Chapter 220 – 220

Chapter 220 - 220

The moment she leaned back on the sofa, Lin Shixu could no longer hold himself together. He sprang up from the couch with a loud rustling sound. He was about to step away from her, wanting some distance.

Unbeknownst to him, there was a small puddle of water on the floor right by his feet, perhaps caused by his hasty movement or simply unnoticed by him.

His foot slipped, and his body unintentionally crashed onto Nanyan's newly extended calf.

He landed directly on her calf, and in that instant, Lin Shixu was genuinely gripped by the urge to die. A warm and tender sensation instantly spread from the spot where his palm made contact, as an unfamiliar warmth pressed against the palm of his hand.

Nan Yan felt a chill on her ankle and almost kicked out instinctively, but she managed to restrain herself. Instead, she feigned concern and asked, "Are you alright?"

Lin Shixu pursed his lips, and goosebumps rose on his entire arm. He quickly reacted, attempting to move his hand away.

Just then, Nan Yan pretended not to notice and reached out. Leaning forward, she bent down as if to help him up.

This gesture made Lin Shixu's scalp tingle. Clearly, he was not accustomed to physical intimacy. As soon as Nan Yan stretched out her hand, Lin Shixu, who had been leaning against the sofa, instinctively sat up to avoid her touch.

In that moment, Lin Shixu's sudden rise led to him colliding with Nan Yan's approaching face at an alarming speed.

Their heads collided, vividly demonstrating the principle of action and reaction. Nanyan felt as if her brain was jolted, an aching and sour sensation swiftly spreading from the bridge of her nose.

Lin Shixu probably didn't anticipate such an outcome either. His head was also throbbing, but he could endure it. However, before he could utter a word, he lifted his gaze to see tears welling up in the woman's eyes. Her reddened eyes were brimming with tears, her entire being resembling someone who had just been severely wronged, with her hair in disarray.

Nanyan held her nose, sensing a warm liquid slowly trickling down her nostrils. As she removed her hand, a crimson drop of blood dripped from the tip of her nose.

"You..."

Lin Shixu froze, watching her bleed from the nose. The second drop followed, then the third, and the flow of blood only increased with each passing moment.

Nan Yan also found the situation rather unpleasant. Damn it, although she had intentionally splashed the water by his feet, she never imagined that it would eventually backfire on her.

She had initially planned to catch him if he slipped, creating an intimate encounter between them - wouldn't that have been a perfect romantic scene? Who could have predicted this turn of events? This darn man was actually the first to make her nose bleed.

As the blood continued to flow freely, Lin Shixu was momentarily stunned. He then quickly reacted and reached out towards Nan Yan, only to withdraw his hand as if burnt.

Inwardly, he was conflicted and uncomfortable, but seeing the woman crying with teary eyes, Lin Shixu couldn't bear it anymore. Watching her cry while tilting her head back, he struggled with his reservations before finally overcoming them. He firmly placed his hand on the back of her neck.

"Don't tilt your head back like that; the blood will flow down your throat, making you feel even worse."

His fingers trembled slightly as he fought against a sense of aversion. Gently, he reached out to pinch the bridge of her nose, softly applying pressure, preparing to stop the bleeding. However, Nan Yan slapped his wrist away.

"Can't you be a bit gentler? You're hurting me."

"I was trying to help you up, but you ended up hitting my head so hard that it's bleeding. Do you think I did that on purpose, to get back at me for mistaking you earlier and biting me?"

Her mentioning the incident only served to remind Lin Shixiu, who visibly stiffened for a moment. A faint ache still lingered in his thigh.

"…No, I didn't think that way."

Though Lin Shixiu was at fault for bumping into her, he wasn't the kind of petty person who would hold grudges. His discomfort mostly stemmed from her proximity to him.

Nan Yan wept with injustice, yet she still maintained an intimidating air. She knew how to glare at people, and as she slapped out, Lin Shixiu's body froze once more, his entire hand now smeared with her blood.

She was being utterly unreasonable, venting all her frustration. "You still say you didn't? Then how do you explain this nosebleed?"

Lin Shixiu could only endure patiently and explain, "I didn't mean to do it this time. It was an accident. Please, don't move around."

It would be a miracle if Nan Yan listened obediently. This was a rare opportunity, one she had even sacrificed a nosebleed for. She wouldn't let it go without making him thoroughly uncomfortable.

Lin Shixu pressed his lips tightly, and his complexion turned increasingly pale. For a fleeting moment, he was tempted to disregard everything and rush to the bathroom to clean up thoroughly.

But seeing the person in front of him bleeding, he couldn't just ignore it, especially since Nan Yan refused to listen to him. She stumbled, with her head held high, towards the restroom. As soon as she stood up, she collided with the coffee table, on the verge of falling again. Instinctively, Lin Shixu stretched out a hand to support her.

At that moment, he had to suppress the disgust rising within him and reached out to pull the disobedient Nan Yan into his arms. Ultimately, he supported and carried her straight to the bathroom.

"Take it slow... This won't do, don't move around."

His cold fingers rested on the bridge of Nan Yan's nose, gently pressing as if assessing her condition.

"This is due to a nasal vessel rupture from the impact. I've checked, and your nasal bone seems fine. It might just be an internal bruise. A cold compress will help. Don't tilt your head back."

"I told you not to tilt your head back. Just stay still."

Lin Shixu was swift in his actions, promptly dampening a towel for a cold compress on her face. However, the person in his arms was anything but still, squirming about and refusing to calm down. As a doctor, he found such disobedience irritating. With a slight increase in pressure from his fingers, the girl beside him let out a headache-inducing wail, crying with gritted teeth and teary eyes, her tears rubbing against the palm of his hand.

For a moment, Lin Shixu was tempted to toss her into a washing machine for a three-day wash. She kept leaning her head back, and eventually, he found himself in a state of both disdain and restraint. His face had initially paled, but he then made a great effort to ignore it.

He had a decent ability to control his emotions.

At least he didn't push her away in that moment.

When her nosebleed finally stopped, Nan Yan heard the man beside her let out a sigh of relief.

The key was that he looked even more disheveled than she did. Clearly, it was her who was bleeding, yet she noticed bloodstains on his sleeves. Upon seeing those stains, Lin Shixiu's expression froze for an instant. Then, she saw him drench his sleeves in water, washing them over and over again until they were completely clean. Only then did he stop and roll up his cuffs.

As he finished washing, he turned his head to find Nan Yan staring at him, extending her own hands. The message in her eyes was clear:

"Clean them, you're the one who made the mess."

Her voice still carried a stuffy nasal tone as she spoke.

Lin Shixu's expression froze for a moment, clearly showing his reluctance. However, when he saw the slightly reddened eyes and slightly flushed tip of the other person's nose from crying, he hesitated.

Considering that the fault indeed lay with him in this matter.

With immense restraint against my disdain, I dispensed dollop after dollop of soap from the dispenser, then took her hand as if I were a mother meticulously washing her child's hands.

His technique was surprisingly proper. He lathered soap onto her hand and scrubbed it meticulously, cleansing it thoroughly round after round. He removed every trace of blood until Nanyan feared he might rub her skin off.

As this person was about to wash for the third time, Nan Yan seized her opportunity and slapped his hand away.

"Enough, enough! You'll rub all the skin off."

Lin Shixiu pressed his lips together, remaining silent. He had an urge to grab her hand back for one final wash, but he managed to restrain himself. After all, she wasn't someone he could impose upon; he had no right to force her to do anything.

So, he turned away from her, deciding it was best not to look, for out of sight, out of mind.

When Ji Yunsen returned with Zhou Youyou after buying breakfast, both of them held two bags each. As they entered the room, they sensed that the atmosphere was somewhat tense.

As Ji Yunchen opened the door, he saw his girlfriend sitting on the sofa giving him a fleeting glance. Her eyes were slightly reddened, and her hair was damp, suggesting she wasn't in a good mood.

Ji Yunchen initially thought that she was unhappy because he had been out too long, making her wait impatiently. However, with so many people around, he didn't feel it appropriate to directly approach and comfort her.

He first placed the items in his hands neatly on the dining table and then fetched some utensils from the kitchen. Zhou Youyou followed closely behind, and the tension between them seemed to have eased significantly.

Nan Yan wasn't blind; she could easily perceive this slight change. She guessed that they must have resolved some issue between them. After all, they had grown up together as childhood sweethearts. Even if they temporarily drifted apart or had misunderstandings, their bond would surpass that of ordinary people.

Just as she looked up, she noticed Zhou Youyou standing in the kitchen, engaged in conversation with her boyfriend. Her boyfriend nodded in response, and their interaction appeared much more comfortable than before. Then, she heard her boyfriend call her over for dinner.

"Yan Yan, come and have dinner. Didn't you say you were starving? I got your favorite fish slice congee and red rice sausage. Hurry up."

As Ji Yunshen spoke, he also greeted Lin Shixiu across from him, maintaining basic courtesy. Then, he arranged the food on the table, which was quite an abundant spread.

They had purchased the meal from the newly opened Cantonese teahouse downstairs, where a steady flow of customers necessitated a bit of a wait in line.

With the invitation extended, the two who were previously seated on the sofa joined them. The four of them sat down together, yet the couples were separated. Nan Yan sat next to Lin Shixiu, while her boyfriend was across from her with his childhood friend. The arrangement felt somewhat awkward.

Nonetheless, there was nothing they could do about it, considering Zhou Youyou and Lin Shixiu were in the midst of a breakup. It was already remarkable that they could sit calmly and share a meal without arguing.

As soon as the four of them were seated, Ji Yunshen noticed that his girlfriend's nose tip had turned slightly red, resembling the chill of a winter outdoors. She had applied a layer of rose-tinted powder on top, making it appear flushed, with the bridge of her nose appearing even redder.

He casually asked, "What's with the nose?"

Nan Yan hadn't spoken yet when Lin Shixu, sitting aside, paused in his actions for a moment. However, he quickly returned to normal.

Nanyan cast a fleeting glance at the man beside her, her gaze icy cold. She picked up a piece of red rice sausage with her chopsticks and, without revealing the truth, tersely replied, "Maybe I was too rough when washing my face just now and accidentally rubbed against it."

Without any suspicion, Ji Yunshen knew that his girlfriend's skin was quite sensitive, and any slight bruise or touch would cause noticeable redness. Hence, he didn't pay much attention to it. Later, he suggested, "After the meal, do you want to go out and play? I can take you to meet my friends, how about that?"

"They seem to have established a club in the southern outskirts with various activities. It should be quite interesting."

To be honest, this suggestion was made by Zhou Youyou while they were queuing downstairs just now. She mentioned that it had been a long time since they last gathered as a group of friends who used to be very close. Since they all had time on the weekend, they might as well get together, considering they were all in the same city and meeting up wouldn't be difficult.

Upon hearing her suggestion, Ji Yunshen's interest piqued. He knew that those friends were quite lively, and being with them would definitely be more enjoyable than being alone with him. Besides, he genuinely wanted Nanyan to meet his old friends.

Zhou Youyou initially suggested this to spend more time with him. She knew Ji Yunshen would agree, but she didn't expect him to bring his girlfriend along. This momentarily dampened her mood, but she also acknowledged that her reaction was irrational. After all, they were just normal boyfriend and girlfriend, whereas she was merely a distant childhood friend.

Yet, she couldn't help feeling indignant. Didn't Yunshen admit in her previous life that he had always liked her? She understood that emotions weren't something one could control or discard at will. However, as long as there was a sliver of a chance, she was determined to make an effort.

After all, having been given a second chance at life, she truly didn't wish to miss out on the person who cared for her the most again.

Thus, Zhou Youyou suppressed her disappointment and wore a gracious smile on her face. She turned to look in Ji Yunshen's direction and said, "You still have the cheek to say that? Ever since you started university and got a girlfriend, you've barely kept in touch with us. Not long ago, they mentioned how every time we tried to plan something with you, you always claimed to be too busy."

Ji Yunshen looked up at Nanyan with a casual smile. "I was indeed very busy back then, so busy that I didn't even have time to meet my girlfriend. How could I have had time to play with you guys?"

Nanyan gave him a fleeting glance but didn't say a word.

Zhou Youyou, on the other hand, let out a giggle and teased him, "Wow, you're such a love-struck fool! No wonder you preferred playing with girls since you were young and didn't want to hang out with those boys."

She recounted their childhood mishaps, mentioning how Ji Yunshen used to take her along to scale walls and climb trees in pursuit of cicadas. There was also that summer vacation when a gang of young troublemakers, accompanied by their parents, ventured to the countryside, where they caught eels in a small pond and fished for crayfish. Eventually, a group of boys stole peaches from an orchard, only to be reduced to tears when confronted by two large black dogs, leaving them stranded and too scared to descend from the trees.

Such embarrassing tales were innumerable.

With each anecdote, Ji Yunshen's memories gradually resurfaced. He would occasionally interject, playfully disputing her account, arguing that he wasn't entirely to blame – others had given poor advice – and clarifying that it wasn't him who had cried from fear.

As their rapport grew warmer, the atmosphere across from them seemed to chill even further.

Already suffering from a sore nose, watching the pair laugh and reminisce dampened her appetite even more.

She supposed Lin Shixiu beside her was in a similar state, his brow lightly knitted. Since sitting down, he had only taken a couple sips from his bowl of congee, clearly preoccupied as well.

Nan Yan reached out to take a pair of disposable chopsticks lying nearby, picked up a shrimp, then slipped on a disposable glove before delicately peeling the shell back for a small taste.

She ate with her mind elsewhere, the faint ache in her nasal bone still lingering. Slowly, she took a few more sips of the fish porridge, and it was evident to any observant person that her appetite had waned.

Qi Yuanshen naturally noticed this as well. He found it odd. The young man had been lively and energetic before he left; how did he become so listless and spiritless now, like a withered eggplant after a frost?

Nan Yan paid no mind to his thoughts. If something displeased her, she was naturally inclined to stir up trouble, especially when listening to their conversation that, from start to finish, made her, the actual girlfriend, feel like an outsider, unable to insert herself into the dialogue unfolding between the two.

Nan Yan was evidently displeased, and when she was, she liked to make things difficult for others. Thus, she peeled another shrimp ball and offered it to him.

"Would you like it?"

Ji Yunshen was taken aback. Before he could respond, Zhou Youyou, sitting beside him, blurted out without thinking, "Wait, Yunshen doesn't tolerate shrimps. He gets rashes if he eats them, and in severe cases, he might need to go to the hospital. Didn't you know that?"

There was a hint of uneasiness in her gaze.

Nan Yan's face revealed a slight astonishment, but her heart remained untouched. Of course, she knew about Ji Yunshen's allergy to shrimp balls, but she did it on purpose. How else could she create an opportunity for the two of them to display their intimacy?

Despite the casual and composed tone in Zhou Youyou's voice, devoid of any extra emotions or boasts about their intimacy, Nan Yan could discern a hint of reproach from her gaze. It seemed to imply that after being in a relationship for so long, Nan Yan should have known this trivial detail about Ji Yunshen.

Nan Yan kept her finger raised, not moving.

Even the most insensitive boyfriend would sense something amiss, and Ji Yunshen was no exception. Glancing at his girlfriend, he noticed no change in her expression. But after spending considerable time together, he could tell that she was clearly in a foul mood today.

He looked at the shrimp ball she offered and softened his gaze, as if trying to save her from embarrassment. "Yes, I do have a slight allergy to shrimp. I haven't mentioned it before, but it's really not a big deal."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Youyou shot him a peculiar glance, her tone tinged with teasing. "What do you mean there's no problem? Don't you remember the time you ate shrimp at my place and broke out in a huge rash on your neck? It was itchy and painful, and in the end, I had to take you to the hospital for an IV drip."

Ji Yunshen faintly furrowed his brow, likely finding Zhou Youyou's words a bit inappropriate. However, he didn't comment.

He was indeed allergic to shrimp and had never told Yan Yan about it. But relying on some innate male intuition, he could tell that his girlfriend was now quite upset.

At this moment, Nanyan gave him a deliberately well-behaved smile and smoothly took over the conversation. "So you've been allergic to shrimp all along? Why didn't you say so earlier? If you had, I wouldn't have offered them to you. What a waste."

Looking at her smiling face, Ji Yunshen felt a sense of relief wash over him. He was just about to assure her that it was alright, that it was only a minor incident.

Yet, before he could voice his concern, he witnessed his girlfriend picking up the peeled shrimp and placing it into Lin Shixiu's bowl right in front of him. She then looked at him with anticipation and whispered, "Lin Shixiu, give this a try. It tastes really good – consider it an apology for what happened earlier."

She added with a gentle smile, appearing demure, "You shouldn't be allergic to shrimp, right?"

This action quickly drew the attention of the others at the table. Almost instantly, both pairs of eyes from across the table turned to them – one expressionless, the other somewhat peculiar.

Lin Shixiu: "…"

Indeed, he was not allergic to shrimp, but he had obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). So, was an allergic person's life more valuable than his OCD-afflicted one?

Ji Yunshen: "..."

Ji Yunshen initially thought that Nanyan's apology referred to her initial mistake of misidentifying him. However, it was evident that Lin Shixu understood the true context, as he had just accidentally bumped into her, causing her to bleed profusely from her nose.

Yet, he truly didn't wish to give this face.

Zhou Youyou, sitting by the side, was also watching unobtrusively.

There was even a hint of subtle mockery in her heart. Lin Shixu, when they dined together at restaurants, would insist on rinsing the cutlery with hot water first; his cleanliness obsession was anything but mild. Particularly when it came to food hygiene, he was so fastidious that he refrained from even holding hands with her, let alone consuming anything that had been touched by another's fingers. Even when they ate out together, they each tended to their own meals, maintaining a respectful distance in their consumption.

Lin Shixu could indeed grasp Nanyan's sentiment - it was simply a matter of swallowing a bitter pill and seeking someone to vent her frustration. To be honest, he found the previous scene somewhat displeasing as well.

But it's not necessary, really not necessary...

Fixing his gaze on the shrimp balls being offered in the bowl, his brow knitted tighter and tighter. Especially under the scrutiny of the two people sitting opposite him, he fell into a brief silence. Still, he found himself unable to overcome the barrier in his heart.

He truly could not accept such an apology, even though he was indeed in the wrong. But there was really no need to put himself through such a torment in this manner. So, Lin Shixu lightly exhaled, subtly avoiding her gaze, and was just about to speak to reject it,

"Thank you, but I don't..."

Before he could finish his sentence, his foot, which had been resting under the table, was suddenly and forcefully stepped on.

A foot, seemingly bare, pressed against the sole of his foot beneath the table. Afterward, it didn't stop there; it slowly crept up his pant leg, and Lin Shixu could even feel the gentle, soft touch of that foot lightly kicking his calf.

"Cough—"

Lin Shixu suddenly began to cough uncontrollably.

His face flushed slightly from the coughing, a peculiar flush tinting his fair complexion.

Beneath an inexplicable provocation and an unbelievable sense of shame, his entire body tensed up, his fingers resting on the table unconsciously clenched, and the touch made him freeze entirely.

He turned his head in the direction beside him, already knowing without a guess who the culprit was. By his side, Nanyan suddenly looked at him again. Her face still wore that gentle and considerate smile, but her gaze held a hint of "warning" as she glanced at the shrimp in his bowl.

Her message was clear: He had to eat it, whether he liked it or not!

Lin Shixu almost had the urge to drag the troublemaker across from him out and give them a sound beating, but he restrained himself. Not only did he hold back, but he also took a deep breath.

With some reluctance, he pinched the shrimp with his fingers, finally saying nothing. Instead, he calmly picked up the shrimp Nanyan offered and put it into his mouth.

Finishing his meal, he couldn't help but glance at Nanyan beside him with a chilly gaze and an ashen face. His voice was slightly hoarse as he commented, "It's not as good as you said. It's already cold and doesn't taste that great. If you're going to peel it for me, do it while it's still hot next time."

"And, I don't eat what others don't want!"

Well, isn't he a feisty one?