After seven or eight minutes, Jiang Xu bent down and leaned close to Lin Jianxi, his warm breath brushing against her face.
Lin Jianxi instinctively shrank back, but before she could speak, a warm hand suddenly slipped inside her clothes, startling her and making her eyes widen in shock.
“Jiang Xu!”
Jiang Xu’s hand, holding the thermometer, paused slightly as he lowered his gaze to check the reading. “What’s wrong?”
Lin Jianxi rolled her eyes and looked down to fasten the buttons of her pajamas. “What do you think is wrong? We’re about to get divorced. Don’t you think what you did was inappropriate?”
“Not feeling inappropriate,” Jiang Xu replied, placing the thermometer on the bedside table before lifting the covers and getting into bed.
Lin Jianxi turned her back to him, silently grumbling to herself. She hadn’t forgotten how he had kissed her neck in the bathroom or how he had fed her water mouth-to-mouth.
She could overlook the water-feeding, but why had he kissed her neck? And even left a small hickey.
Jiang Xu tucked the covers around her. “You had a fever of 39.3 degrees Celsius around two in the morning. Now it’s 37.8 degrees. Don’t be careless about catching a chill in the future. Take care of your body and drink less.”
Lin Jianxi’s heart trembled. He had never said such things to her before. Could it be because they were getting divorced…
“Sleep well. Goodnight.”
The man’s hoarse voice came from behind her, and Lin Jianxi felt a sudden sting in her nose. For a moment, she didn’t want to get divorced anymore. Aside from not loving her, he was perfect in every way.
…
The next day, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, filling the room with a bright, open glow.
When Lin Jianxi opened her eyes, she saw a handsome face right in front of her. The man’s eyes were closed, his eyelashes thick and curled. His skin truly looked flawless.
Lin Jianxi froze for several seconds, realizing she was nestled in the crook of his arm, her hand wrapped around his waist.
The familiar, cool scent of sandalwood lingered around her. Lin Jianxi stared at him for a while before glancing at the clock on the bedside table. It was already past nine.
Jiang Xu’s eyelids fluttered slightly as he slowly opened his eyes, his voice still raspy from sleep. “Still feverish?”
As he spoke, he reached out to touch her forehead, then his own. There wasn’t much difference in their temperatures. “How do you feel?”
Lin Jianxi hesitated for a few seconds before quietly moving out of his embrace. “Fine, just a bit of a headache.”
“With a hangover, how could it not hurt?” Jiang Xu’s low, hoarse voice carried a hint of sarcasm.
Lin Jianxi was taken aback. She couldn’t remember anything that had happened at the bar after she got drunk last night. All she recalled was vomiting—and vomiting right onto Jiang Xu’s foot.
She didn’t even know how she had gotten back, nor did she know how Xie Zhiyun and Qiao Zhisheng were doing now.
Meanwhile, Qiao Zhisheng was downstairs in the living room.
Qiao Zhisheng lounged lazily on the beige velvet sofa, her long hair cascading down to her waist. Her slender, pale fingers held a bag of potato chips, and she occasionally tossed one into her mouth.
Her biological clock was always precise, and she had woken up a little after eight. Thanks to the hangover soup she had drunk the night before, she felt fine upon waking. If it weren’t for Jiang Xu’s words last night, she would have already gone home.
Because of what Jiang Xu had said, she hadn’t dared to slip away, afraid he might report her to her family. She had assumed Jiang Xu would be away filming in another province for at least a week or two.
She never expected him to return—and to catch her red-handed. To make matters worse, Lin Jianxi had gotten so drunk, and Jiang Xu was sure to blame her for not stopping her.
Qiao Zhisheng let out a deep sigh.
While dusting a vase, Zhong Sao heard the sigh and shook her head helplessly, smiling as she said, “Miss, that’s the eighth time you’ve sighed.”
Qiao Zhisheng tossed a potato chip into her mouth, her gaze settling on Zhong Sao. “Zhong Sao, do you think my brother and the others are awake yet? It’s almost ten o’clock…”
“Why are you still here?”
Before Qiao Zhisheng could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by a voice. She looked toward the source and saw Jiang Xu dressed in light gray loungewear, his handsome face expressionless.
Qiao Zhisheng clenched the potato chip bag in frustration, the chips inside crunching loudly under her grip. She took a deep breath and forced a smile. “I’m leaving right now.”
“Leave? No, you’re not.” Lin Jianxi walked past Jiang Xu toward Qiao Zhisheng. Her face was free of makeup, and her smooth, long hair was simply tied up, revealing her fair, elegant neck.
Qiao Zhisheng stood up and stepped forward to take Lin Jianxi’s slender, pale wrist, lowering her voice to ask, “Xixi, how are you feeling? Do you remember anything from last night?”
The corners of Lin Jianxi’s lips curved slightly as she whispered back, “I’m fine, but I think I might have blacked out a bit.”
Qiao Zhisheng narrowed her beautiful eyes and suddenly caught sight of the mark on Lin Jianxi’s neck. A meaningful smile spread across her face. “Last night, you and my brother…”
Lin Jianxi couldn’t help but recall the events of the previous night, her ears growing warm. She lowered her voice and said, “It’s nothing.”
“Alright then,” Qiao Zhisheng stared into her eyes. “Why did you drink so much last night? It seemed like you were drowning your sorrows after a breakup.”
“Lin Jianxi, breakfast.”
The two suddenly heard Jiang Xu’s voice. Lin Jianxi and Qiao Zhisheng looked over, only to see Jiang Xu’s tall, straight back disappearing around the corner.
Qiao Zhisheng pinched Lin Jianxi’s cheek. “Go have breakfast first. You can explain afterward.”
“Okay.” Lin Jianxi knew she couldn’t hide it from her. Whether Qiao Zhisheng found out sooner or later, it made no difference.
Dining room.
Lin Jianxi pulled out a chair and sat across from Jiang Xu. A slender hand appeared in front of her, placing a bowl of sweet, soft pumpkin porridge on the table before her.
Lin Jianxi lifted her dark lashes slightly. The man across from her sat upright, his fair, elegant hands peeling an egg with a graceful motion that was pleasing to the eye.
Lin Jianxi watched him for a few seconds. Just as she was about to look away, he suddenly raised his eyelids.
Their eyes met, but neither spoke.
Lin Jianxi averted her gaze, picked up the pumpkin porridge, and took a small spoonful. The porridge was warm, smooth, and perfectly sweet.
A few moments later, Jiang Xu placed the peeled egg white in front of her, thoughtfully removing the yolk for her.
Lin Jianxi stared blankly at the egg white before her, pausing for a moment before speaking. “Thank you.”
Jiang Xu glanced at her upon hearing this.
The two ate their belated breakfast in silence, neither breaking the quiet. After breakfast, Lin Jianxi and Qiao Zhisheng went to the gazebo in the backyard.
Qiao Zhisheng narrowed her eyes at Lin Jianxi. “Tell me, why did you drink so much last night?”
Lin Jianxi picked up the teapot with her slender fingers, slowly pouring tea into a white porcelain cup. A bitter smile appeared at the corner of her lips. “Shengsheng, your brother and I are getting a divorce.”
Qiao Zhisheng froze upon hearing this, momentarily stunned as she stared blankly at Lin Jianxi.
“What? Does it feel sudden?” Lin Jianxi placed the white porcelain cup in front of her. “Actually, I’ve wanted this for a long time. I just couldn’t bring myself to let go.”
“Suddenly, very suddenly,” Qiao Zhisheng couldn’t wait to ask, “So are you divorced now?”
Lin Jianxi picked up the white porcelain cup and took a small sip. “Not yet. There’s a thirty-day cooling-off period.”
Qiao Zhisheng inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the divorce certificate hadn’t been issued, it wasn’t official yet—there was still room for reconciliation.
Qiao Zhisheng parted her red lips, hesitating to speak. Lin Jianxi was her best friend, but what position should she take to persuade her? And should she even try to persuade her at all?