Chapter 51 - 50: The Killer is Actually Me?

Chapter 51: Chapter 50: The Killer is Actually Me?

Xiao Ran hadn’t wanted to say anything, but seeing her worried expression, he had no choice but to answer truthfully.

"No one pushed me. I just... slipped yesterday when I was carrying you upstairs..."

???

’So the culprit was... me?’

’I was the one who got Brother Xiao Ran hurt?’

’I had a few drinks, but I wasn’t dead to the world.’

’If I had really fallen, I definitely would’ve felt it. So why did I feel absolutely nothing? And how did I manage to sleep so soundly?’

The girl realized he must have refused to let go, even as he was falling!

’He was protecting me!’

’He only got hurt because he was protecting me.’

At this thought, the girl’s hands clenched. Her wide eyes slowly filled with guilt, and her expression became one of self-reproach.

’It’s all my fault!’

Seeing her solemn expression, Xiao Ran quickly said, "You just happened to see it early. If you’d seen it a little later, it would’ve almost been healed by now."

This kind of scrape only hurts for a day or two. It pretty much stops hurting by the third day, and once the scab falls off, it’s completely healed.

The girl sniffled, clearly disagreeing with him.

"What do you mean, ’almost healed’? Sit down and let me take a look."

She knew from experience just how painful it could be. She quickly helped Xiao Ran sit on the bed and looked at him anxiously. "Right, where’s our first-aid kit?"

At the mention of a first-aid kit, Xiao Ran quickly shook his head.

"I’m fine, really. I don’t need it."

’I don’t need any medicine,’ he thought.

The girl’s eyes were filled with stubbornness. "What do you mean, you don’t need it? It’s all swollen here. You have to use safflower oil!"

When she was little, whenever her dad got hurt from work, her mom would always put safflower oil on the injury. After a few days, he would be better.

’Even though safflower oil doesn’t smell good, it works wonders!’

’Later on, I was always the one who helped Dad apply it.’

She was very experienced when it came to treating injuries.

The look on the girl’s face was one of absolute determination.

Xiao Ran knew that if he didn’t let her treat it, she’d probably be moping all day.

He looked at her helplessly. "It’s in my suitcase."

Xiao Ran didn’t have many daily necessities or clothes, so he had just casually put things like the first-aid kit in with his clothes.

Hearing this, the girl walked over to Xiao Ran’s suitcase without a second thought, unlatched it, and took out the first-aid kit inside before walking back to him.

First, she took off the rubber gloves she was wearing, then she took out the bottle of safflower oil.

She poured a little into her clean palm, rubbed her hands together to warm it up, and finally, carefully placed her hand on the red, swollen area on Xiao Ran’s knee.

After gently rubbing it a couple of times, the thoughtful girl extended a few fingers and began to carefully massage the area with her soft fingertips.

Afraid she was using too much force and hurting him, the girl looked up at him with a serious expression. "Does this hurt?"

Xiao Ran shook his head, saying disdainfully, "It’s like a kitten’s scratch!"

In truth, it was still a bit sore, but he knew that admitting it would only make her worry more.

At his words, the girl finally let out a sigh of relief and focused even more intently on her task.

"Oh, that’s good. If it hurts, you have to tell me!"

She might only be twenty, but she had a wealth of experience giving massages.

She massaged with intense focus, her fair, soft fingers moving little by little. Her skin was so pale that the pads of her fingers seemed to have a faint, beautiful reddish hue.

Her soft fingertips kneaded with a pressure that was neither too light nor too heavy, feeling exceptionally comfortable.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, spilling over her smooth, glossy hair.

She was half-kneeling before him, diligently and carefully massaging his knee, her eyes filled with concern.

From this angle, he could even clearly see every single one of her eyelashes.

Xiao Ran’s heart softened without him even realizing it.

The desire to be with her grew a little stronger, almost without him noticing.

He swallowed, trying hard to control himself.

’You can’t, Xiao Ran.’

’She’s your ex-wife’s sister, after all. If you two really got together...’

’What would you say to your former mother-in-law?’

’"Ma, I’m so fond of you that I’ve decided to marry your second daughter"?’

At this thought, Xiao Ran couldn’t help but shake his head.

’What a mess!’

...

After a full five minutes, the girl finally stopped and looked at Xiao Ran with a sweet smile. "There, all better now~"

After speaking, the girl stood up straight, then screwed the cap back on the safflower oil and put it back in the first-aid kit.

Only then did she turn back to look at him with a serious expression.

She said in her clear, sweet voice, "Let me do the work by myself. You should get some rest."

With that, she picked up the gloves she had placed on the table, put them back on, and walked out with light steps.

’Time to go clean the house!’

’After all, this is our new home. It has to be spotless!’

Watching her enthusiastic retreat, Xiao Ran stood up as well.

’I can’t just rest and let her do all the work by herself!’

Besides, he was a tough guy. His leg really wasn’t that bad.

He stood up from the bed and walked to the bathroom, intending to find a broom and dustpan.

Unfortunately, they didn’t have these daily necessities.

So, he had no choice but to quietly return to his room, change his pants, and look over at the girl.

She was currently wiping the dust off the top of the television.

The girl was standing on her tiptoes, the effort making her beautiful legs look even straighter and more slender. Her long hair cascaded down her back, which was straight and elegant—the distinctly beautiful posture of a young woman.

One arm was moving back and forth, diligently wiping away the dust.

Xiao Ran cleared his throat and said to her, "I’m going downstairs to buy something. Don’t wander off."

With that, he opened the door and left.

...

After buying a good-quality broom and dustpan set at the entrance to the residential complex, Xiao Ran started walking back. Less than ten meters from his building, a delivery van was parked.

The delivery man was struggling to unload a huge cardboard box.

Seeing the large box, Xiao Ran suddenly remembered the hanging chair he bought yesterday. ’With a box that big, it must be my chair.’

With that thought, he quickened his pace, reached out, and lifted the other side of the box. "Let me help you."

"Thanks, thanks! You’re a real lifesaver."

The delivery guy was on the verge of collapsing from the weight of the metal thing. Seeing someone offer a hand, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"By the way, is this for Unit 2, Apartment 101?"

"Yeah."

"What a coincidence. That’s my place."

As they spoke, the two of them entered the building corridor. Xiao Ran was dragging the box with one hand and holding the dustpan in the other, making it impossible for him to open the door. He had no choice but to stand outside and call out, "Xici."

The girl was squatting on the floor, wiping the glass balcony door. Hearing Xiao Ran’s voice, she immediately dropped her rag. Her fair, delicate feet pattered across the floor in a pair of strawberry slippers as she trotted toward the door.

’Even though Brother Xiao Ran told me not to bring any of my old things, I couldn’t bear to throw these slippers away, so I secretly brought them with me.’

"Coming~"

The girl answered in a bright, clear voice as she reached out and opened the door.