The bed was incredibly soft, and the quilt carried a faint, fresh lemon scent. The warm steam rising from the ginger tea left Shen Xi Fan in a bit of a daze. Before long, she felt as though her pores were opening, bringing an indescribable sense of comfort. Sleepiness soon swept over her.
She was about to hand the cup back to He Su Ye when she noticed him staring fixedly out the window.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
He Su Ye withdrew his gaze, his eyes gleaming as he replied, “The sun’s out!”
Indeed, the rain had stopped. The winter sunlight streamed in through the glass window, spreading far and wide. Mischievously, it changed direction, enveloping He Su Ye in a warm halo.
Shen Xi Fan was mesmerized.
As he took the cup from her, their eyes met—hers vacant and dazed, his briefly startled. Moved by something he couldn’t quite define, He Su Ye instinctively reached out, brushing her hair away from her forehead. His hand grazed her face ever so lightly as he whispered, “Get some sleep. You’ll feel better when you wake up.”
Snapping out of her trance, she nodded. He Su Ye stood up and quietly closed the door behind him as he left.
The room was so still that she could hear her own heartbeat.
Around noon, He Su Ye opened the door, intending to wake Shen Xi Fan for lunch. She was still sound asleep, her face serene and childlike. Her long, jet-black hair was scattered across the pillow. All her usual sharpness and competence had melted away, leaving her utterly defenseless and profoundly genuine in that moment.
An unfamiliar emotion welled up in He Su Ye’s chest. He suddenly recalled the moment he had given Shen Xi Fan acupuncture earlier. Although he had approached it from a doctor’s perspective, her fair skin and faint fragrance had left him feeling flustered. At the time, he hadn’t given it much thought, but looking back now, it wasn’t just simple nervousness…
Hurriedly, he left the room, scratching his head in frustration, and headed to his study. He stared blankly at a doctoral application form for a long time.
At some point, Shen Xi Fan stirred awake, groggy and disoriented. She touched her stomach, took a deep breath, and realized it no longer hurt. Her mood instantly brightened. She wanted to check the time but found her phone had died. She decided she had stayed too long and should head home.
Just as she lifted the quilt to get out of bed, the commotion from the living room caught her attention. Li Jie’s voice rang out:
“Senior Brother, are you hiding some beauty behind that door? Why else would you keep it shut so tightly?”
Then came He Su Ye’s hurried reply:
“Hey, don’t open it!”
But it was too late. With a loud click, the door was flung open. Li Jie froze, wide-eyed with shock, before blurting out, “Senior Brother, so you really are hiding someone!”
Caught in an awkward situation, Shen Xi Fan didn’t know whether to stand or sit. She stammered, “What… what a coincidence!”
Her disheveled hair and flushed cheeks made her look even more endearing. Wearing only a thin sweater, her small bare feet peeked out, adding to her delicate charm. Li Jie glanced between her and He Su Ye, clutching his chest dramatically as he exclaimed, “See no evil!” He then scurried off to the study, leaving Shen Xi Fan and He Su Ye alone, their eyes locked.
He Su Ye stepped closer and asked, “When did you wake up? Did Li Jie wake you? Does your stomach still hurt?”
Shaking her head, she quickly put on her socks, stumbling over her words, “No, no, not at all!”
He couldn’t help but find her flustered demeanor amusing. Without pressing further, he said, “Finish getting dressed and come eat. It’s already past three.”
She opened her mouth to say she’d just head home, but Li Jie’s head suddenly popped out from the study. “Food! Food! I’m starving!”
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