Shen Muran simply stared at the wet wipe, making no move to take it.
Jiang Li had never been one to curry favor with others in her life. Her hand remained extended in the offering gesture, and she felt awkward and unsure of what to do.
A heavy feeling settled in her heart.
Given the strained relationship between her and Shen Muran now, even if her concern came from a place of friendship, he would likely categorize it as having ulterior motives.
As Jiang Li numbly began to withdraw her hand and stand up, Shen Muran suddenly pressed down lightly on her shoulder with his arm, causing her to squat back down.
“Your hair is tangled.”
His backpack had been used for many years. When the zipper rusted, he would apply lubricant to make do, but opening and closing it still came with a stiff, jerky resistance.
Just moments ago, when the girl had squatted down, her loose strands of hair were blown by the wind onto the backpack and, without warning, became entangled in the rusty teeth of the zipper. If she stood up directly, it would be like yanking her hair out.
The man took the wet wipe from her, wiped his fingers clean, then leaned in slightly, fully focused on how to carefully unwind those few strands of hair from his backpack.
When Jiang Li lifted her gaze, she found herself facing his neck. She caught sight of his Adam’s apple bobbing once and wanted to look up at him, but a low voice came from above her head, “Don’t move.”
Those two words transported her back to the day she was imprisoned in her past life.
By then, he was already a globally renowned tennis star, worth hundreds of millions.
The man was dressed in a custom-tailored suit, wearing red-soled leather shoes, leisurely swirling a glass of red wine between his fingers as he sat on a high barstool, looking down at her without saying a word.
Just as she felt she was about to suffocate under his gaze, he tossed over a “Retrial Judgment” and ordered her to read it aloud in its entirety.
It was the most powerful proof of innocence issued by the court after Shen Muran had cleared his father’s name!
“Jiang Li, what do you think I saved you for?” Shen Muran reached out and gripped her chin.
When he said this, he clearly exerted force. Jiang Li thought she was done for.
Unexpectedly, the man’s Adam’s apple bobbed again, and he uttered in a low voice, “Don’t move.”
A suffocating, damp kiss pressed against her, biting her face until it was covered in tooth marks.
“Done.”
The man’s shallow breath brushed against the top of her head. After freeing her hair, he picked up his backpack, stood, and walked away without another word.
Jiang Li shook off the indecent thoughts in her mind, snapped back to reality, and ran to block his path. “Hey, wait for me. Come with me to the infirmary.”
The girl spread her arms and puffed out her chest, blocking the way. Shen Muran came to an abrupt halt.
His abdomen had almost collided with that spot!
Shen Muran tensed up, averted his gaze, and quickly took a step back. “I have a part-time job.”
“It’ll be quick, I promise I won’t waste your time,” Jiang Li said, grabbing his wrist with a tone that was soft yet brooked no refusal. “Come on, if you’re late and your boss docks your pay, I’ll make it up to you, okay?”
She snatched the tennis racket and, as she passed Ji Chengyu, shoved it into his hands. “You’re more familiar with the badminton team. Finding the culprit to pay for it is up to you now. Please.”
Ji Chengyu was puzzled. “Damn, why not just buy a new one? It’s just a crappy racket. You want me to run around for this?”
Jiang Li clicked her tongue. “Are you going or not?”
Ji Chengyu replied sheepishly, “Alright, alright, fine.”
Song Ying’er finally caught up, too out of breath to speak. Seeing Ji Chengyu hanging his head, she nudged his shoulder discreetly. “What’s going on?”
Ji Chengyu shrugged and pursed his lips.
…
Jiang Li half-dragged, half-pulled the person all the way to the infirmary.
Her brother held shares in Jincheng University, so they skipped the line and went straight into the VIP treatment room.
“Doctor, please apply medicine to his hand.”
The young woman stood nearby watching, as if simply curious about the doctor’s bandaging technique.
When the disinfectant touched the wound, a fine, dense pain spread across his palm.
But Shen Muran was more preoccupied with the lingering warmth on his wrist, his mind filled with an unreadable complexity.
Was Jiang Li sober right now?
If she was sober, why would she still treat him like this…
Was this woman having an episode or something?
He tried to figure out the reason for Jiang Li’s change in attitude, but even after his hand was bandaged, he still hadn’t found an answer.
Jiang Li nodded in satisfaction. “Remember to apply the medicine on time, or it’ll leave a scar.”
The man’s fingers were slender and distinct, with exceptionally refined bones, and his palms were perpetually tinged with a faint red.
Traditional Chinese medicine said this was a sign of abundant qi and blood.
For some reason, Jiang Li’s mind suddenly went off track.
Late at night, the man would twist the ring on his finger, slowly approach her, and whisper softly by her ear, “The ring is cold. Let’s warm it up together, okay?”
As a result, Jiang Li would ruin a pair of panties every time…
“Doctor, could you also treat Xiaolizi’s hand?”
Song Ying’er had somehow also entered the infirmary. She grabbed Jiang Li’s wrist and leaned in to examine it closely. “You pulled out the IV needle before the drip was finished, and you really went through with it.”
Jiang Li hadn’t paid much attention before, but now that it was mentioned, it did seem to hurt a bit.
“The doctor is busy!”
Jiang Li had an idea. “I cut in line earlier, and there are several students suffering from heatstroke waiting for treatment behind us. My minor injury shouldn’t take up precious medical resources.”
With that, she quickly pushed the doctor out.
Then, she raised her hand and brought it close to Shen Muran. “Disinfecting is simple. Could you help me with it?”
The young woman wore loose hospital pajamas, her face free of elaborate makeup, clean and pale. Her striking features seemed softer, and her tone was gentle.
“…”
A cotton swab was shoved into Shen Muran’s hand.
While he was still debating whether to help or not, Jiang Li extended her hand further toward him. “It hurts so much. If it gets infected tomorrow and I can’t play the violin, Professor Zhu will kill me if I fail the assessment.”
Her delicate voice wormed its way into Shen Muran’s ears. This pampered face was ordering him around, yet strangely, he only felt irritation, not disgust.
Song Ying’er’s gaze shifted back and forth between the two.
The screaming chicken in her heart exploded.
Ber!
Something’s off with my girl!
Song Ying’er had been friends with Jiang Li for over a decade and could tell what she was up to just by the way she moved.
Seizing the opportunity, she decided to test the waters.
“Yeah, as soon as my Xiaolizi heard you were cornered outside the hall, she rushed over without finishing her IV, afraid you’d get bullied.”
After speaking, she glanced up and saw Jiang Li giving her an approving eyebrow raise.
A look that said, “You’re the best, bestie! Love you, love you, love you.”
“…”
Song Ying’er: Σ(blood pressure spike…
Oh no, she’s serious.
In the end, Shen Muran reluctantly dipped the cotton swab in iodine, disinfected the needle mark, and replaced the bandage. His movements were gentle and swift, avoiding direct contact between them the entire time.
A ding from his phone broke the awkward atmosphere.
Lawyer: [Miss, the surveillance footage and your blood drug report have been sent to the police station simultaneously. If nothing goes wrong, Zheng Shuman is definitely going to prison.]
【The posts on the forum have been cleared, and the rumor-monger will apologize to Shen Muran in person.】
Jiang Li curiously clicked on the video.
Squinting her eyes, she zoomed in for a closer look.
“Ugh, what kind of lousy surveillance is this? The resolution is so low it didn’t even capture my stunning beauty.”
“This angle makes you look like you’re 1.8 meters tall,” Song Ying’er leaned her head over. “Oh my, your figure is absolutely gorgeous.”
Jiang Li happily waved her phone and plopped down next to Shen Muran. “Everything about the forum incident has been handled. With direct evidence, no one will spread rumors about you anymore.”
As the faint scent of pear blossoms drew near, Shen Muran’s hand, which had been touching the hem of his clothes, instantly tightened. His fingertips nervously picked at the fabric, yet his face remained expressionless, and he even leaned back slightly.
He tossed the cotton swab into the medical waste bin and took a step back, maintaining his distance.
“Got it.”