Because I Cannot Hurt You

Zhu villa.

With Xiaosi's support, Caihong slowly stepped into the villa. Chyou hopped in front of them. "I will bring water for Mama!"

Xiaosi said, "No Chyou. The maids will do it."

"No! I will take care of Mama!" She lowered her head. "Mama is hurt because of me. So I will take care of Mama!"

Caihong stiffened a bit. Chyou dashed away into the kitchen. Xiaosi wasn't worried since maids would be there to help her.

They walked up to the staircase and stopped. Her room was on the first floor so it would be hard to climb these steps even if he helped her. Caihong tried to step up, but as expected it hurt.

Xiaosi couldn't watch it anymore and picked her up in his arms. She gasped and hung her arms around his neck. "I-I can walk…"

"No, you cannot. Don't be stubborn. You will just aggravate it."

Xiaosi started to climb the stairs. Caihong shifted a little as a strange feeling welled in her chest. She peeked at him and noticed his cold gaze that was carefully paying attention to his path. At that proximity, his smell invaded her nostrils and she strangely didn't find it repulsive.

In her room, Xiaosi gently placed her on the bed. Chyou also came just at that time. "Mama! I bought water!" She cautiously brought the glass forward.

Caihong hesitated for a few moments, but in the end, she took it from her. Chyou felt happy to know that she didn't shake her off like before.

Xiaosi said, "Chyou. Go back to your room and ask a maid to help you with your bath."

She pouted. "I want to be with Mama!"

"No. You are tired and need rest."

Chyou finally trotted away after she couldn't oppose Xiaosi.

There was silence for a while. Xiaosi glanced at her and quickly said, "I will call the maid to help with your bath too."

"H-Hm."

A while later, Xiaosi knocked on the door, bringing her medicines for her sprained ankle. "Caihong?"

She didn't respond. He waited for a while before he gently opened the door. But to his shock, Caihong was whimpering on the floor in pain as she rubbed her foot.

He froze. "Caihong!" 

He rushed up to her and picked her up. As he slowly placed her back on the bed again, he gritted his teeth and said, "What happened? Why were you on the floor like that?"

Caihong looked up at him and said, "I forgot my clip in the bathroom so…"

"So tell the maid!"

"She already left. I didn't want to trouble her."

Xiaosi glared at her. "Trouble? I pay them for serving us. You don't have to think about such useless things. Are you a masochist?"

She grimaced. "I didn't do it on purpose!"

He snorted. "Sure."

Xiaosi took a pillow and carefully stuffed it under her foot for support. "Does it hurt too much? Should I call a doctor?"

"I am fine."

Caihong stared at him and wondered something. "What about you?"

"What?"

"Your headaches."

He stiffened. "It was just one time. No need to bother about that," his tone suddenly turned cold at that mention.

She kept quiet.

"Why did you come?"

Xiaosi blinked his eyes in confusion.

"I mean right now when you knocked on the door. What did you come for?"

He was about to say something, but then he frowned. 

What did I come here for again?

"Umm yeah….I just came to check on you," Xiaosi said as he tried to recollect.

Caihong saw the medicines in his hands and looked back at him. "Only check on me?"

"Yeah?"

"Those are my medicines right?" She eyed his palm.

Xiaosi looked down and instantly remembered. "Ah yes. These are your medicines," he handed it to her. "The prescription is here."

Caihong narrowed her eyes but said nothing.

Xiaosi got up. "If you need anything, call the damn maid. Don't worry. I am paying them handsomely."

Her mouth twitched.

As he left and closed the door behind him, she leaned back on the bed and shut her eyes.

Was it only normal forgetfulness? Or…

---

*Ding*

Shuang opened the door and froze upon seeing Yunru. "Do you finally want to talk to me?" She quietly asked.

Yunru stood silent for a while and nodded.

They stepped inside and Yunru saw how messy her house had become. "This is too messy. It's not good to stay like this."

"It's not good to ignore someone for a long time either," Shuang mumbled.

He said nothing.

They faced each other. At first, there was a long silence. But then, Shuang finally spoke, "I am really sorry for that night. I shouldn't have lied to you that I was crying nor should I have kept it from you that I am working with Xiaosi."

Yunru took a deep breath and nodded. "I am sorry for dragging this unnecessarily too. It was stupid of me."

Shuang didn't know what to say so she kept quiet.

"Something is weighing on your mind, isn't it?" She asked.

He faintly smiled. "How do you know?"

"I have known you long enough."

Silence.

"I want to confess something to you because I don't want any misunderstandings between us."

Shuang frowned. "Confess what?"

"Last night, I slept with Zizi."

Her eyes flew open in shock. "Huh!?"

It came so suddenly that she couldn't wrap her head around it. She looked at him, dumbfounded. Her mind went blank.

"When I say we slept together, I literally mean that we just slept beside each other. Nothing happened between us."

"Hold on. I don't understand."

Yunru felt a little nervous, but he told her about last night's events though he lied that he was out drinking with his friends. He didn't want to let her know that he was drunk all alone at a beach over their relationship.

He said he was out with his buddies and happened to meet Zizi. She offered to drop him home, and he was too drunk to understand anything. Somehow, he didn't let Zizi go and so they slept together.

Shuang silently heard everything and as he finished, she quietly said, "I see…"

Shuang said nothing after that. After days of silence between them since that night, she was taken aback to suddenly know about Yunru and Zizi. But of course, she trusted Yunru. She had known him for so long now that she believed him with her eyes shut. He even came forward to confess even if nothing had between them.

She smiled. "I understand. It's nobody's fault here. So ease up your furrowed brows," she chuckled, "you look as if I am gonna kill you right now."

Yunru stared at her, trying to gauge her thoughts. He was anxious the whole way ever since he knew that he would have to tell the truth to Shuang. Things were already edgy between them.

Shuang sighed and shook her head. "Don't be so cautious. I mean it. Do you really think I would act rude and start throwing tantrums? I know you didn't do it on purpose, and you will never think of betraying me. I trust you."

"Really?"

"Of course."

Yunru faintly smiled in relief. He felt as if a burden lifted off his chest. But at the same time, somewhere in his heart, he felt a bit dissatisfied. He didn't understand it himself, but he felt as if he expected something to happen, but it didn't.

Come on, dude. She didn't misunderstand you. What else do you want? He inwardly smacked himself.

Yunru said, "Thanks, Shuang. I was just really…"

She placed her hand on top of his hand and pressed it. "It's fine. Honestly, if I was at your place, I would have been really anxious about your reaction too. Don't be worried anymore about it."

He smiled and nodded.

Shuang asked, a little hesitant, "Is everything fine between us now?"

Yunru kissed the back of her hand and said, "Yup. All cool."

She sighed in relief. "You made the past days too depressing for me! I am gonna make you work to the bone."

He chuckled. "How?"

She grinned. "For starters, you will cook me a feast tonight! Let's make hotpot. We missed it that night."

"Aye, aye Madam. As you command."

---

The same night.

"Zhiyuan! Help me! I-I am falling!" Xinyi was crying for help as she was drowning in water. She desperately stretched her arms to help.

"Xinyi!" Zhiyuan rushed towards her. He caught her hand and tried to bring her to his side, but it was too late. Xinyi fell off the waterfall. Suddenly, Zhiyuan jumped in after her.

The scene suddenly changed to that of Xinyi and Zhiyuan found at the bottom of the waterfall, severely injured with them lying in the blood of their own blood.

"Siying…" Xinyi cried. "Why did you have to run off into the forest?"

Then Zhiyuan's cold voice came out of nowhere. "We told you so many times not to head off anywhere on your own. We are like this because of you. If you hadn't run away, we wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"Siying I am so disappointed in you," Xinyi covered her mouth as she sniffled.

"We cannot love a disobedient boy like you. Don't ever talk to us Siying!"