Closing the door again, Song Feng looked at the wound on his head in the mirror. Though he had barely moved, blood had already seeped through the gauze. He cautiously tried to touch it, but the pain made him instantly pull his hand back.
Song Feng sighed. He had never suffered such a humiliating defeat in a fight, and worse yet, it was against that spineless idiot Yu Zhiyi.
Just a moment ago, after teasing Shu Dong that she couldn't wash him by herself, Song Feng had taken off his shirt and pants, only to realize that he genuinely couldn't wash himself alone...
Before he could even do anything, his head had begun to spin. The shower was running, constantly spewing hot steam that instantly filled the entire bathroom. Leaning against the wall, Song Feng used the coolness of the tiles to keep his wits about him. He reached out and switched the shower to cold water.
A wave of dizzy nausea washed over him; with his head injured, it felt as though his entire body refused to listen to him. Not daring to actually bathe, Song Feng merely wiped himself down with a towel. If he really collapsed in here, Little Wood would not only have to worry about his head, but also panic over his naked body. Miss the optimal rescue window, and he might genuinely kick the bucket right here in the bathroom.
Listening to the sound of rushing water from the bathroom, Shu Dong turned on the television. Normally, she was always by herself, but recently Song Feng had broken in like a bandit.
The autumn air was gradually growing cooler, and the wind drifting in through the window carried a hint of chill. Shu Dong reached over and pulled a blanket over her legs, but when it brushed against her waist, she suddenly froze...
Shu Dong slowly lifted the hem of her T-shirt, revealing a vivid pattern that seemed ready to leap right off her skin.
Every tattoo carries meaning; people want to record a period of pain or happiness, but Shu Dong had only this single tattoo.
Earlier, when Song Feng had asked her about the little train, Shu Dong felt they hadn't grown close enough to discuss such things.
Aside from Uncle Jianzhou's family and Brother Lin, no one else knew. She had only told Yu Zhiyi back then when she was in a dark and painful place. At that time, Shu Dong had believed he was someone she could lean on, never imagining that he would ultimately turn into a knife that stabbed her in the back.
Therefore, she would never tell anyone else again. As long as she kept it firmly locked away in her own heart...
When she was four years old, she had lost her parents. Shu Dong had no recollection at all of whether it happened in a shopping mall or at Cituolanya Restaurant. Later, a stranger said he would take her to find her mom and dad, and Shu Dong simply went with him.
That man took her to the railway station.
Although she was young, her mind had already developed a budding, premature maturity. Looking out the window at the pitch-black night and the relentlessly moving train, Shu Dong grew more and more terrified.
In the dead of night, seeing that the human trafficker had fallen asleep, Shu Dong wanted to ask the uncles and aunts around her for help, but she didn't dare speak up. She could only gaze anxiously at the uncle sitting opposite her.
And the person sitting opposite her was none other than Shu Jianzhou.
Sensing something was amiss on the train, Shu Jianzhou had wanted to help, but fearing trouble, he simply closed his eyes.
Seeing him close his eyes, four-year-old Shu Dong naturally didn't understand that he was refusing to lend a hand in a crisis; she simply thought he had fallen asleep.
Terrified, as the train pulled into another stop and she saw that the trafficker was fast asleep, Shu Dong finally mustered the courage at the next station to quietly slip down from his body...
Just as she was getting off, Shu Jianzhou saw Shu Dong jump down from the man and hurriedly scooped her up, carrying her off the train and blending into the crowd.
Mr. and Mrs. Shu Jianzhou were neither particularly good nor particularly bad to Shu Dong. Initially, they had intended to help her find her parents upon returning home, but the available information was far too scarce, and more importantly, it was a waste of money.
As luck would have it, Zhang Yueling had been unable to conceive for a long time, so they simply kept Shu Dong. At first, they genuinely treated her well, just like their own biological daughter. But two years later, when their own child was born, everything changed.
A person's character isn't formed in a single day. Over all these years, Shu Dong had forced herself to be very sensible, never arguing over anything and obeying her uncle and aunt. Yet, the distance between them seemed to grow wider and wider.
Gradually, Shu Dong grew quiet and taciturn, slowly stopping herself from expressing her feelings.
Her emotional capacity was impaired and hindered; she was deeply sluggish regarding the normal joys and sorrows of ordinary people because she never had anyone who truly loved her, cherished her, or listened to what was in her heart...
Everyone is selfish, so Shu Dong didn't blame them.
If Shu Jianzhou hadn't pulled her down from that train back then, she wouldn't dare imagine where she would be now—whether she was dead or alive was entirely uncertain. Therefore, no matter how excessive their actions might be, Shu Dong would never bicker with them over it.
Shu. The surname Shu wasn't hers. Dong. The name Dong was only because she got lost in the winter, and that wasn't hers either. She didn't even know who she really was.
Yet Shu Dong refused to live in utter ignorance; she wanted to know where that train had come from...
For all these years, however, Uncle Jianzhou and Aunt Zhang had long since given up helping her look for her family—after all, it really drained money. But Shu Dong refused to give up. If she abandoned even this, she had no idea what she was living for.
From childhood to adulthood, Shu Dong pinched pennies on her allowance and salary, secretly stashing away less than twenty thousand yuan behind Aunt Zhang's back. She knew it wasn't much, but she refused to give up. What if her mom and dad were out there, searching for her just as hard?
Life was bitter, but Shu Dong kept struggling onward, because this was her sole motivation for fighting to live.
When Yu Zhiyi had borrowed money from her in the past, Shu Dong had entertained the thought of using these funds for a fleeting moment, but she quickly suppressed it...
Facts proved that she had been right. From now on, she had to guard this money even more fiercely, because it wasn't merely a sum of cash—to Shu Dong, it was her hope.
No one was worth sacrificing the sole hope she had left in life.
.
Perhaps she had been too lost in her thoughts, because Shu Dong's eyes unconsciously turned red. She raised her head, took a deep breath, and rubbed her eyes...
Suddenly, her phone rang.
Wiping her eyes with a tissue, Shu Dong picked up her phone from the coffee table. It was Chen Hui.
"Hello." Shu Dong rubbed the bridge of her nose, her voice slightly hoarse.
"Did you two elope or something?" Chen Hui stood by the hospital bed, staring at the neatly folded quilt and the empty room. "Where is Brother Feng?"
"My place." Shu Dong held the remote control, aimlessly switching channels.
"Put him on the phone."
"He's taking a shower."
"Wh—what?" Walking down the hospital corridor, Chen Hui felt his legs go a bit weak. Was it the meaning he thought it was?
Realizing her words sounded ambiguous, Shu Dong was just about to explain when the bathroom door opened. Seeing Song Feng slowly emerge from the bathroom, Shu Dong instantly averted her gaze...
"Didn't I give you pajamas?" Shu Dong noticed he was shirtless again.
"Too small." Song Feng's voice lacked vigor as he reached the sofa and collapsed into it.
The pajamas Shu Dong had originally bought for Shu Zhengyu were oversized; while the top was a bit tight on Song Feng, the pajama pants were quite loose, and since Boss Song happened to be slender, wearing them made them look like mid-length shorts.
Refusing to look at him, Shu Dong thrust her phone directly in front of him.
Song Feng looked puzzled. "Who is it?"
"Chen Hui," Shu Dong said.
Song Feng took the phone, his breathing still slightly breathless and strained. "What is it?"
"Did you two... just finish doing it?" Chen Hui found Boss Song's voice somewhat lewd, and combining it with their earlier exchange, he already had a mental picture. "Brother Feng, you're quite the beast. Even with a concussion from hitting your head, you're still playing like this? Still, you should take it easy, old man—you're not as young as you used to be!"
His head was indeed heavy, but hearing Chen Hui's rambling nonsense, Song Feng couldn't help laughing, though he didn't have time to mess around right now. "Get to the point."
"The point is that your junior has already cleaned up the mess for you. Grandpa and Grandma called to say you're at my place, and they hope Boss Song has a pleasant and fun time tonight! Though in your spare time, you'd better give the old folks a call." Sarcasm dripping from his voice, Chen Hui walked into the elevator, drawing strange looks from everyone inside as if he were a mental patient.
"Alright, hanging up."
Between the splitting headache and Chen Hui's endless nagging, Song Feng's head throbbed even worse until he finally couldn't help hanging up. Anyway, his "son" wouldn't hold it against him.
"What the hell! So cold and ruthless!" Chen Hui suffered a critical hit.
He had intended to follow Chen Hui's advice and call his grandparents, but as Song Feng patted his pockets, he suddenly remembered he had left in such a rush from the shop that he hadn't brought it.
Forget it.
Song Feng leaned back weakly against the sofa, gently massaging his temples.
"What's wrong?" Shu Dong noticed his complexion looked quite poor the moment he stepped out of the bathroom.
"Head hurts a bit." Song Feng kept his eyes closed.
Shu Dong observed him for two seconds. "Stop pretending."
Song Feng couldn't help laughing. "I'm serious."
Blood had indeed seeped through the gauze. Shu Dong wanted to step closer to take a look, but seeing his bare upper body... she decided she didn't want to look.
Pouring a cup of warm water, Shu Dong placed it in front of Song Feng. "Here... drink some warm water."
Normally, he would have felt miserable and dizzy, but Little Wood was always blankly adorable in such a cute way tonight. When Song Feng smiled, his wound hurt even worse, yet he couldn't help himself.
Opening his drowsy eyes, Song Feng reached out, trying to pull Shu Dong toward him, his voice somehow carrying a hint of spoiled coquetry. "Warm water doesn't help."
Shu Dong took a step back. "Go to sleep."
She hadn't originally wanted to let him stay, but seeing him in such discomfort, her heart softened.
"Where am I sleeping?" Song Feng asked.
Shu Dong glanced at the sofa, then swept her gaze over Song Feng's slender frame and injured head. "You take the bed; I'll sleep on the sofa."
"No good." Boss Song actually pouted slightly.
"Then you sleep on the sofa." Shu Dong had a lot of patience tonight; she had originally worried he wouldn't be able to stretch out on the sofa.
"No good." Boss Song was getting better and better at acting spoiled.
Remaining silent, Shu Dong stared expressionlessly at Song Feng, radiating the distinct impression that if he uttered another word, she would throw him out.
Having played enough, Boss Song smiled, raised his head, and taking advantage of her inattention, reached out to pull her to his side. "Let's sleep in the bed together."
Chapter 23
In the end, Shu Dong slept in the bed, and Song Feng took the sofa.
This was because Song Feng realized that if he didn't quiet down, Shu Dong might actually kick him out, and he certainly wouldn't let Little Wood sleep on the sofa.
The two of them didn't give in to idle thoughts of carnal desires despite being separated by a wall. It had taken an immense amount of effort for Song Feng to hold on this long; even thinking was difficult, and he fell asleep almost the moment his head touched the pillow.
Shu Dong's bed was a two-meter-wide double bed. Spacious as it was, she always preferred sleeping pressed against the side near the wall, leaving nearly half the space empty on the other side—people said that those who slept like this lacked a sense of security.
At this very moment, Shu Dong lay flat on her back with rigid propriety, just like usual, staring silently at the opposite window. Even though the curtains were drawn, a faint sliver of light still managed to seep through the gap.
Too many things had happened over the past few days, feeling as long and drawn-out as a century... She was exhausted, not just physically, but with a bone-deep weariness and helplessness originating from the depths of her soul.
In the dead of night, this exhaustion slowly washed over her and drowned her.
.
Yet the next morning, the moment Shu Dong opened her eyes, she was greeted by an enlarged face... Was she dreaming? But why would she dream of Song Feng?
Shu Dong instantly snapped awake, bolted upright into the corner, and sub-consciously clutched the quilt to her chest... Lowering her gaze to check, she let out a sigh of relief—thankfully, her pajamas were still properly in place.
Relaxing slightly, she glared at the still-slumbering man. Her breathing grew heavier and heavier as she lost control of it, and she grabbed the pillow beside her, hurling it right at Song Feng!
Who knew what Boss Song was thinking, but even in his sleep, the corners of his mouth were curled upward. Although his head injury made him sleep like the dead, his body still registered the impact of the pillow.
Opening his drowsy eyes just a tiny slit, Song Feng looked at the blurry silhouette before him, and the arc of his smile widened further. "Making a fuss right after waking up."
His voice carried the thick, husky slur of someone just roused from sleep, coupled with the roguish smirk on his face, giving it an oddly doting undertone. With that, Song Feng closed his eyes again, hugged the pillow that had just been thrown at him, and went right back to sleep.
"Who let you in?" Shu Dong asked with an icy expression, though Song Feng's eyes were closed and he couldn't see it.
Last night when closing the door, Shu Dong had actually thought about how he was on the sofa; if she locked the door from the inside, he would definitely hear the noise, and doing that might seem a bit impolite...
So why on earth was she trying to be polite to him?
"I saw the bed was half empty... I thought you left it for me." With his eyes still shut, Song Feng spoke at a snail's pace, relying entirely on his subconscious to answer questions since he hadn't fully woken up yet.
Left it for him?
Staring at his bare shoulders, Shu Dong took a deep breath with her eyes closed, decided against speaking to him any further, and climbed out of bed along the wall, terrified that accidentally touching him would contaminate her.
The moment Shu Dong stepped out, however, Song Feng opened his eyes, his expression brimming with a sense of complete satisfaction. He then greedily scooped both thin quilts into his arms and went back to sleep.
Having that face be the first thing she saw upon waking ruined the entire morning. Brushing her teeth in front of the mirror, the more Shu Dong thought about it, the angrier she grew. She had a strong urge to kick him off the bed and throw away all the sheets and quilt covers.
Looking at herself in the mirror, Shu Dong's breathing turned uncontrollably ragged. Suddenly, some toothpaste foam choked her throat, and she hurriedly lowered her head, shoving Song Feng to the back of her mind...
She didn't have the habit of eating breakfast. Often being by herself, she felt cooking wasn't really necessary, and she would just get by on some random biscuits or bread.
Unwilling to lay eyes on Song Feng for even a second longer, Shu Dong packed up at top speed and headed out.
The moment he heard the door close, Song Feng's brain cleared up instantly. She didn't wait for him and left first?
Acting on pure reflex, Song Feng sat up from the bed, gave himself two seconds to steady his head, and then swiftly pulled on a T-shirt, grabbed his cap, put on his shoes, and headed out the door as well.
Taking the elevator down, Song Feng stepped out just in time to see Shu Dong walking away from the apartment building.
"Wait for me." Song Feng jogged a couple of steps, but the moment he moved, his head started throbbing.
Hearing the voice behind her, Shu Dong not only refused to stop and wait, but actually quickened her pace.
"Don't bully me, my head hurts." Slowing his pace, Song Feng pulled out the pitiful card.
Sure enough, Shu Dong slowly came to a halt. Turning back to look at him, her expression remained blank and her gaze freezing cold. Ignoring his cries of pain, she didn't take a single step back toward him, simply standing her ground and waiting for Song Feng to drag himself over.
Stopping at all was the absolute limit of Shu Dong's forbearance; she really should have just shoved him off the bed when she woke up.
Seeing that Shu Dong was waiting, Song Feng walked slower and slower, dragging his feet more and more.
Shu Dong's patience was completely exhausted. There were only five meters between them, yet he insisted on walking as if the distance were infinite. Giving up on him, she turned around and sped up.
"Hey, wait for me, it really hurts." Dropping the act, Boss Song gritted his teeth against the pain, jogged a couple of steps forward, and grabbed her shoulder the moment he reached her side.
Suddenly feeling as though a mountain had been pressed down onto her shoulder, Shu Dong felt her legs go soft and she lost her balance, tumbling toward the ground.
Realizing something was wrong, Song Feng quickly reached out to catch her. "Sorry, sorry, I forgot you had such a frail little frame."
In the past, the person standing beside him was always Chen Hui, who was thick-skinned and could take any roughhousing he dished out. But he had momentarily forgotten that Little Wood was still so small.
"Don't lean so close." Once she steadied herself, Shu Dong took a step back, carved out a safe distance between them, and continued walking.
"Can't you show a little patience toward a patient?" Song Feng naturally closed the gap again.
"I'm going to be late for work." Her bicycle was at the shop, so Shu Dong planned to take the bus.
Song Feng didn't make a fuss anymore. While waiting for the bus, he bought two cups of soy milk at the adjacent breakfast shop. From getting on to getting off, it was only four or five stops, taking just over ten minutes.
After stepping off the bus, the two of them walked along Liu Alley. No matter what Song Feng said, Shu Dong completely ignored him, right up until she turned and stepped into the tattoo shop, leaving Boss Song to trudge upstairs in defeat.
Knowing that Boss Song had exhausted himself the night before, President Hui had been very sensible and opened up the shop early this morning. Sitting in a chair, he flipped through things back and forth with nothing to do. Bored out of his mind, he desperately wanted to know how Boss Song cultivated his skills, being able to lie in a chair for an entire day straight.
Flipping to the calligraphy practice book, Chen Hui leafed through it from the first page onward, acting just like a teacher inspecting an elementary school student's homework. Suddenly, a shadow was cast across the page, and looking up, Chen Hui saw Boss Song standing right in front of him...
"Why are you here?" Acting as though he had committed some guilty deed, Chen Hui hastily slammed the book shut and shoved it far away.
Leisurely straightening the calligraphy book that his mischievous "son" had almost tossed away, Song Feng raised his eyes. "What did you see?"
"Didn't see Shu Dong," Chen Hui shook his head.
"..." Song Feng froze for a moment, picked up the freshly straightened book, and smashed it right onto Chen Hui. "How the hell is Shu Dong in three hundred Tang poems?!"
Chen Hui seemed to have trained for this, nimbly leaping up from his chair. "I give you an out and you don't take it—did playing around last night fry your brain?! Who knows why you were practicing and uncontrollably wrote her name down!"
The little punks at the internet café watched Chen Hui bounding around and tried their best to hold back their laughter.
Knowing he wasn't in shape for strenuous activity, Song Feng didn't bother chasing Chen Hui, but seeing how dead certain the guy looked, he didn't seem to be lying... A strange feeling stirred in Song Feng's heart, and the playful teasing vanished completely from his face.
Could it be that without realizing it, he had already fallen for her?
With an unreadable expression on his face, Song Feng slumped into the chair, his black baseball cap concealing the greater part of his face while the bruised, purplish skin beneath his cheekbone remained exposed, and began flipping through the pages one by one.
"It's in the later pages, flip further back," Chen Hui instructed once he felt safe. "Next page, and the next one."
Remaining silent, Song Feng looked line by line.
"Third line! Isn't that it? That's not..." Chen Hui grew excited, but his voice gradually tapered off into a murmur.
Staring at that line of text, Song Feng rolled up the calligraphy book and smashed it into Chen Hui again. "I said three hundred Tang poems, where in the world is Shu Dong!"
"Let me look again!" Still unwilling to believe it, Chen Hui took the book back at the risk of taking another beating and flipped to that exact page...
*Poems on Winter Events, Harmonizing with Weng Lingshu*
"..." Holding the calligraphy book, Chen Hui wanted to blind himself. "Did I read too fast?"
With his peripheral vision sweeping across the page, Song Feng pulled his cap down lower. With an expressionless face, it was impossible to tell whether he felt a sense of relief or a tinge of regret.
The room was filled with the clacking of mice and keyboards. Though it was usually like this every day, the sound seemed unusually magnified today, irritatingly noisy and enough to give Song Feng a splitting headache.
Go home to sleep? His grandparents would notice.
Go sleep at Chen Hui's place? Aunt Wu would notice.
Go to Shu Dong's place?
Scanning the calligraphy book, Song Feng gradually dismissed that thought.
"Yu Zhiyi broke a rib and is still lying in the hospital." Chen Hui beamed from ear to ear, looking as if he were reporting some joyous news.
Hearing from the doctor that the guy didn't even need stitches that day, Chen Hui had gone back and disciplined those kids, blaming them for pulling their punches. But upon hearing they had broken one of Yu Zhiyi's ribs, Chen Hui felt instantly balanced.
"Don't let them go wild. Break two and they'll end up in the police station."
Boss Song looked every bit the expert, deeply experienced in these matters. Breaking two ribs fell under the category of minor injury of the second degree. If Yu Zhiyi wanted to play dirty and sue them for intentional assault, he could face a fixed-term imprisonment of under three years.