Young man's thoughts
The autumn rain was bleak, and the chill seeped into my bones. The car's air conditioning had just been turned on, blasting out warm air.
Bai Yixia rested her injured left hand on her leg, while her right hand fidgeted with a sticker she had haphazardly stuck on in the inner room years ago, thinking to herself that her mother had actually left it there.
Zhou Qingchi drove with a stern face, his eyes remaining completely unblinking.
Zhou Qingyan sat in the back seat, remained silent for a while, then leaned against the backrest and spoke to Bai Yixia.
"Sister Xiaxia, are you sure your hand is okay?" He was already worried, and Zhou Qingchi's silence earlier only made him more anxious.
Bai Yixia tilted her head to comfort him, "I'm fine, it's just a mineral water bottle, and I'm wearing thick clothes, so it's nothing serious."
"A broken hand is considered a serious injury?" The man in the driver's seat said in a cool tone, making both of them straighten their backs and sit upright.
Bai Yixia glanced at Zhou Qingchi and, seeing that he didn't seem angry, immediately relaxed and moved closer to him.
"Are you really okay, Brother Zhou? It just feels a little swollen."
After asking Zhou Qingyan a few questions with concern, Lin Shuyang told them to leave first, as Xiao Yan's facial injury needed to be treated and Bai Yixia's hands needed to be checked.
Bai Yixia wanted to just buy some ointment at a nearby pharmacy or clinic, but Zhou Qingchi wouldn't allow it and insisted on taking her straight to the hospital.
When Chao Linshu asked for the car keys, her eyebrows were lowered, but she was finally a little calmer now.
Bai Yixia simply turned her body to face him, "Mom will definitely be able to handle it, Brother Zhou, don't worry too much."
It was rare for Zhou Qingchi to speak while driving, but he was still somewhat frustrated, his voice low and hoarse: "I'm sorry to have troubled Aunt Lin."
"Why bother?" Bai Yixia retorted. "Aunt Jiang and my mother have been good friends for so long, you—"
Halfway through her sentence, Bai Yixia swallowed the rest of her words, deciding it was best not to say anything like "you're like her own son."
Bai Yixia blinked and slowly changed her tone, "You were raised by your mother, so of course she'll side with you. Besides, that scumbag and that brat deserved to be taught a lesson long ago!"
As she spoke, she raised her uninjured right hand into a fist and punched the air twice.
Zhou Qingchi caught a glimpse of her childish action out of the corner of his eye, and his gloomy mood dissipated considerably, causing him to smile.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Zhou Qingchi disregarded Bai Yixia's pleas and insisted on having X-rays taken for her injured hand.
The result was, of course, nothing happened. However, Zhou Yaohua, with his brute strength, swung a mineral water bottle and made the other person's hand swell up.
Bai Yixia stood in front of Zhou Qingchi with one hand on her hip, her face serious as she looked at the person applying medicine to Zhou Qingyan. She said, "See, see, I told you there wouldn't be a problem. Is he Superman or something? What could possibly happen with a plastic bottle?"
Zhou Qingyan was involved in the fight, so naturally he didn't dare to say a word about this issue.
But Zhou Qingchi couldn't bear to discipline Bai Yixia, so he turned his attention to his younger brother and said coldly, "Impressive. Does the school offer some kind of martial arts class? Your kung fu is amazing."
Zhou Qingyan lowered his head, his lips turning blue, and muttered to himself.
Zhou Qingchi didn't hear what he was saying clearly, and then uttered another sarcastic remark. Bai Yixia reached out and stood between the two of them, saying, "Don't scold him. Zhou Yaohua is harassing me."
Zhou Qingchi paused, his hand holding the cotton swab momentarily still, his eyes instantly turning deep and unfathomable. "What?"
"Oh dear, I was thinking of going to buy some food, but when I turned around I saw Zhou Yaohua pulling and tugging at Sister Xiaxia, and even snatching her phone, so I acted impulsively..." Seeing his brother's face getting worse and worse, Zhou Qingyan's voice gradually softened, and he shrugged and lowered his head.
To his surprise, his older brother's grip on the wound on his cheek lessened considerably, and his words were full of praise, "What do you mean by acting on impulse? This is called being a hero. Well done, I'll give you some money when we get back."
Zhou Qingyan was speechless for a moment. He had long guessed that Zhou Qingchi was hypocritical, but he didn't expect it to be to this extent. He should have said so earlier, and now he had gotten a scolding for nothing.
Bai Yixia remembered the grilled sausage that had been thrown on the ground, and her stomach, which had been starving, seemed to finally react, rumbling twice.
Under Zhou Qingchi's probing gaze, the tips of her ears turned red, and she muttered, "It's normal for me to be hungry at this hour, right?"
Zhou Qingchi packed up the medicine, raised his hand and pinched her cheek, "Yes, it's normal. Let's go back and eat something."
Bai Yixia was a little embarrassed by his sudden action and stammered, "Then, then should we go back and cook now?"
It was quite difficult to make Bai Yixia blush. Seeing her like this, Zhou Qingchi felt a little itchy and wanted to pat her head again, but he felt it was a bit too intimate.
So he could only clench his fist and say, "No need, Aunt Lin said that Auntie has already prepared the meal and is just waiting for us to go back."
Bai Yixia's eyes lit up, "Wow~ That's great!"
It was past eight o'clock when they got home, and Lin Shuyang was already sitting at the dining table, talking to Bai Xiao.
Bai Yixia was the first to enter. Upon seeing the two of them, she affectionately moved closer and sat down next to Lin Shuyang. "Mom, you were a little faster than us."
She looked up at the man across from her and said, "Dad came home so early today."
She leaned her head on Lin Shuyang's shoulder, her hand resting on the table. Her injured hand was rubbed with medicine, and her sleeves were rolled up to dry.
A sudden red swelling appeared on her fair skin, which made Lin Shuyang and Bai Xiao feel distressed.
Bai Yixia, however, didn't care. She raised her chin and said, "This is a symbol of a beauty saving a hero."
She always managed to liven up the atmosphere, and even the two Zhou brothers, who were serving rice in the kitchen, burst out laughing.
Lin Shuyang helplessly rubbed her daughter's face and said loudly, "Xiao Chi, Xiao Yan, you don't need to serve me and your Uncle Bai, we've already eaten."
After saying that, he lowered his head and tapped Bai Yixia's nose, "Be careful when you sleep tonight, don't hurt yourself."
Both of them still had work to do, so after exchanging a few words, they went to the study together.
Only three people remained at the table. Zhou Qingyan was at the age where he had a good appetite and could eat a whole cow. After sitting down, he began to eat heartily.
Bai Yixia and Zhou Qingchi sat on one side. At first, it was fine, with the rice in their bowls weighing them down. But after they ate half of it, every time they moved their chopsticks, they pushed the bowls away a little, managing to pick up only a small amount of rice.
Bai Yixia: "..."
Although her hand injury wasn't serious, Bai Yixia only gradually noticed the pain after she regained her senses. However, she had to maintain her sisterly image in front of Zhou Qingyan, so she could only endure it.
Unexpectedly, eating with one hand would cause problems. Bai Yixia frowned, wondering whether to raise her hand to support the bowl or just let it be.
A hand with distinct knuckles reached out and gently took the bowl.
Bai Yixia looked in the direction of his gaze and saw Zhou Qingchi facing her with his head tilted to the side, a smile playing on his lips. "What's wrong? Do you want me to feed you?"
This method is very tempting. Bai Yixia silently thought to herself, but shook her head, saying something she didn't mean, "It's not like my hand is broken, it's not that serious."
After she finished speaking, she noticed that Zhou Qingchi lowered his eyes and the corners of his mouth gradually turned down, as if he was a little angry.
Bai Yixia was used to making careless remarks, and besides, she didn't realize that her words had displeased Zhou Qingchi, so she just hummed in confusion.
Seeing her innocent look, Zhou Qingchi sighed softly, went to the kitchen to get a spoon, picked up the bowl, and pretended to feed her.
Bai Yixia was excited, but her face flushed uncontrollably. She glanced shyly at Zhou Qingyan.
The boy had finished eating and sat across from him with a somewhat blank expression. He inexplicably felt the atmosphere was sticky and uncomfortable. But Zhou Qingyan's mind was preoccupied with his studies and the day's misfortunes; he had no time for sentimentality.
She put down her bowl and headed home, saying, "Brother, Sister Xiaxia, please enjoy your meal. I'm going back to do my homework now."
Bai Yixia breathed a sigh of relief, but seeing Zhou Qingyan's completely uninterested expression, she couldn't help but worry: Could he be like his brother, with asexual tendencies...?
"Xia?" A familiar voice rang in her ears, and Bai Yixia barely came back to her senses. Zhou Qingchi had already served her favorite food and was holding a full spoonful to her mouth.
She had been fed before when she was little, but to be taken care of like this at this age made Bai Yixia's ears turn red until she finished eating.
With everything resolved, Bai Yixia finally had time to take a good look at Zhou Qingchi.
They hadn't seen each other for almost two months, and their first meeting was marked by the same situation. Bai Yixia recalled Zhou Qingchi's cold expression back then, and her heart pounded with emotion.
Wow, I can't even imagine how satisfying it would be if Zhou Qingchi, with that expression and that look in his eyes, said some undignified things to me.
Bai Yixia slumped on the sofa, her eyes closed, but the corners of her mouth slowly turned up.
The sound of bowls and chopsticks clattering came from the kitchen. Bai Yixia listened for a while, then fell into her own thoughts.
I have a feeling that Zhou Qingchi is a bit different this time. I'm used to seeing him all smiles and being kind to everyone. But today I really got to experience being treated differently.
The main lights in the living room weren't on; only the small floor lamp emitted a soft glow. Bai Yixia sat up abruptly, accidentally twisting her arm and wincing softly in pain.
She turned her head to look at the figure moving around in the kitchen, and murmured, "It seems like this isn't the first time he's been so hypocritical..."
Four years ago, during summer vacation.
The rising heat distorted the air.
The air conditioning in the room was set low. Bai Yixia lay among a pile of plush toys, with a thin blanket covering only her body and her limbs exposed.
The cool breeze was a bit chilly, and the girl on the bed wasn't sleeping soundly. She turned over and woke up groggily.
Bai Yixia blinked in confusion, and after a long while, she dazedly raised her hand to touch her shoulder. Her skin was dry, and there were no tears on it.
Waking from a hazy dream, Bai Yixia curled up into a ball, her cheeks flushed red as she buried herself in the blankets.
There were no special things or people in the dream, only her and Zhou Qingchi.
They sat side by side on the Zhou family's balcony, where the roses were in full bloom and soft sunlight streamed in, creating a peaceful scene.
But when Zhou Qingchi turned to look at her, he looked vulnerable, his eyes were red, and with a blink, a tear slid down his face.
Bai Yixia peeked out from under the thin blanket. The night was extremely quiet, with only the sound of the air conditioner blowing.
But why can she still hear Zhou Qingchi's words in her dream?
"Can you hug me, Xia?"
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