Chapter 33 - A Helpless Man (2)

Chapter 33 – A Helpless Man (2)

Translator: Lunarise

Editor: Lunarise

Proofreader: Livyuna

“Zhao Xi, the food is almost burning,” he would call.

She would thank him for it and yearn for more. She wondered how he would sound when he laughed. She tried to tease him, or joke with him, hoping that she could get him to laugh at least once. But he just smiled at her and at her terrible jokes. He was so considerate that he would listen so very carefully, no matter how awful the jokes were. Sometimes she chattered away while he was engrossed in his reading, but still he would remember all her little talks.

Zhao Xi had told him that she had given extra coins to the seller accidentally one day while he was focused on his reading, he still remembered. He would remind her to take care and count them correctly while shopping. He had started conversing a bit more than he used to, which was a good thing. This made her glad. She remembered when he refused to respond or ask for help when she found him in the beginning, he would try to drag himself to the bathroom and fall on the floor. She found him one night lying on the floor in pain.

Shen Fei loved seafood, but it was usually hard on his digestive system. So sometimes she would find him clutching his stomach in pain at night, unable to ask for help to go to the bathroom. He didn’t want to trouble her and felt humiliated to depend on these minor daily tasks. Zhao Xi found him, one morning, on the bathroom floor where he had collapsed and almost passed out in the cold. It took several moments to warm him up and recover.

She mentioned to him that she was always willing to help, but Shen Fei would not stop. She felt sorry for him and understood him, but it was getting tiresome when he remained adamant and tried yet again, only to increase the difficulty for himself and for her. So, she chastised him one day that he was just creating more problems and putting himself in danger. She tried to convey to him it was perfectly okay to rely on someone for help. After trying to make him understand for the hundredth time, he finally relented and began asking her for help when he needed it. Honestly, he was difficult than Ping An. She could pinch its ears if it didn’t listen to her. But with Shen Fei, his pride came in the way.

Zhao Xi knew he didn’t want to bother her. She knew he still felt hesitant asking for help, so she took him to the bathroom at night, before he went to sleep. She sometimes woke up in the middle of the night to check on him and asked if he wanted to go relieve himself. She tried to make it so that he didn’t need to ask her if it made him so uncomfortable.

She sometimes heard him sigh. She truly wished she could help him more. The only thing she could do was tuck him in the blanket and hug him tightly, so he wouldn’t be cold. They only had one blanket to share anyway, and it was warmer this way. But Shen Fei was always awkward. He would go so still whenever she put her arms over him. It seemed that he had never shared a bed with anyone before. He would relax only after she fell asleep, so she knew he slept late. She always allowed him to sleep longer in the mornings, thinking that he needed his rest.

Zhao Xi wanted to take him for a walk. It would be good for him to be out once in a while. He was always cooped up inside with a book and cared little for going outside. So, she decided to do it that morning. He had pretended to sleep longer at first, but once that didn’t fool Zhao Xi, he got up and had breakfast. Zhao Xi had packed everything, a flask of tea and some food. She had even tried to cushion the wheelchair with some blankets so it would be more comfortable if they were gone for long. She was all set with an extra blanket, a hat for Shen Fei for warmth, and a cheery disposition.

Shen Fei could do nothing but sigh, it was impossible to win with her. He sat onto the wheelchair and lamented at how helpless he felt in the face of this dreaded morning walk.