The antique window lattice is exquisitely carved, and it glistens with a charming luster when the sunlight shines on it.
In Chu Liyue's study, rows of solid wood bookshelves with carved details stand tall.
Xiao Wujie, dressed in casual clothes, leaned against a large desk, the sunlight outlining a soft, slender silhouette around him.
He held the hardcover book in his hands, his gaze calm, his profile almost perfect.
Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat, and he coughed. His disordered breathing surged through his chest, and the itching sensation in his throat made him cough incessantly, unable to calm down.
He closed the book, one hand on the table, the other clutching his chest. A flush rose to his pale face, and his delicate brows furrowed into a deep frown.
A sudden metallic taste rose in his throat, and he frantically pulled out a few tissues and covered his mouth.
The suppressed, weary cough lingered for a long time. When he finally managed to calm himself and opened his palm, the pristine white tissue was stained with a patch of crimson blood.
Looking at the pool of blood in his hand, his eyelashes trembled slightly. This wasn't the first time he had coughed up blood recently.
Ye Jinyu and Lin Qingyi both tried to treat and regulate his condition, but to no avail.
He knew that, apart from surgery, conventional treatments were no longer effective for him.
What bothered him most was his sister's expression when she saw him coughing up blood; every pore of her face betrayed her sorrow, yet she suppressed it, unable to express it.
His breath carried a strong, metallic taste of blood. Xiao Wujie pursed his lips, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed the metallic sweetness in his throat.
Just as he was wiping the blood from his lips with a tissue, there was a knock at the door. Before he could react, the doorknob was already turning.
A slender figure, bathed in a halo of light, came into view.
The drug trial had just begun, and Chu Liyue was very busy, spending all her time in the laboratory observing Lin Qingyi's condition.
She would come to see him every one or two hours.
The instant the doorknob turned, Xiao Wujie flicked his wrist and firmly gripped the blood-stained tissue in his hand.
Chu Liyue saw that he had one hand on the table, his pale face was covered in sweat, and there were still some broken eyes in his eyes.
Her gaze sharpened, and she strode into the study. "Not feeling well?"
Xiao Wujie clenched his fists tightly, swallowed the blood in his mouth, and said hoarsely and haggardly, "Sister, I'm a little thirsty."
"My throat is sore, I want to drink water."
Without hesitation, Chu Liyue turned around to pour him water, while Xiao Wujie silently stuffed the blood-stained tissue into his pocket.
Xiao Wujie didn't bother her to feed him. He held the water cup with both hands, slightly pursed his lips to prevent the blood in his mouth from getting on the rim of the cup, and drank half a cup in small sips.
Chu Liyue led him to an office chair and sat him down, letting him sit sideways on her lap. She lowered her eyes slightly and gently wiped the sweat from his face with a tissue.
"Why are you running around instead of lying in your bedroom?"
Xiao Wujie wrapped his arms around her neck, leaned his head on her shoulder, and said softly, "Boring."
Chu Liyue wrapped her arms around his waist, gently stroking his abdomen with her palm, and said in a low, cold voice, "Why don't you just call Lu Zhufeng and have Yunmo accompany you?"
Xiao Wujie gently rubbed his cheek against her shoulder and shook his head: "I don't like them, I want you."
Chu Liyue's gaze trembled slightly as she lowered her head and kissed the tip of his delicate nose. "Be good, wait until I'm done with this busy period."
A hint of weariness appeared between Xiao Wujie's brows as he nodded gently.
Chu Liyue's gaze remained fixed on his face. "Sleepy again?"
Xiao Wujie leaned against her chest, his long eyelashes trembling wearily, and let out a soft "hmm".
His energy was getting worse and worse; he would feel tired if he got out of bed for even a short while.
Chu Liyue picked him up and carried him back to the room.
When he put her on the bed, Xiao Wujie hugged her tightly around the waist, his eyes filled with misty tears, looking pitiful and clingy.
"Sister, can you stay with me a little longer?"
"I can't sleep without you."
Chu Liyue kicked off her shoes, lay on her side on the bed, propped her arm on her face, and let Xiao Wujie cling tightly to her.
She gently patted Xiao Wujie's bony back, and seeing that he was still awake, she spoke in a low, cool, and alluring voice, her nagging directed only at him:
"I can't take care of you all the time right now."
"Take good rest and keep warm. If you feel unwell, go to Ye Jinyu immediately. He will stay at the manor until your surgery."
"Surgery isn't just a one-person affair; it also requires a certain level of physical fitness..."
Chu Liyue's gentle voice lingered in his ears, and Xiao Wujie felt only happiness in his heart. However, he always felt that this talkative older sister was a bit like Aunt Jing, so he closed his eyes and hummed:
"Sister, you're disturbing me."
Chu Liyue's gaze paused for a moment, then a hint of helpless smile appeared in her eyes.
Xiao Wujie nestled in her arms and murmured, "Sister, kiss me and coax me, and I'll fall asleep soon."
"I'll let you go once you're asleep."
As he wished, Chu Liyue lowered her head and gently kissed his brow and the corner of his lips, "Good boy, go to sleep."
Soon, Xiao Wujie wrapped his arms around Chu Liyue's waist, pressed his face against her chest, and slept soundly with a faint smile on his face.
Chu Liyue gently traced his eyebrows and eyes with her fingers, but did not leave immediately when she saw that he was asleep.
Her eyes flickered, and her fingers reached into Xiao Wujie's pocket.
Although Xiao Wujie's movements were subtle, how could they possibly escape her notice?
As soon as she entered the study, she noticed that Xiao Wujie's hands were clenched tightly, and he was hiding something in his hand. She also noticed all the other unusual things that happened behind him.
With a light, nimble tug of her fingers, the blood-red tissue, crumpled into a ball, was revealed before her eyes.
Chu Liyue's fingers suddenly clenched, a bitter feeling rising in her heart, as if she were being pricked by countless fine needles, making her chest feel suffocated.
She held Xiao Wujie in her arms, but Ye Jinyu's words flashed through her mind. Ye Jinyu had said more than once that Xiao Wujie's physical condition would deteriorate faster and faster each day, and he might even lose his five senses.
With the 100-day countdown to surgery underway, Lingnan spent a month there, plus a trip to the Western Regions, along with the pharmaceutical preparations; nearly half the days had passed in the blink of an eye.
The current drug trial will take another month, and the surgery date is already within the limit.
Xiao Wujie is now mentally exhausted, and he coughs up blood every few days. How much will his health deteriorate in a month?
She had no confidence, and didn't even dare to think about it.
This surgery will be Xiao Wujie's most intense battle with death, and some people will certainly not let this opportunity pass and allow the surgery to proceed smoothly.
She had been hampered by Xiao Wujie's illness, but once he recovers, she will have no more worries, and some people should start to panic.
This surgery can be considered the final move in the game.
Everything should come to an end with this surgery.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
