When Nan Zhi came back, those messy plastic bags on the ground were already gone, cleaned up by him.
He really is diligent — as long as he has free time, as long as he sees it, he does it. Even though he was told several times: today he’s too tired, he can’t do it anymore — but if she doesn’t see him for a while, if she doesn’t say anything for a bit, he will quietly go do it again.
If he was fine, Nan Zhi would definitely be extremely delighted, sighing that she picked up a treasure. The injuries on his body still haven’t healed — always making one unable to help but worry.
Nan Zhi drove him off to rest; she herself snatched the mop from his hand and mopped the parts of the floor that had gotten stained with blood.
Worried he’d disobey again and go do something else, she stayed in the kitchen for a while to see if there was still any work. Along the way, she took out the bowls and chopsticks in the dishwasher and neatly arranged them — only after making sure everything was done did she return to the living room to open her packages.
Same as before — she unwrapped, and he would park the wheelchair not far from her, guarding her, or as if waiting for her.
This “cat” wasn’t a waste of money — very affectionate.
With his company and gaze, Nan Zhi first opened a set of instant noodle bowls — milky yellow in color, with two little ears, convenient for holding, and it came with a small spoon. The quality wasn’t bad, and the color was also very cute.
Not bad. She was going to keep it.
Nan Zhi placed the small milky bowl to the side, and the foam box and scattered foam balls were picked up and gathered by him.
This bit of light work shouldn’t tire him out — Nan Zhi didn’t stop him, and continued to pick up the next package: a set of clothes.
After opening it and holding it up to herself to size, she widened her eyes. “How could it be this big?”
It was a very, very loose-fit version. The model at the time looked to be around 167cm — she had asked repeatedly: could someone 162cm wear it? The seller very clearly said yes, it wouldn’t be too big.
But now, just one look and Nan Zhi already knew — too big, she couldn’t support it.
She puffed up angrily, getting ready to contact the shop. She had just picked up her phone when she suddenly remembered something and looked toward Song Qing.
Song Qing was tidying up the outer packaging of her package that was on the sofa — just finished stuffing it into the trash can when he looked up and saw Nan Zhi looking at him, smiling kindly. “Are you going to wear it yourself, or should I put it on you?”
There was no option to refuse — and she looked eager to make a move. Song Qing only hesitated for a few seconds before being carried onto the bed by her, about to have his clothes stripped.
He guarded himself in a panic and agreed to change by himself — only then did Nan Zhi let him go and went out to wait, even thoughtfully pulling the curtain.
Song Qing sat up in the half-dark living room and looked at the clothes set aside.
It was a set of black windbreaker-style clothes — the style was very simple, no male-female label. This kind was typically made for unisex wear, sold for both men and women — nowadays, a lot of clothes are like that.
Song Qing’s Taobao [Chinese e-commerce site] was used for buying essential items. Occasionally, he would get tempted — recommended clothes, and there were always some that hit his weak spot.
He couldn’t afford them, but he could look. The model shown was male, most likely men’s clothing, but there were a lot of real-life photos from girls too.
And they said it was very comfy to wear.
Some of the models looked androgynous — the reviews also came from both men and women.
So actually, now a lot of clothes, as long as the size fits, basically both men and women can mix-wear.
Under the urging from outside the door, Song Qing finally took off what he was wearing and changed into the new set.
As soon as he put it on, he felt different — the fabric was very comfortable, far beyond comparison with those previously picked-up ones.
Touching it also felt textured. This set, at least three to four hundred.
Through the glass panel, Song Qing looked for an excuse. “The waist is small. Feels uncomfortable.”
He had just wanted to take it off, when Nan Zhi pushed open the door and barged in. “Let me see.”
She turned on the light, walked over and looked left and right, then while murmuring “not small ah,” she stepped forward to check the waist.
He had just reached out to cover it when she pushed his hand away, told her to stick her hand into the hem of the clothes, and tugged the waistband.
“Not small ah, just right.”
After saying that, she even turned him around to look at the back.
“Perfect fit, not small at all.”
Song Qing: “…”
He felt like a rag, after being turned over by her, the hem of his clothes straightened, and then flipped back again.
“Very suitable for you.”
Song Qing didn’t dare speak anymore, nor did he say where it was uncomfortable. He was afraid Nan Zhi would just open it up and personally verify whether it was like he said.
—
Nan Zhi stood by the edge of the bed, again carefully inspecting this set of clothes and this person.
Song Qing looked very good — facial features delicate yet well-defined. Probably because he was ill and unable to do labor, and didn’t go out or do anything, he had become much fairer. Against the black windbreaker, he appeared even more pale and refined.
This person always only wore other people’s old clothes. By the time they reached him, most likely they were already outdated, or yellowed and worn out. Who knew how long he had to wash them to make them appear — though still worn — at least white.
The patterns on them had all faded.
Even with those kinds of clothes, they only dragged down his appearance a little. After changing into new clothes, he really did look much more spirited.
It gave a kind of feeling like — this was the kind of clothes he should be wearing.
The previous ones were like using rags to wrap up a piece of jade, a kind of waste-of-a-treasure feeling.
Jade should be wrapped in high-grade golden velvet. She was still too poor, couldn’t afford high-grade golden velvet, but ordinary velvet used to wrap it — still not bad, already able to reveal a bit of jade’s luster.
Nan Zhi inevitably thought of just now — she originally intended to tug on his waistband to see where it was too small. In her head, she was still thinking: if it was just the elastic part being too tight, she’d find a tailor to alter it. But before she could finish thinking, she lifted the hem of his shirt, and got momentarily dazzled by his lean, flat, and fair waist and abdomen.
Her movement slowed for a moment, and only after quite a while did she come back to her senses and reached out a finger to hook his waistband.
The pants were pulled up, and from the gap where it hung loosely, one could see the smooth and elegant lines of his lower abdomen and iliac bones.
Very pretty.
A beautiful youth, with a beautiful and youthful body.
Hard not to look at — even after seeing so much male beauty online, she still had to admit, this one could be placed at the front of the list.
It was just a pity — this set of clothes wasn’t bought specially for him, and also wasn’t proper men’s clothing.
But he still looked very good in it, and it fit very well too.
Nan Zhi still decided to keep it, and was already planning to get him two more sets.
Also needed to buy underwear.
Just now, when pulling the waistband, she saw a corner of his underwear.
Also torn, washed until it was pale and faded, even a bit loose and saggy.
Of course it can’t be worn anymore — it all has to be replaced with new ones. The inner shirt too.
When you buy a cat, you still have to get it a litter box, a cat bed, vaccinations, and so on.
At least a thousand or so yuan. He already saves her a lot more money and worry compared to a cat.
Nan Zhi also never spent money specifically for him. The clothes were ones she had bought for herself, the phone was one she had previously bought for her mom — only when bringing him home did she spend just over ten thousand.
Back then she didn’t know him yet. Felt that just bringing him back, feeding and housing him, was already doing quite well — didn’t plan to care about anything else. He lived at home anyway, didn’t need to buy extra clothes — that much was enough.
She didn’t expect that he was actually not bad — found work to do by himself, took over all the house chores and even cooked. Then she couldn’t keep using the same attitude toward him as before.
Besides, he had already handed over his ID card, graduation certificate, and household registration booklet to her. She no longer needed to worry he’d run away. Nan Zhi pushed the wheelchair over to him, took her phone, and went upstairs. Acting on impulse, she got ready to order clothes online for him now.
—
In the small living room on the first floor, because the light was on, it was brightly lit all around. Song Qing, seeing Nan Zhi leave, pushed himself up and crawled out of the quilt, sat down near the center of the bed, and looked toward the ‘door’ area across from him.
It was glass — not sure if it was covered with anti-peeping film or if that was just the natural tint, a bit dark. When people passed by, you could see your own reflection. His position was just right, so naturally he could also see himself inside.
The windbreaker was a stand-up collar style — could completely wrap around the neck, also had a hood, which could temporarily block rain or snow when needed.
The black color was clean and neat — a bit loose, but when winter comes, wearing a thermal and a sweater inside would be just right, not cold.
Song Qing looked at the person inside the reflection, and couldn’t help but notice something different.
He had only stayed at Nan Zhi’s place for two days and was already changed from top to bottom by her.
Song Qing lowered his gaze, shifted toward the side of the bed, wanting to reach for his own clothes to change out of the new ones and go wash up.
The tags on the new ones had already been removed by Nan Zhi, but he still felt that wearing new clothes himself was a bit wasteful.
He also wanted to check whether there was still a chance to salvage that tag.
Just as Song Qing touched the wheelchair, because he stretched too far, he tugged on his wound. Nan Zhi wasn’t around, so there was no need to pretend to be fine anymore — he let out a soft sound of pain, one hand freeing up to rub his collarbone area.
The fracture here seemed a bit serious. Might also be because he just couldn’t sit still and always went to do things. It had already started hurting a while ago, but he didn’t want Nan Zhi to know, so he always endured it.
Now that Nan Zhi had gone upstairs and couldn’t see him, he finally dared to pay attention to it. Just a light touch and it hurt so much he couldn’t help but suck in a breath.
“Sss…”
A very very small sound — if not listening carefully, almost impossible to catch. But upstairs, on the mezzanine level, Nan Zhi still heard it.
She had already been paying attention to Song Qing — while buying clothes for him, she realized she didn’t know his size. She had just gotten out of bed and was leaning against the window, trying to look down through the glass — and accidentally heard that sound.
“You’re injured?”
In the small living room downstairs, Song Qing immediately became alert. “No.”
Nan Zhi didn’t believe it. Da-da-da, she ran down the stairs and walked straight into his little living room in a bright and brazen way.
Song Qing had already sat up straight. His face had also returned to normal — not a single trace of pain visible.
Nan Zhi’s black-and-white pupils stared straight at him.
Song Qing had no choice but to explain: “Just now I accidentally pressed on the wound.”
Nan Zhi still didn’t believe him. “Song Qing, I’m a nurse.”
Her current department was exactly the kind that specialized in taking in patients like Song Qing who needed video monitoring, so she more or less had a grasp of the patterns.
From day one to three: baring teeth and crying in pain.
From day four to one week: can move a bit, but movement still causes pain, needs proper rest.
Around ten days: can start doing some things.
Song Qing was only just over a week in, and during the day he had moved those two flower vases — even for her, a normal person, carrying them was a bit tiring.
For someone like him, a patient, he wasn’t suited to do that. If he did, there would definitely be strain.
Still insisted on being strong.
Nan Zhi’s gaze swept over him once, and it was easy to find a breakthrough point. She didn’t hold back either — stretched out her hand, and through a layer of clothing, pressed on the collarbone underneath with some force.
Song Qing’s expression remained unchanged. “It wasn’t serious to begin with. The doctor also said I’m young and it’s already mostly healed.”
Nan Zhi only believed her own judgment — she increased the pressure a little more.
Song Qing’s hands, which were propped on either side, unconsciously tightened slightly, but his expression still didn’t show anything.
Nan Zhi increased the force again.
Beads of cold sweat began to appear on Song Qing’s forehead. His complexion also went a bit pale. The arms propped at his sides were trembling slightly. Under her step-by-step pressure, in the end, he still couldn’t hold on — his entire body fell backward, collapsing onto the soft quilt. The black hair on his forehead was damp.
His delicate brows were furrowed too, lips slightly parted, teeth white against red lips, breathing slightly heavier.
Sure enough — everything before had just been an illusion.