Xiang Wan felt as if she had walked for two days and two nights in the desert, gulping down a bottle in a few gulps.
Lu Mingzhe opened another bottle and gave her half before pouring the rest over his own head.
The night breeze blew, cool and soothing to her agitated nerves.
The two continued on their way and soon encountered a pharmacy. He ran in to buy hangover medicine and honey. When he returned, his phone was ringing.
It was Lu Qingxu calling.
Most likely, he was calling to ask when he would be back. Lu Mingzhe answered and spoke directly.
"I might have to trouble you tonight. Xiang Wan is not feeling well, and we won't be able to return to the hospital."
Lu Qingxu had just come out of the emergency room with Nian Nian.
The doctor, deeming their concern excessive, had sent them away with two packets of fever reducers.
Just as he was considering whether to inform Lu Mingzhe about the situation, Lu Mingzhe spoke.
"What happened?"
"The situation is a bit complicated, I'll explain later. Thank you for your trouble tonight."
After hanging up, Lu Qingxu glanced apologetically at Melody. Melody shrugged indifferently.
"It's okay, consider it me returning the favor. You've taken care of me for so long, it's only right that I help your niece."
"Let's go quickly, we need to give her medicine."
---
Lu Mingzhe carried Xiang Wan to the hotel he had booked.
He placed her on the sofa and first boiled water to mix with honey for her.
In the short time it took to prepare the water, she had already rolled off the sofa and onto the floor.
Lu Mingzhe moved her back and offered her the warm water by her mouth.
Her eyelashes drooped, her hair was disheveled, and she was covered in cold sweat, shivering and sticking damply everywhere.
Her face was pale, a sickly paleness, and her lips were strikingly red. Lu Mingzhe didn't know how he should feel looking at her.
Pure pity?
She seemed to be unconsciously beckoning him everywhere.
Pure lust?
Yet, from the bottom of his heart, he wanted to suffer for her and kill Tang Haichao for her.
Xiang Wan's mind was in a daze.
In front of her, one moment it was Lu Mingzhe, like a college student, holding her hand and walking by her grandmother's house.
The next moment, it was the two of them entangled in their room in Nancheng.
His eyes, nose, and lips, every feature was clearly magnified.
She wanted to reach out and touch him; never had a moment of longing felt so unbearable, as if she couldn't live without touching him.
Unfortunately, she couldn't lift her arm and could only watch his handsome features sway in the air, visible but intangible.
Xiang Wan was angry at her own uselessness, wanting him without being able to touch him, and felt like crying and cursing herself.
"Useless, good-for-nothing."
Perhaps the honey was too sweet? Why wasn't she drinking?
If she wasn't drinking, she was cursing herself for being useless.
Alright, Lu Mingzhe admitted he was useless.
"Then you won't drink this. I'll give you medicine, and you'll be fine after taking it."
She seemed boneless, and in the time it took him to help her drink water, she had slid to the floor again.
Lu Mingzhe propped up her back with one hand, put down the teacup with the other, and prepared another cup of warm water for her.
No matter how hard he tried, Xiang Wan just thrashed around and kept sliding down.
She was uncomfortable, uncomfortable everywhere, as if only this could bring some relief.
Lu Mingzhe could no longer hold her, letting her lie on the carpet and getting her medicine.
"Open your mouth and take this."
Xiang Wan refused to open her mouth. He forced it in, but she couldn't swallow, gagging and rolling on the floor.
Lu Mingzhe watched for a few seconds, then, exhausted both mentally and physically, made a decision.
"This won't do, I need to take you to the hospital. Where did you put the clothes I bought for you today?"
Xiang Wan didn't know, she knew nothing.
She only knew that the person in front of her had cool palms, which felt very comfortable when they held her wrist.
This person's hand looked about the same age as Lu Mingzhe's. She thought of Lu Mingzhe again.
"Lu Mingzhe... Ah Zhe..."
Lu Mingzhe pulled her up and held her in his arms, "I'm here, don't be afraid, Wan Wan. You'll be alright, I'll always be here."
Ah, she had grabbed him.
Lu Mingzhe's voice and touch were clearly felt by her.
"It's really you... Ah Zhe, I thought you didn't want me anymore..."
Hearing her mumble such words, Lu Mingzhe's nose instantly turned sore.
He had intended to take her to the hospital immediately but felt he should comfort her first.
"How could I? I love you so much, I love you so, so much that I'm going crazy. I'm afraid you'll leave me, how could I ever leave you?"
"No, don't overthink it. I will never leave you and Nian Nian."
Xiang Wan felt a little better, but her body was still uncomfortable.
"I'm uncomfortable, Ah Zhe, I'm uncomfortable..."
"I know, I'll take you to the hospital now."
Lu Mingzhe loosened his hold on her slightly, looking at her face, "Hold on a bit longer, we'll be there soon."
Xiang Wan slightly opened her eyes, looking at him, who was sweating profusely but extremely clear.
"No, I don't want to be separated from you..."
"Be good, we won't be separated. I'll always be with you."
"No, no, not for a second..."
"Be obedient, let's go to the hospital first, I'm not leaving."
"No, I can't..."
Her arms suddenly felt light, then heavy, and she weakly reached out to cling to his neck.
Lu Mingzhe pulled her hands down, but she reached up again.
"Don't separate, don't separate, kiss me..."
It wasn't that Lu Mingzhe didn't want to kiss her.
Since their reunion, he had wanted to be like before countless times.
If she were conscious now and said something like this, he would be overjoyed.
The problem was that she wasn't conscious.
Lu Mingzhe dared not take advantage of her, even if she was the mother of his child.
He had already hurt Xiang Wan's heart once and dared not hurt it a second time.
"Don't be like this, Wan Wan..."
Xiang Wan was insistent, and when he dodged, she desperately chased after him.
Finally, Lu Mingzhe's lower back gave out, and he fell to the floor.
Xiang Wan slowly moved in front of him, pressing gently but firmly against his chest, meeting his gaze.
After about five seconds, Lu Mingzhe could no longer resist. He embraced her, stood up, and strode into the bedroom.
---
Grandma was asleep, and Nian Nian had also fallen asleep after taking her medicine.
The two young people took turns showering, then placed Nian Nian between them, sleeping on either side.
Melody couldn't sleep and kept staring at Nian Nian. Lu Qingxu kept staring at Melody.
After a while, Melody raised her hand to pinch him, "Are you done yet? I'll charge you if you keep staring."
"Charge me then, who asked you to be so beautiful."
"...Boring."
"If you're bored, keep looking at Nian Nian. You don't have to look at me."
After repeating these conversations every day, Melody had become immune to Lu Qingxu.
She thought for a moment and changed the subject, "What do you think your mother will say when she sees such a cute child?"
"I don't know. All I know is whether she likes you or not doesn't matter."
"What do you mean?"
"If she likes you, my future child won't be taken care of by her. And if she doesn't like you, even less so."
"Really? Don't people in China usually have their mothers take care of their children?"
"That's them, we are us. Think about it, you finally have a child with me, cute as a doll, and I never see him? Isn't that sick?"
"If you were to have a child with me, I'd want to keep him with me 24/7, I wouldn't be able to look away even if I didn't blink."
"...Lu Qingxu, I can't find the words to describe you. You're simply... hopeless."