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

A cherry blossom petal drifted in from somewhere and landed perfectly on Wenxi's bare, fair shoulder.

The scent of cherry blossoms mingled with her familiar milky fragrance, lingering in Zhou Jingchen's nostrils.

His Adam's apple bobbed as his gaze greedily traced her small face.

I haven't seen her for over a year, and she's even more beautiful now.

The girl's skin was pale and cool, her eyes were veiled in mist, her bright and pretty face was slightly puffed up, and her cherry lips were slightly pursed in dissatisfaction, like a little pufferfish.

That face, so innocent and charming, one glance wasn't enough; you had to keep looking, looking repeatedly, looking closely.

Zhou Jingchen knew she was angry and stubborn; he saw that her eyes were red.

The two grew up together like conjoined twins, so at least they still have kinship and friendship that has lasted for many years.

So he leaned down, closer, and like when they were children, shook her hand and murmured softly:

"Young Miss, please don't be angry. I traveled over a thousand kilometers to see you and apologize."

Zhou Jingchen gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.

Unlike his slightly rough fingertips, Wenxi's skin was so tender, like the delicate stamen of a flower petal in the soft light of dawn.

He lowered his voice, quite patiently: "Give the puppy a chance to make amends... sister."

Use all 360 moves at once.

The thin, fragile barrier that Wenxi had erected in her heart was easily shattered by his words.

Two tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill, but she couldn't. Her lips trembled as she spoke.

"Zhou Jingchen, you still know how to call me 'sister'? I thought you left with your rich parents and would never come back."

"My parents treat you like their own son, they always nag about you, and yet you haven't come back to see them for a year or two. Tell me, what else can you call yourself but an ingrate?"

After saying that, the girl's tears fell uncontrollably, and she sniffed from time to time, looking extremely aggrieved, yet with a stubborn expression.

Zhou Jingchen's heart tightened, a sharp pain shot through him, and his eyes instantly welled up with tears. He hurriedly explained:

"After I went to Linshen, my grandmother fell ill, and the whole family stayed with her. Later, my parents helped me contact a school and sent me to school. The coursework there was very demanding, and I fell behind a lot. I have been working hard to catch up. During the holidays, they took me to various hospitals to have my leg checked."

He raised his hand to wipe away the warm tears on her fair cheeks, gazing intently into her eyes: "Wenxi, I... I want to... heal my leg as soon as possible."

Her eyes reddened, and she said irritably, "You bullshit! Don't make excuses for yourself. You've completely forgotten about us. You have no conscience. You'd better get out of my sight right now. I'm annoyed just looking at you."

"Why don't you hit me and vent your anger?" He suddenly grabbed her hand and slapped himself in the face. "Sister, hit me. As long as it makes you feel better."

Wenxi abruptly pulled her hand back and cursed, "Are you crazy?"

A red taxi carrying passengers drove by and stopped beside the two. The driver honked the horn twice, indicating that he wanted a ride.

This was at the school gate, where students were coming and going. Wenxi felt ashamed to stand on the roadside like this, so she opened the car door and got in.

The car door wasn't closed. She glanced at him with her beautiful, tearful eyes, and he bent down to sit down.

The car drove home in silence; neither of them spoke.

Zhou Jingchen raised his hand to wipe her tears, but she slapped his hand away without hesitation.

After a while, Wenxi sniffed a few times and accidentally made eye contact with the driver who was looking in the rearview mirror. She felt extremely embarrassed and could only turn her head away and awkwardly look out the car window.

The car had been driving for a long time, rolling over a rough and uneven road, when with a "thud," Zhou Jingchen's black cane slid to the feet of the two of them.

Wenxi glanced at it, finally softening, and broke the silence: "Is this the new walking stick your parents bought for you?"

"Hmm." Zhou Jingchen lowered his head, like a child who had done something wrong.

Wenxi pursed her lips and asked, "Can your leg be healed?"

"I don't know. Many hospitals say it's incurable, but when we went to Haishi recently, a doctor there said that perhaps hospitals abroad could perform the surgery."

There was a moment of silence.

Wenxi glanced at him, looked at his legs and crutches, and gently asked, pursing her lips, "How did you manage all by yourself?"

"I came by plane."

"An airplane?" Wenxi raised her delicate eyebrows slightly. "I've never been on an airplane before. Is it fun?"

"My ears feel a little uncomfortable."

Why?

"Because the air pressure is too high, it's putting pressure on my eardrums." He glanced at her, his voice low, "My ears still hurt a little."

Wenxi looked at her, her gaze softening slightly, as if she wanted to say something.

Seeing that her expression relaxed, Zhou Jingchen continued, "The airport is very big, and it's a long way from the ticket gate to the boarding gate. I walked for a long time." He spread out his palms to show her, "My palms are red from being rubbed by my cane, and my legs are a little sore too."

Wenxi's heart clenched. She bit her lip and said stubbornly, "Who told you to come? I didn't tell you to come."

"I want to see you. I'll walk any distance, even if my hands get blistered..." He gazed intently at her, his tone earnest and sincere.

Zhou Jingchen gently touched the back of her hand. "Don't be angry with me anymore, okay?"

"I'm not angry." Her cheeks puffed out like a dolphin's.

After a long while, seeing his pitiful appearance, Wenxi's heart softened a bit. Ignoring him would seem like bullying him.

"How's your new school?"

She learned from Wen Zhiting that Zhou Jingchen had been admitted to Lin-Shen University of Science and Technology, one of the top universities in China.

Zhou Jingchen replied, "It's alright, the courses are all quite difficult. Our school is a small tourist attraction near Shenzhen, you can come find me next time you have a holiday, I'll take you there."

Wenxi crossed her arms and gave a soft hum, "You wish. I'm not going to look for you."

The taxi drove smoothly through the city, the wind outside the window lifting Wenxi's long hair, and the floral-scented strands brushed against Zhou Jingchen's cheek.

It itched, so he reached out and brushed it away, but strands of hair brushed against him again.

A strand of hair brushed against the bridge of his high nose, which wrinkled as he sneezed.

Wenxi chuckled, rolled up the taxi window, and teased him, "Zhou Jingchen, you're so funny!"

Her emotions come and go quickly; she doesn't hold grudges or remember bad things. One second she might be crying, and the next she'll be grinning. She's been like this since she was little.

When Zhou Jingchen saw her smile, the corners of his lips also curved upwards.

Wenxi lifted the end of her hair, poked his cheek, leaned against his shoulder, and wrapped her arms tightly around his, asking lazily:

"Hey, I'm asking you, do you miss me?"

Zhou Jingchen paused for a moment, then blushed: "Yes."

How much do you want to?

"I miss it so much that I can't eat or sleep."

She chuckled and said, "Okay, then I forgive you."

Zhou Jingchen's eyes curved into a smile.

In fact, the pent-up frustration that Wenxi had been holding in for over a year vanished the moment she saw Zhou Jingchen.

She had originally intended to keep a straight face and give him a good scolding, but Wenxi couldn't hold back. She missed him terribly and had so much to say to him.

She pressed her nose against his clothes and sniffed hard: "Zhou Jingchen, you smell so good? What brand of soap are you using?"

"Why don't other people smell like this?" Wenxi thought Zhou Jingchen's sheets and clothes smelled nice, always exuding a clean and refreshing scent.

Qin Xiao once sat very close to her during class, and she had never smelled such a pleasant scent on him before.

The girl's soft breasts unconsciously rubbed against his arm, and Zhou Jingchen's face flushed even more, a faint blush rising to his cheeks. His body stiffened and became reserved.

"It's just regular soap."

"Really...?" Wenxi pressed her nose against his clothes, unable to get enough of the smell.

The taxi drove into Kangshi Lane and stopped at the entrance of the compound. The two got out of the car, Zhou Jingchen paid the fare, and thanked the driver.

"Dad, Mom, your ungrateful son is back!" Wenxi flew home like a bird.

Hearing the noise, Wen Zhiting and Xiang Qin, who were inside, rushed out. Seeing Zhou Jingchen leaning on a cane behind Wen Xi, Xiang Qin immediately stepped forward and took his hand, her eyes welling up with tears.

"You silly child, how did you get here? Why didn't you tell us beforehand?"

"Uncle and Aunt, I flew here by myself today. I'm sorry it took me so long to come back and see you."

Wen Zhiting stubbed out his cigarette. "What are you all standing outside for? Let's go inside and talk."

The layout was the same as before, and all the furnishings in the house remained unchanged. The photo of him and Wenxi was still hanging on the wall.

Xiang Qin pulled him to sit down, and Wen Zhiting poured two glasses of water, one for him and one for Wen Xi.

"Your... parents, how are they to you?" Xiang Qin asked.

"fine."

"Where's your sister? I heard you have a sister."

"My younger sister is five years younger than me and just started junior high school. She's easy to get along with."

"Are you getting used to the food and accommodations there?"

"I wasn't used to it at first, but I got used to it later."

Xiang Qin pulled him aside and asked him all sorts of questions, her eyes filled with the loving gaze one would give to their own child.

Zhou Jingchen took out the gifts his parents had asked him to bring from his backpack. He gave Wen Zhiting a set of cigars and Xiang Qin a colorful silk scarf. The exquisite packaging and gifts clearly showed the recipients' good intentions.

Xiang Qin cooked a table full of dishes that evening. Zhou Jingchen asked them why they didn't move to the new house, as the alley was quite old. Wen Zhiting replied that the new house wasn't finished yet.

The couple kept putting food into Zhou Jingchen's bowl, and the whole family cherished this rare moment.

Xiang Qin put the last chicken wing into his bowl, but Wen Xi, who was sitting next to him, put it into his own bowl with his chopsticks.

"You child, you're so old, and you're still bullying Jingchen?" Xiang Qin said, feigning anger as she scolded her.

"Hehe, I'll just bully him." She stuck out her tongue.

"You! After you get married, who will pamper you? With your temper, you're sure to get beaten up after you marry."

Wenxi snorted: "Who dares to hit me? If they dare to lay a hand on me even once, I'll blow up their whole house."

That's something she's capable of doing.

Zhou Jingchen lowered his head and ate his food, his mood complicated, and he didn't say much.