Be careful not to scare him

Fire. There was fire everywhere.

And screams.

Xie Yuan's eyes snapped open, his gaze vacant before boundless terror flooded in.

After sitting dazed for a while, Xie Yuan came back to his senses.

His hands trembled slightly. The scenes from his dream seemed to be right before his eyes.

This was the first time he had dreamed of it again since awakening his memories of his previous life.

After taking a good while to recover, Xie Yuan got up and went to the bathroom to wash his face.

His clothes were soaked, clinging stickily to his skin. It was very uncomfortable.

Xie Yuan frowned briefly, then left the bathroom with a blank expression.

In the livestream.

[Did Young Master Xie just have a nightmare?]

[Definitely. He broke out in so much cold sweat. That wouldn't happen unless it was a nightmare.]

[Did you notice? The despair, fear, and anger in Young Master Xie's eyes when he first woke up were terrifying.]

[Same here. I could feel it through the screen.]

[What must he have gone through to have that look in his eyes?]

[Looks like wealthy families really are too much of a mess. There's a lot we never get to see.]

Inside the shop, Xie Yuan sat in a chair, his hand unconsciously rubbing against the seat.

"Hiss..."

The pain in his finger brought Xie Yuan back to his senses. He lowered his eyes and saw that the skin on his index finger had torn.

Tiny beads of blood welled up and soon dripped onto the floor.

Xie Yuan stared for a while, then got up, took a tissue, and wrapped it around his finger without much care.

After tending to the wound, Xie Yuan sat back in the chair, as quiet as a lifeless doll.

He had thought that with those people dead, the events of his previous life would no longer affect him. Now, it seemed he had still overestimated himself.

In the livestream, tens of thousands of people were watching, yet not a single comment appeared.

Several full minutes passed before someone finally posted a comment.

[How can someone make you ache for them so much? My heart is practically breaking watching him.]

[What did Young Master Xie go through? My heart hurts so much for him.]

[Waaah, I'm crying. Young Master Xie, you have to take responsibility.]

[That unconscious self-harm clearly wasn't happening for the first time.]

[As a psychologist, this looks a lot like a mental health condition. Young Master Xie should see a doctor.]

[I was wondering why he was so annoying. Turns out he's a nutcase.]

[What is your production team doing? How could you let a nutcase on the show? What if he hurts someone?]

[Of course he's sick. The way he acts, it'd be abnormal if he weren't. What normal person picks on girls all day?]

[Where did these dogs come from? Such lovely barking. What, did your owners forget to leash you?]

The comments erupted into another argument over Xie Yuan.

Behind the scenes of the livestream, Director Ma watched the comments and slapped the desk in front of him. "What's wrong with these people? Do none of them have brains?"

The deputy director piled on. "If they had brains, they wouldn't be called brain-dead fans."

Director Ma glared at him, then told the cameraman following Xie Yuan, "Secure the camera and go buy some supplies to treat the wound."

"A big patch of skin came off. How can wrapping it in a tissue be enough?"

Inside the funeral goods shop.

Hearing the director's instructions, the cameraman secured the camera.

"Teacher Xie, I'm heading out for a bit."

Xie Yuan nodded. "Go ahead."

The cameraman hurried outside and ran toward a pharmacy he remembered.

He felt a little guilty. If he had paid more attention, Young Master Xie wouldn't have gotten hurt.

The fingers were so sensitive, and that whole patch of skin had come off. How much must that hurt?

By the time he ran back to the shop, the cameraman's head was covered in sweat.

The pharmacy wasn't far, but the weather was hot, and he had run there. Sweating was only natural.

Xie Yuan's gaze fell on the bag of medical supplies in the cameraman's hand. He got up and took a bottle of water from the fridge for him.

The cameraman fell silent for a moment, set down the bag, and accepted the water, drinking more than half of it.

The cameraman said, "Teacher Xie, let me treat your wound."

"You're hurt!"

Mu Ze had come out front at some point. He hurried over anxiously and looked Xie Yuan up and down before his gaze finally settled on the index finger wrapped in tissue.

"How did this happen? Does it hurt?"

The cameraman picked up the bag and handed it over. "Teacher Mu Ze, there are medical supplies here. Sorry for the trouble, but could you help treat it?"

Mu Ze took the supplies. "Sit down. I'll treat your wound."

Xie Yuan sat back in the chair. Looking at how nervous Mu Ze was, he said, "It's fine. It hurt a little when the skin tore."

Looking at the index finger covered in tissue, Mu Ze ached for him, his brows unconsciously drawing together. "How could it only hurt a little?"

He leaned close and blew on it, then looked up at Xie Yuan. "Is that any better?"

Xie Yuan's nose twitched. "It would be better if you hugged me."

Mu Ze stared at Xie Yuan for a few seconds, then half rose and wrapped his arms around him.

A few seconds later, he asked, "Is it better?"

Mu Ze's fragrance filled his nose, and much of the pain in his index finger faded. Xie Yuan nodded. "Much better."

After holding him for another ten-odd seconds, Mu Ze let go. "I'll treat your wound."

Mu Ze moved with extreme care, afraid of hurting Xie Yuan.

After spraying on the medicine, Mu Ze blew on it for a good while before continuing.

The bleeding had already stopped. There was only a little pain when the medicine was sprayed on.

Watching Mu Ze's painstaking care, Xie Yuan suddenly found it a little funny. "It's just a bit of broken skin. It's nothing serious."

"How is it nothing serious? You..." Mu Ze's voice was stern, tinged with anger.

When his gaze met Xie Yuan's almond-shaped eyes, most of his anger vanished at once. "Anyway, be careful from now on. Don't hurt yourself."

Xie Yuan nodded. "Okay."

Once he had treated the wound, Mu Ze put a pink adhesive bandage on it.

Against his fair skin, the pink bandage added a rosy touch that looked inexplicably pretty.

After staring at Xie Yuan's finger for a while, Mu Ze rose with reddened ears. "Just mind the shop. Leave painting the paper figures to me."

Before heading to the back courtyard, Mu Ze glanced at the cameraman.

That glance frightened the cameraman so much that he only came to his senses after Mu Ze had left.

He wiped the fine sweat from his forehead. Was that a look an ordinary person should have?

Back in the courtyard, Old Yuan looked up. "Did something happen?"

Mu Ze wasn't in a good mood. "Yes. Young Master Xie got hurt. I'll do the painting."

Old Yuan paused his work on the paper figure. "Is it serious? Why do you look like he's about to croak?"

Mu Ze stared at Old Yuan, none of his usual warmth left on his face.

Old Yuan rubbed his nose and lowered his head guiltily, resuming his work. "He's all right, isn't he?"

"Be careful not to scare him, looking so stern."

Mu Ze reined in his emotions in an instant. "Old Yuan, don't say things like that again."

Old Yuan shook his head. "I won't."

The two went back to their respective tasks.

Inside the shop, Xie Yuan stared at the pink bandage on his index finger. "Did you think I'd like pink?"

The cameraman felt wronged. "Teacher Xie, I was in such a hurry that I didn't look closely."

"Besides, aren't there blue ones in there too? Teacher Mu Ze was the one who used a pink one on you."

Xie Yuan's gaze fell on the open box of bandages, where a strip of blue showed.

"All right. Next time, don't get so nervous. I only hurt my finger."

The cameraman's response was, No matter how nervous I was, I wasn't as nervous as your man. That look he gave me nearly tore me limb from limb.

In the livestream.

[What do I do? I suddenly feel so sorry for the cameraman.]

[Hahaha, the cameraman: If there's a next time, I probably won't have long to live.]

[This is true love from Mu Ze. He was so nervous that anyone who didn't know would think Xie Yuan's hand had been severed.]

[Person above, if Mu Ze sees that, his glare will kill you.]

[What a fuss. He scraped a bit of skin off his finger, and they're acting like he's about to croak. I have no idea what you people like about him.]

[Get lost, okay? Otherwise, I don't mind playing a few little tricks.]

[That "okay" really adds something.]

The comments were lively, and another call came into the funeral goods shop.