Shen Xi quickly stepped forward without thinking to help him, walking towards the sofa while complaining, "I told you not to wash, but you insisted on being strong."
Slowly sitting on the sofa, Qin Si Ye replied helplessly, "You know my situation. How can I sleep without washing?"
Her body paused slightly. Shen Xi then remembered his潔癖 (jié pǐ - germophobia). With the weather so hot and him covered in sweaty alcohol, it was indeed difficult for him to fall asleep.
Shen Xi said nothing, lowering her head to diligently treat the wounds on his hand.
Qin Si Ye's gaze was fixed on her, not leaving for a moment.
Three minutes later, Shen Xi affixed the bandage and glanced at him, only to meet his burning gaze.
She immediately turned to pack the first-aid kit, slinging it over her shoulder. "It's getting late. You should rest, and I should be going back."
Suddenly, her arm was grabbed by the man. She heard him say in an almost pleading voice, "My head still feels a bit dizzy. Can you help me to bed?"
Shen Xi's body trembled slightly. Remembering what he had done for her these past few days, her heart softened. She put down the first-aid kit and helped him towards the large bed.
Arriving at the bedside, just as Shen Xi was using one hand to support his arm and the other to bend down and lift the thin blanket on the bed.
Qin Si Ye's body swayed, his foot stumbled, and he instinctively reached out to embrace Shen Xi's slender waist. In the next instant, both of them fell onto the bed together.
Shen Xi gasped in shock. She forcefully pushed up her arms, preparing to stand, but the man behind her had no intention of letting go. Instead, he pulled her tighter into his embrace.
"Mr. Qin, please don't do this. Let me go quickly." Shen Xi's voice was hoarse, her rapidly beating heart felt as though it would leap out of her throat at any moment.
"Don't move, Xi Xi. Let me hold you for a moment. Just one minute," Qin Si Ye murmured, burying his head in her neck.
Xi Xi? He was actually calling her Xi Xi affectionately? This was the first time he had called her that since they had met.
A warm current flowed through her heart again, stirring up ripples.
Shen Xi's body trembled slightly, her mind a complete blank. She had forgotten to resist, quietly allowing him to hold her.
The man's body was warm, enveloping her tightly, and occasionally emitting a faint, elegant cologne scent that was very pleasant.
It wasn't until half a minute later that she felt something was wrong.
Something under the man behind her had changed, slowly rising. She immediately realized danger was approaching her.
Shen Xi couldn't bother with so much at that moment. Using her hands and feet, she attacked Qin Si Ye, shouting loudly, "Ah—let me go quickly!"
Startled, Qin Si Ye immediately released her.
Once free, Shen Xi immediately got off the bed, grabbed the first-aid kit, and fled towards the door as if escaping.
The moment the door slammed shut, Qin Si Ye's mind also cleared.
He quickly sat up straight and looked at the part of him that was clearly aroused, only then understanding why Shen Xi had reacted so intensely.
He immediately went into the washroom, took another shower, and returned. He quickly sent Shen Xi a WeChat apology.
"Shen Xi, I'm sorry. I just wanted to hug you, I didn't mean to offend you."
"The changes in a man's body are sometimes beyond the control of the brain. As a doctor, you should understand this."
After waiting for a long time, Shen Xi did not reply.
Qin Si Ye frowned and typed on the screen again, "I must have really scared you just now. Regardless, it's all my fault. I sincerely apologize and hope you can forgive me."
"I promise I will never hug you again without your consent."
Qin Si Ye stared at his phone screen until two in the morning, still without a reply from Shen Xi.
The combined effects of sleepiness and alcohol made Qin Si Ye's eyelids unbearably heavy. They fought to stay open, and in his daze, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
In his dream, it was all Shen Xi. She kept crying out to him, her face filled with pain, but he couldn't hear what she was saying.
Finally, with three children, she turned and left with tear-filled eyes. He wanted to reach out and pull them back, but he couldn't grasp them no matter how hard he tried.
"No! Shen Xi, Shen Xi, don't go!" Qin Si Ye mumbled, sitting up abruptly.
He then realized that everything that had just happened was merely a dream.