The two of them quietly finished breakfast. Zhan Jingrui then washed some fruit and placed it in front of her, turned on the television for her, and then crouched down in front of her.
“I’m going to work. Stay home and be good. Call me if anything comes up.”
He Yao thought to herself, *I don’t have your WeChat, nor did I save your phone number. If anything really happens, I won’t be able to call.*
As if reading her mind, Zhan Jingrui continued.
“After you fell asleep last night, I used your fingerprint to unlock your phone and saved my WeChat and phone number. I’ll message you later. If you don’t reply, I’ll come back for you.”
He Yao rushed him as much as she could and finally got him to leave for work.
Looking at everything he had created for her, even choosing a movie they had watched together years ago, her heart felt as sweet as honey, and she couldn’t help but secretly smile.
As soon as Zhan Jingrui arrived at the company, he messaged her, “I’m here. Are you okay?”
He Yao dared not not reply, “I’m fine. You should get to work.”
“Okay.”
About ten minutes later, Zhan Jingrui messaged her again.
“Did you drink water?”
He Yao replied that she had.
“Did I pour it for you, or did you boil it yourself? The doctor said your head shouldn’t be jostled. I forgot to prepare more for you when I left. You absolutely must not boil it yourself. If you’re thirsty, tell me, and I’ll come back to make it for you.”
He Yao thought, *Have I become this delicate? I need you to run back and boil water for me just to drink a cup?*
“I haven’t finished the water you poured. I’m not thirsty.”
“Then I’ll continue working.”
However, less than an hour later, another message arrived.
“Did you go to the restroom? The bathroom floor is a bit slippery, and you have a wound on your head. Be careful when you go, try to hold onto something, and don’t fall again.”
Being cared for by him made her feel like a seventy or eighty-year-old woman.
He Yao even found it a bit comical.
By the time she finished watching a movie, less than two and a half hours had passed, and Zhan Jingrui was back.
Hearing movement at the door, He Yao was startled.
She always felt their relationship was illicit and feared someone might suddenly barge in and expose them.
Instinctively, she grabbed a pillow to shield her chest. The person who entered was Zhan Jingrui.
He Yao breathed a sigh of relief and couldn’t help but scold him.
“Why are you back at this hour? You scared me. I thought a thief broke in.”
“You haven’t fully recovered yet. I was too worried after rushing you out. I don’t have much to do this morning anyway, so I came back to keep you company for a while.”
He was carrying a delicate cake box.
“I picked this up at a patisserie on the way. You should like it. Durian mille-crêpe cake. Try some quickly.”
He was a germaphobe and never ate anything with a peculiar smell.
In the past, He Yao had teased him about eating durian, deliberately trying to stuff it into his mouth, which almost made him vomit.
Now, he was actively buying her durian mille-crêpe cake.
He Yao ate it while mischievously saying, “Have you turned over a new leaf? You can tolerate the smell of durian now? Want a bite?”
“No need, you eat more.”
He endured the smell with effort, watching He Yao eat with relish. He gently wiped the corner of her mouth with a tissue.
“Look how thin you are. If you like it, I’ll buy it for you every day from now on.”
Not long after finishing two slices of durian mille-crêpe cake, it was time for lunch.
There were ingredients prepared in the refrigerator, and Zhan Jingrui wanted to cook for her.
He Yao’s head was already spinning.
“Let me rest for a bit. My mouth hasn’t stopped all morning. I haven’t exercised, how can I eat more?”
“But I’m hungry. Just consider it accompanying me. Besides, this is the first time I’m truly cooking. Don’t you want to try my skills?”
He Yao was indeed curious to try his cooking. Since they had nothing else to do, she figured, why not let him cook?
They decided to make garlic stir-fried choi sum and stir-fried diced vegetables.
Zhan Jingrui brought the ingredients and placed them in front of He Yao. While chatting with her, they started preparing the vegetables.
What they called “peaceful years” was perhaps just this moment.
Neither of them mentioned the past, and they tacitly chatted about trivial matters.
Yet, it was engaging, and they had endless things to talk about.
A part of her heart felt filled, a sense of happiness she hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
While stir-frying, Zhan Jingrui watched tutorials on his phone and kept asking He Yao to taste the dishes.
It was the first time he discovered cooking was such an interesting activity.
After working hard for a long time, He Yao didn’t want to disappoint him and generously ate half a bowl more.
Full and satisfied, she only felt like sleeping.
“I’m going to take a nap. You should go back to work.”
“Why so early to go back to work? I have a meeting at three in the afternoon, so I’ll leave at half-past two. I’ll sleep with you.”
Sleep together?
Before He Yao could even object, Zhan Jingrui picked her up and carried her to the room.
The room was clean and spacious, decorated with beige floral bedding.
Warm sunlight streamed in through the window, making it look incredibly cozy.
He Yao’s eyes lit up.
“When did you buy this? These sheets, this quilt, they are so much to my taste.”
Zhan Jingrui knew that He Yao liked more domestic things.
She wasn’t like Chu Xi, who pursued refinement and perfection in everything.
Being with her was truly relaxing.
Perhaps this was the real reason he enjoyed spending time with her.
He gently placed her on the bed and didn’t let her move, afraid of disturbing her wound. He then lay down beside her on the other side.
They exchanged a knowing glance, as if drawn by magnets, unable to resist getting closer.
Zhan Jingrui habitually wanted to offer his arm for her to rest her head on and hold her in his embrace while sleeping.
But he restrained himself.
He let He Yao extend one leg over him, and he lay on his side, looking at her, gently patting her shoulder with one hand.
“Sleep.”
He Yao closed her eyelids, but she felt Zhan Jingrui’s unwavering gaze on her, which made her feel pressured, so she opened her eyes again.
“Why are you staring at me like that? How can I sleep like this?”
Zhan Jingrui’s eyes curved into a smile. “Because you’re beautiful. I can’t get enough of looking at you.”
He Yao rolled her eyes. “Stop talking nonsense. Even if I’m beautiful, am I as beautiful as Chu Xi?”
Zhan Jingrui’s smile faded.
“Can we make an agreement? Don’t mention her during these few days.”
He Yao also felt she was being a buzzkill. Since she had decided to enjoy these last few days, she should make the most of them.
“Then stop looking at me like that. You sleep too.”
Zhan Jingrui immediately leaned his head close to her face, and the ambiguous atmosphere instantly reached its peak. He Yao could even feel his breath.
“What are you doing?”
“I want to kiss you. Is that okay?”
To be honest, after so many years without intimate contact with a man, facing the man she liked, her mind was filled with many thoughts.
But He Yao had to maintain her composure. “You don’t plan on doing anything else, do you?”
Zhan Jingrui couldn’t help but chuckle.
“I do have other thoughts, actually. But I won’t. If I did, given your condition, wouldn’t that make me a beast?”
He Yao also smiled and closed her eyes. “Alright then. Kiss me.”
Zhan Jingrui’s movements were very gentle, yet even so, the moment their skin touched, a chemical reaction occurred.