Seeing that he showed no impatience at all about listening to these trivial matters, Ni Sitian tilted her head up and gave him a sweet smile.

Xu Tingchuan looked at her smile, which was brighter than the sun, as if it pierced straight into his heart, causing his heart to tremble slightly.

His hand couldn't help but cover her cheek, his thumb gently stroking the corner of her mouth.

Ni Sitian felt embarrassed by his deep gaze, her cheeks flushing as red as the sunset.

She pursed her lips, lowered her head shyly, and muttered softly, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I want to kiss you." Xu Tingchuan leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Is that alright?"

Ni Sitian thought to herself, "If you want to kiss, just kiss. Why ask me? How am I supposed to answer that? It's so embarrassing."

"Is it okay?" Xu Tingchuan asked again in a low voice in her ear. He had promised her that he would not touch her unless she wanted to. What happened last time had frightened her, so he was being extra cautious now.

Ni Sitian didn't know how to answer, so she simply proved it with her actions, pressing her lips directly to Xu Tingchuan's lips.

Xu Tingchuan smiled slightly. Her kissing skills were still as bad as ever; she would bump her teeth with every kiss. So he had to take the initiative.

He parted his lips slightly and gently kissed her lips, cradling the back of her head with his hand and pulling her closer to him.

The kiss was so long that Ni Sitian was almost out of breath.

After the kiss, she was so exhausted that she could only lie limply on top of him.

Xu Tingchuan gently rubbed Ni Sitian's earlobe with his fingers. Her earlobe was small, but full, soft, and felt very good to the touch.

"I really want to be discharged from the hospital right away." He smiled slightly, his voice unusually soft.

Ni Sitian thought he was just being a workaholic again, and muttered, "Although the endoscopy results aren't too serious, Dr. Chen said we need to observe him for three days, so you should just stay put."

Xu Tingchuan smiled silently and hugged Ni Sitian tighter.

For the next three days, Ni Sitian did her best to take care of him in order to make up for her mistake.

Every morning I get up early to make different kinds of stomach-soothing porridge, bring it to him to eat, and then go to work.

She would rush over to see him even during her short lunch break, and after get off work, she would go home to make something and then come back to keep him company.

After a few days, their relationship seemed to have returned to how it was before the business trip, but it also seemed a little different.

Ni Sitian couldn't quite put her finger on what was different, but their interactions seemed much more intimate and natural.

Friday was the day Xu Tingchuan was to be discharged from the hospital. She rushed over after get off work to help him pack up, but to her surprise, Xu Tingchuan had already packed up and was waiting for her in the ward.

On the road, the two sat in the back seat, with Secretary Xue driving.

These past few days, with Xu Tingchuan hospitalized, Ni Sitian has been running around, and has become quite familiar with Secretary Xue.

Along the way, she and Secretary Xue chatted and laughed.

Someone who felt ignored reached out and took Ni Sitian's hand, gently kneading the soft flesh of her palm, trying to draw her attention back to themselves.

He soon got what he wanted, and she turned around with a bewildered look on her face: "Why did you pinch me?"

Xu Tingchuan didn't answer, his dark eyes narrowed slightly, and he asked in return, "Do you still remember what you promised me you would do after I was discharged from the hospital?"

"What?" Ni Sitian was stunned for a moment, then suddenly remembered, and her cheeks immediately turned red. How could he have said that so casually? Secretary Xue was still in the car!

Even if Secretary Xue doesn't understand the riddle, she'll still feel guilty, okay?