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Chapter 16: Rainy Night
ᰔ”You need me, don’t you?”ᰔ
Yu Ran hadn’t even stepped into the hospital room when she received a call from the emergency department about a severely injured car accident patient who urgently needed a consultation.
Jiang Shiluo looked at her retreating figure and called out loudly, “Take care of yourself, Yu dog! Don’t really tire yourself out!”
Yu Ran turned around and quickly waved her hand. “Let’s reschedule for next time.”
This consultation was urgent. From discussing the patient’s condition to waiting for test results, and then finalizing the surgery plan, it was well past 8 PM by the time everything was finished.
Yu Ran didn’t go home, despite her exhaustion, and decided to check on the café.
At this hour, the café should be closing. Yu Ran had already told Shen Suhui earlier that she might not have time to visit tonight. As expected, from a distance, she saw Shen Suhui locking the door, with a middle-aged woman tugging at her.
Feeling something was wrong, Yu Ran got out of the car and hid behind an obstacle, faintly hearing their conversation.
“Don’t think that just because you’re grown up now, you can fly freely. I’m telling you, as long as we’re not dead, you’ll never get your way.”
“What’s the use of running this café? Huh? You’re better off coming back home and marrying someone like a decent girl…”
“Mom, I’m not going back! Let go of me! What’s the difference between this and selling your daughter?”
“You ungrateful one! Your dad and I have spent a lot on you since you were a child, and it’s only right for you to repay us!”
The woman’s face was twisted in fury, her eyes filled with malice as she glared at Shen Suhui.
“If you insist on doing this, I’ll call the police!”
“Hey, you ungrateful little bitch! You little bastard, you dare call the police on your mom?” The woman spat, then pulled a whip from her bag.
“You were born trash. What else do you have worth anything besides your body? When you get older, you’ll be worthless, and then you’ll want to sell yourself, but no one will want you…”
The cruel words echoed in Shen Suhui’s ears, her eyes closed in submission, her head growing heavy with dizziness. She knew the whip would fall on her just like before, and no one would pull her out of the abyss.
But this time, she distinctly heard the sound of the whip striking skin, yet the pain didn’t come. Before she could even open her eyes to check, she heard an urgent and angry voice.
“Run, now.”
A hand gripped her wrist, pulling her forward.
It was Yu Ran.
They jumped into the car, and before the woman could even reach the window, Yu Ran quickly sped off, leaving the crazed woman behind.
Thunder rumbled in the west, and the once clear sky quickly darkened, signaling an incoming storm.
Neither of them spoke. It was the first time Shen Suhui saw Yu Ran with such a serious expression, her brow furrowed, her eyes cold and deep, filled with a fierce energy.
It was the first time Shen Suhui had seen Yu Ran angry.
“You… you’re hurt, your back… does it hurt?”
Yu Ran had to speak. She knew the whip had landed on her, protecting Shen Suhui.
“It doesn’t hurt.”
Her voice was cold, and Shen Suhui bit her lip, retracting her tentative heart.
“I don’t understand, why didn’t you dodge?”
~~
“If I hadn’t been here tonight, what would have happened? Would you have let her hit you in the street?”
“I… I’m sorry…”
Raindrops tapped on the car window, and a heavy rain began to fall.
The rain quickly became torrential, greatly reducing visibility. It was dangerous to drive in such conditions.
Yu Ran slowed the car, her tone softening.
“I’m not scolding you or blaming you. I know you have your reasons.”
Yu Ran pulled the car to the side of the road, then leaned toward Shen Suhui.
“I was just really scared when I saw you and your mom struggling like that.”
“…Scared?”
“Mm,” Yu Ran nodded. “Now you have me. I can help you escape, no matter how many times, as long as you’re aware and willing to escape with me.”
“You first have to learn to fight back.”
She had always been fearless, with her parents planning every path for her, all leading to an easy life. But tonight, for the first time, she admitted to someone that she was afraid.
Afraid of Shen Suhui’s calmness, afraid of her lack of reaction, afraid of her self-abandonment.
Yu Ran held Shen Suhui’s hand. “You can tell me about many things from your past. I won’t tell anyone. In return, I’ll share secrets with you too…”
“Your secrets?” Shen Suhui’s dull eyes flickered with a hint of life. “Secrets about you, from when you were young?”
“Mm, the ones you want to know, right?”
Shen Suhui didn’t answer the question directly but instead said, “Let’s find a place first, and then can I see your back wound?”
“Okay.”
There was a hotel nearby, and Yu Ran booked a room. There was also a pharmacy downstairs.
Shen Suhui turned the air conditioning up to the highest setting, and the room quickly warmed up.
“Let me see your injury.”
“It should be fine. I’m wearing thick clothes.”
“…I need to see.”
Shen Suhui was persistent. She knew the power of that whip, how each strike was meant to kill her.
“Alright.”
Yu Ran took off her clothes one by one, starting with her coat, then her sweater, and finally her inner knitted top.
Shen Suhui’s determined gaze gradually shifted, and eventually, her cheeks turned red.
Yu Ran, however, was quite natural. She wasn’t surprised by Shen Suhui’s reaction. To avoid making her feel awkward, Yu Ran turned her body away and took off her last knitted top.
Her back was smooth and strong, her muscles well-toned and firm. Perhaps because of her fitness routine, Yu Ran’s shoulders were slightly broader, giving her a healthy and reassuring vibe. Though her waist was slim, it didn’t take away from the strength that radiated from her.
Shen Suhui’s cheeks were flushed, and she finally turned her attention to the long scar on Yu Ran’s back.
There was no bleeding, just noticeable swelling. The red marks stood out against Yu Ran’s fair skin, making them strikingly obvious.
“Thankfully, it didn’t break. You should take a bath first, and then you can apply the medicine.”
“Okay.”
Just as Yu Ran was about to enter the bathroom, Shen Suhui reminded her again, “Don’t use water that’s too hot, it’ll hurt.”
“Mm.”
Yu Ran spent an unusually long time in the shower today, much longer than usual, as though she was being extra careful.
When she finally came out, Shen Suhui was gone. She had left without saying a word.
As Yu Ran reached for her phone to make a call, she saw a text message from Shen Suhui sent 20 minutes ago.
The rain hadn’t stopped, and under these conditions, Yu Ran was worried about going outside. She grabbed an umbrella and was about to leave when Shen Suhui returned, drenched from the rain.
Although she was holding an umbrella, the heavy rain had soaked her through. Shen Suhui’s hair and eyelashes were wet, and her clothes were dripping. Yu Ran took a deep breath and pulled her inside, suppressing her growing unease.
“What important thing made you risk going out in the rain?”
She tried to keep her voice calm, but the tremble in her tone was noticeable.
Shen Suhui held up a steaming container and handed it to Yu Ran.
“I brought back some century egg and lean pork congee. I knew you hadn’t had dinner, so I…”
~~
Yu Ran stared at the bowl of congee, lost in thought.
“You…”
“I know you were busy today, working overtime and driving for 40 minutes to get here. You didn’t have time to eat, so I thought you might be hungry… thank you for tonight.”
“So, is this my reward for helping you?”
“Sort of, but even if there was no incident tonight, I would’ve brought you congee.”
“Mm.” Yu Ran’s tone was soft. “And thank you.”
She had ginger soup prepared by the hotel and asked Shen Suhui to go to the bathroom.
Yu Ran quickly finished her dinner and went to brush her teeth.
The room was a luxurious king-sized bedroom, and the two of them had their own space to get ready. When Shen Suhui came out of the bathroom, Yu Ran was sitting on the bed watching her.
“Drink the ginger soup.”
“Mm, okay.”
Yu Ran felt a strange nervousness rise within her. The situation felt a little like they were secretly staying together in a hotel behind someone else’s back.
Shen Suhui drank the soup while thinking, her cheeks and ears turning bright red.
After everything was cleaned up, Shen Suhui started applying medicine to Yu Ran’s back.
“It’s too late, you should just stay here tonight.”
Shen Suhui’s hands trembled slightly as she applied the medicine, and she murmured an “Mm.”
“If you’re not feeling well, you don’t have to go to the café tomorrow.”
“Mm.”
“Shen Suhui.”
“Mm.”
Yu Ran spoke softly, “Don’t keep everything to yourself.”
~~~
Once the medicine was applied, Shen Suhui stepped back, and Yu Ran lifted her gaze to meet hers.
Since Yu Ran was sitting on the bed, she had to look up to meet Shen Suhui’s eyes.
They both tilted their heads, one looking up and the other looking down, their gazes silently entangled in a subtle, ambiguous tension.
Suddenly, Yu Ran lifted her hand to gently hold Shen Suhui’s chin. Her touch was soft, as if afraid that the person in front of her might shatter with even a little force.
Shen Suhui lowered her lashes, her eyes filled with a mixture of longing and dependence.
“You need me, don’t you?” Yu Ran whispered.
Her thumb gently caressed Shen Suhui’s cheek, and only then did Yu Ran notice the clear slap mark on it.
Her heart ached, and she pulled Shen Suhui into a gentle embrace, forcing her to lower her head. Their foreheads touched.
“You’re burning up.”
Yu Ran murmured softly, then suddenly lifted her head and kissed Shen Suhui on the lips.