56 A kiss with a delicate, subtle fragrance
As Wen Xueyan approached, she could see more clearly the gaunt contours of Cheng Boyan's face. She slowly reached out and gently stroked his forehead, trying to smooth out the lines that hadn't fully relaxed even in his sleep.
Her gaze lingered on Cheng Boyan's eyes and brows, longing to kiss him.
The man she loved to the core was now lying here so vulnerable.
Just as her fingertips lingered on his slightly furrowed brow, the person on the bed seemed to be startled by the gentle touch.
His brows furrowed even more, his head tilted slightly to one side, and a muffled, hoarse murmur escaped his throat, carrying obvious resistance and alienation: "Stay away from me, get out! Don't touch me."
Those few cold words instantly extinguished all of Wen Xueyan's courage and gentleness. Her fingers froze in mid-air, her heart clenched, and her blood seemed to freeze in that moment.
They had only broken up a short time ago, yet even when he was not fully conscious, he was so averse to her getting close? A wave of immense hurt and sadness almost overwhelmed her.
Wen Xueyan thought for a moment, could it be that he mistook her for someone else? After all, the one who was in the outer room just now was Xu Junxian.
After all, Wen Xueyan could feel Cheng Boyan's silent care for her these past few days.
She finally had a chance to see Cheng Boyan today, so she definitely couldn't just leave like this.
Xi Mingyuan had just managed to pull Xu Junxian aside for a talk, and before leaving, he extended a hand to her. Wen Xueyan remembered that before coming, President Xi had said he would give her five minutes.
Wen Xueyan suppressed the stinging in her nose, leaned down, and whispered in his ear, "Boyan, it's me, Xueyan. I've come to see you. I've missed you so much, you know? I have so much to tell you."
This gentle call resonated deep within Cheng Boyan's hazy consciousness, creating ripples.
His tightly closed eyelashes fluttered a few times, and then he slowly opened his eyes. His gaze then settled on the face he had longed for day and night beside the bed.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment.
Cheng Boyan stared at her blankly, his eyes filled with disbelief, as if he were examining a phantom that was too beautiful and fragile.
Was it a dream? It must be.
Cheng Boyan felt that only in his dreams would Wen Xueyan appear beside him like this, accompanying him so closely. After all, Wen Xueyan had already broken up with him, and these days he could only see her in his dreams.
Besides, he remembered that he was in the hospital and Xu Junxian was almost always by his side; she would never agree to let Wen Xueyan come in alone.
However, the dream was far too real, so real that Cheng Boyan could see the shimmering tears in her eyes, so real that he could feel the slight warmth of her breath, carrying her unique scent.
And there was the faint scent of her hair.
However, this "dream" did not vanish as quickly as usual. Wen Xueyan remained there, truly present.
It's not a dream!
This realization flashed into Cheng Boyan's mind like a bright light.
He didn't even have time to think about why she was here or where Xu Junxian had gone. All he knew was that Xueyan had come, she had really come.
Regardless, all he wanted to do now was seize the moment, even if it was only for a second.
Then, his hand, which had been limply resting on the edge of the bed, suddenly rose up and grabbed Wen Xueyan's slender wrist tightly.
He used a lot of force, and even hurt her a little because he was in a hurry, but the warmth from his palm clearly conveyed the surging emotions in his heart.
That wasn't rejection, nor was it alienation; it was the fear of losing her again after regaining her, an impulse to keep her by my side with all my might.
Wen Xueyan was stunned by his sudden reaction.
She felt the touch on her wrist was so real.
Wen Xueyan noticed that his forehead was a little damp and asked, "Bo Yan, are you sweating?"
"Yeah, I have a bit of a fever. I've sweated a lot, and my forehead feels sticky," Cheng Boyan cleared his throat and replied.
Wen Xueyan quickly went to the bathroom, took out a clean towel, soaked it in warm water, and carefully wrung it out until it was half dry to ensure the temperature was just right.
She returned to the bedside, bent down, gently gathered his slightly sweaty short hair with one hand, and held a towel in the other hand, wiping his forehead with extreme gentleness.
Her movements were meticulous and focused, from her brow to her hairline. The towel absorbed the fine sweat from her forehead, and Cheng Boyan felt much more comfortable.
Just as she was focused on wiping him, Cheng Boyan suddenly raised his hand and gently grasped her wrist again.
"Am I really not dreaming?" His voice was low and hoarse as he looked into Wen Xueyan's eyes. "Don't move, Xueyan, let me take a good look at you. Come closer to me, okay? It's so hard to see you."
Wen Xueyan stopped what she was doing and met his deep eyes. Those eyes were filled with too many complex emotions at this moment: surprise, longing, and a hint of cautious uncertainty.
Seeing him like this, Wen Xueyan's heart softened completely.
She leaned down and placed a soft, feather-like kiss on Cheng Boyan's forehead. The kiss was filled with tenderness, longing, and all the worries and anxieties of the past few days.
This was the first time she had the opportunity to be this close to him since their breakup.
Even though they had met at a wedding before, they could only look at each other from afar, let alone kiss.
Just as Wen Xueyan was about to get up, Cheng Boyan suddenly grabbed the back of her head, preventing her from retreating. His gaze was fixed on her eyes, the emotions within them surging so intensely they almost overwhelmed her.
Cheng Boyan raised his head slightly and accurately captured her lips.
Soon, the long-suppressed longing surged forth like a flood bursting its banks. His kiss became passionate, as if he wanted to confirm her real existence through this kiss, to make up for all the separation and longing of these past days.
Cheng Boyan felt the soft warmth of her lips, which seemed to carry the fresh scent of spring flowers, like newly blooming cherry blossoms, moistened by morning dew and with a very faint sweetness; or like a valley orchid, exuding a delicate fragrance when a breeze blows.
Wen Xueyan closed her eyes, responding to his kiss, letting his unique, cool scent gently envelop her.
This kiss was like the gentle spring rain in Jiangnan, delicate and lingering, carrying the tender power to revive all things.
At this moment, the pain of separation over the past few months seemed to have found an outlet.
All those days and nights spent alone, all those suppressed longings, all those unfulfilled worries, were gently soothed at this moment.
What followed was the joy of regaining what was lost, like the first ray of warm sunshine in early spring, piercing through the gloom of the long winter and shining straight into the softest corner of his heart.
When the kiss ended, Wen Xuexue gently buried her burning cheeks in his warm neck, like a migratory bird that had finally found its way home. Outside the window, an early cherry blossom was peeking out its newly opened buds, the pink and white petals swaying slightly in the breeze, as if peeking at the spring quietly blooming in this ward.
Cheng Boyan's hand remained on her back, stroking it gently, as if to soothe her or to confirm her presence.
Then, Cheng Boyan planned to ask her how she got there.
Just then, a violent coughing sound suddenly came from outside the door.
Outside the ward, at the window at the end of the corridor, Xi Mingyuan leaned against the window frame, the cigarette between his fingers flickering in the air.
Xu Junxian stood two steps away from him, her brows slightly furrowed, clearly having lost patience with this forced conversation.
“President Xi, regarding the project cooperation you just mentioned, the specific details will probably require you to visit the company again next time to discuss them in detail with the Group’s Vice President in charge.” Xu Junxian’s tone was distant, her gaze occasionally glancing towards the ward. “I have to go back to take care of Boyan. You can also go back to the ward to continue visiting him.”
Xi Mingyuan raised his hand in a gesture to stop him, and slowly exhaled a smoke ring, the grayish-white smoke rising slowly in the sunlight. A familiar, enigmatic smile played on his lips. "Mrs. Cheng, please wait a moment. Look, I haven't finished this cigarette yet. You wouldn't want your Mr. Cheng inhaling secondhand smoke in the hospital room, would you?"
Upon hearing the title "Mrs. Cheng," Xu Junxian's brows relaxed slightly. She longed for this title and stopped in her tracks.
As Xi Mingyuan spoke, he suddenly turned his head and let out a suppressed cough, his shoulders twitching slightly, as if the smoke was making him very uncomfortable.
Xu Junxian frowned even more, her tone clearly displeased: "President Xi, is your smoking habit really that bad? You're coughing like this, can't you smoke less? And why does it have to be in a place like a hospital? Can't you smoke at home?"
"Give me one more minute." Xi Mingyuan glanced at his watch, his tone unhurried. "Mrs. Cheng, why don't you patiently let me finish? Your vice president doesn't have your vision, which is why the initial negotiations didn't go smoothly. Otherwise, why would I have come to you? The prospects for this project are indeed considerable, especially in..."
“I’m sorry,” Xu Junxian interrupted him, her voice turning colder, “I can only understand the general outline of these technical details, after all, I don’t have a technical background. Once we get back to the company, I’ll have the vice president closely monitor this project, and we can discuss it in more detail then. Now, I must go back to the ward; I’m worried about Boyan’s condition.” Having said that, Xu Junxian gave Xi Mingyuan no further excuses and turned to walk resolutely towards the ward.
The sound of high heels clicking on the floor echoed in the empty corridor.
Xi Mingyuan coughed loudly a few more times, quickly stubbed out his cigarette in the extinguisher by the windowsill, and then followed closely behind. A glimmer of triumph flashed in his eyes, which always carried a hint of cynicism.
This cigarette has lasted long enough.
Just as Xu Junxian was about to push open the ward door, Xi Mingyuan suddenly reached out and gently tugged at her sleeve. The gesture was perfectly timed, neither offensive nor intrusive, and successfully stopped her in her tracks.
"Mrs. Cheng, please wait a moment." Xi Mingyuan's voice held a hint of amusement. "I have another question for you, and I hope you will answer honestly."
Xu Junxian frowned and turned around, her tone revealing obvious impatience: "President Xi, you might as well speak frankly."
Xi Mingyuan took a half step forward, the sunlight falling perfectly on his sharply defined profile. Today, he wore a meticulously tailored dark gray suit, which accentuated his tall and imposing figure. His tie was loosely tied, and the top two buttons of his shirt were casually undone, exuding a perfectly balanced sense of nonchalance. He leaned slightly forward, gazing intently at Xu Junxian: "Do I look handsome?"
The question was so abrupt that Xu Junxian was momentarily stunned. She looked at the man in front of her. He was indeed unforgettablely handsome, with deep and defined features, and an air of dashing and unrestrained charm about him.
Years ago, when she was infatuated with Gu Mengzhou, Xu Junxian would definitely have given President Xi a second look, but now she no longer cares about appearances.
Considering that Xi Mingyuan was an important client, Xu Junxian suppressed her sense of absurdity and forced herself to remain polite: "Of course Mr. Xi is very handsome. May I go back to my ward now?"
Xi Mingyuan straightened up with satisfaction and made a "please go ahead" gesture.
In the ward, Wen Xueyan heard the cough and, as if startled awake, sat up abruptly and quickly moved away.
Her cheeks were flushed, his warmth still lingered on her lips, and her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst out of her chest.
Cheng Boyan's hand remained suspended in mid-air, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes, but it quickly returned to its usual deep expression.
He seemed to sense something, though he didn't know exactly what it was.
Wen Xueyan took a step back and walked to the door of the inner room.
She had already straightened her slightly disheveled collar; the lingering warmth of the kiss still reminded her that what had just happened was not a dream.
"President Cheng, you're awake? I just discussed the MK project with Mrs. Cheng. I'd like to ask for your opinion. Regarding this project..." President Xi saw Xu Junxian enter the ward and, before she could say anything, quickly began discussing business.
"Bo Yan, President Xi is getting married next week." Xu Junxian interrupted him, glancing at Wen Xueyan.
Welcome all readers, teachers, and darlings to leave comments and vote! Thank you for your support.
Will there be a second update today? (Looking forward to it)
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Thank you for your comments, dear readers! There's only one chapter today, thank you for urging me to update!
Thank you for commenting! There's only one chapter today. I love the text emojis you sent, they're so cute!
I can't get enough of it!
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Thank you to the readers for urging me to update! It's very motivating!
Okay, okay, thank you so much for urging me to update! It's so heartwarming.
It's so vivid! Combined with Wen Shuyi's song, the atmosphere is absolutely perfect. Yuanshan's writing is truly amazing; I admire it greatly and look forward to the rest.
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