上海安全生产监督局

Chapter 8

Glancing around, Xiao Mubai reversed his car. Not far away was a place where he could park.

He parked the car steadily, undid his seatbelt, and picked up the medicine for Shen Nian that was next to him.

"Let\'s go." Then he opened the car door.

Xiao Mubai had already gotten out of the car, and Shen Nian could not find any other reason to refuse either, so she silently undid her seatbelt and got out of the car as well.

The one responsible for opening the door was still the security guard who was on duty last night. The two of them entered the residential compound lobby one after the other. When the security guard saw Shen Nian, he immediately asked with concern,

"Miss Shen, are you alright?"

Shen Nian still looked very weak, but compared to yesterday, she was much better.

She hooked her lips into a smile, her voice very pleasant, "It\'s nothing, just feeling a little uncomfortable physically, no big deal."

The security guard was a middle-aged man who looked quite honest and kind.

Hearing Shen Nian\'s reply, he finally felt relieved. Seeing that her complexion was still pale, he said with concern, "Young lady, you have to take good care of yourself when you\'re outside."

"Mm," Shen Nian responded with a sound. "Thank you."

Shen Nian was a resident of the compound, having lived here for several years already, so the security guard recognized her. However, the guard did not recognize Xiao Mubai.

Seeing the guard\'s gaze shift to him, Xiao Mubai smiled and took the initiative to explain, "I\'m her brother. I just picked her up from the hospital and have to send her to her door, otherwise I\'d feel too uneasy."

The guard nodded, showing that he understood, and went to get his access card to help them enter.

Xiao Mubai expressed his thanks, "Thank you, sir."

After entering the residential compound, they had to walk a short distance before arriving at the building where Shen Nian lived.

Shen Nian did not go in. Instead, she stopped and took off the coat she was wearing to return it to him.

Xiao Mubai did not say anything. He accepted the coat, then handed her the bag he was holding.

"I\'ve already had the doctor write instructions on the medication boxes about how many times a day and how many pills to take each time. It\'s all written very clearly, so don\'t forget to take them."

"Please take a few days off to rest at home for the next couple of days. If there\'s anything you need my help with, give me a call. You know my phone is on 24/7 for you."

"Alright, don\'t keep standing downstairs, it\'s a bit cold. Hurry on up."

Shen Nian accepted the bag and looked down at it.

Seeing that she just kept standing there without going in, Xiao Mubai was about to ask what was wrong when Shen Nian looked up at him with a serious expression and said,

"Xiao Mubai, from now on let\'s not contact each other anymore."

She spoke very solemnly.

"..." Xiao Mubai was stunned.

"Why?" he asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

Shen Nian shook her head. "You\'ve been great. And I\'m really grateful for all the help you\'ve given me over the years. But we\'re not from the same world."

She looked at him, every word filled with sincerity. "You\'re a good person who deserves a gentle and kind girl, not someone unworthy like me."

Xiao Mubai was a good person, so he should find happiness.

"..." Xiao Mubai came to his senses and retorted, "How do you know the gentle and kind girl in my heart isn\'t you?"

"..." Shen Nian parted her lips slightly.

He looked at her and said, "All these years, you\'ve stubbornly believed that Lu Lingrui died because of you, and that you\'re with Lu Lingchuan to atone for the sin from back then. And for me, I\'m just as stubborn in believing that you\'re a good girl, and protecting you is something I\'m willing to do wholeheartedly."

Shen Nian spaced out, her eyes turning slightly red. She quickly lowered her eyes to hide her emotions.

Xiao Mubai wanted to reach out and wipe away her tears, but ultimately still respected her wishes and kept his distance.

He only placed his hand on her shoulder as he solemnly said, "What happened that year wasn\'t your fault. You were also a victim. Both you and Lu Lingrui were victims. The ones at fault were those two drunks. So stop hurting yourself anymore. You\'ve never been able to forgive yourself all this time, but if Lu Lingrui knew, she\'d be so heartbroken, wouldn\'t she?"

Shen Nian\'s shoulders trembled slightly as she choked back sobs, crying uncontrollably.

Xiao Mubai took her into his embrace. "Shen Nian, don\'t see me as a burden. I\'m happy to treat you well. I just want to tell you that I\'ll always be by your side."

Not far away, Lu Lingchuan stood on the pebbled path with an expressionless face as he stared ahead.

He was still wearing the same suit from yesterday. Having gone through a night, his clothes were quite disheveled. His tie was slightly askew and upon closer look, one could see the wrinkles and stain-like marks on his suit.

The man\'s eyes were cold and profound. His dark pupils were bottomless, like a black hole that could swallow everything.

After some unknown amount of time, he moved and instead of walking over, he turned and strode away with large steps.

...

After parting from Xiao Mubai, Shen Nian went upstairs and used her fingerprint to open the door before closing it behind her.

The house was a bit messy yesterday due to the doctor rushing in for emergency treatment.

Shen Nian did not linger in the living room and went straight to the bedroom instead.

The bedroom was still the same as when she had left it yesterday. Her bag that had fallen on the carpet was still on the floor, and the dried blood was still on the bedsheet.

It would appear Lu Lingchuan had not returned at all yesterday.

Shen Nian took a deep breath to steady her emotions. She first bent down to pick up her bag from the floor and gather the lipstick and small mirror that had fallen, putting them back in her bag before placing the bag on the table nearby.

Then she stripped the bedding.

She had bled heavily yesterday, soaking through the bedsheet and staining the mattress pad underneath as well.

She first threw the bedsheets into the washing machine to wash, then rolled up the bloodstained mattress pad and left it by the front door.

Entering the utility room, she climbed up the ladder and opened the cabinet, taking out a new mattress pad from the top shelf to put on the bed.

Lu Lingchuan never slept on beds that weren\'t disinfected and mite-proofed. Shen Nian was used to disinfecting and mite-proofing first before putting on the bedsheets.

After finishing all this, Shen Nian finally took a change of clothes with her into the bathroom.

Half an hour later, Shen Nian emerged from the bathroom. She first used a hairdryer to dry her hair, then changed into a set of clothes and put on a jacket from the closet.

After getting dressed up, she did not put on makeup, only applying on some lipstick to improve her complexion a bit. Then she left home.

She first disposed of the trash at the recycling area, then walked out of the residential compound.

The security guard in the compound lobby saw Shen Nian leaving and was surprised. "Why aren\'t you home resting?"

Shen Nian turned to look at him.

The guard smiled awkwardly in apology and explained, "When your brother left, he went to the nearby supermarket to buy cigarettes and gave them to us. He said you weren\'t feeling well and needed to rest at home, and asked us to help keep an eye on you and not let you run around recklessly."

"We didn\'t want to take them, but he insisted on stuffing them to us."

Shen Nian had not expected that Xiao Mubai would have the security team at the compound entrance keep watch over her.

"I have a few things to take care of. I\'ll be back soon," Shen Nian said.

The guard nodded to show he understood. Young people surely had their own matters to deal with.