Zi Xi took small sips from his hand, the warm water relieving the dryness in her throat and the coldness in her body.
After finishing her drink, she leaned back weakly against the pillow, her eyes half-open, gazing mistily at Pei Jiwang's sharply defined profile so close to her.
Who is this guy? His hands are pretty steady... and he's handsome too.
Intermittent whispers came through, less guarded than usual, leaving only the hazy state of being ill.
Pei Jiwang didn't say anything, but simply tucked the blanket around her and carefully pressed the military jacket down around her shoulders.
He wrung out a cool towel again and replaced the one on her forehead that had already cooled down.
Time passed amidst the storm and the quiet care inside the house.
Pei Jiwang barely slept all night, checking her temperature from time to time, changing her towels, and feeding her water.
In the latter half of the night, Zi Xi's body temperature seemed to have gone down a bit, no longer so hot, and her breathing gradually became steady and deep, as she fell into a true sleep.
That faint voice gradually faded into a calm silence.
Pei Jiwang sat on the chair by the bed, watching Zixi's peaceful sleeping face by the dim light of the kerosene lamp.
The abnormal flush on her face faded, leaving only a tired pallor, with a few strands of sweat-dampened black hair clinging to her cheeks, making her look exceptionally fragile.
At this moment, she was simply a patient who needed care.
A tender emotion quietly sprouted in the cracks of his cold, hardened heart.
Pei Jiwang recalled her initial pickiness about everything, her clumsy efforts to suppress her discomfort, and her silent worry when she received the letter from home.
I also recall the sparkle in her eyes when she faced the sea.
This troublesome capitalist lady seems to have already unknowingly invaded his territory with her adorable appearance.
The storm outside the window gradually subsided, leaving only the patter of raindrops.
A faint gray-white hue peeked through the horizon.
Zi Xi woke up in the dim morning light, feeling that her head was still a little heavy, but her body was no longer so uncomfortable.
She turned her gaze slightly and saw Pei Jiwang leaning against the chair by the bed, seemingly asleep, his brows slightly furrowed and faint dark circles under his eyes.
Pei Jiwang's hand was still loosely resting on the edge of her blanket.
She was covered with the blankets of both of them, and his familiar old military jacket.
Did he stay up all night for me?
This realization gave Zi Xi a slight jolt.
Looking at his tired sleeping face, a bittersweet feeling welled up inside me.
The perception that he was cold and serious, and that he only accepted her because he was in a leadership position, began to waver at this moment.
This seemingly tough man also appears to have a meticulous and even gentle side.
At least when she was at her most vulnerable and helpless, he didn't abandon her, but took care of her in a practical way.
[She's quite gentle.]
Zi Xi stared blankly at Pei Jiwang's sleeping face, then gradually drifted back to sleep.
The rain outside the window has stopped, and the morning sea breeze, carrying the freshness of the rain, blows into the cracks.
The room was quiet, with only the soft breathing of the two people.
After the storm, the island looked as if it had been thoroughly cleansed, and the sky was a clear, azure blue.
Pei Jiwang's mind-reading ability also stabilized as the weather improved.
The signal interruption that rainy night seemed like just a brief interlude, leaving a faint mark in his heart, reminding him of the extraordinary and uncertain nature of this ability.
"Sister-in-law, sister-in-law! Your letter! It's from Shanghai!"
That afternoon, the communications officer, Xiao Chen, rode his bicycle to the family compound, stopped in front of Pei Jiwang's house, waved a brown paper envelope in his hand, and shouted loudly.
Zi Xi, who was inside the room worrying about the yellow soap, suddenly jumped up from her chair upon hearing the shout and almost rushed to the door.
"I am my letter?"
Zi Xi's voice was filled with disbelief and urgency, her eyes fixed on the envelope in Xiao Chen's hand.
"Yes, it's from Shanghai, a registered letter, we need to sign for it."
Xiao Chen smiled and handed her the letter and the receipt book.
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