The two walked quietly down the street, their shadows stretching across the ground.
Ye Chuan Ci walked her to her door. He opened it, carried her inside, and placed her on the bed. "Do you have medicine?"
"Yes, it's under the TV cabinet." Shen Jian Xi struggled to sit up but was pushed back down by Ye Chuan Ci.
Finding the first-aid kit, he took out a sprain spray. Ye Chuan Ci first sprayed it onto his own hands, rubbed them warm, and then applied it to the young girl's foot.
In just this short time, the girl's ankle had already swollen like a large steamed bun. "Bear with it, darling. It might hurt a bit."
Just as Shen Jian Xi braced herself, a sharp pain shot through her foot, momentarily blackening her vision. Gripping the bedsheet beneath her, Shen Jian Xi bit her lip to keep from crying out.
By the time Ye Chuan Ci finished applying the medicine, Shen Jian Xi was already covered in a thin layer of sweat from the pain.
The young girl's watery eyes were now misty, and her lower lip was red from being bitten. Ye Chuan Ci held her close, his heart aching, and said gently, "There, there. If I don't rub it in, it won't heal as quickly."
Shen Jian Xi understood this, but it didn't stop her from using it to gain the man's sympathy.
"But it really hurts! I need a kiss to make it better." Her sniffling voice sounded like she was being coquettish.
Ye Chuan Ci's heart melted. He gently kissed her forehead. "Sleep now, darling."
"Then don't leave." The young girl clutched his clothes tightly, as if afraid he would run away.
"Don't worry, darling. I'm not leaving." With that, he took off his outer coat, got into bed, and held her. One hand gently patted her back as if soothing a baby.
Soon, the young girl's breathing evened out. After lulling the little one in his arms to sleep, Ye Chuan Ci also felt a wave of drowsiness and slowly closed his eyes.
They slept embraced on the not-so-large bed, sunlight streaming through the gaps in the curtains, falling upon them.
When they woke up, the sky outside was already dark. The bed beside them had long since grown cold. Shen Jian Xi sat on the bed in a daze. The darkness of the room suddenly made her feel lonely, and tears welled up uncontrollably.
"Click!" The light was suddenly turned on. Ye Chuan Ci entered, holding a bowl of food.
"You're awake, darling. Come and eat..." the food.
Before he could finish, he was startled by Shen Jian Xi's tear-streaked face. He quickly walked to the bed, placed the bowl on the bedside table, and the moment he turned, he was met with a tight embrace.
"I thought you left." A sobbing voice came from his chest. Ye Chuan Ci sat on the edge of the bed, wiped away her tears with his thumb, and said softly, "I promised I wouldn't leave. I never go back on my word. There, there, don't cry."
Shen Jian Xi didn't know what was happening to her. Her emotions surged, and she couldn't stop. Ye Chuan Ci said nothing, just held her and stayed with her quietly.
The crying gradually subsided. Thinking about her foolishness just moments ago, Shen Jian Xi felt mortified, wishing she could disappear.
Ye Chuan Ci teased, "What's wrong, feeling embarrassed now?"
His words made Shen Jian Xi even more self-conscious; she wished she could burrow into the ground.
Ye Chuan Ci pulled out the young girl who was burying her face in his chest. He looked at her with amusement. The girl, feeling ashamed, kept avoiding his gaze. "Alright, let's eat. The food will get cold. Try my cooking."
No longer teasing her, Ye Chuan Ci feared she might get angry if he continued. He picked up the bowl, gently blew on the noodles, and once they weren't hot, he brought them to her lips. Ye Chuan Ci thoughtfully broke the noodles into bite-sized pieces.
Hearing that he had cooked it himself, Shen Jian Xi was shocked. She hadn't expected Ye Chuan Ci to be able to cook. She mechanically ate the noodles he fed her and found them surprisingly delicious!
Shen Jian Xi's expression was too obvious for Ye Chuan Ci to ignore. He leaned closer and said with a wicked grin, "Are you so touched, darling? Are you thinking of marrying me right away?"
Almost choking on his shameless words, she pushed his handsome face away, rolled her eyes, and said impatiently, "Hurry up and leave."
"You use me and then discard me, Xi Xi darling. I'm so heartbroken." Ye Chuan Ci clutched his chest, feigning heartbreak.
No matter what expression a handsome person made, it was pleasing to the eye. However, this couldn't move Shen Jian Xi's iron heart. She glared at him and said ruthlessly, "I'm not falling for that. Go back quickly. It's already dark, and I'll worry."
Combining gentleness with firmness proved effective. Indeed, upon hearing the latter half of her sentence, Ye Chuan Ci's eyes lit up. "Then kiss me, and I'll leave."
Shen Jian Xi hooked her arms around his neck and pulled him down, planting a quick kiss. Just as her lips were about to pull away, a large hand clamped down on the back of her head, and the other wrapped around her waist, responding with passion.
Ye Chuan Ci traced the delicate shape of her lips with his tongue, gently parting her teeth, and began a dance with her tongue.
After an unknown amount of time, Ye Chuan Ci reluctantly released her. "Then I'm leaving. Remember to miss me."
"Go, go." Shen Jian Xi waved her hand, resembling a heartless woman who had gotten what she wanted.
Hearing the sound of the door closing outside, Shen Jian Xi lay back down, staring at the ceiling. She contemplated quietly. Ye Chuan Ci's conquest was no longer her top priority. Wen Huai Zhi had made no progress since that day. She needed to find an opportunity.