"Nian Nian." Mu Qi watched Yun Shu Nian's retreating back, not bothering to get up and chase after her.
Yun Shu Nian felt a surge of annoyance and ignored Mu Qi.
However, after a short while, Yun Shu Nian hurried back from downstairs to the master bedroom.
The first thing she saw was Mu Qi's bright red wrist. Yun Shu Nian's heart felt as if it stopped beating: "Mu Qi, what are you doing!"
Seeing Yun Shu Nian come back, Mu Qi's expression softened, but he still tried his best to move closer to her.
Yun Shu Nian quickly went over and grabbed Mu Qi's hand, her expression filled with panic and helplessness.
"I'm fine." Mu Qi realized Yun Shu Nian was frightened and used his other hand to cover his bleeding wrist.
"Why couldn't you tell me what you wanted to do? Why do this?" Yun Shu Nian's tears streamed down her face, her voice filled with guilt and helplessness.
Mu Qi watched Yun Shu Nian's tears, his eyelashes fluttering. His fingers twitched, then he stopped himself, as if remembering something: "I wanted to leave with you." Su Dan Novel Network
Yun Shu Nian fell silent at Mu Qi's words. Given the circumstances, even if Mu Qi had told her, Yun Shu Nian would not have unlocked the chain for him.
Yun Shu Nian knew this, and Mu Qi knew it too.
"Wait a moment, I'll get the first-aid kit." Realizing this, Yun Shu Nian calmed down, sniffled, and looked up at Mu Qi. Seeing him nod, Yun Shu Nian turned to leave.
The shock of what she had just seen was too great. Yun Shu Nian's footsteps were clumsy as she rushed out, bumping into the leg of a table. Without stopping, she hurried back with the first-aid kit.
"Mu Qi, take your hand away."
Yun Shu Nian brought Mu Qi to sit on the bed. After preparing the iodine and cotton swabs, she noticed Mu Qi was still covering his wound.
"I can do it myself." Mu Qi loosened his grip on his wound, but then tightened it again.
"No." Yun Shu Nian immediately refused. Mu Qi was always careless in treating his own injuries, and Yun Shu Nian couldn't rest easy.
Without waiting for Mu Qi's reply, Yun Shu Nian raised her hand and removed his.
The bright red, gaping wound stood in stark contrast to the delicate, fair skin surrounding it, making it all the more shocking.
Yun Shu Nian examined it closely, her heart aching as if a delicate porcelain doll she had painstakingly protected and hidden had been broken by her own hands.
"Don't you know the chain can't be broken? Why did you do this?"
Yun Shu Nian's grip on Mu Qi's arm was light, but her questioning and distress were undeniable.
Mu Qi remained silent, simply gazing at Yun Shu Nian.
His condition of not struggling was based on the guarantee that Yun Shu Nian would not leave him. Otherwise, even if his entire hand was mangled, he would have gone to find her.
"Please don't do this again." After bandaging Mu Qi's wound, Yun Shu Nian looked up at him.
The malevolence in his crescent-shaped eyes was gone, replaced by a myriad of earnest pleas.
Mu Qi only met her gaze for a moment before lowering his head and pursing his lips.
"As long as you don't leave like just now without saying anything, I won't do this."
Mu Qi only wanted Yun Shu Nian to return every time she left. That was all.
"Okay, I won't do this again." Yun Shu Nian lowered her eyes, her hands cradling Mu Qi's wrist, afraid to move.
"Let's eat." After a moment, Yun Shu Nian's emotions gradually stabilized, and she gently released Mu Qi's wrist.
Mu Qi: "Mhm."
"It seems a little cold. I'll heat it up." Yun Shu Nian tasted the food and immediately re-covered the takeout box.
Mu Qi frowned but eventually agreed.
He didn't want Yun Shu Nian to do such things. Mu Qi worried she would get hurt, especially since she disliked it herself.
However, with Yun Shu Nian having dismissed the servants and forbidden herself from going downstairs, Mu Qi's words were useless.
Fortunately, even though Yun Shu Nian's cooking was terrible, she was capable of reheating food.
A moment later, Yun Shu Nian had reheated the takeout, but she only plated Mu Qi's portion.
"Mu Qi, I'll feed you."
Before Mu Qi could say anything, Yun Shu Nian brought a de-boned rib on a fork to his lips.
Mu Qi was startled and shifted his injured wrist slightly.
"I can eat by myself."
Not to mention that his left hand was injured, even with his right hand, eating was not an issue for Mu Qi.
Yun Shu Nian's movements paused, and she then put down the fork.
"Okay."
Normally, Yun Shu Nian might have been a little stubborn and insisted on feeding Mu Qi.
But now, Mu Qi was like a fragile porcelain doll who had been injured in Yun Shu Nian's eyes, and she was afraid of hurting him again by accident.
"Then you eat first. I'll go get my portion." Yun Shu Nian said, handing the spoon in her hand to Mu Qi.
"Mhm." Mu Qi acknowledged, his gaze following Yun Shu Nian's retreating figure.
...
As expected, he couldn't get used to it?
A short while later, Mu Qi noticed Yun Shu Nian seemed distracted while eating, her dissatisfaction with the greasy, heavily salted ribs growing.
"Nian Nian, let me cook tomorrow, okay? You can hold the chain." Mu Qi couldn't help but turn his head and bring up the matter again.
Yun Shu Nian snapped back to attention: "Mu Qi, you're injured."
Mu Qi: "It's nothing."
Yun Shu Nian softly repeated, "You're injured."
Yun Shu Nian was no longer as forceful as before, but she still refused.
"Mu Qi, don't worry, someone will be cooking soon. I won't let you eat takeout every day, nor will I let you eat my disastrous cooking."
Yun Shu Nian added.
Mu Qi felt helpless and could only agree.
"Nian Nian, no one is more important than you. Ling Xue is just a complete stranger."
Seeing Yun Shu Nian's compliant demeanor, Mu Qi felt a little uncomfortable. He would rather she openly expressed her dissatisfaction like before,
than to see her being so timid now.
Remembering that Yun Shu Nian had wanted to go out because Ling Xue was mentioned, Mu Qi immediately explained. He didn't want an utterly unimportant person to stand between them.
"Oh." Yun Shu Nian didn't say much.
Was Mu Qi afraid she would cause trouble for Ling Xue?
It wasn't that Yun Shu Nian believed Mu Qi was lying to her, but she remembered smelling Ling Xue twice around Mu Qi. It was difficult for her to completely dismiss Ling Xue.
No matter what, Yun Shu Nian would protect her porcelain doll.
No one could take her Mu Qi away.