daomingsi, dongshancai.

superwoman

"Don't look at me with your filthy face," he said, his eyes never leaving hers as his hands curled into fists, ready for the inevitable pain.

She didn't say anything, but ignored his words, and continued to stare at him, her eyes wide. Shancai still couldn't believe the stupid boy had actually showed up. She bit her lip. But then again, wasn't he always somehow suddenly there when she needed him the most?

He spoke up again.

". . . close your eyes."

She almost choked as the head thug pressed the knife into her neck just a little deeper. Close my eyes? For what? She blinked a few times, trying to understand, when slowly the expression in her eyes turned to that of horror as she realized what he intended to do.

No. There was no way.

I won't let him.

And she was just about to tell him so, but looking at him, there was something in his gaze that made her think better of it. So, feeling horrible and like the worst kind of woman, she slowly and painfully closed her eyes.

And as soon as she did so, she heard the first blow. Sharp, sudden, and violent. It was like someone had hit her as well as she suddenly couldn't breathe. It was like she was him, as she could feel the exact same pain he had just felt. She couldn't do it, she couldn't take it.

She couldn't be right there in front of him, hearing, even though she couldn't see, him suffer.

The second blow landed, and this time she could hear his gasp of pain. It cut through her like a knife. A single tear ran down her cheek and her chin quivered.

I can't take it.

She had to help him. There was no way she could hear him take another blow.

Shancai opened her eyes, and screamed loudly. The sound took the thug who was holding her hostage by surprise and in the confusion, she yanked the knife away from his hands and grabbed Si's hand, sprinting out of the abandoned lot she had been brought to, and dragging him after her.

As they ran, she noticed he was limping, and cringed as she realized one of the hits he'd taken must have been on his legs. But Shancai couldn't stop now, she could still hear the furious shouts and footsteps in the distance. She glanced at his leg as she urged him on, supporting the both of them as she tried to drag him further away. It was bleeding heavily, and she realized she would have to stop. Si could not keep up. . . Shancai would have take him somewhere else. . . but where?

As she paused to take a breath at a relatively deserted street, more for Si's sake than hers, Shancai heard him mumble something.

". . . ei."

"What?"

"Stupid. . ." He took a shuddering breath, as if it hurt his chest to talk. "Lei. Call. . . Lei."

"Lei—? But, but I—"

"Just do it."

With a trembling hand, she took out her phone, and dialed his number. It rang twice, then went to voicemail. Si cursed. "Call. . . Ximen."

"Ah Si. . ."

"Just do it!"

Shancai felt like crying again. She had never felt this helpless, this out of control. Si's eyes softened at her expression, but he didn't say anything. She knew he was the only one who could possibly be feeling more out of control than her at that moment.

But still.

"Ah Si! We don't have time to call them. We have to leave, they'll be after us."

She didn't wait for him to respond, but grabbed his hand again, rubbing his thumb in what she hoped was a reassuring way, and started jogging towards the path of a nearby wooded park. Shancai bit her lip, as she could hear him squeezing her hand every time his leg caught on a large log or plant.

When they were finally deep within the trees, and she could no longer hear the thugs, no longer hear anything, but sweet silence, she stopped. Trembling, Shancai sank to the ground. She pulled Si into her arms, and he closed his eyes, his head resting in her lap.

Careful not to shake him, she reached for the sleeves of her blouse, and ripped them roughly off. Then she slowly and tightly wrapped the cloth snug around his legs. He winced, and she loosened it.

Shancai regarded him in her lap, thinking. They were like that for a few minutes, silent. Then she couldn't take it anymore, so she spoke up.

"You were so close to being hurt," she whispered.

"I was hurt though," Si replied, smirking a bit despite the pain, his eyes still closed.

She smacked his ear lightly. He protested, but she cut him off, and he stopped talking immediately when he noticed her eyes suspiciously shiny.

"I was so scared. I thought you would. . . die." How she hated that word.

He reached a hand up to her face and wiped away the wetness on her cheeks, meeting her eyes.

"But I didn't, did I?" Si pinched her cheek and she scowled at him.

"No. . ."

"No. Full stop. I didn't, because you saved me."

"I didn't. Save you, I mean."

"You did. You are. . . what's the word, like my superwoman." He grinned at her and squeezed her hand with his little remaining strength, and she was so struck by his sincerity that she smiled sweetly back.

". . . okay," she conceded. "I am."

Shancai acted nonchalant about it on the outside, but as she sat with Si that day under the trees in the woods, she knew she would always protect him.

She would always be his superwoman.

_____

Author's Note: I feel like I'm actually getting even worse at writing OMG !1!1 what is happening???

And writer's block nearly killed me this week my god. Thankfully I forced myself to pull through but it was hard haha. Also I'm so sorry this was so short. :((((

It is so hard to write these days. But if there's anyone still reading, I hope you liked this one LOL.

- coexistantLilli :)