Xiang Wan felt as if she had walked for two days and two nights in the desert, gulping down a bottle in just a few sips.
Lu Mingzhe opened another bottle and fed her half before pouring the rest over his own head.
The night breeze blew, cool, and her feverish nerves finally calmed down a bit.
The two continued on their way and soon encountered a pharmacy. He ran in to buy hangover medicine and honey. By the time he returned, his phone was ringing.
It was Lu Qingxu calling.
Most likely, he was calling to ask when he would be back. He answered and said directly.
"Tonight, I might have to trouble you. Xiang Wan isn't feeling well, so we probably won't be able to make it back to the hospital."
Lu Qingxu had just come out of the emergency room with Nian Nian.
The doctor thought they were making a fuss and sent them away with two packets of fever reducers.
He was just about to consider whether to inform Lu Mingzhe about the situation when Lu Mingzhe said this.
"What happened?"
"The situation is a bit complicated. I'll explain it to you later. Thank you for your trouble tonight."
After hanging up, Lu Qingxu looked apologetically at Melody. Melody shrugged indifferently.
"It's okay. Consider it me returning the favor. You took care of me for so long, it's only right that I help your niece."
"Let's hurry. We need to get back and give her the medicine."
—
Lu Mingzhe carried Xiang Wan to the hotel he had booked.
After placing her on the sofa, he first boiled water to mix with honey for her.
In the short time it took to wait for the water, she had already rolled off the sofa and onto the floor.
Lu Mingzhe moved her back and offered her the warm water.
Her eyelashes drooped, her hair was messy, she was covered in cold sweat, shivering, and her damp clothes clung to her everywhere.
Her face was very pale, a sickly pallor, while her lips were exceptionally red. Lu Mingzhe didn't know what emotion to use to look at her.
Pure concern?
She was unconsciously seducing him everywhere.
Pure lust?
Yet, from the bottom of his heart, he wanted to suffer for her, to kill Tang Haichao for her.
Xiang Wan was in a daze.
In front of her, it was sometimes Lu Mingzhe, like a college student, holding her hand and walking by her grandmother's house.
Sometimes, it was them entangled in their room in Nancheng.
His eyes, nose, lips – every feature was clearly magnified.
She wanted to reach out and touch him. Never before had she felt longing so unbearable, as if she couldn't live without touching him.
Unfortunately, she couldn't lift her arm, so she could only watch his handsome features sway in the air, visible but untouchable.
Xiang Wan was angry at her own uselessness, wanting him when she couldn't touch him. She couldn't help but want to cry, to scold herself.
"Useless, good-for-nothing."
Perhaps the honey was too sweet? Why wasn't she drinking it?
If she wasn't going to drink it, she was scolding herself for being useless.
Fine, Lu Mingzhe admitted he was useless.
"Then let's not drink this. I'll give you medicine, and you'll be fine after you take it."
She seemed boneless, and in the time it took to feed her water, she had slid to the floor again.
Lu Mingzhe held her back with one hand, put down the teacup, and prepared another cup of warm water for her.
No matter how hard he tried, Xiang Wan just caused trouble and slid down.
She was uncomfortable, uncomfortable everywhere, as if only this could relieve her.
Lu Mingzhe could no longer hold her up and let her lie on the carpet, handing her the medicine.
"Open your mouth and take this."
Xiang Wan didn't open her mouth. He forced it in, but she couldn't swallow it, gagging and rolling on the floor.
Lu Mingzhe watched for a few seconds, then, physically and mentally exhausted, made up his mind.
"This won't do. I need to take you to the hospital. Where did you put the clothes I bought you today?"
Xiang Wan didn't know. She knew nothing.
She only knew that the person in front of her had cool palms, and holding her wrist felt very comfortable.
This person's hand seemed to be about the same size as Lu Mingzhe's. She thought of Lu Mingzhe again.
"Lu Mingzhe… Ah Zhe…"
Lu Mingzhe pulled her up and held her in his arms. "I'm here. Don't be afraid, Wanwan. You'll be okay. I'll always be here."
Ah, she had grabbed him.
Lu Mingzhe's voice and touch were clearly felt by her.
"It's really you… Ah Zhe, I thought you didn't want me anymore…"
Hearing her mumble such words, Lu Mingzhe's nose immediately felt sore.
He had intended to carry her to the hospital immediately, but he felt he should comfort her first.
"How could that be? I like you so much, I like you so, so much that I'm going crazy. I'm afraid you'll leave me. Why would I leave you?"
"No, don't overthink it. I will never leave you and Nian Nian."
Xiang Wan felt a little better in her heart, but her body was still uncomfortable.
"I'm uncomfortable, Ah Zhe, I'm uncomfortable…"
"I know. I'll take you to the hospital now."
Lu Mingzhe loosened his grip on her slightly and looked at her face. "Hang in there. We'll be there soon."
Xiang Wan slightly opened her eyes, looking at him, who was sweating profusely but perfectly clear.
"No, I don't want to be separated from you…"
"Be good. We won't be separated. I'll stay with you."
"No, no, not for a second…"
"Be good. Let's go to the hospital first. I won't leave."
"No, no…"
Her arms suddenly felt light, then heavy, trembling as she reached for his neck.
Lu Mingzhe pulled her arms down, but she reached up again.
"Don't separate, don't separate. Kiss me…"
It wasn't that Lu Mingzhe didn't want to kiss her.
Since they reunited, countless times he had wanted to be like before…
If she were sober now and said such a thing, he would be overjoyed.
The problem was that she was not sober.
Lu Mingzhe dared not take advantage of her, even if she was the mother of his child.
He had already hurt Xiang Wan's heart once, and he didn't dare to hurt it a second time.
"Don't be like this, Wanwan…"
Xiang Wan was insistent. He dodged, and she desperately pursued him.
Finally, Lu Mingzhe's lower back couldn't support him, and he fell to the floor.
Xiang Wan slowly moved in front of him, pressing gently but firmly against his chest, meeting his gaze.
After about five seconds, Lu Mingzhe could no longer stand it. He embraced her, stood up, and strode into the bedroom.
—
Grandma was asleep, and Nian Nian had also fallen asleep after taking her medicine.
The two young people took their showers separately and placed Nian Nian between them, sleeping on either side of her.
Melody couldn't sleep and kept staring at Nian Nian. Lu Qingxu kept staring at Melody.
After watching for a while, Melody raised her hand to pinch him. "Are you done? I'll charge you if you keep looking."
"Charge me then. Who told you you're so beautiful?"
"...Boring."
"If you're bored, keep looking at Nian Nian. You don't have to look at me."
After repeating such conversations every day, Melody had become immune to Lu Qingxu.
She thought for a moment and changed the topic. "What do you think your mother will be like when she sees such a cute child?"
"I don't know. I only know that whether she likes you or not is not important."
"How so?"
"If she likes you, my future child won't be taken care of by her. If she doesn't like you, even less so."
"Really? Isn't it popular in China for mothers to raise children?"
"That's them. We are us. Think about it, after you've finally given birth to a child for me, one as cute as a doll, I wouldn't see him every day? Am I sick?"
"If you were to have a child for me, I'd have to keep them tied to me, watching them 24 hours a day without blinking, and I still wouldn't get enough."
"...Lu Qingxu, I can't find any words to describe you. You're simply… beyond saving."