Although Zhan Jingrui hadn't figured out how to handle the complex relationship between himself, He Yao, and Chu Xi, he absolutely could not agree to what He Yao had suggested.
In the past, when they had misunderstandings, he felt he had no right to be jealous and didn't interfere with her interactions with other men. But now that he had decided He Yao was his woman, he couldn't stand by and watch her be snatched away by someone else.
"Impossible. I can't accept you being with anyone else. You don't know how much it hurt me recently seeing you with Director Tang and that guy Liang Bo."
"I swear, from now on, you are forbidden to be with any other man besides me."
He Yao thought he was just being overly possessive. Besides, she didn't like Director Tang or Liang Bo at all, so she felt he didn't need to be this way.
"I won't be with any man, you can rest assured about that. I don't plan on getting married in this lifetime."
"That's even more impossible. If my actions have caused you to be disappointed with love and marriage, leading you to a lonely life, then I must be responsible for you even more."
Although his words were unreasonable, He Yao honestly found them pleasant to hear. Who wouldn't like hearing their beloved confess their feelings?
It was just that she couldn't be so selfish. "What about Chu Xi then?"
Mentioning Chu Xi, Zhan Jingrui clearly lost some of his earlier confidence.
"There will be a way. I will definitely find a solution that benefits both of us without hurting you or her. Don't worry about it for now."
He Yao also said it was impossible.
"How could I not worry about it? If I didn't know Chu Xi, had no understanding of her, and felt no guilt about snatching her man, it would be different. But now I know her."
"Not only do I know her, but I also know she's a pure and beautiful girl. Such a good girl who followed you for seven years, and you were engaged. Breaking up with her like that is no different from killing her!"
"One cannot be so selfish, Zhan Jingrui. I'm fine like this. Don't act foolishly, or I won't talk to you anymore."
With that, He Yao pulled her hand back and closed her eyes, no longer looking at Zhan Jingrui.
Zhan Jingrui, fearing she would get angry and worried about hurting her wound, could only try to placate her.
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this for now. You've just had your wound stitched up, you can't get agitated. Your task is to rest well. Don't be angry, I promise I won't act rashly, okay?"
As he spoke, he took her hand back and placed it on his own face. He asked if she was thirsty or hungry and offered to buy her something to eat late at night.
While He Yao enjoyed his gentle care, she also felt guilty.
"You should go back. The wound doesn't hurt anymore. It's just a small injury, not paralysis. I can take care of myself."
Even if she could take care of herself, Zhan Jingrui couldn't bear to leave her again. To avoid upsetting He Yao, he could only verbally agree.
"Okay, okay, I'll do as you say. Then close your eyes and sleep. I'll leave when you fall asleep."
"Really, do you promise me?"
"I promise you."
Due to the medication, He Yao soon fell asleep again. Looking at her quiet and beautiful face, Zhan Jingrui lightly kissed the corner of her lips and then left the ward.
The next morning, when He Yao opened her eyes, she was indeed alone in the ward. The nurse had come and given her an anti-inflammatory injection at some point. Lying there with her eyes open, she felt a sense of loss. Just as she was about to reach for her phone to order takeout, a group of medical personnel entered.
"The hospital beds are tight. We need to transfer you to the affiliated hospital. Just lie there, don't move anything. We'll take you downstairs."
He Yao believed them and let these people push her downstairs and into an ambulance. After a long drive through the streets, they stopped and pushed her into a place that strongly resembled a residential community. He Yao felt that the place looked like a community, not an affiliated hospital, but when she asked them, no one answered her.
She was put into an elevator and taken upstairs. It wasn't until the elevator door opened and she saw Zhan Jingrui waiting outside with a familiar door that she suddenly remembered. This was the house where they had lived together seven years ago. The community had been renovated and beautified beyond recognition, but the door remained unchanged. He Yao was very surprised, as the house wasn't...
Zhan Jingrui took her from the group and brought her inside. He Yao noticed that the overall layout was not much different from seven years ago, only the hardware facilities had been upgraded. The sofa, coffee table, and television were all more high-end now.
It was clear Zhan Jingrui hadn't come here for the first time. "How did you..."
Zhan Jingrui said, "You left so abruptly back then, and even your teacher couldn't find you. I was afraid you'd have nowhere to go, and might come back to me someday, so I had someone re-purchase this house... Unfortunately, you're quite stubborn."
Although they were young back then, it was their first love, and everything happened here for the first time, like a marital home. Returning here brought only endless emotions. He Yao was afraid of falling into those feelings again.
She asked Zhan Jingrui to help her get off the bed. "I can take care of myself. You should go back to work. Don't forget what you promised me yesterday, or I won't talk to you."
Zhan Jingrui was very accommodating. "Understood, I'll leave now. You stay here and rest well. I've already spoken to Xu Zheng and requested a week's leave for you."
"You didn't eat last night, and you haven't eaten this morning. You must be hungry. Let me make you some breakfast first."
He Yao refused his kindness. "You don't need to make it. I can order takeout myself. Please don't treat me like this."
"Yaoyao." Zhan Jingrui's tone was humble. "Just let me compensate you in my own way, so my conscience can be a little more at ease. Just for these few days, I promise I won't bother you. Just give me a few days, can you?"
Looking at Zhan Jingrui, handsome, gentle, and infinitely patient, kneeling before her, He Yao's heart softened again. Although she had said she didn't want to marry any other man in this lifetime, who wouldn't want a thoughtful lover by their side? Even if she didn't compete with Chu Xi, it would be good to have him by her side for a few days.
"Let's pinky swear. Just this week."
Zhan Jingrui readily agreed and pinky swore with her, then handed her a bowl of warm water and went to the kitchen himself. He used to be a young master who couldn't even boil water, knowing nothing about cooking. He never expected to be trained to bring out a plate of food in just a few minutes.
They sat facing each other, each with a plate of fried eggs, a banana, and a glass of milk. He Yao couldn't help but ask him when he learned to cook.
"If I told you I had the cleaning lady teach me this morning, would you believe me?"
See, human nature is like this. He Yao thought he had learned to cook because he had spent time with Chu Xi during his studies abroad and was used to their world of two. But when she truly heard that he had learned from the cleaning lady just for her, she felt a little secret joy.