46 THE SWEETNESS IN THE MIDST OF EVIL (1/2)
When Su Yang returned to Xuan Tianmei's room, the latter was deeply engrossed in reading a romance novel.
Standing in front of Xuan Tiamei's bed, Su Yang chirped, ”Hey, half face. How are you doing today?”
Xuan Tianmei looked up from the novel she was reading. Wearing a pout, she stared at Su Yang pointedly. Then replied, ”That's not nice.”
”I'm not a nice person.” Su Yang said with an indifferent shrug.
”You saved my life. That's what a nice person would do.” Xuan Tianmei adamantly pointed out.
”It's part of my job.”
”I'm part of your job?”
Su Yang shook her head and sat beside Xuan Tianmei. ”Scoot over,” she commanded.
When Xuan Tianmei complied, she relaxed on the free side of the bed. Resting her back on the wall. Comfortable, she retrieved her novel from her pocket and continued reading.
”Plus,” Xuan Tianmei interrupted her. Gesturing to her romance novel, she continued. ”You got me a novel of my own so I won't get bored. That's what a nice person does.”
Out of annoyance perhaps, Su Yang sighed. ”Why is it so important to you that I'm a nice person?”
”It's... It's... Well, I just think you're nice and you just don't know it.”
Lifting her back from the wall, Su Yang sat up. ”Sweetheart, the reason I got you your own novel was because I don't want you touching mine. And the reason I went back to help you from the fire was because I had knocked you unconscious. I had no other option but to check on you. If you'd been charred, Boss would never forgive me.”
Xuan Tianmei frowned. ”I can't believe you knocked me out because I wanted to comb your hair.”
”There's a lesson to learn there. Never touch my hair. Or talk about it.” Su Yang swung a warning finger at her as she spoke.
Xuan Tianmei's frown quickly changed into a smile. ”You're sensitive about your hair.”
”You're one to talk, half-face.” Su Yang lifted her chin at Xuan Tianmei.
”Don't call me that.” Xuan Tianmei frowned again.
Su Yang smiled. ”Let me see your face.”
”Are you crazy?” Xuan Tianmei asked. Self-conscious, she raised her hand and pressed the bandage to her face.
”Seriously. I want to see your face.” Su Yang insisted.
Xuan Tianmei shook her head adamantly.
”Please, let me see your face.” Su Yang said in a pleading tone.
Xuan Tianmei released her face. Although she didn't want to open her face, she found it difficult to resist Su Yang's pleading tone. In a weak, indecisive voice, she replied. ”I can't just unwrap it.”
”I can.” Su Yang's eyes brightened with the prospect of getting her way.
”What?”
”I'm experienced in that kind of thing.”
”Of course, you are.” Xuan Tianmei wasn't surprised.
Su Yang smirked proudly in reply.
The girl with the burnt face churned out one last retort of resistance. ”It looks disgusting. I can't let you see it.”
”You think I'll be grossed out?” Su Yang raised a brow at Xuan Tianmei.
”Of course. It's disgusting.”
Su Yang shook her head. ”It can't be that bad.”
”It is.”
Su Yang sighed, then handed Xuan Tianmei a small cellophane bag she had retrieved from her pocket.
Xuan Tianmei stared at the bag curiously. Inside it was a small, green item she couldn't recognize. ”What's it? Can I take it out?”
Su Yang smiled mischievously. ”That's a fingernail.”
”What?” Xuan Tianmei didn't believe her ears. She peered at it with a little more curiosity. Once she recognized that it really was a nail, with a disgusted look, she flung the bag at Su Yang. ”Eww... What is wrong with you? Why would you give me that?”
Su Yang picked up the bag, then smiled at it. ”I actually brought that as a gift for you.”
”Why would you bring me someone's nail as a gift?”
”You might be excited if you know whose nail it is.”
”No, I won't be.”
”Why do you think so?”
”I don't think so. I know so.”
”Even if it belongs to the person who burnt down your apartment?”
”You found him?”
”Sure did.”
”Wow! Do you know why he did it yet?”
”Well, what I have found out is indeed very interesting.”
”Will you go straight to the point and stop dicking around?”
”I'm not doing anything until you let me see your face.”
Xuan Tianmei sighed. In a subtle surrender, she murmured. ”Okay.”
With a victorious smile, Su Yang leaned in and gently unwrapped Xuan Tianmei's face. Once she was done, she inspected the damage with her fingers. Finally, she made a face of disgust and cried out, ”Eww, it's really gross.”
”God! You said you wouldn't be grossed out.” Xuan Tianmei pulled away, trying to hide her face.
Su Yang laughed at her. ”You're silly. Of course, I'm not disgusted.”
”But you really are,” Xuan Tianmei was still hiding her face.
Su Yang laughed. ”It's not the worse thing I've seen. It's not even among the top 50 grossest things I've seen. Why would a simple burn irritate me? I was only making fun of you.”
Xuan Tianmei believed her immediately. She turned towards Su Yang and said, ”You talk tough.”
”I am tough.” Su Yang corrected her.
”You are.” Xuan Tianmei nodded in agreement. ”Well, is it among the top 100 grossest things you've seen?”
”Other burns... Perhaps. But not this.” Su Yang said thoughtfully. ”This one is actually kind of cute. The way your skin climbs each other like it's trying to win some race against itself.”
”Eww, Su Yang.” Xuan Tianmei raised her hands to cover her face again.
Su Yang laughed.
”Please, cover it up.”
”Okay,” Su Yang picked up the bandage and started to wrap the face again.
”Are you going to use the same dressing?”
”Oh! Am I supposed to use a different dressing?”
”God, just cover it up and leave me alone.”
In silence, Su Yang covered it up. Mockingly, she said. ”Now you want me to leave you alone.”
Xuan Tianmei shook her head. ”No, I don't. It's nice having you here. Just don't bother me anymore.”
Su Yang didn't reply to that. She peered at Xuan Tianmei curiously, then said. ”Xuan Tianmei. There's this thing that's been bugging me for a while.”
”About what?”
”The reason I went to rescue you was because I thought you were passed out and wouldn't know there was a fire in your apartment. But when I went into your apartment, you weren't on the couch where I left you. Instead, you were passed out in one of the rooms. Which means you had woken up at some point and definitely knew there was a fire. When you saw the fire, why didn't you run out of the apartment, why did you go up into that room?”
”I... I can't say. It's stupid.”
”Stupid? Do you know that until I saw the arsonist on my camera, you were my first suspect for the arson?”
”What? Are you crazy? Why would I set my own apartment on fire?”