Chapter 78: Chapter 78

The room was as bright as daylight. Fu Jichen stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, puffing clouds of smoke, with a few cigarette butts and a pile of ashes at his feet. His deep black eyes stared straight at the front garden through the window.

The rain and snow had stopped. The streetlights emitted halos quietly in the night, illuminating the fountain pool, the octagonal pavilion, the straight and wide main avenue, and the tall greenery along the roadside.

But Shen Jianian’s figure was nowhere to be seen.

Servants passing by Fu Jichen subconsciously lightened their steps, not daring to make any noise to disturb him. Anyone could see he was in a bad mood.

Zhou Rongzhen occasionally glanced at his back but dared not to go over and ask if he needed a late snack.

Since Shen Jianian moved into Rose Manor, the overall atmosphere had changed from before. Although she was quiet and didn’t speak much, one more person always brought more vibrancy.

She had had playful little squabbles with Mr. Fu, but never a proper argument. Today, for some unknown reason, they argued. One stood here silently smoking, the other turned and ran out and hasn’t returned yet.

Zhou Rongzhen sighed silently, focusing some attention on the noise outside the door, ready to spot Shen Jianian at the first opportunity.

She had a hunch that if Jianian didn’t come back tonight, the master would have a hard time, and everyone in the manor would suffer.

Zhou Rongzhen brewed a cup of hot tea and placed it silently on the cabinet near Fu Jichen — where he could reach it with a stretch of his hand.

As she turned, a burnt-out cigarette butt fell on the floor.

Zhou Rongzhen paused her steps, said nothing, and walked towards the kitchen.

Fu Jichen glanced sideways, looked at the steaming tea on the cabinet, didn’t touch it, and instead picked up the cigarette case and lighter beside him, pulled out a cigarette and held it between his fingers.

Just as he was about to light it, a slender figure appeared outside the floor-to-ceiling window.

Fu Jichen lowered his hand holding the lighter, watching the figure getting closer and closer, his lips curled into a cold smile — left so decisively, now what to come back for.

Does she think this is a market, come and go as one pleases?

Zhou Rongzhen came out of the kitchen, unintentionally saw the master smiling, although the smile wasn’t particularly gentle, at least it was better than the previously sullen face.

She guessed that Jianian must be back, boldly walked a few steps forward, and sure enough saw Jianian coming back through the window, her shadow stretched long by the streetlights.

Look a few more times and realize something’s not right — head hanging, wiping face as she walked, was she crying?

Zhou Rongzhen didn’t realize the snow had stopped; she picked up an umbrella from the door and prepared to meet Shen Jianian. As she took a step out, a cold voice came from behind: "Do not go."

Zhou Rongzhen was suddenly stunned, at a loss for words.

Shen Jianian didn’t know how long she had walked; her legs were no longer hers, just moving forward on instinct. It felt like she spent a century going out, the same coming back.

The heartless ruthless words she said to Pei Che now all came back to bite her, hurting her to the extreme.

Didn’t she know Pei Che was innocent? Didn’t she know the mistakes his parents made weren’t his fault? Didn’t she understand his feelings for her?

She knew; she knew it all.

In order for him to let go early and stop clinging, there was no other way but to stab him severely with words.

She and Pei Che are destined to have no fate this lifetime.

Having realized this long ago, why is she still so sad, tears uncontrollably streaming like her heart is being sliced with knives, as if she’ll die the next second.

Shen Jianian had not felt unable to go on living for a long time. Seeing Pei Che, all the carefully buried pains surfaced, tormenting her will.

She raised her hand to wipe away her tears once more. Soon, her vision was blurred again by tears.

Shen Jianian simply pressed her eyes hard with her sleeve, while her feet kept moving forward. She knew very well there were no obstacles on this road.

However, as this thought passed fleetingly, she kicked something, emitting a "yelp," followed closely by a pain in her ankle.

Shen Jianian suddenly squatted down on the ground, holding her ankle and crying out loud.

A black medium-sized dog picked up the object on the ground and quickly darted into the flower bushes, disappearing.

Fu Jichen inside witnessed this scene, his face dark, he opened the door and went out.

Originally intended to give her some suffering for a lesson, who would’ve thought such an accident would happen.

That stray dog had somehow slipped in, gnawing on a bone it carried. Shen Jianian hadn’t watched her step, kicked it; the untrained dog naturally defended its food, and bit her.

Fu Jichen took a few strides to her side, squatted down and held her ankle, took off her sock and saw the pale skin broken, with several bloody holes.

It’s unknown how many germs the stray dog carried; she needed to go to the hospital immediately for a vaccine.

Fu Jichen expressionlessly carried her inside first, tossed onto the sofa, and called Zhou Rongzhen, instructing her to call Qu Mo to come over.

Shen Jianian sat motionless on the sofa, looking dazed, with disordered thoughts; a large piece of dirt smeared on her white cashmere coat, making her appear terribly disheveled.

Zhou Rongzhen, after calling, went upstairs to Shen Jianian’s room for a down jacket to change for her, sighing lightly: "How could you be so careless, bleeding means you need immunoglobulin, I heard that hurts a lot."

Only then did Shen Jianian have clear awareness, lowered her gaze at her sock-removed foot, with skin broken and bleeding wounds surrounded by bruises, a bit scary.

The sound of a car engine echoed outside the door, Fu Jichen put on his coat and came to Shen Jianian: "Can you walk?"

Shen Jianian put on cotton slippers, propped herself up on the sofa armrest and stood up, tried to walk a few steps; the bite mark was right at the joint, a little painful when moving, but didn’t affect walking.

Fu Jichen looked at her, honestly vexed beyond words — was he here to find woman for himself or clearly found trouble.

When going down the steps, Fu Jichen couldn’t bear it, bent and picked her up, walked quickly and roughly stuffed her into the car, then turned and sat inside.

Qu Mo closed the car door, circled to the driver’s seat, pulled over the safety belt and buckled it, asked where to go, hearing the boss coldly say from behind: "To the nearest hospital, one with rabies vaccination."

Qu Mo raised his eyes in surprise, if he hadn’t mistaken, the boss had just been vaccinated not long ago, still within the protection period; this time it’s Shen Jianian being bitten?

These two are really... a perfect match in certain respects.

Qu Mo didn’t say much, drove the car rapidly and steadily, arriving at the hospital in fifteen minutes.

Fu Jichen got out of the car, carried her to the vaccine clinic, after the doctor examined the wound, confirmed the need for immunoglobulin, handed Shen Jianian a form to fill in basic information, and pushed a weight scale towards her.

Shen Jianian glanced at it in confusion.

The doctor said: "Weigh yourself, the dosage of immunoglobulin is based on weight."

Shen Jianian stepped onto the electronic scale, ninety-two pounds, the doctor confirmed and completed the rest of the information on the form, directing her to queue next door.

Fifteen minutes of wound washing for disinfection needed, then immunoglobulin and rabies vaccine injections followed; after all of it was done, it was very late.

Snow that had stopped for a while started falling again, unlike the light mixed snow-rain in the daytime, now large snowflakes flew like feathers.

After the injections, Shen Jianian’s ankle swelled significantly, thirty minutes of observation passed yet the swollen area didn’t subside, limping after Fu Jichen.

Looking up, it’s the man’s broad shoulders and back, like a mountain: calm, composed, unshakeable, similarly providing a sense of safety and stability.

Yet he inherently carried an air of danger.

A true paradoxical combination.

Shen Jianian, walking slowly, gradually lagged behind.

Fu Jichen sensed someone not keeping up behind him, stopped and turned, seeing her dawdling in slippers, with coldly reserved voice spoke, "Pretending, got addicted to being carried?"

Shen Jianian wanted to retort that she wasn’t pretending, thought for a moment and pursed her lips, staying silent.

He was in a bad mood; whatever she said would just be adding fuel to the fire, better to not speak, let him vent as he wished.

"Gone mute?" Fu Jichen’s words sharp and sarcastic, "Don’t want to go with your childhood friend anymore?"

Outside the hospital clinic area, not many people were in the hall, the two stood three meters apart, Shen Jianian’s thin shoulders slumped powerlessly, a calm voice with a hint of plea: "From now on, could you not mention him, I’ve never intended to go with him."

How could she go with Pei Che?

Unless mountains overturned, rivers ran backward.