“Don’t worry,” Huo Zhiyuan said. “We’re going home to shower and change anyway.”
As he spoke, he subtly tilted the umbrella farther toward Xue Yanxin.
It wasn’t until they reached their apartment building and folded up the umbrella that Xue Yanxin noticed something.
Half of Huo Zhiyuan’s shoulder was completely soaked.
Not from brushing against her raincoat.
He’d been standing in the rain the whole time.
“Are you an idiot?” she blurted out. “I was wearing a raincoat! Why did you keep holding the umbrella over me?”
“It was my first time sharing an umbrella with someone,” Huo Zhiyuan replied stubbornly. “I don’t have much experience.”
She rolled her eyes at his flimsy excuse and hurried inside.
“I’ll run the hot water. You go grab some clean clothes and take a shower before you catch a cold.”
She practically rushed into the bathroom.
In her previous life, Xue Yanxin had died from illness.
The helpless despair of lying in a hospital bed, unable to do anything, had left a permanent scar on her heart.
Because of that, she was extremely sensitive about health and illness.
Even the possibility of someone catching a simple cold made her anxious.
Meanwhile, Huo Zhiyuan leaned casually against the doorway, watching her bustle around.
His mood had never been better.
Is she really this worried about me?
Unfortunately, the pleasant moment didn’t last.
His phone suddenly rang.
Slightly annoyed, he pulled it out.
The moment he saw the caller ID, his expression instantly turned serious.
He glanced toward the bathroom before quietly walking onto the balcony.
“Hello.”
“We found Li Baoqiang, President Huo.”
Huo Zhiyuan’s eyes sharpened.
“Where?”
“The hospital.”
“I’m coming now.”
Without even changing his soaked clothes, he rushed out the door.
Hearing the commotion, Xue Yanxin poked her head out of the bathroom.
“Where are you going?”
“Aren’t you taking a shower?”
As he ran downstairs, Huo Zhiyuan shouted back,
“Something came up!”
“I’ll shower when I get back!”
Outside the apartment complex, a black sedan was already waiting.
He climbed in immediately.
“Why is he at the hospital?”
“What’s going on?”
Li Fei gripped the steering wheel tightly.
“It’s… hard to say.”
“We’ll know when we get there.”
His grim expression spoke volumes.
The situation wasn’t looking good.
Huo Zhiyuan sat silently in the back seat.
His heartbeat thundered in his chest.
After ten years…
The answer was finally within reach.
…
The moment he entered the emergency department, he saw Qi Junlin leaning against the wall.
His younger brother’s face was filled with helpless rage.
An ominous feeling instantly gripped Huo Zhiyuan’s heart.
“How is he?”
Qi Junlin looked up.
The anger in his eyes slowly turned into guilt.
“He’s dead.”
“I’m sorry, Brother…”
“I…”
Huo Zhiyuan interrupted him gently.
“It’s not your fault.”
“You already did everything you could.”
“I know.”
Though he was comforting Qi Junlin…
The one who truly needed comforting was himself.
He had spent ten years searching for the murderer who killed his parents.
Just when a long-awaited lead finally appeared…
It vanished right before his eyes.
Supporting himself against the wall, Huo Zhiyuan suddenly felt unsteady.
He walked out of the hospital in a daze.
He refused both Li Fei’s and Qi Junlin’s offers to drive him home.
Instead…
He walked.
For more than two hours.
Alone.
In the rain.
…
By the time he reached his apartment building, every inch of him was drenched.
Cold wind carried the rain straight through his clothes.
Yet he barely seemed to notice anymore.
Everything felt numb.
Only when he looked up…
And saw the warm light shining from his apartment window…
Did a trace of warmth finally return to his heart.
The moment he opened the door, Xue Yanxin hurried over.
“Oh my God!”
“How did you end up this soaked?”
“Hurry inside!”
Her worried voice wrapped around him like a blanket.
For the first time that day…
He felt alive again.
He let her guide him around like an obedient puppet.
She had already run the hot bath.
Prepared clean clothes.
Yet he simply stood there without moving.
She looked at him helplessly.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“Then…”
“Do you… want me to help you take your clothes off?”
That finally snapped Huo Zhiyuan back to reality.
“I’ll do it myself.”
“Thank you.”
She was certain something serious had happened.
In her mind, even when he’d supposedly gone bankrupt, he had never looked this lost.
She wanted to ask.
But she didn’t.
First…
Their relationship wasn’t close enough for heart-to-heart conversations.
Even if she asked, he might not answer.
Second…
If she couldn’t help solve the problem, asking would only force him to reopen his wounds for the sake of satisfying her curiosity.
So instead…
She simply did what she could.
Prepared hot water.
Made ginger soup.
Filled the home with warmth.
Trying, in her own quiet way, to chase away the lifelessness surrounding him.
…
After his shower, Xue Yanxin insisted he eat at least a few bites of dinner and drink a bowl of ginger soup before allowing him to return to his room.
It had been raining continuously for several days.
Construction work was suspended.
The next morning, Huo Zhiyuan didn’t get up early.
Xue Yanxin thought nothing of it at first.
But by lunchtime…
He still hadn’t come out.
Considering how early he’d gone to bed the night before, something didn’t feel right.
Her heart tightened.
She took the spare key from the living room drawer and quietly unlocked his bedroom door.
It wasn’t even locked.
Inside…
He lay peacefully asleep, looking almost like Sleeping Beauty.
She let out half a sigh of relief before tiptoeing over.
First, she carefully checked whether he was breathing.
He was.
Then she touched his forehead.
It felt warm.
Looks like he has a fever.
She slipped a thermometer under his arm.
Sure enough…
A mild fever.
She immediately fetched the medicine box, prepared fever medicine, and gently woke him.
He was so groggy he could barely tell whether he was awake.
Fortunately…
He still managed to swallow the medicine.
Since sick people should eat something light, Xue Yanxin went to cook a pot of rice porridge.
When it was ready, she checked his temperature again.
Normal.
The fever had broken.
But his entire body was drenched in sweat.
She brought over a basin of warm water.
Planning to wipe him down.
She swore…
When she first lifted the blanket…
Her intentions were completely innocent.
She was simply taking care of a sick person.
But…
His abs made the first move.
Even asleep, the firm muscles rose and fell gently with every breath, practically tempting her.
So there really are handsome guys with eight-pack abs…
Today I’ve finally seen one in real life.
Hehe…
They feel amazing.
His chest isn’t bad either…
No.
His chest was sweaty too.
I only happened to touch it while wiping him down.
That couldn’t be helped.
After all…
I’m kind-hearted, caring, and…
Wait.
Hospitable.
Yes.
Hospitable.
After helping him clean up, another two hours passed.
Just as she was wondering whether she should wake him to eat something…
His bedroom door opened.
Huo Zhiyuan walked out.
Shirtless.
“Morning.”
He greeted her as though nothing were unusual.
Xue Yanxin’s eyes were immediately drawn to his bare torso.
She couldn’t look away.
“You…”
“W-Why aren’t you wearing a shirt?”
Seeing her reaction, the corners of Huo Zhiyuan’s lips curved upward.
“I’m not cold.”
Then he slowly walked toward her.
“Besides…”
“Why are you so nervous?”
Before she knew it, he’d backed her against the dining table.
“I-I’m not nervous!”
“You had a fever!”
“I worked so hard taking care of you!”
“And now you’re walking around half naked!”
“What if your fever comes back?”
“Really?”
Huo Zhiyuan gently took her hand and placed it against his forehead.
“Don’t worry.”
“The fever’s gone.”
“If you don’t believe me…”
“Feel for yourself.”
Standing so close…
It felt as though all the air around her had been stolen.
Her breathing became uneven.
Her heart pounded uncontrollably.
Flustered, she quickly pulled her hand back.
Who wants to touch your forehead?
She pressed both hands against his chest and pushed him away.
In the process…
Her fingers just happened to squeeze one of his pecs.
The feeling was…
Excellent.
The triumphant drumbeat in her heart celebrated the moment.
Huo Zhiyuan froze.
That…
Was absolutely intentional.
She actually…
Groped my chest?
His entire mind went blank.
A faint blush quietly spread across the tips of his ears.
I’ve been teased again?
Xue Yanxin looked at his reaction with smug satisfaction.
Please.
Trying to flirt with me?
I’ve read enough romance novels to know every trick in the book.
With deliberately suggestive eyes lingering on his chest, she grinned mischievously.
“So…”
“The fever’s gone?”
She tilted her head.
“Because from where I’m standing…”
“You seem awfully… hot.”
Huo Zhiyuan surrendered instantly.
Feeling thoroughly defeated, he retreated to his bedroom, put on a shirt, and only then came back out.
The moment Xue Yanxin saw him fully dressed again…
She burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Got you.