Hibiscus as a Painting

Chapter 112

Xiao Bai lowered her eyes and shook her head.

Where does it hurt?

Xiaobai shook his head again.

"What happened? It was fine just now," Zi Jin asked gently, stroking Xiao Bai's back.

Xiao Bai looked up at Zi Jin, her expression strangely aggrieved: "I'm not full."

Zi Jin chuckled: "If you're not full, just keep eating. It's my fault, I didn't notice that Xiao Bai wasn't full before I put away the bowl."

Zi Jin quickly found some good pieces of meat and put them into Xiao Bai's bowl. She then placed the chopsticks in Xiao Bai's hand and said, "Xiao Bai, you should eat more. We were able to eat rabbit and pheasant today thanks to you. You're really amazing."

Xiao Bai lowered his head and ate his food, saying softly, "He ignored me just now, and only remembered me after he left."

Zi Jin stared blankly at Xiao Bai, wanting to laugh but not daring to. Was this jealousy? A good sign.

"He's a guest, so we should take good care of him. Xiaobai is one of us, so we should take care of the guest. Just now, Xiaobai was eating without saying a word. He didn't act like a host at all."

Xiao Bai lowered her head: "I don't want guests, I only want Xiao Zi. Xiao Zi can't have guests."

Zi Jin hugged Xiao Bai from behind, nuzzled his face, and whispered, "Don't be angry. We're new here, so we should be nice to others. But Xiao Bai, remember, they're all outsiders to me. Only you, only you are the most important person to me. I can give up everything, but I will never abandon you, understand?"

Xiao Bai dropped the bowl and chopsticks in her hand, turned around and hugged Zi Jin: "I can't stand seeing you treat him well, it makes me very sad. We can do it."

Zi Jin's smile deepened as she gently patted Xiao Bai's back: "Okay, Xiao Bai said it's just the two of us. From now on, no matter what, it's just the two of us. Xiao Bai can't go back on her word."

Xiao Bai looked up and smiled faintly: "No regrets."

Zi Jin hugged Xiao Bai tightly, her heart filled with joy, a smile reaching her eyes, and her initial worries eased considerably. She gently kissed Xiao Bai's earlobe: "Xiao Bai is so good."

As if electrocuted, Xiaobai suddenly covered her ears, a hint of confusion flashing in her dark, warm eyes.

"Don't be afraid, Xiaobai. This is the seal of our agreement. Kissing is just a courtesy in my hometown, like kneeling in your Chen Kingdom. It's nothing serious," Zi Jin coaxed repeatedly.

Xiao Bai looked at Zi Jin suspiciously for a moment: "Does Xiao Zi often...?"

"Of course not, we only kiss the people we're closest to and the people we love most, understand?" Zi Jin said, looking into Xiao Bai's eyes.

A faint smile played on Xiao Bai's lips: "My dearest, my most beloved, from now on, it'll just be me, okay?" Xiao Bai hugged Zi Jin tightly, gazing at her expectantly.

Zi Jin's eyes stung slightly, and she leaned on Xiao Bai's shoulder: "Okay."

Zi Jin's heart felt as if it had been squeezed hard, the pain almost making it jump out. A bittersweet feeling mingled with a hint of sweetness—it was a completely new and wondrous sensation, like a blind person seeing a glimmer of light, a dying person finding an oasis in the desert, a drowning person grasping a lifeline, or a lost person finding direction and hope again.

Xiaobai, as long as you don't leave me, don't betray me, and don't lie to me, even if it means death, I will never let go first this time.

Xiaobai, I can't walk anymore, and I don't want to walk anymore. Let's live here forever, okay?

Little Bai, if you haven't learned how to love yet, then I'll teach you how to love later, okay? Okay...

A lifetime of love and hate, hard to understand; reincarnation begins again. The bamboo, heartless, reflects only fleeting moments, like flowers in a mirror or the moon in water. (Part Three)

How long can a mirage last? (Part 3) The rooster crowed three times, and the east was just beginning to lighten. Dewdrops hung on the green grass, and a special tranquility permeated the air. A light mist enveloped the village in a hazy veil.

"ah!"

Zi Jin, who was already having a restless sleep, was startled awake by the scream beside her. She saw Xiao Bai's eyes filled with panic: "Xiao Bai... what's wrong?"

"Blood, I'm injured, so much blood!" Xiaobai pointed in a panic to the blood on her thin clothes and the still-wet bloodstains on Zi Jin's legs and body.

Zi Jin suddenly pulled the blanket over herself, her face slightly flushed, secretly annoyed. Her period hadn't come for several months, so why did it have to come at this time?

"No, it's not an injury, it's...it's from yesterday...I accidentally got some splatter on myself when I was killing chickens yesterday."

Xiao Bai stared wide-eyed at Zi Jin with suspicion: "Really? Yesterday, you killed a chicken?"

"Okay, okay, Xiaobai, get up quickly, change your clothes, then go out and fetch water to wash your face. Don't come in," Zi Jin said, wrapping herself in the blanket.

Xiao Bai frowned slightly, got up and went to the bedside cabinet, rummaging through clothes, clumsily removing her blood-stained garments. Zi Jin buried her face in the blankets, trying hard to suppress her voyeuristic desires.

"Little Purple... I don't know how to wear them." Little White looked at Zi Jin with difficulty, holding a pair of new straw sandals.

Zi Jin took the straw sandals: "You're not used to these shoes, would you like to wear your old ones instead?"

Little White quickly lifted his foot and moved it closer to the straw sandal: "If Stone can do it, so can I."

Zi Jin was feeling unwell and wanted to get rid of Xiao Bai as soon as possible. She quickly put straw sandals on Xiao Bai and said, "Go out and wash up by yourself. Don't come in unless I call you."

Xiao Bai put on straw sandals and walked around the house twice, her face full of curiosity. She glanced at Zi Jin and then walked outside.

Zi Jin quickly got out of bed and locked the door. She rummaged through the closet and found a clean set of undergarments. She looked at the closet full of coarse cloth clothes with a troubled expression. How could she use such coarse cloth?

A corner of white gauze peeked out, and Zi Jin quickly pulled it out along with the silk—it was Xiao Bai's old robe. Without thinking, Zi Jin tore the clothes apart. Suddenly, something shiny slipped out from between the garments, catching Zi Jin's eye. Zi Jin squatted down, staring blankly at the object on the ground. She reached out, carefully picked it up, and gently rubbed it.

"Little Purple, I'm all ready," Little White said from outside the door without opening it.

Zi Jin quickly put the item into her bosom, tore Xiao Bai's old coat into pieces, and then began to tidy herself up. Only after everything was in place did she get up and open the door.

Xiao Bai placed the wash water on the table and stared at Zi Jin for a long time: "Xiao Zi, are you sick?"

Zi Jin didn't even glance at Xiao Bai, absentmindedly washing up. Once she and Xiao Bai were both ready, she slowly sat down beside Xiao Bai and took out a bright yellow glass thumb ring from her bosom: "Is this yours?"

A look of delight flashed in Xiaobai's eyes. He snatched the ring and nodded repeatedly, "I've been looking for it for a long time."

Zi Jin stared at the ring that Xiao Bai had snatched away: "Have you always worn this ring?"