Qi Gui’s knocking brought both people in the office back to reality, plunging them into an awkward situation. Jiang Wu, in particular, felt his ears and cheeks turn beet red as he realized how childish his behavior had been. He quickly pulled his hand back, too ashamed to look up at Shen Yifeng, and blurted out without thinking:
“I just thought of you as my mother.”
Shen Yifeng’s initial awkwardness vanished instantly. His temple twitched as he asked, “Do you have any idea what you are saying?”
Jiang Wu finally processed his own words. His mind filled with only one thought: Help, what an absolute idiot I am!
He looked up at Shen Yifeng, his tone urgent and incoherent as he tried to explain: “I am not doing it on purpose. I mean, looking at you reminded me of my mother. Of course, I am not saying you look like her.”
His voice trailed off because he realized he was making things worse. Finally, he bowed his head and whispered, “I am sorry. I did not mean it that way.”
It is over, he thought. Shen Yifeng must be furious. Anyone would be angry if a grown man suddenly told them they looked like his mother. If the roles were reversed, he would be furious too. Fine, if Shen Yifeng yells at me, I will try my best not to cry. Even as he thought this, the mere idea of Shen Yifeng’s angry face and voice made him want to weep. If he had known this would happen, he never would have come to deliver lunch.
But there is no point in regretting it now. Should I apologize again? Jiang Wu stared at his toes, his thoughts in a jumbled mess. He did not even notice when Shen Yifeng walked away and then returned.
“Give me your hand.” Only when Shen Yifeng’s voice sounded right beside him did he notice the medical kit in his hand.
He is not angry? Looking at Shen Yifeng’s expressionless face, Jiang Wu was stunned.
Seeing that Jiang Wu did not move, Shen Yifeng patiently repeated, “Did you not say it hurts? Give me your hand so I can apply some medicine.”
Jiang Wu was still in a daze. Instead of reaching out, he asked blankly, “Are you not angry?”
His eyes, still red from crying, were glossy with tears. His thick lashes were stuck together, and his mouth was slightly agape. His bewildered expression reminded Shen Yifeng of an otter he had seen at the zoo as a child, equally cute and dim-witted. Shen Yifeng could not help but curl the corner of his lips. “Give me your hand.”
Hearing the command, Jiang Wu obediently extended his hand. The red marks had already begun to fade, but since Shen Yifeng had seen him crying earlier, he still applied an anti-swelling, pain-relieving spray and gently wrapped it in a layer of gauze.
In Shen Yifeng’s mind, Jiang Wu had truly become like the Princess and the Pea, even more delicate, unable to be scolded or hit, with skin so soft it bruised easily, prone to tears and afraid of pain. Shen Yifeng wondered how Jiang Wu had been raised; he had never met someone so fragile, man or woman. Yet, for some reason, he did not find it annoying at all.
When Jiang Wu saw the gauze on his hand, he finally came to his senses. Shame flooded his cheeks again. The pain was gone, and it had only been a bit of redness; having it bandaged like a serious wound felt ridiculous. As Shen Yifeng packed away the kit, the sight of him applying the medicine lingered in Jiang Wu’s mind. Although Shen Yifeng had remained expressionless, his movements were incredibly gentle, as if he were handling something fragile. Jiang Wu’s heart skipped a beat.
Before he could dwell on it, Shen Yifeng had finished setting out the food. “Jiang Wu, come over and eat.”
Jiang Wu hurried over to the sofa, eager to escape his own thoughts. As Shen Yifeng watched him move, he asked, “Does your hand still hurt?”
Jiang Wu stiffened. “No, it does not.”
Shen Yifeng nodded, and they began to eat in silence. Uncle Liu had prepared five dishes and a soup. Jiang Wu had been hungry, and the delicious food quickly made him forget his embarrassment as he focused entirely on eating. He was so distracted that he did not notice Shen Yifeng glancing occasionally at the bandaged hand.
Once full, the shame returned. Thinking of what had just happened, he felt awkward about sharing the room with Shen Yifeng. He wanted to take the food container back, but Shen Yifeng told him to leave it, saying he would bring it home that evening himself.
When Jiang Wu returned home, he found a strange girl on the sofa. She looked about fifteen or sixteen, beautiful with long, wavy brown hair, fair skin, and vibrant features. She was lounging on the sofa, eating snacks as if she were in her own home. Jiang Wu was curious about her identity.
Just as he hesitated about whether to approach, the girl spotted him. Her eyes lit up, and she jumped off the sofa, walking quickly toward him. Up close, Jiang Wu noticed her blue eyes and slightly mixed-race features. Before he could speak, she circled him, observing him with curiosity and confusion.
Jiang Wu did not like her behavior; he felt it was impolite to stare at someone so brazenly upon a first meeting. He frowned, took a step back, and prepared to ask who she was, but she beat him to it.
“Who are you? Why are you here?” she asked, sounding inquisitive.
Jiang Wu muttered to himself, I should be the one asking you that.
“I am Shen Yifeng’s…” Before he could finish the word “business partner,” Uncle Liu’s voice interrupted.
“Xiner, are you going to eat these?” Uncle Liu appeared from somewhere, holding a bag of snacks. Then he saw Jiang Wu. “Little Jiang, you are back?”
“Yes,” Jiang Wu answered.
The girl ran to Uncle Liu, took the bag, and said sweetly, “Wow! Thank you, Uncle Liu! These are all my favorites.”
Uncle Liu laughed indulgently. “Could I ever forget what you like?”
Jiang Wu watched the interaction, guessing that the girl was a relative. The girl suddenly turned and pointed at Jiang Wu. “Uncle Liu, who is he?”
“Oh my, I forgot to introduce you,” Uncle Liu said, patting his head. He pulled the girl toward Jiang Wu. “This is Jiang Wu, your cousin’s fiancé. The old master wanted them to live together to build a relationship.”
Then he turned to Jiang Wu. “Little Jiang, this is Xiner, the daughter of Yifeng’s uncle. They have been living abroad, but she is back for the holidays and will be staying here for a while. Just call her Xiner.”
Jiang Wu nodded—so she was his cousin.
“Hello, Xiner. It is nice to meet you,” Jiang Wu said politely.
The girl nodded. “You too.” She paused, seemingly stopping herself from saying something unkind, and quickly changed the subject. “You are so pretty! Like a doll!”
Jiang Wu felt shy. “You are very pretty, too.”
The girl beamed. “We are both pretty!”