The layout of the private hospital’s lounge was reminiscent of a high-end hotel suite, complete with bookshelves, potted plants, and a flat-screen TV. There was even a dedicated washroom in the back, thoughtfully designed to cater to guests’ privacy needs.

As night fell, decorative floor lamps were lit, casting a soft glow through the vintage-style glass lampshades, enveloping the young man’s figure in a gentle orange halo.

It was like pushing open the doors of a church late at night and inadvertently stumbling upon the Son resting beneath a magnificent stained glass window. His jewel-like beauty appeared softer with a smile, tinged with the ambiguity that comes with midnight.

Despite his significant personality issues, Fang Jingcheng was undeniably mesmerizing at first glance.

Xia Fu found the lighting too dim to properly assess his injuries, and her hurt foot couldn’t bear the strain of standing for long in front of him.

She looked at Fang Jingcheng for a moment before asking, “Can I sit over there with you?”

She was used to small, cozy spaces that gave a sense of safety, and after entering the room, she had chosen a small sofa beside the table. But Fang Jingcheng’s seat was much more spacious. That long sofa could accommodate an adult lying down, leaving some space for luggage. She could see Fang Jingcheng clearly without being too close.

“Sure,” he replied with a smile, moving his backpack and other belongings to the other side to make room for her.

The sofa was quite low, and Xia Fu had to support herself on the armrest as she bent down slowly to sit. This time, however, the armrest was replaced by the young man’s arm. He looked up at Xia Fu, opening his arms wide as if asking for a hug.

“Come on, I’ll catch you.”

Xia Fu placed her hand on his palm, and under his guidance, she gradually sank down, descending deeper into the soft cushions of the sofa.

During this process, Xia Fu once again felt Fang Jingcheng’s solidness. He remained seated, making only the slightest move to support her waist as she almost sat down, cradling her like a child and helping her settle beside him.

“Thank you…”

It was too close; Xia Fu caught another whiff of the woody scent on Fang Jingcheng. After he had just beaten Bao Zhiwei, there was a hint of sweat mixed in that aroma.

She couldn’t quite describe it, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Xia Fu fought to stop her chaotic thoughts as she lowered her head to unwrap a box of ointment, recalling her experiences taking care of her younger brother.

“Can you lift your shirt a bit?”

“Sure, I don’t think it’s a problem.” He tucked his hand under the hem of his T-shirt, gently sliding it up along the curve of his waist, exposing the injured area of his abdomen to Xia Fu.

Xia Changqing had been a notorious troublemaker since middle school, frequently skipping class and hanging out with unsavory characters. After getting involved in territorial disputes with students from a neighboring school, he often returned home covered in bruises, and Xia Fu had bandaged his wounds many times.

They’re both guys, what’s the difference?

She had intended to treat the situation with a level head, but upon seeing Fang Jingcheng’s well-defined muscles, she couldn’t help but lose focus—sorry for comparing him to her brother without permission; that was rather rude of her.

Maybe wealthy people maintain a regimen of professional sports from a young age. Fang Jingcheng’s physique was the perfect inverted triangle, with a narrow waist bursting with explosive strength, his muscle definition sharp and fluid, reminiscent of a big cat.

Contrasting sharply with his muscles was Fang Jingcheng’s skin.

Despite his solid body, his skin was as smooth as a girl’s, porcelain-white and so delicate it seemed poreless. Bao Zhiwei’s full-force punch had only left a small purplish mark on Fang Jingcheng’s abdomen.

How could that weakling even compare?

Fang Jingcheng elongated his tone, pride dripping from his voice, “See? I told you it was nothing,” noticing Xia Fu’s distraction. He leaned down curiously, wanting to see her expression.

“What’s wrong? What are you thinking about? Are you shy?”

“Nothing… just a bit surprised there are no tattoos here.”

Xia Fu replied honestly.

She took a deep breath, averted her gaze, and focused on tearing the plastic backing of the ointment.

His skin was so white it was like a flawless canvas, with faint bluish veins visible below his navel, winding their way toward his waistband. It reminded Xia Fu of the snake tattoo on Fang Jingcheng’s hand; a dark pattern would look great on his side as well…

Fang Jingcheng’s unexpected response caught him off guard. “Huh? A tattoo on my waist?” He examined his abdomen closely, following Xia Fu’s train of thought as he imagined the design’s flow.

What a unique suggestion. Was it true that the more innocent someone was, the more direct they were in this aspect?

He had gotten the tattoo purely for fun and had never progressed with anyone to this level before. Just thinking about it felt overly intimate.

Xia Fu ignored the question. She applied the ointment to Fang Jingcheng’s abdomen, pulling down a bit of his shirt. “All done, you can put it down now.” Then she quickly changed the subject: “Can I see your hand?”

The young man lifted both hands, compliant like a well-behaved dog.

“Sure, which one?”

Xia Fu pointed to the back of his hand.

“This one, the one with the ring.”

His fingers were long, with distinct joints, and his palms were broad enough that she needed both hands to hold one. Xia Fu raised it to eye level, scrutinizing the ring and the junction of his fingers against the light.

“You wore accessories when you hit him; I was worried it might cut you… and it did bleed. Does it hurt?”

Fang Jingcheng’s ring had a textured surface, comparable to a mini knuckle duster when throwing punches. But the force was mutual; when pressed, the hard metal could also tear a small piece of flesh from his finger.

It had been an accident earlier; she had never encountered a body radiating so much testosterone before.

But just the hands weren’t so embarrassing.

Xia Fu slipped off the silver ring, broke a swab dipped in iodine, and gently wiped away the dried blood from his knuckle. Fang Jingcheng had spent so much money tonight; she felt she needed to do something to repay him.

“It’s fine; just watch how you do it.”

Is this what it feels like to be an older sister? She must have gained plenty of experience in caring for others.

Fang Jingcheng felt like he had inadvertently fallen out of rhythm, sitting there obediently as she fussed over his hand.

The girl’s hands had been rewrapped by the doctor, and now her bandaged fingertips slowly brushed against his knuckles. Although her touch was extremely gentle, the rough texture of the gauze still made Fang Jingcheng feel a bit ticklish.

It is said that the ten fingers are connected to the heart, and this strange sensation seemed to reach deep inside. Fang Jingcheng felt that if he just leaned in a bit more, he could touch Xia Fu’s palm, then entwine their fingers together.

Just as he was about to act on this thought, Xia Fu’s fingers pulled away.

Perfect! This time, the dressing was calm and collected, and thankfully, there were no blunders.

Xia Fu let out a breath of relief, looking up at Fang Jingcheng, proudly showcasing her handiwork.

“This is good.”

He gazed at her intently. Hearing Xia Fu speak, he smiled and praised her, “Really impressive; your hands are so skillful.”

That smile was dazzling.

Xia Fu slowly blinked, feeling a spark of electricity as she released his hand and searched for the silver ring on the coffee table.

“By the way, the ring. Do you want to wear it again, or should I put it away?”

“Let’s switch fingers.”

Fang Jingcheng pinched the ring between two fingers, slowly rotating the small circle. He lowered his gaze, avoiding his injured index finger and the occupied middle finger, placing the ring on his empty ring finger.

…

Xia Fu’s laptop had been smashed into scrap metal, rendering it useless back at the dorm, and bringing it would only aggravate her foot injury. Fang Jingcheng insisted she leave the computer in the backseat of the car, promising to take it to a contact at the computer store tomorrow to recycle the memory and get her a new one.

“Remember to send me the software you need so I can have him install it all.”

“I’ve packed the medicine into your backpack; can you carry it? Do you want to call your roommate to come get you? Or should I drive you back to the dorm?”

Considering Xia Fu’s introverted and shy nature, Fang Jingcheng didn’t drive to the dorm entrance but instead chose a parking space next to the teaching building, conveniently near the spot where they had first met.

He leaned over the steering wheel, gazing at Xia Fu in a daze, patiently waiting for her to respond.

He wasn’t in a hurry to make his presence known at Xia Fu’s dorm. Due to the upcoming competition, they would inevitably be seen together often; it was just a matter of when people would notice.

The hospital had provided Xia Fu with a pair of crutches made from lightweight alloy, so even without him, she wouldn’t be completely immobile.

The girl clutched the crutches, first gazing longingly in the direction of the dorm, then turning her head to look at herself for a moment, unsure whether she was reluctant to part with him or her precious laptop.

Silence flowed within the car, and just as Fang Jingcheng felt himself drifting off to sleep, Xia Fu spoke up.

“Can you sit with me for a little longer? Just on the sofa?”

They returned to the recycling station where they had first met. It looked just the same as before, with a gray waterproof tarp, a rusty bicycle, a trash can piled high with camphor leaves, and a leather sofa hidden in the grass.

At this hour, there were no pedestrians on the road; the only sound in Fang Jingcheng’s ears was the wind rustling through the leaves, and the girl’s faint request was swallowed by it.

“Could you sit on the right side? I don’t want you to see my injured side.”

After bravely standing up to Bao Zhiwei and voicing her thoughts, Xia Fu felt she had made an effort. But now, as they neared the dorm, about to walk past the injury-laden corridor again, she realized she wasn’t as strong as she’d imagined.

Her roommates would surely ask what had happened when she returned with injuries. Although they were all nice girls who would care about her well-being and condemn Bao Zhiwei’s wrongdoing, the thought of seeking help from the dorm supervisor, arguing with Jiang Rong, reporting to the student council, or even going to the police made her replay every detail over and over again in her mind. She now felt too drained to explain everything she had endured.

She was just so tired; even receiving kindness felt like a burden to Xia Fu.

She wished she could wait until everyone was asleep and sneak back, or perhaps just lie and say she had accidentally fallen…

Fang Jingcheng sensed her vulnerability.

He squinted his eyes and didn’t directly comfort Xia Fu; instead, he casually planned for tomorrow, “It’s already late. Do you want to take a day off? The teachers will approve. When you wake up, how about we grab something to eat and clear our minds?”

Xia Fu turned her head and shook it with a smile. “It’s fine; we still need to prepare for the competition.”

“Just don’t say anything; it’s enough to be with me for a while…”

Fang Jingcheng found himself momentarily at a loss for words; it was destined to be an unusually quiet companionship.

As the wind swayed the camphor tree branches, the girl’s delicate face flickered in the light, mirroring the rhythm of Fang Jingcheng’s heartbeat at that moment.

Sometimes, rather than the shining virtues, it was the weaknesses of human nature that could spark a romantic connection. Fang Jingcheng saw a “bud” of emotion on Xia Fu’s melancholic face, yet he never imagined that the “bud” in her heart would slowly wither away tonight.

Xia Fu gazed at Fang Jingcheng’s face. He was truly breathtaking, capable of stealing her breath away in a fleeting glance.

Moreover, he had helped her see a better life, filled with delicious food, vibrant clothing, a strong network, and thoughtful service.

This made Xia Fu feel that the future might not be so terrifying after all. Even if she were injured, there were such good places like private hospitals where not only her wounds could heal, but her panicked heart could also find peace through excellent service.

For this, she needed to study, to graduate, to work hard and earn money, to live a better life… She didn’t want to go hungry anymore.

Then she would leave, to a place where her parents couldn’t find her, where no one knew her, starting anew and shedding all the awkwardness of her past. Among this, it seemed that she would also leave behind her witness of suffering.

Xia Fu couldn’t hold eye contact with Fang Jingcheng for long. She had never been in a relationship with a boy, but that didn’t mean she was a clueless fool. She could feel the hidden affection in her heartbeat. She had made efforts to interact with Fang Jingcheng as equally as possible.

But all of that was wasted tonight. She had been beaten, called a bitch, and fled in embarrassment. The more dazzling Fang Jingcheng appeared, the more he highlighted her own pitiful struggle in the mud from years past.

…She shouldn’t dwell on the “moonlight” that she couldn’t hold onto; that wasn’t something she should be thinking about.

Right now, she simply clutched the corner of Fang Jingcheng’s clothing tightly, drawing some sense of security from the action.

This might not be right, and it had nothing to do with dignity, but it was the easiest way for Xia Fu to find comfort at this moment.

It had nothing to do with affection; it was merely need.