Chapter 70 More to It The Little Prince Fell to the Ground…

Chapter 70: More Than Meets the Eye

The little prince fell to the ground...

Yu Kui glanced at her three friends standing beside her and the anxious, restless crowd around them. Just as she was about to say she was fine, a sudden gust of wind, combined with the shaking ground, sent her sprawling.

Her phone slipped from her ear, and waves of screams erupted from behind her.

"Yu Kui!" Xie Xingzhi called out anxiously, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," Yu Kui said, feigning composure as she picked up her phone and looked at the scraped skin on her elbow. "Don’t worry, I’m perfectly fine."

"Wait for me, I’ll come find you right away."

"No," Yu Kui replied without hesitation. "You live too far from me. Don’t come."

"Driving is fast," Xie Xingzhi insisted. "I can be there in twenty minutes at most."

"Xie Xingzhi," Yu Kui’s tone turned serious, "Your priority right now is to ensure your own safety, not to come find me."

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before he murmured softly, "Okay."

"That’s settled then," Yu Kui’s voice softened. "Call me if anything happens."

"Mm."

After hanging up, Yu Kui, Zhang Jing, and the others moved to a more open area, waiting for the earthquake to fully subside.

"Xie Xingzhi is really good to you," Xu Siyue shrugged, sounding a bit annoyed. "Unlike that idiot Qiao Yan—I had to call him first."

"He was probably scared," Shu Jia said worriedly. "We still have work tomorrow. I wonder when these aftershocks will end."

"It depends," Zhang Jing glanced around. "If it’s still unsafe tomorrow, the company will likely let us work from home."

"I wonder how things are in the county," Yu Kui murmured. "I hope there are no casualties."

"Earlier on the news, they said many buildings had cracks. There were injuries, but no deaths."

"That’s good." Yu Kui breathed an inward sigh of relief. "Given the situation, the city probably won’t face anything too severe."

The four of them found a bench to sit on, keeping a wary eye on the surrounding buildings, not daring to let their guard down.

Just then, Yu Kui’s phone rang.

It was her parents calling to check on her and ask if she was hurt.

"I’m fine," Yu Kui said, her eyes crinkling with a smile. "Weren’t you still asleep? Why are you awake so late?"

"Aunt Qin came back from work and saw the news online. She came over specially to remind your dad and me."

Mention of Aunt Qin stirred mixed feelings in Yu Kui. "She’s still working this late?"

"I heard she’s aiming for a promotion. She’s been working really hard lately."

"I see," Yu Kui didn’t know what else to say. "Then please thank her for her concern."

"Of course we’ll thank her," Yu's mother said. "We’ll buy her a gift tomorrow."

At this, Yu's mother grew anxious again. "You’re all alone over there. Make sure you stay safe and don’t go near any dangerous areas."

"I know," warmth spread through Yu Kui's heart. "Don’t worry, Mom. My roommates and I are already in a safe place."

"That’s good." Yu's mother repeated several earthquake safety tips before reluctantly hanging up.

Yu Kui put down her phone and was about to rejoin her friends when a slender hand reached out from beside her and gently tapped her shoulder. Her heart jumped, and she turned to see who was playing a prank, only to meet Xie Xingzhi’s eyes.

"You—"

Yu Kui’s pupils contracted slightly. "What are you doing here?"

"I drove over," Xie Xingzhi said, shaking the bag of supplies he was carrying with a smile. "I picked up some water and food on the way."

Yu Kui’s eyelashes fluttered. She hadn’t expected him to drive to her during an earthquake. An intense anger rose in her chest. "Are you stupid? I told you not to come. Why did you still come?"

Xie Xingzhi countered instead of answering, "Didn’t I make it here safely?"

Yu Kui glared at him coldly.

Xie Xingzhi immediately raised his hands in a playful surrender. "My bad, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have disobeyed Lady Kuikui. You can hit me or scold me—whatever you want."

Yu Kui snorted in response. "What if something had happened to you on the way? Who would I hold responsible?"

Seeing her lowered head and looking guilty, Xie Xingzhi stepped closer, his gaze resting on her trembling lashes. "I know what's important. I wouldn’t die before seeing you. Don’t worry."

"Stop talking nonsense!" Yu Kui gritted her teeth, glaring fiercely. "If you keep this up, I’ll really get mad."

Xie Xingzhi fell silent, a faint smile flickering in his narrow eyes as he watched her angry, puffed-up appearance. After a moment, he said softly, "I know I was wrong. I’ll listen to you from now on. Don’t be angry."

Yu Kui looked up into his eyes. Xie Xingzhi curved his lips into a smile. "Really, I’m not lying."

"Hmph." Yu Kui finally turned her attention to the bag he was holding. "What did you buy?"

"Your favorite jelly and chips, plus pomegranate juice."

"Really?" Yu Kui’s eyes lit up, and she reached for the bag. But as she lifted her hand, she hissed in pain.

In the next moment, Xie Xingzhi grabbed her wrist, frowning. "You’re hurt?"

His long, strong fingers made Yu Kui feel somewhat uncomfortable. "It’s just a scrape."

Xie Xingzhi turned on his flashlight to examine it. The scrape was fairly large, and the swollen area was already beaded with blood. His frown deepened. "Did you fall when we were on the phone?"

Yu Kui blinked. "The ground was shaking, and I lost my balance."

Xie Xingzhi didn’t reply. Instead, he led her to the edge of the planter to sit down and rummaged through his bag, pulling out iodine tincture and antibiotic ointment.

Yu Kui’s eyes widened suddenly. "When did you prepare this?"

Xie Xingzhi ignored the question, his tone stern as he looked at her pale face. "If I hadn’t come, would you have just ignored the injury?"

"I wouldn’t have," Yu Kui said guiltily. "I would’ve bought medicine once it was daylight."

Xie Xingzhi shot her a glance, opened the iodine, and began disinfecting the wound. The cold liquid made Yu Kui instinctively pull back, but he held her hand firmly. "Don’t move."

Seeing his stern expression, Yu Kui pressed her lips together and stayed still.

Xie Xingzhi carefully disinfected the wound, then opened the ointment and applied it patiently.

At first, Yu Kui felt guilty, but as time passed, her attention drifted to Xie Xingzhi’s face—his deeply furrowed brow, his tightly pressed lips, and the constant flicker of concern in his narrow eyes. He seemed to care about her a lot.

It shouldn't be "seems," but rather "it's undeniably special."

The scrape on Yu Kui's elbow wasn’t serious, but his concern made her feel an indescribable warmth, mixed with a touch of melancholy.

Xie Xingzhi was truly wonderful.

It made her uncertain how to respond to him.

"Xie Xingzhi, aren't I being a bother?" she said softly. "I can’t tutor you like I used to. You don’t have to be so good to me."

"What nonsense are you talking?" Xie Xingzhi lifted his head, his gaze fixed on her distinct black-and-white eyes. "Do you think I’m good to you only because you used to tutor me?"

Yu Kui felt even more self-conscious. "I know, we’re friends, after all."

"Not just ordinary friends," Xie Xingzhi corrected her. "You’re my most important friend. Without you, there wouldn’t be the person I am today."

Yu Kui’s breath hitched, and even the wrist he was holding felt stiff. "I really didn’t do much."

"It means a lot to me," Xie Xingzhi continued applying the ointment. "As long as you need me, I’d find a way to cross even a mountain of blades for you."

Yu Kui laughed at his words. "I don’t need you to do anything like that."

But after laughing, an inexplicable sadness welled up inside her.

She gazed deeply at Xie Xingzhi, watching him lower his eyes as he carefully tended to her wound. His strikingly handsome face showed no trace of impatience—only restrained heartache and affection.

Yu Kui watched for a long time, only snapping back to reality when Xie Xingzhi slowly released her hand and reminded her to avoid getting the wound wet for the next few days. Without changing her expression, she asked, "Were you scared on your way here?"

Xie Xingzhi hadn’t expected such a question. He teasingly raised an eyebrow. "Scared of what? To see you sooner, I planned my route ahead of time. There was no traffic at all."

Yu Kui reiterated, "You absolutely cannot do this again in the future."

Then she pointed to the drinks in the bag. "Help me open this. After talking so much with you, I’m thirsty."

Xie Xingzhi took out the pomegranate juice, opened it, and brought it to her lips, teasing, "For Princess KuiKui, your drink."

Yu Kui took a couple of sips from his hand and couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up. "It’s delicious."

Seeing her enjoy it, Xie Xingzhi smiled. "Does your hand still hurt?"

"Not really," Yu Kui shook her head and asked him to help her get a jelly to eat.

The two sat by the flowerbed, eating and chatting, without feeling bored at all.

When Shu Jia and the others found them, they were surprised to see them still stargazing. They immediately scolded Yu Kui for not being considerate, sneaking off to enjoy snacks with Xie Xingzhi without including them.

"He was treating my wound," Yu Kui retorted, shifting the blame. "None of you even noticed I was injured."

The three fell silent at once, gathering around her and reaching into the bag for snacks.

It wasn’t until dawn that the aftershocks finally subsided. Neighbors gradually returned home, and the group, yawning, prepared to go back and catch up on sleep.

"It’s too late," Yu Kui tugged at Xie Xingzhi’s sleeve and suggested, "Why don’t you stay at the hotel across the street? Get some proper rest before heading to the office."

"Alright," Xie Xingzhi took her advice readily. "I’ll go now."

He handed the iodine and ointment to Yu Kui, urging her repeatedly, "Go back and rest early. Try not to get the wound wet."

Yu Kui nodded, watching him cross the street before leaving with her three friends.

Back in the rental apartment, the living room was a mess—shattered vases, photo frames, and various items scattered across the floor.

The four didn't bother to clean up. They returned to their respective bedrooms to check the damage. Books and belongings from desks and shelves had toppled over, leaving the rooms dusty and in dire need of a thorough cleaning.

But none of this troubled Yu Kui as much as what she noticed next. Her gaze stopped, and she crouched down, picking up a handmade Little Prince doll from the floor.

The Little Prince’s rather large body had split in two, revealing a delicate wooden box inside.

It was a gift Xie Xingzhi had given her during their first college New Year.

Back then, they had visited a woodcraft workshop. She had made a colorful candy house, while Xie Xingzhi crafted the Little Prince.

When she returned to her dorm after watching the fireworks, Zhang Jing had even teased that the Little Prince’s body was too big and the proportions weren't perfect. Yu Kui had earnestly defended Xie Xingzhi, saying he was a beginner and not yet skilled at handicrafts.

It wasn’t until today, when the earthquake knocked the doll from the shelf, that she discovered the secret hidden inside the Little Prince’s body.