Chapter 2 Gentle words soothe a thousand emotions in the heart; gentle words melt away the threads of affection. ...
I felt dizzy and disoriented, as if my soul was floating in the dark currents, not knowing where it came from or where it was going.
My temples throbbed with pain, as if they were about to split open, yet I could hear sobbing in my ears, each cry saying, "It's my fault," clinging tightly to me.
Su Jinxiu frowned in a daze. The crying in her ears gradually faded away. After a while, she felt a silk handkerchief gently brush against her forehead, cool and refreshing.
With difficulty, I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was the canopy top embroidered with green lotus flowers, with specks of dust from years past on the linen fabric.
Turning his head, he saw a gentle woman in blue, like a soft flower just beginning to bloom in spring, gazing at him with concern.
"Qiao Niang? Thank goodness you're awake!"
Su Jinxiu squinted and, using the dim morning light, carefully discerned that the person in front of the bed was Lan Shexiang.
She tried to speak, but only managed to utter soft, breathy sounds. It felt as if a raging fire was burning her inside, yet her skin was chilled to the bone, and even her teeth were chattering slightly.
Seeing her in such discomfort, Lan Shexiang hurriedly turned around and brought her warm water. She carefully helped her sit up and fed her water and medicine spoonful by spoonful. After a while, Su Jinxiu finally felt a little better.
“Qiao Niang, your younger brother came to me before it was dark, saying that you had a high fever and asked me to stay with you while he went to the pharmacy to get medicine.”
Lan Shexiang tucked the blanket around her as she spoke softly.
Su Jinxiu listened with mixed feelings. She felt awkward appreciating this kindness, since she had come in this disheveled state because she had heard that Shi Qin had done something bad and broken the pages of the book.
But that resentment dissipated in an instant; in the end, he had taken the risk for his own sake.
Su Jinxiu's consciousness gradually faded, and she drifted off to sleep again.
A slightly cool touch covered her palm; it must be Lan Shexiang wiping her down with a handkerchief to cool her down.
Darkness, chaos.
Fragments of memories streamed into my mind.
When mending clothes under the lamp, I would add two extra stitches to his cuffs; when he came home from school, he would thoughtfully massage my shoulders and neck; and when we sat together on a cold night, he would push the heater next to me first.
On countless rainy nights, they shared a single oil lamp, relying on each other for survival.
After the rain stopped, the moon appeared, its soft, hazy light shining on someone's courtyard, a place of utter poverty, yet enduring through the ages.
Who can fathom the mysteries of the universe?
Whether now, in death, or long afterward, she could never truly resent such a person.
"Sister, it's my fault, I shouldn't have upset you..."
She heard faint sobs, and Su Jinxiu slowly regained consciousness.
It was nearly dusk when she turned her head to look. The magnificent sunset shone through the window and fell on the young man's face. Who was this fair-skinned young man? His face was as red as cinnabar.
At that moment, Wen Shiqin held her hand against his cheek, and tears streamed down her face through the warmth of her palm.
Seeing that she was awake, Wen Shiqin quickly went over and touched her forehead before letting out a sigh of relief and turning around to pick up the medicine bowl.
Upon smelling the bitterness of the medicine, Su Jinxiu instinctively turned her head away. He immediately softened his tone and coaxed, "Sister, I bought some candied fruit. You can have it after you finish your medicine; it's not bitter at all. I promise I'll never make you angry again. I'll listen to whatever you say. If you tell me to go east, I won't go west; if you tell me to beat a dog, I won't scold a chicken..."
Hearing this, Su Jinxiu felt relieved; this was exactly what she wanted. She slowly turned her head and asked in a hoarse voice, "Really?"
“Really!” Wen Shiqin nodded hurriedly. “As long as my sister is safe, I would be willing to give my life for hers.”
Su Jinxiu frowned: "Don't talk nonsense, I'll drink it."
Wen Shiqin immediately agreed, picked up the medicine bowl, and carefully fed her the medicine. After she swallowed the medicine, he quickly took out some candied fruit from his pocket, unwrapped it, and put it on her tongue. The sweetness instantly diluted the bitterness of the medicine.
As soon as he finished taking the medicine, Wen Shiqin sat down on the floor by the bed, pulled her hand to his face, and gently stroked her wrist with his fingertips, as if this could suppress the unease surging in his heart.
Su Jinxiu lay there, using this brief rest to regain some strength. Seeing him unusually obedient, like a puppy guarding its master, she couldn't help but gently pinch his cheek. Remembering his earlier promise, she pressed her advantage: "You said you'd listen to me from now on, does that still stand?"
“It will stand for life!” Wen Shiqin nodded immediately.
Su Jinxiu propped herself up on her arms and leaned against the headboard, looking at him earnestly as she lectured him: "From now on, you must never take any shortcuts again, and you must never hurt or kill anyone."
Wen Shiqin nodded obediently at first, but then asked with some resentment, "If some bad people bully my sister, am I supposed to just sit by and do nothing?"
Su Jinxiu fell silent for a moment.
Wen Shiqin remembered that her illness had just improved and he must not upset her again. In his haste, he moved forward, put his arm around her waist, and leaned down to press his face against her waist and abdomen, adopting a submissive and obedient posture.
Su Jinxiu was startled when he suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist. She tried to lift her hands to break free, but his arms stubbornly tightened around her.
She looked down at his profile; the tear tracks from his earlier crying hadn't dried yet, and new tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
Her heart softened instantly. She raised her hand and gently wiped away the newly overflowing tears from the corners of his eyes, her voice soft and gentle: "If I am ever bullied in the future, I will find a way to seek justice. You must never do anything foolish again. Human life is at stake, and Heaven is watching. Everything will be punished."
"Retribution?" Wen Shiqin's voice was muffled under the covers. "Even if there really is retribution, going to the underworld is my own business. Being torn to pieces in the Yama's Palace is still more satisfying than watching my sister being bullied!"
Seeing that he remained stubborn and wouldn't listen to any advice, Su Jinxiu couldn't help but feel a little annoyed.
She raised her hand and gently pinched his earlobe, giving it a slight tug, intending only to teach him a lesson, without actually using force.
But when Shi Qin heard this, he trembled all over, froze instantly, and even his eyes widened suddenly.
Su Jinxiu felt a sudden sense of relief, guessing that this was probably where he was ticklish, and began to rub his earlobe with even more caresses.
Wen Shiqin closed his eyes, his brows furrowed slightly, clearly trying to hold back something, and the tips of his ears were already turning red.
"You were just saying you'd listen to me, and now you're starting to argue?"
Wen Shiqin, his erection extinguished by her kneading, let out a muffled groan and quickly begged for mercy: "Listen, listen, sister, please let go..."
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