residual heat
"Teacher Shen?!" The school teacher's exclamation momentarily froze the tense atmosphere.
The young man, whose lips were still bruised and whose expression was rather helpless, nodded to the teacher who recognized him as a greeting.
Then, he took a deep breath, turned to Qi Shuo, whose face was cold and stern, and to Tan Huaiyu, whose face was still grim as Qi Shuo silently shielded him, and tried to explain in a calm tone:
"The little girl couldn't find the restroom and got lost wandering around the school building. I happened to be passing by and gave her directions. After we came out, she kept looking at the cotton candy stall outside the school gate, so I... took her out and bought her some snacks. Later, we saw those small skewers of candied hawthorn on the pedestrian street, and she said she'd never had them before, so I bought her a few skewers. We had only been sitting down for a few minutes..."
He paused here, his gaze light and tinged with an indescribable emotion as he glanced at Tan Huaiyu, "and then this...righteous friend punched him in the face. And then, you all came."
His narration was clear and logical, his tone was calm, and he made no accusations; he was simply stating the facts.
The teacher next to him quickly added that this Mr. Shen Ci was twenty-four years old, a top student from the Chinese Department of Beijing University, and a talent that the school had worked hard to recruit. He taught first-year high school Chinese, was a good teacher, and was also gentle and upright, making him very popular with students. The implication was that he was definitely not a suspicious or bad person.
Tan Huaiyu pursed his lips, his face burning. His earlier rage and impulsiveness had transformed into embarrassment and a lingering fear. He had indeed acted rashly out of concern, without fully assessing the situation. He instinctively took a small step back, his fingers clenching slightly.
Qi Shuo sensed the subtle retreat behind him and, without making a sound, raised his hand and gently grasped Tan Huaiyu's wrist as if to comfort her. That wrist was icy cold and still trembling slightly. His other hand gripped Qing Ran's small hand even tighter, as if afraid she would disappear again.
Qingran also looked up at the opportune moment, tugged at Qi Shuo's sleeve, her voice still nasal from crying, but very earnest: "Brother, Brother Chen isn't a bad person, what he said is true. I got lost by myself, and he helped me..."
Qi Shuo remained silent, not responding immediately. His sharp gaze lingered on Shen Ci's face for a few seconds.
This young man had a clean-cut demeanor and clear eyes; he didn't seem to be lying. Moreover, if he truly harbored ill intentions, he couldn't possibly remain so calm and composed in front of such a large group of people, especially after just being beaten.
Rationally, he knew this might really be a misunderstanding. But emotionally, the fear and lingering apprehension he had accumulated since Qingran's disappearance, along with the instinctive resistance he felt upon seeing the strange man being overly intimate with Qingran, prevented him from immediately letting his guard down.
Seeing this, the teacher nearby quickly smoothed things over: "Oh dear, it's good that the child is found! What a relief! Ms. Shen meant well, and Mr. Tan... Mr. Tan was just too worried about the child. It was all a misunderstanding!"
Qingran was very perceptive. She noticed that although Qi Shuo hadn't spoken, the tense, dangerous aura emanating from him seemed to have lessened. She gently shook his arm and whispered sweetly, "Brother..."
Qi Shuo glanced down at her, his voice low but stern and undeniable: "Qing Ran, stop fooling around."
Qingran immediately pouted, stood obediently, and dared not utter another sound. She secretly glanced at Shen Ci with her wet eyes, then looked at Tan Huaiyu, her little face full of grievance and confusion.
Shen Ci quietly watched the little girl's aggrieved and hesitant expression, finding it somewhat amusing, but quickly composed himself.
He straightened up, faced Qi Shuo, and said solemnly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Qi. This was indeed a thoughtless act on my part. I didn't expect it to cause such a big problem, let alone make you all so worried. I shouldn't have taken Qing Ran out of the school without my permission. Even if it was just a few steps, I should have contacted the teacher or her parents first. It was my negligence, and I'm very sorry."
His apology was sincere, without any attempt to shirk responsibility; he took full responsibility upon himself.
Before the teacher next to him could say anything, Qi Shuo spoke first, his voice devoid of emotion but carrying a distant and cold tone: "Hmm. How much money did you spend on Qingran today? I'll transfer it to you."
Shen Ci was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and waved his hand: "No need, just consider it a treat for the kids, a little snack."
The words "little kid" made Qi Shuo's brows furrow almost imperceptibly, and the nameless anger in his heart flared up again.
Who's your little one? Calling him so affectionately. His face grew even colder, and he pulled out his phone, his tone brooking no argument: "QR code for payment."
Seeing that the other party was resolute and seemed to still be angry, Shen Ci stopped insisting, took out his phone and pulled up the payment code: "Cotton candy is fifteen, candied hawthorn is thirty-four, for a total of forty-nine."
Qi Shuo quickly scanned the code, paid, and then put his phone away, his movements as swift as if he were completing a transaction he had no choice but to make.
Thanks.
He uttered two curt words, then stopped looking at Shen Ci. Holding Qing Ran's hand, who was still secretly glancing back, and still holding Tan Huaiyu's wrist, he turned and walked back, saying, "Let's go back."
As Qingran was being led away, she couldn't help but look back at Shen Ci several times, reluctant to leave. Shen Ci stood still, met her gaze, smiled gently, and waved to her. Qingran immediately smiled and waved back at him.
Although Qi Shuo, who was walking in front, did not turn around, it was as if he had eyes in the back of his head. He paused for a moment, and the air pressure around him seemed to drop even lower.
"Damn it." He cursed inwardly. What a piece of trash. He was determined to keep Qingran away from him.
Back at Sister Jin's house, the atmosphere inside remained heavy.
Jin Jie's eyes were swollen and red, clearly from crying. Seeing Qing Ran return safely, she felt both fear and anger. She wanted to scold her but couldn't bring herself to, so she could only glare at her with red eyes. Qin Zhou, Song Yungui, Xiao Jue, and Lin Ye were also sitting on the sofa, their expressions serious.
Qingran knew she had caused trouble, so she obediently hugged her rabbit plushie, found a corner on the sofa, and sat down. Her little head was almost buried in the plushie. She timidly raised her eyelids and secretly looked at the six men in front of her with different expressions, then looked at Aunt Jin who was still wiping away tears. She lowered her head guiltily and remained silent.
Qi Shuo stood in front of her, looking down at her with a blank expression on his face. His voice, which had lost its usual calmness, carried an invisible pressure: "Do you know you were wrong?"
Qingran nodded sullenly, her voice barely audible, "I know..."
"Where did you go wrong?" Qi Shuo continued to ask, his tone flat.
Qingran bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and whispered, "I shouldn't... have run around like that and made Aunt Jin and my brothers worry."
"Anything else?"
"I shouldn't... I shouldn't have left without telling Aunt Jin or the other uncles and aunts in the office..." Qingran's voice grew softer and softer as she spoke.
"Anything else?" Qi Shuo's voice remained calm, but it made Qing Ran's heart race even higher.
Qingran racked her brains, her little face scrunched up, but she still couldn't think of anything else she had done wrong. She felt extremely wronged, her eyes started to redden again, and it looked like tears were about to fall.
Qi Shuo's heart softened when he saw her like this, but he kept a straight face, not wanting to let her off so easily.
I was lucky this time to meet someone who was fairly reliable. What about next time?
Xiao Jue spoke up at the right moment, his voice gentle but serious: "Qingran, your brothers and Aunt Jin, haven't we told you many times that you shouldn't go with strangers or eat anything given to you by strangers?"
Qingran nodded, giving a tearful "Mmm." But then, somewhat unconvinced, she muttered in an almost inaudible voice, "Brother Chen isn't a stranger...he's not a bad person either..."
"Brother Chen?"
Qi Shuo's forehead twitched suddenly.
grass.
He was only out of his sight for a moment, and the candied hawthorns had only been eaten for less than half an hour, and he was already calling him "brother"? And even speaking up for him?
The nameless fire that Qi Shuo had forcibly suppressed, mixed with an inexplicable sense of irritability and vigilance, suddenly surged up again, making him unable to help but curse in his mind once more.
He snorted coldly, ignoring Qing Ran's words, but his icy gaze and the sudden drop in air pressure around him fully expressed his displeasure.
Shen Ci? Brother Shen?
It seems I should give this new teacher, Mr. Shen, a good reminder to stay away from Qingran.
The atmosphere in the living room eased slightly with Xiao Jue's gentle guidance and Qing Ran's aggrieved apology.
Xiao Jue did not scold her harshly. Instead, he patiently and meticulously explained the principles of "not running around", "telling an adult", and "not going with strangers" in a way that Qing Ran could understand.
Although Qingran still thought about the gentle Shen brother who had treated her to candied hawthorns and felt that he was definitely not a bad person, seeing how worried her brothers and Aunt Jin were, she knew that she had really made a mistake this time.
She lowered her head, her little hands clutching the rabbit doll's ears, listening obediently.
After Xiao Jue finished speaking, Qing Ran secretly glanced at Qi Shuo's still expressionless face. She knew that her brother was the one who was the angrier and more worried about her.
She thought for a moment, then carefully slid off the sofa, walked to Qi Shuo, reached out her little hand, gently tugged at his sleeve, and then buried her head in his chest like a little animal, rubbing her fluffy head against his chest, her voice soft and sweet as she pleaded, "Brother... Ranran was wrong, Ranran will be good from now on and won't run around anymore, brother, please don't be angry anymore..."
Her movements were haphazard, yet they precisely struck the softest spot in Qi Shuo's heart.
Feeling the soft, warm body in his arms, and smelling the faint scent of milk and sunshine on her skin, Qi Shuo's tightly clenched lips twitched almost imperceptibly. The anger and fear he had been forcibly suppressing were gradually smoothed out by this affectionate coquetry.
He couldn't bring himself to be truly harsh with her. He raised his hand, hesitated for a moment, and finally placed it on Qingran's hair, ruffling it somewhat awkwardly.
Seeing that his complexion had finally improved, Qingran secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She took advantage of the situation and hugged Qi Shuo's waist tightly, burying her face in his chest and snuggling against him comfortably.
However, Qi Shuo's next words made her freeze again.
"You called Huaiyu a bad person today?" Qi Shuo's voice returned to its usual calm, revealing no emotion, but Qing Ran inexplicably felt a sense of pressure.
Qingran stiffened, guiltily raising her small face, her eyes darting around, not daring to look at Tan Huaiyu standing beside her, much less at Qi Shuo's eyes. She had been terrified and angry at Tan Huaiyu for hitting Chen Ci, which was why she had spoken without thinking.
“I…” She stammered, unable to speak.
"Apologize." Qi Shuo's words were concise and to the point, leaving no room for argument.
"No need, no need," Tan Huaiyu quickly waved his hand, a gentle smile on his face, trying to smooth things over, "Qingran was frightened by me, and I was indeed too impulsive at the time, I scared her..."
Before he could finish speaking, Qi Shuo grabbed his wrist. Qi Shuo's grip was strong, carrying an air of inescapable force, and successfully silenced Tan Huaiyu.
Tan Huaiyu felt the warmth and strength of Qi Shuo coming from his wrist, his ears began to burn uncontrollably, and his heartbeat became a little erratic.
He tried to pull his hand away, but Qi Shuo held it tightly. He hesitated for a moment, but in the end he obediently didn't move. He just lowered his head slightly to avoid Qi Shuo's gaze.
Qingran glanced at Qi Shuo's serious face, then at Tan Huaiyu, who was being pulled by her brother and looked down, seemingly a little embarrassed. She knew she couldn't get past this hurdle.
She sniffed, obediently stepped out of Qi Shuo's arms, stood up straight, faced Tan Huaiyu, and placed her two small hands in front of her. Like a primary school student, she spoke earnestly but timidly: "Brother Huaiyu, I'm sorry... I shouldn't have called you a bad person. I know you were worried about me. I was wrong."
Seeing her earnest apology, Tan Huaiyu's last bit of embarrassment and discomfort dissipated, and she felt that she was both cute and pitiful.
He smiled and gently ruffled Qingran's hair with the hand that Qi Shuo wasn't holding, his voice soft: "It's okay. Brother Huaiyu isn't blaming you. It's my fault for scaring Qingran."
Lin Ye, who had been watching from the side, changed the subject at the right moment. He stood up and stretched his shoulders: "Alright, alright, it was a false alarm. Everyone must be hungry, right? I'll go cook. Sister Jin, you rest, I'll cook today."
Qin Zhou immediately and perceptively pulled Song Yungui to his feet: "Yes, yes, we're starving! We'll help you out!"
Xiao Jue reached out and gently pressed Qi Shuo, who was still holding Tan Huaiyu's wrist, down onto the sofa. He picked up the remote and started changing channels: "Watch some TV, relax. There's a new variety show that seems pretty interesting..."
As he spoke, he gestured to Sister Jin with his eyes.
Jin Jie understood and pulled the still somewhat apprehensive Qing Ran into her arms, pointing to the cartoon that happened to be playing on the TV: "Ranran, look, do you like this cartoon?"
Qingran's attention was immediately drawn to the brightly colored cartoon. She nestled into Sister Jin's warm embrace, nodded obediently, and stared at the TV screen, temporarily putting aside the thrill and apology she had just experienced.
The atmosphere in the living room finally relaxed completely. Cheerful music and narration came from the television.
Xiao Jue, Qin Zhou, Song Yungui, and Lin Ye were talking quietly and busy in the kitchen. Sister Jin had her arm around Qing Ran and would occasionally whisper questions about the plot of the cartoon.
The atmosphere was somewhat subtle, except in this corner near the sofa.
Qi Shuo still held Tan Huaiyu's wrist, not letting go. His gaze was on the television screen, but his eyes were unfocused, clearly not absorbing anything.
After the tension, fear, anger, and lingering apprehension he felt earlier receded like the tide, he was left with a deep weariness and an impulse that he himself couldn't quite explain—an urge to grasp onto something.
The warmth of Tan Huaiyu's wrist skin, transmitted through his palm, carried a real and reassuring touch, strangely easing the lingering coldness and emptiness in his heart.
Tan Huaiyu's body stiffened, half of his body felt numb, not because the grip was uncomfortable, but because... it was too close.
Qi Shuo's fingers were long and strong, with calluses from years of hard work on his palms, and they were now firmly encircling his wrist. The heat made his heart race, and the blush from his ears spread all the way to his neck.
He dared not move, not even breathe deeply, for fear of disturbing this brief, stolen intimacy. He could feel Qi Shuo's fingertips unconsciously and very lightly brushing against his wrist; the sensation was like an electric current, instantly coursing through his limbs and bones.
Time flowed slowly amidst the noise of the television and the sounds from the kitchen. Neither of them spoke or looked at the other.
But the small patch of skin connecting their wrists became the only channel for silent communication at this moment, conveying the complex emotions of surviving a disaster, and a tacit, slowly growing dependence and closeness.
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