The car slowly started and drove towards the nearest hospital.
Sitting in the car, Gu Qimiao didn't know how to place her bleeding hands, fearing she would dirty his car.
"Why did you come here?"
Shen Yanchen simply replied, "To take care of some matters."
"…Oh."
"Do you not look at cars when crossing the street?" His tone was somewhat annoyed, he almost lost her...
Gu Qimiao stammered an explanation, "Usually there are very few cars here… so I was in a hurry just now… and then…" She was so nervous that she spoke incoherently.
Then there was silence again. Gu Qimiao, in her tension, squeezed her hands tightly, feeling the hot liquid overflowing before realizing there was still glass in her hand.
Blood dropped, but she couldn't feel the pain.
At the hospital.
He walked ahead with large strides, and she ran behind him, her hands pricked like a hedgehog's, unable even to clench her fists to relieve the tension.
He didn't queue or register, directly finding a doctor.
Sitting down to have the glass removed and her wounds bandaged, she didn't frown throughout the entire process.
After treating her injuries, the doctor handed her a piece of paper. He raised his hand, signed his name with a flourish.
"Little Shen, it's the first time I've seen a girl by your side." The doctor smiled meaningfully, "Come back in a couple of days to change the dressing, and avoid getting it wet."
He acknowledged with a hum and then stood up.
Gu Qimiao didn't dare hesitate and immediately stood up to follow him, afraid he would think she was a bother.
The car stopped in front of the Pinshang Art Gallery, where she worked.
When she opened the car door to get out, she hesitated but ultimately said nothing.
He, however, rolled down the window and advised her, "Don't get your hand wet, and don't exert force."
He feared she would act recklessly since she couldn't feel pain.
Gu Qimiao nodded, feeling extremely happy just because of his words of concern.
"What time do you get off work tonight? I'll come to pick you up."
"No need! I can go back by myself, I have a bus card." She had already troubled him enough.
Shen Yanchen wouldn't let her refuse, "It's on the way, just call me when you get off work." With that, he drove away.
Her gaze followed the direction he left, not daring to watch for too long. She turned back and walked into the gallery, a smile spreading on her face.
A colleague saw her coming in and immediately ran over to ask, "Miaomiao! Who was that handsome guy who just delivered the painting?"
Gu Qimiao then remembered the painting. She turned her head and saw the painting in the corner, now in a new frame, placed there perfectly.
With delight, she ran upstairs, stood by the window he would pass by, and pulled back the curtain, watching his car drive away on the snow-cleared street.
The cold wind outside seemed to become warm as well...
"Gu Qimiao! You've only been working here for a few days and already started slacking off? Don't think you can lazily work just because the boss isn't here!" The one speaking was Gu Qimiao's new colleague and also the supervisor here, Feng Xuemeng.
"Exactly, you were supposed to get the frame, and who knows where you went off to be lazy. Now you dare stand there and look at the scenery?" Another person chimed in sarcastically, You Feng, the supervisor's assistant.
Feng Xuemeng pointed to a pile of framed paintings in the corner and said, "Go hang them up! There's less than a month until the art exhibition. Do you still have time to idle?"
Gu Qimiao turned around, looked at the framed paintings in the corner, then glanced down at her hands wrapped like a dumpling. Even though she couldn't feel pain, remembering what Shen Yanchen had advised her before he left, she calmly said to Feng Xuemeng, "My hands are injured, it's a work injury, I need to take leave."
Feng Xuemeng sneered, "You want to take leave?! I haven't had a break for half a year! If you want leave, go talk to the boss!"