Chapter 293

Chapter 293: 286: I’m kissing you, can you respond to me? Chapter 293: 286: I’m kissing you, can you respond to me? The police car drove away.

Wen Changling stared at the snow on the ground, stained red with blood, lost in thought for a long time. She couldn’t comprehend Jiang Chengxue; she couldn’t grasp his twisted psychology, forcing her to death yet also sacrificing his own life to save her.

“Changling.”

Xie Shang hugged her, his heart still racing, his fingertips trembling.

She slowly calmed down, “How did you find this place?”

“I asked friends at the police station to check the surveillance.”

In the freezing cold, she touched Xie Shang’s palm and found it clammy, realizing that during the several hours she had been out of touch, he must have had a difficult time. She suddenly felt despondent and loathed herself, as it seemed she had always brought only negativity to Xie Shang.

Recently intent on mutual destruction, Crazy Wen finally grew a conscience and apologized in a low voice, filled with guilt and annoyance: “I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“For everything.”

She had been solely focused on revenge, on her own release, keeping secrets from him, ignoring his fear and trepidation.

Xie Shang’s hand around her waist involuntarily tightened, his heart still racing from having regained what he lost, “Do you really feel sorry for me?”

“Yes.”

She looked up, her hair a mess from the embrace, wisps of hair standing out fuzzily in a disheveled yet endearingly submissive manner.

“Then promise me something.”

Xie Shang’s eyes were already red. Half an hour before, he had called He Dongzhou for help, after a frantic and disorganized explanation, he composed himself and made arrangements for the aftermath, knowing that Wen Changling didn’t want to live and had taken the last Hooked Cymbidium from the yard.

While promising to help, He Dongzhou cursed him ferociously for being insane.

He Dongzhou’s words didn’t wake him up; it was holding Wen Changling now that brought him to his senses. No matter if it meant begging or kneeling, he was determined to wear down Wen Changling until she softened for him.

“I’ll arrange for you to see Doctor Tao, okay?”

Wen Changling looked at Xie Shang quietly for a few seconds and nodded.

“Good.”

It seemed that Xie Shang knew all the things she kept hidden, he just never pointed them out, and then indulged her unconditionally.

*****

After a day of rest, the next day Xie Shang accompanied Wen Changling to the psychological consultation rooms. Doctor Tao talked with her for two hours in a relaxed atmosphere, discussing only the embarrassing incidents from when she was still a physics prodigy and knew nothing but studying. She told Doctor Tao that it was always Ah Na who helped her clean up the messes.

Doctor Tao asked if Ah Na had a very good personality, very popular.

She said yes.

By the time she got home, the sky was almost dark. Doctor Tao had prescribed new medications, for anxiety, depression, insomnia, over ten pills to be taken at once.

Wen Changling was very good at taking medicine; she could swallow them all in one go with just a small sip of water. Xie Shang peeled a piece of candy for her, hard candy flavored like green apple, to take the bitterness away.

“I don’t find it bitter, the medicine is in capsules.”

Xie Shang fed her the candy anyway.

He felt she was bitter; fate was not kind to her, not good to her at all.

Wen Changling crushed the candy in her mouth, her mood suddenly dropping, “You’re at a loss.”

“A loss for what?”

“Being stuck with someone like me who has mental health issues and is obsessed with vengeance. Ever since you met me, I’ve caused you nothing but grief. If you hadn’t met me, you would have always had a smooth sailing life.”

Her pessimistic emotions were overtaking her, her illness acting up again.

Xie Shang lifted her face, then suddenly kissed her. She did not want to kiss after just taking medicine, trying to push him away with her hands. But Xie Shang was persistent, capturing her hands behind her back, their fingers interlocking, adamant to continue.

He sucked on the tip of her tongue, twining around it in an ambiguous and deeply sensual kiss, only stopping when she was short of breath before holding her and patting her back lightly, “Not bitter, quite sweet.”

Unsure if he is talking about the sugar or something else.

As Wen Changling wallowed in her self-loathing emotions, her thoughts suddenly were interrupted, pondering: Xie Shang is such a good kisser... ugh, so annoying.

“Changling.”

Wen Changling didn’t respond; her eyes watery from the kissing, she looked up, falling into Xie Shang’s deep and focused gaze.

“I’ve told you before, I’m extremely love-struck. Just a little response from you, and I gain immense positive emotional value, enough to satisfy me. How is that a loss?”

He moved in to kiss Wen Changling again, sometimes close and lingering, other times lightly pecking. Occasionally he would pause, and seeing that she refused to close her eyes, he’d cover her vision with his hand, the kisses becoming more intense.

It was a seductively soothing gesture.

In the pauses between deep kisses, he moved the hand that had always blocked her vision, allowing her to clearly see the yearning he had for her. His gaze, his fingers turning pale while holding her, his scalding skin, and his rapid breathing were all telling her one thing—she was loved and needed.

“I’m kissing you, can you respond to me?”

He had just said that even a little response could gain a lot of emotional value.

Wen Changling lifted her arms and wrapped them around Xie Shang’s neck. The candy in her mouth melted, sticky sweet.

*****

What Jiang Chengxue would do, Wen Changling didn’t ask, leaving the trouble to Xie Shang. Her work had come to a halt, and besides visiting the consultation room, she spent the rest of her time “splurging”—reading miscellaneous books, checking if the newly planted potatoes had sprouted, brewing tea, burning incense, practicing calligraphy with a brush, and she also learned Go and playing the guqin from Xie Shang.

After mastering a piece of music, she shamelessly boasted to Xie Shang, “I’m almost caught up with your skills in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting.”

“Has Little Star learned it yet?”

Sitting in front of Xie Shang’s exceedingly rare and priceless guqin, she was ready to show off her skills: “Teacher Xie, don’t underestimate me.”

Then the piece was played by her all torn and fractured, hesitant and discontinuous... Xie Shang listened patiently to the whole piece, allowing Miss Wen to torment both his ears and the guqin passed down from his grandmother.

When Wen Changling stayed home, it was for several days at a time. Concerned she was becoming too cloistered, Xie Shang didn’t refuse when Gu Yihuan invited him out to play on the weekend, asking Wen Changling if she wanted to come along.

While changing into pretty clothes, Wen Changling complained that Xie Shang was very annoying.

The gathering was at the Gu Family’s Flower Chamber Hall, where Gu Yihuan’s dad had stirred up another romantic scandal—

this time, the woman was even younger than Gu Yihuan. Madam Guan Zhengming finally resolved to split up with him, and upon knowing this, Gu Yihuan happily told his dad: I’m with my mom!

Then Gu Yihuan called up his friends, organizing a party to celebrate Madam Guan Zhengming’s escape from misery. Riding on the good fortune of Gu Yihuan, the silly and sweet little cotton coat, Lady Guan was in relatively high spirits, learning to bake cookies in the kitchen with the housekeeper.

Gu Yihuan was barbecuing in the traditional garden-style courtyard—he, who had never laid fingers on water in March or April, didn’t know the first thing about grilling and made smoke everywhere.

Xie Shang coughed.

He Dongzhou kicked Gu Yihuan aside, had Little Scar move away a bit, and then rolled up his sleeves to grill, giving Xie Shang a glance and casually asked, “Caught a cold again?”

Xie Shang was normally in good health, except this winter, when he frequently caught colds.

Seeing Xie Shang dealing with his will and posthumous affairs had greatly alarmed He Dongzhou, and now, noticing Xie Shang’s lackluster vigor, it seemed his condition wasn’t very good.

Upon hearing this, Gu Yihuan looked concerned. “Big Brother Four, do you have a cold?” He was about to suggest having the auntie who was best at brewing the Great Tonic Decoction make some nourishing soup.

Xie Shang’s voice was a bit hoarse: “Wen Changling likes to steal the blankets.”

Gu Yihuan completely failed to hear that Xie Shang was showing off his girlfriend, and, indignant on behalf of Xie Shang, retorted, “You can’t out-snatch her?”

“Didn’t snatch. Gave them all to her.”

Gu Yihuan: “...” The willing game of an annoying couple in love, act like he hadn’t said a word!

Women are such a hassle. Lately, Pang Zijin was on his case every day about vocal practice, more controlling than his own mother, and kept annoyingly hinting that now that he was a singer, he had to be conscious, not get too close to female stars, threatening to cut his resources if he caused any scandals—the capitalists are truly wicked.

Xie Shang stood up to go inside: “I’m going to take a look.”

At whom?

Obviously, at Wen Changling.

Gu Yihuan mumbled to himself: “It’s only been a few minutes, no need to check so vigilantly.” Just like Pang Zijin.

He glanced at Gu Kaiyun, who was endlessly feeding fish, and sighed: Still feeding, any problem and he’s feeding the fish, the fish in the pond will be bloated to death soon.

Wen Changling was playing mahjong in the card room, with the other three players being Guan Qingyu, Song Sanfang, and Song Silin. Watching the game were Jhiang Youyou and Guan Sixing.

Xie Shang sat down next to Wen Changling, who said something he didn’t catch, so he leaned over to listen carefully.

“I’ve run out of cash.”

She kept losing due to calling the wrong discards, so her cash was gone.

Xie Shang took out his wallet and placed it on the mahjong table in front of Wen Changling.

Wen Changling played mahjong for three hours, and Xie Shang just sat there beside her for three hours. He hardly spoke, only occasionally feeding Wen Changling. Everyone present knew him well, understanding he didn’t have a gambling addiction, so obviously, he wasn’t watching the game—he was watching Wen Changling for three hours.

Wen Changling said she was thirsty, and Xie Shang went out to get a drink.

Gu Yihuan and two of his rowdy friends were playing a beer pong game in the living room, shouting for Xie Shang to join them, but Xie Shang declined. Gu Yihuan knew he wanted to accompany Wen Changling, but it had already been three hours.

“Aren’t you bored?”

Xie Shang carefully examined every beverage on the table and finally picked the non-alcoholic one with the right sweetness, “Whenever she listens to the cards, she likes to put her hands on the mahjong table, sitting up very straight.”

This was a new habit that Wen Changling had developed after playing mahjong for three hours, a habit noticed by no one but Xie Shang at the table.

Xie Shang returned to the card room.

It wasn’t boring. Others wouldn’t understand, the positive emotional value that simply being beside Wen Changling could bring.