Chapter 180: A Love Song on the Strings of the Heart
It felt like someone had touched the strings of her heart!
Lin Yibai held her chest, her beating heart seemed to be telling her, she didn’t actually hate the current mess she was in.
If I were really a girl…?
Her eyes became a bit unfocused, and she whispered softly to herself, “If I were a girl, maybe… I probably… might really be moved by that guy?”
Aahhh~~
Stop thinking nonsense, okay!?
This must all be that annoying guy’s trap. He’s the reason she’s feeling so uncomfortable now. If he hadn’t chased after her, would she be acting like this?
She wasn’t herself anymore. She was starting to act unlike the person she used to be.
Meanwhile, Xia Changyu, still acting like her unpaid helper, was also learning about wedding planning. He told himself it was just to prepare for a wedding with her in the future.
This gave Lin Yibai a bit of a break, but he didn’t notice that her thoughts were all over the place. Maybe she had too many feelings bottled up and couldn’t focus.
Usually, she worked hard and always did a great job. But this time, she made a small mistake.
While moving a metal frame, she didn’t stack it properly, and it leaned to the side.
With a loud gasp, she quickly reached out to stop it from falling. Though she managed to move her body out of the way, her hand got scraped by the sharp edge of the frame, leaving a cut on her palm.
“Ahh—hss~~” What bad luck!
Lin Yibai frowned and held back the pain. She looked at it briefly, it was just a cut, nothing serious.
But to others, especially to Xia Changyu, it looked worse.
He saw blood coming from her palm, slowly running down to her fingertip, then dripping onto the red carpet.
Heart aching, Xia Changyu ran over, calling out anxiously, “Baiyi!!”
Lin Yibai shook her head and said, “I’m fine.”
But Xia Changyu got upset, “You’re bleeding! How can you say you’re fine? Do you want to scare me to death!?”
Lin Yibai looked around. She noticed that some relatives of the bride and groom were nearby, checking the wedding setup.
She quietly stepped closer to Xia Changyu and said, “It’s just a small cut. Really, I’m okay.”
Xia Changyu: “You—!”
He was worried, angry, and didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t scold her or get mad, because this was the girl he liked! And before he could say anything more, she raised her hand to stop him.
Shh~
Even though her injured hand hurt, she still raised one finger to her lips and made a “shh” gesture.
She had noticed that Manager Jin and the wedding host’s family were walking over.
Lin Yibai let out a small breath and whispered, “Just pretend nothing happened, okay?”
Xia Changyu: “But you’re hurt!”
Lin Yibai nodded and said helplessly, “I know… but bleeding at someone’s wedding isn’t really a good look.”
Xia Changyu quickly said, “Baiyi, I think your focus is a little… off?”
Lin Yibai shook her head, then said, “That's right. I just didn’t want to make everyone feel worse. And wouldn’t it be better if you helped me and took me to the doctor sooner?”
What she said actually made a lot of sense. Xia Changyu couldn’t even argue back.
The host of the wedding came over to check, but luckily, Lin Yibai hid everything well. Her calm smile made it seem like it was just a small mistake.
But Manager Jin was older and more experienced. After the host left, he quietly asked, “Xiao Bai, are you really okay?”
Lin Yibai replied, “Just a small cut.”
Xia Changyu added, “She bled quite a bit.”
Manager Jin looked surprised but also admired her. In this kind of wedding setup job, getting hurt was common. Sometimes people even fell from a few meters high when working with metal frames.
He nodded to show he understood.
It wasn’t like they were working for a heartless company. If someone got hurt at work, they’d just follow the normal procedure. He wanted Lin Yibai to go take care of her injury.
Seeing how worried Xia Changyu looked, he decided to be helpful and said, “Since Baiyi isn’t in the best shape, could I ask you, Xia Changyu, to take care of her for now? Just bring me the hospital bill later and I’ll reimburse it.”
Lin Yibai: “Brother Jin, I—!”
But Xia Changyu quickly cut her off and nodded, “Thanks, Brother Jin!”
What a great guy! At least in how he treats people, he’s very thoughtful.
Xia Changyu even thought that if Manager Jin’s skills were good, maybe he could help with their wedding someday.
But right now, Lin Yibai’s injury was more important.
He gently grabbed her hand and started walking toward the car parked outside the hotel. But she stopped and said, “Maybe we shouldn’t. Your car is so new and expensive… If I get blood on it, I can’t afford to pay for that.”
Pay for what? Xia Changyu thought that was nonsense. Out of care and worry, he didn’t even joke like “Then pay with your life.”
Was she really that afraid of messing up his car?
He walked up and gently wiped the blood from her hand using his own fingers. When blood stained his hand too, he said, “I’m not afraid of getting my car dirty. Why should you be?”
“But still—”
Xia Changyu cut her off again, “I remember you’re not the kind of girl who acts so careful and hesitant. What’s going on today? Do I really need to treat you like a sacred statue and invite you into the car?”
Lin Yibai: “Ha~”
The serious mood quickly lightened up. She stopped overthinking and got into the car. Xia Changyu even kindly helped her put on the seatbelt before going to the driver’s seat.
A bit of blood got on the steering wheel.
Oh well! Who cares!
This annoying rival of hers was sometimes just too caring.
Even at the hospital, the doctor said it wasn’t serious. Just clean the wound and use some disinfectant.
But the annoying guy? He was seriously asking if she needed a tetanus shot!?
Lin Yibai sighed and made a face like life was hard, “Have you ever seen anyone who cuts themselves at home with a kitchen knife… then runs to the hospital asking for a tetanus shot?”
“But—”
“No more buts. Let’s go.”
She waved her hand, now wrapped in layers of white bandages, took a deep breath, and said cheerfully, “Let’s go! I want to drink some Grass Jelly Milk Tea. You’re treating me!”
Xia Changyu gave a helpless smile and said, “Alright then! Grass jelly milk tea, do you want it with no ice, or warm?”
Lin Yibai raised her little fist and jokingly said with a fierce look, “Who taught you that milk tea needs to have no ice? If you dare give me milk tea without ice when you’re treating, I’ll kill you!”
Part-time jobs? No way she was going back to any part-time job now.
Xia Changyu drove around the city. There was no way he was dumb enough to just send her straight home, right?
Somehow, the two of them ended up at Jiayun Terrace, a scenic spot in the city park. The sun around 9 or 10 a.m. was shining warmly, and a light breeze blew gently past. It was so relaxing that it made people a little sleepy.
Maybe it was also because she had lost some blood.
Lin Yibai let down her guard and leaned sleepily against Xia Changyu’s shoulder.
“If people could live this relaxed every day, that would be great… Yaaawn~ ( 0 )… ( -.- )”
Xia Changyu heard her yawn and couldn’t help but laugh a little.
“Getting sleepy?”
“A little.”
Xia Changyu patted his own thigh and said, “If you don’t mind—?”
Lin Yibai: “A guy’s lap pillow?”
“What, is that not okay?”
Lin Yibai laughed at how serious he looked, but a guy’s lap pillow? No way!!
Maybe because she was in a good mood… Or maybe just to act exaggerated and escape the idea of resting on his lap…
Lin Yibai placed her hands on the marble railing she was sitting on, used them to push herself up, and jumped off.
“Ack—sshh~~” She forgot, her hand was hurt!
The white bandage soaked through with fresh blood again. But this kind of pain didn’t scare her at all.
Xia Changyu also jumped down, quickly grabbed her wrist to check it, and said with a pained voice, “You… was that really necessary?”
Lin Yibai smiled and replied, “Of course! I’m not going to lie on a guy’s lap! And seriously, I’m fine!”
Hearing that made Xia Changyu feel even more worried. He said, “Actually, I… If possible, I hope you won’t always try to be so strong. It’s okay to lean on me more sometimes… I mean, I can be a guy you can count on.”
Lin Yibai was still in a playful mood. She teased, “Ha, you? No way.”
But just as she finished speaking, she suddenly felt her wrist being pulled closer.
Her body was now leaning on Xia Changyu’s side. He raised a hand, unsure of where to put it, should it go on her shoulder? Her head? Her back?
After taking a deep breath, Xia Changyu finally placed that uncertain hand gently on her soft waist. One hand held her wrist, while the other gently pulled her into his embrace.
Then, he said seriously, “I can do it. Trust me, I’ll never let you down.”
The scenery on Jiayun Terrace was quiet and peaceful. Leaves rustled softly in the wind. And in the middle of it all, the boy’s words were firm and steady.
Lin Yibai reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. Her fingertips seemed to tremble a little.
Her heart… was in chaos.