Chapter 10 Mosquito-repellent incense
Shoutout to nyanmaru for the commission!
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Five-year-old Little Shiyu lowered his head, his delicate white little arms swollen with mosquito bites, each welt the size of two one-yuan coins, as if bitten twice, the two bumps connected together, covered with cross-shaped scratch marks, itching badly.
“You can’t keep scratching it like that, the more you scratch, the itchier it gets.” Chu Feng felt sorry for him. On such a hot summer day, he hadn’t applied mosquito repellent to Little Shiyu, thinking there wouldn’t be mosquitoes in the game.
Chu Feng immediately spent money to buy a box of floral water, and sprayed it wildly towards Little Shiyu.
Little Shiyu coughed and choked on it, the scent of mosquito repellent was too strong.
“Sorry, sprayed too much…” Chu Feng hurriedly supported Little Shiyu, fanning him with his hands to dissipate the smell.
Somehow, the direction of the fan seemed a bit off, and the floral water mist floating in the air rushed into Little Shiyu’s nose…
Little Shiyu was immediately choked, coughing violently.
“I’m sorry! Are you…okay?”
Chu Feng dared not move again, handing the floral water to Little Shiyu himself.
—He really didn’t know how to take care of children. He had tried to work as a teacher in kindergarten before, specifically taking care of Little Shiyu and the others. As a result, the only four Little Shiyus in the kindergarten all fell ill under his careful care.
Chu Feng was frustrated, so he had to resign from the kindergarten and return to manage the high school bully, Little Xie.
After he left, the Little Shiyus recovered, and the five-year-old Xie Shiyu lived in the kindergarten healthy and well.
“I’m fine.”
Little Shiyu took the floral water and sprayed Chu Feng’s ankles, wrists, and neck twice each, not too strong or too weak, evenly spraying the mist.
“You should spray some too, so it won’t bite you.”
Chu Feng lowered his head, ashamed. At twenty-nine, he couldn’t take care of people as well as a five-year-old child.
Little Shiyu put the floral water back into his small backpack and said again:
“That was a mosquito repellent.”
Chu Feng: ?
“Repellent is for preventing mosquito bites. It’s not very useful after being bitten. Do you have any anti-itch cream?”
Little Shiyu’s face was cold, implying: You don’t even know this?
Chu Feng: …
“S-So, what should I buy?”
Little Shiyu: “Buy green ointment.”
“Oh.”
With cool green ointment on his fingertips, Chu Feng gently applied the ointment to Little Shiyu’s swollen mosquito bites.
—This lump seemed to have gotten a little bigger.
“What kind of mosquito is so venomous?”
Ordinary mosquito bites are probably only as big as the tip of a index finger, slightly raised and white. How could it bite like this? Little Shiyu’s skin felt swollen and hot to the touch.
“It seems to be…a flower mosquito.”
Chu Feng: “Let’s light a mosquito coil when we get back.”
“Okay.”
Five fifteen.
Chu Feng walked hand in hand with Little Shiyu on the gravel path. The path was not long, only twenty meters, and soon they reached the end. Chu Feng took a bite of the finished popsicle, imitating the cool demeanor of the cold-hearted Little Shiyu from back then, and threw it away with a toss of his hand—
The popsicle leaped into the garbage can like a carp leaping over the dragon gate.
Chu Feng glanced down at Little Shiyu.
Little Shiyu snorted, implying: How grown adults still show off in front of a five-year-old.
Thud.
Little Shiyu finished his popsicle too and casually tossed it, the two halves of the same popsicle finally landing together in one spot.
They walked the gravel path together, Little Shiyu turned away as usual, giving a casual wave to Chu Feng.
“Bye bye.”
In the twilight, Chu Feng watched the small shadow walk further and further away until it disappeared at the end of the path.
The cicada on the old hackberry tree was still chirping.
Listening to the cicada’s song, Chu Feng walked slowly, returning to the gate of Dream City, and stepped out.
Drip—
The blue brain waves disconnected.
Chu Feng opened his eyes, facing the white ceiling, the setting sun casting an orange rectangular light through the window onto the ceiling.
The light slowly descended, moving onto the bedroom wall, bathing the photos on the wall in the twilight.
Chu Feng got up and stood in front of the photo wall, quietly looking at it. It was filled with photos of him and Xie Shiyu, from age 7 to 27.
On top of the photo wall hung a black cat clock, the tail-shaped hour hand pointing to 5:45.
Lin Lan and the sour fish should be coming soon.
Chu Feng went to the living room, boiling water, a rarely seen act, to make tea, to entertain his cousin.
Buzzing…
Slap. Chu Feng slapped near his ear.
—The mosquitoes were here.
Summer’s small black mosquitoes were rampant in the house. Chu Feng set down the teapot heavily, grabbed a bottle of mosquito repellent, and sprayed it all over the room.
He has blood type O, which makes him prone to mosquito bites. Xie Shiyu has blood type A, and mosquitoes never bite him. Instead, they always go after Chu Feng. The highest record was when they were together in bed, and a mosquito got into the covers. Within ten minutes, Chu Feng was bitten twelve times.
“Xie Shiyu, I’m really itchy.”
Xie Shiyu responded with a nonchalant “Mm-hmm, don’t worry, honey. It’ll stop itching once hubby goes in to touch it.”
Chu Feng fiercely nudged him, “I’m serious, I’ve been bitten by mosquitoes!”
“Darling, are you sure you want to stop now?”
Buzzing…
Swat!
Missed. The thirteenth bite came out.
Chu Feng was so angry he stopped.
—Xie Shiyu, in frustration, flipped the covers, finally caught the mosquito, and squished it.
Five fifty. Chu Feng rummaged through the cupboard and found a black mosquito-repellent incense holder, probably bought by Xie Shiyu before and not yet used up. Chu Feng glanced at it, thinking it probably wouldn’t expire.
He lit the mosquito coil with a lighter from his pocket, and the orange flame flickered.
Chu Feng reached out to light the coil, and as the flame licked it, sparks flew, and the mosquito-repellent smoke slowly rose.
Wait.
Mosquito-repellent incense…
Sparks…
Chu Feng’s blood ran cold.
He was insane. How could he ask Xie Shiyu to light the mosquito coil!
Chu Feng turned and rushed back to the bedroom, put on his gaming headset, and immediately entered Dream City—
Under the dusk sky, thick smoke billowed over the western city. —
The kindergarten was on fire!
In the scorching summer heat and dryness, fiery red flames burned beneath the black smoke. Chu Feng drove over, hands sweating as he gripped the steering wheel, the thick smoke tormenting his heart.
—The Xie Shiyu he raised in the kindergarten were only five years old!
Want to show your support? Come donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! :)
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
