yes before Xi Congshuang could even agree.
Seeing the people around her, Cheng Zhishu was also asked by Xi Hanran, "What about you? Do you have any dietary restrictions?"
Xi Congshuang: "..." She hadn't agreed to go out for dinner yet.
Cheng Zhishu was a little flattered. She never expected to hear Xi Hanran speak like a human being again. Not knowing how to answer, she looked at Xi Congshuang and then said, "I don't have any dietary restrictions."
Xi Hanran clicked her tongue as if she had a toothache: "I really can't stand you two, holding hands even though it's so close."
They're all grown up now, not little babies anymore. It's not that walking independently is difficult.
Thinking that Cheng Zhishu had just come out of the abandoned building today and must still be in shock, Xi Hanran ultimately said nothing, unusually learning to keep quiet.
Xi Congshuang glanced at her, and Xi Hanran instantly exploded: "What kind of look is that?"
Xi Congshuang: "I'm pleased that your eyes have grown."
Xi Hanran: "...Stop contradicting me and call me aunt."
Having decided to go to a nearby Cantonese restaurant, where the food was light and suited Xi Congshuang's taste, Xiao Li was given the opportunity to leave early.
Rather than going out to eat together, Xiao Li preferred to go home and stay by himself, and his departing figure exuded an irrepressible joy.
After the meal, Xi Hanran brought the two of them back. She muttered to herself that she was just a maid, while obediently pushing the wheelchair until Xi Congshuang got out of the car and sat down in the wheelchair.
His mouth never stopped moving the whole way, insisting on hearing Xi Congshuang call him "Auntie," but Xi Congshuang ignored him and didn't hear the "Auntie" she longed for.
She admitted that she didn't necessarily have much affection for Xi Congshuang; she simply wanted to be superior to her, and there was no more direct way to crush her than through seniority.
"Sister, your skirt is wrinkled, let me straighten it for you." As she spoke, she bent down.
Seeing Cheng Zhishu subconsciously reach out to straighten Xi Congshuang's wrinkled skirt, Xi Hanran couldn't help but frown, thinking, "We're already at home, why bother with all this nonsense?"
That was quite a lot of work.
The wheelchair ran out of power, so someone had to push it back. Cheng Zhishu took the armrest and pushed the person back.
In just a few seconds, Xi Hanran's hands were empty. She stood in the night breeze for a while, then suddenly forgot what she was supposed to do.
Only after the two figures disappeared into the distance did she regain her senses, inwardly cursing herself for standing there like an idiot.
Xi Hanran stretched and strode towards Wen Can: "It's been a long time since I've been back. I'm going back to see what kind of joke my dad has made this time."
*
Seeing Xi Congshuang arrive home safely, Xiao Liu was undoubtedly the most relieved.
From the moment she received the news, she paced back and forth at the door, anxiously waiting.
To be honest, the facilities outside are not very friendly to people like Xi Congshuang. She was always worried that her mistress might have difficulty moving around outside or encounter some accident.
Seeing him finally return was a huge relief.
Xiao Liu: "Xiao Shu is back too. Is the wheelchair out of power? Let me push it."
Cheng Zhishu hesitated for a moment, then the efficient Xiao Liu took the wheelchair and pushed it away. She stood there, looking down at her hands.
The warmth of her gripping the wheelchair armrest still lingered on it. Standing in the brightly lit hall, she could almost smell the fragrance and faint warmth of Xi Congshuang's body when they sat together in the back seat of the car.
It's not cold, but rather subtle, with a lingering, tender finish.
Sitting in her wheelchair and being pushed by her, Xi Congshuang looked like a delicate porcelain doll, a princess who had come out of the tower and could only depend on her, completely under her control.
And she discovered that she was actually somewhat addicted to this feeling.
Am I sick? Cheng Zhishu couldn't help but ask herself.
Xi Congshuang felt empty beside her and turned to look at the door. Cheng Zhishu was still standing there, head down, looking at her hands, lost in thought.
She remembered that Cheng Zhishu had abrasions on her hands and thought she was still in pain: "Zhishu?"
Cheng Zhishu snapped out of her daze, saw the overhead light, and finally remembered where she was. She walked over and asked, "Sister, are you calling me?"
Xi Congshuang looked up at her, unaware that her expression looked somewhat stiff, and forced a smile.
Grasping her drooping wrist, Xi Congshuang turned her hand over to look at her palm and said, "I noticed you were a little stiff while eating just now. Does your hand still hurt? Should I have Dr. Qi come and take a look at you?"
"No, I'm fine." Cheng Zhishu tried to pull her hand back, but after a few attempts, she found that she couldn't pull it back at all.
She stared in shock at Xi Congshuang's jade-like wrist. How could she be so strong?
Isn't he a patient confined to his sickbed?
How could this strength resemble that of a frail patient?
Xiao Liu also noticed the red and bruised palms and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh dear, what happened to your hands? They're all scraped!"
If Cheng Zhishu continued watching, she felt like her head was about to explode with embarrassment.
Xi Congshuang let go of his hand: "Let's go upstairs. It's getting late. Go back and wash up and rest."
Cheng Zhishu felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She quickly stopped what she was doing and ran up the stairs.
"Xiao Shu, Xiao Shu is this way..."
Xiao Liu called out several times but couldn't stop her. Her tall figure disappeared around the corner of the stairs in a flash.
When they pushed Xi Congshuang into the elevator, she muttered to herself why she ran so fast, when there was clearly an elevator that could take her up together.
Xiao Liu sighed, "Young people are so energetic. If I went upstairs like that, I would definitely twist my back."
Xi Congshuang: "Indeed."
Xiao Liu then smiled and started talking about other things, asking Xi Congshuang if she wanted anything for breakfast tomorrow. In the past, she wouldn't have dared to joke like that with Xi Congshuang.
But now that the young lady can do it, she feels much more relaxed and has completely given up the idea of resigning.
When Xi Congshuang reached the third floor, she could only see the closed door of the next room. The corridor light was still on, left by Cheng Zhishu who had passed by.
Recalling her hurried figure just now, Xi Congshuang chuckled.
*
As the clock in the room ticked from 21 to 22, the bathroom door clicked open, and someone came out.
Having just finished showering, Xi Congshuang changed into her pajamas, her hair still slightly damp at the ends, and as she passed the cabinet, she seemed to remember something, stopped, turned around, and opened the cabinet door.
People with limited mobility like her often cannot control their bodies well in case of emergencies and are prone to injury, so Dr. Qi prepares some medicine and keeps it in this cabinet.
Xiao Liu, who is in charge of room cleaning, will replace the medicines in a timely manner according to their expiration date... Xi Congshuang paused and took out a small white box from inside.
Sure enough, she found it; the small box contained an unopened pain-relieving spray for external injuries.
After taking her things, Xi Congshuang turned around and went out, knocking on the door of the next room. After a moment of silence, a series of hurried footsteps came, and the door in front of her was opened.
As people were seen, the scent of citrus, carrying the warmth and steam of the water, also wafted out.
Cheng Zhishu's hair was also wet, and one of the buttons on her pajamas was fastened crookedly. In the blink of an eye, water droplets fell from her eyelashes, sliding down her face to her chin and dripping onto her collar.
She rushed out of the bathroom, slightly out of breath: "Sister, what's wrong with you calling me so late?"
Xi Congshuang belatedly remembered something: she had someone prepare the same series of daily necessities for Cheng Zhishu as she herself, except that Cheng Zhishu used the white camellia flavor.
She later told Cheng Zhishu that if she didn't like it, she could ask Xiao Liu to change it for her, and she was willing to meet any of her conditions.
She had forgotten how Cheng Zhishu had answered at the time, but every time she saw Cheng Zhishu afterward, she could smell the fresh citrus scent, youthful and sweet.
Xi Congshuang raised her hand: "I brought you some medicine. Take care of your injuries. If it still hurts, I'll have Dr. Qi come over tomorrow."
Cheng Zhishu's gaze fell on her hand: "Medicine?"
Xi Congshuang: "This is an external wound spray. It can reduce inflammation and relieve pain. It's very useful."
Cheng Zhishu remained motionless, staring silently at Xi Congshuang's hand.
Xi Congshuang was puzzled, but after a few seconds she finally realized that this must be... a tiff?
Xi Congshuang couldn't figure out why her well-behaved child, who had just come home from a fight, was acting up. Whether here or in her original world, she was an only child with no siblings.
Her adolescence was very different from that of ordinary teenagers, which clearly involved her knowledge gaps.
Seeing that she didn't move, Xi Congshuang thought that she probably didn't want to apply the medicine herself: "Don't want to do it yourself? Then I'll help you."
Cheng Zhishu: "!"
After a while, Cheng Zhishu slowly turned her head to look at Xi Congshuang, who had appeared in the room.
She felt she must have lost her mind; instead of refusing immediately, she stepped back and let the person in.
Xi Congshuang stopped by the bedside, bent down to remove the plastic seal from the packaging, peeled off the seal, poured out the white medicine bottle, and carefully examined the instruction manual under the light.
The light from the eye-protection lamp was quite soft, casting a gentle glow on Xi Congshuang.
It was at this moment that Cheng Zhishu slowly walked up to her, looking down at Xi Congshuang.
Today's Xi Congshuang is a Xi Congshuang she has never seen before.
She had just finished showering, was still wearing her pajamas, and hadn't even had time to dry the ends of her wet hair. Her usually calm and aloof smoky gray eyes were glistening with moisture.
It's even more captivating than when I first saw it.
"It might be a little cool, but it will dry in a bit. Be careful not to get it wet tonight." Xi Congshuang pulled off the cap. "Put your hand out."
"..."
Cheng Zhishu's mind went blank for a moment. She stretched out her hands, and felt a chill on her palms as she was sprayed with medicine.
A faint smell of medicine filled the air. Cheng Zhishu, feeling uncomfortable, withdrew her hand. She tried to touch the scratch, but Xi Congshuang grabbed her hand.
"It's not dry yet, don't touch the wound."
Cheng Zhishu stared blankly and said, "Oh."
The next sentence almost made Cheng Zhishu want to jump out of the window to escape.
Xi Congshuang: "What about the stomach? Aren't we going to apply the medicine together?"
Cheng Zhishu: "…………"
This is what regret is.
But if she could turn back time, she would still damn well let people in.
Because she couldn't refuse Xi Congshuang, especially since Xi Congshuang had just taken a shower and was looking languid.
Actually, Xi Congshuang regretted it as soon as she said those words. If Cheng Zhishu had said no, she would have immediately put down her things and left.
A few seconds later, just as she was about to say something to politely decline, the person in front of her made a move.
Cheng Zhishu grabbed the hem of her clothes and slowly lifted it up, revealing a section of her slender waist.
She was very thin, and perhaps because of nervousness, her lower abdomen was taut under her loose pajamas, and a red mark on her snow-white skin was particularly eye-catching, as if it had been formed by being bumped into something.
Xi Congshuang lost all interest in anything; all she could see was that bruise.
She suddenly felt that today's handling of the situation was too lenient on them. Given their family background, they could live a good life even if they dropped out of school, and it wouldn't fundamentally harm them.
They won't even regret what happened today; they'll only be annoyed that they didn't choose a safer place or bring more powerful tools.
She raised her hand, leaned closer, and pressed the spray button forcefully.
The cold medicine touched her skin, and her already taut abdomen instinctively shrank back in front of Xi Congshuang, as if she wanted to back away.
Xi Congshuang raised her hand and pressed down on Cheng Zhishu's lower back, supporting her firmly to prevent her from backing away.
"Don't move, the medicine hasn't been applied yet."
Her tone left no room for argument, and Cheng Zhishu froze, not moving an inch.
————————
Xi Hanran: I really can't stand you lesbians [eye roll]
P.S.: Actually, she doesn't know them; she can't see through them.
I'm so sorry, I forgot to mention yesterday that today is a paid chapter. I'm beating my keyboard all night to deliver this 10,000-word update! Love you all! [sprinkling flowers]
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