"A little," Xu Si’s voice was terribly hoarse, but she finally managed to produce some normal tones. "I want to drink some water."
He mumbled a vague "Mmm" and stood up to pour her a glass of water, even inserting a straw into it.
Xu Si propped herself up slightly and, with her head bowed, took a few sips. Her lips looked more moist, and the tight, dry feeling in her mouth was finally relieved. She then lay back down on the bed properly.
She started to feel drowsy.
It wasn’t solely because of the medicine’s effect.
Last night, she had been observing all kinds of sounds, alert to anything that might happen, and had barely slept. She had pushed past her biological clock and been awake for a while. Now, sleepiness started to wash over her again.
But she didn’t simply fall asleep. Instead, she fought the fatigue and stared at him. "Where is this ship going?"
Pei Zhen’s slender fingertips rested languidly on his chin as he slowly lifted his eyes to look at her. "Underground City."
Xu Si laid her hands flat on the blanket, her eyes bright and clear. She seemed to be contemplating whether there were any delays in her work. After pondering for a moment, she was about to speak.
Pei Zhen suddenly frowned.
His ash-grey eyes seemed to pierce through her flesh to see the thoughts in her mind.
His relaxed fingertips moved to his lips. With a light cough, shockingly, bright red blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, staining his clean finger.
He lifted his hand to his eyes, a questioning look on his face.
His voice held a hint of helplessness. "Ah, I’m bleeding."
Xu Si’s pupils suddenly contracted. Those beautiful, tranquil eyes were startled by the vivid color, and her drowsiness receded hastily.
The amount of bleeding was definitely not normal.
She propped herself up on her arms, checking him for any wounds while reaching for a tissue to press against his lips. Noticing his lack of surprise, she hurriedly asked, "How come you’re bleeding? What hurts? Is it a side effect? Are you sick? Is there a doctor on board? I’ll go find them to have a look."
As she spoke, she discovered an unknown strength, threw off the blanket, and turned to leave the lounge.
Pei Zhen tugged at the corner of his mouth, slowly wiped away the blood, grasped her delicate, fair wrist, and said softly, "Don’t go."
"There is no doctor on board." He gently tossed the tissue into the trashcan, his voice somewhat ethereal. "It’s just poisoning. I won’t die that easily. Once we get back to Underground City, I can be treated... and you, you need to get the poison in your body treated in Underground City, too."
He tilted his head back slightly, raised his extremely handsome face, and asked in a seductive way, "Will you come back with me?"
"Yes," Xu Si answered without hesitation. Making decisions was something she excelled at. With multiple factors reinforcing it, the Underground City became a destination she simply had to visit.
Unseen by her, the man looked down, a brilliant smile in his eyes.
"Sleep now. Once everything is settled outside, I’ll take you with me."
He extended his finger and gently pulled her body, which she was struggling to keep composed, onto the bed, ensuring she had ample space to rest. Their eyes met, their fingers brushed. Then, he sat on the soft sofa by the bed, propping up his cheek. His thin lips were slightly parted as he smiled at her, his gaze like that of someone looking at a sacred idol worthy of devout worship, full of infinite affection and tenderness.
If it weren’t for the occasional cough that released frightening traces of blood from his mouth, such a scene would have been utterly captivating.
Xu Si noted the width of the bed. Sensing his discomfort, she found she couldn’t lie down with a clear conscience. She moved her lips. "Azhen, want to come up here too?"