Chapter 045　 He was certain there was no longer any thorns in his heart.

  *

  It wasn't until 2:00 PM that Su Xian finally found the time to eat the sandwich Honda had bought for her. As she packed up to head home, she noted that Li Chengshi needed to stay in the hospital for two more days of observation, so she had to go back to his place to grab some fresh clothes for him.

  While driving, the injury on her left arm began to throb again. Getting her left arm injured twice in a single year was truly rotten luck. No, wait—looking at it from another perspective, maybe my left arm is my "sacred bone" that takes the hits for me?

  Yes, that must be it!

  She went to Li Chengshi’s house first to get his clothes, then rushed back to her own place to take a quick shower and change. Immediately after, she returned to the company to pick up Honda and head to the hospital to visit Zhao Nanfeng.

  The visiting window was still only thirty minutes today, but Zhao Nanfeng was in much better spirits than yesterday. He proactively asked about work, and Su Xian gave him a report as detailed as possible while he provided some instructions. Honda had brought his change of clothes, which reminded Su Xian to give the drawstring bag containing Li Chengshi’s things to him.

  He pulled the bag open just a tiny crack to peek inside, and his face instantly froze. He didn't even say thank you.

  *

  Coming out of the ICU, while Honda went to the nurse's station to check the bills, Li Chengshi pulled Su Xian to the end of the hallway to interrogate her: "I'm being discharged the day after tomorrow! Who told you to go get clothes for me?"

  "You haven't changed your underwear in three days. Be careful, or you'll get a rash or something."

  "That's none of your business!" His face was beet red as he said indignantly, "How could you just rummage through a man's underwear? You have absolutely no sense of boundaries!"

  "Calm down, calm down." Su Xian patted his shoulder. "It's just a porn magazine hidden in there, right? It's perfectly normal. What's there to be ashamed of? You know I am very, very, very, very tolerant of this kind of thing. Ahem!" She covered her mouth to suppress a laugh.

  "I am very angry!"

  "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have taken the initiative. But don't worry, Li Chengshi, in my heart, you will always be that pure young boy. Even though I've been so proactive, you've stayed true to your heart and handled your needs yourself. That's truly noble." She sincerely gave him a thumb-up.

  "Get lost!" He turned around to face the wall.

  "Then I'm leaving. I'll see you tomorrow."

  "Wait!"

  "Hmm?"

  "Tomorrow is burnable trash day. Help me tidy up my room and throw the trash out." He spoke with his head down, not even looking her in the eye.

  "Okay."

  Seeing Su Xian standing still, he finally looked up and saw that the annoying "holding-back-a-laugh" expression had vanished from her face. Only then did he feel slightly relieved.

  Su Xian stepped closer and looked at him tenderly. "I have one question."

  "Go ahead."

  "The two of us are practically inseparable. When did you even find the time to buy a magazine?"

  Li Chengshi placed his hands on her shoulders, turned her around, and said coldly, "Just go. And don't bother coming tomorrow."

  "I know some free adult websites, do you want me to tell you the URLs?"

  "The texture is different! Just go!"

  "Alright, alright, I'm going. I’m taking Honda back to the office to work overtime. If you miss me, send me a WeChat message."

  "Who would miss you, you lecher!"

  But as soon as she got into her car, she received a message from him: a "muttering and cursing" emoji.

  She replied with a "Good boy, there, there" head-patting emoji.

  **

  After work, Ryo Wakui brought an employee to Towa Design. He helped Su Xian resolve a few urgent tasks and even replied to several important emails on Zhao Nanfeng’s behalf. He mentioned he used to do this for him often, which was how he was able to "poach" Zhao's clients.

  "But don't worry, I won't take anything else from him." His Mandarin was very good.

  You've certainly taken quite a lot already, Su Xian thought to herself. However, she didn't want to blame Wakui. He looked very gentle; it was hard to imagine the scene where he had pinned Zhao Nanfeng to the ground and beaten him. It was likely all for Mio. Those two really did seem like a better match.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  **

  Saturday. Visiting Zhao Nanfeng and picking up Li Chengshi for his discharge.

  Zhao Nanfeng urged Su Xian to rest well at home over the weekend and not to make a special trip to see him, saying Honda would come.

  "She lives so far away, and you're making her come all this way on a weekend?"

  "I had her move to Suitengu. I probably won't be discharged for a month or two. Staying there makes it easier for her to commute and bring me things."

  So that’s how it is. Zhao Nanfeng was much more sensible than before. "Alright then, I'll come back on Monday."

  *

  Li Chengshi’s wound was no longer a major issue. The doctor instructed him to keep taking his medication and to be careful when washing his hair. Su Xian brought him a soft pink knit hat to cover the patch where his hair had been shaved.

  Su Xian played chauffeur today.

  "Team Leader, can you help me wash my hair when we get back?"

  "Of course."

  "Does your arm still hurt?"

  "It doesn't hurt as long as I don't spray it directly with hot water in the shower."

  "Have you been applying the ointment properly?"

  "...Not yet today."

  "I knew it! From now on, I’ll be responsible for applying it for you every day."

  "You're so thoughtful. If only you were there to help when my shoulder was injured. I always forgot, and eventually, I just gave up. That scar probably won't ever go away."

  "You mean the one from March when the billboard hit you?"

  "Yeah."

  "Removing scars requires patience. We can start over. I’ll search for a good product and apply it for you every day."

  "...Isn't that a bit too intimate?"

  "Isn't it on your shoulder?"

  "Actually, even when you mentioned my arm just now, I felt it was a bit intimate..."

  He was speechless. "Your mind is dirty."

  "Yep."

  "...I've never met another woman as 'lecher' as you."

  "You haven't experienced other women, so how would you know?"

  He turned his face toward the window and decided to ignore her.

  **

  It felt so good to be home—her home, of course.

  While organizing things, Li Chengshi quickly noticed the blood-stained shirt she had thrown in the trash.

  He picked it up. "I can wash this clean. It's a waste to throw it away."

  Su Xian opened her mouth but said nothing, her gaze flickering away.

  Sensing the shift in atmosphere, he quickly asked, "Does it bring back scary memories?"

  Yes. That day, she had been kneeling on the floor, with Li Chengshi (who had been struck by a pipe) on her left and Zhao Nanfeng (who had been stabbed) on her right. She shook the one on the left—he was motionless; she patted the one on the right—her hands were covered in blood. In those few minutes before the ambulance arrived, she had been in total despair.

  He threw the shirt back into the trash. "Then we don't want it. Honda said Boss's lawyer friend mentioned that Shinya Suzuki is willing to pay high compensation on behalf of his subordinates. We all get a share. Once I get the money, I'll take you to buy a new Ralph Lauren shirt immediately."

  Su Xian lunged forward and hugged him. "Li Chengshi, you’re the best."

  Li Chengshi smiled. A money-grubber woman is the easiest to coax.

  Su Xian felt her heart lighten instantly. As long as he and Zhao Nanfeng could get recover, the scary memories would fade. "Then help me wash the shirt. No need to buy a new one."

  "It's rare for me to be this generous, don't regret it."

  "I won't." She gave Li Chengshi a quick kiss on the cheek and ran up the stairs, turning back to flash a peace sign. "I got a kiss! Hehe, I'm going to change and then I'll wash your hair."

  He wiped his face, saying with feigned disgust, "You're too much of a pervert." Then, he couldn't help but let the corners of his mouth turn up. He was certain there was no longer any thorns in his heart. If you love someone, you can accept that she loved others in the past, and you can accept her slightly absurd side.

  *