Chapter 19 Croissant
The night was long.
When Xia Li regained consciousness, she realized she was lying on the bed in a room, but this was not her room; it was Ji Ling's usual bedroom.
Warmth enveloped her, and she moved her body slightly, feeling a little strained. Then she slowly opened her eyes, only to be met with a pair of dark green pupils.
The sudden appearance of Ji Ling's face caught her off guard, causing her to catch her breath.
She opened her mouth, but her throat was dry. The words she wanted to say were replaced by a hoarse voice, and she couldn't utter a sound.
At this moment, Ji Ling frowned and handed over a glass of water, his deep worry evident in his expression, without saying a word.
She took the water glass, took a small sip, and moistened her throat.
After she was able to speak, just as she was about to thank him and ask about the situation, Ji Ling frowned and spoke before her, answering the doubts she hadn't voiced.
"The doctor said you were too emotional just now and fainted briefly, but it's nothing serious."
Xia Li nodded blankly after hearing this. In the unfamiliar environment, she subconsciously scanned her surroundings, but before she could finish looking around, she met Ji Ling's gaze.
She suddenly recalled the intimacy before she fainted, her lips still stinging slightly, and her cheeks flushed. Just as she was about to find a topic to ease the awkwardness, Ji Ling suddenly said, "This is the master bedroom, our bedroom. You rarely sleep here."
As soon as she finished speaking, she turned her head away shyly.
At this moment, Ji Ling added, "You can sleep here from now on, you don't need to go to the guest room."
It was almost like an order, leaving her no room to refuse.
Xia Li opened her hand, which was clenched around her clothes and hidden under the covers. She didn't know how to respond to Ji Ling's question, so she casually asked, "How long has it been?"
Then, feeling that the question was too hasty and brief, and that Ji Ling might not understand, he changed his question: "How long have I been unconscious?"
After hearing this, Ji Ling calmly tucked the blanket around her and replied, "Seventeen minutes."
"Huh?" Xia Li opened her mouth, too shocked to speak.
She thought it would be at least a day and a night long. After fainting, she recalled many past events, which trapped her in her dream like a cage. She tried desperately to break free, but in reality, only a dozen minutes had passed.
When she looked up again, she noticed fine beads of sweat on Ji Ling's forehead. After thinking about it, she realized it had only been a short while. So she awkwardly looked away and turned to the closed bedroom door. Just as she was about to thank him and find an excuse to leave, Ji Ling suddenly reached out and blocked her view with his large, well-defined hand.
Humans have five senses. When one of them, vision, is deprived, the other four are suddenly magnified.
Especially the touch; Ji Ling's warm, damp palm gently pressed against her eyes. This feeling was like a butterfly landing on a flower's heart, sucking the nectar from its core—a tender and enchanting sensation that made one's heart flutter.
She blinked, her eyelashes trembling slightly, her breathing rapid and anxious, her rhythm disrupted. The man's heavy, rhythmic breathing was also disrupted, his hot breath brushing against her ear and lifting the ends of her hair.
A faint scent of grapefruit wafted into her nose, exuding a hormonal aroma. Her tongue tingled, and she couldn't stop drooling. A sweet sensation spread throughout her body, and her heart pounded as she felt a surge of excitement.
Then she heard Ji Ling say, "The doctor just left. Before he left, he told you not to move around too much after you wake up. You should rest for a while longer."
Once Ji Ling moved his hand away, her vision returned, and she subconsciously looked in the direction where the large hand had moved.
She was stunned by that one glance.
She seemed to see Ji Ling's gaze lingering on her lips for several seconds before moving away. During the ambiguous kiss before she lost consciousness, Ji Ling's canine teeth brushed against her, leaving a tingling, numb sensation.
"Your lip color is always very light."
Her lip color is indeed very light, as many people have noted.
But the same words, spoken only by Ji Ling, carried an ambiguous and intimate tone.
Or perhaps it was the action at that time.
He almost put his fingertip into her mouth to explore the warmth inside.
Xia Li couldn't help but let her mind wander. They had just been kissing, but now she was getting hot because of a single sentence. Realizing her abnormal thoughts, she coughed awkwardly twice, trying to cover them up.
Ji Ling was completely unaware of Xia Li's thoughts. When he saw Xia Li coughing, he assumed she was feeling unwell and quickly stood up to support her, his worry evident in his eyes. "Where do you feel unwell?"
Xia Li was surprised by his action and instinctively gasped for breath. She quickly waved her hand and explained, "It's nothing, just a sore throat."
Ji Ling picked up her phone to make a call: "I'll have the doctor come over again."
Xia Li quickly stopped her, saying, "No need."
He looked at her with a sharp gaze.
"Really, you don't need to..."
However, before he could finish speaking, his stomach rumbled loudly, which was particularly clear in the quiet room.
"…………"
It was the early hours of the morning. Xia Li had barely eaten anything that night, and she was really embarrassed. The tips of her ears instantly turned bright red. She swallowed hard, her throat bobbing up and down, but she couldn't utter a single syllable.
Ji Ling glanced at her and asked simply, "Hungry?"
Xia Li slightly tucked her chin and nodded gently.
Ji Ling remained silent, tucked the blanket around her, and said with his eyes lowered, "I'll have Aunt Wang prepare the meal later."
However, when Xia Li went downstairs, she did not see Aunt Wang. She heard a noise in the kitchen and was about to push the door open when she bumped into Ji Ling.
Ji Ling's silver-gray shirt sleeves were neatly rolled up at the elbows, revealing the firm muscle lines of his forearms. Under the cold white light, the blue veins on the inside of his forearms were faintly visible, and there were also marks of flour on them. Xia Li's gaze moved up from the apron on his chest to his cheeks, and it was hard not to notice that a blush was spreading from his cheeks to behind his ears.
She was surprised to see Ji Ling wearing an apron; he looked so unfamiliar that she couldn't bear to stare at him with a furrowed brow.
I'm curious, but I can't help but want to watch.
How can someone wear an apron with such a restrained yet powerful aura?
Ji Ling felt a little embarrassed by her gaze, and turned his head away shyly, but his lips were sharp: "Haven't you seen enough yet?"
Xia Li then looked away, swallowing hard, and asked him, "What are you doing here?"
Ji Ling casually hooked the apron's ribbon, pulled it off nonchalantly, and replied, "Why can't I be here?"
Xia Li pretended not to care, but her gaze inadvertently swept over his movements. She then asked, "Where is Aunt Wang?"
Ji Ling replied, "Rest."
Then he urged Xia Li to leave the kitchen: "We can talk about it after we finish eating."
Xia Li looked up at him, and asked cautiously and uncertainly, "Were you cooking just now?"
Ji Ling, of course, denied it.
After hearing this, he turned his head away, took a step forward, blocking Xia Li's view while inadvertently closing the distance between them. He said, "How could that be?"
Xia Li shook her head slightly, but her gaze kept searching for an opportunity to peer into the kitchen.
Seeing this, Ji Ling also looked in the direction she was looking, his gaze lingering on the oven in the corner.
Inside the glass door, the golden crust of the croissants gleamed enticingly, and with the "ding" of the oven, the aroma of butter almost wafted out.
Before Xia Li could speak, Ji Ling suddenly explained, "Aunt Wang made it tonight."
Xia Li was out of consciousness and didn't hear clearly, so she mumbled a reply.
Seeing her so perfunctory attitude, Ji Ling's face darkened instantly, but in a moment, he calmly put on an indifferent expression.
Xia Li stood there, stunned.
Nine years ago, in winter, she ate her first croissant, a gift imbued with blessings.
That spring break, Ji Ling took her to travel in the island country. They traveled through one city after another by randomly drawing lots, until their destination changed from a metropolis to an inconspicuous small town. In the small town, some houses faced the sea, while others were nestled against the mountainside.
The most famous thing here is the lantern festival, which is held during the Chinese New Year.
The roadside was lined with red and pink lanterns, but unfortunately the expiration date had just passed, meaning we missed the best time to visit.
Coincidentally, there were few people, and that day brought all four seasons, creating a particularly unique atmosphere.
As the morning sun first appeared, snowflakes began to fall shortly afterward, followed by a light drizzle. As we left the hotel, hail suddenly began to fall, and a few minutes later, heavy rain poured down.
It's also a bit bad.
Because it's close to the mountains, there are no bustling commercial centers here. There are mostly roads with houses on both sides, so it's difficult to find a place that provides free umbrellas.
So she braved the rain and pulled Ji Ling into a random shop.
The shop is small, only able to accommodate four or five adults.
As soon as Xia Li entered, she saw a neatly arranged wooden counter filled with baked goods. Each pastry was accompanied by a macaron-colored greeting card with a message written on it.
She was lucky, benefiting from the off-season; at this time, there were only her, Ji Ling, and an old lady in the shop.
While waiting for the rain, they also patronized the elderly couple's business, casually choosing a dessert blind box.
After paying, the old lady adjusted her glasses, counted the coins in the tray, gave them change, and handed them a greeting card with a handwritten message on it. Xia Li accepted it with both hands and thanked her.
She couldn't understand what the old lady was saying and was about to ask Ji Ling to translate when she heard Ji Ling say, "She said this is a blessing for you. When you get home, tear the card in two. There's another message inside."
Xia Li nodded after hearing this, examined the thick cardboard for a while, and indeed it could be torn open. He then asked Ji Ling:
Why didn't she give it to you?
Ji Ling conveyed Xia Li's words to the old lady, and after the old lady finished explaining, he translated them back to Xia Li: "She said that the one you have in your hand is for both of us."
Seeing this, Xia Li immediately handed the greeting card to Ji Ling: "I see. We'll look at the message inside when we get back. Can you translate what's written on the outside first?"
Ji Ling glanced at it briefly, but didn't answer immediately. He turned his head to the side, his ears turning slightly red, and then stiffly explained, "It's nothing, just the shop's introduction."
Xia Li nodded thoughtfully, without paying attention to Ji Ling's situation.
Xia Li initially wanted to support the old lady's business, but unexpectedly, she opened a croissant in the blind box, and it was surprisingly delicious. The first bite was crispy, and the inside was filled with a rich, creamy flavor and a caramel taste.
Seeing that Xia Li liked it very much, Ji Ling went to the shop again the next day while Xia Li was asleep and asked the old lady for the recipe.
The old lady was very kind. She took a pen and wrote out a long tutorial by hand, rolled it up, and handed it to him.
When Xia Li woke up, she had already opened the greeting card. She tried to translate it on her phone, but because it was handwritten, the translation was always inaccurate, and the result was different every time.
Upon seeing Ji Ling return, she immediately went to his room to seek his help.
"Quick, see what it says?" Her eyes were hopeful and full of expectation.
Ji Ling took the torn and crooked card and looked at the text in the lower right corner.
This is truly a small shop's introduction.
There were no blessings or blessings; the page was completely blank.
When Xia Li saw that Ji Ling was silent, she was about to remind him when Ji Ling suddenly turned around and looked at her with utmost sincerity.
I wish you happiness and fulfillment, joy and laughter, and good health and comfort.
"Only for you."
Because of this blessing, croissants became her favorite dessert.
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