Disabled Childhood Sweetheart: A Humble Puppy Begs for the Young Lady's Pity

Zhou Jingchen followed behind her and got on the same bus with her.

The roads were wet and slippery, and traffic was congested. Pedestrians, bicycles, donkey carts, and cars were all weaving through the traffic in a chaotic manner, accompanied by the cacophony of blaring horns.

When they arrived at the bus stop near her home, Wenxi got off the bus with her schoolbag on her back, and Zhou Jingchen walked behind her at a distance.

She pushed him hard just now, and he almost fell. Zhou Jingchen felt very upset. The rain fell on his face, cold and wet.

Neither of them carried an umbrella.

The drizzle gradually became denser, threatening to pour, and both of their canvas shoes were half-wet.

Wenxi knew he was behind her, but she stubbornly refused to speak to him or turn around to look at him. This time, she was determined to teach Zhou Jingchen a lesson.

Wenxi had been thinking to herself these past few days that if he didn't apologize to her and coax her before the weekend, she would never speak to him again for the rest of her life.

There was still some distance from the bus stop to Kangshi Lane. Wenxi had just walked to the entrance of the lane when a man, soaking wet, suddenly jumped out from the side, his brows furrowed, his voice hoarse: "Are you Wen Zhiting's daughter?"

"Yes, what's wrong?" Wenxi was in a bad mood, and her tone wasn't very good either.

"You're the one I'm looking for!" The man suddenly stretched out his hand, his face changed, and he looked fierce. Wenxi shrank back in fright.

Zhou Jingchen, who was behind him, caught a glimpse of this scene and his heart tightened. He shouted "Wenxi!" and quickly rushed forward, leaning on his cane.

Before Wenxi could turn and run away, the man stretched out his long arm, grabbed her neck tightly, and dragged her aside, cursing through gritted teeth:

"Your dad ruined me! He made me lose my job, and my whole family went hungry... Meanwhile, you guys are living the high life!"

Wenxi was so frightened that tears immediately fell from her eyes. She struggled desperately, but the man's other arm immediately wrapped around her waist and arm, making her unable to move at all.

Out of the corner of her eye, Wenxi saw Zhou Jingchen running over with a cane, his right hand gripping the unopened umbrella, and he raised his hand and accurately smashed it against the man's neck.

The man winced in pain, turned around, and yelled, "This is none of your business! Get out of my way! I only want Wen Zhiting's daughter!"

He became increasingly agitated, and his grip tightened, making it difficult for Wenxi to breathe, her face turning bright red.

"Let her go! Let her go!"

Zhou Jingchen shouted loudly and desperately hit the other person with his umbrella. The boy's neck turned red, and he used all his strength.

The man, hurt from the beating, finally released one hand, pulled out a stick from behind his back, and pointed it at Zhou Jingchen: "You little brat, you're asking for it! Mind your own business!"

Wenxi seized the opportunity to stomp on the man's instep desperately, trying to break free of his restraints.

"You're not allowed to hurt her!"

Zhou Jingchen took a step forward, using one hand to support himself with his cane and forcefully using the umbrella handle to block the other person's stick.

Seeing that he wouldn't let go, the man shoved Wenxi away.

The girl fell into a mud puddle, her blue and white school uniform splattered with mud, looking utterly disheveled.

"Wenxi! Are you alright?" Zhou Jingchen turned around subconsciously.

In that brief moment of distraction, the man knocked the umbrella handle from her hand and onto the ground.

He immediately raised his cane and desperately blocked the stick that the other person was throwing at him.

The ground was slippery, and he was already unsteady standing on one leg. His opponent was also very strong, and in just a few moments, Zhou Jingchen was thrown to the ground.

Wenxi saw him fall, and cried as he got up from the mud, his face covered in rainwater and tears.

"Zhou Jingchen! Waaah... Zhou Jingchen, are you alright?"

Upon seeing Zhou Jingchen fall to the ground, the man immediately turned around and tried to grab Wenxi again.

Ignoring the pain, Zhou Jingchen rolled over and pounced on Wenxi, shielding her tightly beneath him.

Enraged, the other party kicked him repeatedly.

The rubber-soled shoes landed on the boy repeatedly, like being hit by stones, sharp pain piercing through him in waves.

Zhou Jingchen gritted his teeth, but tightened his arms even more, protecting the person in his arms tightly, refusing to let go no matter how the other person hit him.

"Clang, clang, clang"

Each kick was delivered with great force, producing a deep and heavy sound that was exceptionally clear in the rain.

Wenxi burst into tears, feeling both heartbroken and frightened.

Seeing that Zhou Jingchen didn't get up, the other person raised the stick in his hand high and slammed it down on his back. With a "bang," the first blow landed heavily, and Zhou Jingchen gritted his teeth and groaned.

This blow hurt Wenxi more than if it had hit her directly; Wenxi felt like her heart was about to burst from the pain.

Her starry eyes glared fiercely, tears streaming down her face, as she shouted and cursed:

"You bastard!! Stop hitting him! If you hit him again, I'm not finished with you! I'll kill you!!!"

The second blow was about to land...

Suddenly, Grandpa Zhou appeared from behind the man and kicked him hard in the shin.

Caught off guard, the other person fell to their knees with a thud.

"Yan Hua! Are you crazy!" Grandpa Zhou roared, quickly kicking the stick out of his hand. "Don't you think about your son who's going to university?"

"Waaaaah, Zhou Jingchen, how are you?" Wenxi cupped his face in her hands, her shoulders shaking with sobs.

The boy forced a smile, his voice a little hoarse: "Wenxi, don't be afraid, I'm fine."

Not long after, the sound of police sirens grew louder as they approached. In the pouring rain, the man was handcuffed and put into a police car.

-

When Wen Zhiting and Xiang Qin arrived at the hospital, Zhou Jingchen and Wen Xi had already completed their examinations.

Wenxi only suffered some superficial injuries and was not seriously hurt, but Zhou Jingchen had several bruises on his back.

On the way home, Wenxi's tears never stopped, and her eyes were swollen like walnuts.

Grandpa Zhou originally wanted Zhou Jingchen to sleep with him, but Wenxi held his arm tightly and refused to let go, sobbing and shedding tears.

Xiang Qin sighed and said softly, "Let the child stay at my house tonight."

The rain has stopped.

After getting home, washing up, and lying in bed, it was already past 2 a.m.

When Xiang Qin applied ointment to Zhou Jingchen's back, she looked at the bruises of varying depths and her nose tingled, and she almost burst into tears.

Before leaving, she touched Zhou Jingchen's head, then bent down and kissed Wenxi's forehead, gently telling the two children that she would ask their teacher for leave tomorrow so they could get a good night's sleep, before quietly closing the door and leaving.

The lights in the room were off, and it was quiet.

Wenxi tiptoed out of her own bed, walked barefoot to Zhou Jingchen's bedside, lifted the covers and crawled inside.

The boy's back stiffened suddenly...

A moment later, suppressed sobs came from behind.

Wenxi reached out her fingertip and gently touched his back beneath his pajamas, her voice thick with nasal tone: "Does it hurt, little dog?"

Zhou Jingchen turned around, resting his head on his hands, and quietly looked at her in the faint moonlight streaming in from the window. "It doesn't hurt."

Two more tears rolled down Wenxi's cheeks and landed on the pillow: "You're lying, it must have hurt a lot."

She had seen it clearly when her mother applied the medicine to his back; the bruises were heartbreaking to see. He'd taken so many blows, and that one hit with the stick… Wenxi grew angrier the more she thought about it, wishing she could tear that man to pieces.

Zhou Jingchen gave a forced, relaxed laugh and reached out to wipe away her tears: "It really doesn't hurt. Wenxi, don't cry."

"I saw it all, there are so many bruises on your back." Wenxi sniffed, her nose brushing against his neck, her breath filled with the light scent of soap and ointment mixed with his body.

"They're just superficial injuries, nothing serious." Zhou Jingchen paused, his voice very soft. "It's good that you're alright."

Wenxi felt a lump in her throat and wanted to cry again.

She suddenly straightened her face, her tone slightly fierce: "Next time you encounter something like this, run away, you hear me?"

"I can't do it, Wenxi."

Why?

"I can't bear to see you get hurt."

"But we've broken off all contact."

Even if we break up, it won't stop me from caring about you.

"Why?" That was her favorite question.

Zhou Jingchen lowered his long eyelashes, remained silent for a moment, and said in a low voice, "Because we are not only best friends, but also family, relatives."

Wenxi suddenly understood.

Just like when she and Jiang Xiaoya fought as children, Jiang Xiaoya's older brother, Jiang Cheng, would always come to her aid.

Jiang Xiaoya said that her relationship with her brother is sometimes not good, and they sometimes quarrel and fight, but if outsiders bully her, her brother will definitely help her beat up the outsiders.

She and Zhou Jingchen were like siblings; if he were in danger, she would risk her life to save him.

Water dripped from the eaves outside the window. In the darkness, Wenxi's warm breath fell on his cheek: "So, do you want to make up with me, little dog?"

Zhou Jingchen blinked, his eyes sparkling with tiny lights: "Mm."

Wenxi smiled, then straightened her face and corrected him, "You should ask: Sister, are you willing to make up with me?"

He readily agreed, his dark eyes fixed on her: "Sister, are you willing to make up with me?"

She smiled and whispered, "I do."