Wang Huanxiu looked at Bai Shuijin boredly. The other party only showed him the back of his head and didn’t say a word for a long time.
“Why aren’t you talking?”
Bai Shuijin turned his head and looked at him with big watery eyes. “Laogong-ge, maybe… maybe don’t ask. It’s not good.”
“Why not?”
Of course it’s not good for you. But Bai Shuijin didn’t dare say that out loud. He was just a lecherous college student who liked looking at handsome guys. He never meant to hurt anyone.
If Wang Huanxiu found out about the nicknames he’d given those male actors, it would be bad for Wang Huanxiu, and even worse for himself. The only one who might benefit would be the sharks in the sea that would get one more bite of him.
He had a kind heart and tried to muddle through this issue. “Laogong-ge, let’s watch anime instead. Anime’s good too.”
He reached for the remote, intending to change the channel.
But Wang Huanxiu didn’t budge. “What’s this one called?”
Bai Shuijin saw a long, slender finger pointing at the male lead on the TV.
“Fang Nan…”
“Mm?”
“…” Bai Shuijin mumbled, “Laogong.”
“What did you say? I didn’t hear.”
He wanted him to say it louder.
Bai Shuijin took a deep breath and, using the seriousness he had during his Level 2 Putonghua test, pronounced sorrowfully, “Laogong.”
“And that one?” The fingertip moved to another face.
Bai Shuijin twisted the hem of his sleeve. “Also laogong.”
“That one.”
“Still laogong.”
“…”
The room fell into silence, followed by a chilling sneer.
“You’ve got quite a few husbands.”
Bai Shuijin gave him a flattering smile. “The more the merrier.”
“Oh really?”
Seeing Wang Huanxiu’s cold gaze, a wave of goosebumps spread across Bai Shuijin’s skin and he quickly shook his head hard.
‘Pretend I never said that.’
In order to save his own life, Bai Shuijin had to explain himself. “Laogong-ge, have you heard this saying before?”
“What saying?”
“More friends, more paths; more husbands, more homes.”
“…”
Bai Shuijin scooted a little closer to Wang Huanxiu. “I just called them that for fun. There are many laogongs, but only one laogong-ge.”
As he spoke, he tossed aside the second born baby in his hand.
Useless thing! Just round and clumsy! It hurt laogong-ge’s eyes.
Just for the gold card that let him buy buy buy and spend spend spend however he wanted, Bai Shuijin was determined to coax him today.
“So I should feel honored?”
“Laogong-ge, no need. This is what you deserve.”
Sweet talk.
Wang Huanxiu’s expression was relaxed, but there was danger hidden in the deep and dark, unfathomable eyes.
After dinner, Bai Shuijin went to take a shower, and came back carrying the fresh scent of body wash. The body wash at home was all the same brand, and Wang Huanxiu was familiar with the scent.
At the moment, Bai Shuijin was wearing cartoon pajamas, sitting on the sofa. His feet in white socks rested on the carpet.
His frame was slender, without a habit of working out. His figure was well-proportioned but lacked any muscle. Wang Huanxiu felt he could easily strangle him if he exerted a bit of force.
The collar of the pajamas was loose and soft, exposing the back of his neck to Wang Huanxiu’s eyes.
Tender white, fragile…one snap and it would break.
A cool sensation at the nape of his neck made Bai Shuijin shiver, and his head of rainbow hair gave a small tremble. At this moment, his neck was being gently squeezed by a big hand, the pressure alternating between light and heavy.
Bai Shuijin turned his head and met Wang Huanxiu’s pitch-black eyes. He blinked, and the two stared at each other in silence for a few seconds.
“Laogong-ge, your hand is so cold. Let me warm it under my butt for you.”
“…”
If one didn’t know better, they might think the other party had grabbed a piece of ice before touching him.
Bai Shuijin didn’t sound like he was joking.
As soon as he finished speaking, he really grabbed Wang Huanxiu’s wrist and started guiding his hand under his butt.
Wang Huanxiu frowned briefly and pulled his hand back. “No need.”
The hand escaped in panic, but Bai Shuijin seized the chance to grab hold of his little finger in midair.
“It’s fine, laogong-ge, I don’t mind.” He gave him a sweet smile. “Actually, my butt is really warm.”
Wang Huanxiu: “…”
His dark brown eyes slid down like a venomous snake, landing on Bai Shuijin’s hand clutching his little finger.
Bai Shuijin lifted his perky butt and pretended to cover the hand.
He’d done this sort of thing many times. The university he attended was in the north, and it snowed every winter. It was a true ice and snow world that made people’s teeth chatter. Outdoor temperatures could even be the cause of death for a corpse, and when it was extremely cold, water poured outside would freeze immediately.
Getting to an 8 a.m. class was a heroic feat. Even with a will of steel, by the time one reached the classroom from the dorm, they were already frozen stupid. Exposed hands ached in the cold air, like razor blades scraping at the skin. The indoor-outdoor temperature difference was brutal, and once indoors, the hands were too numb to feel anything for a while.
But Bai Shuijin had a solution!
He always sat on his hands during those times and after a while, they warmed right up.
Bai Shuijin boasted, “Laogong-ge, I warm my hands like this all the time.”
Wang Huanxiu stared at his proud expression.
Everyone in the circle knew Bai Shuijin would shamelessly chase after Pei Zhiheng every few days. Even someone like Wang Huanxiu, who didn’t care about gossip, had heard a bit.
“Whose hands were you warming?”
Bai Shuijin lifted his hands to show him and lowered his head bashfully. “Bai Shuijin’s skillful left and right hands.”
“…”
Even as he showed his hands, Bai Shuijin still didn’t let go of that little finger.
He was determined to show Wang Huanxiu the miracle of an ordinary person’s hand-warmer.
His butt warmed up fast anyway, and it’s not like a hand would die from sitting on it.
“Come on, laogong-ge.” His little face was full of noble sacrifice and grand generosity.
“No need.” The man rejected him coldly and tried to pull his little finger free.
“Are you embarrassed?” Come on, we’re both big strong men, what’s there to be shy about?
“Just do it.”
The two of them started a tug-of-war on the sofa.
“No need.”
“Come on.”
“No need.”
“Com…”
Crack!
A sharp sound cut through the air, and everything went quiet.
Bai Shuijin’s hand froze while still holding Wang Huanxiu’s finger. What was that sound?
It sounded kind of familiar. He’d heard it somewhere before.
Bai Shuijin thought hard and a lightbulb lit up in his mind. There was a time his college roommate slipped in the shower and broke a bone…it made the same crack sound.
‘So it was a fracture…’
One second later, Bai Shuijin: !!!
His body stiffened, and he slowly lifted his eyes to secretly peek at Wang Huanxiu’s expression, only to meet the other party’s murderous gaze.
Bai Shuijin’s whole body shook, right down to the tip of his tailbone.
He swallowed hard. “Laogong-ge, are you… are you okay?”
He gently released his hand. Just then, the butler came in with a fruit plate and snacks and let out a sharp scream at the scene.
At 10:20 p.m., a black Lincoln pulled into the hospital parking lot. Bai Shuijin stood inside the consultation room with his head lowered, completely deflated, the smell of hospital disinfectant filling his nose.
In a single night, he’d gone from a bright-eyed college student to a ruthless domestic abuser.
Wang Huanxiu’s left hand had been X-rayed. His little finger was secured with a small splint and bandage, and they were now waiting for the doctor’s advice on whether he’d need a cast or not.
The doctor examined the X-ray, and Bai Shuijin leaned in to look too.
The bones of Wang Huanxiu’s hand appeared clearly under the bluish-black film.
Bai Shuijin leaned in next to Wang Huanxiu’s ear and babbled, “Laogong-ge, your bones are really beautiful.”
“…..”
The doctor stroked his chin while examining the film. “It’s not a serious injury. There’s no need for a plaster cast.”
It was a strange result. The little finger was a fragile spot, so when it broke, it was usually either barely a crack or completely shattered. As a result, this fracture was just right…just a bit more and they’d have needed a cast.
The doctor found it odd, but the hospital was full of odd cases anyway.
He asked, “How did this happen?”
Wang Huanxiu replied with a cold face, “Bai Shuijin’s skillful left and right hands.”
“…”
The doctor looked past him at the person behind.
The originally listless Bai Shuijin now looked all bashful.
They actually aren’t that skillful~
But fracturing someone’s little finger still made Bai Shuijin filled with guilt and anxiety. Anyone with a conscience would feel bad after injuring someone.
His face was full of shame. Wang Huanxiu wasn’t going to chop him up and feed him to the sharks now, was he?
Although the other party didn’t show it on his face, he must be holding a grudge in his heart.
Bai Shuijin wished he could throw himself at Wang Huanxiu’s legs and beg for mercy.
The doctor typed away at the computer to write a prescription while Bai Shuijin dragged over a chair and sat down beside Wang Huanxiu.
He whispered, “Laogong-ge, I’m sorry.”
His eyes brimmed with guilt. He was the kind of person who’d feel bad for not having spare change when he saw a beggar on the street, let alone now when all he wanted was to warm Wang Huanxiu’s cold hands, but instead, he’d landed him in the hospital.
At this moment, even his colorful hair seemed to have lost its vitality and color.
“I just wanted to warm your hands. They felt really cold.” His voice got smaller and smaller, until it was like he was speaking to a mosquito.
Wang Huanxiu glanced at the sad and color-drained Bai Shuijin, but his gaze stayed for less than a second before shifting away.
The doctor shook his head while printing the checkup and prescription forms, and said knowingly, “You family members really don’t take enough care, huh?”
“Yes, yes, yes,” Bai Shuijin nodded.
“I don’t know what you were doing, but you can’t do dangerous stuff like that anymore.”
“Mhm mhm mhm.”
Bai Shuijin’s head drooped lower and lower.
Wang Huanxiu: “You’re about to fall into my chest.”
Bai Shuijin: …
Wang Huanxiu pinched the back of Bai Shuijin’s neck and pulled him upright.
The doctor continued, “You young people just have no sense of limits. Now look…”
Wang Huanxiu interrupted in a cold, hard voice, “How long will the fracture take to heal?”
Pulled back on track, the doctor paused for a second. “For an injury like this, you’re looking at a hundred days at least.”
“And since it’s your hand, something you use often, you’ll need to be extra careful not to bump it again.”
‘That’s a long time to heal,’ Bai Shuijin drooped his head even more. Fractures must really hurt. He remembered when his roommate slipped in the shower and broke a bone, he screamed and wailed the whole way to the hospital, saying he was about to ascend to heaven and hoped his girlfriend could move on and start a new life. He even wrote a will.
Even his expired chocolates in the dorm drawer were bequeathed to Senior Huang from school.
But Senior Huang was a dog. That roommate was both kind and… not kind.
His roommate had cried like a ghost, but Wang Huanxiu showed great endurance. He didn’t even frown when his little finger got broken, let alone cry. From home to the hospital, he didn’t utter a word of pain.
It was as if he wasn’t the one injured. The butler had even screamed louder than he did.
“Laogong-ge, doesn’t it hurt?”
Wang Huanxiu gave him a look that said: figure it out yourself.
Bai Shuijin: “…”
The doctor finished up the forms, and the treatment was done. They could go home after picking up the medicine.
Caring Bai Shuijin came online. “Doctor, are there any medical instructions my laogong-ge should follow?”
The doctor rubbed his chin, looking like he kind of did, but kind of didn’t.
Bai Shuijin got anxious. “Doctor, say it.”
‘Say it…why are you keeping it to yourself?’
The doctor looked at Wang Huanxiu and said, “Stay away from Bai Shuijin’s skillful left and right hands.”
“…”
