Chapter 32 He wanted more than just to help her up; he even wanted to…
Zhu Meng's eyes widened slightly, and a rare look of surprise appeared on his usually calm face. He opened his lips as if he wanted to say something, but Jiang Shan waited for several seconds and he said nothing.
Oh, that familiar feeling of wanting to say something but holding back.
Jiang Shan assumed that Zhu Meng wouldn't say anything later since he was silent now. She reached out to take the phone to see how she looked in the photos when she suddenly heard him ask a question.
"...May I hold your hand?"
Jiang Shan was reaching for his phone when he heard Zhu Meng's question. He hesitated and tried to pull his hand back, but whether it was Zhu Meng's doing or Jiang Shan's accident, their fingertips accidentally touched in mid-air.
The warmth traveled through his skin, soothing the slight chill on Jiang Shan's fingers.
"Hmm, that works too." It'll be perfect as a hand warmer.
This time, Zhu Meng was not satisfied with simply holding hands.
He placed Jiang Shan's left hand fingers between the thumb and forefinger of his right hand, his eyes, filled with soft light, slowly closed, and his lips pursed, placing a light, fleeting kiss on the back of her hand.
"Jiangshan, if you are to become queen, I will be the most loyal subject in your empire."
It was like a marriage proposal, or a knight making a vow to a queen.
"Wow, what are they doing?" "Looks like they're proposing?" "Did they choose this time? How romantic!"
The moment Zhu Meng took Jiang Shan's hand, the entire audience stopped talking. The loudspeaker, oblivious to the romantic atmosphere, loudly announced the end of the event, but even its loudspeaker couldn't drown out the chattering of the onlookers.
Only five or six seconds later, their chaotic discussion turned into three tacitly agreed-upon words.
"Marry him! Marry him! Marry him..."
The gazes of those around him were blatantly directed at him, several times hotter than a burning candle, making Jiang Shan's cheeks burn.
What's going on? They must have misunderstood something! How can they start making a fuss without even understanding the situation?
The story of "three men can make a tiger" that we learned in textbooks before is just like this, right?
How embarrassing! She's practically dug a Barbie castle out of her toes!
"……oh."
Jiang Shan moved her left hand up and down, like a stubborn fish, squeezing out from the gap in Zhu Meng's palm. She stiffly turned her head toward the small door of the honey pot, held onto the frame of the honey pot with her right hand, and took quick steps out.
"It's over, let's go." She said this to Zhu Meng and walked away.
Zhu Meng slung Jiang Shan's bag over one shoulder and ran faster than a national-level athlete, catching up with Jiang Shan, who was in a frenzy, in half a minute.
"They misunderstood you, are you angry?"
He walked briskly while asking questions. Perhaps due to his regular exercise, his energy was burning intensely, but his voice remained as steady as ever, like a giant ship that blots out the sky, sailing smoothly on the blue waves.
Jiang Shan did not reply immediately.
She was misunderstood, that's true, but was she really angry? It seems not entirely...
Sigh, how can someone not even understand their own thoughts?
Jiang Shan walked faster for another twenty seconds, but he was really out of breath and had to slow down and return to his normal walking pace.
She took a couple of deep breaths and gave an ambiguous answer.
"Maybe."
Zhu Meng wanted to press Jiang Shan for answers, but he was afraid of bothering him by asking the same questions repeatedly. He racked his brains for a while but couldn't come up with a suitable answer, so he could only keep quiet and silently pray that "Jiang Shan won't think he's mute if he doesn't speak."
A night breeze swept by, carrying a faint, unidentified floral fragrance, as it enveloped the two of them in the cool night air.
This scene is so beautiful, it's perfect for romance.
Unfortunately, Jiang Shan didn't feel any romance; instead, he responded with a shiver.
Ouch, it's a bit chilly.
She rubbed the goosebumps that had appeared on her forearms and, as was her habit, began to recall what she had just done that was bad for her body.
...Did you just break out in a sweat and then get chilled by the wind?
That doesn't seem to be entirely true.
If you get chilled, you'll probably sneeze, right?
She didn't sneeze, but inexplicably felt cold in her hands and feet, as if she was losing blood... wait, losing blood...
"Are you cold?" Zhu Meng suddenly asked.
His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough to interrupt Jiang Shan's thoughts.
"...Huh? What?" Jiang Shan crossed her arms over her chest, trying to ward off the slightly chilly summer breeze. "Sorry, I was thinking about something and didn't hear you clearly."
Jiang Shan's action was normal, but when paired with her expressionless face as she pondered the problem, and her seemingly perfect logical flow of language, it gave off an aloof and unapproachable air.
Zhu Meng pursed her lips slightly, like a calm surface concealing a turbulent sea beneath.
Just because someone inexplicably started making a fuss, is Jiangshan going to distance himself from him?
This is actually quite normal.
He went too far, became infatuated, and tasted the forbidden fruit of Adam and Eve.
Zhu Meng gazed at Jiang Shan's somewhat puzzled eyes, rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, snapped his fingers, and snatched the suit jacket that was always prepared for him from the black-clad bodyguard who appeared in response. He then slung it over Jiang Shan's slightly trembling shoulders.
Hmm, her shoulders are so narrow, just like her overall thinness.
But she's also very tough, just like her stubborn temper.
Those who understand the times are wise, and the country did not refuse this timely help.
She tugged at the collar of her suit jacket, adjusting the angle at which it was draped over her shoulders to suit her height, her gaze softening slightly: "Thank you."
Zhu Meng didn't speak, but slowly shook his head.
Jiang Shan looked very thin; when you touched him, you could only feel a thin layer of flesh.
...How come she's so thin?
The surroundings were bustling, but the two of them were cold and quiet.
No one spoke, as if they were secretly competing with each other.
Zhu Meng racked his brains, forcing his somewhat malfunctioning mind to think of what he could talk about with Jiang Shan amidst the beautiful scenery of flowers and moonlight.
He finally remembered an interesting story he had come across on Little Green Book and was about to bring it up when he suddenly realized that Jiang Shan was acting strangely.
Why is she still shaking?
On a summer night in the Northern Hemisphere with temperatures nearing 30 degrees Celsius, was she still cold even though she was wearing a coat?
“…The land?” he called softly.
Jiang Shan raised his head and hummed a single sound through his nose: "Hmm?"
A thin layer of sweat seeped from her smooth forehead. The sweat glistened in the moonlight, each drop seemingly countable, much like the shimmering ripples on a pond, only lacking a certain fluidity.
Normally, Zhu Meng would be stunned for at least a few seconds.
But he really didn't have the mind to think about anything else right now.
He just wanted to know, what exactly happened to Jiangshan?
"Are you... feeling unwell?" Zhu Meng really didn't know how to be tactful, so after hesitating for a moment, she went straight to the point.
Jiang Shan shook his head, wanting to deny it as he habitually would.
From childhood to adulthood, no matter how uncomfortable she was, she could never rest. It was rare for her to have the courage to tell her parents that she was feeling unwell, and she would only receive a few words of normal concern such as "Where do you feel uncomfortable?"
But behind that comes a barrage of nagging, like, “I told you not to do xxx, but look at you, you’re still disobedient, and you need your mom and dad to take care of you.”
But often, even when she wasn't doing anything, maybe just sitting in her study doing some exercises, her stomach would inexplicably start hurting.
Over time, she preferred not to say anything.
Zhu Meng didn't believe she was alright.
"Jiang Shan, you're sweating profusely."
Like a detective searching for evidence, he pulled out a tissue from his bag and wiped away the cold sweat that kept seeping from Jiang Shan's forehead. He then touched her hand, frowned, and added, "Your hands are cold too."
Jiang Shan felt a little dizzy.
Zhu Meng, you really are a man of principle.
She twitched the corners of her mouth, letting out an awkward self-deprecating smile: "President Zhu, sometimes it's a virtue to see through things but not say them out loud."
Zhu Meng wanted to shake Jiang Shan's cold hand, but just before they touched, he hesitated and withdrew, feeling a pang of homesickness.
Taking advantage of someone's misfortune is extremely impolite.
He didn't want to be so direct, but...
"But you're not feeling well."
"Yeah, I am a little dizzy." Since she had already been exposed, Jiang Shan stopped trying to save face. She smiled faintly, "It's probably from riding that honey pot. It's nothing, I'll be fine after a while."
Zhu Meng raised his hand and glanced at the Patek Philippe.
"But thirteen minutes and twenty-eight seconds have passed since you left the bear honey pot."
Jiang Shan raised an eyebrow.
"...It might have a strong aftereffect."
Zhu Meng remained silent, his eyes fixed on the layer of cold sweat that had just appeared on Jiang Shan's forehead, his hands gripping his shirt tightly.
Is it so hard for her to admit that she is not feeling well?
Jiang Shan felt dizzy and nauseous, and had no time to pay attention to Zhu Meng's unspoken thoughts. He simply closed his eyes slightly and endured the familiar pain that came once a month.
Ugh, my period is coming again. It should be in the next couple of days.
"...Can you help me up?" Jiang Shan endured it again and again, swallowing several mouthfuls of saliva. He was really not doing well and looked like he was about to faint at any moment. Helpless, he opened his eyelids and asked Zhu Meng for help.
"I feel dizzy and can't stand up straight." She wasn't feeling well, so she spoke less, and even her earnest explanations sounded like impatient instructions.
Zhu Meng didn't find it annoying.
But my heart was like the cheese in a cheese bread; Jiang Shan's words tore it open, pulling out long, thin white strands.
The conflict between wanting to protect the country and fearing to frighten it resulted in a stalemate, with each side holding half the power, leaving them entangled in a lingering connection.
He held Jiangshan tightly and sighed silently.
He wanted more than just help her up; he wanted to hug her.
Jiang Shan leaned softly against Zhu Meng's shoulder, most of his weight pressing down on her. Her eyes, which had been half-open just moments before, were now almost completely closed.
"Have Li Li come here." Seeing that Jiang Shan was silent and about to faint, Zhu Meng quickly grabbed her shoulder and supported her just before she collapsed.
He frowned, turned around, and instructed Gao Ming, who was following behind him, to keep his eyes down and focus on his own thoughts.
"Yes!" Gao Ming looked down and took out his phone, quickly calling the unlucky Dr. Li. He glanced at Jiang Shan's pale face, received a glare from Zhu Meng, and silently cursed in his heart.
Tonight will probably be a sleepless night.
"Mr. Zhu, this young lady has a slight fever after catching a cold. The other discomforts are probably normal symptoms before her period. For most women, these shouldn't be a problem. It's just that this young lady's body is too weak, and her blood and qi are insufficient, making it difficult to supply them, which is why she's feeling so unwell..."
Dr. Li reported everything in detail in the house closest to Disneyland.
Zhu Meng stared intently at Jiang Shan, who was lying on the soft bed, seemingly in a semi-conscious state, but still frowning deeply and curling up to protect his abdomen.
My heart felt like it had been chopped into pieces and then thrown into a meat grinder to be minced into meat paste.
"Then give the medicine." His usually calm demeanor revealed a rare hint of impatience.
Dr. Li said cautiously, "We need to carefully consider the medication. Given this young lady's condition, if we want to relieve the pain quickly, we need to use a stronger painkiller. Every medicine has some side effects, and this medicine is so effective that it will have certain side effects."
Zhu Meng originally wanted to relieve Jiang Shan's pain quickly, but upon hearing the word "side effects," she pursed her lips.
If there are side effects, wouldn't Jiangshan suffer even more?
"Let's start with something milder," he said after a moment's thought.
The cool medicine slid down the syringe into Jiang Shan's body. Jiang Shan, who had been curled up and shivering slightly in the cashmere blanket, suddenly started to mutter in his sleep, his lips moving.
"Mom, it hurts..."
Zhu Meng placed his hand on Jiang Shan's shoulder, patting him lightly and intermittently, like a clock turning steadily.
Perhaps the medication was working, or perhaps his action reassured Jiang Shan; her murmurs gradually faded.
Zhu Meng's tense nerves finally relaxed. He turned his head and asked Li Li in a low voice.
"Is this a side effect of the medication?"
“…No.” Li Li wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. “The side effects of this drug don’t manifest in speech. Miss is probably talking in her sleep.”
Zhu Meng paused for a moment, then nodded after a few seconds.
"Okay, you can go now."
He sat on the edge of the bed, dipped a towel in hot water, and gently wiped Jiang Shan's face, which was wet with tears.
The ancients were right.
Despite the pain and suffering, he never failed to call out to his parents.
Even a girl as strong as Jiangshan couldn't help but call out to her seemingly useless mother when she was tormented by illness.
Zhu Meng nestled by the bedside lamp, having guarded the Jiangshan for most of the night. His eyelids were drooping, and his whole body ached from sitting in a motionless position.
He leaned his head against the headboard, about to doze off for a while, when Jiang Shan suddenly snorted.
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Author's Note: Hoo hoo hoo, feeling so relieved after finishing the CET-6 exam! Although I have my coursework defense tomorrow and two other exams next week, I'll try my best to update daily. Love you all! [kiss][confetti]
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