After being kicked out of the wealthy family along with her yandere childhood friend

Bai Tao watched longingly as the mattress she had wanted for half a month was laid out on Pei Jin's wooden bed.

Family members, does anyone understand?

The greatest distance in the world is when I'm on the sofa, but the mattress is on the bed.

Bai Tao sat on the sofa, legs crossed, with a light pink blanket draped over her knees, staring at the mattress for a long time.

If I had known earlier that we were at the hospital, I should have offered the sofa to Pei Jin.

Bai Tao sighed softly.

The next second, a shadow loomed over them.

When Bai Tao turned around, Pei Jin had his hands on either side of her.

His arms were resting on the back of the sofa, and he leaned forward slightly, trapping her entirely in his shadow.

The light shone from behind him, casting a shadow over Bai Tao, covering her head, shoulders, and knees.

Those aggressive eyes stared straight at her, dark and deep.

His gaze carried a scrutinizing quality; his eyes were so profound that Bai Tao felt every inch of her skin burning as his gaze swept over her.

"W-what's wrong?"

Feeling bewildered by Pei Jin's gaze, Bai Tao felt a little flustered.

Her fingers gripped the edge of the blanket, twisting the fluff out of shape with her fingertips.

Pei Jin remained silent.

Their breaths drew closer and closer, so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath brushing against her cheek.

His gaze lingered on her lips for a moment before returning to her eyes.

Pei Jin didn't speak until the two were almost face to face.

Are you angry?

Bai Tao awkwardly turned her face to the side.

This person is crazy! Does that pose look like they're asking someone if they're alive?

His arms were braced on either side of her body, his face was less than a fist's width away from hers, and his breath brushed against her ear.

At this distance, even if she was truly angry, how could she possibly say it while being pinned down like this?

She couldn't bring herself to say it, so she could only turn her face away.

"no."

Her voice was muffled, as if it were being squeezed out from between her teeth.

Pei Jin looked at her with some confusion.

He raised an eyebrow, looking at the fair and beautiful neck that was revealed after she turned around.

"Then why didn't you talk to me when you came back? You didn't say much to me at the hospital either."

Bai Tao felt her neck burning.

"What are you saying? Hey, get away from me!"

Bai Tao felt like she couldn't breathe and hurriedly tried to push Pei Jin away.

Her palm was pressed against his chest, the warmth of her hand passing through the thin fabric of his short-sleeved shirt.

She pushed it, but it wouldn't budge.

This guy is the type who looks slim in clothes but muscular when undressed.

He's done so much hard labor these past few days, moving so many sacks at the courier station and bending over so many times on the assembly line; his body is now more defined than before.

He was as strong as an ox. When she pushed him with her hand on his chest, she could feel his pectoral muscles tighten slightly, as if he was deliberately resisting her strength.

Pei Jin stepped back slightly.

He pulled his arm back from the sofa back, straightened up, and maintained a normal social distance from her.

His face was back in the light, his expression had returned to its usual coldness, as if nothing had happened.

But that's not how he truly felt.

He had a brief urge to hold her wrist, an urge to lower his head and kiss her, an urge to lift her off the sofa, pull her into his arms, and place her on the new mattress.

But now is not the time.

He straightened up, stood in front of the sofa, and looked down at Bai Tao.

Her face was still red, her neck was red, and her fingers were still gripping the edge of the blanket, her knuckles turning white.

Her eyelashes drooped, obscuring most of the emotions in her eyes.

"sorry."

Bai Tao was a little surprised and looked up at him.

"sorry."

Bai Tao opened her mouth, her voice tinged with uncertainty, as if caught off guard by the sudden apology, "Apologize for what?"

Pei Jin stared intently at Bai Tao.

He has wronged Bai Tao too much.

I'm sorry I refused to play with you when we were little. I scolded you, and you ran away crying. I stood there watching your back, but I didn't chase after you.

I'm sorry for hurting you a few days ago when you were with me. I grabbed you by the neck and slammed you against the wall. I still remember the sound of your knees hitting the gravel.

I'm sorry for lying to you, for making you think I work in an office building, and for making you happy about a respectable job that I don't even have.

I'm sorry, I like you a lot, but right now I can only let you live in this small basement, and I don't even have the ability to give you money. You're the only one who can afford to let you live in this kind of environment.

Pei Jin had so much to say.

I shouldn't have lied to you.

"It won't happen again."

Bai Tao realized that Pei Jin might have misunderstood something.

Bai Tao smiled.

"It's okay, this is just a white lie."

Her tone returned to its usual sweet and soft cadence.

"But you should still tell me if you do anything that's dangerous in the future."

Pei Jin nodded.

He understood what Bai Tao said, but he didn't understand her implied meaning.

Bai Tao probably looks down on him because he doesn't have much ability now.

She probably thought he looked pathetic and pathetic, but she was too embarrassed to say it directly.

Bai Tao is such a good person. Her kindness makes her too embarrassed to point it out, and she even preserves his pitiful self-esteem for him.

"What are we having for dinner? Shall I cook?"

Bai Tao looked at him with a puzzled expression.

She turned her head, her gaze shifting from his face to the stove, and then back to his face.

"It's just two tomatoes..."

Bai Tao's voice carried a hint of hesitation, "Besides tomatoes, we don't have anything else to eat."

Pei Jin followed her gaze and glanced at the stove.

He was silent for a moment.

The silence ended, because there really were no other dishes left.

"Let me cook some more porridge, in case you don't have enough to eat."

Bai Tao nodded; she ate whatever the chef made, without being picky.

After dinner, Pei Jin told Bai Tao to take a shower first.

After taking a shower, Bai Tao nestled obediently on the sofa, her hair wrapped in a hair drying cap, looking like a loose white hat on her head.

The air conditioner fan hummed, and cool air flowed out of the vents, brushing against her bare calves and arms.

She picked out a few private messages to reply to. She didn't have many orders today. After finishing those five portraits, she took two more, both of which were simple chibi-style. She drew them quickly, and the clients paid her promptly.

It's getting late, and she doesn't plan to paint anymore.

She leaned back on the sofa, held her phone in front of her, and aimlessly scrolled through short videos.

Pei Jin stood in front of the bathroom mirror.

His back was covered in bruises, which spread from his shoulder blades down to his waist, a mixture of deep purple and dark blue.

Some areas are already swollen, and they feel slightly raised above the surrounding skin.

He turned to the side and looked at himself in the mirror. The angle wasn't good; he could only see part of it.

He held a tube of ointment in his hand, squeezed a little onto his finger. The white ointment had a faint minty smell and felt cool.

He tentatively rubbed the ointment back a couple of times, his fingers reaching a purplish-blue patch near his shoulder blade. The cool touch of the ointment made his skin shrink slightly.

Pei Jin glanced at the crack in the bathroom door that wasn't closed properly.

The door was ajar, with a gap about three fingers wide.

He hesitated for a moment.

Then he opened his mouth and hissed loudly enough for the person outside the crack in the door to hear.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was particularly noticeable in the quiet basement.

Bai Tao suddenly raised her head.

"What's wrong?"

Pei Jin's hands were on the sink, and because of his awkward posture, his shoulder blades were slightly raised, making the surrounding muscle lines very clear.

When he spoke, his voice carried a subtle weakness that made it clear he was indeed struggling.

"There are some places I can't reach."

Pei Jin spoke a little slower than usual.

"I might need your help. Is that alright?"

As he said this, Pei Jin suddenly thought of asking his handsome neighbor next door for help, since he was an upright person.

Should he suggest asking someone else for help?

He chose to remain silent.

Bai Tao stood at the toilet door and saw Pei Jin's naked upper body through the crack in the door.

He was facing away from her, his muscles gleaming healthily under the light.

She took a deep breath.

Her snow-white skin seemed to glow under the bathroom light.

The proportions of a narrow waist and broad shoulders are more pronounced from the back, and the lines that taper from top to bottom are smooth and natural.

Her gaze lingered on the bruise on his waist, then down to the edge of his trousers, hanging loosely on his hip.

Snow-white six-pack abs—

Bai Tao's hand was on the doorknob.

Is Pei Jin some kind of male bodhisattva?! Why didn't you close the door properly when you were taking a shower? I should have come to check earlier, before you even stood up.

"May I come in?"

Bai Tao's voice was softer than I expected.

Pei Jin stirred in the crack of the door. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her already standing at the bathroom door. He turned his back, and a smile curled up at the corner of his mouth where she couldn't see him.

"Come in."

Bai Tao pushed open the door.

The toilet was small, and it felt even more cramped when two people stood inside at the same time.

Pei Jin rested one hand on the sink, his arm slightly bent, the muscles in that arm taut from the support, the lines from his shoulder to his elbow clear and firm.

With his other hand, he held onto the wall, his fingers slightly spread, pressing against the cold tiles, his fingertips turning slightly white from the pressure.

His head was tilted back, his neck forming a smooth arc, and his Adam's apple was slightly protruding.

He turned his head to the side and nodded his chin toward the sink. "The medicine is all over there."

Bai Tao swallowed hard.

Her gaze couldn't help but drift towards his body.

He stood a step away from her, his bare upper body exposed, his skin dazzlingly white, and the muscles in his shoulders and back perfectly defined.

When Bai Tao reached for the sink, her fingertips trembled slightly.

She was so excited, she was so excited.

When she picked up the ointment, her fingertip touched the aluminum tube packaging, and the cold touch made her shiver.

"Isn't it scary and ugly?"

The bruises on his body were indeed quite frightening, so he chose to subtly display something else first.

"No," Bai Tao blurted out, "It's very white."

The air froze for about two seconds.

"What?"

Pei Jin almost burst out laughing; his shoulders trembled slightly.

Bai Tao just realized what she had said.

"It's not scary."

Bai Tao's voice was urgent and fast.

"The light in this restroom is very white, so it doesn't look so scary."

"Oh~"

Pei Jin drawled, "That's good. Do you need me to lower my voice?"

Bai Tao dipped her finger into the ointment, and the white ointment slowly melted on her fingertip, emitting a faint minty medicinal scent.

She reached her hand down his back, gently and slowly pressing her fingers against the cool ointment, spreading it out slowly and carefully, then moving to another spot to continue applying it.

She didn't know if Pei Jin had ill intentions that night, but she knew he definitely did now.

She deliberately and slowly applied the ointment to the bruises on his body. Her movements were slow and careful, her fingertips gliding over the bumps and dents on his skin. The feel of his back was much better than she had expected.

Like delicate and warm jade warmed by the sun.

Pei Jin bit down on the flesh on the side of his teeth.

His teeth dug into the soft flesh of his mouth, and a slight pain emanated from inside, which helped to alleviate the throbbing sensation of her fingers tracing his back.

He was certain she had ill intentions, but he couldn't say anything because his mind was in turmoil.

After applying the ointment to the bruises on my back, there's still a small patch left on my neck.

The scar was near the side of the neck, in a rather tricky location, making it difficult to reach from behind.

Bai Tao's fingertips withdrew from his back and patted his shoulder lightly, twice.

"Lower it a bit."

Pei Jin's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

Pei Jin turned around in a panic, his movements so fast it was as if he were running away from something.

He turned around to face Bai Tao. He saw that Bai Tao's pupils seemed to be lit up by something, staring straight at a certain part of his body before quickly turning away.

He took the remaining ointment from her hand, and when his fingertips touched her palm, both of their hands paused for a second.

His movements were somewhat unnaturally hurried, as if he wanted to snatch something away.

"Thanks,"

Pei Jin's voice was a little tense, "I'll take care of the one on my neck myself."

Bai Tao glanced at him with a hint of regret.

"Don't you need me anymore? We were almost there!"

Her voice carried an undisguised, almost blunt regret.

She really wanted to finish applying that last bit.

Pei Jin insisted on doing it himself; his hand was already gripping the ointment, held in front of him as a shield.

She nodded, turned to wash her hands, and unconsciously looked up, her gaze falling on the mirror.

Pei Jin was turning slightly to the side, preparing to apply the medicine himself.

His six-pack abs were clearly visible under the light.

Looking at the person in the mirror, Bai Tao suddenly had a thought: why wasn't the front injured?

bah bah bah!

How could she curse Pei Jin!

Pei Jin stood in front of the sink.

After Bai Tao left, he quickly washed his face twice with his hands, splashing cold water on his face. When he looked up, he saw himself in the mirror.

It stands tall somewhere.