It makes me feel pretty good about it.
"Ahem, hello, may I ask where you bought this beef patty? It smells so good~" A gentle and warm voice interrupted Wen Cheng's grand plans. The voice was like the crisp sound of melting ice hitting rocks in early spring. Even Wen Cheng, who wasn't a fan of voices, was captivated by it.
He quickly raised the beef patty in his hand and said, "There's a new place that just opened on the food street not far away. Do you want to try it?"
As Wen Cheng picked up the item, she glanced at the man in front of her out of the corner of her eye. Her first impression was that he was young, like a high school freshman who was developing slowly. His neat black hair hung down beside his ears, and his eyes were rare pure black pupils. When he looked at people, it seemed that his smile seeped into his eyes. His lips, which were lighter than normal, were naturally upturned, and there was a light-colored birthmark the size of a sesame seed on the tip of his nose.
In short, she's pretty and very well-behaved.
Not only was Wen Cheng sizing him up, but the man opposite her was also scrutinizing Wen Cheng, his eyes gleaming with a strange light.
The two were going to different floors; Wen Cheng wanted to go to the top floor, while the man wanted to go to the fifteenth. The elevator was very fast, and the man arrived just as Wen Cheng took out her beef patty. He politely declined Wen Cheng's offer and thanked her before leaving the elevator.
Wen Cheng: It felt like I met an angel in the elevator.
Feeling healed, Wen Cheng arrived at Wen Qi's office in a good mood. The office was already empty; she guessed Qi-ge was asleep. Wen Cheng placed the beef patty on the coffee table, checked her phone—she had half an hour left—and, with conflicted feelings, went to the inner lounge.
The curtains in the lounge were wide open, which suited Wen Cheng's habits perfectly, as she didn't like dark environments. So, despite the glaring midday sun, Wen Qi quietly kept the window closed for her to sleep.
Wen Cheng was initially conflicted, but upon seeing Wen Qi asleep on the bed, her heart immediately calmed down. She secretly changed into her pajamas and went to her own spot to sleep. Once she lay down, she noticed that Qi-ge's body was tense. After repeatedly confirming that he wasn't pretending to be asleep, Wen Cheng realized that this seemed to be a sign of being on guard against something, an expression of extreme insecurity.
This reminded him of Qi Ge's background mentioned in the book. The family went on a happy trip, but on the day of their return, it was pouring rain. They slipped on the mountain road and crashed through the railing, slamming into the mountainside. The powerful impact took the lives of Qi Ge's parents. Before they died, Qi Ge's parents were thinking about how to protect their son. They used their bodies to block the glass in front of the car from crashing in, saving Wen Qi's life.
However, at the same time, his parents' situation became a lifelong psychological shadow for Wen Qi.
Wen Cheng's heart began to ache at the thought of this. He reluctantly reached out and gently grasped Wen Qi's hand. He had been sleeping with Brother Qi for the past few days, and Brother Qi had never acted like this. He never expected that Brother Qi would feel so insecure when he slept alone.
Wen Qi is a light sleeper, and he was woken up by Wen Cheng's grip. He saw that Wen Cheng's eyes were slightly red, and he subconsciously asked, "Who bullied you?"
Wen Cheng shook her head, but her heart ached even more. A person burdened by shadows and fears since childhood had armed himself into an invulnerable force, always using a strong posture to protect others, yet after growing up, no one thought of protecting him.
"I'm just sleepy~" Wen Cheng gripped Wen Qi's hand, shifting her body like a cat, snuggling closer to him. Despite trying to be shameless, Wen Cheng couldn't help but blush.
However, Wen Qi had no other thoughts at the moment. He couldn't bear to see him suffer even when he was sleeping. Only Wen Cheng could see this and put it into action.
Wen Qi sighed, but his tone was definitely upturned. This silly younger brother hadn't brought him much benefit, nor was he so outstanding that he couldn't see the brilliance of other suitors, yet he always managed to make him fall into these small traps, willingly plunging him into the web of Wen Cheng and refusing to leave.
"Sleep," Wen Qi's voice was hoarse, carrying an irreplaceable soothing power. The hand that had been secretly clenching hers now gripped hers in return, dry and warm.
The benefit of being well-behaved and considerate today is that Wen Qi took Wen Cheng to a super popular fried chicken restaurant before going home. The fried chicken restaurant was crowded, and the socially awkward Cheng didn't want to sit inside. Wen Qi even allowed Wen Cheng to bring the fried chicken to the car to eat, which was incredibly spoiling.
However, such intense joy inevitably comes with a disastrous side. Overjoyed, Wen Cheng didn't notice the protruding paving stones when she came out with the fried chicken. She fell down right in front of the car, her ankle throbbing with pain and the embarrassment of wanting to escape from Earth. Wen Cheng was completely overwhelmed.
Wen Qi rushed out and picked up his mentally challenged younger brother to take him to the hospital. At this moment, Wen Cheng said something that would have been incredibly dangerous: "Brother Qi, there's still fried chicken on the ground!"
Although they were damaged in appearance after being dropped on the ground, they were still intact in the bag and could still be eaten!
This is him: weak, humble, but with a huge appetite!
"Wen Cheng!" Wen Qi's angry call successfully triggered Wen Cheng's past fears.
Wen Cheng was immediately too frightened to utter a sound. She clasped her hands together, looking exactly like a baby hamster who had done something wrong. Her eyes were filled with tears from fright, but she couldn't cry out in front of so many people!
Before Wen Qi carried him into the car, he vaguely heard some suggestive words like "I like strong tops and weak bottoms the most," which instantly made his feelings extremely complicated.
When Wen Yongwang and Wen Yin received the notification, Wen Cheng was already half-lying on the hospital bed, her injured left leg already bandaged by the doctor.
Wen Yin walked over quickly, her heart aching. "Oh dear, my darling, your ankle is so swollen!"
Chapter 61 I Don't Want You to Get Hurt
Wen Cheng was a little embarrassed to say the reason, and turned her gaze to Wen Qi, who was sitting to the side.
Wen Qi was backlit, the dappled sunlight falling on his left shoulder but unable to warm his face. His cold, lifeless eyes were like shattered glass; even though they reflected many things, they couldn't find any focus. His handsome features lacked any luster.
After arriving at the hospital, Wen Qi completely ignored her. Wen Cheng thought things would change once her parents arrived, but they didn't. Wen Qi remained as silent as a block of wood, and Wen Cheng's unhappiness welled up again like a sapling in her heart.
You also have to try your best to hide your grievances from your parents.
“I slipped and fell while shopping today. The doctor said it was just a sprained ankle, and I only need to stay in the hospital for observation for a day before I can be discharged. Mom and Dad, don't worry,” Wen Cheng pointed to the sofa and gestured for her parents to sit down.
Seeing such a sensible child made Wen Yin feel sad. Her friend's child was a bit older than Wen Cheng, and when he went skiing before, he only scraped his arm but still knew to tell his friend that he was in pain. Wen Cheng's foot was wrapped up like a dumpling, yet she still told them not to be upset.
Wen Yin's eyes immediately reddened. She quickly sat down on the edge of the bed and rubbed her son's head, looking at Wen Cheng's exposed injured leg with heartache.
Just then, the doctor came in. Wen Yin quickly checked on Wen Cheng's injuries with the doctor and was relieved to find that no bones were broken and that she would recover in about two weeks.
"Has Chengcheng finished eating? I was in such a rush when we came out that your Aunt Li didn't have time to prepare dinner."
"I'll go buy it," Wen Qi, who had been silent until now, suddenly stood up, casting a large shadow in front of Wen Cheng.
Wen Cheng murmured, wanting to call out to Wen Qi, but in the end she didn't say anything, letting Wen Qi walk outside alone.
"Why is Aqi so quiet today?" Wen Yongwang muttered to himself, watching his son's retreating figure.
Wen Yin didn't listen carefully to those words. She first looked around the ward, then silently checked if Wen Cheng's blanket was thick enough, and then checked if the bathroom accessories were okay. Wen Yongwang didn't get to chat with his son for more than a few minutes before Wen Yin called him to go to the department store outside to prepare some new toiletries for Wen Cheng.
Watching Wen Yin bustling around, Wen Cheng couldn't help but feel moved. He had never considered himself part of this family before; after all, they were just characters in a book to him, treated merely as VIPs. But with Qi Ge's involvement, the family seemed to gradually become warmer and open its arms to him.
Oh, it's Brother Qi...
Wen Cheng felt depressed again when she thought of her older brother who went out to buy food without saying a word to her. Curly Hair slumped to one side unhappily. It was clearly his fault for falling, and he could scold him as he pleased, but he couldn't stand Qi Ge's indifferent attitude. It was like a live volcano about to erupt; the longer it was delayed, the more terrifying the eruption would be.
"Chengcheng, let's stay and take care of you tonight. You can't walk very easily, and the nurses at the hospital are busy. Dad isn't too comfortable hiring a caregiver right now," Wen Yongwang said with concern after returning from buying groceries.
Wen Cheng didn't need this kind of show of force, but before he could even speak, his reliable mother started to speak.
“A hospital room isn’t that big. You can go home the day after tomorrow after resting for a day. Chengcheng is old enough to take care of herself. Besides, there’s Qiqi, isn’t there? He’s much more reliable than you!”
Wen Cheng: Unreliable! It might even be terrifying!
On the other hand, Wen Cheng is an adult now and doesn't really need her parents to stay and take care of her. Doing so would only make Wen Cheng feel more embarrassed.
"Mom and Dad, no need. I only hurt my leg, my hand is fine. You can let my older brother go back too. I can call a doctor if I feel unwell here." Wen Cheng didn't like to trouble people, and with money, he wasn't afraid of being hospitalized. He was almost over the trauma of playing in the escape room last time, so he was sure he would be fine. He felt that the best outcome would be to bring Brother Qi back as well, so that he wouldn't be given the cold shoulder here. Even Wen Cheng had his moments of temper!
"Chengcheng, you..." Wen Yin looked at Wen Cheng with heartache. How come this child doesn't know how to rely on others even a little?
"Mom and Dad, I'm back. You haven't eaten yet, have you? Please eat." Just as the mother and son were about to say something, Wen Qi returned, carrying three exquisitely crafted insulated food containers. However, his expression didn't seem any better.
He skillfully set up Wen Cheng's bedside table, then dragged the dining table in front of him and placed one of the lunchboxes in front of Wen Cheng.
Just as Wen Cheng was about to say something, the cool fragrance had already left her side, and she set the bowls and chopsticks back on for her parents.
Wen Cheng was now absolutely certain that Wen Qi was angry. This time, he hadn't even opened his own lunchbox. Normally, when Wen Cheng went upstairs to eat, healthy and well, Wen Qi would usually open it for him himself. Wen Cheng silently sulked and, not wanting to say anything, quietly opened his lunchbox.
It was a light squid soup with pork ribs.
"You guys eat first, I'm going out to take this company call." Wen Qi put the box down and turned to leave.
Wen Cheng's eyes were red, and she silently took out a tissue and pretended to wipe her eyes several times, keeping her head down and not looking in Wen Qi's direction. Wen Qi noticed this out of the corner of his eye, and his heart ached sharply, but he still chose to leave.
When Wen Yongwang and Wen Yin asked Wen Cheng about her during the meal, Wen Cheng would give a brief answer, but her mood remained low.
The couple assumed Wen Cheng's foot was hurting, so after they finished eating, they brought him some fruit for a walk and told him to rest early before leaving without disturbing him.
During this period, Wen Qi did not return.
He didn't answer any work calls, but instead went to the rooftop and smoked cigarettes he'd bought earlier, one after another. He hadn't smoked like this in a long time; the last time he could remember was right after turning eighteen, when he and Wen Yongwang had separated their household registrations and he was independent once again.
The unbearable loneliness made him uneasy. He refused to go on a trip with his parents and smoked cigarette after cigarette in the huge, empty living room of the villa.
The bitter, choking smoke raged in his lungs, and the car accident kept replaying in his mind. It felt like there was a huge hole in his heart, as if nothing could fill the void.
This time, smoking brought him an unusual sense of fear and helplessness. Over the years, he had tried his best to become stronger and more mature, so that he wouldn't need these external things to fill his void. But Wen Cheng's injury made him feel helpless again. They were so close; if he had gotten off the bus sooner, Wen Cheng wouldn't have gotten hurt. He hadn't done enough.
And the way Wen Cheng, despite being in obvious pain, tried so hard not to worry and didn't make a sound when the doctor bandaged his wound, made him feel even worse. He didn't need Wen Cheng to be so understanding; really, he'd rather bear everything himself.
He almost couldn't resist hugging Wen Cheng when he saw him wiping his eyes, but he held back. He needed to reflect on his mistake, because if he were to get married in the future, the person registered under his household registration had to be Wen Cheng. He had to protect Wen Cheng in every way, to prevent him from getting hurt or experiencing pain. He didn't want to be alone again.
This is the star he finally found after so much effort.
After reflecting on her actions, Wen Cheng returned to her ward and was secretly observing her leg, which was wrapped up tightly due to her injury. When she saw Wen Qi enter, she immediately pretended to be nonchalant, looking at her phone, her eyes betraying her true feelings and clear sign of resentment.
Wen Qi couldn't say anything nice at this moment, after all, his sullen mood hadn't dissipated, so he also remained silent, only pouring him a glass of warm water, although Wen Cheng didn't drink a drop.
Both of them were engrossed in their phones, and finally, Wen Cheng couldn't hold it in any longer and needed to use the restroom, ending the awkward atmosphere.
But will Wen Cheng immediately ask Wen Qi for help? Of course not!
Wen Cheng put down his phone, turned around, got out of bed, and hopped towards the bathroom, wearing the little hamster slippers his mother had just bought him.
Wen Qi's heart was pounding, but since Wen Cheng hadn't called him, he gritted his teeth and forcibly suppressed the urge to help him up.
Wen Cheng slammed the door shut in a huff, locking it behind him to show his determination not to rely on anyone. Then, still fuming, he flushed. Though the process was a bit difficult, he managed to zip up his pants and flush. But just as he turned to open the door, he misjudged the angle of his jump, lost his footing on his other leg, and fell flat on his face. Luckily, the toilet was a Western-style toilet, otherwise he would have fallen into the pit.
Wen Qi, who was outside, couldn't stand still any longer. He rushed over to open the door, only to find it locked.
He took a few deep breaths to make his tone sound more composed, "Wen Cheng, do you still have the strength to open the door?"
Wow!
It seems only after I fell down did this old man finally speak.
Wen Cheng knew it was wrong to sulk, but he was still unhappy because he could smell the cigarette on Wen Qi when Wen Qi came in. The book said that Wen Qi had smoked once when he was eighteen and had left the Wen family, and he smoked again this time. Even though he was in such a bad mood, he was unwilling to scold him. What was the point of him running away and sulking?
Wen Cheng struggled to his feet, feeling increasingly aggrieved. His arm was scraped and bleeding, but he still opened the door without a word, not even glancing at Wen Qi, and prepared to walk towards his bed. Then, Wen Qi lifted him up by the bottom.
The familiar scent of wood mixed with tobacco made Wen Cheng feel wronged instantly. She carefully clung to Wen Qi's neck with both hands and remained silent.
When they reached the hospital bed and Wen Qi was about to put Wen Cheng down, Wen Cheng refused to let go. This could be considered a form of initiative. Wen Qi placed her on the bed, and then Wen Cheng hooked her uninjured leg around Wen Qi's thigh and wouldn't let go, like a giant koala.
"Wen Cheng," Wen Qi said wearily.
"You're injured, and I don't want to teach you a lesson right now. You should know how angry I am, so don't mess with me." These words, "Don't mess with me," have become increasingly common for Wen Qi these days.
Wen Cheng buried her head in Wen Qi's chest and subconsciously rubbed against him. "It's my problem, why are you punishing yourself? You might as well just curse me to death, it's more comfortable than giving me attitude here!"
"You're saying I gave you a hard time? And that I made you uncomfortable?" Wen Qi's tone suddenly changed.
Wen Cheng had a vague sense of danger.
"You mean it would make you feel better if I cursed out loud?" Wen Qi asked again.
That made sense, but Wen Cheng, who hadn't fully grasped the point, nodded and generously said, "Go ahead and curse, I won't talk back." Then...
"Wen Cheng, how stupid are you? You couldn't flip over any of the hundreds of bricks in front of you, yet you chose that one in a hundred. Has your cerebellum not fully developed yet? I usually see you running home quite fast, and you're always the fastest one running downstairs when we eat. Now, there's a flat surface right in front of you, and you insist on putting on a realistic performance of a flat-ground fall from a TV drama?" Wen Qi spoke in a calm tone, but his words were anything but calm.
Then Dadu Cheng couldn't hold back any longer and bit Wen Qi's shoulder with a loud thud.
Wen Qi stopped with a muffled groan. It didn't actually hurt; it was just like a kitten grinding its teeth. He wasn't going to talk back; he was going to bite directly.
The cold war between the two ended after Wen Cheng stubbornly ground her teeth for three minutes.
When Wen Cheng sat back on the bed and looked at Wen Qi's shoulder again,