Xie Huaiye put one arm around her waist.

With his other hand, he suddenly lifted her chin to examine her forehead and nose.

This position brought their faces even closer together.

Yan Ning raised his head.

He met his deep eyes, which were so close to his.

His brows were slightly furrowed, and his thin lips were tightly pressed together.

And that burning gaze.

It felt as if Yan Ning's heart was being gripped by an invisible hand.

Breathing became a little more difficult.

"No...it's nothing..." she said softly.

The warmth of Xie Huaiye's palm pressed against his waist through his clothes.

The fingers that held her chin had calloused texture.

All of this made her heart tremble.

"Beep beep beep—!"

The cell phone in Xie Huaiye's pocket started ringing incessantly, completely oblivious to the situation.

This instantly shattered the enchanting atmosphere.

Xie Huaiye frowned.

A hint of anger flashed in his eyes, as if he had been disturbed.

But his professional instincts led him to release Yan Ning.

He answered the phone quickly, his voice regaining its usual coldness:

"What is it? Speak."

Yan Ning felt as if he had been pardoned.

He immediately took a large step back and turned his back.

She hurriedly tidied her not-so-messy hair and clothes.

My God, in just a few minutes.

From grabbing hands to bumping into each other's arms... this plot development is too exciting!

Xie Huaiye briefly dealt with the phone call.

Then I looked at that slender figure with her back to me.

His eyes became gentle and sensitive.

He cleared his throat and walked up to her.

His gaze fell on her reddened nose and forehead, his voice deep and slightly magnetic:

"Are you really alright? Should I... have someone bring some ice to apply?"

Yan Ning hurriedly waved his hand, pretending to be magnanimous, and said:

"It's nothing, just a little pain, it's nothing serious!"

She then gestured with her lip and said, "But you seem to be quite busy with work, huh?"

Xie Huaiye looked at her awkward yet adorable appearance.

A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

His gaze lingered on her reddened earlobes for a moment.

He suddenly lowered his voice, and said with a hint of mockery:

"Yes, I'm quite busy, but... that accident just now doesn't count as business."

He paused, then watched as Yan Ning suddenly raised her head and stared at him with wide eyes.

He then slowly added, "Be more careful walking next time, or..."

His eyes were deep. "If you want to crash, you can say so in advance."

There was a hint of ambiguity and indulgence in his tone.

It's so swoon-worthy it makes your legs go weak.

"you!"

Yan Ning was speechless, feeling both ashamed and annoyed.

She suddenly turned around and jumped back onto the hospital bed.

He pulled the blanket over his head, his voice muffled through the fabric:

"You'd better leave now! I'm going to sleep!"

Xie Huaiye stood by the bed, without moving.

He watched her childlike actions, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.

The smile in her eyes was like melting spring water, so gentle it could drown you.

“Alright,” he said in a deep voice, with a hint of barely perceptible affection, “I won’t tease you anymore.”

Yan Ning's ears twitched, but she didn't say anything and pulled the blanket tighter around herself.

"Let's get down to business."

Xie Huaiye took a step closer, his voice clearly reaching her ears:

"The fourth episode of the variety show will start filming tomorrow."

The figure inside the blanket visibly stiffened for a moment.

"The production team just contacted me and invited us to go together." He paused, then added.

"Whoosh!"

Yan Ning practically sprang to her feet, her eyes instantly brightening as if stars had fallen into them:

"Really?! That's wonderful!"

She excitedly patted the edge of the bed, "Spending these days in the hospital, my bones are practically rusting, I was so worried..."

She suddenly realized halfway through her sentence that she had overreacted.

He met Xie Huaiye's smiling eyes, which seemed to see through everything.

Yan Ning's face flushed instantly.

She quickly lay back down and pulled the blanket up to her chin.

Only her large, watery eyes were visible; her voice was deliberately raised, carrying a hint of spoiled arrogance.

"Alright, alright! I need to rest now, right now, immediately!"

"All unrelated personnel, evacuate immediately! Now! Immediately!"

She even held up one finger and pointed to the doorway.

Xie Huaiye chuckled softly.

The laughter was like a feather, gently tickling Yan Ning's heart.

He didn't say anything more, nodded obediently, and turned to walk towards the door.

"good."

He gripped the doorknob.

He gently opened the door, turned back and gave her a deep look, "Then you should get some rest."

The door was gently closed, making a soft "click".

The ward fell silent instantly.

Yan Ning listened intently, making sure the footsteps had indeed faded away.

He suddenly threw off the covers and sat up, craning his neck to look towards the door.

"Really gone?" she muttered to herself.

There was a hint of disappointment in his tone that he himself didn't even realize.

The once bustling ward suddenly became empty.

A strange sense of loss welled up again.

She scratched her hair in frustration.

"You're spineless!"

Yan Ning cursed under his breath.

She jumped off the bed barefoot and ran to the bathroom mirror.

The person in the mirror had a flushed face.

Even her ears were tinged pink, and her eyes were watery.

Where is the calm demeanor of someone who needs to rest?

"Yan Ning, oh Yan Ning!"

She poked at herself in the mirror, exasperated. "Men are nothing! Making money! Building a career! That's the real deal!"

"Don't be fooled by that face! My heart isn't beating like a ghost!"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!