Chapter 134: A Different Her (4)

"He’s always been reckless; he was never one to be trifled with." Duanmu Ningyi watched Nan Zixi in action, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Offending a person like him... you'll live to regret it."

"You make him sound like some kind of monster." Although Shan Chouchou felt that Nan Zixi had been a bit brutal, she reminded herself that those guys had targeted Young Master Gu first; they wouldn't learn their lesson unless they suffered a bit.

Qiao Xi watched on, saying nothing.

"Done." Soon, Nan Zixi dusted off his hands and walked over.

"Did you see that?" Duanmu Ningyi gestured toward him, though she was looking at Leng Xinmeng.

Leng Xinmeng hadn't paid any attention at all. In truth, her hands were itching for a fight, and if Qiao Xi hadn't insisted on avenging Gu Heng herself, she would have intervened long ago.

"How boring. I'm going home." With that, she walked away.

"Aren't you going to the hospital to see Young Master Gu?" Shan Chouchou called out.

"What's there to see?" Leng Xinmeng tossed the words over her shoulder without looking back.

"I don't know what's bothering her this time," Shan Chouchou muttered. She then added, "Shall we head to the hospital, then?"

"Yes." Qiao Xi nodded, but just as she was about to leave, she stopped abruptly.

"What's wrong?" Duanmu Ningyi asked.

"I need to buy something. You all go to the hospital first," Qiao Xi said calmly.

"What do you need to buy? I'll go with you," said Shan Chouchou.

"No need," Qiao Xi replied directly.

"Alright, then we'll see you at the hospital."

"Is there something that needs buying right now? It couldn't be..."

"Can you stop with the nonsense? Let's go." Before Nan Zixi could finish, Shan Chouchou dragged him away.

"See you at the hospital later," Duanmu Ningyi said.

Once they had left, Qiao Xi walked toward the opposite side of the street.

She stopped about three paces away from Ou Ya and looked at him. "Why are you here?"

"Let's go somewhere else to talk," Ou Ya suggested.

Qiao Xi agreed that this wasn't the right place, so she nodded.

The two walked along the road in silence.

"Right here will do."

They stopped at an intersection, and Qiao Xi turned to face him.

Ou Ya stopped as well, looking at her. He was about to speak when he caught sight of blood on her right index finger, so he changed his tone. "Your finger is bleeding."

Qiao Xi looked down at her hand and noticed a cut on her right index finger for the first time; she hadn't even felt it.

"It's just a small wound," she said dismissively.

"It's better to have it treated," Ou Ya insisted.

"Not necessary," Qiao Xi replied flatly. Such a minor injury was nothing.

"Is there a pharmacy nearby?" Ou Ya asked instead.

"I told you—"

"If we ask someone on the street, we should find one," Ou Ya said, reaching out to take her left hand.

Qiao Xi paused, pulled her hand away, and avoided his gaze. "I know where one is."

They reached the pharmacy, bought some adhesive bandages, and stepped back outside.

"Let me help you," Ou Ya offered.

"No, I can do it myself," Qiao Xi said immediately. She reached for the bandage in his hand, but he didn't give it to her.

"It's inconvenient with one hand. Let me," he said. He cleaned the wound for her, peeled back the protective film, and carefully applied the bandage.

He applied it neatly; even with the bandage on her index finger, it didn't look unsightly at all.

"Thank you," Qiao Xi said.

"Even a small wound shouldn't be ignored," Ou Ya remarked.

Qiao Xi said nothing, returning to the original topic. "You still haven't answered my question."

"The school hasn't issued a disciplinary decision regarding the Dieyan incident yet. If word gets out that you were involved in a fight at a time like this, you might be expelled," Ou Ya said, his tone simple and direct.