Cherishing You As Always - Chapter 24

Chapter 24

In the middle of the night, I was sleeping groggily. I had completely forgotten that there was a very dangerous person lying next to me. What if she stabbed me with scissors in the middle of the night?

In the dream, everything was white and hazy. I was walking on a narrow, winding path, surrounded by wilderness, with no sign of any houses. I vaguely heard someone crying. The sound seemed to come from mid-air, swirling around me, making it impossible to tell the direction, let alone locate the source. Gradually, the crying stopped, replaced by the sound of thunder. The rumbling made everything feel unsettling.

Perhaps it was the thunder that woke me. When I opened my eyes, it had started raining outside the window. The wall of books was still stacked neatly in place. I hurriedly got up, wanting to check what Yin Yunchi was doing. I hadn’t even noticed when the window had been blown open by the wind. I glanced over at her sleeping spot it didn’t look like anyone was there.

Where could she have gone in the middle of the night?

I slipped on my shoes, rubbing my eyes as I got up to close the window tightly. Just as I reached the window, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a muffled roll of thunder. I instinctively turned around, and in that split second, I saw a figure curled up in the corner. I was startled and shouted, “Who’s there?!”

Leaning against the wall, I shouted out loud, having forgotten to close the window. But the figure only continued to tremble, making no attempt to respond to me.

Another clap of thunder rolled in, and I heard the figure let out a sharp scream. That voice… why did it sound so familiar?

“Yin Yunchi?”

I called out uncertainly. Then I felt around the table, trying to light a candle. But after fumbling for a long time, I still couldn’t find the fire striker. The shadow in the corner remained unmoving. I had no choice but to call out again, “Yin Yunchi? Is that you?”

Only the roar of thunder outside answered me. A bolt of lightning tore across the sky, and I cautiously stepped closer. Just a few feet away from her, she suddenly shouted, “Don’t come any closer! Stay away!”

I immediately froze, carefully asking, “Is it really you? What are you doing over here? Come back now.”

The room was pitch dark. I took another cautious step forward, trying to pull her back. She was curled in the corner, so helpless. Not wanting to scare her, I continued gently, “Are you afraid of the thunder? I can cover your ears if you’d like. Just don’t hide so far away. Come over here.”

I got closer and stopped in front of her. She softly muttered, “Don’t come closer… don’t come…”

Her murmuring was accompanied by sobbing. So the crying I had heard earlier it had come from her.

I tried reaching for her hand, feeling around in the darkness until I touched her body. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my shoulder I gasped. It hurt like hell.

Another lightning flash lit up the sky, and that’s when I saw it she was holding a pair of scissors, fresh bl00d dripping from the blades. I clutched my arm, feeling the warm wetness flow from the wound. I cried out, “What is wrong with you?! Why did you hurt me?!”

Now I was angry. Still fumbling around, I finally found the fire striker on the floor. I quickly ran over to the table and lit the candle, then rushed to close the window against the howling wind. Turning around, I looked at the person crouched in the corner, then at my wound. I felt so wronged. She really stabbed me with scissors.

I grabbed a soft cloth and wrapped up the wound. Irritated, I said, “What on earth is your problem, lady?!”

She was still curled in the corner, tear-streaked face wet and pale. I walked over again this time, I was smarter. I snatched the scissors from her hand and threw them far away, then grabbed her shoulders with both hands. That move made her resist instantly. She couldn’t move her arms, so she started kicking me instead, crying as she did. “Please… let me go… I don’t want this… I don’t want…”

What don’t you want? What can I possibly do to you? I gripped her shoulders tighter and tried to shake her out of it. “What don’t you want? Yin Yunchi, it’s me, Song Lanlou. Look at me it’s me, Lanlou!”

The candle was behind me, so she couldn’t see my face clearly. She just kept pleading, “Please let me go… I don’t want to be with you…”

I had taken away the scissors, but she was still terrified. With no other choice, I released one of her shoulders and gently patted her face, hoping to snap her out of it. Instead, she became even more hysterical. She couldn’t overpower me, so she bit me right on the already wounded shoulder.

The pain made me scream again.

If it weren’t for the rain and thunder outside, anyone hearing us would have assumed something terrible was happening in here.

Her sobs rang in my ears. Had something awful happened to her? Otherwise, why would she lash out with scissors? Why was she so unwilling to be touched? I couldn’t restrain her, so I just pulled her into my arms and shouted, “I won’t hurt you! What are you so afraid of? Don’t worry, it’s just the two of us here no one else is going to hurt you.”

She kept crying and trying to break free. Afraid she might grab the scissors again and hurt me, I held her tightly and refused to let go.

“Don’t be scared. I’ll protect you. Don’t be afraid,” I whispered softly into her ear. I kept my voice low, trying not to frighten her. Finally, after a long while, she stopped struggling. She looked up, tears still clouding her eyes, but she seemed more lucid now. She sobbed, “I’m sorry.”

I let go of her arms and stood up, but the moment I did, she clung to the hem of my pants. Another clap of thunder roared outside, and she screamed again, wrapping herself around my leg.

“You’re afraid of thunder, aren’t you?”

I knelt down and tried to gently pull her up. Her hand was frighteningly cold, and her face was pale. What on earth had she gone through to become so fearful?

I didn’t dare touch her too much, so I simply held her hand and continued softly, “Something must’ve happened to you. We live in the same courtyard, and when you act like this, it makes me feel really unsafe. If there’s something you can tell me, then please do. I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

I’d never spoken so gently not even to my own brother. I didn’t dare push her further. I’d have to wait for her to open up on her own. But in the meantime, who would answer all the questions swirling in my heart?

Her crying grew quieter, like she was still terrified of the thunder. Every time it struck, she would grip my clothes tighter, though she wouldn’t get too close. She didn’t say a word and wouldn’t stand up. She just curled up in the corner, holding on to me. Since she wouldn’t let go, I had no choice but to sit there with her.

The candle burned lower and lower, the light gradually dimming. I listened to the thunder outside. She seemed to have cried herself to sleep, leaning against my shoulder, her face still stained with tears.

Even asleep, her brow furrowed every time the thunder rolled. I stretched my stiff leg, then picked her up and placed her on the bed. She was so thin barely any weight to her at all. I laid her down gently and covered her with a thin blanket. Because of this person, I hadn’t had a good night’s sleep for two days straight.

Even in sleep, tears lingered on her face. Her lips moved slightly, and her brow remained tightly furrowed.