“Why don’t you want to go?”

Liang Jin was puzzled. He didn’t need Li Wenshui to pay, so why was he still acting so awkward? Li Wenshui’s body swayed with the car’s motion, his face pale from blood loss, as if he might collapse at any moment. There was an expression of indescribable embarrassment in his eyes. He was afraid of going to the hospital and disliked the pungent smell of disinfectant inside. Seeing that Li Wenshui wouldn’t answer, and his pitiful appearance, Liang Jin stopped pressing the issue. He turned the car around and headed back to the old house.

As they passed Liang Xuxing’s courtyard, Li Wenshui, feeling dizzy, suddenly remembered something. He hurriedly looked out the window, his voice urgent: “Liang Jin, I threw your phone outside the back yard wall.”

The car had just stopped when Li Wenshui quickly opened the door and ran out, muttering to himself, hoping the phone wasn’t broken. Liang Jin didn’t stop him. Li Wenshui stumbled over to the corner of the wall, picked something up, and then clumsily ran back to the car, panting heavily. He held the phone tightly without saying a word.

Liang Jin didn’t rush to ask. He could probably guess what had happened. The car stopped in front of Liang Jin’s place. The door opened automatically, and Li Wenshui, still groggy, got out of the car. After taking two steps, he nearly fell, but Liang Jin caught him. He helped Li Wenshui into the house and onto the bed, then took out the first aid kit and opened it.

“Let me see, take your hand away,” Liang Jin sat beside him, turning his face to examine it. His warm breath brushed against Li Wenshui’s lips.

Not going to the hospital had allowed Li Wenshui to relax his guard. As the tension faded, the pain on his forehead became more distinct. Liang Jin carefully removed the tissue from Li Wenshui’s forehead, which was soaked in blood, with bits of it sticking to the wound. A scratch, about the length of half a pinky, marred Li Wenshui’s smooth, beautiful forehead, and blood continued to seep out.

Li Wenshui gritted his teeth and remained silent, his long eyelashes trembling as if afraid.

Liang Jin thought to himself that the Li Wenshui he knew always seemed to be in pain.

“Baby, I’m going to apply medicine now, don’t move around,” Liang Jin’s voice unconsciously softened.

“Mm, apply it, it’s just a small injury, I’m fine.”

He spoke casually, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t afraid of pain. No one isn’t afraid of pain. It’s just that after so many falls and injuries throughout his life, getting hurt had become routine. Applying some medicine was nothing.

Liang Jin used hydrogen peroxide to disinfect Li Wenshui’s wound twice, then applied iodine tincture twice more. The hydrogen peroxide was Li Wenshui’s suggestion, even though the disinfectant on the bloody wound was bound to hurt. Li Wenshui only let out a soft gasp, his nose slightly reddened, but he didn’t react further. Liang Jin had expected the little liar to cry from the pain, with his eyes watering, but Li Wenshui didn’t shed a single tear. The only time Liang Jin had seen Li Wenshui cry was when he had bullied him too harshly in bed, his lips trembling, his face flushed, and when he couldn’t take it anymore, a few tears would slip from the corner of his eyes. The broken, beautiful, defiant look made Liang Jin want to bully him even more.

Liang Jin finished bandaging the wound, and with the gauze wrapped around his head, Li Wenshui looked even more pitiful. Liang Jin, almost on impulse, cupped his face and kissed his cold lips.

“Don’t feel bad. Liang Xuxing won’t get off easily. The old man sent him to a remote place; he won’t be back anytime soon.”

“That’s good.” It was good that he wouldn’t be back for a while.

Li Wenshui had been clutching Liang Jin’s phone all the way, his palms sweaty. Now that the wound was bandaged, it couldn’t be delayed any longer. He hung his head low, looking deflated, and held his hand out in front of Liang Jin.

“Your phone’s screen is broken.”

Liang Jin took the phone, and indeed, it was seriously damaged, the screen cracked. Li Wenshui immediately explained, “It was Liang Xuxing who tried to take your phone. In a panic, I threw it…” His voice grew quieter, “The phone’s too expensive and fragile. It’s not durable. My phone’s been used for years and dropped many times without breaking.”

Liang Jin casually tossed the phone aside and hugged Li Wenshui to lie down on the bed.

“Forget about it. Sleep. Aren’t you dizzy?”

Li Wenshui was dizzy, but since he had something on his mind, he had to say it, especially when it came to money.

“I… I don’t need to pay for it, right?”

Even if Liang Jin asked him to pay, he didn’t have the money, but he still needed to ask to feel reassured.

Liang Jin’s hands were not idle, rubbing Li Wenshui’s firm backside.

“If anyone needs to pay, it’s Liang Xuxing.”

The way he rubbed was so forceful that Li Wenshui’s face turned red, his heart racing. He weakly tried to push Liang Jin away.

“What about the vegetable garden?”

“You don’t need to worry about it. Shouldn’t you more be concerned about your life?” Liang Jin’s hand had already slipped inside Li Wenshui’s jeans.

Li Wenshui suddenly turned over, not caring about Liang Jin’s wandering hand anymore, and rested his head on Liang Jin’s chest, closing his eyes. He had never been protected like this by anyone before. No matter Liang Jin’s reasons or intentions, he carefully wanted to hold on to this moment of tenderness.