Chapter 14

This building had two apartments per floor, so it didn’t take Mi Zhao much effort to find Li Sipei’s place.

He knocked on the door, and the person who answered was a young man with glasses and a refined appearance.

The man’s expression was slightly off. After opening the door, he quickly scanned Mi Zhao from head to toe within two seconds before putting on a polite smile. “Please, come in.”

Mi Zhao: “…”

Though he found it odd, he still stepped into the entryway under the man’s invitation. The man told him there was no need to take off his shoes, so he walked straight in.

He didn’t get a chance to take in the apartment’s interior right away—his attention was drawn to the seven or eight people gathered in the living room. Among them was the woman he had met once before at Rizhao Villa.

Ruan Xin was sitting on the sofa. When she turned and saw Mi Zhao, she was momentarily stunned.

“It’s you,” she said, standing up.

No wonder the voice over the intercom had sounded a little familiar.

But since when had this kid become so close to Third Master Li?

He even managed to find his way here!

Ruan Xin looked surprised, but she wasn’t the only one with questions. Mi Zhao had plenty himself. However, with so many people around, it wasn’t the right time to ask them. He could only pick a safe topic. “Sister, where is Li Sipei?”

At the mention of Li Sipei’s name, Ruan Xin clearly hesitated for a moment before raising her hand and pointing to a room. “He’s inside. Go on in.”

“Thank you, Sister.” Mi Zhao nodded and walked toward the room.

Ruan Xin remained rooted in place.

After a moment, Li Zhixuan, who was just as shocked, drifted to her side like a ghost. Staring at Mi Zhao’s back, he half sighed and half exclaimed, “Who is that kid? He doesn’t look very old, yet he dares to call Third Master Li by name.”

Ruan Xin’s expression was even more complicated than Li Zhixuan’s. After thinking for a while, she finally managed to say, “A little friend Third Master met at the villa.”

“Talk about fearless youth…” Li Zhixuan clicked his tongue, then noticed the shopping bag in Mi Zhao’s hand and clicked his tongue again. “I have to say, though, this kid knows what he’s doing.”

—

Mi Zhao was aware of the gazes behind him, but he braced himself and knocked on the door, which was already slightly ajar.

“Come in.”

It was Li Sipei’s voice.

Pushing the door open, Mi Zhao stepped into a spacious room. Aside from a simple table and chairs, there wasn’t much furniture, but there were several unfamiliar pieces of equipment.

An entire wall opposite the door had been turned into a floor-to-ceiling window. The curtains were pulled all the way to the sides, allowing the warm autumn sunlight to flood in, making the whole room bright and open.

Li Sipei sat in a wheelchair, bathed in the light. His hair gleamed golden under the sun. His expression was tense, his hands gripping the armrests tightly. Only when he turned his head toward Mi Zhao did he force a relaxed smile.

There were also two doctors in white coats in the room, busy adjusting the equipment.

Mi Zhao hesitated for a moment but didn’t approach. Instead, he found a spot in the corner to stand.

Rehabilitation was a long and tedious process. The two doctors seemed to have known Li Sipei for a long time and were familiar with his past. They spoke about things that Mi Zhao didn’t quite understand.

An hour later, Li Sipei’s shirt was completely soaked in sweat.

One of the doctors walked over with a clipboard, flipping through it as he spoke. “You still need to work on overcoming your psychological barrier.”

Li Sipei’s hands, which had been resting on the armrests, slipped down limply. He hung his head in silence, his bangs covering his eyes. The lower half of his face, which was visible, was completely devoid of expression.

The doctor sighed at the sight, closed his clipboard, and turned to pack up the equipment.

Only after the two doctors left and closed the door behind them did Mi Zhao walk over cautiously.

He wasn’t experienced in comforting people. Standing there awkwardly for a moment, he eventually reached out and patted Li Sipei’s shoulder.

Like a wooden figure, Li Sipei finally stirred and slowly raised his head to look at him.

Mi Zhao had been independent since childhood. His way of dealing with sadness—whether his own or someone else’s—was to let things settle in silence. If something was bothering him, he would find a quiet place to calm down, and he believed the same worked for others.

Whenever Li Yan had issues, this was how he handled them.

If the person in front of him were Li Yan, he would have left the room, giving him space to process things alone. But the one sitting here was Li Sipei—someone with a different personality, someone with whom he shared a different kind of relationship.

Remembering his sponsor status, Mi Zhao resisted the urge to walk away. Instead, he set down the shopping bag and used his free hand to gently cradle Li Sipei’s head.

Li Sipei’s entire body stiffened.

Mi Zhao leaned forward slightly, drawing him into a loose embrace.

“It’s almost noon. What do you want to eat?”

Li Sipei didn’t answer. Whether he didn’t want to respond or simply didn’t know what to say, Mi Zhao couldn’t tell.

Having witnessed the grueling rehab session firsthand, Mi Zhao found himself unusually patient. He lightly patted Li Sipei’s back.

“If you want to go out, we can go out to eat. If you don’t feel like going out, we can stop by the supermarket and get something to cook at home.”

Li Sipei paused for a moment before saying, “I don’t know how to cook.”

“I do.” Mi Zhao lowered his head to look at him, the corners of his mouth curving slightly. Under the sunlight, the dimples on his cheeks appeared faintly. “I’ll cook for you.”

Li Sipei met Mi Zhao’s gaze. There was a flicker of emotion in his dark eyes, but it quickly sank back into the depths. In the end, he nodded. “Okay.”

—

Outside the door, Ruan Xin and Li Zhixuan hesitated for a long time but didn’t dare to enter.

Every time Third Master Li finished his rehabilitation, it was the most difficult period for them. In truth, his legs had mostly recovered, but due to psychological barriers, he still rarely stood up.

The doctor had said that to overcome his difficulties, he first had to confront them. However, the event from years ago remained an insurmountable hurdle in his heart.

Ruan Xin took a step back and subtly urged Li Zhixuan, “Why don’t you go in and check?”

Li Zhixuan rolled his eyes. “Why me?”

“Aren’t you one of the Old Madam’s people?”

“That makes me even less willing to go in!” He suddenly remembered something. “Wait, what about that kid? He went in but hasn’t come out yet, right?”

Ruan Xin finally realized this as well. She slapped her forehead. “Oh no, how did I forget about him?”

She was about to open the door when—

Just as her hand touched the doorknob, the door swung open from the inside.

Mi Zhao was pushing Li Sipei’s wheelchair out. Suddenly facing the two people outside, he froze for a moment and was about to speak when Li Sipei said, “You should go back first.”

Ruan Xin hesitated. “But—”

“I’ll contact you when I need you,” Li Sipei said in a calm tone.

“…” Ruan Xin looked at Li Sipei, then at Mi Zhao, and swallowed back the words she wanted to say. “Alright.”

Li Zhixuan hesitated and pointed at himself. “What about me…?”

Li Sipei didn’t even glance at him. “You go back too.”

“…Got it.”

As soon as the crowd in the living room dispersed, the house instantly fell quiet.

—

Now that he finally had a moment, Mi Zhao took the opportunity to glance around the apartment. The decor was simple, but the furniture was expensive. The entire setup must have cost a fortune.

He wasn’t knowledgeable about furniture, but he recognized the matching sofa and coffee table in the living room. Last year, his father had wanted to buy the same set but had to give up due to the outrageous price and the lack of purchasing channels. His father had sighed over it for quite a while.

Yet now, here he was, sitting on that very sofa in someone else’s home.

Mi Zhao tested the seat with his weight—it really was soft.

When he looked up, he found Li Sipei sitting right beside the sofa, staring at him intently.

Mi Zhao: “…”

Feeling awkward, he quickly sat properly, coughed twice, and grabbed the shopping bag beside him.

“I bought you some clothes. Want to take a look?”

At his words, Li Sipei’s gaze subtly shifted to the bag in Mi Zhao’s hands.

Mi Zhao pulled out a piece of clothing, shook it out, and held it up against Li Sipei. “The size looks just right. Guess I have a good eye.”

His tone carried a hint of pride.

Li Sipei glanced at him.

The corners of Mi Zhao’s mouth lifted. “Want to try it on now?”

“Later.” Li Sipei said, “I’m going to change first—we’re heading out.”

Oh, right—

Mi Zhao had forgotten they still needed to buy groceries, and it was already noon.

—

The supermarket was right across from Longwan Community.

Mi Zhao let Li Sipei maneuver his wheelchair while he pushed a small shopping cart.

“What do you want to eat?” Mi Zhao asked.

Li Sipei’s gaze swept over the shelves packed with food, and he fell into deep thought.

After a long pause, he finally gave his answer. “Anything is fine.”

Mi Zhao: “…”

Forget it. He would just decide himself.

—

Mi Zhao’s grandparents had passed away early, and his maternal grandparents lived in another province. His parents were always busy working, struggling to earn a living.

So from a young age, he often stayed home alone—cooking, eating, sleeping, and waking up for school all by himself.

At five or six years old, he was barely taller than the stove. Back then, his home didn’t have a gas stove, so he had to stack firewood and light it himself. To stir-fry, he had to stand on a small stool just to reach the pan.

Looking back, life had been tough.

But at least he had developed solid cooking skills.

—

Mi Zhao mentally planned a meal of three dishes and a soup. After picking out the ingredients, he also selected some kitchen utensils.

As they headed toward the checkout, he noticed that Li Sipei’s expression didn’t look good.

“What’s wrong?” Mi Zhao bent down slightly. “Are you feeling unwell?”

Li Sipei’s eyelashes lowered. He looked especially quiet, but his face was pale, and a fine layer of cold sweat covered his forehead.

After a moment, he shook his head. “I’m fine.”

Mi Zhao frowned. “You don’t look fine. Do you need me to take you to the hospital?”

“No need.” Li Sipei’s fingers tightened around the armrest before slowly relaxing. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he spoke hoarsely, “The air here is stuffy, and there are too many people. I’m just not used to it. I’ll be fine once we’re outside.”

Understanding dawned on Mi Zhao. “Just hold on a little longer—we’ll leave as soon as we check out.”

“Mm.”

Unfortunately, the checkout lines were long. Even after choosing a relatively short one, they still had five or six people ahead of them.

Seeing that Li Sipei’s condition hadn’t improved, Mi Zhao placed one hand on the shopping cart and, with the other, took hold of Li Sipei’s hand, which had been resting on his lap.

He held it firmly, his movements direct and unreserved, drawing a few curious glances from people nearby.

Li Sipei was momentarily stunned.

Mi Zhao gave his hand a squeeze, then lowered his head slightly and asked in a soft voice, “Do you mind?”

Li Sipei blankly shook his head.

“I hope this makes you feel a little better.”

Mi Zhao smiled, his eyes curving into crescent moons. His teeth gleamed white, and the dimples on his cheeks deepened.

Li Sipei stared at those bright, curved eyes and unconsciously swallowed.

Perhaps it was just psychological, but the suffocating feeling of being in a foreign place did seem to ease—just a little.