The next morning, He Youting sent Xiaomi to the kindergarten on time.
He got out of the driver’s seat, opened the back door, and unbuckled Xiaomi’s child safety chair. He hung the school bag on her body and led her to the school.
He didn’t know what kindergarten is like every morning, but it seems too lively today.
The children who had arrived earlier gathered around in the west of the yard.
Each of them were very excited.
Xiaomi never wanted to be absent from the fun. She broke away from He Youting’s hand and rushed over to her classmates.
As she run, the little school bag would bounce behind her.
Surrounded by the children, Yu Xinghe was kneeling on the ground.
She wasn’t wearing a coat, only a loose Beige sweater with a soft texture. Her sleeves were rolled up till her elbows and her shoulders sank as she continued to reach out below the sewer pipe.
Her gaze was basically stuck on the ground, and her slender white tender arms had a lot of mud. She didn’t notice He Youting walking towards her.
From time to time, the sound of cats came from the sewer pipe. It was very weak.
Suddenly, it was dark in front of her.
A tall figure covered Yu Xinghe.
Yu Xinghe’s arm was pulled out from the sewer pipe.
She heard his unique hoarse voice from the morning, “I’ll do it.”
The man’s fingers were slender and good-looking. He took her small thin arm and not long after he releases them.
She was pushed aside and saw his profile face, it was the same face that introduced himself yesterday, which she ignored.
She pursed her lips quietly, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly.
He Youting took off his coat and slipped it into Yu Xinghe. His woolen coat was thick and when put on Ye Xinghe, she looked like a big ball. On the tip of her nose, she smelled the faint smell of laundry liquid on his clothes.
He Youting rolled up his sleeves till his elbow like Ye Xinghe. He used one hand to support himself and put the other hand inside the sewer pipe to reach the little cat.
Due to his long arms, he reaches the kitten without struggle. He didn’t know whether the kitten was scared by his hands or was already hurt before but it screamed sharply.
Yu Xinghe blurted out: “Be good.”
He Youting paused, turned around to look at her.
Looking at his uncle, Xiaomi asked, “Uncle, did you catch it?”
He didn’t respond her, but turned his head towards her after gazing at Ye Xinghe.
His arm gradually retracted and brought up a white and gray kitten in his palm.
They don’t know where the wild cat came from. It was stuck in the sewer pipe.
When they looked at the little cat, it was thin and dirty.
Xiaomi wanted to pick it up excitedly, however, He Youting lifted his hand up, “Wash it first before you could hold it.”
Xiaomi pouted, looked up, and said, “Uncle, your hand is bleeding.”
He Youting looked towards his hands. There was a bruise under the thumb of his right hand, which was probably done by the pointed stone or iron wire below.
He didn’t care. “It’s okay.”
Two teachers came out and brought the children in. There were only two people left in the yard.
Yu Xinghe pointed at his wound. “I have a medicine box. Why don’t you go to my place to let me disinfect it?”
He Youting looked at her and raised the cat in his hand, “What about it?”
“Give it to me.” she wanted to pick it up. However, He Youting didn’t let her touch it. “Its dirty, just tell me where to put it.”
Yu Xinghe looked around and went to the corner to find a small carton. After that, she went to search for an old cushion and temporarily placed the box with the cat at the corner of the yard.
He Youting followed her to the piano room.
Yu Xinghe has her own office, but she stays in the piano classroom most of the time.
He Youting found a seat and watch her rummaging the small cabinet and carrying out a small medicine box.
She sat opposite him and looked for the disinfectant and ointment inside. “I’ll give you a simple treatment first. You should get a tetanus shot when you’re free. We don’t know if there was rust below.”
He Youting put his left hand on the table willingly, gently tapped the table with his index finger, and looked at her faintly.
The scar on the back of his hand was so obvious that he was deliberately waving it around in front of her.
Yu Xinghe found hydrogen peroxide and cotton swabs, but she didn’t show any care about the scar in his hand.
She seems to have really forgotten about me…
The winter of twelve years ago, they were in the sixth grade of primary school.
The first snow of that year was dazzling, a thick layer of snow was on every road, and the air seemed to be much better.
The elementary school organized older students to sweep the snow.
Yu Xinghe’s face was red because of the cold, she was wearing a knitted hat, a scarf, and thick cotton shoes.
She walks on the snow with the depth barely above her soles. Several snowflakes were streaming into her socks.
She was a bit reluctant to shovel. “It’s a pity that such beautiful snow will be cleared away.”
He Youting stood beside her and bent down to also work beside her.
This small area was assigned to both of them by the teacher.
“My backyard is better than here. If you like it, I’ll invite you to my house.” The boy look up at her and said. At that time, he was a little shorter than Yu Xinghe.
Yu Xinghe smiled and his eyes looks like a crescent moon.
Before long, the little girl’s hand was lifted, and the shovel was carelessly knocked to the backhand of He Youting. Suddenly, the blood was running.
Ye Xinghe was frightened, beads of tears rolled down.
He Youting endured the pain, and solemnly comforted her like a little adult: “It doesn’t hurt at all.”
He was afraid of the teacher scolding Yu Xinghe, so he didn’t tell the teacher. The two sneaked back to the classroom.
Yu Xinghe pressed him on the chair, “Wait, I’ll buy medicine.”
He Youting bowed his head. The back of his hand was still bleeding.
When he looked up again, the little had already disappeared.
There was a pink hairpin lying on the ground. He picked it up, wiped the dust and put it in his pocket.
He hasn’t seen her since then.
Later, he heard that she was picked up by her family and went abroad that day.
She left crying.
***
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