Chapter 20.1 Licking Honey from the Knife’s Edge

The room was draped with thick blue curtains, making the light very dim.

Xie Hezhang looked forward and saw Shu Qingyao, her small body curled up into a ball on the narrow bed, hiding in the shadows of the room.

Her two thick braids were now undone, her long hair cascading over her narrow shoulders, obscuring her delicate and petite face.

He couldn’t see her expression.

He could only sense the fear in her.

The young man’s long neck, with its prominent Adam’s apple, bobbed up and down. A strong sense of guilt suddenly surged through him.

Tang Yuan said that Shu Qingyao had gotten into trouble at the Wang family’s house. What was Shu Qingyao doing at the Wang family’s house? She must have been looking for him.

It was because she was looking for him that Wang Wei had attacked her. He couldn’t imagine what she would have faced if she hadn’t resisted successfully.

A surge of intense rage welled up in Xie Hezhang’s heart because of this thought.

He would personally kill Wang Wei! No matter what!

The young man’s still thin chest heaved violently. He took a step forward and gently closed the door.

His dry throat swallowed.

“Qingyao, it’s me. Can I come in?”

The small ball curled up in the corner of the bed trembled slightly at the sound of his voice. Xie Hezhang felt his heart being lifted.

Shu Qingyao raised her head, revealing a small face covered in tears, her eyes swollen.

Her face was pale, without a trace of blood. She was clearly terrified.

Xie Hezhang’s heart ached violently. He had never felt this way before.

She looked at him blankly, as if she couldn’t see who was in front of her, “Xie Hezhang?”

“It’s me.”

He used the gentlest voice he had ever used to coax her, “Can I come in? Qingyao?”

Tears welled up in Shu Qingyao’s eyes, instantly soaking her small face. She cried out, “Xie Hezhang, why did you take so long to come?!”

…

On the bed, Shu Qingyao threw herself into the arms of the young man, the only one who made her feel safe.

Tears soaked the front of his shirt.

Xie Hezhang was unusually flustered. He held the girl in his arms, awkwardly comforting her:

“Qingyao, don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

“It was my fault. I shouldn’t have been away when you needed me.”

“Don’t cry, don’t cry. Wang Wei has been taken away by the police. I’ll definitely get justice for you.”

…

However, the more he comforted her, the more violently the girl in his arms cried.

Soon, she had cried his shirt all wrinkled.

Xie Hezhang was fearless in the face of anything, even when Xie Xiaoqian cried, he could directly stuff her mouth with his clothes. For the first time, he was so heartbroken by someone’s crying that he felt like he wanted to dig out his heart and liver to comfort her.

Shu Qingyao had been holding back her emotions. Now that she felt safe, she cried her heart out.

After a long time, she finally stopped crying.

Then she felt a little embarrassed for crying.

She buried her face in Xie Hezhang’s arms, not raising her head.

Xie Hezhang felt her gradually calm down and breathed a sigh of relief. He cautiously reached out and brushed the damp long hair that was covering Shu Qingyao’s face away from her cheek. He asked softly, “Qingyao, are you okay?”

Shu Qingyao mumbled, “Not at all.”

“…” Xie Hezhang patted her back reassuringly, “I’ll go call the nurse to check on you.”

“No.” Shu Qingyao reached out, hugged him tightly, and said stubbornly, “Stay here, stay with me.”

“…”

“Don’t you want to?” Her voice was choked with tears again.

Her emotions had just calmed down, and they were very fragile.

Xie Hezhang immediately said, “No.”

“You’ve been avoiding me, ignoring me, and not eating the things I brought you these past few days.” Shu Qingyao hugged the young man’s narrow waist tightly, listing her grievances one by one. The tears that had just stopped couldn’t help but flow down her cheeks again, “Xie Hezhang, are you disgusted by me? Did I do something wrong, that’s why you don’t want to see me?”

“It’s your birthday today, and I brought you some delicious food. Did you know I was coming to find you, so you deliberately ran away?”

“…” Xie Hezhang slowly tightened his arms, holding the petite girl in his arms. His eyes were also a little sore. He said in a hoarse voice, “No, my friends were looking for me, and we went to eat longevity noodles. I didn’t know you would come to my house to find me.”

“So you’re disgusted by me?”

“How could I be disgusted by you?” Xie Hezhang laughed bitterly. He let go of Shu Qingyao, looked down at the girl’s fair and delicate face, spread out his hand, and showed her his rough palm and worn clothes.

His voice was hoarse, filled with pain, “I’m not worthy of you. Qingyao. You don’t deserve to be good to me.”

“If we’re together, your parents won’t agree. Don’t you know my background?”

His eyes were lifeless. The youthful arrogance and self-esteem that he had in front of Shu Qingyao were stripped away, leaving only despair and confusion.

Shu Qingyao quickly said, “I don’t care!”

“You don’t care?” He reached out and gently stroked her face, “If we’re together, and when we get married, I can’t even afford to give you a set of three golds, how can I marry you?”

Shu Qingyao didn’t expect that Xie Hezhang had already thought this much.

“Is that why you’ve been ignoring me? Xie Hezhang, actually…” She wanted to tell him that he would become successful in the future, that he would become the richest man in the city, that he would have more money than he could count.

But how could she say it?

Xie Hezhang looked at her and shook his head gently.

“Qingyao, you’re a good girl. I can’t give you a future. Don’t look for me anymore.”

Shu Qingyao’s tears fell one after another.

She angrily threw a pillow at him.

“Xie Hezhang, are you here to comfort me or to make me angry?!”

“You’re so annoying, just stop talking!”

“I’m going to find you. I’m going to stay in Helian Village. I’ll see where you run to, sniff sniff…”

…

Xie Hezhang realized that he had said the wrong thing. He had come to comfort her, but he had made her cry instead.

He stood there, not daring to move, letting Shu Qingyao hit him with the pillow.

The nurse outside the room heard the commotion and quickly pushed open the door. Seeing the patient beating the visitor, she was startled and rushed in to stop them, “Xie Comrade, the patient is in a bad mood. You should leave now!”

Xie Hezhang stood up from the bedside and was pulled back by Shu Qingyao. She was crying her eyes out, but she still had the strength to yell at him, “Xie Hezhang, you dare to leave me!”

The nurse: “…”

Xie Hezhang: “…”

Xie Hezhang said to the nurse, “I’ll stay a little longer.”

The nurse wiped the cold sweat from her face. Looking at the young man who was being bullied by this petite educated youth like a little wife, she thought to herself, you can’t judge a book by its cover. This girl looks sweet and soft, but she’s really fierce when she scolds people!

“I’ll be outside. Call me if you need anything.”

“Thank you.”

The nurse went out.

Xie Hezhang looked at the sobbing Shu Qingyao and used his sleeve to wipe…

He wiped her face and said softly, “Don’t cry. I’m not leaving.”

“Then will you still avoid me?”

“…”

“Will you still avoid me?!” She suddenly raised her head, her anger blazing.

“… I won’t avoid you anymore.”

Shu Qingyao, following the momentum, choked back a couple of sobs, then used Xie Hezhang’s sleeve to wipe her snot and tears all over him, “Xie Hezhang, you’re really annoying.”

“…” Xie Hezhang remained silent, went to the bathroom, and brought her a wet towel.

Shu Qingyao wiped her face. She felt her eyelids were swollen and could only open a tiny slit.

She touched her eyes, which were swollen like walnuts, “Am I ugly now?”

Xie Hezhang said, “No. You’re still beautiful.”

Shu Qingyao pulled Xie Hezhang over and nestled back into his arms.

“Don’t think you’re not good enough for me. If you say that, I’ll be sad. Xie Hezhang, I think you’re great. There’s no one better than you in the world…”