"Changling, I just didn't help you find your cat."
His expression was saying: Miss Wen, do you want to poison me to death?
Miss Wen wasn't angry, she educated Mr. Xie.
"It's poisonous if taken internally, but when applied externally, it can draw out poison and relieve itching."
Xie Shang still sat without moving, watching Changling intently.
The girl who slashed her wrists as a pledge of devotion, willing to marry no one but him, had he ever gazed at her like this? His earnest attention could indeed bewitch people, making them feel as though they could do anything for him.
"Don't you trust me?"
Finally, Xie Shang lowered his head and leaned his face toward Changling: "You'll be responsible if it disfigures me."
I can't afford that.
If his face were insured, it would probably be worth a fortune.
With no tools at hand to apply the medicine, Changling could only use her fingers. She carefully dipped a little bit of juice pounded from the tender leaves and dabbed it on Xie Shang's forehead, her touch so light, as if she hadn't touched him at all.
His drooping eyelashes occasionally fluttered.
It turns out he can be obedient too.
The mosquito bite on the left side of his face was also carefully medicated, and Changling didn't forget to instruct: "If you touch the area where the medicine was applied, you must wash your hands."
Her hands were cool and very soothing to the itch.
The incense burner placed on the ground was burning fast due to the wind, with the scent of Healing Wood lingering around, a clear and clean woody fragrance.
This was clearly a scent that sharpens the mind, yet Xie Shang found his thoughts hard to focus and slowly acknowledged with a "Mmm."
Changling hesitated for a moment: "Should I apply it to your neck too?"
Xie Shang didn't say anything, simply tilting his head back to expose his neck. The arc of his Adam's apple became prominent due to the upward tilt, with slender neck bones protruding from the cold white skin, surrounded by red marks from a scratch.
As the tip of Changling's medicine-coated finger touched the red mark on his neck, his throat bobbed slightly.
Changling didn't notice.
Xie Shang turned his face to the other side: "Why do you grow Broken Heart Grass in the yard?"
"Because there are many mosquitoes on Lotus Pond Street, and it's useful."
The lighting wasn't great, and without realizing it, Changling stood up from the chair and bent over to apply the medicine to Xie Shang. Her eyes were pure, free of any stray thoughts. Because of her downward gaze, her glasses had slid down a bit, and Xie Shang could see the thin eyelid line at the corner of her eye, curved and slightly upturned, a look of innocence and stubbornness.
"All done."
Changling stepped back, creating some distance.
"Thank you," Xie Shang adjusted his collar.
There was a pool in Xie Shang's courtyard, which Changling used to wash the mortar and pestle clean.
"I'm heading back now." She walked a few steps, then looked back, "Xie Shang."
Xie Shang accidentally kicked the incense burner on the ground, and incense ash stuck to him, but he didn't care, waiting for Changling to finish her sentence.
"If you're not interested in pursuing that girl, don't use her Fairy Stick to light your cigarettes."
Xie Shang fell silent for a moment, then asked, "Why?"
"She will be moved."
He suddenly laughed: "I'll remember that."
*****
The temperature dropped these past few days, and the wind has been blowing constantly.
Changling had the night shift yesterday, and she had planned to sleep through the morning. Because she hadn't taken off her hearing aid, just as she was starting to feel sleepy after lying down, she heard people arguing outside. She recognized one of the voices as Granny Zhu's daughter, Wu Haomin.
After changing her clothes, Changling got up and went out.
"Are you even human?"
Wu Haomin was in the middle of an argument, extremely agitated.
She covered her daughter Tongtong's ears, yelling in utter breakdown, "Wasn't it enough to make a scene at my company? Now you've come to my mother's place."
The one causing a ruckus was Wu Haomin's ex-husband, named Sun Zheng.
Sun Zheng, slender and tall, wearing glasses, said, "If you don't want me to cause a scene, then pay back the money quickly."
"You haven't contributed a penny to Tongtong's child support, and you still have the face to ask me for money?"
Sun Zheng had the face, indeed a thick one, defiantly stating, "To marry you, I bought a house and a car and ended up knee-deep in debt. During the first few years of our marriage, when you didn't work, the money for your mother's surgery also came out of my pocket. You lived off me, spent my money, and upon signing the divorce agreement, you thought you could dust off your pants and leave?"
Wu Haomin's eyes reddened with anger, unable to tolerate anymore, "That was clearly debt from your gambling!"
Sun Zheng, with his arms crossed, refused to mention the gambling and shamelessly demanded money, "The money for your mother's surgery—you haven't paid me back for that either."
"The house you're living in now, its renovation was all paid for by me." In order to get divorced as quickly as possible, aside from Tongtong's custody, Wu Haomin didn't ask for anything, leaving with absolutely nothing.
Seeing his words made no impact, Sun Zheng changed his approach, threatening vilely, "Are you going to pay or not? If not, don't blame me for leaking your private photos."
"Sun Zheng!"
Wu Haomin completely collapsed emotionally.
"You beast." With both hands covering Tongtong's ears, tears streaming down, she almost pleaded with him, "Can't you just leave me alone?"
Sun Zheng spread his hands, "Then pay the money."
He was a bottomless pit.
Expecting a man who was abusive, unfaithful, and habitually gambled to have a conscience was less likely than hoping he would walk out one day and be struck dead by a car. Wu Haomin had even considered at one point that maybe dying together would be the end of it all.
Granny Zhu came out.
"Mom, why did you come out?"
Granny Zhu's hair, which she had just recently dyed black using Beauty Sunflower, began showing white roots again, "If I didn't come out, you'd be devoured alive by that beast."
"I can handle it myself."
Wu Haomin didn't want her mother, already advanced in years, to worry about these vile issues anymore.
Granny Zhu didn't say much more; she went over, took Tongtong's hand, and led her away to Wen Changling, instructing him, "Changling, take Tongtong out to play for a while."
"Okay."
Wen Changling took Tongtong by the hand and led her out of the house.
Tongtong's eyes were red, constantly looking back, and when they reached the door, she refused to leave.
Wen Changling squatted down, "What's wrong, Tongtong?"
"I don't want to go." Tongtong's eyes brimming with tears, "My mom can't beat him."
Tongtong had seen with her own eyes how that man she called Dad pinned her mom to the ground and beat her.
Wen Changling patted the little girl's head, "With your grandma here, he wouldn't dare."
Granny Zhu was famously formidable in her youth on Lotus Pond Street, and with all the neighbors around, Sun Zheng wouldn't come out on top.
Wen Changling asked Tongtong softly, "Do you want your sister to teach him a lesson?"
Tongtong was a bit scared but gathered her courage, "Can you?"
"I can."
Those two words, though spoken gently, were filled with strength.
Tongtong nodded firmly, "Sister, please teach him a lesson for me."
"Okay."