Intermittent kissing

"So, it was Chen Peiyuan who saved you." You looked at Assistant Li in surprise and came to this conclusion.

Assistant Li nodded in confirmation.

So the day you saw Chen Peiyuan go in, he was there to rescue someone, not to beat them up. No, no, how did he know Assistant Li would be in danger and rescue him at such a coincidental time? Unless the two of them were in cahoots, deliberately putting on a show for Assistant Li.

However, you glanced at Assistant Li hesitantly. Assistant Li was completely bewildered by your look. You immediately dismissed the idea that this person was worth him going to such lengths to put on a show. If that possibility was ruled out, then it was just a coincidence. But there must be something going on when he went to Assistant Li's place so late. This was something that remained unknown for the time being.

but,

"You really need to work out more, Assistant Li. With your weak body, I'm afraid a single overseas assignment could kill you." You patted his healthy shoulder with great pity, thinking that he was so weak he might not even be as strong as a girl.

Assistant Li coughed a few more times after you patted him, and when he heard your words, he could only smile awkwardly and reply, "Yes, yes, yes."

"By the way, you said that guy gave you a business card. Where is it? I want to see who's so bold as to dare hurt me."

You looked indignant, as if you wanted to seek justice for Assistant Li.

"I don't know about that. I've been lying in the hospital for the past few days, and I've been buying toiletries and changes of clothes the day after I wake up."

Assistant Li shook his head. He had been lying in a hospital bed since he woke up, wearing a hospital gown. He hadn't even had a chance to go home yet. He looked so disheveled that day; the business card must have been picked up and thrown away long ago.

"That's right, you should rest well. Go back when you're better. I've arranged your work for Xiaoyi tomorrow, so you should focus on recovering in the hospital."

You pondered for a moment, then spun around in place, told him your decision, and prepared to leave.

When Assistant Li heard that he didn't have to do his job, he became anxious, fearing that he would lose his job. He immediately got up to prove that he could do it.

"Mr. Chen, I can do it. I'll definitely be back at work next week. Don't be fooled by the bandages I have now; they'll be removed in a few days and won't affect my work."

"No need to rush. I have my own plans for you, don't worry."

You waved casually, left those words, and walked towards the door.

How can I be at ease? Assistant Li stared wide-eyed as you walked to the door, then suddenly stopped, looking puzzled.

You turn slightly and smile at him.

"Xiao Li, Chen Peiyuan saved you this time, you should thank him properly."

Assistant Li pursed his lips and nodded to indicate that he understood.

That was close; I almost saved Chen Peiyuan from being wrongly accused.

As soon as you stepped out the door, you patted your chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

The moment you learned that Chen Peiyuan was not the murderer, your first thought was actually joy—joy that he wasn't the murderer.

You know you're doomed.

Chen Yulan, you're really doomed.

Do you know what you're doing?! You're actually happy for your arch-nemesis.

As you walk, you berate yourself, trying hard to control your urge to laugh.

Even though I was saying I was doomed, I couldn't help but feel happy.

Chen Peiyuan is definitely not the culprit who injured Assistant Li.

Assistant Li was really unlucky. No one hurt him at the scene, but he ended up injuring himself. No wonder he wouldn't say anything. If you were injured like that, you wouldn't say anything either.

You sighed slightly, unsure whether to be thankful that Assistant Li hadn't been harmed by the other party or to lament Assistant Li's bad luck in getting hurt so badly.

"Ding, we've arrived at basement level two."

I slowly walked out of the hospital elevator, twirling my keychain. My steps were light and quick. At this time of day, more and more cars were coming into the hospital parking lot, mostly patients' family members who were taking their loved ones to see doctors or visit relatives after get off work.

When you reach your parking spot, you suddenly see a figure crouching next to your car, acting suspiciously with his back to you, glancing around every now and then. You instinctively hide behind a pillar to avoid being spotted.

You look at this person hesitantly. In the dim light, the figure flickers, and you almost think you're seeing things.

Could it be that after failing to ambush Xiao Li, he waited at the hospital, and then, seeing her arrive, turned his attention to you, intending to kidnap you?

You just finished watching Xiao Li, and now another mysterious person is lurking next to your car. It's no wonder you think that way. An enemy you don't know is watching your every move from the shadows. You stare intently at the dark figure, trying to see the person's face.

Whether the figure wanted to change its squatting position or leave, it revealed a side profile. The light shone down just in time, and in that instant, you could clearly see the face of a middle-aged man. His appearance was exactly like the person Xiao Li had described, even the scars matched. He was holding a stick-like object in his hand, which looked like a stick, and it seemed he was about to hit him.

You slowly pull out your phone, your fingers fumbling for the keys. In the dimly lit parking lot, the phone screen is extremely bright, the intense light shining on your face. Suddenly, a hand reaches out and covers the phone screen, while another hand quickly covers your mouth before you scream. You stare in terror at the person in front of you.

The man next to the car turned his head to look this way, just missing the corner that had just been lit up, and didn't see you.

A cold sweat broke out in your brow the moment you felt someone silently approach you. Who was it? Was it that stranger's gang?

The next second, a familiar face approached you. You stared at him with wide eyes. He turned off his phone screen and put his index finger to his lips to signal you to be quiet. Then he extended his middle finger and made a running gesture. You nodded to indicate that you understood. He slowly released his hand from your mouth, grabbed your hand instead, interlocked your fingers, and quickly left the corner.

When you got back to the car with the man, you were lying in the passenger seat, gasping for breath, finally out of danger.

Chen Peiyuan opened the other car door, opened a bottle of water and handed it to you. You grabbed it and poured it into your mouth, gulping it down one sip after another. You drank too fast, and water dripped from the corner of your mouth. Chen Peiyuan frowned and took a handkerchief to wipe the water stains.

"Drink slowly, Lanlan, or you'll get a sore throat."

You nodded haphazardly and drank half a bottle of water before you recovered. You had been thirsty for the two hours you had been talking to Xiao Li without drinking any water, and after that scary experience, you couldn't stop swallowing your saliva. Your throat was so dry that it was aching slightly, and now you wished you could drink a whole bottle of water.

Chen Peiyuan took the half-empty water bottle and drank the rest, leaving a half-lipstick mark on the bottle opening.

"Wait, this water..." You had just drunk from it, and before you could stop it, you pointed at the bottle in surprise.

Wait a minute, you just drank that water. Doesn't he mind? Besides, the spot where he drank was exactly where you drank.

You stare blankly as he finishes his drink, then a sentence suddenly pops into your head.

Does this count as you and Chen Peiyuan indirectly kissing?

Chen Peiyuan looked at you innocently, with a bit of your lipstick still on his lower lip where you had accidentally left a mark on the water bottle. He shook the water bottle in his hand, and only a little water remained at the bottom.

"Lanlan, I'm thirsty too. There's only one bottle of water in the car."

"Never mind, you have lipstick on your lips, just wipe it off with a tissue."

Never mind, what's done is done, there's nothing that can be done now. Hand him a tissue to wipe it off.

Chen Peiyuan obediently took it and wiped his mouth. Perhaps he didn't know the location or just wiped it casually, because the red mark not only didn't disappear but spread. His lips, which were already moistened with water, became even more moist with the red mark, like a bouncy jelly.

You were left speechless, and the fact that he wiped it all off and still looked like he didn't know what had happened only made you feel worse.

Forget it, out of sight, out of mind, you tell yourself, and try to think about the immediate problem first.

You fastened your seatbelt and drove off with Chen Peiyuan. You had already called the police to report that someone with a weapon was maliciously lurking around your car, circling suspiciously. The police had arrived, and for safety's sake, you decided to leave first. You had already given the police your exact location, and now you were just waiting for further instructions.

"Why are you here?" You turn to look at him.

You came to the hospital today to see Xiao Li, it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, a sudden idea. What about Chen Peiyuan? What brings him to the hospital?

You glanced at the person opposite you. Their complexion was rosy, their expression was normal, and there was nothing unusual about them. It was obvious that they were not there for a medical check-up.

"I came to see Assistant Li. Before..."

Is it because of the incident where you saved Xiao Li that you came to visit him?

Chen Peiyuan stopped speaking halfway through his sentence, and you automatically filled in the rest of what he was saying in your mind.

Did he hear or not know the questions you asked in Xiao Li's ward? You remember that you didn't see anyone at the door when you came out of Xiao Li's ward, so he came after you left?

You wondered suspiciously, unsure of what he meant by not finishing his sentence.

"Oh, I heard from Xiao Li that you saved him. How come you happened to be downstairs at Xiao Li's place earlier?"

Chen Peiyuan hesitated for a moment, as if he didn't know whether he should say it or not, but in the end he did.

“That day I was taking a customer home when I saw you eating by the roadside. I wanted to say hello, but you seemed to be enjoying your meal, and I was afraid that going over there might bother you. I thought I would take the customer home first and then come to find you. But the customer ended up chatting with me for a long time after arriving home. Just as I was leaving, I heard someone calling for help. I followed the sound and saw Assistant Li.”

As he spoke, he would glance at you with a resentful look, which puzzled you. You wondered to yourself, "Why is he looking at me like that? Is he upset that you didn't invite him to the barbecue?"

"So you were the one who brought Xiao Li to the hospital?"

"Hmm." Seeing that you didn't react to what he had said earlier, he nodded dejectedly.

"But when I got home that day, you were already home." You were surprised; how could she get home faster than you?

"I just called an ambulance that day, watched him get on the stretcher, and then left."

"and....."

"And what?" You're getting a little annoyed. He always likes to stop halfway through a story, keeping people in suspense until they get impatient, then slowly spitting out the rest. Are all the people who do business with him ninjas? He's so patient. If it were you, you would have flipped the table and stopped talking long ago.

"And Lanlan, you forgot, you brought home a box of pastries from Baodexuan that day. The pastries from that shop are hard to get, and it was Friday, so there should have been a lot of people queuing. Lanlan, you came back half an hour later than expected." Seeing that your face looked off, he immediately spat it all out in one go, like spitting out grape seeds.

You blankly recalled that day when you saw a passerby holding several boxes of snacks on the way home. You suddenly wanted to eat some, so you detoured to buy them. You happened to buy the last box, but you just threw it away when you got home and don't know where you put it. You never got to eat a single bite.

"Oh, I see. I forgot." You said, a little embarrassed.

As you drive towards the city center, you encounter students crossing the street after evening self-study. The vehicles stop to let them pass, and the streetlights illuminate the road beneath your feet. Only the bustling crowds walk by, laughing and joking, and the cries of roadside vendors can be heard. You lean against the car window, looking at the students not far away, and suddenly you lose the desire to chat. The car becomes quiet.

Were you scared in the parking lot?