Muddled.
Song Qingchao opened her eyes, feeling as if the clouds in the sky were pink.
She frowned and pulled away the straw mat covering her, trying to sit up.
Her arm, however, couldn't support her body, and she could only slump back, resting the back of her hand over her eyes.
The pain in her chest and her muddled head made her feel nauseous.
“Sister, you’re awake?”
Zhe’er?
Song Qingchao lowered her hand, turning her head to locate the source of the sound.
Liu Zhe’er, with her wide eyes, exclaimed excitedly, “Brother went to find the doctor, Sister won’t be in pain anymore.”
Song Qingchao looked at her for a long time before processing.
“Are you feeling very uncomfortable?”
Liu Zhe’er nudged closer, accidentally bumping her arm. Startled, Song Qingchao quickly raised her hand and shifted her body aside, protectively shielding her bracelet.
This action of hers also frightened Liu Zhe’er.
She said nothing, but a layer of mist formed in her large eyes.
Song Qingchao’s already hazy consciousness immediately crashed.
What was she doing?
When she was young, she hadn't understood, so she always sought closeness when she was at her weakest.
But she would unconsciously transfer her spatial abilities to another person.
After the old divine doctor and the wet nurse died because of her,
She never sought closeness with anyone again.
Even if someone cursed or insulted her, she wouldn’t retort, keeping them far away.
In the manor, apart from Xiao Guo, no one else dared to approach her.
But she couldn’t harm Xiao Guo.
After sending Xiao Guo to the Princess’s manor, she never used a personal maid again.
And when interacting with others, she would instinctively avoid contact.
Even with her family…
Because of this, Feng Shaocheng had never touched her in her previous life.
Feng Shaocheng had kept her for five years.
She had thought about that kind of intimacy.
But because she wasn't sure if her spatial abilities would transfer at that moment, she had always refused.
Feng Shaocheng had become increasingly unhinged due to her countless rejections.
Eventually, he even forbade her from leaving her room, from seeing anyone…
She could only belong to him alone.
Song Qingchao shook her head in frustration.
Spatial transfer had a unique binding. Although she didn’t know when she had been bound to Bai You’an,
She no longer needed to shy away from contact.
Biting her lip, she propped herself up.
This single action made her break out in a cold sweat.
Liu Zhe’er wanted to help her, but the hand extended into the air was suddenly withdrawn.
Song Qingchao grabbed that small, dark hand.
With a pale face, she smiled, “Sister isn’t afraid of you.”
Liu Zhe’er quickly shook her head to explain, “No, I was just worried about Sister’s condition.”
“Sister is fine.”
Song Qingchao hunched her body, and after speaking, she began to pant.
Liu Zhe’er, worried, patted her back.
It was gentle, like feathers brushing against her.
But suddenly, she felt a sharp impact on her back.
The pain made her gasp.
“Liu Fubao! What are you doing!”
Song Qingchao’s hands gripped the ground as she turned back, seeing Liu Zhe’er shielding her from behind.
Not far away, a round-faced boy, appearing to be about Liu Zhe’er’s age, was picking up stones from the ground and throwing them in their direction.
Liu Zhe’er, while protecting her, was trying to placate the boy opposite her.
But Liu Fubao continued to curse, calling her a “good-for-nothing.”
“Liu Fubao! Aren’t you afraid Mother will punish you?”
Liu Fubao put his hands on his hips, “Do you think I’m like you? Mother wouldn’t dare hit me.”
After saying that, he bent down and picked up a pile of stones, throwing them towards Song Qingchao again.
“Good-for-nothing! Hurry back to work! Do you want me to starve?”
“You’re going too far!”
“How am I going too far? Mother gave birth to you to work, you should know your place!”
“You!”
Liu Zhe’er couldn’t win the argument and was thinking of chasing after him to catch him.
Her hand was then enveloped by something warm and soft.
Then, a straw mat covered her.
Sunlight filtered through the straw mat, casting dappled light onto Song Qingchao’s face, lending her usually pallid complexion a peculiar softness.
“Sister?” Liu Zhe’er called out softly, afraid that a single mistake would shatter the calm beauty before her.
“Does it hurt?”
Song Qingchao, with one arm around Liu Zhe’er and the other holding up the straw mat.
The bracelet on her wrist was tinged with red bloodstains. She gritted her teeth, enduring. If it weren't for this body, she would have shown that brat what true suffering was!
“It doesn’t hurt.”
Liu Zhe’er pouted and shook her head, but large tears still streamed down her cheeks.
“Don’t cry, Sister doesn’t have hands to wipe your tears for you.”
“Sister is the first person to ask me if it hurts,” Liu Zhe’er covered her eyes with both hands. “This way, Sister can’t see my tears.”
Song Qingchao couldn’t help but smile, but when she saw the bruises on Liu Zhe’er’s exposed arm,
Her heart began to ache again.
How could there be such parents!
“Eldest Sister!”
Song Qingchao heard someone call her. Her consciousness, fighting hard to stay awake, began to crumble.
She bit her tongue. The pain gave her a moment of clarity, “Zhe’er, don’t worry, Brother is back.”
Seeing Liu Zhe’er nod,
The sound of running feet grew closer, and the straw mat in her hand was no longer being hit by stones.
Song Qingchao finally let out a sigh of relief.
She collapsed into Liu Zhe’er’s arms.
Liu Zhe’er was stunned.
She dared not embrace Song Qingchao, nor dared she move.
She merely tilted her head slightly, tears streaming as she cried out, “Someone, quickly save Sister Chaoxiao!”
When she saw Song Qingmu running over with two people,
She finally displayed the demeanor of a child. She sobbed, indistinctly explaining the situation.
Song Qingmu wanted to support Song Qingchao but was preempted by Bai You’an.
He frowned and said nothing.
He knelt down, cradling Liu Zhe’er in his arms, “Zhe’er, don’t cry, tell me slowly.”
The little girl in his arms was sobbing.
He looked at Song Qingchao’s pale face, still stained with blood at the corners of her mouth, and his heart ached even more.
He had only been gone for a moment!
“Qingmu, fetch water.”
Song Qingmu looked up, and the girl in his arms directly answered for him, “Okay.”
Then, she busied herself efficiently.
Bai You’an knelt on one knee, solemnly taking Song Qingchao’s pulse.
According to the pulse, she had a fever caused by catching a chill.
He withdrew his hand and placed his slender fingers on her forehead.
Fortunately, she wasn’t particularly hot.
He looked down at Song Qingchao, who resembled a porcelain doll in his arms, and his brow furrowed.
How could she have ended up like this…
A chill wouldn't make her this weak.
[Short Theater]
Liu Zhe’er: Liu Fubao, if I catch you, you’re dead!