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墨書 Inktalez
"Let's go."
Junxi extended her hand and smiled gently at Xiaolin's Cousin.
"Don't worry. Sister Junxi is very capable; she will protect you."
Xiaolin reassured her little sister.
Only then did the little girl take Junxi's hand.
"I'll go with you," Zhou Ziyan said as he approached.
"What do you, a grown man, want to tag along for?" Junxi shot him a glare.
Xiaolin and the others laughed at Zhou Ziyan's words.
"Zhou Gongzi, do you really have to be such a tagalong?"
Everyone busily teased him, and Zhou Ziyan felt a bit embarrassed.
"Just be careful, okay?" he continued to fuss.
Junxi raised her hand, indicating that she understood.
"Sister Junxi, does Brother Zhou Ziyan like you?" The little girl, who had been quiet until now, suddenly asked, leaving Junxi stunned.
"Why do you say that?"
"My dad is like that with my mom. He worries about everything she does and always has to follow her around to protect her so he can feel at ease." The little girl spoke casually, not fully grasping how enviable such love could be at her age.
"Your mom is very lucky."
The little girl smiled. "Then aren't you lucky too? Just look at how Brother Zhou Ziyan was acting earlier."
Junxi fell silent.
It was different. The concern between friends and lovers, no matter how similar it seemed, was still not the same.
If only that concern had come from Zhou Xuanyu... but there were no 'ifs.'
After walking for a while, they stumbled upon a public restroom. It was a wooden structure nestled in the small grove, giving off a fairy-tale vibe.
"Sister Junxi, you wait for me here. I'll be right back."
"Don't you want me to go in with you?"
"No need, I'm a big kid now," Xiaolin's Cousin said sweetly.
The narrow path leading to the restroom was tangled with branches, making it difficult to walk. The little child, with her small frame, scampered through effortlessly.
Junxi felt a bit uneasy and decided to follow. She bent down and walked along the path, standing at the restroom door while chatting with the child.
Before long, Xiaolin's Cousin emerged.
After washing her hands, she shook her little hands and cheerfully asked, "Sister Junxi, doesn't this place look like a forest from a fairy tale?"
Junxi glanced around; indeed, the scenery was breathtakingly beautiful.
"It does," Junxi replied.
"Then should we play for a while before heading back?"
Just as the little girl finished speaking, Xiaolin's phone rang urgently.
"Why are you so slow? Is everything okay?"
"Don't worry, nothing will happen with me around."
"You? Zhou Gongzi was just here saying that you fear nothing in the world except..."
"Ahhhhh!"
Before Xiaolin could finish her sentence, the little girl beside Junxi suddenly screamed.
"Sister Junxi, look! There's a snake! A snake!"
Junxi moved her phone away from her ear and looked in the direction the little girl was pointing. Indeed, there was a snake coiled around the branches.
The snake had an oval-shaped head and a long, slender tail, and even when it was still, it looked particularly menacing.
"Sister Junxi, it's... it's blocking our way. How are we supposed to get past it?" Xiaolin trembled in fear, wrapping her arms tightly around Junxi's leg and refusing to let go.
"It's okay. It's alright..."
Junxi could only repeat these pale reassurances to comfort the child. She struggled to keep her legs from shaking too visibly; she was scared too.
When Xiaolin had relayed Zhou Ziyan's words earlier, she hadn't mentioned everything—just the snake.
Junxi had been bitten by a snake when she was young.
At that time, they had just moved into their new house and become neighbors with the Zhou family. On the third day after moving in, she had been bitten in the small garden in the backyard.
It had been a venomous snake, but fortunately, her parents were present. Her father, Wen Wei, administered first aid properly and rushed her to the hospital in time, saving her life...
Once bitten by a snake, one is afraid of ropes for ten years. Although Junxi's incident happened long over ten years ago, that fear remained deeply embedded in her bones, never fading even a bit over the years.
Time passed slowly, and the snake lay motionless on the branches.
"Sister Junxi, what should we do if we can't go back?" Xiaolin's cousin spoke with a hint of crying in her voice.
"Just be good for now; let's wait a little longer."
Junxi crouched down and hugged the little girl, who was truly terrified, her hands and feet cold as ice. Junxi didn't know how to comfort her, so she could only hold her tightly.
"Junxi!" Zhou Ziyan's voice came closer from afar.
"I'm here!"
Junxi felt a glimmer of hope upon hearing that and immediately stood up, shouting in the direction of the voice.
A figure was running toward them. When Junxi looked up, she saw Zhou Ziyan and Zhou Xuanyu beside him.
He had come too.
For some reason, seeing Zhou Xuanyu's face filled Junxi with an inexplicable sense of safety.
"Where is the snake?" Zhou Ziyan asked.
"There!" Xiaolin's Cousin answered quickly, pointing ahead.
Zhou Ziyan and Zhou Xuanyu looked over at the same time.
"It's so long!" Zhou Ziyan exclaimed.
Zhou Xuanyu remained silent, observing carefully.
Poisonous snakes usually have bright-colored bodies and triangular heads, along with fangs. This snake had flat teeth, which alone indicated that it was non-venomous.
However, to avoid any misjudgment or to prevent Zhou Ziyan from becoming too relaxed, he kept this observation to himself.
"I'll use a branch to lure the snake away; you bring them over," Zhou Xuanyu said.
Zhou Ziyan instinctively nodded, watching Zhou Xuanyu move forward. He couldn't help but call out, "Uncle, be careful."
Zhou Xuanyu's steps noticeably paused for a moment. He didn't turn back but responded with a soft "mm."
The snake wasn't very bold; when Zhou Xuanyu gently nudged it with the branch, it slithered into the nearby bushes and disappeared from sight.
Taking advantage of the moment, Zhou Ziyan bent down and ran over, scooping up Xiaolin's Cousin. The little girl hid in Zhou Ziyan's embrace, tightly wrapping her arms around his neck as all the fear she had built up earlier turned into tears streaming down her face.
"Keep up."
Zhou Ziyan said to Junxi, leading the way ahead.
Junxi followed cautiously, her peripheral vision catching sight of Zhou Xuanyu standing still, waiting for her. The fear in her heart began to dissipate.
Zhou Ziyan first carried the little girl through the low branches. Just as Junxi was about to follow, she suddenly heard Zhou Xuanyu shout, "Be careful!"
Before she could react, Zhou Xuanyu rushed over and pulled her into his arms.
"Mm..." Zhou Xuanyu let out a low, strained groan.
Zhou Ziyan turned back while holding the child and happened to see the snake that had disappeared earlier springing out again, aiming for Zhou Xuanyu's neck.
"Uncle!"
"Zhou Xuanyu!" Junxi turned around and saw the blood on Zhou Xuanyu's neck, panic flooding her mind. "Don't scare me! What do we do? What do we do..."
Tears welled up in her eyes as she grew frantic. On impulse, she stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around Zhou Xuanyu's neck, and kissed his wound.
"Junxi!"
Zhou Xuanyu instinctively pushed her away.
"Don't be foolish!"
"I'm not! Just don't get hurt!"
Junxi's face was streaked with tears, her lips stained with his blood as she lunged toward Zhou Xuanyu.
"Don't touch me, I'm fine."
Zhou Xuanyu felt a bit dizzy, but his mind was still clear. He took two steps back, distancing himself from Junxi.
What if this really was a venomous snake? He couldn't let this foolish girl get hurt too.
Zhou Ziyan set down the child in her arms and turned to call for help while rushing over to support Zhou Xuanyu.
Xiaolin and the others were also hurrying toward them.
The usually composed Jia Man found herself at a loss, unsure of what to do in this situation.
Zhou Xuanyu's neck continued to bleed as he pressed his hand against it.
Junxi gripped his arm tightly, trembling as she stared at him intently.
"I'm fine."
Zhou Xuanyu patted Junxi's forehead, her bangs sticking together from the fine sweat.
"It's not a venomous snake, I'm sure," he added.
"You're not a doctor."
"Really. If it were a venomous snake, could I still be standing here talking to you? I would have..."
"Don't say that!" Junxi interrupted him, her voice rising in distress.
Her loud tone drew everyone's attention. Zhou Ziyan glanced at her, opening his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he just sighed and fell silent.
Zhou Xuanyu obediently closed his mouth.
He simply watched Junxi, the blood on her lips still fresh, strikingly beautiful yet painfully heart-wrenching.
At times like this, if only he could hold her.
But unfortunately, he couldn't...
When the hospital paramedics arrived on the scene, they assessed Zhou Xuanyu's wound and symptoms and concluded that the snake was an ordinary one and not venomous.
Everyone let out a sigh of relief, and Junxi finally relaxed her tense heart.
"But just in case, we still need to take the injured person to the hospital for disinfection and bandaging, and to get a tetanus shot. After all, the wound is on the neck, which is prone to infection," the doctor said.
Zhou Xuanyu nodded and turned to the large group of people, apologetically explaining, "I'm really sorry for ruining everyone's fun. I'm leaving now, so please continue. Just make sure to stay safe."
"I'm going too!" Junxi said without hesitation as she followed him.
"You stay here; I'll accompany him," Jia Man said softly. "Aren't you the group leader for this event?"
Her words sounded half-joking, half-serious.
"No. I have to go."
At this point, Junxi didn't care about anything else. Even if Zhou Xuanyu's injury had nothing to do with her, she wanted to be by his side. Besides, he got hurt because of her.
Jia Man glanced at Zhou Ziyan.
"I'll go too," Zhou Ziyan said expressionlessly.
Thus, the four who had arrived together took the same vehicle back. However, this time it was Jia Man who was driving.
When they got into the car, Zhou Xuanyu immediately took a seat in the back. Junxi hurriedly followed and sat beside him. Zhou Ziyan had no choice but to sit in the front passenger seat, just like before.
It was hard to tell if it was the rough road or Jia Man's limited driving skills, but the journey back was bumpier than the ride there.
In Junxi's eyes, Zhou Xuanyu was a fragile patient after his injury, so whenever Jia Man hit a bump, she instinctively placed her hand on the back of Zhou Xuanyu's hand, as if afraid he might fly out of his seat.
"Does it hurt?" Junxi asked softly.
Zhou Xuanyu shook his head calmly.
Zhou Ziyan turned back at the sound and happened to see their hands intertwined. It felt like something had pricked his nerves, and he quickly pretended not to see anything, turning back around.
The atmosphere on the way back was even heavier than before, and Zhou Xuanyu understood exactly why.
He gently withdrew his hand and gazed out at the scenery. He hadn’t really looked on the way there, and now he had no desire to take it in on the way back either.
Even though the person he most wanted to share the view with was sitting right next to him.
After arriving at the hospital and going through disinfection, bandaging, and injections, it was already dark outside.
The doctor advised that he should be cautious tonight; if he experienced any symptoms like headaches, fever, or vomiting, he must come to the hospital immediately.
"I'll stay with you tonight," Jia Man said, seemingly worried about Zhou Xuanyu being alone.
Junxi was also feeling uneasy, but Jia Man had spoken first, and she couldn't take back what was said. So, she could only watch Zhou Xuanyu intently, silently praying that he wouldn't nod in agreement.
Zhou Ziyan had been standing nearby, observing Junxi's emotions closely.
"I'll go with him," Zhou Ziyan said to Jia Man.
"You..."
"It's easier for two men," Zhou Ziyan added.
Jia Man thought about it and realized it made sense, so she fell silent.
Junxi didn't notice that Zhou Ziyan's words were meant to comfort her; she was just secretly pleased and gradually began to feel that Zhou Ziyan was actually quite reliable.
If it weren't for his timely intervention, Jia Man would have certainly barged in tonight.
"You really don't need to keep an eye on me."
Zhou Xuanyu moved his neck; it was a bit sore, but not enough to warrant such fuss.
"It's fine. Zhou Ziyan is close to you anyway, so it won't be a bother," Junxi quickly replied, nudging Zhou Ziyan as she spoke. "Right? You can sleep anywhere."
Zhou Ziyan shot her a glance but remained silent.
Zhou Xuanyu looked at the turbulent emotions in Zhou Ziyan's eyes, thought for a moment, and finally agreed.
"Alright then. Come back with me; I have something to discuss with you," he said to Zhou Ziyan.
As night fell, the villa area of Yatian was illuminated with dazzling lights, creating a beauty that seemed otherworldly.
Zhou Ziyan returned to his place to take a shower and changed into clean clothes before heading to Zhou Xuanyu's. By the time he arrived, Zhou Xuanyu had already finished his bath.
Zhou Xuanyu was sitting on the sofa in the living room, with two bottles of fine red wine and two empty wine glasses placed on the coffee table in front of him.
"Care for a drink?" he asked Zhou Ziyan.
"You can't drink today," Zhou Ziyan refused outright.
Zhou Xuanyu smirked, "This is the wine Jia Man brought back from abroad. I've been wanting to taste it but never found the time."
"Uncle, have you known Jia Man for a long time?"
Zhou Xuanyu did not answer immediately, as if calculating the exact duration of their acquaintance.
"Yes, it's been quite a while."
"Do you only see her as an ordinary female subordinate?" Zhou Ziyan's question was both gossipy and sharp.
Zhou Xuanyu remained calm and collected.
His confident demeanor gave Zhou Ziyan an inexplicable sense of defeat.
"In the past few days, I've been trying not to treat her like an ordinary female subordinate," Zhou Xuanyu said, furrowing his brows thoughtfully.
"What do you mean?"
Zhou Ziyan knew that his intelligence and emotional understanding were insufficient to grasp the heights of Zhou Xuanyu's thoughts. He asked straightforward questions, hoping for equally clear and understandable answers.
"What I mean is, Zhou Ziyan, I've been making an effort to distance myself from Junxi these days and focus my attention on other women," Zhou Xuanyu's tone was somewhat ethereal.
"And then?" Zhou Ziyan's words became increasingly heavy, each one deliberate.
"And then I realized that even if I scattered all my attention, I still couldn't ignore her existence," Zhou Xuanyu said, frowning as if recounting a truth he himself wanted to avoid.
"Uncle..."
"You’re right. In the past five years, I wasn't there for her when she needed me, nor did I protect her properly when she needed safeguarding. Perhaps I really don't deserve to love her, so I've been trying not to think about her these days. But I've already missed the past five years; I don't want to miss her future."
"Uncle, I don't need you to let me."
Zhou Ziyan felt a bit irritated. He casually picked up the bottle opener and pulled out the cork, pouring himself a full glass of wine with a "thud thud" sound.
The wine was sweet with a hint of bitterness, but his tongue only clung to the sour taste.
He had noticed Zhou Xuanyu's deliberate distancing over the past few days, as well as Junxi's disappointment. He was clearly involved in the situation, yet he could see what an outsider would notice.
"Don't worry, I won't hand her over to you," Zhou Xuanyu said, taking a deep breath. "Since we were kids, I've always found a way to give you whatever you wanted, but Junxi... it seems that's not possible."
If he hadn't seen Junxi nearly in danger today, Zhou Xuanyu wouldn't have realized that he couldn't trust anyone else to protect her but himself.
Not even if that person was his most trusted Zhou Ziyan.
"Uncle, I know you care about me. You've been the person I respect the most since childhood. I would listen to anything you say; I would never argue with you or fight for anything. But Junxi... it seems that's not the case."
Zhou Xuanyu nodded and couldn't help but pour himself another glass of wine. He raised his glass in front of Zhou Ziyan, gently clinking it against his before tilting his head back and downing it in one go.
"Then let's compete fairly, like men."
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