Lin Xiyue gritted her teeth and turned her head away, refusing to watch the bloody scene, only feeling that He Mingchu’s hand had become terrifyingly stiff.
“Alright, all the glass fragments have been removed. Next, I need to disinfect it. You’ll have to bear with it.”
The doctor picked up the bottle of alcohol nearby.
Lin Xiyue also reminded him, “He Mingchu, you have to endure it!”
She tightened her grip on He Mingchu’s hand.
He Mingchu glanced up at her, his mind swirling with thoughts.
If she hadn’t changed her choice without permission, he wouldn’t have ended up crushing the glass bottle for no reason.
Hadn’t he been good enough to her?
Why did she still want to stay far away from him?
If she didn’t want to remain by his side, he would make sure she stayed.
Not only would she stay by his side, but he would also teach her a lesson for what happened this time!
As the alcohol splashed onto the wound on his left hand, He Mingchu’s muscles tensed, and he opened his mouth to bite Lin Xiyue’s arm.
Lin Xiyue froze for a moment, and the next second, the sharp pain made her cry out.
“He Mingchu! You!”
She had kindly brought him to the clinic, and he had repaid her kindness with hostility!
The doctor was also startled and quickly tried to push He Mingchu’s head away from Lin Xiyue.
It took both of them considerable effort to finally pull He Mingchu away.
Staring at the bleeding bite mark on her arm, Lin Xiyue was so angry she almost laughed. Tears of pain welled in her eyes as she glared at He Mingchu with a fiery gaze.
“Are you a dog, He Mingchu? Tell me, should I get a rabies vaccine?”
He Mingchu simply looked at her and smiled, his teeth still stained with her blood, his grin sending chills down her spine.
Suddenly, she was reminded of Jin Yu’s vicious and ruthless demeanor, and her heart skipped a beat. She turned her head away, too afraid to look at He Mingchu’s expression any longer.
The doctor chuckled at her, “Well, I might as well treat your wound too. There’s no need for a rabies vaccine for this injury. Your brother doesn’t carry any virus.”
Lin Xiyue snorted at the doctor and muttered under her breath, “Who knows if he’s toxic or not? What if he was bitten by a dog and picked up the habit of biting people!”
He Mingchu let out a cold laugh but didn’t refute her.
Even if he really were a dog, she would have to endure it!
This was the mark he had left on her, a branding to make sure she remembered. Otherwise, she would always do things that crossed the line.
And that displeased him.
On the way back, neither of them spoke to the other.
One had a bandaged hand, the other had a gauze-wrapped arm.
When they returned to the He household, He Mingchu seemed to have sorted out his thoughts and was the first to show Lin Xiyue a kinder expression.
“Xiyue, remember to change your dressing.”
He Mingchu handed her the medication meant for her, his tone returning to its usual calm and gentleness.
Lin Xiyue, still resentful over him biting her, snatched the medicine irritably, returned to her room, and slammed the door shut with a loud “bang.”
He Mingchu stood in place, holding the remaining medication, his eyes swirling with turbulent emotions.
This little pet of his—did she really think she could leave him?
He would let her be happy for a few days. When the admission notices arrived, he couldn’t help but look forward to seeing Lin Xiyue’s expression upon receiving hers.
When He Jianguo and Bai Xiaomei returned home and saw both of them injured, they were greatly shocked.
Lin Xiyue vividly recounted how He Mingchu had left a pair of tooth marks on her arm.
Upon hearing this, He Jianguo immediately frowned and said, “Mingchu, you child, how could you bite your sister when she accompanied you to the hospital?”
He Mingchu, pale from blood loss, looked up at Lin Xiyue.
“I’m sorry, Xiyue, the wound on my hand is quite deep. The doctor used alcohol to disinfect it, and it was so painful I couldn’t help myself. Did I bite you too hard? I apologize. Tomorrow I’ll go to the market and buy some pork liver to stir-fry for you, to help replenish your blood. How does that sound?”
Lin Xiyue opened her mouth but said nothing. Since he had spoken like this, if she continued to make a fuss, it would make her seem difficult.
He Jianguo was also watching her nervously, afraid she wouldn’t forgive He Mingchu.
Bai Xiaomei looked at both their wounds—one was her severely injured stepson, the other her biological daughter who had been hurt by him. She couldn’t afford to offend either side, so she quickly stepped in to mediate.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Both of you need to replenish your blood. I’ll go buy pork liver first thing tomorrow morning. Would you like it stir-fried or in soup?”
Lin Xiyue: “Mom, you have work tomorrow. Don’t worry about the household matters. Mingchu’s injury is more serious than mine—how could we let him go grocery shopping? His hand isn’t convenient either. I’ll go instead!”
He Mingchu said leisurely: “Then I’ll trouble you, Xiyue.”
Lin Xiyue felt her back teeth clench.
Why did she feel like she’d been tricked again?
After another two or three days, the bandage on Lin Xiyue’s arm could be removed, leaving two neat rows of tooth-mark scabs.
He Mingchu’s distinctive canine teeth were imprinted on her arm.
Looking at the tooth marks, he felt pleased inwardly but showed regret on his face.
“Ah, it’s all my fault for not holding back then… Don’t worry, I’ll definitely find a way to remove these tooth marks for you in the future!” Like hell he would!
He wished they could stay on her arm forever.
Seeing his self-blaming expression, Lin Xiyue naturally couldn’t bring herself to say anything harsh.
“Alright, you should check your own wound instead—it’s much deeper than mine. By the way, we need to go to school tomorrow to fill out our college applications. Don’t oversleep!”
He Mingchu’s eyes flickered as he nodded.
The next morning, Lin Xiyue felt completely relaxed, thinking that today everything would be settled—success or failure hinged on today’s application submissions.
At the breakfast table.
Bai Xiaomei seemed somewhat uneasy: “Mingchu, Moon Maiden, you’ve discussed your applications, right? They’re the same? And your estimated scores are no problem?”
Lin Xiyue felt slightly guilty. Aside from the word “university,” not a single character in her and He Mingchu’s applications matched.
She nodded vaguely: “No problem, Mom. Don’t worry!”
Lin Xiyue buried her head in her congee.
She didn’t see He Mingchu’s lips curl in a mocking smile.
You little cheat, even lying to your own mother.
Perhaps because she felt too guilty, after finishing breakfast, Lin Xiyue told He Mingchu she would leave first and see him at school, then ran off.
He Mingchu finished packing his things unhurriedly and stopped Bai Xiaomei before she could leave.
“Aunt Mei, I’m afraid I’ll need you to come to school with me today.”
Bai Xiaomei looked at He Mingchu in confusion.
After filling out her applications, Lin Xiyue let out a long sigh of relief.
Then, without delay, she went to find Jin Yao.
She remembered that Jin Yu had specifically come to change Jin Yao’s applications after she submitted them, to separate her from He Mingchu. So she had arranged with Jin Yao to come and submit her applications at the last minute.
“You’re all prepared, right? Those schools—don’t fill them in wrong, and don’t submit them early!”
Jin Yao frowned: “How did you know my brother would come change my applications?”
Lin Xiyue fell silent for a moment. How could she explain that she knew the plot?
“I’m just making an educated guess. If you don’t believe me, wait here and see if your brother comes to find Teacher Wang to change his college application choices!”
After giving this instruction, she finally returned home feeling satisfied.
Just look at how much she had sacrificed for the male and female leads!
This finally settled a major concern in her heart. Next, she needed to figure out how to make money in this era.
University tuition, accommodation fees, living expenses – everything required money, all of which fell on Bai Xiaomei and He Jianguo’s shoulders, creating too heavy a burden.
Moreover, Bai Xiaomei needed money to establish her footing in the He family. Working for the Jin family wasn’t a long-term solution – someday if the Jin family took a dislike to her and her daughter, they could kick her out at any time.
Lin Xiyue considered that Bai Xiaomei had excellent sewing skills. She planned to earn some money to help her open a shop where she could do mending work or make clothes as a self-employed businessperson, which would also align with the trends of the times.
While happily making these plans in her mind, she wandered back home.
Meanwhile, He Mingchu and Bai Xiaomei had arrived at the school. He Mingchu first filled out his own application choices, then took Bai Xiaomei to see the principal.