Chapter 100. Fu Ci dares to swear on his conscience, he really...

"Have you been secretly exercising?" Tang Mingli couldn't help but poke Fu Ci's abdomen through his clothes.

It feels hard to the touch.

She was quite certain that he couldn't maintain this level of fitness without exercise, after all, he was almost thirty years old.

Fu Ci did not deny it, but his answer was somewhat vague, only saying, "I will go for a run when I have time."

"Do you have time?" Tang Mingli pondered these three words with a smile.

She knew perfectly well how busy he was; he must have squeezed out time from his busy schedule.

But this is good. No matter what the motivation for exercising is, it's always a good thing to exercise, no matter how busy you are with work.

Thinking of the abs hidden beneath those clothes, Tang Mingli's mind began to wander.

So when Fu Ci offered to wash her hair again in a soft voice, she didn't refuse and let him lead her to the bathroom.

When the space becomes so small, the atmosphere instantly becomes more ambiguous.

Fu Ci rolled up his sleeves, turned on the shower, tested the temperature, and, finding it suitable, gestured for Tang Mingli to bend down.

Tang Mingli was dumbfounded.

It was really just a hair wash.

She couldn't tell if she felt disappointed or relieved. She dragged over a small stool from the corner, sat down, swept all her hair forward, and lowered her head, letting him do whatever he wanted to her.

Fu Ci smiled and began to carefully wash her hair.

Tang Mingli has had her hair washed outside before. Sometimes when she gets off work too late and is too tired, she will go directly to the hair salon near her rented house for a Thai-style hair wash.

Strictly speaking, Fu Ci's hair washing was not professional; his fingertips were just randomly pressing on her head.

But every time his fingertips pressed against her scalp, Tang Mingli felt incredibly comfortable. More comfortable than any hair wash she had ever had in her past life.

By the time she was almost finished washing, she was so comfortable that she was about to doze off.

Fu Ci took a clean towel and began to gently wipe her wet hair.

Seeing her sleepy look, I couldn't help but laugh at her: "You can fall asleep even while washing your hair."

But this time Tang Mingli had a reason to refute: "Don't you know? Washing your hair and getting a massage are the best ways to help you sleep."

"Is that so?" Fu Ci looked puzzled. "Why didn't I feel anything when I washed my hair?"

"You can't feel anything when you wash yourself; you have to go outside to experience it."

"Then there's no need."

He has never done this before, and he doesn't want to do it again.

Before Fu Ci said those words, Tang Mingli had never considered restricting him in any way. In her view, occasionally going out for a hair wash or a massage was a perfectly normal way to relax. But his initiative in stating that he didn't need it still secretly pleased her.

Fu Ci didn't miss the upturned corners of her mouth, and smiled along with her, continuing to dry her hair.

After drying her hair until it was half dry, Fu Ci asked, "Do you want me to blow-dry it first?"

Tang Mingli realized that her clothes and sleeves were wet, so she decided to take a shower and change into clean clothes before drying them.

Even though it was a proper conversation, she couldn't help but blush.

She didn't invite him to shower together, so why is he blushing?

She was completely unaware of how alluring the seductive look she unconsciously revealed as she lightly bit her lower lip and her eyes sparkled.

Fu Ci's heart stirred upon seeing this, and he couldn't help but kiss her.

In all honesty, Fu Ci swears that he simply wanted to help his wife wash her hair, but his wife had been harboring ulterior motives all along.

The moment their lips touched, only one voice echoed in Tang Mingli's mind.

They're here?!

She was both nervous and excited.

The two had tried to be naked in this huge bathroom before.

Many times she was too tired to get out of bed, and he would carry her to wash up.

But they are different.

After that, both of them were full and satisfied, and they no longer had any impure thoughts.

This will be the prelude, and it is very likely to develop into the process.

Tang Mingli's heart was beating faster than ever before.

Perhaps the space was too small, and with the evaporation of water vapor, she felt like she couldn't breathe.

"No, no, no!" Just as Fu Ci was about to lean in, Tang Mingli hurriedly reached out to stop him, "This won't do."

Fu Ci looked at her bloodshot eyes and asked in a hoarse voice, "What's wrong?"

"It's impossible."

Tang Mingli's voice was very soft, even softer than the sound of rushing water.

In such an environment, even the faintest whisper is more penetrating.

This "I can't do it" not only reached Fu Ci's ears but also pierced his heart.

“It’s possible,” he earnestly corrected his wife.

"Is it possible?"

Tang Mingli blinked her wet eyes, still unable to believe it.

She felt that many novels and movies were deceptive, and she didn't dare to think about the consequences if her resignation was rejected because of this.

"It's possible!!"

Fu Ci didn't want to emphasize it anymore; he would prove it with his actions.

...

My hair turned white after washing.

An hour later, Tang Mingli had to wash her hair again.

This time she didn't struggle at all. After returning to the bedroom, she lay down on the bed, leaving only her head sticking out, and let Fu Ci wipe away the moisture and blow-dry her.

After doing all that, I turned my head and fell into a deep sleep without even adjusting my position.

Fu Ci shook his head helplessly.

Since it was me who was tiring her out, I could only bear with it.

After putting down the hairdryer, he gently picked up his wife, adjusted her position, covered her with the blanket, and then picked up the towel he had just used to dry his wife's hair to dry his own wet, dripping hair.

Fortunately, his hair was short, and after wiping it a couple of times, there was basically no more dripping water.

He didn't seem to be going to sleep right away, so he didn't use the hairdryer to dry his hair anymore.

Upon entering the study, Fu Ci took a folder from the bookshelf and began his work-from-home overtime routine again.

When you're busy, you don't notice the time, and you don't even realize that Tang Mingli has arrived at the study door.

He only looked up abruptly when he heard a soft knock on the door.

Seeing that it was her, he quickly asked, "What's wrong?"

Tang Mingli shook her head: "It's nothing. I got up to use the bathroom and saw that the study light was still on."

She was still working overtime, which meant it was still the first half of the night, but she was so tired that she thought it was already very late.

She yawned and said to Fu Ci, "You keep going, I'm going to the bathroom and then I'll go back to sleep."

Fu Ci smiled faintly and nodded.

After his wife turned and left, he picked up his watch, which was placed to the side, and glanced at the time.

It's already past eleven o'clock, it's getting late.

I haven't finished reading this stack of documents yet, so I'll probably have to stay up all night tonight.

Thinking of the long night ahead, Fu Ci got up and went downstairs to pour himself a glass of hot water.

Immersed in my work, I lost track of time once again.

By the time I finished, it was already 2 a.m.

Even an iron man would get tired after sitting for so long and using his brain for so long.

Fu Ci got up and stretched his muscles and bones. After feeling a bit better, he went back to his room to rest.

He froze as soon as he entered the door.

Shouldn't my wife be asleep at this hour?

But he really heard her soft moans?!

"What's wrong?" Without turning on the light, Fu Ci familiarly reached out to the side where Tang Mingli was sleeping and offered her his hand with concern.

Tang Mingli was lying on her side with her body slightly curled up, a relatively comfortable position that she had been searching for for a long time.

She responded to her husband's concern with some pain: "My stomach feels a bit stuffy."

"It seems so?" Fu Ci subconsciously wanted to touch her stomach, but was stopped.

"Don't touch it, I'm afraid it will make me feel uncomfortable again if I move it."

Unable to move, Fu Ci could only anxiously ask, "Did you eat something bad?"

Tang Mingli also guessed that this was probably the case.

"Maybe the hot pot was too spicy today."

You shouldn't order medium spicy. Someone who doesn't usually eat spicy food should just try mild spicy. Why challenge yourself to medium spicy?

She miscalculated; she didn't expect her stomach and intestines to not be fully recovered. If her stomach and intestines were fully recovered, she probably wouldn't be in any serious trouble, at most she'd have to go to the toilet a couple of times.

"I'll go find some medicine for you."

Fu Ci immediately went downstairs and skillfully rummaged through the medicine box for medicine to treat his stomach upset.

-

After feeding Tang Mingli the medicine, Fu Ci still looked worried.

Tang Mingli comforted him, "Don't worry, I'm not feeling too bad, just a little uncomfortable."

How could Fu Ci not worry? Even a slight frown from her made his heart ache.

Seeing that he was sitting on the edge of the bed on her side, Tang Mingli said to him, "Hurry up and lie down to rest, it's getting late."

Although she didn't check the time, she was sure it was getting late.

I really want it to be dawn; maybe I'll feel better then.

But sometimes that's how it is; the more you want time to pass quickly, the slower it seems to go.

Tang Mingli couldn't help but sigh softly.

Fu Ci walked back to his side of the bed and lay down, gently touching his wife's forehead and brushing away the stray hairs from her brow.

Tang Mingli urged him to go to sleep.

How can I sleep if I give up my promise?

He waited until Tang Mingli drifted off to sleep before he finally closed his eyes for a short while.

He was a light sleeper; he would wake up as soon as Tang Mingli moved, worried that she might be feeling unwell.

It was a difficult night for both of them.

Tang Mingli kept waking up and falling asleep, and the total amount of sleep she got throughout the night was less than half of what she usually gets.

Needless to say, Fu Ci was almost never sound asleep.

Finally, dawn broke.

For the two of them, it was rare to look forward to dawn like this.

Tang Mingli finally didn't have to force herself to pretend to be asleep anymore; heaven knows how uncomfortable it was for her to do so. But in order to let Fu Ci sleep a little longer, she still forced herself to endure it.

My stomach isn't in excruciating pain, but this dull, aching feeling is both unbearable and tolerable. I can't ignore it, though. It's truly agonizing.

Seeing that his wife, who loved to sleep in, was awake so early, Fu Ci knew without asking that she must be feeling unwell, so he asked directly, "How about we go to the hospital?"

"Not for now." Tang Mingli waved her hand; she felt a bit like she needed to use the restroom. Maybe she'd feel better after using it.

She wasn't wrong; she did feel a bit better after using the restroom. But this feeling of better didn't last long, and she had to run to the restroom again.

After running to the toilet several times in just one morning, Tang Mingli had to accept the fact that she had diarrhea, no matter how much she didn't want to admit it.

Fu Ci could no longer let his wife have her way and insisted on taking her to the hospital.

Seeing the two of them about to leave as soon as they came downstairs, Madam Fu, who was sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper, quickly put it down and asked with a smile, "Where are you going so early in the morning?"

Not wanting his grandmother to worry, Fu Ci said, "Mingli has an upset stomach, I'll go with her to get some medicine."

Upon hearing that Tang Mingli had an upset stomach, Madam Fu's smile faded, and she asked with concern, "Did you eat something bad outside yesterday?"

Tang Mingli couldn't deny it, so she could only give an awkward laugh.

"Grandma, it's nothing serious. It's just that the hot pot yesterday was too spicy, and I have a bit of that in my stomach. I'll go see a doctor and get some medicine."

"I'm here, don't worry."

Fu Ci was anxious, so after comforting his grandmother, he took Tang Mingli and went out the door.

Half an hour later, the two arrived at the hospital.

Fortunately, seeing a doctor at the hospital is not difficult nowadays, and there is no need to wait in line, so Tang Mingli was able to see a doctor.

The doctor diagnosed it as acute gastroenteritis and suggested intravenous infusion if he wanted to recover faster.

Tang Mingli naturally wanted to get better quickly, otherwise she would need to go to the toilet every now and then, and she couldn't eat or sleep well, which was too uncomfortable.

After the needle was inserted into the back of her hand, Tang Mingli said with some regret, "I should have brought two novels to pass the time."

Fu Ci gently held her hand with the IV needle inserted and smiled, "Are you afraid of being bored with me here?"

Tang Mingli snorted and said to him, "Are you some kind of interesting person?"

However, it's always good to have someone with you.

She had experienced going to the hospital alone and getting an IV drip alone in her past life, many times over, and it was indeed unpleasant.

Although Fu Ci is boring, he is very considerate, and there is a broad shoulder to lean on.

As Tang Mingli leaned against his shoulder, feeling a warm glow in her heart, she closed her eyes.

Seeing this, Fu Ci asked, "Want to sleep?"

It's normal to feel sleepy if you didn't sleep well last night and got up so early today.

However, Tang Mingli shook her head: "My head feels heavy, and it's hard to support it."

These words made Fu Ci laugh. He raised his right hand and gently scratched the tip of her nose with his index finger.

"Lazybones."

Tang Mingli didn't refute it; saying she was lazy was hitting the nail on the head.

"Maybe I did too much work in my past life and even worked myself to death, which is why I'm so lazy in this life."

Even though he knew his wife's words were hypothetical, Fu Ci still felt sorry for her.

I feel sorry for how hard she suffered in her past life.

"It's okay, you can just enjoy your life, I'm here for you."

Tang Mingli hummed in agreement.

The voice sounded calm, but the speaker was already deeply moved.

He's here.

Having lived two lives, she finally has someone to rely on.

It turns out that TV dramas aren't all lies. The line "I have it" is indeed very captivating, no wonder the female leads believe it.

Who could resist such warmth and beauty?

As Tang Mingli pondered, perhaps the medicine was taking effect, she actually began to feel sleepy.

She adjusted her position to make herself more comfortable and said to Fu Ci, "I'm going to take a nap. Can you keep an eye on the medicine for me?"

"Okay, go to sleep." Fu Ci also hoped that she could get some sleep.

She should be able to eat well, sleep well, and be healthy.

Tang Mingli's discomfort made Fu Ci reflect on himself even more. He realized that he couldn't be too careless in the future, and he must resolutely stop anything that might be inappropriate.

It's only right that he's so much older than her, so it's only natural that he should worry about her more.

Looking at his wife's sleeping face, Fu Ci's heart softened as easily as tofu.

"Fu Ci...Mingli?"

A soft exclamation drew Fu Ci's attention away from Tang Mingli and towards the front.

He saw Tang Mingmei.

He hadn't seen Tang Mingmei for a very, very long time.

It's normal for people to change after not seeing each other for a long time.

But Tang Mingmei's change was so great that it was shocking.

However, having seen many grand occasions, he naturally did not show his shock.

Fu Ci nodded politely and explained, "Mingli is feeling a little unwell."

Upon confirming that it was indeed Fu Ci and Tang Mingli, Tang Mingmei felt somewhat uneasy and nervously touched her slightly disheveled hair.

She had already seen Tang Mingli receiving an IV drip, and naturally understood that she was feeling unwell.

"Mingli...is she alright?"

Fu Ci wasn't sure if this counted as anything, since for him, even his wife sneezing was a big deal.

He could only tell her the truth about her symptoms: "Gastroenteritis, but it's not a big problem."

Tang Mingmei responded with an "oh".

Fu Ci asked her in return, "How did you end up here?"

When asked why she was there, Tang Mingmei's nose tingled with emotion.

"My daughter is sick and is hospitalized here."

Upon hearing that the child was sick and hospitalized, Fu Ci pursed her lips slightly and asked with concern, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

These words almost brought tears to Tang Mingmei's eyes on the spot.

She didn't hear this from her daughter's father when her daughter was hospitalized, but she heard it from someone she had always viewed with prejudice.

Li Dazhu, even strangers would feel pity upon hearing that such a young child is sick and hospitalized. How could you, his biological father, be so cold-blooded?

She fought back tears and shook her head: "There are doctors and nurses at the hospital, so we don't need any help for now."

Unexpectedly, one day she would speak to the person she once hated the most with such tact and consideration.

No help is needed for now.

hehe.

Fu Ci nodded and said, "If you need any help, just let me know."

Tang Mingmei wanted to say thank you, but her throat suddenly became blocked, and in the end she could only nod forcefully.

After trying to calm herself down, she forced a smile and said to Fu Ci, "I'll go to the cafeteria to buy some food for my daughter first."

Having said that, he dared not look at the two of them again and quickly left.

Tang Mingli was feeling unwell, and Fu Ci's eyes were full of worry and heartache. He even let Tang Mingli lean on him.

Such a remark was completely unfamiliar to Tang Mingmei.

The Fu Ci she met was almost heartless, always with a cold face, and always had an invisible wall separating his world from others.

Why is there such a big difference? It's clearly the same person.

Having gone through so much, Tang Mingmei is no longer the person she used to be.

She now realizes that people are multifaceted.

The same side you show to me, but a different side to others.

Isn't she the same way?

He looked ferocious when facing the Li family, but he wouldn't act like that when facing others, no matter how angry he was.

So why is his farewell in this life so different? Naturally, it's because the person he's facing is different.

Tang Mingli inspired all the good in him.

She, as the former prime minister, naturally believed that she was better than Tang Mingli.

Tang Mingli lost her parents at a young age, and she was truly their precious darling. For a child, being loved wholeheartedly by their parents is like receiving the whole world.

So why doesn't she think she's better than Tang Mingli?

Tang Mingli was so envious of her.

I envy her for being able to wear clothes made by her mother during the New Year, for being able to eat her mother's cooking every meal, for being able to whine in her mother's arms when she's sad, and for being able to confidently warn other children that if they dare to bully her, they should tell her parents.

She felt far too superior to Tang Mingli.

But it was precisely this sense of superiority that ruined her life.

Her long-standing privilege made it impossible for her to accept that she was not living as well as Tang Mingli.

This resentment drove her to the brink of madness.

Looking back now, I realize that she was definitely crazy in her previous life, and even in her past life.

Tang Mingmei wanted to laugh whenever she thought about it, but as she laughed, tears started streaming down her face.

Why did she only learn these lessons after suffering such a huge setback?

If she had understood this sooner, would things have been better for her?

Will God give her another chance to be reborn?

Tang Mingmei dared not gamble.

What will happen to her parents if fate doesn't give her another chance? What will happen to her daughter?

Thinking of her parents and children, Tang Mingmei wiped away her tears and banished any lingering hope from her mind.

They arrived at the cafeteria, and she bought a bowl of plain porridge for her daughter.

Her poor daughter, still sick, could only eat such bland and unnutritious food.

-

On the other end.

Tang Mingli woke up.

She thought she had slept for a long time, but when she looked up, she found that only half of the medicine had been administered.

However, I do feel much better, which shows that the injection is quite effective.

Seeing that she was awake, Fu Ci asked with concern, "Are you feeling any better?"

Tang Mingli hummed in agreement and smiled, "Don't I look energetic again?"

They weren't exactly full of energy, but they were definitely more spirited.

Fu Ci breathed a sigh of relief and told her that Tang Mingmei had just passed by.

Tang Mingli asked, "How come she's at the hospital?"

"Her daughter is sick and hospitalized."

"Li Xin is hospitalized? What's wrong? How serious is it?"

Fu Ci shook his head: "From what she said, it shouldn't be too serious."

"Since we've run into them, I'll go see them after I finish my IV drip," Tang Mingli muttered. The hospital isn't that big; she can always find it by asking around.

Fu Ci did not refuse. Although he also wanted his wife to go home and rest as soon as possible after her injection, he knew that his cousin's child was hospitalized and it would be inappropriate not to go and see her.

"She went to the cafeteria to buy food, and she might pass by here again in a while."

Hearing Fu Ci's words, Tang Mingli shook her head again: "Not necessarily. You don't know my cousin."

Tang Mingmei was too arrogant; she didn't know they were there when she passed by.

Since they already knew they were here, why would they come back from here?

She wouldn't want anyone to see her disheveled and vulnerable state.

As it turned out, Tang Mingli was right. They didn't see Tang Mingmei come back from there until the half-bottle of medicine was finished.

After removing the IV and getting their medication from the pharmacy, Tang Mingli and Fu Ci began asking the nurses in the inpatient department about Li Xin's condition, and quickly found out the details.

Hospitalized with pneumonia.

Tang Mingli sighed.

Yesterday, when she saw Tang Mingmei carrying her child in the cold wind, she was worried that the child would catch a cold.

As a result, he not only caught a cold, but it also developed into pneumonia.

It's heartbreaking to see such a young child suffer like this.

The two arrived at Li Xin's hospital room in silence.

Tang Mingmei was eating the leftover porridge from her daughter's lunchbox when she saw Tang Mingli and Fu Ci appear at the door of the ward, and an awkward expression flashed across her face.

After regaining her senses, she immediately put the lid of the lunchbox back on, afraid that Tang Mingli and Fu Ci would see that she was not eating well.

After putting down the lunchbox, he quickly stood up and asked awkwardly, "Why did you all come here?"

Before she could answer, he said to Tang Mingli, "You're not feeling well, so go home as soon as you finish your injection."

"I'm much better," Tang Mingli said, looking at Li Xin lying on the hospital bed.

The child didn't cry or fuss, lying obediently on the hospital bed. The tiny back of his hand still had an IV needle sticking out, a truly frightening sight; anyone who saw it would feel heartbroken.

She asked with some concern, "Is the baby feeling better?"

What else could Tang Mingmei say? She could only reply, "Much better."

The three words were spoken softly, each one quieter than the last.