Chapter 23
The force wrapped around his body tightened, Lu Yanqing protected the back of Xia Lanzheng's head and hugged him tightly.
In a few seconds, Xia Lanzheng saw the blue sky and green grass. The weeds rubbed against her cheeks, and her long hair rolled and covered their faces.
This melodramatic article really wants him to die. If the branch fell down just now, he would at least have broken a leg if not died.
Lu Yanqing used his elbows to support himself on the ground, and his heels dug two deep pits in the mud.
The two rolled several meters away, and the invisible force finally stopped. For a moment, dizziness surged uncontrollably, and Xia Lanzheng didn't care about it anymore, and quickly checked her body.
Lu Yanqing hugged him in a curled-up position, and the two of them were airtight, forming an extremely safe space.
Apart from feeling dizzy, Xia Lanzheng didn't feel any discomfort. He gritted his teeth and checked Lu Yanqing's condition: "Is he still conscious?"
Lu Yanqing raised his head slightly, and his Adam's apple slid in front of his eyes.
Lu Yanqing's hands were still tightly locked around Xia Lanzheng's waist. He only made a sound without answering.
Xia Lanzheng's hands began to tremble uncontrollably, and she patted away the mud stuck on Lu Yanqing's earlobe.
At this time, he saw Lu Yanqing's expression clearly. The man's eyebrows and eyes were almost wrinkled together.
“Woof woof——”
Draco followed and barked wildly, licking Lu Yanqing's face repeatedly. Lu Yanqing didn't respond, so he panted again and nudged Xia Lanzheng's palm with his head.
Hearing the noise, Lu Yanqing opened his eyes. He first released the hand that was holding Xia Lanzheng, and touched the Border Collie that was screaming with its head raised.
Seeing his vacant eyes and the look of someone still dazed, Xia Lanzheng thought it was over. He immediately sat up, picked up his phone, and was about to call the emergency number.
"I'm fine," Lu Yanqing reached out and covered the screen, his voice surprisingly steady. "Lan Zheng, are you okay?"
Xia Lanzheng pushed the hair away from her mouth and said, "I'm fine... No, don't move! Don't move first!"
However, Lu Yanqing had already sat up with his hands, frowned, and looked at the person in front of him with slightly narrowed eyes.
The lawn was flattened and muddy.
There was a lot of mud on the side of Xia Lanzheng's face, and there was indeed a puddle of water in his eyes, but he did not show cowardice as imagined. Even when the Border Collie came close to him, he did not notice.
The young man, who had always been cautious in the past, was now extremely calm. Lu Yanqing looked at him, and he also quickly scanned Lu Yanqing with his eyes.
He looked very worried about him.
"Can I stand up?" Lu Yanqing stood up first.
Xia Lanzheng was stunned for a moment and suddenly felt a little helpless. He forgot that Lu Yanqing had the aura of the protagonist.
The awkwardness of last night was completely dispelled by this incident and disappeared without a trace.
How could he have deserved to involve the protagonist in an extra crisis? He felt nothing but gratitude and fear.
Lu Yanqing turned around and squatted in front of Xia Lanzheng, pulling him to examine the scrapes. Neither of them was seriously injured, but they looked disheveled and covered in mud.
"Go to my house and change clothes." Lu Yanqing didn't think about whether Xia Lanzheng's concern was false, but he felt uncomfortable seeing her in such a state of disarray. "It's only ten minutes walk from here."
Xia Lanzheng was caught off guard. He didn't expect the Lu family to be so close to the Chu family, and he didn't expect Lu Yanqing to let him go home with him.
Lu Yanqing may appear gentle, but he's actually quite vigilant. Everyone can approach him, but no one can truly get close—that's how it's written in the original book.
"I..." Xia Lanzheng hesitated, "My home is not far from here."
"Are you going home like this?" Lu Yanqing looked at the mud on his body meaningfully. "Auntie will be at home today."
This is indeed a problem.
Thinking of Yang Yuxiao's worry and anxiety last night, Xia Lanzheng agreed.
He followed Lu Yanqing and didn't notice that Lu Yanqing was looking at him with deep eyes and a dark expression.
There was only an old housekeeper in Lu Yanqing's house. He was surprised for a moment when he saw him bringing people back, but he quickly looked away and went back to the house to get the medicine box.
Xia Lanzheng stood stiffly in the living room in silence.
The room is filled with various ornaments, paintings, books, and green plants, which makes it full of life, but the cold feeling still fills every corner.
A wooden photo frame is placed in a prominent position on the coffee table.
The photo shows a family of four. Lu Yanqing looks no more than seven or eight years old, with a smile on his face, holding his mother's skirt.
No, who is the baby in his mother's arms?
Xia Lanzheng was watching when Lu Yanqing stepped forward and grabbed the photo frame.
"Go take a shower," Lu Yanqing lowered his eyes and motioned him to follow, "I'll ask Uncle Liu to get you some clean clothes."
Xia Lanzheng walked into Lu Yanqing's room and saw the space that no one had ever set foot in. She finally understood where the strange feeling came from.
There are no superfluous items here, and there is not even a trace of color except black, white and gray.
The layout downstairs seems to be deliberately designed for show.
"What are you thinking about?"
Lu Yanqing had a focused look in his eyes. He had this expression all day long. Hidden in his aloofness was an expression that Xia Lanzheng couldn't understand.
It wasn't like he was looking at him.
Xia Lanzheng shook her head: "Can I really use your bathroom?"
He remembered that Lu Yanqing had mysophobia.
Lu Yanqing opened the bathroom door for him: "The hair dryer is in the cabinet on the left. Dry your hair before coming down."
He closed the door and Xia Lanzheng was stunned for a second.
Everyone became weird.
The flat paper man suddenly had edges and corners, and he seemed to have changed from an outsider to a participant in the real life here.
The bathroom was filled with steam. Xia Lanzheng came out of the bathroom with a set of clean clothes by the door.
He put on his clothes and looked at himself in the mirror. The refreshing sweatshirt and jeans were definitely not Lu Yanqing's style.
Not only that, the clothes fit him unexpectedly, as if they were specially made for him.
Xia Lanzheng reentered the living room. The old housekeeper was not there, and Lu Yanqing had gone to shower elsewhere. He sat on the sofa, shirtless, a few strands of wet hair plastered to his forehead.
Lu Yanqing looked at Xia Lanzheng. The young man was wearing well-fitting clothes, almost as he had imagined.
His muscles tensed for a moment, hiding the emotion on his lips: "Come over and apply some medicine."
The medicine box has been opened, and several bottles of medicine are neatly placed on the table. The person who arranged all this seems to have obsessive-compulsive disorder, and even the angles of the packaging boxes are exactly the same.
The strong smell of medicine floated in the air. Xia Lanzheng reluctantly sat down next to Lu Yanqing. Lu Yanqing supported his head with one hand, watching his movements while wiping his hair with a towel.
A few drops of water fell on Xia Lanzheng's arm, and he couldn't help but shudder, feeling like a prey being targeted.
The potion left traces on Xia Lanzheng's fair skin. Lu Yanqing suddenly asked, "Does it hurt?"
He stood up and leaned over. The smell of the medicine was immediately covered by a thin mint scent, and everything around him seemed to be isolated.
"It doesn't hurt," Xia Lanzheng didn't dare to look up. Even though the wound had been dyed a light orange, she continued to apply the cream mechanically. "Thank you for what I did, Brother Lu. I hope I didn't interrupt your work."
Lu Yanqing lowered his eyes and asked softly, "What's my business?"
Xia Lanzheng caught a glimpse of Lu Yanqing's hands resting on the edge of the sofa. The black leather sofa made those hands look indescribable, which was particularly suitable for the cold watch.
He squeezed the medical swab. "Um...walking the dog?"
Lu Yanqing took the thing from his hand and suddenly moved closer: "Lift up your clothes."
"What?" Xia Lanzheng looked up suddenly.
Lu Yanqing glanced at him, threw the cotton swab into the trash can, and lowered his head to open a clean one: "You have a scratch on your lower back. Doesn't it hurt when your clothes stick to it?"
Xia Lanzheng was a little confused. She was not used to Lu Yanqing's tone.
This awkward feeling lasted until the cool cotton swab was placed on his lower back. Lu Yanqing asked gently, "Did you really break up with Yu Yang and the others?"
Hearing him ask about her own affairs, Xia Lanzheng vaguely sensed that their relationship had taken a step forward: "Well, there's nothing fun about them."
Lu Yanqing's gaze shifted from the wound to the reddened back of Xia Lanzheng's ear. "That group of people has a strong desire for revenge."
Xia Lanzheng held the hem of her clothes without moving. The tingling sensation just now almost made him cry out.
It seems that Lu Yanqing is not completely indifferent to the external developments. Is he trying to test him?
Yu Yang and his friends are used to forming cliques and factions, and can recognize people of similar class in a crowd at a glance.
They avoid big guys like Chu Linchuan and Lu Yanqing, and they look down on people like Cheng Lan who are straightforward.
Xia Lanzheng's ticket to admission is the status of the Chu family's adopted son. He is neither too high nor too low, and everyone can benefit from it, but they can also afford to offend him.
Voluntarily withdrawing from a small group will undoubtedly be criticized. This group of people cannot do anything big, but they are like a box of nails fallen on the ground. When the wheels run over them, they will always tear a few holes.
When he didn't answer, Lu Yanqing continued, "Chu Linchuan might not help you. Do you want to ask the Chu family for help?"
Xia Lanzheng understood, and the look in her eyes darkened. Lu Yanqing hadn't changed at all. In his heart, she was still a hungry fledgling waiting to be fed.
If he can't get food, he will cry at the top of his lungs.
In this way, Lu Yanqing's attitude towards him made sense. Why bother exposing the clumsy tricks of a junior who posed no threat?
I guess Chu Linchuan thought so too.
"It doesn't matter," Xia Lanzheng sighed, suddenly feeling annoyed. "If I don't have Yu Yang, I still have Zhang Yang and Liu Yang. I can't always ask others for help."
Lu Yanqing hummed and dipped a little in the medicine.
Xia Lanzheng paused for a few seconds before continuing, "This is the rule of the game. Every move leaves a trace. If we don't correct it, we can't continue."
As he spoke, the words "how unfair" suddenly popped into his mind.
Lu Yanqing suddenly used more force, and Xia Lanzheng turned her head with a hiss. Finally, she couldn't help but say, "Can you... be gentler?"
He looked up, only to see Lu Yanqing looking at him with a complicated expression. Xia Lanzheng was startled. Was what he said just now strange?
So he quickly added: "If there's really no other way, you can ask your family for help. At worst, you can just admit your mistake."
Lu Yanqing threw away the cotton swab without saying a word and pulled Xia Lanzheng's clothes off.
Xia Lanzheng straightened her clothes and asked, "Can I help you wipe some too?"
It was unclear what Lu Yanqing was doing sitting there just now. His injuries hadn't been treated yet. Since someone had offered to help him, he had to reciprocate.
Lu Yanqing said nothing, but naturally bent his head towards him, his forehead almost resting on his shoulder.
Xia Lanzheng saw the scratches on the side of his neck, and she took out another cotton swab and awkwardly rubbed it on Lu Yanqing's skin.
The orange potion made the scar even more hideous. No matter how Xia Lanzheng applied it, or how the edges of the potion spread, the scar continued to grow larger.
Xia Lanzheng felt strange again, from entering this room, to using Lu Yanqing's bathroom, and this set of clean clothes that fit her well.
Lu Yanqing's submissive posture was like a Border Collie lying in front of him.
No, that's a weird analogy.
"Are you done?" Lu Yanqing lowered his head and looked up at him.
Xia Lanzheng caught sight of her own reflection in his eyes, and it struck her as strange. He was momentarily stunned, then nodded absentmindedly.
Lu Yanqing stood up, took the shirt on the sofa and put it on.
"Where's your arm?" Xia Lanzheng came back to her senses and reached out to stop him. "Don't you need to apply medicine to your arm?"
His hand rested on Lu Yanqing's upper arm. Lu Yanqing didn't push him away. With the subtle force, he buttoned his shirt nonchalantly: "It's okay, there's no need for other places."
Xia Lanzheng belatedly withdrew her hand, grasped it lightly a few times, and stood up after hearing the words: "Brother Lu, then I will..."
Lu Yanqing blocked the exit with his foot: "You can come to me if you need anything."
Xia Lanzheng was silent for two seconds: "What?"
"What I mean is," Lu Yanqing, who was a whole head taller than him, also stood up, "if anyone gives you trouble, you can come to me."
Xia Lanzheng had to look up and met an extremely serious gaze.
"Xia Lanzheng," Lu Yanqing said, "I'll help you."
A layer of cold sweat broke out on Xia Lanzheng's back.
Something is so wrong.
The door was pushed open, and the old housekeeper walked in at an inopportune time and whispered to Lu Yanqing.
Lu Yanqing subconsciously glanced at Xia Lanzheng, his expression froze for a moment, and his eyebrows unconsciously frowned.
Xia Lanzheng knew she should leave, so she moved her stuck feet, and the doorbell rang the next second.
He and Lu Yanqing turned their heads at the same time, and a familiar face appeared on the screen.
The face filled the entire screen, and its eyes stared straight into the camera, as if trying to see through it.
A damp and cold feeling came over her. Xia Lanzheng grabbed the backpack on the sofa and said, "Mr. Lu, you guys chat. I have something to do and I'll leave first."
Lu Yanqing just called out "Lan Zheng" and then saw Xia Lan Zheng running into the bathroom with her bag.
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