Hit He Zhinian?
Was she out of her mind?!
Han Jichuan had been beaten up for no reason.
But she was a woman, and she’d had the nerve to storm in and demand that He Zhinian answer for himself. He Zhinian had even let her berate him.
She was probably not someone to mess with, so Han Jichuan didn’t dare make an issue of it.
He could only chalk it up to bad luck.
He Zhinian glanced into the hospital room, then turned to Liang Hao, who looked at a loss. “Yiyi has a fever. I’m going downstairs to handle the paperwork. Could you stay here and keep an eye on her for me?”
Yiyi was Ye Zhenshu’s nickname. Whenever he needed to pretend they were close, he called her that.
Liang Hao hurriedly replied, “Sure.”
“Thank you,” He Zhinian said gently.
Han Jichuan: “…”
He Zhinian was saying thank you?
Unbelievable!
When had he turned into this sort of person?
He Zhinian left.
Han Jichuan didn’t dare linger. He gave Liang Hao a few quick instructions, then hurried off.
Not long after He Zhinian left, Ye Zhenshu woke up—and threw up.
Fortunately, she felt much better afterward.
Liang Hao sat beside the bed, rubbing her back, her gaze fixed fervently on Ye Zhenshu’s neck.
She’d thought He Zhinian was only saying Ye Zhenshu had a fever, and that nothing had happened.
She hadn’t expected He Zhinian to really lose control.
Suddenly, it all clicked. So He Zhinian hadn’t left with Qi Wenwan last night?
He’d gone home to find Ye Zhenshu instead?
Liang Hao had seen He Zhinian drunk at the club last night. Qi Wenwan had supported him into the elevator.
She’d called Ye Zhenshu many times, but Ye Zhenshu had already fallen asleep and hadn’t answered.
It was hard not to let your mind run wild about where Qi Wenwan planned to take him.
“That bastard! He’s really the worst!” she muttered. “You’re in this state and he still had to go and wear you out!”
At least Qi Wenwan hadn’t gotten her way.
Ye Zhenshu had naturally dewy skin, as luminous as the autumn moon.
The fresh kiss marks were faintly visible beneath the hospital gown she’d changed into.
Embarrassed, Ye Zhenshu pulled her clothes together to hide them from Liang Hao.
“It had nothing to do with him. I was already feeling unwell.”
Liang Hao pressed her lips together. “You’re really good at making excuses for him. I’ve never heard of anyone sleeping someone into the hospital before!”
“Don’t say any more…” Ye Zhenshu was mortified.
They were both women, but talking about things like this was still incredibly embarrassing.
Liang Hao tenderly tucked the blanket around her. “My flight’s this afternoon, so I can’t stay here with you. If anything happens, you have to call me. I’ll get someone over here for you!”
“I know.”
Ye Zhenshu’s thoughts hadn’t changed much. She was used to it.
After her parents were gone, she’d gotten used to being alone.
Before long, He Zhinian’s voice came from outside the door.
Liang Hao reminded her again and again, afraid she might be taken advantage of.
*
Outside the hospital room, Zhang Yiyang stood to one side, giving his report.
“Have you found out what happened last night?”
He Zhinian’s lazy voice was hoarse. Beneath his white shirt, several red scratches were just visible.
His assistant, Zhang Yiyang, didn’t dare look too closely.
When he’d taken his boss home the previous night, He Zhinian had shut the door as soon as they entered, not letting him come in.
Zhang Yiyang had waited outside for ages. Just as he was about to break in, He Zhinian sent him a single word:
【Get lost—】
So Zhang Yiyang had kept watch outside the door all night.
In the morning, when he saw that He Zhinian was fine, he went home and caught up on a little sleep.
But when he’d taken him home the night before, he’d noticed signs of a woman in the house.
The pair of Big White Rabbit slippers by the shoe cabinet, the woman’s hat and scarf in the entryway, the flowers on the table…
Everything told him that his boss was keeping a woman hidden away at home.
No wonder he hadn’t let Zhang Yiyang in.
But everyone said He Zhinian liked Qi Wenwan, and he’d gone to last night’s gathering for her.
He’d even paid Qi Wenwan’s bill.
His boss had hidden this well.
Who was the enchantress who’d brought that lofty, Buddha-like man[1]Chinese romance fiction often compares a cool, seemingly desireless man to a Buddha; this describes his detached manner, not a literal religious status. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3733025_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3733025_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], }); down from his pedestal?
Zhang Yiyang peeked into the hospital room and caught sight of a flawless profile.
Then he handed He Zhinian the documents that needed signing and quietly whispered a name in his ear.
“It was Qi Wenling last night.”
He Zhinian’s hand stopped in midair, pen poised to sign. Darkness like ink spread through his eyes.
“Qi Wenling…”
Qi Wenling was Qi Wenwan’s younger sister.
She was the one who’d drugged He Zhinian last night.
“President He[2]In Chinese business settings, “President” is a common English rendering of zong, a respectful title for a senior company executive, not a political office. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_3733025_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_3733025_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });, the woman in there is…” Zhang Yiyang couldn’t help asking.
“My wife,” He Zhinian replied without changing expression.
“Your wife?” Zhang Yiyang jerked his head up, stunned.
He hadn’t even known when He Zhinian had gotten married!
And he was supposed to be his special assistant!
As soon as the words left He Zhinian’s mouth, Liang Hao happened to open the hospital-room door, her gaze as cold as an ice pick.
“President He, you really know how to play! You’ve got your wife at home and women on the side, and while your wife’s sick, you’re out welcoming your ex-girlfriend back to town. Fine, play around if you want. You do you. But why come back to Yiyi? You know what those two Qi sisters are like, and you’re still stupid enough to chase after them!”
Hearing that the Boss’s Wife was called Yiyi, Zhang Yiyang hurried to explain when he saw Liang Hao had misunderstood. “President He was only there last night because he’d accepted Mr. Zhou’s invitation—”
“When did I ask you to speak?”
Liang Hao was already furious. Hearing the name Qi Wenling had made her even angrier.
“Even if you went because Mr. Zhou invited you, Yiyi is your wife now. Why are you still hung up on someone else? If you couldn’t let go, why did you marry Yiyi in the first place?”
He Zhinian listened quietly without saying a word.
He didn’t speak until Liang Hao stormed off.
Zhang Yiyang was baffled. “President He, why didn’t you explain it to her?”
“There’s nothing to explain. She doesn’t matter.”
He Zhinian signed the papers, opened the door, and went into the hospital room.
Ye Zhenshu was leaning against the bed, drinking water. She’d heard the commotion at the door but hadn’t made out what they were saying.
Liang Hao had probably been yelling at someone again.
Liang Hao ran all the high-end clubs in Nancheng. When it came to cursing people out, she was a force to be reckoned with.
He Zhinian glanced at Ye Zhenshu and sat beside her. When she finished drinking, he took the cup from her and set it aside.
Perhaps because she was sick, her face was pale, and her thick, dark curls fell over both shoulders, doing little to conceal her neck.
He Zhinian hesitated, his gaze drifting to her neck. Then he gently pulled her collar to one side.
The kiss marks on her collarbone were still faintly visible, more obvious than they’d been when he’d bathed her in the bathroom the night before.
Ye Zhenshu quickly pulled her collar back into place, not letting him look.
“I’m sorry about last night,” He Zhinian said.
It was one of the few times he’d ever had a serious conversation with her.
“It’s fine.”
It should have happened long ago.
But He Zhinian had someone else in his heart. If not for last night, they probably would have gone on living together with polite distance.
Yet ever since that night, He Zhinian seemed like a different person.
“Are you still uncomfortable anywhere?”
“I just threw up. I feel much better now.” Ye Zhenshu lowered her eyes and didn’t look at him.
“Does it still hurt… there?”
His voice was barely audible, but Ye Zhenshu heard him clearly.
Her face flushed hot, and she gave a slight shake of her head.
He Zhinian nodded too, then took an ointment from his pocket. “Once a day. Next time, will you put it on yourself?”
“…” Ye Zhenshu’s face turned scarlet.
Next time?
The ointment had already been opened. Surely that didn’t mean he’d put it on her?
When she didn’t answer, He Zhinian placed the ointment in her hand and went out.
The hospital-room door closed softly.
Ye Zhenshu curled in on herself and hid beneath the blanket.
He’d put the ointment on her, so he must have changed her hospital gown too…
References[+]