It was a real wound.It was a little more serious than what Xiang Wan had thought in her head that it was just an open wound.
However, for Bai Muchuan who used to be a commando, this wound was nothing.
Cheng Zheng crouched without a word as he started to clean the wound and applied medicine. He was careful and patient… Mm, he removed the blood clot without batting an eyelid. He also cleaned the wound meticulously and repeatedly that Bai Muchuan was gritting his teeth as he looked on and started to break out in cold sweat. Nonetheless, Cheng Zheng still looked as indifferent as usual as he retaliated against Bai Muchuan to the earlier provocation in his own way.
The confrontation between the two men were simple and straight to the point. Xiang Wan knew that very well but could do nothing about it.
Bai Muchuan had intentionally provoked Cheng Zheng.
Cheng Zheng had intentionally made Bai Muchuan in pain as retaliation.
The process took rather long.
Xiang Wan watched the whole process and almost felt gooseb.u.mps all over when Cheng Zheng finally got up and disposed the cotton wool and stuff, then turned around to instruct Bai Muchuan. "Don"t touch water and make sure it"s clean!"
After a short pause, he took a glance at Bai Muchuan"s trousers.
"Don"t wear that first!"
Bai Muchuan: "…"
But he couldn"t be working in the office wearing only a s.h.i.+rt and underwear?
Xiang Wan felt like laughing when she saw his face turning grim.
Nonetheless, Cheng Zheng did not have the slightest tinge of sympathy. "If you don"t want your wound to get infected, listen to the doctor"s advice."
"Hurhur!" The smile on Bai Muchuan felt cold with a tinge of sarcasm and he knocked on the desk in a somewhat arrogant manner. "I think this feud between us is gonna last forever, right? So did you have fun treating me this way?"
Cheng Zheng took a look at him. "The one who is holding a grudge is you, not me."
"Is that so? You"re right," sneered Bai Muchuan, "the one who suffered is not you after all, why would you be having a grudge?"
Cheng Zheng packed up the first aid box. "What do you want to do then?"
"What can I do?" Bai Muchuan smiled. "I"m a decent police officer. What can I do to you?"
"That"s right!" Cheng Zheng glanced at him meaningfully. "If you can"t let go of the past, you"d never be able to get over it… You can"t let yourself off when you didn"t let others off."
"You should be telling yourself this!"
Cheng Zheng couldn"t say a word of refute. He seemed not able to answer that yet at the same time, he also seemed that he didn"t want to answer that.
Bai Muchuan looked at him indifferently. "Do remember this well. You owe me and it"s not something that you can pay back by treating my wounds for a few times!"
"…" Cheng Zheng remained silent.
A while later, he spoke slowly, "I"m very sorry, it"s not deliberate."
"Do you think that by saying that you"re not deliberate, you could erase all that happened? If all crimes and wrongdoings could be easily settled with an apology, the police wouldn"t have been needed and formed in the first place!"
Cheng Zheng remained quiet.
The two of them looked at each other coldly.
The atmosphere became cold.
Although Xiang Wan heard their conversation, she did not understand what it was about.
After thinking for a moment, she decided to ease the tension. "I"ll go get another trousers for you," she said to Bai Muchuan, "or maybe I"ll just get a new pair."
"No need." Bai Muchuan turned down her offer.
After that, he put on his trousers ignoring Cheng Zheng"s advice. "I"ll change after I go back home tonight!"
Cheng Zheng showed a frown. "You"re still the same after all these years. Still as headstrong as ever."
Bai Muchuan let out a snort. "You"re still the same as well, always preaching and nagging at people. However, what makes you think you can tell me what to do?"
Cheng Zheng: "…"
The two of them had another staring contest.
"If you are not as wilful and headstrong back then," blurted Cheng Zheng, "you wouldn"t have… been disliked."
Bai Muchuan took in a puff of breath deeply. A layer of thick ice seemed to have gathered in his gaze.
He kept quiet.
And looked at Cheng Zheng with his icy glare.
It seemed as if he would strangle him to death in the next second.
Cheng Zheng, however, was very calm. "I"ve known you for 20 years. I know how you"re like!"
As he said that, he took a glance at Xiang Wan from the corner of his eye. "What"s past is past. Treasure what you have now."
"I know you for 20 years as well, Cheng Zheng. I know very well how you"re like too." Bai Muchuan gave a short pause with every word he said, wearing an expression that was cold as marble. "Don"t ever think of plotting against me again! I"ll never give anyone a second chance to hurt me again."
Cheng Zheng remained quiet once again.
Bai Muchuan let out a mocking sneer. "You got your way back then simply because I had trusted you…"
Xiang Wan felt a tug in her heart at his words.
She suddenly remembered that Bai Muchuan had once asked her something before. "Have you ever trusted someone with all your heart?"
So Cheng Zheng was the one whom he had trusted wholeheartedly before?
And Cheng Zheng… betrayed him and hurt him. That was why he held a grudge against him?
"Do as you want!" Cheng Zheng sighed quietly. He held the first aid box tightly and turned his head after taking a few steps. "Before I forget, Miao Zichen will be reporting to work this afternoon."
And so he left.
Bai Muchuan stared at his back view for a moment before sitting down slowly, still looking as cold as ice.
The atmosphere in his office also got affected by him and felt cold like ice as well.
Xiang Wan took the mug on his desk and filled it with water for him.
"Come, drink some water and calm down!"
"Mm." Bai Muchuan raised his eyebrows. "Thank you!"
Xiang Wan: "…"
He thanked her?
She felt uncomfortable!
And he actually looked gloomy.
She couldn"t get used to it!
Xiang Wan didn"t feel good when she saw him behaving like that.
"Bai Muchuan, your look earlier… was a little unfamiliar to me."
She directly let him know what she was thinking.
Xiang Wan was never the pa.s.sive one in their relations.h.i.+p.
The moment she felt something could affect their relations.h.i.+p, she would voice out her concerns and wanted to communicate with him.
"I even have a feeling that…" continued Xiang Wan who was observing his expression, "the earlier emotions you displayed out of the blue was not only targeted at Cheng Zheng. Some of it seemed to be targeting at me… even though I didn"t know how I have offended you."
Bai Muchuan"s eyes suddenly felt a little warm.
He looked at Xiang Wan who was standing in front of him.
"It"s got nothing to do with you. Don"t overthink about this!"
Xiang Wan smiled at him. "I"m very sensitive."
"It"s a good thing that you"re sensitive," said Bai Muchuan, "but it can also be a bad thing too. Moreover, it might not be right all the time!"
"…"
He was right to say that sixth sense, intuition, feelings, might not be accurate all the time.
Xiang Wan agreed with this viewpoint.
Perhaps, maybe she was really too sensitive?
She put a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him. "Alright then. So about the personal matter that is troubling you, are you able to handle it all by yourself?"
It was quite a while later when Bai Muchuan finally nodded his head. "I will."
His answer was too vague. It was not what Xiang Wan wanted to hear.
"I"m willing to give you time, no matter how long it will take. I"m very patient and willing to wait. But I want to know, how much will this matter affect you? Will it affect our relations.h.i.+p that you will not love me the way you used to?"
"…" Bai Muchuan looked at her.
The emotions in his eyes spoke of silence, cold and hurt.
Xiang Wan felt a little heartache for him.
He was like a helpless child.
Confusion, helplessness and at a loss of what to do…
She kept quiet for a while.
Then, she showed a cool smile.
"You know how I am. It"s either we"re good or we part our ways."
…