The Pitiful Guy I Saved Is a Possessive Big Shot - Chapter 21

Shi Qingning no longer believed it when Bai Yexi said “it doesn’t hurt.”

He didn’t speak again. His slender fingers snapped open an iodine cotton swab with a crisp sound.

The brown liquid flowed into the cotton tip, releasing a faint, sharp smell.

Blood, wounds, pain.

Shi Qingning was a hundred times more familiar with these than the average person, but that didn’t mean he could remain indifferent.

He gently lifted Bai Yexi’s hand. The boy’s skin was cool; his body temperature was still very low.

When Shi Qingning was sick, his body temperature had been low for years. No matter how much he wore, he couldn’t get warm because his heart couldn’t pump enough blood. It was only now, after his recovery, that his cold hands and feet had improved slightly.

However, Bai Yexi’s hand was even colder than his.

It felt like cold jade soaked in a winter spring, a natural perfection that no amount of carving could match. Bai Yexi’s hand was pale and long, but now a terrifyingly long gash ran diagonally across his entire palm.

Blood was still slowly seeping from the wound with no sign of stopping.

Dr. Zhao had mentioned it before.

Bai Yexi’s blood clotting was not very good.

Shi Qingning’s nose twitched slightly, and he pressed his thin lips together.

He carefully rolled the cotton swab to wipe away the bloodstains on Bai Yexi’s palm. He even breathed softly, fearing he would cause the other more pain.

But Shi Qingning also knew,

It was impossible for it not to hurt.

the cut was very sharp, and the thin skin at the edges was slightly lifted.

It showed a ghastly, pale white.

But far from gasping or crying out,

The boy having his wound treated didn’t even have a single muscle flinch in his palm from the pain.

His fingertips didn’t move at all. He just kept his hand spread flat, the back of his hand lightly touching the younger boy’s warmth.

“Done,”

Shi Qingning whispered with his head lowered.

His eyelashes trembled. A movement so slight it was almost hard to see, yet every flicker weighed on the other person’s heart.

Bai Yexi didn’t feel the pain in his palm, but his fingertips suddenly felt itchy.

Shi Qingning carefully set the other’s hand down steadily. He made sure the trembling in his voice wouldn’t affect the other before saying,

“I didn’t bring thick bandages, and the wound is too long to wrap easily. I’ll just tape it for now. We’ll re-dress it when we get back.”

Bai Yexi gave a low reply.

“Okay.”

Shi Qingning stood up: “Wait for me a moment. I’ll go find a teacher to ask for leave for you.”

“No need,” Bai Yexi said. “I already asked.”

“You did?” Shi Qingning was a bit surprised. “Aren’t you staying for evening self-study today?”

He thought Bai Yexi wanted to come to school so badly that he showed up a day early, so he should have wanted to stay longer.

But in Bai Yexi’s current condition, he certainly couldn’t study.

The two left the school together.

Back at the Shi house, the doctor helping with Shi Qingning’s recovery had arrived and helped bandage Bai Yexi’s wound.

The cut wasn’t deep, and it hadn’t damaged any nerves like Shi Qingning feared.

However, the wound was long, and the location was quite inconvenient.

It was on Bai Yexi’s dominant hand. Every time he closed his fingers, he would inevitably pull at the wound in his palm.

Not to mention, he would have to hold a pen to write.

The mere thought of it made Shi Qingning feel the pain.

That night, when explaining the day’s lessons, Shi Qingning didn’t let him hold a pen. He took the initiative to mark the notes for Bai Yexi.

Bai Yexi looked down at his book.

It was covered in more of Shi Qingning’s handwriting.

Not just his studies, but Bai Yexi’s life would definitely be affected. So, Shi Qingning suggested once more that Bai Yexi stay the night at the Shi house.

But Bai Yexi refused again.

He said he had books to pick up for the next day.

Shi Qingning compromised: “Then I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning? We’ll go to school together.”

This time, Bai Yexi didn’t shake his head.

“Okay.”

The wind picked up outside. Shi Qingning wanted to walk him to the door, but he was stopped by both Bai Yexi and the men in black suits.

So, Shi Qingning could only press against the glass window of the warm room, watching Bai Yexi leave.

The night was cold. The boy in dark clothing almost merged into the shadows.

Before walking out of the Shi family gate, he turned back and looked toward the glowing glass window from a distance.

The silhouette by the window was still there, bathed in a warm light.

Unlike in his dreams, the person was waving at him.

Standing in the dim, lightless shadows, Bai Yexi clenched his fingers.

His fingertips pressed right into that long wound.

Through the layer of bandage, sharp pain and a faint trace of red seeped out together.

It was so real it made one’s eyes sting.

Bai Yexi gave a silent reply.

Using a name he hadn’t called out in a very long time.

The night was cold and the wind was harsh.

Those with a place to return to never lacked warmth.

Bai Yexi left quickly. Shi Qingning always wanted him to stay the night, but it never happened.

Bai Yexi knew clearly:

If he truly stayed by Shi Qingning’s side at night, he didn’t know what he might do.

Bai Yexi slightly tightened his grip on the bandage in his palm.

He could clearly feel the flow and sting of the blood.

This feeling was too familiar.

So, Bai Yexi knew with absolute clarity:

Even though he had cut himself on purpose,

This small amount of blood was far from enough to vent that ever-overflowing urgency and greed.

The next morning, while picking up Bai Yexi, Shi Qingning yawned five times in three minutes.

He hadn’t slept well last night.

Although his sleep quality was never great, it hadn’t been filled with nightmares like last night—all of them showing Bai Yexi losing too much blood.

The rest of the family was out this morning. Mrs. Shi made a video call. Seeing how pale he looked, she worriedly asked if he wanted to take the day off.

However, Shi Qingning’s vitals were normal enough, so he was finally allowed to go.

The men in black had suggested picking up Bai Yexi and then returning for him, but Shi Qingning insisted on going along.

It wasn’t until he saw Bai Yexi safe and sound that he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The bandage on the boy’s hand had been changed. Shi Qingning couldn’t help but take a closer look.

Bai Yexi said: “The medicine has been changed.”

Shi Qingning asked: “Is it better?”

Bai Yexi nodded: “It’ll be fine in a couple of days.”

Shi Qingning remained very cautious. After getting into the back seat of the car, his eyes stayed on the snowy-white new bandage.

He even sat a bit further away from Bai Yexi, fearing he would accidentally bump into him.

But before the car had gone far, the boy’s body slowly tilted over.

His shoulder sank slightly.

Bai Yexi turned his head.

He saw the boy’s small, slightly pink nose and his long, peaceful lashes.

Shi Qingning had actually fallen asleep in the car.

Sun Ming, in the passenger seat, caught a glimpse and looked back in surprise.

Having followed the young master these days, Sun Ming knew Shi Qingning’s condition better than anyone.

Young Master Shi got carsick very easily. There were only a few car models he could tolerate, and they had to be driven extremely smoothly to reduce the stress on his body.

Usually, they didn’t even play light music in the car for fear of disturbing him. The distance from the Shi house to No. 29 Middle School was short, but for any longer distance, even if he rested with his eyes closed, he might still feel like vomiting after getting out.

That was why they had tried to convince him not to come along this morning.

But Sun Ming never expected

The young master would fall asleep in the car.

The boy wasn’t just sleeping; he was sleeping very peacefully. Bai Yexi hadn’t tied his hair today. His long hair fell behind his shoulders, with a few strands resting on his shoulder, pressed down by the boy’s soft cheek.

Warm, light breaths brushed against the ink-black hair.

In the cold, light fragrance, a sweet scent silently blended in.

Bai Yexi’s long lashes drooped.

He subtly shifted his wrist, the plain chain around it making a faint clinking sound against his sleeve.

The car suddenly hit a sharp turn. Although the driver was skilled and the car was stable, the force caused the sleeping boy to tilt.

Bai Yexi stopped his wrist movement and slowed his breathing.

But the person on his shoulder moved and opened his eyes.

The boy blinked groggily and nuzzled against the smooth texture near his cheek, his pale face pressing into a soft curve.

“Mmm…”

He made a slight sound, unconsciously rubbing against Bai Yexi’s long hair several times.

For some reason, it brought to mind a young animal that liked to reach out and play with long, dangling things.

Perhaps satisfied, the boy did not pull away from the shoulder as one might expect.

After nuzzling, he closed his eyes again.

Resting against that long hair with its faint, cold scent, the boy fell back into a steady sleep.

Upon arriving at school, Shi Qingning was surprised himself that he had fallen asleep in the car.

Although Bai Yexi, who had served as his pillow the whole way, showed no signs of discomfort, Shi Qingning still felt a bit guilty.

After all, the other person was the patient who needed care.

Shi Qingning noticed he had flattened the boy’s hair, so he reached out to smooth it.

But Bai Yexi’s hair was very smooth and hadn’t been messed up at all.

Instead, after smoothing it, Shi Qingning didn’t let go for some reason and stroked it a few more times.

Bai Yexi turned to look at him.

“It’s fine,” Shi Qingning said, trying to cover up by tidying the long hair. “Your hair isn’t messy.”

Bai Yexi said nothing. Instead, it was Shi Qingning who felt a bit guilty under his gaze. He coughed lightly and hurried him toward the classroom.

They arrived during breakfast time before classes started.

Bai Yexi went to the logistics office to pick up his school uniform.

The uniform was a loose, athletic style. Bai Yexi opened the plastic seal and draped the jacket over himself.

The inside and outside of the fabric had different textures. Ignoring the inside, he raised his palm to test the texture of the outside.

The fabric, treated for durability, was clearly not very smooth.

Too rough, Bai Yexi thought expressionlessly.

It would chafe him.

The material needs to be changed.

He took a quick photo of the uniform and sent it off. Just as he sent it, he ran into the head teacher passing by.

“Bai Yexi.”

Jie Chuxia waved to him.

“Come here for a moment.”

Yesterday, when he came to school, he had already had a brief chat with her.

He followed her to the office.

Several teachers were already there. They were busy with their work, but they couldn’t help but look over curiously when they saw him enter.

After all, a boy with such striking looks and long hair was very rare.

Jie Chuxia found a chair and asked him to sit.

“I forgot to ask yesterday about your hairstyle. I heard from Shi Qingning’s mother that you don’t want to cut your hair, is that right?”

Bai Yexi nodded.

Jie Chuxia was starting to realize this student spoke very little. She continued: “May I ask why?”

Bai Yexi was silent for a moment.

A faint scent like sweet honey seemed to float around his nose.

He said: “Someone likes it.”

“Who?” Jie Chuxia asked. “Is it someone very important to you?”

Bai Yexi usually substituted words with nods, but this time he repeated himself very seriously.

“Very important.”

The other teachers didn’t look away; instead, they grew more curious.

Jie Chuxia thought for a moment and said: “Xiao Bai, I’ve learned a bit about your situation. However, No. 29 Middle School is usually quite strict. A boy wanting to keep long hair is a bit of a special case.”

Especially a length that almost reached his lower back.

“I’ll go ask for you and see if we can make an exception. I’ll discuss it with you later, okay?”

Bai Yexi nodded.

Jie Chuxia asked him a few more questions about whether he was adjusting well, then let him return to the classroom.

As soon as he left, a teacher asked:

“What’s with that kid, having such long hair?”

“His situation is quite special,” Jie Chuxia explained. “I heard from Mrs. Shi that he was kidnapped when he was very young. They still haven’t found his biological parents, and even his school records were only just registered.”

She sighed: “I heard he’s been looking for his parents. Poor kid.”

The teachers were all surprised.

“My God, he was kidnapped?”

“No wonder he talks so little. He must have suffered a lot…”

“Wait, he said someone likes his hair, so he keeps it long. Could it be that his parents liked it?”

“Possibly. Besides, his hairstyle is so unique. If a family lost a child and knew there was a boy with long hair, maybe they really would find him.”

This guess was quickly agreed upon by everyone.

“Then he definitely shouldn’t cut it. What if he misses out on finding his parents?”

“Ms. Jie, why don’t you discuss it with the director?”

Jie Chuxia nodded.

“Yeah, I’ll try to help him.”

Before class started, after all the students had arrived, Jie Chuxia went to the classroom and introduced the new student, Bai Yexi.

Even though another new student had just joined two days ago, the students’ curiosity did not fade.

But class started soon, leaving little time for gossip.

Actually, the students didn’t have much energy to gossip anyway.

Because next was the English teacher’s class.

This period was a new lesson, and as usual, someone had to read extra materials. The English teacher was fair. Just because Shi Qingning read well the other day didn’t mean he would always pick him.

So, when the materials were handed out, he still picked someone at random.

The students lowered their heads even more. This time the materials were longer, reaching over 500 words.

For such a long article, you either spent seven or eight minutes stuttering through it, or you failed and someone else had to continue.

Both options were terrifying.

The English teacher was used to this reaction. He calmly drank his tea and prepared to check the name list.

But this time, before he took the list, he saw another new face.

“Hey, the one in the back row,” the teacher pointed. “Is that another new student?”

Shi Qingning was the first to realize who he was talking about.

It was Bai Yexi.

As if the scene were repeating, the English teacher pointed directly at him.

“Let the new student read it.”

The students breathed a visible sigh of relief.

Some even started wishing more new students would join.

If every new student was picked, they would never have to be called on.

But the quiet whispering vanished instantly when the new student began to speak.

As soon as Bai Yexi spoke, everyone looked at him.

It wasn’t just because of the boy’s cold, slightly magnetic voice, or his incredible fluency.

What was even more shocking was

He was exactly like Shi Qingning, who read a few days ago.

He had a very standard, elegant British accent that made one’s ears feel a bit numb.

Even the English teacher was stunned.

Haicheng was in North China, where the local accent was very distinct. Everyone’s Mandarin was affected, which also gave their English an accent.

Although people didn’t notice it themselves, it was very easy to hear once they spoke.

Furthermore, schools in the province generally didn’t care much about oral speaking. Even though No. 29 was one of the best high schools, many English teachers still had accents.

To be honest, even if you searched the whole school, you might not find more than a few people with a standard British accent.

How was it such a coincidence that they met two in a row?

Everyone was stunned, and as they listened, their expressions became strange.

It wasn’t just that both had British accents.

Why did it feel like the new student’s accent was almost identical to Shi Qingning’s?

Some students who had asked Shi Qingning for help even thought:

Were they tutored in the same place…?

But didn’t Xiao Shi say he practiced it himself?

Shi Qingning was also very surprised.

When did “Mint” practice his British accent?

Although they had studied together before, Bai Yexi rarely spoke, and Shi Qingning was used to his silence.

This was the first time he had heard him speak.

The cold, elegant voice was like ripples on water, gently plucking a silent string.

Shi Qingning dazed off for a moment, suddenly imagining Bai Yexi standing in another place speaking English.

He raised his hand and gently pressed his forehead.

The calm water rippled, suddenly turning into a deep wave.

Shi Qingning’s memory recovery hadn’t moved forward for a while, but now, he suddenly remembered something.

It seemed that it was because his English accent was so good that Bai Yexi caught the eye of a second pursuer.

That pursuer was a rich young man from a wealthy family. He was handsome, smart, and very popular.

He admired Bai Yexi’s ability and became interested in him, then began a persistent pursuit.

Compared to the An family’s son, this pursuer was much more mature and rational.

If Bai Yexi could have been with him, he could have healed his past wounds and started a new life.

But in the end, that person told Bai Yexi

That he loved someone else.

…Bai Yexi was just a substitute.

Shi Qingning’s head began to throb. He tightened his grip on his pen and tried to remember the name of that rich young man in his notebook.

Qin…

Like pulling a thread from a tangle, a vague scene was pulled from his memory.

Shi Qingning didn’t know when Bai Yexi stopped reading, or even what the teacher said next.

He had no time for anything else as he tried to grab those fragments.

However, because he had learned his lesson from the nosebleed and fainting before, Shi Qingning didn’t rush this time.

By the end of the class, he had slowly pieced together the main story of the second pursuer from the novel.

He also successfully remembered the name of that rich young man.

Looking at the name he wrote down, Shi Qingning couldn’t help but think.

This name seemed familiar?

Could he have some connection to the Shi family?

Since he was a wealthy young man, it made sense if there was a connection.

Just then, the bell rang.

Shi Qingning wanted to organize his thoughts, but a classmate called him.

“The teacher wants to see you in the office!”

Shi Qingning put down his pen and left the classroom.

Fortunately, his body didn’t have any bad reaction this time, and he had the main plot.

So, his mood was actually quite good.

But Shi Qingning didn’t know that as soon as he left, Bai Yexi walked over to his seat.

Because they didn’t know this new student and he looked so cold, no one had talked to him yet.

He wouldn’t actively look for people to chat with either.

The reason Bai Yexi came over was because he had noticed Shi Qingning pressing his forehead during class.

Was he feeling unwell?

He also saw the boy writing something.

Bai Yexi walked over and saw the notebook on the desk.

The boy left in such a hurry that he didn’t close the book.

When he saw the content, Bai Yexi’s cold eyes tightened slightly.

The paper was covered with the same name, written over and over again.

Bai Yexi never imagined

That the boy would be so focused on drawing and writing another person’s name repeatedly on the page.

The boy’s jaw tightened, and his expression turned freezing cold.

He silently bit out those three words.

Qin. Zhi. Shen.