The Female Lead Keeps Forcing Me to Take My Meds [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Don’t Move 

“Don’t just stand there, come here and let me see.”

With a “clang,” the stick in Cheng Zhishu’s hand dropped and rolled away from her feet.

The few students’ backs stiffened. As Xi Congshuang passed them, they instinctively shrank their heads, afraid she would give them a backhand slap.

The roles had truly reversed. They were the ones who used to slap people, yet they hadn’t expected a transfer student who looked like a mere bookworm to have such strength. Several of them couldn’t restrain her.

Instead, she found an opportunity to run into the utility room and even grabbed a mop that had been abandoned for years.

The homeroom teacher arrived a moment later: “Which class are you in? Who is your homeroom teacher? Why are you here?”

The rapid-fire questions stunned the group.

Only a few students previously knew how to get here. The lock was rusted. How did this group of kids, who looked like they’d seen a ghost, get inside?

However, the question remained unanswered. The homeroom teacher stopped them all, identified their faces, and called their respective homeroom teachers.

All of them would have their parents called; this situation could not be tolerated.

Xi Congshuang’s eyes were only on Cheng Zhishu.

Her wet shoes left footprints on the ground. The slender figure slowly walked out of the shadow cast by the setting sun, which stretched her own shadow long.

Cheng Zhishu wasn’t sure what she was feeling as she walked up to Xi Congshuang. She was like a programmed robot. Seeing the other’s hand, she forgot what she was thinking, only knowing to walk forward and place her hand on it.

Then it was grasped and pulled forward.

Her calf touched the wheelchair’s footrest. The tip of the shoe beneath the soft skirt rested against Cheng Zhishu’s leg. The distance was truly close.

Xi Congshuang had left in a hurry today. She didn’t have her thin blanket covering her knees. The ankle visible beneath her skirt was as white as a handful of new snow.

But it was very slender, like a fresh sprout of bamboo.

Cheng Zhishu looked down and saw that calf. A thought suddenly occurred to her: Did she forget to take the blanket that covers her legs because of me?

She remembered when she first arrived at Wen Hai, Xiao Liu cautiously reminded her never to stare at or mention the Young Miss’s legs, as it was her sensitive spot.

Xi Congshuang rotated Cheng Zhishu’s hand, spreading her palm. Sure enough, it was red and abraded. The skin near her fingers was severely broken, and traces of green liquid remained.

This was a mark left from grabbing the ivy while hopping the wall. Perhaps her wall-climbing skills weren’t great, as she ended up scraping herself.

She turned her arm over to check. The other side was also scraped. Xi Congshuang asked: “Are you hurt?”

Cheng Zhishu: “No.”

Xi Congshuang raised her other hand and pressed it toward Cheng Zhishu’s abdomen.

Caught off guard by the pressure, Cheng Zhishu instinctively tensed her stomach, then hissed in pain, realizing something. Her back stiffened, and she looked down, silent.

Sure enough, a soft scoff came from above: “Not hurt.”

“You’re breathing so carefully. Do you think I can’t tell?”

Cheng Zhishu: “…” A bit terrifying.

To be honest, Xi Congshuang rarely showed emotion. Most of the time, she was calm and gentle. Even when inconvenienced by her disability, she never showed impatience. It seemed nothing could alter her mood.

She always heard people say the Young Miss had a bad temper and not to provoke her, but Cheng Zhishu had never seen Xi Congshuang angry.

But now, Cheng Zhishu had an intuition: Xi Congshuang was angry…

Because of her bad behavior?

Fighting during school hours is indeed bad behavior.

Xi Congshuang used a wet wipe to carefully clean the marks on Cheng Zhishu’s hands, the dust turning the wipe black before Xi Congshuang casually discarded it.

The floor of the derelict building was cemented, as it was once a classroom building, but cracks had formed from disuse, and many weeds grew from the gaps.

Xiao Li silently picked up the discarded wet wipe, not daring to breathe loudly.

Yes, she’s definitely angry.

Once she understood this, Cheng Zhishu also held her breath, her expression becoming increasingly guilty.

Xi Congshuang pulled out a clean handkerchief from somewhere and said softly: “Bend down. Your face is dirty, too.”

Cheng Zhishu crouched down. Her amber eyes briefly met Xi Congshuang’s. Something soft pressed against the side of her face.

Gentle pressure smoothed over her face. Xi Congshuang leaned over, wiping away the dirt Cheng Zhishu couldn’t see. The distance between them shrank. A faint scent of medicine seemed to embrace Cheng Zhishu, enveloping her in Xi Congshuang’s shadow.

Cheng Zhishu blinked uncomfortably. The area that had been touched grew warmer.

Xi Congshuang pinched her chin: “What did they take that made you so anxious?”

Cheng Zhishu waited a while, not for Xi Congshuang’s scolding, but for this question.

Cheng Zhishu was stunned. She just looked up blankly: “Ah?”

She’s not angry?

In public perception, good students and obedient kids shouldn’t hop walls, and certainly shouldn’t get into fights.

Xi Congshuang increased the pressure as she wiped her face, tucking the stray hairs at Cheng Zhishu’s cheek behind her ear. She sighed lightly: “Ah what? Tell me the answer.”

That tone doesn’t sound like she’s not angry.

Cheng Zhishu’s mind was still trying to catch up, but the answer had already slipped out: “They, they took my necklace.”

Being watched by Xi Congshuang’s eyes, Cheng Zhishu spoke more and more, her voice aggrieved: “They demanded I come here to get it back, so I came. My grandmother got it for me at a temple a long time ago.”

…

“It’s just a worthless necklace, we’ll give it back to you, but you can’t hit my child! Look, her arm is all bruised!”

Inside the brightly lit office, an elegantly dressed woman stood with her hands on her hips, her manicured finger pointing at an item on the desk.

“It’s just a piece of stone. We’ll pay whatever it costs. We’re not short on money, but hitting someone must be explained, right?”

A necklace lay on the glass-covered desk. It looked like white jade, carved in the shape of a safety clasp, strung on a silver chain.

It genuinely didn’t look very valuable, similar to the overpriced jade necklaces commonly found at tourist counters, differing only in the stringing—some used red cord, others gold or silver chains.

The homeroom teacher of Class 1 said: “But your child blackmailed her with the necklace, demanding she come after the exam or they would destroy it.”

The parent turned to her daughter and asked: “Did you say that?”

The girl, covering her arm, replied nonchalantly: “Of course not.”

She then asked the other three girls: “And you?”

Since it was only said verbally, there was no evidence. Furthermore, they weren’t captured by surveillance while making the threat.

They were already skilled at avoiding cameras when threatening people.

As for why they did it, why should there be a reason? Just because they didn’t like her, thought she was pretentious.

She kept that worthless stone in her pencil case like a treasure, not allowing anyone to touch it.

The answers were, naturally, unanimous: No.

The parent’s arrogance instantly flared up: “My child says no, but you say yes. Do you have proof?”

The Class 1 homeroom teacher: “But the fact is, the necklace was indeed taken from your child’s possession. Everyone saw that.”

“Without proof, who knows if she tricked my child here and then beat them up?”

The Class 1 homeroom teacher argued vehemently: “Zhishu has only been a transfer student for less than a month. How could she know about the derelict building here so clearly?”

Seeing the atmosphere growing more intense, the other teachers quickly intervened to mediate: “Teacher Yang, calm down. I understand your concern for your students…”

The parents of the other three immediately chimed in: “Exactly! Is this the quality of your Class 1 students? She herself is unhurt, yet she’s falsely accusing others of tricking her there.”

“I’m very busy, I have to report back to my boss soon. My boss said he’s not asking for much, just pay the medical fees and it’s over.”

“They just wanted to play with her, say a few words. Such an overreaction. How will she survive in society later?”

“I think this kind of rotten apple should be expelled.”

“It’s not just the medical fees. My child’s camera was also broken. I brought it back for her from abroad. That needs to be compensated too!”

These words were undoubtedly forceful and illogical. Xi Hanran, sitting in the corner with the driver, Xiao Li, filling the audience seats, poked her ear.

To be this aggressively unreasonable was a skill in itself.

Xi Hanran observed the group, which completely filled the office.

There were four students standing there, two from Cheng Zhishu’s neighboring class, and two from other classes. Their parents were also diverse.

Some parents didn’t come, sending assistants instead. Some were well-dressed full-time housewives who came personally. There was a corpulent businessman and a hurried corporate executive who rushed over from work.

There were also the respective homeroom teachers and the Dean of Students attempting to mediate a compromise.

Xi Hanran didn’t recognize any of them, nor were they likely people she would ever need to know.

However, she felt the situation was absurd. In her day, Xi Hanran was an excellent student praised by everyone. This was the first time she had been involved in such a scene.

She also owed it to Xi Congshuang. Speaking of which, Xi Congshuang was also the type of excellent student who deeply detested any rule-breaking.

“Then why was she carrying a camera, for no reason?” Xi Congshuang suddenly spoke.

Since their arrival, she hadn’t said a word, sitting silently with a paper cup, not participating in the teachers’ mediation.

If it weren’t for the fact that she was sitting in a wheelchair, one might think she was sitting in one of the office’s upholstered chairs, no different from anyone else.

Her sudden interjection overpowered the general clamor, her voice clearly reaching everyone’s ears.

“A derelict building, a locked washroom door, a uniform with a button torn off, and a camera. You tell me, what did she intend to do with that camera there?”

Xi Congshuang countered: “Don’t tell me your child is a member of the school’s photography club, taking the camera to the derelict building to take ‘post-apocalyptic-style’ portraits of my child?”

“…”

The most aggressive parent was speechless. Although she did want to retort that way, and it wasn’t the first time she had used such a counter-argument.

—”My child is a member of No. 1 High School’s photography club. She just loves taking pictures. Who knew this student would make a fuss and misinterpret her good intentions.”

But that was usually outside of school. When encountering difficult parents, a bit of money was enough. Why bother with this effort?

“I will not pay for the medical fees or the camera,” Xi Congshuang placed her paper cup down. “The perpetrators must apologize to Cheng Zhishu, and they must be severely penalized.”

The corpulent boss grew impatient: “Who are you? Do you know who I am? Do you even want to survive in Anshi?”

Xi Congshuang: “My surname is Xi. May I ask yours?”

“What’s so great about the name Xi!” The boss was about to continue his threat but was quickly pulled by the arm by the young man in a suit.

The boss flung his arm and turned to scold: “Why are you pulling me?”

The assistant, who was there to resolve his boss’s troubles but realized he had encountered a monumental one, was sweating profusely: “Her surname is Xi! She is a Xi!”

“Xi is Xi. The name Xi isn’t rare in Anshi…” The boss’s voice trailed off. He finally remembered something, and his face turned pale.

The surname Xi wasn’t rare in Anshi, but a Xi in a wheelchair was very rare.

The boss’s rapidly swelling arrogance was instantly doused with cold water. He was extremely nervous: “Miss, Miss Xi, did you… did you once work at the Xi Group?”

He subtly probed, hoping the answer wasn’t what he feared.

Xi Congshuang did not deny it. The boss’s heart sank instantly. He looked at his daughter, who still wore a nonchalant expression, and was furious, yet he held back his scolding.

Previously, playing with friends was fine. If trouble arose, a little money could solve it. Who knew they would run into such a tough opponent?

The assistant quietly explained to the other parents behind the boss. The parents who were initially defiant and wanted to have Cheng Zhishu expelled all changed their expressions, not even daring to look at Xi Congshuang.

Although she was now physically disabled and no longer working at the Xi Group, she was still a member of the Xi family, a top-tier wealthy and powerful clan in Anshi. They could be crushed with a single finger.

She was someone they couldn’t afford to provoke. Who knew the owner of the broken stone necklace was a member of the Xi family?

The teachers all wiped their sweat. The noise finally subsided. Their ears were ringing from the clamor.

In the midst of the eerie silence, Xi Congshuang asked: “Why is no one speaking? Where were we? Were we talking about expelling our Zhishu?”

The hand she had left dangling was taken by Xi Congshuang. Her body temperature was always low, like cold jade.

But Cheng Zhishu felt her heart warm up.

In the office, the tone of the conversation abruptly shifted.

“No, no, no, this is a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding.”

“Just a little squabble between classmates. It’s not grounds for expulsion.”

“Yes, yes. I will inform my boss when I return. I hope to have an opportunity to apologize to you.”

The full-time housewife intuitively knew her child had provoked someone she shouldn’t have, but she didn’t understand the details. The anger that flared up when she was called away from her Mahjong game had mostly subsided, leaving only confusion.

What was this about the surname Xi? What was so special about Xi? Her husband never mentioned it.

Since she didn’t know, much less her daughter, a student, she asked quietly: “Who was the person you wanted to take pictures of?”

The daughter remained dismissive: “Cheng Zhishu. The poor girl who acts all high and mighty. I offered her a hundred yuan to copy the answers, and she refused.”

Because of the exam that determined class placement, she was in Class 2. But she had been pushed in with ‘cash power’ since junior high, allowing her to be directly promoted to senior high. Her parents thought this wasn’t good enough and found a way to transfer her into Class 2.

She knew Cheng Zhishu and saw her constantly ordering the cheapest meal in the school cafeteria, concluding she must be a pauper.

So she offered 100 yuan to cheat. Who knew this pauper would be so self-righteous? It made her so angry that she decided to teach her a lesson.

The housewife usually didn’t pay much attention to her child’s education. She planned to send her abroad later. Putting her in Class 2 was only to encourage her to behave better in a good environment.

She asked again: “Why did you offer her a hundred yuan for no reason?”

Daughter: “I want to buy a new camera. You said I have to improve by at least thirty places before you’d buy it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have done this.”

The mother instantly felt dizzy.

The people on the other side were still talking about misunderstandings and apologizing to Miss Xi.

The teachers couldn’t interject, just watching from the side, exchanging glances with colleagues, all enjoying the drama.

Xi Congshuang did not accept, simply saying: “The person you need to apologize to is Cheng Zhishu, not me. Talking to me is useless.”

“Apologize to her. If she accepts, I will consider the matter further. Until then, I will not interfere with her choice.”

The words were spoken. Xi Congshuang waited leisurely for their response.

The pendant on the mahogany office desk was the first time Xi Congshuang had seen it, but she was not unfamiliar with its existence. It was one of the reasons the original owner was murdered by the heroine ten years later.

The difference was that no one stood up for Cheng Zhishu during the school fight. She couldn’t provide evidence that she was coerced and was given a demerit and suspension.

When the original owner found out about the demerit and suspension, she used harsh words to mock the heroine. Eventually, she snatched the necklace from the heroine’s hand and casually threw it out the window.

The heroine almost jumped out the third-floor window to look for it, searching the garden all night but failing to find the pendant. She returned to school with red eyes after the suspension.

But she didn’t know that the original owner hadn’t thrown it away at all. She kept it, used it to threaten the heroine several times, tormenting her relentlessly, and finally smashed it to pieces right in front of the heroine.

The item she had finally recovered was ultimately destroyed by the original owner. She had every reason to resent her.

That’s why ten years later, many people wondered why the heroine, even after achieving great success, always carried a seemingly worthless gold-inlaid jade necklace, and they didn’t understand how the hideous cracks on the white jade were formed.

Her gaze fell on the intact white jade. Xi Congshuang realized: It was the grandmother’s keepsake.

The grandmother was extremely important to Cheng Zhishu, and the items she left behind were profoundly significant.

Everyone fell silent, exchanging glances, unable to swallow their pride and apologize to a child, especially one the same age as their own.

If word got out, how could they live it down?

Xi Congshuang said: “If you don’t want to apologize, there are other solutions.”

As if grasping a spider’s silk thread, everyone desperately reached for it, wanting to climb up, speaking one after another.

“Tell us, tell us.”

“This matter is indeed our fault. How about this? We will all contribute to the student’s emotional distress and medical expenses.”

“Miss Xi, to show our sincerity, our boss is already on his way.”

The housewife was still out of the loop, but she wasn’t tactless. She quickly followed up: “The c-camera doesn’t need to be compensated. I will definitely educate her properly when I get back… Don’t pull on me! I’ll deal with you when we get home!”

They all thought simply: This child doesn’t have the surname Xi, so she’s probably not a highly valued junior. They were all willing to pay money.

Xi Congshuang asked Cheng Zhishu: “What do you think?”

Cheng Zhishu: “I, I just want my things back.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at this answer. Children are so easy to fool.

“Fine. Then we’ll proceed according to my plan,” Xi Congshuang suddenly turned and asked: “Xi Hanran, how did we handle campus bullying when we were in school?”

Xi Hanran, who was bored picking at her nails, was suddenly called out. The words “Call me Auntie” almost slipped out. She said: “Campus bullying is always handled the same way. Expel the troublemaker.”

She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair: “Otherwise, call the police and don’t settle privately.”

Don’t let her current haughty, equal-opportunity aggression fool you. Back in the day, she was also an excellent student whose name was on the honor roll every year.

“…”

The teachers, who thought expulsion was a bit much, immediately stood up straight upon hearing ‘call the police.’ They said one after another: “It’s not that serious, not that serious. We can’t call the police.”

If they call the police, what about the school’s reputation?

Furthermore, the principal and several decision-making school leaders were at a conference in another province. They didn’t want trouble.

However, the school did have a precedent for expelling students involved in campus bullying. These few had all been disciplined more or less before. They wouldn’t be unjustly expelled.

In the collective silence, the housewife suddenly yelled: “It’s just a small matter! My child was beaten, and you want to expel her! You are clearly abusing your power!”

Xi Congshuang showed a genuine smile, scoffing: “Yes, I am abusing my power. What are you going to do about it?”

She placed her hand on the armrest and patted it: “Weren’t you all collectively ganging up and bullying me, a disabled, disadvantaged individual raising a child alone?”

Cheng Zhishu: “…” A child?

The parents: “…”

The teachers: “…”

…Disabled individual.

This was a magical counterattack.

Intimidated by her presence, they actually forgot for a moment that she was a patient in a wheelchair.

Xi Hanran couldn’t bear to listen anymore. She was increasingly convinced that Xi Congshuang had truly lost her mind.

Suddenly, Xi Hanran heard the tap-tap-tap of a phone keyboard next to her. She quickly glanced over.

She saw Xiao Li searching a Q&A forum for the question: “Will my boss suddenly getting possessed affect my raise?”

Xi Hanran: “…”

Crazy! Xi Congshuang, look at the subordinate you hired! They’re all crazy!

…

By the time the matter was resolved, it was already late, well past dinner time.

Tomorrow, when Cheng Zhishu went to school, there would be an announcement about the result on the broadcast.

Of course, the matter was also communicated to the Principal and the Dean of Students’ office. They all unanimously agreed to expel these few students who disrupted campus discipline and were repeatedly unrepentant.

The night breeze blew over them again. Cheng Zhishu followed behind Xi Congshuang, finding it hard to believe the matter was resolved so smoothly, and that she wasn’t even scolded for causing trouble and burdening the family.

At her previous school, Cheng Zhishu’s excellent grades and full scholarship led to rumors: rumors that she earned the scholarship by currying favor with teachers were rampant.

Her homeroom teacher at the time was young and passionate, having just graduated. She comforted Cheng Zhishu not to worry about the rumors, as the school had its own evaluation standards.

But because of her notoriety, students from a neighboring school also learned about Cheng Zhishu. They started blocking her at the school’s back gate to extort money, demanding a hundred yuan each time.

This group, relying on their numbers, thought they would have a complete victory and could afford to spend the night at the internet cafe, but they had a rough start.

Cheng Zhishu, who had ample experience in group fights, bent down, picked up stones from the ground, and tucked them into her school bag. A swing of her bag was a critical hit.

When the matter escalated, her adoptive parents used the excuse of being busy with work to leave Cheng Zhishu alone at the school. She was scolded directly by the opposing parents, but she didn’t have to pay compensation, as the fault clearly lay with the other party.

The young homeroom teacher was also criticized by the leadership and soon resigned due to health reasons.

At that time, she wondered if she had done something wrong and implicated her teacher.

But this time, what would Xi Congshuang think of her?

“Why are you standing there spacing out?”

Her lowered hand was touched. The slight coolness made Cheng Zhishu jump, and then that hand grasped her wrist. Their eyes met.

The summer night sky was clear and cloudless. Stars dotted the firmament above the quiet campus.

The girl wore her school bag. Her eyes, when she looked over, were evasive, as if something was troubling her deep down.

Xi Congshuang had always been curious about Cheng Zhishu, constantly observing her.

Initially, Cheng Zhishu was the heroine in her eyes, then the little crybaby disliked by her adoptive parents. Now… she should be an orange with thorns.

If you dared to take a bite, the thorns would pierce your mouth, and it would be sour to the extreme.

She preferred this Cheng Zhishu over the timid and shrinking one. Every time she saw a new side, she found it extremely novel.

So she said to Cheng Zhishu: “It’s great that you’re okay. Don’t be afraid if you encounter this situation again. If you can’t handle it, do the same as this time: call me.”

Xiao Li, at the very back: “…………..” So many things to complain about!

He really wanted to commit the ultimate disrespect and question his boss: Shouldn’t you be teaching the child not to be impulsive and not to fight next time?!

What kind of anti-villain logic is “call me if you can’t handle it”? In a novel, this is the classic example of ‘the adults get involved when the kids fight,’ which leads to the protagonist’s downfall and a miserable ending!

Although the boss isn’t old, she’s young and beautiful… Fine, the Young Miss is just this kind of person, only it’s gotten worse recently because of Cheng Zhishu.

Xiao Li looked at the scene before him, clutching his chest, silently suffering internal injuries.

Xi Hanran, walking ahead, was oblivious to the happenings behind her. She loudly complained she was hungry and asked Xi Congshuang if she wanted to eat, taking her silence as consent.

Seeing Cheng Zhishu next to her, Xi Hanran included her in the question: “What about you? Any dietary restrictions?”

Xi Congshuang: “…” She hadn’t even agreed to go eat yet.

Cheng Zhishu felt a little flattered, surprised to hear Xi Hanran speaking civilly. She looked at Xi Congshuang, unsure how to answer, and then said: “I don’t have any restrictions.”

Xi Hanran clicked her tongue as if she had a toothache: “I can’t stand you two. You’re holding hands even at this distance.”

They’re grown up. They’re not babies. Is it that hard to walk independently?

Thinking that Cheng Zhishu had just come out of the derelict building and was probably still shaken, Xi Hanran finally said nothing, having the rare sense to shut up.

Xi Congshuang glanced at her. Xi Hanran instantly flared up: “What’s with that look?”

Xi Congshuang: “A look of relief that you’ve grown up.”

Xi Hanran: “…Stop reversing the natural order for me. Call me Auntie.”

After deciding on a nearby Cantonese restaurant—light and suitable for Xi Congshuang’s condition—Xiao Li got the chance to leave early.

Xiao Li preferred to go home and be by himself rather than eat with them. His departing back radiated uncontainable joy.

After dinner, Xi Hanran drove the two back. She grumbled about being a nanny the whole time, yet she obediently pushed the wheelchair, waiting for Xi Congshuang to get out of the car and sit securely in the wheelchair.

Her mouth didn’t stop the entire time, demanding Xi Congshuang call her Auntie, a request Xi Congshuang, of course, ignored, leaving her without the word she longed to hear.

She admitted she might not feel much familial love for Xi Congshuang; she simply had a strong desire to dominate her, and there was no more direct way to crush her than by demanding respect for her seniority.

“Sister, your skirt is wrinkled. Let me fix it for you,” Cheng Zhishu said, bending her back first.

Watching Cheng Zhishu instinctively reach out to smooth the wrinkles in Xi Congshuang’s skirt, Xi Hanran couldn’t help but frown, thinking: They’re at the doorstep. Why bother with such trivial things?

So much effort.

The wheelchair was out of battery and had to be pushed. Cheng Zhishu took the handles and pushed her back inside.

In just a few seconds, Xi Hanran’s hands were empty. She stood in the night breeze for a moment, suddenly forgetting what she was supposed to be doing.

Only when the two figures disappeared did she recover her thoughts, internally cursing herself for standing there like an idiot.

Xi Hanran stretched her limbs and walked toward Wencan: “I haven’t been back in a long time. I’ll go back and see what kind of spectacle my father is making now.”

…

Seeing Xi Congshuang arrive home safely, Xiao Liu was undoubtedly the most relieved.

She had been pacing back and forth by the door since receiving the news, anxiously waiting and hoping.

To be honest, external facilities weren’t particularly friendly to someone like Xi Congshuang. She was constantly worried that the Young Miss would have difficulty moving outside or encounter some unexpected event.

Finally seeing her return, she was greatly relieved.

Xiao Liu: “Xiaoshu is back too. Is the wheelchair out of battery? Let me push it.”

Cheng Zhishu hesitated for a moment, but the efficient Xiao Liu quickly took over, pushing the wheelchair away. Cheng Zhishu stood there, looking down at her hands.

The warmth from gripping the wheelchair handles still lingered. Standing in the brightly lit hall, she felt she could still smell the faint citrus scent on Xi Congshuang from sitting in the back seat, and her almost imperceptible body temperature.

It wasn’t cold; it was subtle, the base note lingering.

Xi Congshuang, seated in the wheelchair, being pushed by her, felt like a delicate porcelain doll, a princess emerging from a high tower who could only depend on her, completely within her control.

And she found that she was slightly addicted to this feeling.

Am I sick? Cheng Zhishu couldn’t help but ask herself.

Xi Congshuang felt the space beside her empty. She looked back at the doorway. Cheng Zhishu was still standing there, looking down at her hands, lost in thought.

She remembered the scrapes on Cheng Zhishu’s hands and, thinking she was still in pain, called out: “Zhishu?”

Cheng Zhishu snapped back to reality. Seeing the overhead light, she finally remembered where she was and walked toward her: “Did Sister call me?”

Xi Congshuang looked up at her. The other person didn’t seem to realize her expression looked stiff, a forced smile.

Catching her hanging wrist, Xi Congshuang turned her hand over to inspect her palm and said: “I noticed your posture was a little stiff while eating. Does your hand still hurt? Should I have Dr. Qi come over to take a look?”

“No, I’m fine.” Cheng Zhishu tried to pull her hand back. She tried hard but realized she couldn’t.

She looked at Xi Congshuang’s jade-like wrist in shock. How did she have so much strength?

Isn’t she a bedridden patient?

How did that strength resemble a physically frail patient?

Xiao Liu also noticed the scraped, reddened palm and exclaimed: “Oh dear, what happened to your hand? The skin’s broken.”

If this continued, Cheng Zhishu would start steaming. She was mortified.

Xi Congshuang released her hand: “Let’s go upstairs. It’s getting late. Go back and wash up and rest early.”

Cheng Zhishu felt like she had been pardoned. She quickly retracted her hand and hurried up the stairs.

“Xiaoshu, Xiaoshu, it’s this way…”

Xiao Liu called out several times but couldn’t stop her. The tall figure quickly vanished around the staircase corner.

While pushing Xi Congshuang into the elevator, she muttered about why Cheng Zhishu was running so fast when there was an elevator that could take her up as well.

Xiao Liu sighed: “Young people have so much energy. If I went up the stairs that fast, I’d definitely twist my back.”

Xi Congshuang: “Indeed.”

Xiao Liu then happily talked about other things, asking Xi Congshuang what she wanted for breakfast tomorrow. In the past, she wouldn’t have dared to joke with Xi Congshuang like this.

But the Young Miss was approachable now. She also felt much more relaxed and had completely abandoned the idea of resigning.

When Xi Congshuang arrived on the third floor, she could only see the closed door next door. The hallway light was still on, left by Cheng Zhishu passing by.

Remembering her hurried exit, Xi Congshuang chuckled softly.

…

The numbers on the room clock flipped from 21 to 22. The bathroom door clicked open, and someone emerged.

The person who had just showered changed into pajamas. The ends of her hair, scattered over her shoulders, were slightly damp. Passing the cabinet, Xi Congshuang remembered something. She stopped, turned her chair, and opened the door of the low cabinet.

For someone with her mobility issues, it was difficult to control her body well in sudden situations, making her prone to injury. Therefore, Dr. Qi kept some medicine in this cabinet.

Xiao Liu, who was responsible for the room’s hygiene, would replace the medication promptly based on the expiration date… Xi Congshuang’s hand paused. She pulled out a small white box.

Sure enough, she found it. Inside the small box was an unopened spray for external pain relief.

Taking the item, Xi Congshuang turned her chair and left the room. She knocked on the door of the room next door. After a moment of silence, a sound of hurried footsteps came, and the door opened.

The moment she saw the person, the scent of citrus, mixed with warm steam, wafted out.

Cheng Zhishu’s hair was also wet. A button on her pajamas was crooked. In a blink, a bead of water on her eyelash fell, sliding down her face to her chin and dripping onto her collar.

She had rushed out of the bathroom, slightly out of breath: “Sister, why are you looking for me so late… Is something wrong?”

Xi Congshuang belatedly remembered something: The toiletries she had arranged for Cheng Zhishu were from the same series as her own, only she used the white camellia scent.

She had also told Cheng Zhishu that if she didn’t like it, she could have Xiao Liu change it for something else. She was willing to satisfy any of her requests.

She had forgotten Cheng Zhishu’s answer at the time, but every time she saw Cheng Zhishu afterward, she smelled the fresh citrus scent—youthful and sweet.

Xi Congshuang raised her hand: “I brought you some medicine. Treat your injuries. If it still hurts, I’ll have Dr. Qi come over tomorrow.”

Cheng Zhishu’s gaze fell on her hand: “Medicine?”

Xi Congshuang: “It’s an external pain-relief spray. It reduces inflammation and pain. It’s very effective.”

Cheng Zhishu didn’t move for a moment, staring at Xi Congshuang’s hand in silence.

Xi Congshuang was confused. A few seconds later, she finally realized: This must be… sulking?

Xi Congshuang couldn’t figure out why the good girl who had just returned from a fight would sulk. She was an only child, both in this world and her original one. She had no siblings.

Her teenage years were vastly different from those of an ordinary adolescent. This clearly fell into her knowledge blind spot.

Seeing her lack of movement, Xi Congshuang concluded she didn’t want to apply the medicine herself: “You don’t want to do it yourself? Then I’ll help you.”

Cheng Zhishu: “!”

After a long while, Cheng Zhishu slowly turned her head to look at Xi Congshuang, who was now in her room.

She felt she must have lost her mind. She didn’t refuse immediately. Instead, she backed away, letting the person enter.

Xi Congshuang stopped by the bed, looked down, and tore off the plastic wrap, peeled back the seal, and poured a white medicine bottle from inside. She unfolded the instructions under the light and examined them carefully.

The light from the desk lamp was soft, casting a gentle glow on Xi Congshuang, as if coating her in a layer of tenderness.

It was then that Cheng Zhishu slowly walked up to her, looking down at Xi Congshuang.

The Xi Congshuang of today was a Xi Congshuang she had never seen before.

She had just showered, was wearing pajamas, and even the ends of her hair hadn’t been dried yet. Her habitually calm and aloof smoke-gray eyes were misty with moisture.

More captivating than the first time she saw her.

“It might be a little cold. It’ll dry quickly. Be careful not to get it wet tonight,” Xi Congshuang pulled off the cap. “Hold out your hands.”

“…”

Cheng Zhishu’s mind went instantly blank. She held out both hands. Her palms chilled as the medicine hissed onto them.

A faint medicinal scent filled the air. Cheng Zhishu instinctively pulled her hand back, wanting to touch the scraped area, but Xi Congshuang caught her hand.

“It’s not dry yet. Don’t touch the wound.”

Cheng Zhishu said blankly: “Oh.”

The next sentence almost made Cheng Zhishu want to jump out the window and run away.

Xi Congshuang: “What about your stomach? Aren’t you going to put medicine on that too?”

Cheng Zhishu: “…………”

What is regret? This is regret.

But if time were reversed, she would still, damn it, let her in.

Because she couldn’t refuse Xi Congshuang, especially a Xi Congshuang who was just showered and looked weary.

In fact, Xi Congshuang regretted saying it right after. If Cheng Zhishu said no, she would immediately put the medicine down and leave.

A few seconds later, just as she was about to politely decline, the person in front of her moved.

Cheng Zhishu grabbed the hem of her shirt and slowly lifted it, revealing a slender waist.

She was very thin. Perhaps due to nervousness, the lower abdomen beneath the oversized pajamas was tense. A streak of red stood out sharply on her snow-white skin, looking like it had been violently struck.

All the levity left Xi Congshuang. All that remained in her vision was that bruise.

She suddenly felt that the way the matter was handled today was too lenient on those girls. Given their family background, they would lead good lives even if expelled. It wouldn’t hurt them fundamentally.

They wouldn’t even regret today’s actions, only regretting that they didn’t choose a safer location and bring more effective tools.

Xi Congshuang raised her hand, leaned in, and firmly pressed the spray nozzle.

The icy cold medicine touched her skin. The already tense lower abdomen instinctively recoiled under Xi Congshuang’s gaze, trying to retreat.

Xi Congshuang reached out and pressed the small of Cheng Zhishu’s back, firmly holding her, preventing her from moving backward.

“Don’t move. I haven’t finished applying the medicine.”

Her tone was unequivocal. Cheng Zhishu froze and truly did not move.