C9 A Barbaric Girl

"Oh, it's you!" Xia Liang remarked offhandedly, his face set in its habitual scowl.

Gu Wenying's gaze was filled with concern as she looked at him. "What happened to your face? And why are you all dirty?"

Feeling his face, Xia Liang realized there was a scrape, and his clothes were dirty from his recent fall. Slightly annoyed, he answered, "I took a spill."

Deciding he didn't want to engage in small talk, he nodded briskly and said, "Goodbye!" With that, he headed toward the residential area. But he moved too quickly, aggravating the wound on his foot, which made him wince and stumble.

"My goodness, your foot!"

Under the streetlight's glow, Gu Wenying caught sight of Xia Liang's bleeding calf and the vicious, serrated gash. She quickly stepped forward, extending her hand to steady him.

"Back off, don't touch me."

Xia Liang, visibly irritated, fended off Gu Wenying's attempt to assist him, keeping her at arm's length.

"You're saying it's nothing? You're bleeding! Let me take you to the hospital!" Gu Wenying insisted, her worry evident. She then noticed the bloody wound on his wrist as he raised his hand to block her.

"You're hurt there too? What in the world happened to you? Did you tumble into a thorn bush? We need to get those wounds treated at the hospital right away. What if they're poisonous or get infected?" Gu Wenying carefully reached for Xia Liang's hand, wanting to examine the extent of his injuries.

"You're such a chatterbox. What business is it of yours if I'm hurt? Didn't you hear me tell you to leave me alone?"

Xia Liang's heart raced as Gu Wenying grasped his hand, and he reflexively swung his arm, inadvertently knocking the plastic bag from her grasp with a "snap."

Most girls would probably storm off in a huff after such a cold reception. But Gu Wenying, aware that Xia Liang was the son of Uncle Xia, the man who had saved her life, harbored a unique and indescribable affection for him.

Moreover, she deeply understood Xia Liang's prickly behavior, akin to a hedgehog, because she too had once been an orphan.

After the loss of her parents, who had shouldered everything for her, she found herself lacking a sense of security, growing quiet and withdrawn. Instinctively, she pushed everyone and everything away, her temper becoming increasingly peculiar.

She resembled a young animal cowering in a shadowy nook, testing everything with teeth and claws, even the sunlight.

But with the guidance of a psychologist, she slowly emerged from her emotional shadows, blossoming into a sunny and cheerful person.

To her, Xia Liang was just another hedgehog, bristling with spines to ward off others and create a safe space for himself.

So, she wasn't upset. She didn't bother to pick up the supermarket bag that had fallen; instead, she took a sudden step forward.

"I..."

Xia Liang, realizing he had knocked something from her hand, felt a twinge of guilt but hesitated to apologize, fearing it would drop his guard and leave him vulnerable.

As he wavered, Gu Wenying abruptly stepped closer, seizing his right arm, looping it around his neck, and steadying him.

Caught off guard, Xia Liang was enveloped in her scent. She had taken him firmly in her grasp.

In such close quarters, the fresh scent of her shampoo wafted over him, mingling with the faint traces of laundry detergent or face wash, disarming him momentarily.

"What are you doing? Are you out of your mind, getting so close all of a sudden?" Xia Liang recoiled as if he were a cat with its tail stepped on.

"I'm helping you!" Gu Wenying, amused by his discomfort, deliberately leaned in even closer.

"Help? Who asked for your help? And tell me, Gu Wenying, do you like me or something? Why else would you be so... eager?"

Such pointed remarks would typically provoke a girl to retort with "Who likes you!" out of pride, then release him and refrain from further entanglement—or assistance.

But today, he encountered Gu Wenying.

"I'm not fond of it, really. It's just that you looked so pitiful I couldn't resist helping. I've got this OCD thing where I can't ignore injured animals, like pups or kittens," Gu Wenying explained with a smile, showing no signs of retreat.

"Pups?"

Xia Liang's eye twitched as he realized he was in a bind.

His typically effective harsh words had lost their power today.

Sure, he was strong enough to wrench his hand free, but that might injure her.

Raised by his mother, he had been deeply ingrained with the principle of never being rough with girls.

And so, he found himself at a loss with this female classmate.

"Gu Wenying, what will it take for you to release me?" Xia Liang asked, his voice tinged with defeat.

"Accompany me to the hospital to get that wound bandaged, then you're free to go," Gu Wenying cheerfully replied.

"Well, let's get moving! Make it quick!"

Xia Liang blurted out, eager to shake off this bothersome girl.

With a firm grip, Gu Wenying escorted Xia Liang to the curb, hailed a taxi, and they sped off to the hospital.

Meanwhile, the bag filled with girls' sanitary products she had intended to bring from school was now a distant memory...

After coercing Xia Liang through a hospital visit for a basic wound cleaning and bandaging, Gu Wenying didn't release her hold. She persisted in helping him all the way back to his residence.

Feeling like he had hit a streak of bad luck, Xia Liang resigned himself to the whims of this overbearing, shameless girl. He led Gu Wenying to his apartment complex, finally stopping at his door.

"We're here. Can you let go now?" Xia Liang asked, his frustration palpable.

Gu Wenying released Xia Liang's hand, massaging her own shoulders and wrists. Supporting someone as heavy as Xia Liang, who weighed over 130 pounds, had been amusing but exhausting.

"I'm home now. You can leave," Xia Liang said, a wave of relief washing over him as he coldly waved her off like an annoying insect.

"Wow, this is beautiful! You live in such a nice apartment? All by yourself?"

Gu Wenying barely gave Xia Liang a glance, her attention captured entirely by her surroundings. She marveled at the pristine corridor, the walls as white and smooth as snow, and the gentle illumination from the sound-activated lights, her eyes sparkling with wonder. Yao Xi's spiteful comments and ungrateful behavior went unnoticed, effortlessly dismissed from her mind. All that mattered to Gu Wenying was the stunning house before her.

​