Rain pattered against the car window.
Tang Li sat in the back seat of the sedan, ancient hundred-year-old trees lining the road, towering skyward with their branches twisting intricately. In such a rainy night, it all took on a quiet and leisurely charm.
Looking out the car window, her hands lightly gripped the shoulder bag on her lap.
It was her first time setting foot in this villa, and Tang Li couldn’t say she was without a trace of nervousness.
Not just because it was where Song Baiyan lived.
When they entered the villa, Ji Ming was driving.
"When did you hurt your foot?"
Hearing Song Baiyan’s voice next to her, Tang Li shifted her gaze from the window, and as the streetlights intermittently illuminated the inside of the car, she looked at her left foot and explained in a low voice, "I accidentally stepped on some bushes on the way."
A few minutes later, the Lexus pulled up in front of the residence’s grand entrance.
It was a manor-style building.
After getting out of the car, Tang Li followed Song Baiyan into the house.
Perhaps because it was late at night, the large house had few servants around. Song Baiyan removed his suit jacket, draping it over the back of a sofa, and lit a cigarette to shake off the weariness that crept in with the night. Holding the cigarette between two fingers of his right hand, he turned and instructed Ji Ming, who had parked the car, to go upstairs and bring the medical kit.
Before long, Ji Ming set the medical kit down on the coffee table.
Song Baiyan had already taken a seat on the sofa, and when he looked up to see Tang Li still standing outside, he curved his lips into a smile. Under the hanging crystal chandelier light in the living room, the man’s deep eyes seemed to have faint laugh lines, "Haven’t seen this style of house before?"
Not wanting to be laughed at, Tang Li hummed a response, "I’ve seen it on TV."
Song Baiyan didn’t pursue the topic, he just told Ji Ming to go rest, and then redirected his attention to Tang Li, "Planning to keep standing there?"
Tang Li: "...I’d like to use the restroom."
"Straight ahead then turn right," Song Baiyan gave her directions, "There’s nobody else living in this building, so if you really can’t find it, just open a door and take a look."
Tang Li stayed in the restroom for two minutes.
When she returned, Song Baiyan was using the hand holding his cigarette to look at a bottle of antiseptic and read the instructions.
This time, Tang Li did not stand idly by the living room.
She chose an armchair nearby.
But as soon as she sat down, Song Baiyan spoke gently, "Come sit over here, let’s take care of the injury on your foot first."
Tang Li hesitated but eventually came over.
"Lift your left foot up."
"..." Tang Li cooperatively raised her foot to rest on the edge of the sofa.
Song Baiyan tore open a box of cotton balls and unscrewed the bottle of iodine. He turned his head to look at her pale foot, noticing no socks had been taken off. He then looked at her other foot, which was also bare, "It’s the end of November, you’re wearing shoes without cotton socks?"
Tang Li didn’t expect Song Baiyan to care about this. She then explained, "Changing clothes for shooting is inconvenient with socks."
"And..." she continued, "It’s actually trendy to wear sneakers barefoot nowadays."
Saying this, her gaze fleetingly moved to Song Baiyan’s feet, which were in black cotton socks.
Many men in formal attire matched their outfits with dark socks.
Hearing Tang Li say that going sockless was a fashion trend, Song Baiyan couldn’t help but smile faintly, indeed unable to understand the kids nowadays, "Winter is coming, you should still dress warmly to avoid freezing."
Tang Li didn’t argue any further, "Last year’s socks aren’t very good. I’ll get some new pairs soon."
After that, Song Baiyan told her to stretch out her foot.
Tang Li, with her hands propping herself up against the back of the sofa, set her left foot upon Song Baiyan’s lap and watched his right hand, with clearly articulated joints, as he cleaned the wound at her ankle with tweezers.