Chapter 536: Chapter 536
Xiao Caizi had stood at the end of the corridor, spacing out earlier, initially unresponsive to the activity here, despite having vaguely heard the conversation between Su Lu and Zhao Xiaole.
But because she was immersed in her thoughts, she did not pay attention and did not even turn to look.
Standing at this windy spot, the cool breeze seemed to help her clear her mind.
However, she had not been able to hear the surrounding sounds earlier, yet at the moment Jingsu’s voice appeared,
her whole body shuddered.
Xiao Caizi’s eyes suddenly widened, and she turned to see the man sitting in a wheelchair, dressed in striped hospital clothes.
Hospital clothes are strange things, clearly still a tall figure with broad shoulders, but when worn, they always exuded a sense of thinness and frailty, and his skin seemed somewhat pale.
His eyes were wrapped in layers of white gauze, although they were no longer the bloodily fierce sight from before.
But she had witnessed him with a face full of blood, so even seeing him now, clean and dressed in hospital clothes,
Xiao Caizi’s mind uncontrollably recalled his blood-covered face.
Xiao Caizi took a deep breath, only then realizing her breath was somewhat trembling.
In her memory, Jingsu had never appeared so weak.
So she could scrutinize him with such unrestraint.
Xiao Caizi stared at his face covered with gauze, and without realizing it, her steps slowly moved towards him.
She hadn’t expected Zhao Xiaole to suddenly speak to her, before that, Xiao Caizi hadn’t been listening to what they were talking about.
Not until Zhao Xiaole suddenly spoke to her did she suddenly react.
Then, Xiao Caizi saw Jingsu’s head slightly turn away.
In another direction.
Just in that moment, Xiao Caizi’s heart felt as if it had been stabbed.
She had never been so keenly aware that he really couldn’t see anymore.
This elegant, handsome man, always seeming effortless in any situation, was now blind?
So Xiao Caizi originally did not want to speak.
But Zhao Xiaole’s clear gaze was upon her, and Jingsu seemed to indeed want to know.
Xiao Caizi pondered for a long time before she softly said, “Roses.”
The moment Jingsu turned his face, Xiao Caizi kind of regretted it, wishing she had kept silent.
However, the words were already spoken, irreversible.
So Xiao Caizi moved forward a few steps and asked softly, “Are you okay?”
Jingsu gently nodded, “Not too bad. Not much pain, and if there’s no pain, it’s fairly bearable.”
Xiao Caizi opened her mouth, but at the moment, she also didn’t know what to say.
It was Jingsu who spoke, “You got scared last time, didn’t you?”
Xiao Caizi gently shook her head, then realized he couldn’t see her, and when she realized this, a wave of sourness surged in her heart, and her eyes instantly reddened.
She softly spoke, “No, it didn’t scare me.”
She felt she might burst into tears any second, grateful at that moment that he couldn’t see.
But there was the clever child, Zhao Xiaole, beside her, who blinked and immediately saw Xiao Caizi’s reddened eyes.
Zhao Xiaole asked, “Auntie, why are you crying?”
Jing Su’s fingers tightened around the armrest of the wheelchair, turning white at the tips.
Xiao Caizi took a few silent deep breaths to steady her voice, saying, “No, I haven’t cried, it’s just that the wind is strong here.”
Jing Su didn’t know what to say, especially with a child present.
Zhao Xiaole looked at Xiao Caizi and then at Jing Su, as if suddenly realizing something.
He quickly reacted and said to Jing Su, “Uncle, I’ll go inside and get some drinks for you and Auntie.”
Jing Su wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but Zhao Xiaole had already dashed off, his footsteps clattering away quickly.
Zhao Xiaole rushed into the hospital’s main hall where Bo Jingshen instantly pulled his son close.
“Oh!” Zhao Xiaole was initially startled, then quickly started laughing, “Daddy!”
He shouted crisply and looked up to see Bo Jingshen with half a popsicle in his mouth, “You’re sneaking a popsicle.”
“I’m eating it openly,” Bo Jingshen said as he took him to sit on a row of waiting chairs nearby.
Su Lu was also there, eating a cone.
“Mommy, you’re sneaking one too,” Zhao Xiaole said, his voice becoming soft, “I want one too.”
“Let Ah Shen buy you one, don’t go out yet,” Su Lu said.
Bo Jingshen got up to buy the child a popsicle.
Before long, Zhao Xiaole was sitting on Bo Jingshen’s lap, eating the popsicle.
But he still looked somewhat worried, “But Uncle is all by himself outside.”
Bo Jingshen looked down at him and said, “Then why did you leave him alone outside just now and came in yourself?”
Zhao Xiaole said, “Oh, mainly because I saw that Auntie seemed to recognize Uncle and I was afraid I’d be in the way out there.”
Bo Jingshen really marveled, “My son is so considerate and thoughtful, I really don’t know how you’ve taught him.”
“That’s how I taught him,” Su Lu said, then crunched into her cone, “He’s perceptive.”
Su Lu then asked Zhao Xiaole, “Why do you think you’d get in the way of Uncle?”
Zhao Xiaole chuckled and said, “What if that’s Uncle’s girlfriend? If they’re dating, wouldn’t I be disturbing them?”
Su Lu looked at Bo Jingshen, “See, sharp kid. Zhao Tong had several girlfriends before, and when they came to our house, Zhao Xiaole was like a perfect wingman, a little schemer.”
However, the little schemer’s helping hand didn’t seem to be that effective for Jing Su.
Xiao Caizi stood nearby, silent for a few seconds, then whispered, “I made some food.”
She placed the box of food on Jing Su’s knees, “It’s all mild dishes.”
“No need,” Jing Su said, shaking his head.
“You take it,” Xiao Caizi insisted.
Jing Su looked up, his face turned towards her, “Xiaozi.”
“Mhm,” Xiao Caizi responded, even feeling a bit nervous, unsure of what Jing Su was about to say.
Not knowing if her emotions were of anticipation or hesitation.
Jing Su was silent for a few seconds, then said softly, “That was my father. When he did something that crazy, I couldn’t just stand by. No matter if it was you or anyone else there, I would’ve done the same.”
Xiao Caizi’s eyes trembled, her lips quivered, “What… what do you mean by that?”
“You don’t need to feel guilty or sad for my current state. Turning out this way was due to my poor fate and having such a father.”
Jing Su said, sighing softly, “It has nothing to do with you.”
Tears uncontrollably fell from Xiao Caizi’s eyes.