The sound of warm flowing water gradually faded away, and Xu Jinshi floated in the soft darkness. His consciousness was like a shell pushed ashore by the tide, returning to reality bit by bit.
The first thing he felt was the delicate feel of the sheets beneath him—not the usual set of cotton sheets from the guest bedroom, but the Egyptian cotton from the master bedroom, lightly scented with lavender softener.
He slowly opened his eyes. The sunlight filtered through the gauze curtains, casting a soft glow across the room. His body felt as if it had been run over by a heavy truck, and every muscle was aching in protest, especially in his waist, abdomen, and inner thighs. The slightest movement triggered a subtle tingling pain.
Xu Jinshi looked down and found that he was wearing an unfamiliar set of dark blue silk pajamas - not his style, obviously Wu Meng's.
The wide collar of his pajamas slid down to his shoulders, revealing a dark red kiss mark on his collarbone. He raised his hand to pull up his collar, but found that even this simple action made his arm muscles tremble.
"woke up?"
Wu Meng's voice came from the door. Xu Jinshi turned around and saw her leaning against the door frame with a cup of steaming water in her hand.
"How... did I get to the bed?" Xu Jinshi's voice was extremely hoarse, and his throat seemed to have been rubbed by sandpaper.
Wu Meng approached and held the cup to his lips. "You fell asleep in the bathtub, so I carried you out." Her tone was calm, as if she were discussing the weather. "Drink some honey water."
Xu Jinshi obediently lowered his head and sipped. The warm honey water slid down his throat, relieving the burning pain. His black hair was still damp, and a few strands clung to the side of his neck, swaying gently as he drank.
Wu Meng's gaze fell on his rolling Adam's apple, where her teeth marks were also imprinted.
"Thank you..." Xu Jinshi said softly, her eyelashes drooping, casting a light shadow under her eyes.
He rubbed her palm unconsciously.
This subtle movement softened Wu Meng's eyes for a moment. She put down the water cup, suddenly bent down and picked him up, including the blanket.
Xu Jinshi exclaimed, his arms instinctively wrapping around her neck. His pajamas became even more messy due to the movement, revealing a large area of pink skin.
"Sister! I can walk..." His protest gradually faded under Wu Meng's warning eyes.
"You're having trouble even lifting your hand," Wu Meng pointed out sharply, striding towards the restaurant. "Don't be so stubborn."
Xu Jinshi pursed his lips and said nothing, but the tips of his ears were quietly red. Being held in his arms like a fragile object made him feel both ashamed and secretly satisfied.
He buried his face in Wu Meng's shoulder, and his breath was filled with her light citrus scent mixed with a hint of mint toothpaste.
In the restaurant, sunlight filled half of the space through the floor-to-ceiling windows. On the dining table was a bowl of steaming century egg and lean meat porridge, a few refreshing side dishes, and a glass of sobering tomato juice.
Wu Meng placed him on the cushioned dining chair, his movements much gentler than before.
"Eat," she ordered, but she held his hand down as he tried to pick up the spoon. "I'll do it."
Xu Jinshi opened his eyes wide: "I can..."
"My hands are shaking." Wu Meng interrupted him bluntly, picked up a spoon, scooped a spoonful of porridge, and blew gently to cool it down. "Open your mouth."
Xu Jinshi's ears turned even redder, but he obediently opened his mouth. The warm porridge slid into his mouth, and the perfect salty aroma immediately awakened his dormant taste buds.
Wu Meng fed him quickly and efficiently, but she would blow on each spoonful carefully to cool it down to ensure that it would not burn him.
"Is it delicious?" she asked, with a rare gentleness in her voice.
Xu Jinshi nodded, her black hair swaying with her movements: "...did my sister do this?"
"Hmm." Wu Meng admitted briefly, scooping another spoonful to his mouth, "Eat slowly."
Xu Jinshi swallowed in small sips, but his eyes never left Wu Meng's face.
In the sunlight, her features were much softer than usual, her long eyelashes cast light shadows under her eyes, and the corners of her mouth were slightly raised - a sign that she was in a good mood.
He suddenly realized that Wu Meng rarely showed this side of him to others, that kind of strength that was almost gentle.
"What are you looking at?" Wu Meng raised his eyebrows and gently touched his lower lip with the spoon.
Xu Jinshi opened his mouth and held the spoon, his tongue unconsciously licking the surface of the spoon, but his eyes were still looking at her: "Sister is beautiful."
Wu Meng's hand paused for a moment, his eyes darkening: "You're flirting before you're even clear-headed?"
Xu Jinshi shook his head, his black hair swaying behind his neck: "It's true."
His voice softened with the warmth of the porridge. "Sister, when you take care of others... you look so pretty."
This sentence was like a small stone thrown into Wu Meng's calm heart, causing ripples.
She put down the spoon and suddenly reached out to pinch his chin, her thumb rubbing across his slightly swollen lips. "If you keep talking nonsense, I won't feed you."
Xu Jinshi smiled, with a beautiful arc at the corner of her eyes: "Sister is reluctant to let me go."
Wu Meng narrowed his eyes and increased the strength in his hands: "So confident?"
Xu Jinshi did not answer, but leaned forward slightly and gently licked the thumb that was pinching her chin with the tip of his tongue.
The action was bold and provocative, totally unlike the behavior of someone who was in sore pain all over.
Wu Meng's eyes changed instantly. She let go of his chin, grabbed the back of his head, and pulled him towards her.
Their breaths blended, and just when Xu Jinshi thought she was going to kiss him, Wu Meng suddenly stopped, with the tip of her nose almost touching his.
"Wait until you can walk again," she whispered, her voice dangerously sweet. "Now, eat."
Xu Jinshi's eyelashes trembled violently, his Adam's apple rolled, but he nodded obediently: "...Okay."
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