Chapter 42 Hair Tips "Thank you, hard worker"

42

After crawling into bed, Meng Yao didn't stay still at all. Like a carp pulled from the water, she thrashed about trying to find a comfortable position, completely unaware that whenever a strand of her hair brushed against Fang Huaixu, it felt like a breeze carrying a ticklish scent, making Fang Huaixu's heart pound wildly.

"Don't move..." His face was flushed red, almost dripping with embarrassment, and he tried to control the situation with a tense voice: "You can't..."

However, before she could finish speaking, Meng Yao suddenly stopped moving, as if she had finally found a suitable position. She turned to face him, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him: "What do you mean by 'can' or 'can'? I'm tired after a long day, running around in fear and fright. I'll just borrow half of your bed to rest for a while. You're not that stingy, are you, Mr. Fang?"

Her breath was so close, Fang Huaixu instantly lost his composure. All the grand principles and rules he had in mind got stuck in his throat, and his heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst out of its restraints, violently pounding against his eardrums. The fragrance and warmth emanating from her body wafted towards him, making his already dizzy head, already heavy with fever, even more swollen, and he almost fainted.

He was awakened by a cool hand; Meng Yao's hand suddenly and gently covered his forehead.

"My goodness, you're burning up!" Meng Yao's joking expression vanished, replaced by genuine concern. "When did you start having a fever? Why don't you get up and take some medicine?"

"No need, I already ate this afternoon," Fang Huaixu replied almost instinctively, his mind still foggy from the fever, "I guess I caught a cold yesterday..."

"Fine, fine, are you going to torture yourself like this?" Upon hearing this, Meng Yao's anger, which she had just suppressed, almost flared up again. She couldn't help but poke his forehead with her finger: "You're such a grown man, can't you say things to my face?"

Fang Huaixu became even more nervous after being accused by her, and his mind went blank as he stammered, "I don't know..."

At this moment, all his senses and mind were occupied by the gentle touch on his forehead, and he could not calm down to think.

Meng Yao thought he was still responding to the accusation about the misunderstanding, so her tone softened: "Okay, I admit I misunderstood you... but your brother is acting so recklessly with your name on his name, aren't you going to do anything about it?"

"Um, okay..." Fang Huaixu responded haphazardly, his eyes staring blankly elsewhere as he tried to regain his composure.

Meng Yao sensed his absent-mindedness and waved her hand in front of his eyes: "Are you even listening to me?"

Fang Huaixu suddenly snapped out of his daze, a hint of embarrassment flashing across his face. He still tried to organize his thoughts in a seemingly calm tone: "Because my mother was my father's third wife, and my father was only just beginning to value family at this time. My brother was the first child in the family, but he didn't receive fair treatment, so he hates revenge. I can understand that, and we really do owe him. So as long as it's not something too outrageous, there's no problem..."

Without much thought, his explanation was filled with instinctive tolerance and self-blame, but Meng Yao was not happy to hear it: "What does your parents' grudges have to do with you? How old were you back then? Aren't you being too kind? Taking everything on yourself."

Fang Huaixu's attention was clearly unable to be taken off the close proximity between the two of them. His eyes remained evasive as he nodded haphazardly, "Hmm... I guess so."

Meng Yao was now completely certain that he was just confused, so she deliberately sighed and pretended to be disappointed: "Okay, Teacher Fang's answer was so perfunctory, it seems he's not in the mood to talk about these things either. Never mind, I won't ask anymore."

Upon hearing this, Fang Huaixu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

However, Meng Yao suddenly leaned closer, a sly smile spreading across her face, her eyes crinkling like a little fox's, and abruptly changed the subject: "How about we change the subject to something we both care about? Tell me... are we dating now?"

Fang Huaixu instantly blushed like a cat whose tail had been stepped on: "No!"

“Oh, right,” Meng Yao nodded readily, her smile deepening. “We’re already married, so we’re definitely not dating now.”

Fang Huaixu was so anxious he almost couldn't speak: "That's not what I meant..."

"What does that mean?" Meng Yao blinked innocently. "We're already sleeping in the same bed, what other relationship could we be? Roommates?"

Fang Huaixu, unaware of the trap he was in, said, "You came up here on your own."

Meng Yao said matter-of-factly, "Yes, I came up here myself, but President Fang didn't stop me or move away. Doesn't that count as tacit approval?"

Fang Huaixu was speechless for a moment, rendered speechless by her few words. His face was filled with guilt and panic. Suddenly, he sat up and tried to escape from this dangerous area.

"Hey!" Meng Yao quickly pressed him back down, her strength not heavy but undeniable: "What are you doing? Can't you take a joke? I just wanted to lighten the mood by making a joke because you're a sick person and you seem uncomfortable."

For the first time, Fang Huaixu felt like he couldn't breathe: "This isn't taking care of a patient at all..."

"Serves you right," Meng Yao scoffed. "Who told you to court death? This is how I take care of people. If you don't want me to bully you, then stop doing things that make me feel sorry for you."

The topic was steered towards a slightly ambiguous tone. Looking at her playful and lively expression, Fang Huaixu's face flushed slightly. Afraid that he couldn't handle her enthusiasm, he remained silent for a moment before taking a deep breath and making up his mind to speak seriously.

"Let's have a serious talk, okay?"

His voice was low and earnest as he sat down and looked solemnly into her eyes: "I'm quite a bit older than you, and what I just said wasn't an excuse, but the result of my careful consideration these past few days. I admit, I do like you, and I'm attracted to you, but liking someone is one thing, starting a relationship is another, and I'm not sure if this is the right decision for both of us."

He paused slightly, his gaze earnest and sincere: "When you left just now, I felt genuine sadness, and I realized that I'm not as rational as I thought, and I can't easily give up on this relationship. So, can we give each other some more time to think things over? You also need to carefully assess my situation. I will show you everything without reservation, and then you can decide whether you want to officially be together, okay?"

He finished speaking in one breath, anxiously awaiting her response.

Meng Yao seemed to be listening attentively, watching him quietly without blinking.

Fang Huaixu thought that she had taken his concerns to heart, and his tense nerves relaxed slightly. He thought that the conversation had finally gotten on a more rational track, and asked softly, "Is there anything else you would like to add?"

Meng Yao did indeed slightly avert her gaze, but a strange blush appeared on her face. After a few seconds, she suddenly chuckled and asked in a low voice with anticipation, "If everything can be examined, then... can I touch your waist now?"

Fang Huaixu's face, which had just calmed down, turned bright red again. Like a drop of water thrown into a pot of boiling oil, he suddenly turned around and burrowed back into the quilt without looking back.

"Oh, I was wrong, I was wrong..." Meng Yao quickly leaned over and coaxed him through the blanket, making up a plausible excuse: "I did listen to what you just said, you just said you would observe for a while and make a decision carefully, right? I understand... so what's wrong with touching him a little..."

"You didn't listen at all!" Fang Huaixu was genuinely angry for a moment. After falling ill, he lacked the rationality he had when he was sober. The thought that the decision he had finally made had been casually dismissed by Meng Yao filled him with resentment.

"What do you mean I didn't hear you?" Meng Yao retorted. "I just thought you were so beautiful that I couldn't help but look at you. Admiring the face of someone you like is also part of love, isn't it? Weren't you staring at me before?"

“Those two situations are different,” Fang Huaixu corrected earnestly.

"What's different?"

Meng Yao pressed herself against him relentlessly, almost touching his back, her voice brimming with barely suppressed joy: "I'm just so happy! Oh, I'm so surprised! What's there to consider? I never imagined that someone as wonderful as you would become my boyfriend, so I couldn't wait to exercise some privileges that others can't have... Is that not allowed?"

Fang Huaixu was actually quite surprised, not expecting her to be happy for this reason. Her heart fluttered slightly because of her words, but she also subconsciously felt inferior: "That might just be what you imagine. I'm not as good as you think."

Meng Yao curled her lip and muttered dismissively, "You're probably the only one in the world who thinks that way."

Fang Huaixu remained silent, offering no rebuttal, but he felt a soft arm cautiously, tentatively, and furtively encircle his waist.

His body instantly stiffened like iron, and his heartbeat involuntarily went out of control.

“…You scoundrel.” He struggled symbolically, his voice barely audible.

"I was frightened today too," Meng Yao said with a hint of coquetry, her cheek pressed against his taut back muscles. "Can't I even have a hug to comfort me?"

Fang Huaixu did not respond verbally, but his compromise and silence were the best response he could give.

He felt a warm, comforting touch from behind, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions—both joy and nervousness.

Meng Yao was completely satisfied. She hugged him tightly and took a deep breath: "You're so hot..."

Fang Huaixu stiffly adjusted his posture to make sure he wouldn't press down on her, and continued in a hoarse voice, "Of course, when you have a fever, your whole body is hot."

Meng Yao shook her head behind him, her hair tickling him a little, then she grinned mischievously: "I mean... you have a great body."

Fang Huaixu's ears immediately turned bright red, as if they could bleed. A thousand words welled up in his mouth, but in the end, he completely gave up resisting.

He gave up in despair and conceded in an almost inaudible voice, "...Whatever."

"Is it really okay to do whatever you want?"

Meng Yao pressed her advantage, her voice laced with cunning, "If it were up to me, I'd like to kiss you again."

“No, you can’t.” This time, Fang Huaixu said each word slowly and deliberately, his refusal firm.

"If you can't, you can't..."

Meng Yao mischievously mimicked his tone, drawing out her voice, but her hands around his waist were restless, touching and pinching him here and there.

This is absolutely outrageous.

Fang Huaixu couldn't stand it and stopped her mischievous hands. Meng Yao would only behave for a short while after he grabbed her, and then she would continue her exploration. Fang Huaixu also silently continued to stop her.

The two of them played like children, one defending and the other teasing.

But Fang Huaixu clearly didn't think this was just a "game." He felt his will was being worn down, his mind was humbly begging for mercy on the edge of a cliff, but his blood was boiling. He vaguely felt that this seemed to be a form of depravity.

But when his gaze fell on Meng Yao, he remembered that she had also been quite frightened today, yet she still ran back and forth, comforting and taking care of him time and time again.

In contrast, he not only backed down every time, but he was also always so clueless about romance, hesitant and indecisive...

He started blaming himself again, and couldn't help but lower his head and whisper again: "...I'm really a very boring person, being with me...it would be very boring."

He waited a moment, and the girl behind him breathed evenly and deeply. Her playful hands, which had been wrapped around his waist, quieted down, and she patted him reassuringly: "Okay, okay... then I'll do my best..."

Fang Huaixu was puzzled, but gently covered her hand: "...What do you mean, 'good luck'?"

Meng Yao yawned and leaned against him softly: "You're always so sensitive and concerned about other people's feelings, who will take care of your feelings? Of course, I can only try harder so that you can truly feel... the happiness of being cared for..."

Her voice grew softer and softer, as if she were truly exhausted, and by the end it sounded more like a murmur to herself.

Fang Huaixu's heart softened completely, an indescribable warmth overwhelmed his reason, his cheeks burned, and he finally gave up the futile struggle and hesitation. Thinking of her determination and courage, and those playful yet always inspiring actions, he solemnly took her warm hand.

“I…” He felt he was about to say something and wanted to turn around to look at her face.

But then I heard her even, gentle breathing behind me: she had actually fallen asleep.

He turned around in disbelief, examined her carefully for a long time, and made sure she was really tired and asleep.

He felt a little helpless, but he just smiled, reached out to tuck the blanket around her, and, under the cover of moonlight, gazed at her sleeping face tenderly and greedily for a long time, gently smoothing her disheveled hair, his gaze as gentle as moonlight.

In the end, reason could not suppress emotion, and he slowly leaned down and gently placed a kiss as light as a feather on the tip of her hair.

"Thank you...you hard worker."

Author's Note: I have to work overtime tomorrow, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to update [crying emoji] but I'll try my best [please]