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At this moment, the little rascal Ying Jing was sprawled on the passenger seat, whimpering in pain.
Chu Ning sighed and asked, “Where does it hurt?”
“Everywhere hurts.”
“...” Scared her.
Ying Jing asked, “Where are you taking me?”
“What nonsense! Where else can we go?!” Chu Ning turned her head, her tone fierce.
The little rascal thought for a moment, “Your place?”
“...Can I kick him out of the car?”
It was too far to go to a public hospital, so Chu Ning took him to the nearest private one. After navigating through two alleys, they finally saw this renovated small hospital. Seeing the hospital’s name, Ying Jing muttered, “...Maternity Hospital.”
“Get out.” Chu Ning unbuckled her seatbelt.
Ying Jing shook his head wildly, his face swollen like a bun, looking like a cute little pig.
Chu Ning walked around to the passenger side, opened the car door, “Get out.”
“It’s a place for childbirth; I won’t.”
“You have quite a backbone, huh.” Chu Ning’s tone was calm. The next moment, she grabbed his ear and forcibly dragged him out of the car.
“Ouch ouch.” Ying Jing grimaced, “It hurts!”
In this way, dragging and pulling, Chu Ning kicked him into the hospital.
Although it was a specialized maternity hospital, the basic examination equipment was still complete. An ultrasound, some disinfection, and medication. Fortunately, there were no broken bones, just superficial injuries.
Chu Ning let out a sigh of relief.
By the time everything was done, it was almost one o’clock. Chu Ning said to the nurse, “Admit him.”
Ying Jing’s eyes widened, but before he could say “I don’t want to,” the nurse first refused, “We only admit pregnant women, and there are no beds left.”
Chu Ning remembered there was a trash bin at the hospital entrance, contemplating whether to consider it. Ying Jing said, “The dormitory gates are closed, and I’m injured; I can’t climb the wall.”
“You’re pretty reasonable, huh?” Exhausted from the night’s ordeal, Chu Ning had a terrible headache. She didn’t want to waste words with him.
Ying Jing hesitated for a while, then softly said, “Let me stay over for one night. My body hurts badly, I have a fever, and I want to rest.”
He was wearing torn clothes, and the skin exposed outside looked horrible. As time passed, the bruises and swellings became more terrifying.
It looked pretty realistic.
Chu Ning didn’t know much about medical knowledge. Although the test results showed no significant issues, he appeared to have major problems. Plus, she didn’t have the energy to deal with anything else, so she compromised.
With exhaustion, she said, “Come home with me.”
Chu Ning’s apartment was in a good location, in a mid-to-high-end residential complex nearby. The community’s landscaping was well done, styled after southern gardens, even improving the air quality. She lived on the 22nd floor. While entering the electronic lock code, Chu Ning turned her head, “Are you still looking?”
Ying Jing casually moved back half a step.
She glared.
...He floated away by a meter.
The door opened, and a light scent of marine essential oil greeted them, refreshing and pleasant.
A one-bedroom apartment, approximately 60 square meters. Chu Ning walked ahead, pressing the switch on the wall.
“Click.”
“Click click.”
Chu Ning frowned, “Why isn’t it turning on?”
Never mind, she pressed another one, and a small lamp lit up in the living room. The warm yellow light centered around the sofa, casting a small circle of fluffy shadows. Chu Ning opened the shoe cabinet, looked it over, and then closed it.
Taking a deep breath, “I don’t have men’s slippers. How about these?”
She held a pair of Bohemian-style women’s flip-flops, adorned with dark beads, and tied with a silver bell at the end, very travel-themed.
Ying Jing asked, “Yours?”
“Mm.”
“I might not even fit my toes in.”
“...” Made sense. Chu Ning gave up.
“It’s okay, I’ll go barefoot.” Ying Jing immediately took off his shoes.
“Wait!” Chu Ning instinctively tried to stop him.
“Why?” Ying Jing bent down, halfway through untying his shoelaces. He smiled at her, “I don’t have athlete’s foot.”
Chu Ning was speechless. She hadn’t even thought about athlete’s foot; she just thought the floor was cold.
Thankfully, she didn’t say, “You still have a fever.”
However, thinking back, she herself was startled by this subtle notion that could be categorized as concern.
Ying Jing took off his shoes, neatly arranged them, and then walked into the living room like he owned the place.
“Your house is so small, and this neighborhood is expensive. Why not consider a bigger unit elsewhere?” Engineering minds tend to think rationally.
“No money.” Chu Ning lightly said, “All invested in your project.”
Ying Jing happily said, “So I’m your everything.”
“...” Just a little brat, Chu Ning didn’t take him seriously, asking, “How big is your house?”
“We live in a small courtyard with a large garden, a two-story house, each floor with a balcony. My parents love gardening, and the balconies are full of flowers and plants.”
“Oh, a luxurious villa and rich young master, huh.” Chu Ning clicked her tongue, “What do your parents do?”
Ying Jing paused slightly, “They, they...”
Chu Ning wasn’t really interested anyway, “Alright, find a place to sit yourself.” She went to the kitchen to get water.
Only then did Ying Jing carefully examine the house.
Not big, which was good, proving she lived alone.
Scandinavian minimalist style, wooden furniture, some metallic cold-toned decorations. The only splash of color was a giant lucky cat on the TV stand. Ying Jing raised his gaze, surveyed the ceiling, and finally fixed his eyes on the ceiling light Chu Ning couldn’t turn on.
Chu Ning walked out holding a glass of water, paused, “What are you doing?”
Ying Jing found a tall stool, placed it on the coffee table, and carefully padded the four legs with tissues. He stood on the stool and started fixing the light bulb.
From afar, it looked like a pile of scrap metal attempting suicide.
“Get down!” Chu Ning raised her voice.
The stool legs were thin and high, plus he was injured. The probability of falling again was high.
Ying Jing’s hands quickly twisted inside the lampshade, and soon, “Done, turn on the light.”
“Click.”
The light came on, fixed.
Chu Ning crossed her arms and didn’t plan to thank him, repeating, “Get down.”
Ying Jing, standing high up, looked down and gasped, then shook his head at her, “Too high, I’m scared.”
Chu Ning: “...”
“Hey,” he covered his arm, wincing, “It hurts.”
Chu Ning couldn’t endure anymore and approached, “Who told you to go up there?”
“How can you be like this?” A scolded Ying Jing felt wronged, “I’m helping you fix something. Can’t you be nicer?”
It made sense.
Ying Jing extended his hand.
“What?” Chu Ning was baffled.
“Help me.” He said, “I’m afraid of heights.”
“...”
“Hurry up!” Ying Jing was full of vigor, “I feel dizzy.”
Mainly due to his visually striking injuries, hearing this, Chu Ning reflexively reached out without further thought. Ying Jing succeeded, firmly grasping her hand and jumping down using her strength.
He was strong, and Chu Ning lost her balance, stepping back several paces.
Ying Jing tightened his arm, easily pulling her back. Chu Ning’s hands pressed against his chest, even feeling the rhythm of his beating heart beneath the flesh and bones. Ying Jing was fiery, covered in dust from the fight, carrying a faint earthy smell.
Chu Ning suddenly remembered that embrace from that night.
Like being electrocuted, she pushed him away forcefully.
Ying Jing let go, dissatisfied, “Changing your tune, aren’t you?”
This kid was too cocky tonight. Chu Ning pointed at him, “You, come here.”
She directed him to sit on the sofa, standing, her gaze scanning him from top to bottom, “Why did you fight today?”
Ying Jing recounted the whole story.
“Just because of this?” Chu Ning frowned.
“Isn’t this a big deal?”
“Why did you call me?”
“Your number was at the top of the list, easy to find.”
Ying Jing grinned foolishly. Seeing her disapproving look, he hurriedly explained, “Scared me to death, getting into the police station.”
Chu Ning sneered, “You should’ve called your family. Why call me?”
“I can’t beat my dad.”
Chu Ning laughed in anger, “Don’t you have an affectionate older sister? Deep sibling bond, right?”
“You said deep sibling bond yourself. How can I bother her in the middle of the night?”
Chu Ning came over, reaching out to flick his forehead hard, “Little brat.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, her expression changed, her gaze becoming profound and inquisitive. Two seconds later, Chu Ning’s brows furrowed.
Ying Jing silently cursed his misfortune.
Too late.
Chu Ning pressed her left hand on his shoulder, trapping him on the sofa, and placed her right palm on his forehead.
Three seconds later, she roared, “You’re not running a fever!”
Ying Jing curled up into a ball, oh no, she found out.
Chu Ning raised her hand, swiping it through the air. She didn’t really mean to hit him; she just couldn’t contain her anger, making a gesture to express her fury. However, Ying Jing’s self-preservation instincts were particularly strong. He effortlessly restrained her movement, grabbing both her wrists.
“Let go!”
“I won’t.”
“Will you or won’t you?”
“I won’t.”
The two wrestled together. Ying Jing’s injuries weren’t serious initially; he had been letting her win. During the fight, she scratched him a few times, and his temper flared, putting in more effort. Chu Ning was no match for him; the situation quickly reversed—he pinned her down on the sofa.
Too close.
Their breaths mixed together, like freshly spun cotton candy, still warm and steaming.
Chu Ning’s eyes were beautiful, with deep double eyelids and upward-slanting corners, expressive and profound.
In her pupils, Ying Jing saw only himself.
For a moment, he seemed to understand.
Understand the long-standing inexplicable emotions—occasional anxiety, occasional panic, and unpredictable mood swings. These unfamiliar things hadn’t existed before, nor when he was with Zhang Huaiyu. They only appeared when he saw her.
Ying Jing’s breathing grew heavier, restless, eager. Burning flames danced in his eyes, leaping here and there, desperately wanting to jump into Chu Ning’s eyes.
All this turned into impulse. Those four words lingered teasingly on Ying Jing’s lips, and he was about to uncontrollably blurt them out when—
Chu Ning’s soft cough brought him back to his senses.
“What’s wrong?” Ying Jing snapped back to reality. Taking advantage of his mental lapse, Chu Ning lifted her knee and mercilessly kicked him in the chest.
“…Ow!” Ying Jing rolled to the side, allowing Chu Ning to escape and sit on the other side of the sofa.
She didn’t curse loudly again, merely symbolically raised her hand, pointing her index finger at him.
The warning was unmistakable.
Ying Jing observed for a while and realized something was off.
“What are you going to do now?” Chu Ning was alert, the scrap metal inching closer to her.
“Want to die, huh.” The threat level escalated to a red alert.
Ying Jing ignored it, approaching her again, then gently touched her forehead with the back of his hand, stating without doubt, “You’re running a fever.”
“…”
Ying Jing swallowed, wanting to reach out again to confirm. Chu Ning turned her head to avoid it, weakly saying, “You’re truly born to torment me, aren’t you? Nothing good happens, but all bad things come true with me.”
Receiving the district police station’s call that night, she left in a hurry, not even grabbing her coat. Today, Beijing was windy, and the chill was even more pronounced at night. Having gone through the night’s ordeal, Chu Ning couldn’t handle it anymore.
“Sorry.” Ying Jing suddenly whispered.
Chu Ning lacked strength, waving her hand weakly, “The sofa is too small to sleep on. I’ll get you a blanket; you can sleep on the floor. There’s heating anyway.”
Ying Jing still repeated that word, “Sorry.”
“Don’t fight anymore in the future.” Chu Ning leaned against the sofa, saying, “You’re still a student; don’t learn these social ways too fast. What can’t you tolerate? Acting on impulse and fighting makes you look like a fool.”
These words were typical of her. Ying Jing muttered, “You talk pretty socially too.”
Chu Ning sneered, “How can you compare us?”
“Why can’t we compare?” He felt especially indignant about this statement that pulled them apart.
Chu Ning glanced at him, then shifted her gaze, giving up.
“In short,” she closed her eyes, her body too hot, her tone soft and mellow, “You need to learn to protect yourself. You’re not alone now. If you get hurt, the project will stall, and I’ll be in trouble too.”
She had her difficulties, balancing a lot of complicated relationships and discordant voices within the company.
Prosper together, suffer together.
Now, the relationship between her and Ying Jing was probably just like this.
“You also need to learn to shoulder responsibility. If you really ended up disabled today, tell me, would it be worth it?”
Ying Jing’s palm covered her lips, “You’re running a fever; I forbid you to talk so much.”
Chu Ning slightly frowned, then softly chuckled.
His hands carried a faint medicinal scent, very calming to the heart.
“Are you hungry?” Ying Jing suddenly got excited again, “Let me make you something to eat. Eating helps recovery!”
Young people easily get excited, thinking of something and acting on it immediately, unstoppable.
Of course, Chu Ning didn’t have the strength to stop him.
Ying Jing enthusiastically opened her fridge, uh, nothing?
Then he opened her cabinets, wiped with his hand, fingertips covered in dust.
“...” Ying Jing’s voice came from the kitchen, “You live so rough!”
Chu Ning felt strangely embarrassed, as if accused of not being a good wife or mother.
“I’m busy with work. You’re still young; you don’t understand.” She tried to make her tone sound confident.
Ying Jing muttered softly, “I’m not that young.”
Finally, from the top shelf, he found a small bag of unopened Thai fragrant rice. Ying Jing checked the date—it was still good to eat. He cooked her a bowl of porridge. Chu Ning’s house had no salt or sugar, so it was just plain white rice porridge.
“Eat it as best you can.” He brought the bowl out, only to see Chu Ning on the sofa... asleep.
She lay on her side, her right cheek resting on her hand, sleeping peacefully.
The clock pointed to two o’clock.
Ying Jing quietly put down the porridge, then returned to the kitchen, soon coming out with a bag of ice.
He squatted beside Chu Ning, still too tall, so he knelt on the ground.
Ying Jing leaned close to her ear and whispered, “I’ll apply the ice pack for you. It will be a bit cold; bear with it, okay?”
No response.
Ying Jing carefully wrapped the ice in two layers, then gently applied it to her forehead. Chu Ning furrowed her brows, barely opening her eyes. Feverish and dazed, she only saw a familiar face and quickly closed her eyes again.
Ying Jing interpreted this action one-sidedly as trust.
She trusted him.
This realization made him jubilant.
The ice pack wouldn’t stay in place, so he held it steadily. His hands were injured, and throbbing pain tearing at him, but he endured.
The ice melted, and her fever subsided by half. He continued fetching new ice from the refrigerator and kept applying the ice pack for her.
His body hurt, and he wanted to sleep too, but he could endure.
He yawned deeply, watching the sleeping Chu Ning,
He was willing.
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