Chapter 287: I mean, I'll help you bathe

Huang Shiyu said she didn't need to go to the hospital; she was a rough person, not that delicate, she could go home and handle it herself, there was medicine at home.

Xia Xi disagreed, sped up to finish measuring the remaining few spaces, then drove Huang Shiyu to the hospital.

"Sister Xi, are you also injured?" Huang Shiyu gripped the edge of the chair, avoiding the sight of the nurse cleaning the wound, her lips pressed tight, her words seeming to be squeezed out from between her teeth.

Xia Xi stood to the side, one hand resting on her shoulder: "Mine's fine, just a small injury."

After leaving the hospital, it was almost off-work time; Xia Xi didn't go back to the company, instead directly took Huang Shiyu home.

Huang Shiyu felt embarrassed to trouble her: "Just drop me off at the subway station."

"Your leg can't be squeezed." Passing the subway station, the car didn't stop; Xia Xi glanced at her and said seriously, "You might not feel anything now, but in a while walking could become difficult. The injury is on the knee, a joint area—every step will pull at the wound. Do you want to take two days off to rest properly?"

"No, no, it's not that serious." Huang Shiyu quickly shook her head.

Xia Xi didn't persuade her: "You decide for yourself."

Today, as usual, Xu Yanfeng was picking up the kids, but he ran into Xia Xi in the parking lot.

Before getting out of the car, Xu Yanfeng noticed Xia Xi's car slowly pulling up and stopping in the adjacent parking spot.

Xu Yanfeng got out first, stood by the car waiting for her; even before seeing her face, his brows and eyes had already softened.

Xia Xi got out with her bag, locked the car, and the next second two small figures lunged at her.

"Mom!"

Xia Xi forgot about her own injury, laughing as she hugged them, not knowing whether Zi Heng or Youyou had bumped her leg; a sudden pain shot through, changing her expression instantly.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Zi Heng stepped back, looked up at her and asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"

Hearing the commotion, Xu Yanfeng approached, grabbed one of her arms, and scanned her up and down; finally, his gaze settled on her calf.

Xia Xi was wearing light-colored pants today, with a conspicuous dark-gray stain on her calf that seemed impossible to wipe off.

Xu Yanfeng's mouth corner twitched slightly; he pointed at that spot and asked sternly, "How did this happen?"

Seeing she couldn't hide it, Xia Xi confessed: "I took on a new project; today I went out to measure some data on site and wasn't careful, so I fell." Noticing Xu Yanfeng's furrowed brow, she didn't know why she felt compelled to explain, but blurted, "It's just a scraped bit of skin, not serious—don't make it sound like I'm about to die."

"……"

Xu Yanfeng, exasperated, snatched her bag from her hand and handed it to Zi Heng.

Zi Heng, for the first time, coordinated with him so seamlessly that without a word he hugged Xia Xi's bag to his chest.

Xia Xi still didn't grasp what Xu Yanfeng's gesture meant; she blinked, and in that instant he slightly bent his knees and lifted her in a horizontal hold. Her legs dangled over his arm; she was dazed for two seconds, then exclaimed, "What are you doing? I said I'm fine."

With such a minor injury, she certainly couldn't be unable to walk; besides, she had driven the car back herself, which proved there was no major issue—he was just making a mountain out of a molehill!

Xu Yanfeng, however, had no intention of listening to her: "Don't move around; if you fall again later, you'll be the one suffering."

Youyou, quite perceptive, sprinted forward and pressed the elevator button.

Xu Yanfeng carried Xia Xi inside, and the two kids obediently followed.

Upon entering the home, Zhangyi glanced at the scene, froze for a moment, wanted to ask what had happened to Xia Xi, but felt speaking would be redundant, so she remained silent.

Xu Yanfeng set Xia Xi on the sofa, knelt beside her, and slowly rolled up the soiled pant leg to reveal the wound on her calf. Xia Xi had treated it hastily, roughly wiping it twice and slapping on a band‑aid, then left it alone; blood streaks stained the band‑aid, leaving a slightly darker patch.

"See, I said it's fine. Do you think I'm lying to you?" Xia Xi pressed her lips, seeming helpless, "I estimate the wound has already healed."

"Don't speak."

"……"

Xu Yanfeng gently peeled off the band‑aid, saw the wound's true state—not serious, the skin was lifted. His breath hitched; he dropped the two words "Don't move," then got up to find the medicine box.

Xia Xi sat there, both hands propped at her sides, the injured leg laid flat on the sofa.

Not long after, Xu Yanfeng came over, silently rinsing her leg wound with hydrogen peroxide, then taking a cotton ball dipped in iodophor and applying it; the medication stung, the wound hurt a little, Xia Xi tensed her cheeks and gripped the sofa cushion tightly.

Xu Yanfeng noticed her small movement, leaned in slightly, and blew on it.

A warm breath brushed over the wound on her leg, hardly easing it; Xia Xi gripped tighter, her scalp went numb for a moment. She lowered her gaze, watching this close‑up scene, and swallowed involuntarily.

Xu Yanfeng blew for a while, then lifted his eyes; their gazes met, the atmosphere inexplicably turned thick, he forgot what he wanted to say, and stared fixedly at her.

The hand resting on the edge of the sofa shifted, moved up about an inch, and took hold of her soft hand; seeing she didn't try to pull away, he tightened his grip.

"Mom, does it hurt?"

Zi Heng's clear voice cut in abruptly, dispelling the intimate atmosphere.

A flicker of awkward emotion crossed Xia Xi's eyes; she silently withdrew her hand from Xu Yanfeng's grip, her palm sweaty, she rubbed it against the cushion, curled her lips, and answered Zi Heng: "It doesn't hurt anymore."

Zi Heng: "Mom, are you thirsty? I'll get you some water."

Xia Xi shook her head, voice gentle: "Not thirsty."

Zi Heng: "Mom, tell me what you need and I'll fetch it for you."

Xia Xi: "Okay, thank you, sweetheart."

Zi Heng: "Mom, are you hungry? I have chocolate biscuits."

Xia Xi: "Mom's not hungry; save them for yourself to eat."

Zi Heng simply lay down beside her: "Mom, you……"

Xu Yanfeng, unable to bear it any longer, gritted his teeth and gave Zi Heng's protruding little bottom a light pat, interrupting him: "Don't you have homework to do?"

Zi Heng turned his head, glared at him dissatisfied, and said, "He's just checking on how Mom is."

"Our kindergarten doesn't have homework every day!" Zi Heng shouted.

Xu Yanfeng: "I'm taking care of things here; you're crowding me."

Zi Heng: "……"

Xia Xi couldn't bear to look, turned her face away.

Xu Yanfeng ignored the furious, speechless Zi Heng, picked up the words he'd forgotten to say earlier, and told Xia Xi: "When you take a bath, be careful not to let the wound touch water." After a pause, he earnestly offered a solution: "If it's inconvenient for you, I can help."

Xia Xi snapped her head around, eyes wide, "Help with what?"

As if he understood what Xia Xi hadn't said aloud, Xu Yanfeng covered Zi Heng's ears; Zi Heng shook his head, struggling, while Xu Yanfeng kept his hands firmly over them: "I mean, I'll help you bathe."

"……" Xia Xi's eyes flickered slightly, "Could you not say such things in front of the child?"

Xu Yanfeng pointed his chin downward, indicating she should look at his hand movements: "This isn't about plugging his ears."

Over the next few days, Xu Yanfeng deprived Xia Xi of the right to drive; each morning he would drop off the children before taking her to the company, in the afternoon he would pick up the children and then wait for her to finish work, after which they would return home together.

Having been seen several times by colleagues from the company, Xia Xi didn't know how to explain it.

Fortunately, they only gossiped behind her back, and no one came to her face to ask what her relationship with Xu Yanfeng was.

Xia Xi's work focus shifted slightly to Li Tai's estate, but she also kept an eye on the construction progress at Jingyu Yuan.

That morning, Li Tai came to Broad and Elegant to have Xia Xi look at the design drawings. Previously they had spoken several times on the phone, and Li Tai had conveyed her and her husband's ideas one by one to Xia Xi, wanting to know whether she had incorporated feedback into the drawings.

Xia Xi had the person come into the office, asked Huang Shiyu to brew a cup of coffee and bring it in, then she tactfully said to Li Tai: "The design drawings won't be ready that quickly; right now it's only a rough sketch, nothing can be seen. But rest assured, I will expedite completion; when it's done I'll come find you, or if you have free time I'll call to let you know to come again."

Huang Shiyu placed the coffee on the tea table in front of Li Tai, speaking on behalf of Xia Xi: "Our Xia Gong is famous for fast drawings; it hasn't even been a few days, she is surely trying to design every aspect to satisfy you—be patient, and the result will definitely not disappoint you."

Li Tai frowned slightly, but didn't say anything serious, drank two sips of coffee and left.

Before leaving, she turned her head toward Xia Xi and urged: "Hurry up."

Xia Xi nodded in agreement.

It's not that she hasn't dealt with clients urging progress before; Li Tai's type is relatively easy to talk to, Xia Xi remained calm, and after seeing Li Tai off she sat down to continue drawing the designs.

Li Tai walked out of the office, took out sunglasses from her bag and put them on, and stepped out in high heels with a click-clack sound.

Yu Xiaoxiao stood by the printer pretending to be busy, but actually kept constant watch on the movements in Xia Xi's office; seeing Li Tai come out, Xia Xi saw her off for a stretch, then returned, and Yu Xiaoxiao clenched her fists and quietly followed Li Tai.

By the elevator, with no one else around, Yu Xiaoxiao stepped forward to press the elevator button.

Li Tai's reaching motion paused, and through her sunglasses she glanced at her.

Yu Xiaoxiao took the opportunity to greet: "Mrs. Li, hello."