He stood at the doorway, not immediately going in. He glanced around her house. It was big and spacious. As someone in the industry, he could tell at a glance that it was probably about 500 square meters.
Every space in the house is meticulously designed, revealing the owner’s taste. However, it lacks a sense of life, feeling cold and impersonal, like an art gallery.
So she stood at the bar a short distance away, bathed in a circle of light. She had the feminine softness and fragility that comes with being a woman; her silky dress flowed around her curves like an artwork, merging seamlessly with the house itself.
But, Zhao Tingxing was not a person with artistic sensibilities. He couldn’t appreciate it; he only thought her face was extremely ugly at this moment.
Hàn Lì glanced at him and said, “There are slippers in the cabinet on the left.”
Zhao Tingxing nodded, just about to bend down and open the cabinet to get slippers, Han Li seemed to have thought of something, suddenly rushed over, one hand pressed against the door of the cabinet, “I’ll get them for you.”
Suddenly, someone appeared out of nowhere, sprinting towards Zhao Tingxing with labored breaths. They stopped right in front of him, panting heavily.
Zhao Tingxing straightened up and spread his hands: “Take it.”
He was dubious about her odd behavior, but not curious. It was just a slipper after all.
Han Li collected her thoughts and then opened the shoe cabinet a crack, taking out a pair of disposable slippers for him.
Her place occasionally has guests, so she has plenty of slippers for both men and women. As for why she was nervous? Because there were several pairs of children’s shoes that Han Zhaoyi had worn when he visited recently still in the shoe cabinet and hadn’t been put away yet.
Zhao Tingxing changed his shoes and walked side by side with her. Usually, she seemed tall, but because of the slippers, she was a head shorter than him at this moment. Looking at her, it gave off an illusion that she was very petite.
Reaching the bar, Han Li poured a cup of warm water for himself and one for Ye Qing. “Congratulations,” he said.
Zhaoting seemed to want to hear just that. He had to admit, he wanted her to see his success, for her previous disdain for his poverty and leaving him, as well as for her later help.
In short, a complex mix of emotions, but all driven by the need to prove he could.
Helen has had a fever for the past few days, she’s been feeling very weak. Just now, when she got nervous, she broke out in a sweat again. “Turn left ahead, the first room is the guest room, you can sleep there. Good night.”
She couldn’t hold on any longer and needed to go back to her room to lie down and rest immediately.
Before tonight, the two rarely spoke seriously. They’d barely exchange greetings before jumping straight to business. Zhao Tingxing came over tonight with an idea, but seeing her like this, he lost all interest and just asked, “Do you want to go to the hospital?”
He wouldn’t care about people, and even saying this felt stiff and awkward, uncomfortable to hear even to himself.
Han Li shook his head: “No need, just take some medicine.”
He went into his room, saying that.
She had only taken two steps when a shadow suddenly enveloped her from behind. Before she could react, she was lifted off the ground. “I’m sick,” she managed to say, barely able to speak tonight.
Zhao Tingxing only asked: “Which room is yours?”
Han Li pointed to the distance, and Zhao Tingxing carried her over.
He was still wearing the suit and tie from the victory celebration earlier, looking serious. She was dressed more lightly, and when he picked her up like this, most of her body was exposed. The mirrored paintings on the corridor walls reflected their figures, creating a scene that felt both shy and intimate, with longing glances and entwined necks.
Luckily, Zhao Tingxing was so focused on finding her room that he didn’t see the blurry, suggestive image in the mirror.
He carried her into her room and put her on the bed. His movements weren’t gentle; she almost fell in.
<<>>
It’s like this outside, and even the bedroom is the same. It’s chilly, even for a grown man like him.
Han Li’s low fever wouldn’t go away, and he felt drowsy as soon as he lay down in bed. I didn’t talk to him.
He had intended to leave, taking a few steps before turning back. He reached out and touched her forehead, then asked, “Where’s the medicine?”
I just went out to get some water so I could take my medicine.
“How many days have you been burning? You should go to the hospital and take a look.” He asked again, his tone still as hard as ever. When he spoke of caring for someone, he probably felt awkward himself.
Han Li only wanted him to stop talking, leave her room, and let her get a good night’s sleep. She figured she would feel better in the morning.
“Go to the guest room and sleep.” She ordered him to leave again.
“Come, I’ll take you to the hospital.”
Zhao Tingxing had felt that she was unsteady on her feet in the corridor just now, so he reached out to hug her into the room. Now seeing that she seemed worse, he thought it was best to go to the hospital for peace of mind.
This woman is just like an old woman, she only knows how to tough it out. Don’t push yourself any further and get sick.
Han Li knew her own body well. She was in good health and had rarely even caught a cold over the years. This time, it was due to a sudden relaxation, as if a string had snapped, causing an immune response. It would be fine in a couple of days.
She insisted on not going to the hospital and fell asleep soon after. Zhao Tingxing saw that he couldn’t wake her up, so he had to follow her.
He shut the bedroom door, but instead of going to the guest room, he sat down at the bar where she had just been. Behind the bar was a row of mahogany glass cabinets, and when he looked in, they were filled with bottles of liquor of every price range imaginable.
What kind of women are these? Are they alcoholics or something?
He scoffed, then opened the cabinet and uncorked the most expensive bottle at the top. He deliberately wasted it because he had already had a bit to drink during his business dinner tonight and wasn’t really in the mood for more.
After a long while, the house fell silent. Not even the slightest sound came from the door of the neighboring house that needed to be covered. He then got up and went to sleep in the guest room.
<<>>
He got up and walked around to the living room outside, only faintly hearing the sound of cooking, but couldn’t find the kitchen. He followed the sound.
The house was large, and it took two hallways to reach another space where a woman was cooking in the kitchen. Unlike last night’s weakness, she seemed to have slept well and her spirits had improved considerably.
Actually, Han Li had woken up early and put on a light layer of makeup to make her complexion look better. She didn’t want to face Zhao Tingxing with a pale face, of course. And naturally, a man like Zhao Tingxing wouldn’t be able to tell that she was wearing makeup.
She was making congee, she had no appetite. On the table there was a pile of cold salad and two salted duck eggs cut open and oozing oil.
Needless to say, it must be from Grandma again.
A familiar feeling flashed through my mind, mingled with a sense of strangeness. Watching her cook from behind, blurred and distant images flickered in my memory.
“When I have money in the future, I’ll buy you a house. The house must have a big kitchen…”
The memory felt fake, as if he wouldn’t have said something so melodramatic.