He quickly withdrew his gaze and lowered his head to check Lin Wangxi’s injuries.
The cast looked intact, but her knees, elbows, and other exposed skin had several abrasions, with faint traces of blood seeping out.
Mainly because her skin was so fair—even the slightest injury was clearly visible.
“Can you move your hands and feet?”
Lin Wangxi nodded. Aside from the fractured leg, which hurt sharply with any movement, the rest of her body could still move.
“Then it shouldn’t be serious.”
Zhou Jinyuan carried her to the sofa, then turned to fetch a first-aid kit and a towel.
He used a damp towel to wipe the blood from her elbows and knees, his movements gentle enough that she barely felt any pain.
But when he applied the antiseptic, Lin Wangxi hissed in pain.
Zhou Jinyuan looked up at her. “Why didn’t you call me?”
Lin Wangxi’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she felt a bit embarrassed. “I… I needed to use the bathroom. Why would I call you? So you could help me go?”
Zhou Jinyuan froze for a moment.
He found himself at a loss for words, so he stopped asking and continued treating her wounds.
After finishing, he put away the kit and asked, “Do you still need to go?”
Lin Wangxi was both annoyed and embarrassed. Wasn’t it obvious? Falling didn’t make the need disappear.
She glared at him. “What do you think!”
Zhou Jinyuan looked at her tear-filled eyes. Although she was angry, her flushed cheeks made her seem completely harmless.
Silently, he walked over, picked her up, and carried her to the bathroom in just a few steps.
He set her down and turned on the light.
“Call me when you’re done.”
After saying that, he stepped out and closed the door, leaving a small gap.
Lin Wangxi stared at the crack in the door and the figure outside, feeling even more embarrassed.
But the bigger problem now was how she was supposed to use the toilet with only one leg.
She pulled down her pants, braced herself against the walls with both hands, lifted one leg, and slowly lowered herself.
After a moment, she glanced at the door again.
She couldn’t help but call out, “Go farther away.”
Zhou Jinyuan’s voice came through the gap, calm and indifferent. “I’m not looking at you.”
“Even so, go farther! Hurry, stay at least ten meters away from me!”
Even if he wasn’t looking, he could still hear. And after holding it in all day, it was basically like turning on a faucet.
Although Zhou Jinyuan didn’t fully understand her embarrassment, he still complied, his footsteps gradually moving farther away.
Only then did Lin Wangxi finally relax and take care of her needs.
After finishing, she felt completely relieved, as if a huge weight had been lifted.
She washed her hands and then called out, “Zhou Jinyuan, I’m done!”
A moment later, the door opened, and Zhou Jinyuan skillfully picked her up again, carrying her straight to the bedroom.
Leaning against his chest, Lin Wangxi felt the warmth through his shirt.
She could hear his strong, steady heartbeat.
For some reason, she felt a sense of comfort. The fear and grievance from her fall had mostly faded.
After placing her on the bed and covering her with a blanket, Zhou Jinyuan left again.
Not long after, he returned, carrying several items.
A crutch, a thermos, and… a red plastic bucket.
The first two made sense to Lin Wangxi, but the bucket gave her a bad feeling.
“If you’re thirsty, drink water. This thermos can keep it warm for eight hours. And this is pain medicine—take one if it hurts badly.”
“And this…”
His gaze landed on the red bucket, and he looked slightly uncomfortable. He cleared his throat. “When I’m not here, if you need to use the bathroom, use this.”
Lin Wangxi stared at the red plastic bucket, her face instantly flushing bright red. She exploded, “I’m not using that!”
Just thinking about it was humiliating.
“Then you’ll have to hop to the bathroom yourself. If you fall again and end up with complications, that’s your problem.”
Her face turned as red as the bucket.
But there was a threshold at the bathroom door—even with a crutch, she might not be able to get over it.
She buried her face in the pillow and stopped talking.
Zhou Jinyuan looked at her, his lips moving slightly, but in the end, he said nothing.
“I’m going to cook. Call me if you need anything.”
As he reached the door, Lin Wangxi’s voice came from behind. “Hey, Zhou Jinyuan.”
“What is it?” He stopped and looked back at her from the doorway.
Wrapped in the blanket, she only revealed her eyes as she looked at him. “What’s for dinner?”
“Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.”
“Oh.”
She hadn’t expected him to actually buy it, and she felt a small bit of warmth inside.
After he left, she sneaked another glance at the red bucket.
Her cheeks flushed again. Annoyed, she pulled the blanket over her head.
How could he think of giving her something like that to use?
It felt like she had lost more face today than in her entire life.
The room’s soundproofing wasn’t great. She could hear intermittent noises from outside.
The sound of chopping vegetables, running water, the clink of a pot lid, and Zhou Jinyuan’s occasional footsteps.
These ordinary noises eased the loneliness she had felt earlier.
Staring into the blanket, she drifted into a daze again.
Suddenly, her phone rang.
She poked her head out and picked up the phone from the bedside. The caller ID read “Elder Brother.”
Lin Wangxi stared at the screen for a while before hesitantly answering.
A deep voice came through. “Xixi, are you okay?”
She pressed her lips together, not responding immediately.
Lin Tanyu continued, “Mom, Dad, and I all know this isn’t your fault. As long as you’re willing, we’ll still treat you as family.”
“At the same time, Lin Lin has suffered a lot over the years, and Mom and Dad feel very guilty toward her. We all hope you two can get along well.”
Lin Tanyu sighed, his tone carrying some difficulty. “But I understand your temper, so we discussed it. I have a villa at Crescent Bay—why don’t you stay there for a while?”
Hearing the familiar voice made Lin Wangxi’s nose sting.
It sounded well-arranged, like they were thinking of her, but between the lines, she had already been excluded from that home.
Continuing to treat her as family now came with conditions—it was no longer unconditional.
Yet she had no grounds to argue, nor the right to be willful anymore.
Lin Wangxi took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice steady. “Thank you, but I have a place to stay for now.”
“Xixi, don’t be stubborn. Where are you staying? Is it safe?”
Lin Wangxi didn’t give him a chance to continue. “Tell Mom and Dad I’m fine, so they don’t have to worry. And… congratulations to them for finding their real daughter.”
Lin Tanyu’s breathing paused, as if he wanted to say something.
“Xixi…”
Lin Wangxi didn’t want to continue the conversation. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up.”
She quickly ended the call and placed the phone face down beside her.
Raising her arm, she covered her eyes as tears silently slipped from the corners.
After some time, the bedroom door was gently pushed open a crack.
There were no footsteps, but she could sense someone standing at the doorway.
Lin Wangxi instinctively held her breath, stiffly maintaining her position, pretending to be asleep.
She didn’t want Zhou Jinyuan to see her in such a vulnerable state.
The person at the door stood still for a few seconds.
Then footsteps sounded—not leaving, but walking inside.