Chapter 13B

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Stepping into the void with no hope of reprieve

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Just like an omen, Han Jia felt ill at ease since the afternoon started.

That day was Saturday, he prepared his lessons, washed a few clothes, and cleaned the house a bit - still feeling as if his heart was suspended in midair, floating and fluttering, unable to reach a solid landing.

After being restless for a while, he went out to Liu Dezhu's home. Liu Dezhu had already gone to participate in the provincial training classes, leaving only Grandma Liu home alone. Han Jia helped her sweep the yard, prepare dinner and then chatted with her for some time; being busy like that seemed to allow his unsettling heart to calm down.

Once dinner ended, he returned home only to be greeted by the same cold and cheerless lights, the same empty walls, and this very same place that he had become accustomed to living in for the past several years now had, for some reason, made him always feel that there was something amiss.

It was in such an inexplicable uneasiness that he heard a knock on the door.

He had thought about it before, that if Jiang Xiaoning were to come again, he would harden his heart and close the door in front of his face. But that plan was destroyed to a shamble the moment it started.

Jiang Xiaoning did not carry any large bags with him this time and was only leaning against the wall looking at him with a weary expression; his voice was low and hoarse, and he appeared exhausted and weak.

"I'm injured. Let me sit for a moment, okay? I'll only sit for a moment."

Don't even mention 'closing the door in front of his face', Han Jia was completely speechless, and simply took one step to the side, making way for Jiang Xiaoning to enter.

After Jiang Xiaoning slowly walked in, Han Jia went to close the yard-gate only to discover that he himself was holding in his breathe.

He followed behind Jiang Xiaoning and entered into the main room and then into the inner room. Jiang Xiaoning did not look back as he stood under the light and removed his jacket.

There was no other shirt behind the thin jacket, and the bloodstained bandages entered Han Jia's sight all at once. He seemed to have been nailed to the ground as he stared straight at that bright red color, feeling a gust of cold air rising from his fingertips and spreading throughout his whole body.

Jiang Xiaoning inspected it, seemingly agitated as he spoke: "What the hell's going on?" then he turned to Han Jia, "Can you help me wrap it up again? It's a bit hard for me to do it myself."

Han Jia's heart was still beating rapidly with fear, but having heard Jiang Xiaoning say that, he remembered to go and get the medicine case. He walked into the main room and took a few deep breaths before he managed to keep his feet steady and his expression calm.

Afterward, he returned to cut the bandages for Jiang Xiaoning, cleaned the wound, rewrapped it - all the while maintaining a stiff yet cool-headed demeanor, not even blinking when his eyes landed on the obviously newly sutured wound.

Jiang Xiaoning did not mind his silence. He only lowered his head slightly and stared at his fingers before he then leaned in closer to him and whispered, "You're actually very skilled in this."

In these five years, Jiang Xiaoning had grown into a real man with broad shoulders and a firm chest, so when he leaned forward, Han Jia had never before thought that he could feel the pressure on himself.

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