After all the commotion, it was already close to ten o’clock.
Ye Yuning came out after her bath, holding a basin of rather warm water with two towels soaking in it.
Xiao Linye was already lying on the couch.
Clad in a dark blue bathrobe, his eyes tightly closed, he appeared gentler than when they usually interacted.
Ye Yuning, carrying the basin, tiptoed to the coffee table and set it down gently. She asked softly, "Are you asleep?"
The man didn’t respond, his breathing even.
Up close, Ye Yuning noticed his complexion was significantly worse than before he had gone in to shower.
It looked like he had quite a bit to drink tonight. In that case, it would be rather surprising if he didn’t feel miserable in the morning. Ye Yuning was all too familiar with that feeling of a hangover. Not to mention the fiery discomfort in her chest at midnight, she would also feel groggy and nauseous the next day.
She quickly wrung out a towel from the hot water. Looking at the man who was fast asleep, she hesitated for a moment. Then, she carefully parted his bathrobe and placed the unfolded hot towel on his chest.
The moment her fingertips brushed against his firm chest, the man, who had been deeply asleep, slowly opened his eyes. His gaze held a profound depth in the dim light, and upon meeting his eyes, Ye Yuning’s breath hitched.
Xiao Linye instinctively stirred, but Ye Yuning pressed him down. "Don’t move right now."
A warm sensation spread from his chest, especially the heat from her palms, which left him momentarily stunned!
Ye Yuning said, "This will help you feel better tomorrow morning."
Only then did Xiao Linye notice the basin of water steaming slightly on the coffee table. And there was another towel!
Ye Yuning had already turned and wrung it out. Seeing that he was awake, she didn’t act as she had before but instead handed the towel to Xiao Linye. "You can replace the other one yourself."
Xiao Linye’s gaze on her deepened.
Seeing that he didn’t move, Ye Yuning sighed. "Let me do it then."
Her movements as she parted his bathrobe again were noticeably stiffer this time.
But before she could proceed, the man abruptly grabbed her wrist. He said in a low voice, "I’ll do it myself."
It would be best if he could do it himself, Ye Yuning thought.
Ye Yuning spread out the fresh towel, while Xiao Linye removed the now-cool one from his chest.
This was repeated some ten times.
When Ye Yuning felt the water in the basin starting to cool, she finally stood up. "That should do it. You’ll definitely be fine tomorrow morning."
"Thank you," Xiao Linye uttered.
Watching her bustling about like a spinning top, his tone softened slightly.
Ye Yuning shook her head. As she carried the basin to the bathroom, she said, "You’re welcome. I’ll peel an orange and leave it on your bedside table. If you start feeling unwell, eat it. It’s more effective than water."
Just as she reached the bathroom door, she heard the man behind her suddenly ask, "Do you often drink?"
The question made Ye Yuning freeze instantly.
Turning her head, her gaze met Xiao Linye’s deep one, and she instinctively shook her head. "Of course not. Why would you ask that?"
"You seem very familiar with handling this sort of thing."
"Oh, this is a basic skill for a jack-of-all-trades, you know, since the boss drinks often."
Even Ye Yuning admired herself for that response! It hadn’t been long since she’d started lying, and now she could do it without batting an eyelid. But this wasn’t entirely a lie!
She hadn’t known any of this in the past; it was only after Chen Wei came to be by her side that she learned. Every time she returned to Xiangti from entertaining clients, the housekeeper had already left for the day. Chen Wei always took good care of her, which had made her work much easier these last two years.
After disposing of the water, she went to the kitchen, took a chilled orange from the fridge, and peeled it.
Xiao Linye had already gone into his room.
She knocked gently on his door, and heard the man’s deep voice from inside, "Come in."
Receiving his response, she opened the door and entered.
But everywhere Ye Yuning’s gaze fell, the room was refreshingly clean and tidy. Everything that should be there was, without a hint of messiness.
Ye Yuning couldn’t help but sigh inwardly at the man’s self-discipline and attention to detail. It was a relief she wasn’t a sloppy woman; otherwise, given how immaculate his master bedroom was, she truly wouldn’t have been able to bear it if she were.
Xiao Linye was probably exhausted today; in just that short while, he had already fallen asleep in bed.
Ye Yuning gently placed the peeled orange on the bedside table.
Seeing he hadn’t covered himself with the blanket, she carefully pulled it up for him before leaving the room.
As Ye Yuning had predicted, Xiao Linye did feel somewhat unwell in the middle of the night.
He instinctively wanted to get up for some water, but then he saw the orange beneath the dim, orange bedside lamp.
Ye Yuning’s words flashed in his mind. He picked up the orange and brought it to his lips, inhaling its scent.
The sweet fragrance, even just from smelling it, made him feel considerably better.