Hearing the congratulations, a hint of impatience flashed in Zhang Wan'er's eyes; this was a humiliation to her!
As if sensing Zhang Wan'er's anomaly, a trace of disappointment flickered in Li Zheming's eyes. Knowing he had wronged Zhang Wan'er, he naturally didn't have the face to respond, so he smiled and changed the subject: "We are just friends, and our relationship isn't what Sister Liu thinks!
Wan'er came to see Alice today to catch up. I was just helping to bring her to this place. I won't be involved in the subsequent heart-to-heart talk between the two girls. If anything comes up, remember to call me. I'll wait by the car."
After saying this, Li Zheming glanced at Zhang Wan'er with a complicated expression. Seeing that she had no intention of continuing that topic, he didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed.
Sister Liu saw the awkward atmosphere between the two and pursed her lips sheepishly. To avoid meddling, she changed the subject: "Look at my muddled head. It's a good thing Miss Zhang is here to see Miss Alice. She'll be very happy to see you! I've said so much without inviting you in to sit down. This would make Miss Alice think I've neglected her friend, and she'll surely blame me!"
Zhang Wan'er's lips curved upwards slightly, a gentle and kind smile appearing on her face, and she said slowly, "Not at all. Haven't I missed seeing Sister Liu for a long time? I wanted to catch up with you too. It's not too late to go in now."
"Alright then, shall I push you in?" Sister Liu asked cautiously, testing the waters.
Zhang Wan'er shook her head, placed her hands on the wheels of the wheelchair, gritted her teeth, and said, "It's alright, no need to trouble you. I can handle these small matters myself!"
Sister Liu didn't know what had happened to Zhang Wan'er during her absence, but she knew that losing the use of her legs and being confined to a wheelchair was a huge blow to anyone. She couldn't rub salt into the wound!
Therefore, faced with Zhang Wan'er's request to push the wheelchair herself, she did not refuse. Instead, she followed cautiously behind her, ready to step in and help if Zhang Wan'er needed it.
After a period of busyness, Zhang Wan'er finally pushed the wheelchair into the living room. She subtly surveyed her surroundings. Sister Liu was busy around her, making it difficult to carry out her next plan.
Just as Sister Liu handed her the tea she had poured, Zhang Wan'er's eyes darted, and a plan instantly formed in her mind.
With a cry of "Oh dear," the busy Sister Liu quickly looked in the direction of the sound. She saw that Zhang Wan'er's clothes were covered in tea stains. Sister Liu quickly put down what she was doing, rushed to Zhang Wan'er's side, picked up a piece of paper nearby, and began wiping her.
"I'm truly sorry, Miss Zhang. I wasn't thoughtful enough. I should have pulled the coffee table closer to you. Even though it's not winter yet, tea spilled on you is still uncomfortable. How about I push you to Miss Alice's room to change into one of her clothes?" Sister Liu said, moving to the back of the wheelchair. Just as she was about to take her upstairs, Zhang Wan'er suddenly reached out and stopped her.
Zhang Wan'er pursed her lips, feigning a dejected expression, her lips curving upwards slightly, a self-deprecating smile appearing on her face. "I'm the one who should be apologizing for causing trouble. I can't even hold a cup of water steady. What's the difference between that and being useless?
I'm truly sorry for my harsh words earlier. I hope Sister Liu can understand. I don't want this to happen either, but the events of the past few days have been too overwhelming, and I can't accept it all at once.
Sister Liu, please don't feel guilty. Treat me as you would any normal person. It's fine if my clothes are wet. I'll just clean them in the restroom. Alice is a bit of a germaphobe and probably wouldn't like others rummaging through her room and wearing her clothes."
A look of concern appeared on Sister Liu's face, and she said with great insistence, "Miss Alice is indeed quite serious usually, but she is extremely forgiving towards her friends. It's alright, it's just a piece of clothing, and Miss Alice isn't that petty. You should still go change into another outfit with me, or I'm afraid you'll catch a cold wearing wet clothes."
Facing Sister Liu's unyielding tone, Zhang Wan'er showed no sign of panic. Instead, she revealed a fearless smile and said, "Sister Liu, I'm not a child, do I need you to tell me what to do? Could you please get me a hairdryer? I'll handle the rest myself and won't trouble you any further!
Although my legs are injured, my mindset has been good lately, and I don't feel any different from a normal person. Can you please not make me feel like I'm different from you? I'm begging you." By the last sentence, Zhang Wan'er's voice carried a hint of desolation.
Sister Liu opened her mouth, trying to say something, but eventually swallowed the words back. Forget it.
It wasn't a big deal. As Zhang Wan'er said, being overly attentive would only make the injured person feel more inferior!
To avoid embarrassing Zhang Wan'er, Sister Liu nodded, her attitude very enthusiastic: "Alright then, I won't bother you anymore. You can handle the rest yourself. If you need any help, feel free to ask!"
Zhang Wan'er replied with great relief, "Okay, I couldn't ask for anything more."
Sister Liu went upstairs to get the hairdryer, handed it to Zhang Wan'er, and then went about her own business. The commotion here soon attracted the attention of another person. Watching Zhang Wan'er's retreating back, Eric hopped downstairs.
"Aunt Liu! Aunt Liu!"
Hearing Eric's call, Sister Liu quickly ran out of the kitchen and asked with a worried look, "What is it, little master?"
"Do we have a guest? Who is that? Is she a friend of Sister's? Can you tell me their story? Sister isn't home, and I'm the only one here. I naturally have to show the demeanor of the head of the household and entertain Sister's friend properly!" Eric said, putting his hands on his hips, his childlike demeanor making Sister Liu laugh heartily.
After laughing, Sister Liu suddenly put on a stern expression, frowned, and lectured, "The lady who was just here is indeed your sister's friend, but her situation is rather special, and it's not your place to take care of her. I'm afraid things might get too complicated, and you might accidentally offend her!"
"What do you mean by 'special'?"
Seeing Eric's strong desire to learn, Sister Liu crouched down and explained, "Didn't you see that the sister was sitting in a wheelchair just now and had some difficulty moving?"