It Remembered the Wound on Her Hand

The following afternoon, Cen Zhi arrived a little earlier than their appointed time.

She stood at the door, dusted off her sleeves, then checked the soft brush in her tool bag before looking inside.

Xia Che was leaning behind the counter, eating dried fruit.

"Come in. If you keep dusting like that, your sleeves will wear thin."

Cen Zhi looked a little embarrassed. "I just finished work. I was afraid I'd brought skin flakes with me."

"It's been waiting for you for ages."

As soon as he finished speaking, soft hoofbeats sounded from the backyard.

Ponyta poked its head out from behind the door. It looked at her face first, then at the brush in her hand. Before Cen Zhi could even crouch down, it had already walked over and touched the familiar wooden handle with its nose.

"Alright, I know. I'll brush you first."

She sat down beneath the corridor and raised her right hand, only for her wrapped index finger to tug slightly.

The scratch from last night had already been cleaned. She had wrapped another layer around it that morning so dust would not get into it while she worked.

She switched the soft brush to her left hand. Ponyta tilted its head along with her, its gaze still fixed on her right hand.

"Just a little injury."

Cen Zhi opened her palm, wanting to reassure it.

But Ponyta lowered its head and gently pressed its short horn against her hand.

She froze for a moment and did not move again.

"It wants to help you." Xia Che put down his dried fruit and pointed toward the washbasin. "Wash your hand and take the cloth off."

Cen Zhi did as he said.

She unwound the cloth layer by layer. There was only a short red line along