Chapter 12. She didn't move; the two stared at each other for a long time...
She didn't move. The two stared at each other for a long time without saying a word, while footsteps and curses drew closer behind them.
Their eyes met, and in that breathtaking moment, they stopped. Behind Li Xingzhou was a broad road, the setting sun, and a bustling crowd.
Huang Shiyu moved his body and did not listen to Li Xingzhou's words to obediently go over. Instead, he resolutely chose to run to the alley next to him.
Before she could run more than a few steps, Li Xingzhou grabbed her arm. Before she could react, he wrapped one arm around her waist. In a dizzying moment, her face was pressed against his chest. Through their clothes, Huang Shiyu's breath hitched. After a few seconds, she realized what had happened.
She said haltingly, "Turn left ahead and you'll reach the Bund."
Hold me.
The voice sounded cold and devoid of warmth, and the speed of the speech was so fast that Huang Shiyu didn't react in time. She looked up at him, and from this angle, she could only see the swaying sunset sunlight and a sleek half of his profile, which was quite striking.
Li Xingzhou looked down and said quite naturally, "What are you standing there for? Didn't you hear me telling you to hold me? Or do you want to be bounced down later?"
Huang Shiyu lowered his head and obediently wrapped his arms around Li Xingzhou's neck. To Li Xingzhou, the posture looked as docile as a child. He couldn't help but smile faintly, as faint as the setting sun behind him, nowhere to be found.
The wind blowing through the alley, the mingling of breaths, and the fading shouts behind me—it all felt like a different world.
Even through the thick clothes, Huang Shiyu could feel her hearing his heartbeat, which seemed to be his, yet also her own, an amplified sensation she couldn't quite distinguish.
She never imagined she would meet Li Xingzhou again. No, it seems she had fantasized about it a long time ago: that Li Xingzhou would suddenly appear on the streets of a certain city, interrupt her while she was working part-time, or that they would meet and exchange pleasantries at a business forum.
Huang Shiyu gave an inappropriate laugh.
It turns out that she had also hoped to meet the two of them again, but too much time had passed, and the people and things in her memory had been left in the long river of the past.
Both reunions were far too embarrassing for her.
"You've gotten addicted to hugging me, and you don't want to let go?"
The sound was very soft, so soft that it was swallowed up by the noise of the surrounding crowd. Huang Shiyu looked up, and Li Xingzhou also lowered his head, their eyes meeting.
The eye contact came unexpectedly. His eyes were very dark, and they were also typical almond-shaped eyes. The creases of his double eyelids were deep, and he unconsciously gave people a sense of allure when he looked at them.
The legendary eyes that look with deep affection even when looking at a dog.
The two were very close. Huang Shiyu's vision was filled with Li Xingzhou's handsome face, and the breath was so hot that he couldn't tell if it was his own or the other person's.
Moreover, his lips were small and pink, the perfect petal lips, which looked delicious. She had tasted them before, and during their passionate encounters, she had described those lips thousands of times.
A car horn sounded and snapped Huang Shiyu out of her reverie. She moved her lips and said, "Don't overthink it, it was unintentional."
These words seem to draw a line, cover up one's outdated and wrong ideas, and express shame at secretly revealing those long-forgotten aspects of the past.
Huang Shiyu jumped down and, with Li Xingzhou's help, managed to stand still. Her gaze wandered between the sky and the buildings, as if she were somewhat embarrassed.
Li Xingzhou's gaze swept over her and landed on a pharmacy behind her. He calmly said, "Wait."
Without giving Huang Shiyu a chance to react, he walked straight into the store, leaving her with only his tall back view.
Soon his figure disappeared from sight, and only passersby were around. Huang Shiyu felt curious glances, but didn't sense any malice, so he didn't care and stood obediently in place.
After Li Xingzhou finished shopping, he immediately saw Huang Shiyu sitting on a bench. The scene seemed familiar. Many years ago, on a similar day and evening, Huang Shiyu was sitting on a bench at school, waiting for him to go home together.
Back then, Huang Shiyu always wore a school uniform, with her hair tied in a high ponytail, revealing the round back of her head. Her temperament was gentle and reserved, like a blank sheet of paper.
Who would have thought that this blank sheet of paper was covered in thorns? It may appear innocent and harmless, but its thorns can prick people, hurting both others and itself.
"Here you go, is your hand okay?"
At that time, Li Xingzhou was standing, giving her a feeling of looking down at her from a superior position. Huang Shiyu didn't like this kind of staring posture, so she pulled over the things he had bought.
"I can do it myself." That's what she said; she's not incompetent.
Upon opening it, Huang Shiyu thought to himself: This young master is as extravagant as ever.
She flipped down and found a pair of slippers.
Huang Shiyu thought to herself: This person's thoughtfulness has remained unchanged.
Li Xingzhou sat down to her left, his mood not very good, and asked, "Don't you have anything to say to me?"
"What?" Huang Shiyu paused in applying the medicine, not quite understanding what he meant, or perhaps not wanting to answer.
"Didn't you see me just now? I'm standing right in front of you, a living, breathing person." Li Xingzhou leaned back in his chair, his tone aggressive. "I don't know what you were trying to prove. Your leg is like this, is your brain made of mush?"
"Aren't you satisfied now?"
Huang Shiyu didn't really want to speak to him in that tone, after all, he had indeed saved her just now, otherwise she would have been caught up by that group of people long ago. Reading people's expressions and speaking in a way that she was good at was clearly her forte.
At that moment, she seemed like a stubborn person.
Li Xingzhou watched her apply the medicine. She had a gentle appearance, but she applied the medicine with great force. The sight of her working up a pain in Li Xingzhou's eyes. He took the iodine from Huang Shiyu's hand, grabbed a cotton swab, and bent down to treat Huang Shiyu's wound.
His sudden approach made Huang Shiyu breathe a little lighter, afraid of stirring up inappropriate thoughts again. Before she could refuse, Li Xingzhou threw another problem at her.
Is it so hard to ask for help?
Those eyes were fixed on her, and then he said, word by word, "Is it still so hard to ask me for help?"
These calm and even words, spoken as he applied the medicine, broke the silence and struck Huang Shiyu's heart.
"Aren't you childish?"
Huang Shiyu's breathing became heavier, it was unclear whether Li Xingzhou had hit her too hard or she was too eager to argue.
But she knew that Li Xingzhou actually used very light force; compared to her strength, it was like a feather brushing against her, just a tingling sensation.
Li Xingzhou looked up and said, "Judging from your angry expression, you're a bit like Huang Shiyu from back then."
The two reunions were somewhat comical and absurd, with neither side exposing the clumsy lie.
This time, Huang Shiyu sensed that Li Xingzhou wasn't planning to play along with her anymore; this round was a game of honesty.
The sun had already set, leaving only some winding afterglow. Li Xingzhou stood with his back to these afterglows, gazing at her with deep eyes. His hands continued their work without him speaking, as if waiting for her to speak.
Huang Shiyu knew what was going on, but when he opened his mouth, it was a completely different story.
What are you doing here?
Li Xingzhou said, "Are you curious?"
People really do have a tendency to take advantage of others. Huang Shiyu felt that she shouldn't have asked. She pursed her lips and said, "No, I was just asking. It's just the most basic give and take in interpersonal communication. You asked me if I had eaten, and I was just being polite when I answered you."
Li Xingzhou nodded as if he understood: "Then, since I saved you, it's not too much for me to ask what happened, is it?"
This statement demonstrates a good balance of tact and discretion. Indeed, Huang Shiyu had no right to refuse; it wasn't unreasonable for the person to ask, given that they had indeed saved her.
Huang Shiyu bent down to put on her shoes, enduring the pain in her feet, and stood up. She took a step, but the pain in her feet became excruciating. She pursed her red lips and decided to walk back.
Li Xingzhou noticed her unusual behavior, stepped forward, grabbed her arm, and pulled her in his direction, just like before. However, this time, Li Xingzhou didn't pick her up completely, but instead pulled her to sit down on the bench they had just been on.
“How childish, Huang Shiyu.” Li Xingzhou’s eyes were already dark, but now they were even deeper, like ink or a pool. “Even if it were someone else in front of me today, I would still save them. You don’t need to feel guilty. I’m not the same Li Xingzhou I used to be. I’m not that childish anymore. I don’t care about such low-level drama as revenge against an ex.”
"Didn't you ask me before if I hated you?" Li Xingzhou looked at Huang Shiyu with her head down, as if she were a child who had done something wrong. Especially now that she was injured, her eyes conveyed her feelings, making her look extremely pitiful. Li Xingzhou didn't want to blame her, so he suddenly changed his mind and said, "Promise me you won't be so stubborn next time, okay? You're easily taken advantage of with this temper."
Although Huang Shiyu had her head down, her big, dark eyes were darting around right under Li Xingzhou's eyelids, clearly thinking about how to answer his first question.
Her heart felt like it was floating on the sea; if just one wave came, all her composure would crumble in an instant.
As she listened, she noticed that she was particularly adept at identifying key words at this point, even more so than when she was reviewing contracts. However, upon hearing the words "suffer a loss," she vaguely recalled that Song Chaoye had said something similar on the day they broke up.
At this moment, Huang Shiyu felt his temples throbbing violently.
She thought to herself: This is really damn bad. One after another, they all say this to her. Sure enough, she has good taste. All the men she chooses are cut from the same mold.
Huang Shiyu raised her eyelashes, her brows furrowing slightly, and suddenly felt a surge of anger. "So you really have to bow your head?"
Li Xingzhou's reply was quite clever: "Haven't you heard of 'focusing on the issue, not the person'?"
Seemingly noticing Huang Shiyu's confusion, he said, word by word, "For example, I've always been objective about you, not personal. You dumped me, and I took it as a case of unrequited love. If it were someone else, I would have dumped them back long ago."
Huang Shiyu was extremely annoyed by his arrogant attitude, as if she had returned to her student days, and she really wanted to confront him. She thought so, and she did so.
"I think your condition can still be treated."
A note from the author:
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Happy New Year, my darlings!
Wishing all students a prosperous new year and all working individuals abundant wealth!
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