After Encountering My Deceased Wife, I Became the Male Lead's Love Rival - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Compromise

Because the hard plastic was thick and the edges were sharp, and because Fang Ziyue had knelt down heavily to avoid crushing Ling Qiu, a layer of skin had been scraped off her knee. The knee, which swelled up rapidly, was oozing blood and looked mangled and terrifying.

Chen Yueyu and Ling Qiu both felt simultaneously relieved that Fang Ziyue was wearing long pants on this hot day; although the fabric was thin, it had at least prevented the impact from being even more severe.

This injury of Fang Ziyue’s served as a major lesson for Chen Yueyu; she felt she would never dare to procrastinate again. This bad habit of hers was partly enabled by Zhao Mumu, who was a diligent, capable, and gentle girl who never scolded Chen Yueyu, thus spoiling her into becoming lazy and dilatory.

The icy sensation of the disinfectant cotton touching the area around the wound made Fang Ziyue uncomfortable. Having finally composed herself, she patted Chen Yueyu, who was squatting in front of her, and gestured for her to hand over the supplies so she could do it herself.

Chen Yueyu glared at her in disapproval: “Am I the doctor or are you? Sit still for me.”

Hearing the rejection, Fang Ziyue gritted her teeth and simply reached out to snatch the supplies. Then, pointing at the cluttered floor, she smiled: “Chen Ermao, I’m giving you one hour to clean this up.”

Otherwise, don’t blame her for throwing all this junk away!

Fang Ziyue’s “smiling but not smiling” look scared Chen Yueyu into shrinking her neck. Poor Comrade Chen Ermao scurried away, muttering to herself: “Why so fierce… hmph!”

Having snatched the disinfectant cotton, Fang Ziyue didn’t continue treating her own injury. Instead, she looked at Ling Qiu, who was standing to the side, and called out to her: “Come here, let me see your wound.”

Reminded by Fang Ziyue, Ling Qiu remembered that her leg also had a bloody gash from the box. However, her injury wasn’t a major issue, so she shook her head to indicate that Fang Ziyue should treat her own knee first: “I’m fine here. Your injury is more serious; take care of yourself first.”

Fang Ziyue frowned. Looking at the bloodstains on Ling Qiu’s leg, there was no way that wound qualified as “nothing.” Consequently, she applied force to her legs, attempting to stand up and pull the other woman over to force her onto the bed. The moment she moved, Ling Qiu understood what she intended to do.

Stepping forward in two strides to hold Fang Ziyue down, Ling Qiu felt the wound on her own leg sting sharply from the movement. She furrowed her brows and scolded her with an urgent tone: “Why are you so stubborn?”

How could she not cherish her own body? Ling Qiu made a decision in her heart: she would definitely help Fang Ziyue correct this habit in the future. Unconsciously, she seemed to have taken it for granted that their futures were tied together.

Of course, Fang Ziyue was not yet aware of this.

She just tilted her head up; from this angle, she looked even more fragile and piteous. Her tone was incredibly soft as she negotiated with Ling Qiu: “I was wrong, there won’t be a next time. So, can you let me see your wound? My bandaging technique is very skilled; I can fix you up quickly, and then I’ll handle my own. It won’t take much time.”

Although she appeared soft and easily bullied, Ling Qiu knew she was dead set on treating Ling Qiu’s injury first. Maintaining this stalemate would only waste time, so ultimately, Ling Qiu took the first step back. She turned around and lay face down on the bed, revealing the wound near the back of her knee.

The corner of the box had poked a triangular gash in her skin; it was a bloody mess, still leaking scarlet blood. The area around the wound was swollen, the skin red and tight; any movement would tear at the wound, causing unbearable pain.

The veins in Fang Ziyue’s temples throbbed as she watched. She wished she could grab that “dog” Chen Ermao and give her a sound beating. But she was the one who hadn’t watched where she was going and tripped, and she was the one who caused Ling Qiu to get hurt.

Fang Ziyue’s mental state, which had finally been nurtured to a better state, fluctuated again. She gripped the box in her hand until it creaked; her mind went blank, and she couldn’t focus.

Suddenly, a hand gripped hers. It was warm and soft, yet it forcefully shoved rationality back into her brain. Following the hand, Fang Ziyue only saw Ling Qiu’s eyes full of worry, but Ling Qiu said nothing.

This moment of silence allowed Fang Ziyue to relax. She smiled at the other woman and then focused on treating the wound before her. Sometimes, what she lacked was exactly this kind of silent companionship.

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