Chapter 08

It must be nonsense. That was Ruan Nianchu’s first thought upon hearing Li Teng’s words.

After a few days of contact, she could tell that he was not a talkative person. She didn’t believe that her smile could be charming enough to make an iceberg praise her. Moreover, she didn’t recall ever smiling at him.

Did she just smile a moment ago? She couldn’t remember.

As Ruan Nianchu wiped Li Teng’s arms, she earnestly tried to recall if she had smiled. Contemplating what to ask him, she looked up only to find him with a furrowed brow, breathing evenly, already asleep.

Her actions became even more gentle subconsciously.

After wiping him, she cleaned the towel again, wrung it halfway dry, and carefully applied it to his forehead before covering him with a blanket. Just as she finished all this, footsteps approached from outside the room.

Ruan Nianchu turned around to see Aunt Xin.

Holding a cup of hot water and a white capsule, Aunt Xin said in Khmer, “I remembered that I have some fever-reducing medicine in my room. After searching for a while, I finally found it.” While speaking, she handed it to Ruan Nianchu. “Hurry, feed it to him.”

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Swyd Lkydnbw twlpple bla kdvldvksdp yde vssj vbl qlhla-alewnkdt xleknkdl. Fbl vbydjle bla kd Ibxla yde vbld tlpvwale vs Yap. Dkd okvb y qlo xshlxldvp, pyukdt, “Mbydj usw. Rv’p zyvl, Gwdv. Nlv’p ts cynj vs pzllr.”

Gwdv Dkd blpkvyvle qsa y xsxldv clqsal dseekdt, rskdvkdt yv vbl pzllrkdt Nk Mldt, yde vbld kdeknyvkdt vbl ekalnvksd sq bla sod assx.

Swyd Lkydnbw pxkzle yv bla, “Qsv kv. Rq vblal’p yduvbkdt, R’zz nsxl vs usw qsa blzr.”

Gwdv Dkd vbld vwadle yde zlqv.

Gp bla qssvpvlrp qyele yoyu, Swyd Lkydnbw nzsple vbl essa, vssj vbl qlhla-alewnkdt xleknkdl, yde alvwadle vs vbl clepkel. Fbl tldvzu rwpble vbl rlapsd sd vbl cle yde obkprlale, “Eyjl wr, oyjl wr.”

Nk Mldt oyp nwaaldvzu vayrrle kd y pvyvl sq byzq-ealyx, byzq-oyjl, okvb y przkvvkdt blyeynbl. Tkp casop olal vktbvzu qwaasole, yde kv vssj iwkvl y obkzl clqsal bl pzsozu srldle bkp lulp. G pxyzz yde nzlyd qynl ldvlale bkp pktbv, okvb qyka pjkd, elzknyvl qlyvwalp, zyatl yde caktbv lulp, yde zkrp okvb y qykdv rkdj nszsa—y vurknyz yrrlyaydnl sq y Fswvblad tkaz.

Tl alxykdle pkzldv, fwpv pvyakdt yv bla, yde bkp czssepbsv lulp olal qkzzle okvb kxryvkldnl yde kdekqqlaldnl.

Swyd Lkydnbw pyke, “Gwdv Dkd qswde qlhla-alewnkdt xleknkdl qsa usw. Myjl kv yde vbld ts cynj vs pzllr.”

“…” Li Teng’s gaze moved downward, scanning the hot water cup and the pill in her hands. After a moment of silence, he tried to sit up, his jaw tensed. Seeing that the wound on his abdomen was about to reopen, Ruan Nianchu furrowed her brows, put down the cup and medicine, and supported his arm to help him sit up.

Li Teng glanced at her with his peripheral vision, “Give me the medicine.”

Ruan Nianchu complied. He took it, threw the pill into his mouth, and took the cup from her hand. Tilting his head back, the protruding Adam’s apple rolled up and down. In just a few seconds, the cup was empty.

Afterwards, he closed his eyes and lay back on the bed. Droplets of water trickled down his Adam’s apple. Seeing this, Ruan Nianchu took a towel to wipe him.

Her soft little hands inadvertently brushed against his hot skin, feeling like feathers, cool and slightly itchy. Li Teng furrowed his brows even tighter, enduring for a moment, but eventually had to speak again, “Don’t touch me.” His voice was hoarse and alarming.

“…” Ruan Nianchu froze for a moment, and her hands stopped abruptly.

He remained silent with closed eyes for a while before saying, “I need rest. I can’t sleep with you doing that.”

“Oh… sorry.” It took her a few seconds to react, understanding now. She awkwardly took back the towel and dryly laughed, muttering to herself, “It’s my first time taking care of someone, not much experience.”

Li Teng, in an extremely indifferent tone, sneered, “No wonder.”

From these two words, she detected a hint of mockery and couldn’t help but feel annoyed. “What, am I far worse compared to the people who took care of you before?” This person probably didn’t understand the concept of gratitude and repaying kindness.

Li Teng replied, “Yes.”

At this moment, she felt like she must have overestimated herself to come and take care of him.

Ruan Nianchu rolled her eyes, placed the towel back on his forehead, and sarcastically retorted, “Former girlfriends?”

His breathing became calm, and his voice, low and almost inaudible, replied, “My mother.”

“…”

Ruan Nianchu stood in the room for a moment, turned around, dragged a chair to the bedside, bent over, sat down, and rested her chin on her hand. Li Teng kept his eyes closed, his thick and long eyelashes casting a shadow. Perhaps due to the effect of the fever-reducing medicine, the tension between his eyebrows eased a bit, making him appear less cold and terrifying than usual.

Being sick makes people more likable, she mischievously thought.

The wind picked up outside, dispersing the clouds in the sky. The faint moonlight shone on the winding river, and the sound of water murmured softly. Ruan Nianchu felt drowsy, lying next to the bed, her head against the sound of the water, and she drifted into sleep.

~

Under the influence of the medication, Li Teng slept directly until five in the morning.

The sky outside the window was still dark.

The feeling of physical exhaustion and fatigue had disappeared. He opened his eyes and prepared to get up. At this moment, his keen senses caught something unusual in the air. He smelled the fresh fragrance of a woman, mixed with a subtle and elusive sweetness.

Turning his head, he saw Ruan Nianchu’s face.

She lay on her side, her cheek pressed against her folded arms, the flesh of her left cheek slightly puffed up, lips slightly parted, sleeping soundly. His gaze moved upward, and the girl’s dark and long hair scattered on the pillow, with a few strands pressed under his head. The posture between the two could be considered intimate.

Li Teng’s gaze stayed on that face.

Whether due to the effects of the medication or other reasons, he suddenly remembered the night, the girl’s slender white back, small waist enveloped in hot steam, and the alluring scene when she suddenly turned sideways were …

His entire being seemed to surge with blood and energy into his brain. He frowned and abruptly sat up from the bed. The movement was too intense, pulling at the wound on his abdomen, and blood seeped out. He gritted his teeth and let out a suppressed groan.

This commotion naturally woke up Ruan Nianchu.

She yawned and sat up, rubbing her eyes, looking sleepy. “Are you awake?”

Li Teng didn’t answer, staring at her with a stern expression, his eyes clear, showing no sign of the fragile appearance from the night before.

Ruan Nianchu, who had stayed up late last night, was still not fully awake. Her brain was sluggish, and she reached out to touch his forehead. He visibly stiffened for a moment but didn’t pull away.

She tested the temperature, then tried her own with another hand, nodding with visible joy. “It seems Aunt Xin’s medicine hasn’t expired. Your fever has gone down.”

Li Teng brushed away her hand lightly and said indifferently, “Thanks.”

“…You’re welcome. You’ve helped me several times too, consider it repaying the favor.” Realizing her behavior was a bit inappropriate, she forced a smile to cover it up.

After one round of conversation, silence settled in.

After a moment, Li Teng got out of bed and stood up, bare-chested. He walked to the cabinet, picked up a basket, and pulled out a black vest. In his peripheral vision, he saw her standing by the bed.

He turned around, glanced at the chair by the bed, and asked, “Did you sleep like that last night?”

Ruan Nianchu nodded.

Li Teng picked up the black T-shirt he took off yesterday, but upon inspection, he found sweat and blood had congealed into hardened lumps, making it unwearable. Without much emotion, he crumpled it into a ball and tossed it into the trash. He spoke without any particular tone, “I’ve taken the bed. You can go sleep at Aunt Xin’s. No need to wrong yourself.”

Upon hearing this, Ruan Nianchu remained silent. She wasn’t trying to wrong herself. With him running a high fever last night, she felt obligated to stay here and watch over him.

After putting on his clothes, Li Teng turned and walked towards the door.

She was taken aback, “Are you going out?”

He paused for a moment, not expecting her to ask this, “Yes.”

Ruan Nianchu was quite incredulous, furrowing her brows, “With such a long wound on your waist, you should at least rest for half a month before moving around.”

This time, Li Teng turned back to look at her, smirked, but his eyes remained as cold as ever, “Do you think it’s a time of peace and prosperity here?”

“…” She was left speechless, watching his still pale lips, unable to say a word.

After a few seconds, he withdrew his gaze, opened the door, and left, leaving only his figure and four characters, “Don’t meddle in others’ affairs.”

*

Aunt Xin was concerned about Li Teng’s injury. At dinner, she specially made a bowl of chicken soup for him. Unfortunately, by the time Li Teng returned, the chicken soup had already cooled.

He didn’t mind though, eating the cold meal with the cooled soup without leaving a trace.

Ruan Nianchu sat by the window, tossing dead rice ears one by one into the trash can. She casually remarked, “It’s clear that Aunt Xin is a very good person.”

Li Teng glanced at the discarded rice ears without showing any emotion, intentionally ignoring the undertone in her words, “She’s quite good.”

Ruan Nianchu turned to look at him, smiled, and said, “Then why is she staying with you guys?”

“Weird?”

“Very weird.” She didn’t conceal it and spoke candidly without any malice, “Aunt Xin is a good person, but you guys are bad people.”

Li Teng remained silent. After a moment, he stood up, and right in front of her, deliberately took off his shirt, revealing a bag of crushed herbal residue that he applied to his abdominal wound. Her face turned slightly red, she averted her gaze and said awkwardly, “Next time, if you’re going to take off your clothes, can you give me a heads up or at least turn your back to me?”

What a barbarian.

Li Teng responded nonchalantly, “I’ve been used to being alone before. Sorry.”

The words sounded ambiguous, but his tone was indifferent and calm, making it impossible for anyone to draw any conclusions. Ruan Nianchu rubbed her forehead.

Then she heard a question from the side, “What do you think makes someone good or bad?”

Ruan Nianchu thought for a moment and replied, “A good person has a kind heart, while a bad person is cruel and ruthless.”

Li Teng chuckled.

She pursed her lips, “What are you laughing at?”

Leaning against the wall, he lit a cigarette and put it in his mouth. He took out a folding knife and a piece of sandpaper he carried with him, grinding it one stroke at a time. Squinting, he said, “Aunt Xin has also killed someone.”

“…” Ruan Nianchu’s eyes widened in surprise.

“The person she killed had harmed Aunt Xin’s daughter. That daughter was about to get married, but three days after the incident, she jumped into the river.” Li Teng’s tone was calm, and after a moment, he lifted his eyelids to look at her. “Sometimes right and wrong aren’t so clear-cut. Some people do bad things out of necessity.”

After he finished speaking, the room fell into silence for a few seconds.

She stared at him, then suddenly asked, “What about you?”

Li Teng’s knife-grinding motion abruptly stopped. He turned his head to look at her, his gaze sharp and analytical, as if he could see through her.

Ruan Nianchu didn’t avoid his gaze and met his eyes.

After a moment, he averted his eyes, continued grinding his knife, suddenly curved his lips, and pulled out a meaningfully ambiguous smile, “Looking at the information on your passport, it seems like you just turned nineteen. Little girl, when you get out one day, forget everything that happened here. Enjoy your youth, don’t leave too deep of a shadow.”

Get out? It was a dream she had even while awake, but could it really happen? Ruan Nianchu’s eyes dimmed, shrugged, and her tone carried a mixture of self-mockery and heaviness, “I hope so. Thanks for your good wishes. I really hope that day will come when I can get out.”

Li Teng lowered his eyes, his fingers scraping against the sharp blade.

The room fell into complete silence.

At that moment, somehow, Ruan Nianchu faintly felt that something was about to happen.

---

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