Lu Xingzhi gently rubbed Jiang Yao’s head. He could not forget how panicked he was, the moment he lost sight of her.
“Take care of yourself! Always remember that! It doesn’t matter what happens to me, nothing can happen to you!” Lu Xingzhi was at his wit’s end.
Reluctant to scold her and hit her, there was nothing he could do except to gently persuade, hoping that she would, at the end of the day, listen and remember his words.
Having a son seemed like the better idea now, Lu Xingzhi thought, you could hit him until he listened to everything you said, but you could not do that to your daughter.
The situation was delicate. He had to choose his words carefully. What if she cried after his scolding?
Jiang Yao rested her head on his chest, avoiding his wounds. Just like an obedient school child reprimanded for her behavior, she quietly acknowledged all that Lu Xingzhi said, neither denied nor explained her actions.
He looked down at her after his lecturing, and seeing that she did not cry after all, breathed a sigh of relief.
“If anyone else asks where you get those moves from, tell them that I was the one that taught you for self-defense.” Both Zhou Weiqi and Luo Ruoran saw how Jiang Yao leaped over the fence at the garden. They would surely want to get to the bottom of it.
Jiang Yao’s body trembled. Was he trying to find an excuse and cover for her?
He obviously saw the way she leaped over the fence, but he did not press on about wanting to know more. Moreover, he had thought of an excuse for her.
How perfect could her man be?
“Mm,” she answered softly.
“I need a nap; don’t you go running off somewhere!” Lu Xingzhi patted Jiang Yao’s back. He was drained, not too sure if it was the medication’s side effect, or if it was caused by his little sprint earlier.
Jiang Yao left Lu Xingzhi’s embrace and helped him lie down on his bed. She sat next to him and watched him shut his eyes.
Earlier, he was sweating profusely, and his face was extremely pale. It had gotten better now, his body temperature having returned to normal.
His breathing was steady, his long eyelashes throbbed from time to time, one of his hand was connected to an IV bag while the other was held by Jiang Yao.
“Xingzhi, are you asleep?” Jiang Yao asked gently.
“Not yet.”
He replied almost immediately, in a muted voice.
Jiang Yao lay down next to him, her head gently touching his shoulders, filling up the small hospital bed to the edges with their bodies, not leaving any additional space.
Feeling her presence, Lu Xingzhi opened his eyes and extended his free hand, pulling Jiang Yao closer while moving his body closer to the side to free up some space.
“It’s fine, I’m tiny. You’re going to fall if you move.” Jiang Yao stopped Lu Xingzhi and rested her gaze on his hand. She suddenly said, “Let me tell you my secret.”
Just a single sentence, and the hand that was on her waist suddenly trembled.