Yan Heng pulled Zhu Yaya away from the chaotic tenth-grade Class One. Like a wronged little wife, Zhu Yaya obediently followed behind him.
"Does it hurt?" Yan Heng didn't look back as he held her hand, walking ahead.
"It hurts." The tear tracks on Zhu Yaya's face had dried in the wind, leaving her skin feeling tight. She reached out to rub her face, but failing to control her strength, she touched the swollen area and another wave of pain washed over her.
Hearing her sharp intake of breath, Yan Heng stopped and turned around. He leaned in closer to her, carefully examining the swollen spot on her face. "If it hurts, don't touch it. We'll be at the infirmary soon."
"Mhm." With tears shimmering in her eyes, Zhu Yaya nodded.
They arrived at the infirmary. Inside, there was only a young female nurse wearing a white coat.
Seeing Zhu Yaya's swollen face, the nurse hurried over to welcome them in, guiding Zhu Yaya to sit on a simple examination bed.
"Oh my, who could be so cruel? Beating your face up like this!" The nurse gently held Zhu Yaya's chin, inspecting the swollen area.
She secretly glanced at Yan Heng, who was standing to the side with a dark, intimidating expression, and carefully mouthed to Zhu Yaya: "Was it him?" Judging by her stance, if Zhu Yaya so much as nodded, she would call the police immediately.
How could it be Yan Heng?
Zhu Yaya gently shook her head.
The nurse breathed a sigh of relief. She went to get an ice pack, applied it to Zhu Yaya's face, and then started looking for ointments and medicine. As she rummaged around, she scolded Yan Heng disdainfully, "You look like a big, tall guy, so how could you fail to protect your little girlfriend? Look at her face, doesn't your heart ache for her?"
Hearing this, Zhu Yaya's face turned beet red. She said shyly, twisting the hem of her shirt, "Miss, you've misunderstood. We aren't..."
"It does ache." Yan Heng interrupted Zhu Yaya.
Under Zhu Yaya's somewhat stunned gaze, he slowly walked over to the bed and crouched down in front of her. "I'm sorry. I was late."
Zhu Yaya didn't need a mirror to know how red her face was. She fidgeted and said, "Yan Heng, how... how could I blame you? It was that auntie's fault. I should be thanking you. If you hadn't arrived in time, I would have been hit by her again."
Yan Heng's gaze fell on the swollen part of her face, and he shook his head. "I wasn't in time. You still got hurt."
Zhu Yaya pressed the ice pack against her face. "By the way, Yan Heng, how did you know I was being bullied?"
Yan Heng changed the subject. "Does your face still hurt? Is the ice pack helping?"
"It still hurts a little." Zhu Yaya's attention was successfully diverted back to her own face.
After icing it for a bit, the nurse brought over a hot towel. "Put down the ice pack and apply this now!"
"Okay." Zhu Yaya obediently cooperated. "But, Miss, I've already used the ice pack. Why do I need a hot compress now?"
"This will promote blood circulation in your face, which helps reduce the swelling and relieve the pain much faster."
While applying the hot compress, the nurse shooed away Yan Heng, who was still crouching in front of Zhu Yaya. She took out a medicinal liquor meant to invigorate blood circulation and reduce bruising. Pouring a little of the pungent liquid into her palm, she lifted the hot towel and gently rubbed the swollen area on Zhu Yaya's face.
The nurse's movements were very gentle, but it inevitably still hurt. Zhu Yaya bit her lower lip, yet a cry of pain still slipped from her mouth.
Yan Heng's brows furrowed tightly, and he couldn't help but say, "Can you be a little gentler?"
Zhu Yaya clearly saw the nurse roll her eyes as she replied in exasperation, "If I go any lighter, it won't help with the bruising."
"Yan Heng." Zhu Yaya knew his concern was making him anxious, so she comforted him, "I'm fine."
Yan Heng watched from the side for a short while, his furrowed brows never relaxing. He sighed softly and said, "Let me do it."
The nurse stopped her hands and looked him up and down, asking skeptically, "Can you do it?"
"Yes." Yan Heng assertively took the medicinal liquor from her hands.
Having her task snatched away, the nurse stepped aside with a huff to give Yan Heng some room.
She wanted to see if this guy actually knew how to handle this.
The middle-aged woman had struck the left side of Zhu Yaya's face. Holding the medicinal liquor, Yan Heng sat on Zhu Yaya's left.
He poured the liquor into his palm and rubbed his hands together to generate heat. The pungent smell of the medicine immediately clung to his hands. Only when his palms felt hot did he place his hand on Zhu Yaya's left cheek.
Zhu Yaya's ears were burning red.
Yan Heng actually seemed very experienced in this. He massaged with just the right amount of pressure—lighter than the nurse, but equally effective.
The nurse: ...I feel like such a third wheel!
After watching from the side for a moment, the nurse felt completely at ease leaving the entire infirmary to them. "Well, I'm going to go grab some lunch. You guys take your time here! Keep an eye on the place for me while you're at it." Without even bothering to take off her white coat, she hurried out, giving Zhu Yaya and Yan Heng some privacy.
Now, it was just Zhu Yaya and Yan Heng in the infirmary. The curtains weren't drawn, and the sunlight slanted in from outside. Zhu Yaya could see the dust motes dancing in the air.
Gripping the bedsheets, Zhu Yaya felt her breathing grow slightly heavier. All her senses were amplified several times over. As Yan Heng massaged the swollen bruise on her face, it felt as though someone were gently brushing her cheek with a fuzzy foxtail grass. It tickled. Zhu Yaya instinctively tried to dodge, but Yan Heng stopped her.
"Don't move around," he said.
Zhu Yaya quieted down.
Yan Heng's face was very close to hers, so she simply stared at his eyelashes. His eyelashes were long and curled. Feeling silly, Zhu Yaya tried to count them like the heroines in other novels, only to find that his lashes were so thick she didn't know where to start. Sometimes, as she counted, her vision would blur and she'd lose track.
Yan Heng knew Zhu Yaya had a restless nature, so he hadn't expected her to be this well-behaved. His eyelashes were half-lowered. "What are you doing?"
Zhu Yaya replied blankly, "Counting your eyelashes."
Yan Heng let out a soft chuckle. His half-lowered eyelashes fluttered up slightly, making no attempt to hide the amusement in his eyes. "Silly."
"You're the silly one," Zhu Yaya retorted unceremoniously, a faint blush still clinging to her cheeks.
Yan Heng's hand didn't stop. It remained on Zhu Yaya's face, his movements practiced and skilled.
Zhu Yaya was a bit curious. His technique was so smooth; he seemed to have a lot of experience with this sort of thing.
Did he get hurt often?
At the thought of this possibility, Zhu Yaya's heart tightened, as if someone had gripped it, bringing a dull ache to her chest.
