Chapter 9: Qing Hang, Do You Like This Kind?

“It’s so hot!” Cheng Wanyue screamed in shock, nearly falling off the chair.

Qing Hang quickly supported her as oil stains spread everywhere. He slipped, and the rat escaped from his hand and ran away.

She was preoccupied, but the fear of rats still lingered. “Qing Hang, the rat got away!”

“Forget about the rat for now. Go rinse with cold water quickly.”

Burns must be treated promptly. Qing Hang didn’t care about anything else. He swiftly carried Cheng Wanyue to the bathroom, kicking the door open with his foot. The doorknob hit the wall and bounced back, closing with a gust of wind.

She cried out in pain even with the slightest touch. “...It hurts so much, be gentle.”

“I know,” Qing Hang turned on the shower and rinsed her buttocks. “Hold onto the sink, hold it steady.”

The sound of running water echoed loudly. Cheng Wanyue’s lower body was completely soaked. The cold water eased the burning sensation, and only then did she start to worry about herself.

Fortunately, the water wasn’t freshly boiled.

“Do we have any ice at home?”

“I think not. My mom used it all up yesterday making iced fruit tea.”

Water splashed onto the mirror, leaving streaks that blurredly reflected the contours of the young man’s face.

It was the first time Cheng Wanyue seriously looked at his appearance.

Qing Hang’s complexion was very fair among the boys she knew. His features were delicate but without any softness. When silently meeting her gaze, there was a hint of sharpness, like a newborn leopard—youth didn’t diminish the wildness hidden in his bones. Usually calm and composed, but once truly provoked, he would pounce fiercely, tearing the opponent apart with claws and teeth.

What would he look like when angry?

He frowned, focused as if dealing with a major issue. Cheng Wanyue turned her head to look back. “Your pants are wet.”

Qing Hang said, “It’s fine. Rinse with cold water for a while longer before going to the hospital.”

The pain wasn’t as unbearable as before. “Can my butt be saved?”

She was still wearing clothes. The thin fabric, soaked and clinging tightly to her skin, revealed the lines of her waist and hips. Water trickled down her thighs, dripping onto the floor.

Qing Hang averted his eyes. “I’ll go out. Check yourself.”

“Never mind, let’s just go to the hospital,” she actually didn’t want to go. Having her butt examined by a doctor would be too embarrassing, but she was afraid of scarring.

“We still need to change clothes. Stand on the chair and check in the mirror for blisters.”

There probably wouldn’t be any, as the water wasn’t that hot, but her skin was delicate, and they couldn’t judge entirely based on his experience.

“...Alright, help me get some clothes.”

After drying his hands with a couple of tissues, Qing Hang opened the wardrobe. A dress would be convenient and wouldn’t rub against the burned skin. So he took a dress and handed it into the bathroom. “I’ll clean the floor and table. Take your time changing. If there are blisters, don’t break them; they can easily get infected.”

Cheng Wanyue thought he’d be embarrassed and wrap underwear with the clothes, but after looking again, there was only a dress.

“Do you want me to walk around naked on the street?” She glared at him angrily, feeling a bit wronged. Her eyes became moist and red, and her voice gradually lowered. “Six o’clock is when the streets are busiest. I might run into classmates and teachers... Why don’t you give me a megaphone so I can stand at the street corner and shout for everyone to come see my butt.”

Only then did Qing Hang realize what was missing. He certainly didn’t mean that, but he wasn’t good at explaining.

He walked back to the wardrobe. Inside were seasonal clothes. Cheng Wanyue was a slob. Every time Yang Huimin tidied her things, within a few days, she’d mess everything up again. He didn’t even have a place to start.

“Where is it?”

“In the bottom cabinet. Just take whatever.”

Qing Hang squatted down, pulled open the cabinet, and found several boxes containing socks, bras, and panties. The hot water hadn’t burned him, but his skin felt like it was on fire.

He didn’t dare look too closely and randomly picked one.

Black.

Cheng Wanyue hooked the delicate lace edge with one finger, lifting the small piece of fabric from his hand. “You like this kind?”

“Just picked randomly. I don’t like it,” he turned around.

She peeked her head out from behind the door. “Then what kind do you like?”

Qing Hang pushed her back in. “Hurry up and change!”

The door closed loudly, but the laughter from inside the bathroom still reached his ears. Like an ostrich, he fled the room and waited outside for two minutes before picking up a cloth to clean up the spilled noodles.

Cheng Wanyue carefully removed her wet clothes. Looking in the mirror, she could barely see any blisters and sighed in relief. After changing into the dress, she went out.

Qing Hang had already cleaned the bedroom, but there was still a lingering smell.

She couldn’t sit comfortably in a car like this. Qing Hang tied a jacket around her waist and carried her to the hospital.

All the outpatient doctors had left work, so they could only see the emergency department. An older doctor was on duty. Even though Cheng Wanyue was usually carefree, she was still a girl. Despite the curtain covering her, she still felt embarrassed and remained quietly face down on the bed throughout.

Qing Hang asked the doctor, “Will it leave a scar?”

The doctor replied, “It didn’t damage the skin tissue. As long as she applies the prescribed ointment three times a day, it won’t leave a scar.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”

He carried her to the hospital, and he carried her back the same way.

There were many pedestrians on the street. Since she had already been medicated, they weren’t in a rush. He took a small road. She leaned lifelessly on his shoulder, silent except for occasional complaints when air conditioning water dripped on her hair.

Her soft body pressed against his back, and he knew what it was.

The path was winding and involved steps. Cheng Wanyue leaned close to his ear, clearly hearing his breathing, which was a little heavy but not strained.

“You’re quite strong.”

“...You’re not heavy.”

“Did you bring the keys just now?”

Qing Hang stopped in his tracks. “No.”

He had forgotten to take the keys because she had teased him before they rushed out.

“Oh, then I’ll be Spider-Man and climb up from the balcony.”

“Can’t we go to your grandma’s?”

“No, if my grandma finds out, my parents, my brother, and my second uncle and aunt will all know within five minutes.” She couldn’t bear the embarrassment. “Do you think I can let a fourth person know about my burnt butt?”

Qing Hang finished the last few steps and put her down at the door. “Wait here, I’ll go to your grandma’s to get the keys. I’ll just say I forgot them when I went out. She probably won’t ask too many questions.”

This kind of thing was not surprising for Cheng Wanyue. She had been careless and forgetful since she was little.

“Then don’t make me wait too long. There are a lot of mosquitoes in the stairwell.”

“Okay.”

Qing Hang ran downstairs, ran to Grandma Cheng’s house, and then ran back.

Wiping his sweat, he looked up and saw Cheng Wanyue obediently趴 on the stair railing waiting for him through the gaps.

She was also sweating all over. The first thing she did after entering the house was to take a shower, which washed away all the ointment, so she had to reapply it.

Qing Hang told her to do it herself.

“My eyes aren’t on the back of my head. Help me.”

He subconsciously refused, “I can’t help you.”

“There’s no one else in the house. If you don’t help me, who will? Not just today, but tomorrow and the day after too.”

Cheng Guoan and Yang Huimin wouldn’t be back until Thursday. Cheng Yanqing had gone to Nanjing yesterday and wouldn’t be back for at least half a month.

She hummed in accusation, “Your instant noodles burned me like this.”

“...I didn’t mean to.”

“My dad isn’t a cruel landlord who only makes people work without feeding them. If I have a bite, you have a bite. Wasting food is shameful. If I made it for you, it’s yours.” She always had her own logic. “I’ve already eaten my bowl, the fork is in it. The two bowls are different, I can tell.”