Does it hurt?

Suddenly, Mu Qingxi snapped back to her senses. Taking advantage of Bai Fanhao's inattentiveness, she broke free and hurriedly stood up. Bai Fanhao was jolted back as well by Mu Qingxi's escape, and he too rose from the ground, gazing at the girl standing before him.

At this moment, Mu Qingxi stood there, her eyes darting about, her heart restless. Bai Fanhao understood her so well; she wasn’t even sure if her own smile was genuine or just another mask. That habitual coldness was merely her shield, a way to keep others from barging into her life—like Feng Han, who had entered her world only to vanish without a trace.

Lost in her thoughts, Mu Qingxi barely noticed Bai Fanhao waving vigorously in front of her. She snapped out of her reverie and said, “What are you doing? So lively—looks like that hit didn’t bother you at all.”

Bai Fanhao quickly replied, “How could it not? Just feel it—there’s a huge bump here, and it really hurts.”

Seeing Bai Fanhao exaggerate, Mu Qingxi couldn’t help but roll her eyes, saying with contempt, “Could you be any more shameless? If it really hurt, would you be acting like this?”

Her words carried a hint of meaning, but Bai Fanhao pretended not to understand. He stepped toward her, half-squatting and presenting his head for her inspection.

Despite her earlier words, Mu Qingxi carefully examined the back of Bai Fanhao’s head. She raised her hand and gently touched it—a sizable lump indeed. Her heart skipped; that boy called San was truly ruthless!

A surge of anger rose within her. She shouldn’t have held back earlier. With his sturdy build, a full swing like that could hardly fail to leave serious consequences! Guilt crept into her heart. If she hadn’t been lost in her own thoughts, she wouldn’t have struck his head. What if he ended up with a concussion? Damn it, she couldn’t let that person off!

Unconsciously, Mu Qingxi asked softly, “Does it hurt?”

Bai Fanhao smiled contentedly, looking almost foolish. “It doesn’t hurt, haha.”

Mu Qingxi stared at Bai Fanhao, speechless. Was it really necessary to act so idiotic? All she had done was gently rub the bump and ask if it hurt—was that worth such a reaction?

What she didn’t know was that Bai Fanhao had always been alone at home. His parents, ever busy with their business, never cared for him. He had grown up self-reliant, handling everything on his own.

Even when injured, no one ever showed concern—aside from his friends and brothers, of course. But no one, not even his mother, had ever treated him as gently as Mu Qingxi: asking softly, rubbing the sore spot. Thinking of this, Bai Fanhao felt a pang of sadness. He had always been alone; if something happened to him tonight, would his parents care? He’d been hospitalized many times, but they had never visited.

“Heh,” Bai Fanhao laughed bitterly.

Mu Qingxi heard his strange laugh and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Bai Fanhao shook his head, saying nothing, only murmuring, “It’s nothing. I’m fine now. You should get some rest—it’s late.”

Mu Qingxi, hearing Bai Fanhao’s dismissal, grew annoyed. “Bai Fanhao, what do you mean by that? This is my house—I’ll leave when I want to.”

Bai Fanhao laughed, sensing her concern. If she didn’t care, why would she come to check on him in the middle of the night? If she didn’t care, why would she try to help him up after he fell? If she didn’t care, why would she gently ask if it hurt? If she didn’t care, why would she be so angry at being told to leave?

Thinking this over, Bai Fanhao’s smile grew sly.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!