He raised his arm and began to untie the bandage, seemingly to check his wound.
The gauze outside the bandage was tied in a knot, which he found difficult to untie with one hand. Tang Nannan leaned closer.
"Do you want to take it off? Let me help you."
Hu Jiasheng didn't refuse and handed his arm to her. "Thank you."
The injury was clearly sustained for her sake, yet he acted as if Tang Nannan had nothing to do with it. Tang Nannan felt rather embarrassed.
Because the two of them were so close, a slight movement could lead to touching skin. Tang Nannan held her breath, her movements cautious. After carefully removing two layers, she saw the bloodstains underneath.
Although Tang Dong had caused a lot of trouble in the past two years, exposing her to many injured scenes, most of them were superficial wounds, unlike Hu Jiasheng's.
When the bandage was fully removed and she saw the long wound, stitched up like a centipede, she was so startled that she quickly turned her face away.
Seeing her strong reaction, Hu Jiasheng covered the wound with the gauze and pulled his arm back.
"Could you please check your phone for any open pharmacies nearby? If there are, help me hail a taxi downstairs."
"A pharmacy probably won't be able to treat it. Your injury is too serious. We should go to the hospital."
"I told you I have something to do tomorrow. Don't try to persuade me."
His expression was indifferent, and his tone was not harsh, but it was unyielding. Tang Nannan could only comply.
Tang Nannan had lived in this area for two years and had bought medicine for Tang Dong many times, so she was familiar with the pharmacies. She knew where they were without needing to check.
"Alright. You get ready. I'll go get a taxi."
She slid off the bed and hurried out. As she reached the door, Hu Jiasheng called out to her.
"Wait."
Tang Nannan turned back, looking at him with confusion. Hu Jiasheng didn't meet her gaze, instead staring at an unknown spot on the floor.
"Go change your clothes."
Tang Nannan looked down at herself and suddenly remembered she had washed her clothes after showering and was still wearing his T-shirt.
Although it covered her vital parts, in the middle of the night, it was rather intimate.
Coupled with her bold actions just now, it seemed intentional...
Her face instantly turned red.
However, Hu Jiasheng didn't see it; he had started to rest with his eyes closed again.
She first placed a taxi order on her phone and then went to the bathroom to change.
When she came out, the driver had already accepted the order.
Tang Nannan, her face flushed, went to the bedroom door to call Hu Jiasheng.
Hu Jiasheng was in considerable discomfort now. Despite his imposing physique, he lacked the strength to even get out of bed.
Seeing his unsteady movements, Tang Nannan chided herself. Why was she being so shy in front of a patient?
With newfound courage, she went to help him.
They exited the room, but it would be inconvenient to assist him down the stairs, so Hu Jiasheng broke away from her.
"I can manage. You go ahead."
Tang Nannan went first. Her hair, just dried, released a faint fragrance when the cool night breeze in the hallway blew through it.
Hu Jiasheng felt his senses clearing a little. He walked along, sniffing the scent of her hair, and pondered.
Was his shampoo really this fragrant?
He used it daily. Wouldn't that make him seem effeminate?
The pharmacy was very close. Taking a taxi was indeed unnecessary; they arrived in less than four minutes.
Tang Nannan pushed open the door and called out into the interior. A middle-aged woman in a white coat yawned and stood up from a reclining chair.
Her eyes lit up when she saw Tang Nannan.
"You again? Got into a fight with someone else? Where are you hurt this time?"
Thanks to Tang Dong, Tang Nannan had become a regular at this pharmacy, familiar with both employees.
She didn't answer immediately, waiting for Hu Jiasheng to walk in.
"He's injured. His hand was cut by a bottle and he had stitches. He's already had a tetanus shot. But after sleeping at home, he seems to have a slight fever. Could you check him?"
The physician walked around from behind the counter, sizing up Hu Jiasheng as she went.
She looked at him, then at Tang Nannan.
"Is this your brother? Cousin or blood relative? Your men are quite something, all of them love to fight?"
Tang Nannan: "..."
The physician pulled over a stool for Hu Jiasheng to sit on and then crouched down in front of him. Upon seeing the wound, she frowned.
"The wound is so large, why didn't you stay for observation at the hospital? And you're already out and about? You didn't care about the money during the fight, but now you remember it's time to see a doctor?"
"At your age, why do something like this? Spending your days fighting? If you continue like this, she'll work herself to death and still won't be able to afford your medicine."
The physician, probably in her forties, likely saw Tang Nannan as a daughter and felt sympathetic towards her.
She usually couldn't catch Tang Dong, but today she had Hu Jiasheng, so she couldn't help but lecture him.
Although Hu Jiasheng had done nothing wrong, he felt she meant well and didn't retort.
Tang Nannan squatted beside him sheepishly. "Please don't scold him. He's not my brother, just helping out of kindness."
The physician stopped speaking and looked at Tang Nannan with a gossipy expression.
"Not your brother? He's so handsome, and you two look a bit alike. I thought... oh, you have a matching look."
What was she talking about? Tang Nannan's face turned red again.
"No, no, please don't say such things. We're just ordinary friends."
"Sigh, don't be shy. What's the big deal? No one knows each other from birth. Even the best couples start as ordinary friends."
"He looks much more mature than your brother. How old is this young man this year?"
Hu Jiasheng didn't want to engage in such trivial conversation and pretended not to hear, staring blankly at his wound.
The physician had ways to make him speak.
"If you don't tell me your age, I can't give you medication."
"...Thirty-two."
"What's your height and weight?"
"Height 184 cm, weight, about 70 kg. Haven't weighed myself recently."
The physician couldn't help but reveal an aunt-like smile. "Good figure."
Tang Nannan and Hu Jiasheng: "..."
She quickly withdrew her smile. "The wound isn't infected, but if you don't get anti-inflammatory treatment promptly, it might become infected later. You already have symptoms of a cold. You need to treat it quickly."
"Let me take your temperature first. If you have a fever, you'll need an injection. Then I'll prescribe some anti-inflammatory medicine for you to take diligently at home."
Saying that, she brought over an ear thermometer and took a reading in Hu Jiasheng's ear.
"38.8 degrees Celsius. You need an injection."
It was said that injections helped reduce fever faster. Hu Jiasheng was no longer a child and wasn't afraid of a little pain, so he nodded.
As the physician walked back behind the counter, she asked him if he had any drug allergies.
"None so far."
"You tell me which side is more convenient for the injection. Lower your pants a bit."
At his age, he had to get a shot in his backside?
Hu Jiasheng hadn't expected this.
With two women in the room, it felt awkward, but it was too late to regret it.
The physician had already prepared the medicine and broken off the glass tip.
Upon hearing she was going to give him a shot in the buttocks, Tang Nannan also felt awkward. She dared not look at him and instinctively wanted to move away.
She smoothed her hair, pretending to look for something, stood up, and moved behind the shelves of medicines.