Lin Xi woke up to a hazy gray sky outside the window. She looked dazed, and it took her a full two minutes to fully wake up. She sat up abruptly, still feeling groggy.
After a moment, she looked around to confirm she was in a different hotel. The events of the past were vividly clear in her mind, but she dared not think about them. She and Duan Yiheng… Lin Xi licked her lips, clutching her racing heart, and slowly lay back down.
The bed beside her was empty; Duan Yiheng wasn't there. Lin Xi blinked, feeling a strange sense of grievance. More than anything, she felt bewildered after what had happened, and of course, a sliver of relief—relief that she had actually waited for Duan Yiheng.
Last night, she had been the one to initiate things. Lin Xi hesitated for a moment, then buried herself even deeper under the covers. Duan Yiheng entered, his eyes meeting her wilted state. He smiled, walked over, and sat down on the edge of the bed. Their eyes met unexpectedly, and Lin Xi held her breath.
Duan Yiheng reached out and touched her head. "It's alright, the fever's gone down. Get up and eat something." Lin Xi was startled. "I had a fever?" She quickly shut her mouth, wondering if that hoarse voice was really hers. Duan Yiheng coughed lightly.
"We... you developed a fever an hour after we fell asleep, but thankfully it went down after taking medicine. Do you feel any discomfort now?" Lin Xi shook her head. "No." Duan Yiheng leaned closer and whispered in her ear.
"Are you feeling unwell?" Lin Xi's ears turned red, and she stammered, "I... I'm just hungry." "I'll go get dinner," Duan Yiheng said. Lin Xi grabbed his arm, her expression awkward and aggrieved.
Duan Yiheng was very patient, brushing the hair away from her cheek. "What's wrong? Are you being coquettish?" Lin Xi choked back a sob. "You weren't here." Duan Yiheng sat down on the edge of the bed, supporting her waist and pulling her onto his lap.
"You slept all day and have a fever. I was worried you'd be hungry, so I ordered some food to get you up and eat something." Duan Yiheng kissed her forehead. "I was wrong, okay?" Lin Xi hugged him tightly, the memories of last night, half fear, half sweetness, tearing at her.
She cried out in Duan Yiheng's arms, "Thank goodness you came." Duan Yiheng's voice was deep, "I'm here, don't cry." Lin Xi's eyes hurt, everything hurt, and her stomach joined in the commotion, rumbling loudly.
She pushed Duan Yiheng away shyly, but he chuckled softly and coaxed her in the ear, "Shall I carry you to eat?" "I can go by myself." Lin Xi made to get off his lap, but Duan Yiheng simply picked her up and carried her to the dining room.
Lin Xi nestled her head against his neck, snuggling against him affectionately. Duan Yiheng placed her on the dining chair and said, "Dinner is a bit light." Lin Xi asked him, "Did I really sleep all day?" Duan Yiheng nodded, "It's 6:40 now."
Lin Xi took a sip of her porridge, hesitated for a moment, and said, "We..." "We'll talk after dinner," Duan Yiheng stopped her. Lin Xi responded and slowly ate her dinner. During the meal, Duan Yiheng took meticulous and gentle care of her, and Lin Xi sat next to him, accepting everything.
After dinner, she went to the bathroom to rinse her mouth. As soon as she turned around, Duan Yiheng picked her up again. This time, it wasn't a princess carry; instead, he bent down and cradled her legs. Her gaze suddenly hovered in the air, and Lin Xi smiled, hugging Duan Yiheng's neck. Duan Yiheng carried her into the bedroom and said,
"You slept all day and had a fever, so you should lie down." Lin Xi whispered, "Didn't the fever go down?" Duan Yiheng placed her on the bed and then squeezed in as well. Lin Xi was startled, and when she came to her senses, she was already in his arms.
Duan Yiheng affectionately nuzzled her nose and asked softly, "Are you really not feeling unwell? The doctor told me to take you to the hospital for a check-up during the day, but you were sleeping the whole time, so I didn't wake you." Lin Xi shook her head: "I'm not feeling unwell."
Duan Yiheng took her hand from under the covers: "Things have come to this point, are you still going to push me away?" Lin Xi pursed her lips: "It's not what I wanted." "After dealing with Duan Zheng and Ke Yu, I'll let Grandma go see Grandpa."
Duan Yiheng's eyes were full of affection, "You don't need to do anything, just love me." Lin Xi's heart fluttered, and she nestled against his chest. Duan Yiheng lifted her chin, his gaze suddenly turning serious: "It's a habit of hurting yourself; you're not allowed to do it again."
Lin Xi raised her injured arm and said, "I had no other choice at the time." Duan Yiheng kissed her brow, his gaze deep and unfathomable: "To me, your safety is the most important thing." Lin Xi leaned against his chest and murmured softly:
"I didn't expect Zhang Mo to be so ruthless." Duan Yiheng patted her back: "It's my fault for not thinking of that. You're naive; I failed to protect you." The moment he pushed open the bathroom door, a surge of anger was suppressed by love.
He had to ensure Lin Xi's safety before he could settle scores. "Where's Duan Mingxuan?" Lin Xi looked up. "I escorted him back to City B," Duan Yiheng replied. "There was a problem with the project signing, so I told Grandpa I could stay with you for a couple more days." Lin Xi asked,
"Is the project okay?" Duan Yiheng: "It's fine. Malicious competition, it's been resolved." "But Duan Mingxuan knows about you and me." Lin Xi frowned slightly. "Won't he tell others? You know, it's not appropriate for us to go public right now."
Duan Yiheng said, "He stayed outside the door the whole time. He only left after I called a doctor. After that, he went to find Zhang Mo." Lin Xi was slightly taken aback: "What did he do to Zhang Mo?" Duan Yiheng: "He gave her a taste of her own medicine."
Duan Yiheng wasn't interested in how Zhang Mo resolved the situation. Buying this kind of drug was obviously illegal for Zhang Mo. Since she wasn't behaving herself, she should go to jail. From the purchase channel to the drugging plot, everything was traceable. The police weren't pushovers.
Lu Tong had also been a great help. Duan Yiheng had originally planned to treat him to a meal, but he was too lazy to come back from the farm and only said they'd meet up another time. Once Lin Xi recovered, they would be leaving S City, so they could only arrange to meet up another time.
Duan Yiheng placed his palm against Lin Xi's face and asked, "Still want to sleep?" Lin Xi looked up at him: "Not sleepy." Duan Yiheng gently brushed her eyelashes with his fingertips: "Don't look at me like that."
Lin Xi pulled his hand away, staring blankly, as if she had never seen him before. Duan Yiheng met her gaze and asked with a smile, "Am I pretty?" Lin Xi nodded: "Pretty." Duan Yiheng was taken aback by her straightforwardness, and lowered his head to bump her nose.
"You're pretty too." Lin Xi pursed her lips. Duan Yiheng noticed her hesitation and cupped her face in his hands: "What's wrong?" "You..." Lin Xi looked at him, "Why do you like me? We didn't really interact much before."