Lin Xi couldn't distinguish between what she saw and heard. A double image flashed in her peripheral vision, and she instinctively flinched, but due to exhaustion, she fell backward. Duan Yiheng's heart skipped a beat, and he scooped her into his arms:
"Baby, it's me, it's your big brother, don't be afraid, don't be afraid..." Lin Xi smelled the familiar scent, and tears welled up in her eyes. She was icy cold, but her cheeks were unnaturally red. Lin Xi sobbed, her breath hitting Duan Yiheng's throat: "I feel so bad."
Duan Yiheng gently rubbed her neck, then bent down and scooped her up in his arms. Duan Mingxuan rushed over: "Where are you taking her?" Duan Yiheng glanced at him with dark eyes like an unfathomable abyss. Duan Mingxuan couldn't stop Duan Yiheng at all.
After having the driver check in, Duan Yiheng carried Lin Xi to the top-floor suite. Lin Xi's condition didn't look good, so Duan Yiheng called Lu Tong and asked him to call a reliable doctor. "You're soaking wet, I'll take you to take a shower."
Lin Xi responded indistinctly, kissing her way up Duan Yiheng's neck. Duan Yiheng, afraid she'd catch a cold and get a fever, endured the discomfort and tried to remove her wet clothes. Even then, he told Lin Xi:
"I need to take your clothes off, otherwise you'll get sick, cooperate a little?" "But I'm so hot." Lin Xi's eyes were hazy, a thin layer of moisture on them as she looked at Duan Yiheng, "Can you kiss me?"
Duan Yiheng leaned down and kissed her lips, calming Lin Xi's anxiety for a moment. In this special time, Duan Yiheng didn't care about anything else, holding her face-to-face as she sat on his lap. Duan Yiheng kept an eye on her injured arm; the bandage was ugly, but at least the bleeding had stopped.
Lin Xi was restless, kneading his abs and kissing his Adam's apple, her meaning clear. Duan Yiheng went to the bathroom to get a bathrobe for her to change into, tightening the belt.
The door opened at that moment. Duan Yiheng opened it, leading the doctor inside while instructing the driver to fetch Lin Xi and his luggage from the hotel. Duan Yiheng entered the bedroom and asked the doctor, "How is she?" The doctor asked,
"Is she experiencing dizziness, vomiting, or difficulty breathing?" Duan Yiheng shook his head: "Weakness in her limbs, and symptoms from the aphrodisiac itself." The doctor said,
"Drink plenty of water to metabolize the medication. Since there's no severe breathing difficulty or confusion, she doesn't need to go to the hospital yet. If you're worried, wait until she's finished tonight and then take her to the hospital for a check-up tomorrow morning." Duan Yiheng agreed.
"Take care of the wound on her arm." The wound wasn't deep; the doctor treated it, re-bandaged it, and gave some instructions. Duan Yiheng saw the doctor off and saw Duan Mingxuan in the hallway. He closed the door and turned to get Lin Xi some water.
Back in the bedroom, Lin Xi had already pulled off her bathrobe, her long hair loose, her shoulders bare. Duan Yiheng paused, came to the bedside, and half-lifted her: "Drink some water." Lin Xi brushed the water aside, her arms moving up his chest, the fire within her wanting to tear her apart.
"Big Brother..." Lin Xi knelt up, the bath towel slipping off, her whole body pressed against Duan Yiheng, "Please..." Once, the word "Big Brother" represented their unattainable relationship, but at this moment, Duan Yiheng inexplicably found it agreeable.
Duan Yiheng gently coaxed her, holding the bottled water to her lips: "Drink some." This first time, this night, was fundamentally wrong. He didn't want to wrong Lin Xi. Lin Xi's lips touched the cool water, feeling comfortable, and obediently tilted her head back slightly.
From Duan Yiheng's angle, her neck stretched out like a swan, also wanting someone to leave something on it. After drinking less than a third of the liquid, Lin Xi buried her face in Duan Yiheng's chest again, her voice trembling as she said she felt terrible.
Duan Yiheng took a damp towel and wiped her forehead and neck, a mere temporary fix for Lin Xi. "Duan Yiheng..." Lin Xi cried, calling his name, "Please, I've already suffered enough."
Duan Yiheng's heart skipped a beat. Under the influence of the drugs, Lin Xi had reached her breaking point. Duan Yiheng lowered his head, his forehead pressed against hers, his voice low and restrained:
"I'm afraid you don't know what you're doing, I'm afraid you'll be wronged, I'm afraid you..." Lin Xi kissed him, telling him through her actions not to be afraid. The scenario Duan Yiheng had fantasized about countless times was playing out in this situation. He felt no joy, only heartache.
This situation could be endured, but it would be incredibly painful. Duan Yiheng was caught in a dilemma. He gently embraced Lin Xi, murmuring, "You don't know what to do with me." Lin Xi's eyelashes were wet with tears. She clung tightly to Duan Yiheng's neck:
"Duan Yiheng..." She didn't know what he was waiting for. On the verge of collapse, Duan Yiheng cupped the back of her neck and said, "You can have anything you want, but this arm can't move." Lin Xi responded, completely unaware of what he was saying.
Her vision blurred into halos of light. Duan Yiheng kissed her lips, calling her name in a low voice. Lin Xi couldn't think straight anymore. Everything in City B that had stood between her and Duan Yiheng was burned away by a burning passion.
"Lin Xi…" Duan Yiheng's breath floated in her ear, "Tonight, all you need to remember is 'I love you.'" Lin Xi trembled, and after a long pause, she managed a soft "Okay."
What a sweet little darling, Duan Yiheng chuckled softly, his fingers tracing the fabric of her wrist, disappearing between her fingers—it was her uninjured hand. Then he held her tightly, their skin tones contrasting, Lin Xi's fingertips appearing even paler against the back of his hand.
…As dawn broke, Lin Xi's head turned to the side, and she fell asleep, almost instantly. Duan Yiheng kissed her forehead, then pulled her into his arms. Lin Xi's hands gripped his tightly. Duan Yiheng waited until she was sound asleep before slowly getting up.
He needed to get his luggage, otherwise, they wouldn't have any clothes to wear when they got up. He got out of bed, picked up the bathrobe from the bedside, and put it on. While looking at Lin Xi's sleeping face, he called the driver: "Where's the luggage?" The driver replied:
"I brought it upstairs, but no one answered. I waited in the corridor for a long time, and the hotel staff told me to wait for you in the lobby." In other words, she slept in the lobby all night. Duan Yiheng said, "Thank you for your hard work. You should get a room to rest too, and bring my luggage up to me while you're at it."
The driver responded. "Oh, and please bring me a thermometer as well," Duan Yiheng added. The driver worked quickly, bringing not only a thermometer but also fever reducers. He handed the luggage to Duan Yiheng, saying, "I ran out to buy this, just in case."
Duan Yiheng took the luggage: "Go and rest." Closing the door, Duan Yiheng pushed both of their luggage into the bedroom, opened the suitcase, and took Lin Xi's pajamas to the bedside.
She couldn't take a shower, so he used a warm towel to dry Lin Xi before changing her clothes. He checked her injured arm again to make sure there was nothing wrong before holding her and falling into a deep sleep.