DDT - Chapter 30
Chapter 30: School Tyrant × The Pushover (7)
As the two walked, the early spring night still held a deep chill. The heroine, Yi Shuhan, held Chi Junluo's left hand tightly in her right. As Chi Junluo collected the Power of the Heavenly Dao, a warm current flowed from where their hands were clasped, creeping up their arms and spreading throughout their bodies. Yi Shuhan suddenly felt that no matter how cold the day, as long as this person was by her side, she would never feel cold again.
Because the faint warmth Chi Junluo brought had inadvertently seeped into her heart, which had been lonely for so many years.
The two walked in silence for a while before Chi Junluo, still a little worried, asked, "Shuhan, it's so late. If you don't go home, won't your family be worried?"
Hearing the word "family," a thin, cold smile touched Yi Shuhan's lips, but Chi Junluo, walking beside her, didn't see it. "It's just Auntie Wang at home, it's fine," she said. "I already sent her a message saying I'd be back a little late."
When the heroine mentioned that there was only one unimportant person at home, her tone was strange. Chi Junluo quickly realized she had asked the wrong question.
Judging by her tone, her family relationships didn't seem particularly harmonious. Could it be one of those legendary families where the parents were busy with their careers, leaving their poor child at home alone?
Chi Junluo didn't know that her guess was close to the truth.
"Okay," Chi Junluo grunted, saying nothing more, afraid that the more she said, the more mistakes she'd make, and she might accidentally touch on a sore spot for Yi Shuhan.
"Shuhan, are you really going to walk me home? Why don't you head back now? There are still buses running." Thinking of family, Chi Junluo belatedly remembered her own tiny, dirt-poor home. How could a place like that be suitable for the heroine to set foot in?
Chi Junluo began to regret not having more forcefully refused Yi Shuhan's offer to walk her home.
They were only halfway there; perhaps there was still a chance to turn back.
"When I say I'll do something, I do it. I still need to check your injuries later. If they're serious, we might have to go to the hospital." Yi Shuhan frowned and turned her head to glance at Chi Junluo's arm. She recalled the fight; it seemed several blows had landed on Chi Junluo. She couldn't rest easy without checking them herself.
After all, she, Yi Shuhan, considered Chi Junluo her one and only friend.
The two walked silently through the streets. Chi Junluo led Yi Shuhan through one street after another, then into a residential area that resembled an urban village.
Yi Shuhan didn't know where this was; she had never been to such an unclean place. Perhaps this was what people called an urban village, something she had only seen mentioned in passing on the local news during dinner.
As they entered the residential area, densely packed buildings were squeezed together. Many were still being built higher, with extra floors added. Cement pits, red bricks, and scaffolding from construction were everywhere.
It was already nighttime, and there were no streetlights between the buildings. They could barely see the path ahead, relying only on the light spilling from the open doors of a few homes.
Several grimy-looking children were chasing each other and playing rough, with no adults watching over them. One child fell but didn't cry, simply starting to roll around on the dirty ground.
Yi Shuhan had grown up in a wealthy family with dedicated caretakers, her life an unchanging routine between school and home. She had never been exposed to such an… indescribable environment.
For a moment, Yi Shuhan's frown deepened.
As if sensing Yi Shuhan's discomfort, Chi Junluo squeezed her left hand slightly and spoke, her voice tinged with anxiety. "Shuhan, it's a bit messy here. I'm really sorry for bringing you."
Yi Shuhan had initially felt a bit of aversion, a sense of discomfort and unease. But hearing the girl beside her—a girl who was usually so domineering, confident, and radiant at school—now speak with a hint of helplessness and a fear of offending her, the faint displeasure in her heart vanished. Instead, a subtle, indescribable ache of sympathy began to grow.
No wonder Chi Junluo had been reluctant to let her walk her home. She must not have wanted her to see such a dirty, chaotic environment.
Thinking about her own life of wealth and comfort, while Chi Junluo lived in such an… indescribable place she couldn't even imagine, Yi Shuhan suddenly felt that her past self had been, perhaps, a bit too melodramatic.
Chi Junluo led Yi Shuhan by the hand, weaving left and right between the buildings. After passing numerous intersections and successfully getting the directionally challenged Yi Shuhan completely turned around, Chi Junluo finally led her into a small, five-story building.
The stairwell was somewhat dim, with scattered pieces of unidentifiable trash on the ground. The handrail was coated in a black, greasy-looking substance that emitted an unspeakable odor.
By now, Yi Shuhan's aversion had completely disappeared, replaced by a deep sympathy for Chi Junluo. Living in an environment like this, Chi Junluo's family probably wasn't well-off, was it?
The two huffed and puffed their way up five flights of stairs. There was only one apartment on the fifth floor, which must have been Chi Junluo's home.
Chi Junluo reached into her backpack, pulled a set of keys from an outer velcro pocket, and skillfully opened the door with one hand. Standing in the doorway, Chi Junluo looked at the utter mess inside and rubbed her forehead with a headache.
She had just cleaned it this morning before school!
Chi Junluo turned, her face flushing as she looked at the bewildered Yi Shuhan, but she couldn't bring herself to say, "Don't come in."
"Um, Shuhan, maybe you should close your eyes when you come in?" Chi Junluo suggested tentatively.
Yi Shuhan was both amused and exasperated. "It's fine, don't overthink it." She indicated that she didn't mind.
Then she saw Chi Junluo step aside with an expression of someone facing their own execution.
Yi Shuhan: ??? I'm just walking through a door. Is it really that difficult?
Yi Shuhan stepped into the apartment. Although she had mentally prepared herself, she was still taken aback by the floor littered with wine bottles, takeout containers, and stains.
Chi Junluo followed her in, locked the door, and then walked forward, kicking the bottles, plastic bags, and containers aside to clear a path. She scratched her head. "I'm really… sorry! I just cleaned this place this morning before I left. I didn't expect that… that person to mess it up like this again."
Hearing this, Yi Shuhan basically pieced together Chi Junluo's family situation. She was from a single-parent family, likely living with her father, because a chaotic house like this was clearly not maintained by a woman. The floor was covered in wine bottles, and alcoholism was more common in men. After seeing a few pairs of men's shoes on the shoe rack by the door, Yi Shuhan was almost certain of these two points.
Seeing the small details revealed the bigger picture; it was clear that Chi Junluo's life was not easy.
A feeling called compassion suddenly bloomed in Yi Shuhan's heart.
She felt a pang of sympathy for Chi Junluo.
Chi Junluo turned back, took Yi Shuhan's hand, and led her toward her own room. "He doesn't come into my room, so it's relatively clean. I hope you don't mind. Be careful not to step on anything dirty. I'll deal with it tomorrow morning."
The short walk felt as long and arduous as the Long March, with Chi Junluo guiding her so cautiously.
Yi Shuhan wanted to say that she wasn't that delicate and that Chi Junluo didn't need to worry so much, but she couldn't find the words.
Chi Junluo twisted the doorknob. After they both entered, she locked the door from the inside and sat on the bed.
Her room wasn't large, just big enough for a wardrobe, a single bed, and a small desk.
When Yi Shuhan stepped into Chi Junluo's room, it was as if she had entered a new world. Perhaps the shock of the outer room was too great, because Chi Junluo's room now seemed incredibly neat and clean. The small space was tidily organized by its owner. On the little desk, textbooks and a few novels were stacked neatly.
The lighting in the room was reasonably bright. Seeing Chi Junluo sit down, Yi Shuhan immediately walked over and placed all the bottles and jars she had bought at the pharmacy on the bed.
"I can do it my…" Chi Junluo's words were cut off.
"Give me your arm," Yi Shuhan said, her tone leaving no room for refusal.
Chi Junluo looked at her serious expression, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, and could only offer her injured arm.
Yi Shuhan carefully examined the swelling on her arm. Although the skin was only slightly broken, she gently disinfected it with hydrogen peroxide just in case.
Then, she applied the ointment for promoting blood circulation and reducing swelling, and began to rub it in.
A sharp pain shot from her arm to her brain. Chi Junluo's brow furrowed instantly, but she bit back a sound.
The more Yi Shuhan rubbed, the more her heart ached. The lumpy feeling of the swollen area stood in stark contrast to the delicate texture of the surrounding skin on her arm.
After a while, Yi Shuhan stopped. Chi Junluo breathed a sigh of relief. "All done."
"Done with what? Take off your clothes," Yi Shuhan said.
Chi Junluo: ??? I'm still a child!
Chi Junluo didn't react for a long moment. Yi Shuhan, who had briefly glanced at the instructions for the ointment, looked up in confusion, only to see a bewildered yet wary expression on Chi Junluo's face.
Yi Shuhan's face darkened. "What are you thinking?! Stop dawdling and take off your clothes so I can check the injuries on your body."
"Oh, oh…" Chi Junluo belatedly understood, then felt a little embarrassed. "There's nothing on my body, it's not necessary."
Yi Shuhan wouldn't have it. "I saw you get hit several times. I'm worried. Let me see. If you're not willing, we'll go straight to the hospital and let a doctor look at you."
Hearing Yi Shuhan mention the hospital for the second time, Chi Junluo felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. She had no choice but to start taking off her clothes. We're both girls, who cares.
First the jacket, then the short-sleeved shirt. Finally, only her underwear remained.
Chi Junluo's face flushed. Even though Yi Shuhan was also a girl, this was the first time she had ever been this undressed in front of someone else.
Chi Junluo: Shy (。'▽'。)……
However, after she finished undressing with her back to Yi Shuhan, there was no movement from behind her. Chi Junluo turned her head curiously. "Shuhan? What's wrong?"
Then she saw the heroine with an expression of shock mixed with heartache.
Chi Junluo: ???
Heavenly Dao: "Ahem, let me just add that you have scars on your body from the beatings your alcoholic father gave you."
Chi Junluo: …Why didn't you say so earlier?!!
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