A Run Gone Awry

“Continue?” “Continue what, exactly?” This was utterly different from the scenario she had imagined!

“Uh…” Xiang Qing’s mind spun wildly, teetering on the brink of overload, desperately searching for an escape route from the tangled predicament. “Gu… Gu Wei might be calling for a video check-in!” She practically shrieked the words, her voice laced with a desperate sob.

This was the only lifeline she could conceive. Surely, invoking the formidable name of Gu Wei would be enough to deter this enchanting demoness!

Having spoken, she abruptly sprang away from Shen Lanzhi, scrambling and tumbling backward onto the carpet. Her hands frantically patted her body, searching for a vibrating phone that, in reality, wasn’t there.

“Where is it… my phone…”

Shen Lanzhi slowly sat up, betraying no irritation at Xiang Qing’s sudden recoil. Instead, she unhurriedly smoothed the slightly rumpled collar of her pajamas.

Her gaze settled on Xiang Qing, who was feigning a search for her phone on the carpet, the lingering blush on Shen Lanzhi’s own face not yet entirely faded.

“Is that so?” she murmured, her voice soft and the final syllable drawn out languidly. “Then you should answer quickly, lest Gu Wei grows impatient.”

A knowing expression graced her features—that saintly, all-seeing, yet utterly tolerant look—which nearly made Xiang Qing expire on the spot.

‘What do you understand? You understand nothing at all! You’re a supreme empress of self-deception!’

Xiang Qing roared inwardly, her hands ceaselessly fumbling. Finally, she produced her phone from the pocket of her maid uniform, feigned a quick glance at the screen, and then brightened as if granted a great reprieve.

“Ah, perhaps I misread it,” she stammered, offering a strained laugh. “It didn’t… it didn’t call.” She stood up, brushing imaginary dust from her outfit. “It’s getting late, I… I should get back to work! Yes, work!”

‘As long as I reassert my identity as the housekeeper, this peculiar facade between us might just hold a little longer!’

Shen Lanzhi watched her, choosing not to expose the charade. Instead, she merely cast her gaze downward in a gesture of disappointment, looking for all the world like a feline creature cruelly spurned by its owner.

“Very well,” she responded softly. “You may go.”

Xiang Qing fled towards the storage room as if her life depended on it, snatching up the vacuum cleaner and a handful of rags.

For the next hour, the only sound filling the living room was the monotonous hum of the vacuum cleaner.

Xiang Qing toiled diligently, polishing every inch of the floor until it gleamed, hoping to find a semblance of security in the monotonous rhythm of her work.

Shen Lanzhi remained seated on the sofa, quietly engrossed in her book of poetry. Yet, Xiang Qing could distinctly feel a gaze, relentless and all-encompassing, fixed upon her from every conceivable angle.

If she bent to wipe a table, Shen Lanzhi’s eyes were on her arched back. If she swept the floor, Shen Lanzhi’s gaze was fixed on the hand gripping the mop.

Xiang Qing felt as though she were being vivisected under the intensity of that unwavering gaze.

At last, dinner time arrived.

Xiang Qing, moving with unprecedented speed for her culinary career, prepared three dishes and a soup. She wolfed down her own portion, then abruptly pushed back her chair and stood.

“I’m full.”

“Xiao Qing,” Shen Lanzhi said softly, setting down her chopsticks and calling out to her. “You shouldn’t eat so quickly in the evening; it’s not good for your stomach.”

“It’s fine, I have excellent digestion!” Xiang Qing forced a rigid smile. “I… I’m planning to go for a night run, to get some exercise!”

‘If she didn’t escape now, she’d surely suffocate under this suffocatingly ambiguous atmosphere.’

Upon hearing this, Shen Lanzhi’s brow furrowed slightly. “Now? It’s already dark outside.”

“The darkness is better; it’s cooler,” Xiang Qing replied, already backing away towards the door.

“It’s not safe for a young woman to be out alone at night,” Shen Lanzhi stated, rising from her seat. “I’ll accompany you. I could use a walk to help with digestion myself.”

Xiang Qing’s smile utterly froze on her face.

‘I don’t believe a word you say! You’re the most significant safety hazard here!’

“No… there’s no need, Sister Lanzhi. Your health isn’t the best…”

“It’s quite alright; it’s only a slow jog,” Shen Lanzhi assured her. She had already reached the entryway and swiftly slipped into her running shoes. “Let’s go, Xiao Qing.”

The words of refusal lodged themselves in Xiang Qing’s throat. Staring at Shen Lanzhi, who was already fully prepared, Xiang Qing felt like a hapless soul who had voluntarily signed up for extra work.

What else could she possibly do?

She could only resign herself to her fate.

****

The night at Star Convergence International was both serene and opulent.

The streetlights cast a soft, diffused glow upon the pristine asphalt, while the verdant green belts lining the road exuded the crisp fragrance of plants.

Xiang Qing, having changed into her athletic wear, began to jog along the winding paths of the community.

She attempted to accelerate, hoping to outpace the troublesome presence trailing behind her.

Yet, after barely two strides, that accursed sense of responsibility began to gnaw at her once more.

What if Shen Lanzhi, this delicate invalid, couldn’t keep pace, lost her breath, and simply… poof… expired? Would Xiang Qing be held accountable?

She couldn’t be certain, but she dared not take the risk.

Consequently, Xiang Qing’s pace slackened. After every few steps, she would cast a glance over her shoulder.

Shen Lanzhi, meanwhile, followed a dozen meters behind, her pace unhurried, her breathing even, and her steps remarkably light. She even seemed to have the leisure to admire the nocturnal scenery.

‘She looks even more at ease than I do?’

‘What in the world is happening? Is she toying with me?!’

The more she pondered, the more her irritation mounted, causing her steps to falter. Her attention was entirely consumed by Shen Lanzhi behind her, utterly oblivious to the path stretching before her.

Abruptly, a searing, agonizing pain lanced through her ankle.

“Ah!”

Xiang Qing cried out in agony as her body lost its balance, sending her sprawling sideways.

The anticipated jolt of impact with the hard ground never materialized. Instead, she found herself enveloped in a warm, soft embrace.

Lifting her head, she met Shen Lanzhi’s eyes, which were brimming with genuine concern.

In the next instant, her world seemed to spin.

Xiang Qing felt a sudden lightness as she was scooped up, her body cradled securely.

It was a bridal carry.

Xiang Qing’s composure shattered.

“What are you doing?! Put me down!” she exclaimed, struggling frantically, her face flushed a deep crimson.

“Don’t move,” Shen Lanzhi’s voice commanded, brooking no argument. Still holding Xiang Qing, she walked directly towards a nearby bench. “You’ve twisted your ankle.”

She gently but firmly settled Xiang Qing onto the bench, then knelt down on one knee before her.

Before Xiang Qing could even fully process the situation, a cool sensation touched her foot. Shen Lanzhi had already begun to remove her running shoe and sock.

Her fair ankle, now exposed to the cool night breeze, was already visibly swollen.

“Sister Lanzhi, I…”

“Don’t speak.”

Shen Lanzhi cradled her ankle, her fingertips gently pressing the reddened, swollen area. “It’s not terribly serious, just a mild sprain. I’ll massage it to stimulate blood flow, and you’ll be fine by tomorrow.”

Her fingers, possessing just the right warmth and pressure, kneaded the swollen area with a gentle yet firm touch.

A peculiar blend of soreness and strange comfort rippled through her, shooting from her ankle all the way up to the crown of Xiang Qing’s head.

‘Why is this happening?! I came out specifically to avoid you, and now, look how well that turned out! Not only did I fail to escape, but I’ve actively created a perfect opportunity for you to take advantage!’

‘I truly am a genius! A genius at shooting myself in the foot!’

Xiang Qing mentally berated herself with furious blows, yet her body remained stubbornly honest.

‘Truth be told, it’s quite comfortable.’

The piercing agony, under Shen Lanzhi’s gentle ministrations, truly seemed to diminish considerably.

She gazed at Shen Lanzhi, who knelt before her, her expression one of focused concentration as she massaged Xiang Qing’s ankle. The streetlight above cast a soft glow, bathing Shen Lanzhi’s delicate profile in a tender halo.

Xiang Qing’s heart seemed to skip a beat.

‘No, this isn’t a flutter of affection; this is an alarm.’

‘It’s the primal warning signal the body emits when confronted by a predator.’

“Does it still hurt?” Shen Lanzhi murmured, lifting her gaze to meet Xiang Qing’s.

Her fingertips, whether intentionally or not, brushed across the sole of Xiang Qing’s foot.

Xiang Qing’s sole instantly felt as though it had been jolted by an electric current.

That fleeting, feather-light brush, potent as a hundred thousand volts, jolted her entirely awake from her bizarre state of comfort.

‘It’s itchy!’

‘This isn’t mere flirtation anymore; this is a personal assault!’

She abruptly yanked her foot back, huddling into a tight ball on the bench, her eyes narrowed in wary suspicion at the woman before her.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore!”

Her voice was quick and urgent. “It doesn’t hurt at all, truly! I could run eight hundred meters right now!”

Shen Lanzhi showed no surprise at Xiang Qing’s vehement reaction. She simply rose slowly, dusting off her knees as if removing non-existent specks of dirt.

Her gaze dropped to Xiang Qing’s bare foot, then shifted to the ankle, which had indeed reduced significantly in swelling. A smile, so gentle it sent a shiver of dread down Xiang Qing’s spine, bloomed on Shen Lanzhi’s face.

“It seems I hit a pressure point,” her voice was as soft as ever. “When the blood circulates freely, one becomes more sensitive.”

‘Here she goes again.’

‘That ability of hers, to perfectly rationalize anything and everything with flawless logic.’

‘This woman is truly wasted if she doesn’t pursue a career in multi-level marketing.’

Xiang Qing would bet her last penny that even if she were to leap up and perform a bout of beatboxing right now, Shen Lanzhi would simply commend her with an unruffled expression, saying, “Your lung capacity is truly excellent; it’s beneficial for your recovery.”