TCOR CH37

Chapter 37: When can I go back to work?

Just bear with it for a while and it will be over.

This was the second time I had come to the Liang family hospital, both times for external injuries, and both times I had been treated by the same doctor.

You have such a pretty face, how come you keep getting injured? I asked him as he continued to stitch me up while we chatted. Last time it looked quite serious, but at least there was no scar. This time you have a deep wound, if you don’t take good care of it you will definitely have a scar.

Every time the needle pierced my flesh, the sharp pain came and I felt the urge to jump out of bed and run away. To resist this urge, I kept kneading the stress ball in my hand and tried to distract myself by talking to the doctor.

“If there’s a scar, then… well, as long as my brain is OK, it’s OK. When the cane came down, I almost… almost thought it was going to blow my brains out.

I saw that everyone else who was brought in was wearing black suits, just like the gangsters in the films. What’s going on? Did you get into some kind of gang fight? I heard someone died.

I couldn’t help but shudder at the thought of Yu Xiaoshan’s death. Even though Shen Wunian covered my eyes the whole time, after Yu Xiaoshan killed himself there was a period of chaos, with people screaming, first aid being administered and the police rushing in and loudly asking who was in charge. Shen Wunian had to leave me to deal with the situation. In the middle of the crowd, I caught a glimpse of Yu Xiaoshan, lying on the ground, no longer breathing. His white hair was spread out, his eyes half closed, and thick blood dripped from his mouth and nose. This was not the first time I had witnessed the end of a life, but it was certainly the most tragic.

It was… an accident,’ I said vaguely, not wanting to go into further detail.

After the stitches and bandages, I left the treatment room and saw Shen Wunian being questioned by the police not far away.

They were sitting in the interview area of the lobby with two police officers – one asking questions and the other taking notes. It appeared that the interrogation was almost over, as the officer taking notes had already started to put his pen down. The middle-aged officer in charge of the interrogation asked an obvious question of his own: ‘Mr Shen, have you always been so calm?

Shen Wunian turned his back to me, and when he heard this he seemed to smile and say, ‘I have met artists who are even crazier than you.

The middle-aged officer looked up and saw me coming. He pulled up the chair beside him and motioned for me to sit down: ‘Come here, handsome. We just have a few questions for you and then you can go. It won’t take long.

I nodded, walked over and sat down. Before my bottom had touched the seat, Shen Wunian stood up and said, ‘I’ll wait for you in the car. He nodded politely to the two policemen and walked out.

I watched his back as he walked away until he disappeared behind the automatic doors.

I always felt there was something about him…

So, shall we get started?” the middle-aged officer said.

I snapped back to reality. ‘Oh yes, yes.

As soon as I got into the car, I could smell the cigarette smoke on Shen Wunian’s body. It wasn’t the sweet, flowery smell of the past, but a more common, pungent tar smell.

The whole way back, the car was silent and Shen Wunian didn’t say a word. This made me even more certain that something was wrong with him.

Dark clouds were circling the sky, and the light was rapidly dimming, as if a heavy rain was about to fall.

A few days ago I looked at the calendar and saw that it was the beginning of the grain rain season, which marks the transition from spring to summer and is usually accompanied by heavy rain. It was a sunny day when I looked at the calendar and the weather forecast said it would be sunny for the next few days. I thought the solar term was wrong, but I didn’t realise that the weather forecast was wrong.

When I got back to the flat, I could already hear the rumble of thunder through the clouds. It didn’t take long for the lift to arrive and big raindrops were already falling.

The rain poured in through the window and soaked the corridor. Shen Wunian used his key to open the door, but didn’t go in immediately.

You go in first,’ he said and turned to the window, closing the windows in the corridor one by one in the rain.

The rain was pouring down, quickly soaking his clothes. As soon as I saw this, I rushed to help and went to close the rest of the windows.

I was quick enough, but I still couldn’t keep up with the rain and wind. In no time at all, my face was wet and my hair and clothes soaked.

Just as the last window was being closed, before it could be locked, my arm was grabbed and my body was violently pulled away from the window.

Didn’t I tell you to get inside? Shen Wunian’s forehead was dripping with water and he frowned, his expression full of impatience.

‘I… I just wanted to help…’ I explained, flustered.

I don’t need your help,’ he interrupted coldly, letting go of my hand and turning to go back inside.

I rubbed my aching arm and pursed my lips as I followed him inside.

It was dark outside and the room was only going to get darker. Shen Wunian didn’t turn on the light and walked into his bedroom without looking back. I stood in the doorway and closed the door gently, feeling a little lost.

The wound on my forehead had stopped hurting, but now it suddenly hurt again, probably because I had been caught in the rain.

I took off my shoes, touched my forehead to the wall and felt around for the light switch. I turned on a standard lamp and the outline of the living room suddenly became clear. It was then that Shen Wunian returned, holding a large bath towel.

Come here,’ he said, stopping in front of the sofa.

I didn’t expect him to come back, so I froze and dropped my hands. I didn’t even have time to change my slippers before I walked over to him.

Sit down,’ he ordered again as I reached him.

One command, one movement, and I sat down obediently. In a moment, the soft, fluffy towel fell on my head.

With my eyes fixed on the pattern on the floor and the noisy sound of rain in my ears, neither of us said anything for a while.

Shen Wunian dried my hair and then moved to my face and neck.

I told you to hide, why didn’t you listen?

I blinked, suddenly understanding the source of his anger.

‘I hid, I really hid, but then I saw someone trying to hit you and I was so worried that I came out. I defended myself.

He looked down at me with a scowl and just shrugged it off: ‘How long have you known me and you’re willing to die for me?

His expression was so cold that it frightened me a little.

I opened my mouth, but it wasn’t right to argue back, and it seemed even more wrong to admit it, so I suddenly lost my momentum: ‘I won’t die…’.

This was complete sophistry. In fact, at that moment, I didn’t know if I was going to die, or rather, I didn’t have time to think about it.

Shen Wunian was obviously aware of this: ‘That’s because you were lucky this time.

There won’t be a next time. How can it happen to someone again and again…’ I stopped abruptly, realising that I had said the wrong thing.

Come to think of it, how could what had happened today not be a nightmare come true for him? The mad artist had ended his life and I had almost died trying to save him.

Sure enough, he laughed: ‘No? Then why did I run into him again?

Damn it!

I got up from the sofa as if a fire had set my bum on fire, tore the towel off my head and wiped the rainwater off his body myself.

I’m not all right now? Look, I’m alive and kicking,’ I said, squeezing the towel together and wiping indiscriminately over his hair, face and neck. When I tried to wipe lower, he stopped me by grabbing my wrist.

I noticed that his knuckles were slightly red and swollen and there was some skin damage.

I took his hand and blew gently on the swollen area.

‘Does it hurt?

‘Not as much as you.

He really cares.

I was a little amused and a little sad: ‘I’m very resilient, just like… just like the mugwort on the mountain.

Mugwort?

“Yes, it’s a kind of grass used as an herb. It doesn’t need much care. You can cut it over and over again. You can cut it all this year and next year there will be plenty of it. It’s very hardy. I took his hand, put it behind my back, leaned over and hugged him. “It will never happen again, I promise. Don’t be mad, okay?”

The smell of smoke on him had not yet dissipated, mixing with the smell of rain drifting in from outside and the faint smell of shower gel on him to create a brand new, wet and exotic scent.

It smells good. Thinking this, I snuggled closer into his arms.

At first, Shen Wunian didn’t seem willing to call a truce and didn’t make a move. It wasn’t until I said I had a headache that he moved, trying to lift the gauze to check.

I put my face on his shoulder and didn’t let go: ‘If you hold me, I won’t feel any pain.

After a while two weights fell on my back. Shen Wunian hugged me back, tightening his arms a little.

It’s stupid to die for someone else. I hope you remember what you said today and protect your own life.

A trace of pain shot through my spine, but this time I didn’t call for help. I let him vent all his emotions in this embrace where we were almost indistinguishable.

The rain continued that night, but it was less heavy than in the afternoon. I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I remembered the scenes of the day. In particular, Yu Xiaoshan’s dead face kept coming back to me.

I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I sat up and turned on the bedside lamp. I wrapped myself in the blanket and curled up into a ball. But the effect was minimal. A single lamp was not enough to dispel the fear in my heart.

I hesitated, struggled and finally knocked on Shen Wunian’s door, hugging my pillow.

Can I…sleep with you tonight? I’m a bit…scared.’

He looked at me for a moment, said nothing, and silently made room for me.

I was afraid he might change his mind, so I quickly climbed into his bed, put the pillow on the empty side and quickly got under the covers.

In the darkness he closed the door and came back to bed.

The mattress sank slightly as he lay quietly beside me. I opened my eyes softly and moved over to him. When I saw that he didn’t react, I moved a little more. I didn’t stop until I could touch his arm.

Perhaps it was the reassurance of having another person there, or the reassurance of Shen Wunian’s presence itself, but I was soon overcome by sleep.

As I was about to fall asleep, the person next to me suddenly rolled over.

Losing my support, I unconsciously moved forward twice and nestled into a warm, firm chest.

A big hand fell on my back and I thought he was going to lift me up, so I mentally cursed him for being stingy, but unexpectedly he started to rhythmically pat my back.

Is he treating me like a child again, trying to lull me to sleep?

As I thought this, my tense muscles relaxed and my fingers twisted the soft clothes in front of me. My consciousness slowly and uncontrollably dissolved into the regular rhythm of Shen Wunian’s hands.

I’m sorry for losing my temper today, and… thank you.

Hearing his voice, I forced my eyes to open. It was dark and I couldn’t see.

‘Shen Wunian, when will I be promoted?’ I asked with a confused mind.

The patting stopped and after a long time, long enough for me to fall asleep again, he spoke slowly, ‘Just wait a little longer.

I closed my eyes and asked in a slurred voice, ‘What is there to wait for?

Half asleep I heard him say, ‘For you to like me a little more.