Chapter 30 – Do You Miss Me

Approximately half an hour later, the door opened again. The woman who had been cursing was gone, along with the high heels she had thrown on the ground. The neighborhood security supervisor was apologizing to Xi Yufeng, explaining that they had reviewed the surveillance footage and found out that the lady had slipped in with another resident. She couldn’t access the elevator so she climbed the stairs. He sincerely admitted that despite this, they still bore an inescapable responsibility and promised to strengthen the community’s security management to prevent such incidents from happening again.

Most of the follow-up negotiations were handled by Shi Mingxu while Xi Yufeng remained silent. When the supervisor requested to enter the house to check the safety conditions, Xi Yufeng coldly refused, “There’s no need.”

The supervisor didn’t insist and left his emergency contact information before leaving with several security guards.

Before entering the house, Shi Mingxu expressed his concern, “Ms. Xiao’s actions are reckless. If she uses such underhanded tactics again…”

“Let her,” Xi Yufeng said. “Whatever she does, I’ll return it in kind.”

“If Old Chairman Xi questions it again…”

Xi Yufeng replied, “Then let Xiao Yin repeat what she said in front of Xi Chengli.”

Saying this, Xi Yufeng laughed emotionlessly. “As long as she has the guts.”

Jiang Ruo stood at the door, watching the two discuss work-related matters after finishing their conversation.

Not until Shi Mingxu left and the door closed did Jiang Ruo approach, pulling Xi Yufeng to sit down on the sofa.

Sensing his intentions, Xi Yufeng tried to stand up, “I still have things to do. Have dinner yourself; there’s food in the fridge — ”

“Sit still.” Jiang Ruo, facing away from the sofa, squatted in front of the TV cabinet, searching for something. “I’ve already eaten, don’t worry about me.”

“…”

When Jiang Ruo returned with a first aid kit, taking out iodine, cotton swabs, and band-aids, Xi Yufeng couldn’t help frowning, “It’s just a minor injury, no need — ”

“How can you say that? What if it gets infected?” Jiang Ruo placed a box of fever-reducing medicine on the coffee table, stood up with alcohol and a cotton swab in hand, and pressed Xi Yufeng’s shoulder. “Don’t move around.”

“…”

Contrary to his firm attitude, Jiang Ruo applied the medicine with utmost care.

The wound was on the left side of Xi Yufeng’s face, a scratch made by Xiao Yin’s long nails. As Jiang Ruo gently rubbed the wound with an alcohol-soaked cotton swab, he recalled how Xi Yufeng had turned around to protect him. His heart felt like it was submerged in a hot spring, incredibly soft.

Mixed with an indescribable bitterness.

From hearing about the so-called “secrets of the wealthy” within the Xi family to witnessing Xi Yufeng being drugged by his good-for-nothing younger brother, Jiang Ruo guessed that his situation wasn’t optimistic. Later, seeing his stepmother repeatedly come over to provoke him, even saying those unspeakably crude words… As a bystander, Jiang Ruo felt alarmed and hurt. How must Xi Yufeng, as the involved party, feel?

Perhaps he had once been angry and confused, struggled through hardships, but over time, all that remained was a stubborn refusal to reconcile with the world and himself.

It wasn’t excessive caution but a way to protect himself.

Never before had Jiang Ruo felt so close to the man who always lit a cigarette alone in the darkness.

And Xi Yufeng, as if knowing what he was thinking, looked straight into his eyes and asked, “Did you hear everything?”

Not knowing how to respond, Jiang Ruo chose silence.

After applying the medicine, Jiang Ruo tore open a bandage to cover the only blemish on Xi Yufeng’s unrealistically perfect face. Then he dug out two capsules, handing them over with a glass of water.

This familiar scene of persuading someone to take medicine made Xi Yufeng feel uncomfortable, as if he was being taken care of as a weakling.

He subconsciously turned away to avoid it, then heard Jiang Ruo threaten, “If you don’t eat them, I’ll call 120 right now and have an ambulance take you to the hospital.”

Given Jiang Ruo’s usual flamboyant and unbridled style, Xi Yufeng believed he would actually do it.

Feeling cornered and annoyed, Xi Yufeng took the capsules from Jiang Ruo’s hand, threw them into his mouth, and swallowed them all.

Jiang Ruo handed him water to soothe his throat, finally smiling. “That’s — right.”

Although he changed his words at the last minute, Xi Yufeng vaguely guessed that Jiang Ruo wanted to say, “That’s a good boy.”

This increased his discomfort even more. When he reached for the laptop on the bedside table while sitting on the bed, Jiang Ruo grabbed his hand, stopping him. Xi Yufeng’s expression darkened, “Leave me alone.”

“I won’t,” Jiang Ruo responded logically. “Will your company collapse if you don’t work for one night? Or will the earth stop spinning if you read fewer documents tonight?”

Xi Yufeng couldn’t argue with him and simply retracted his hand, lying down.

Jiang Ruo showed that relieved expression again, as if saying, “That’s a good boy.” He leaned over to tuck the blanket around Xi Yufeng, his fingertips sliding across his cheek, causing a slight tingling sensation.

Xi Yufeng closed his eyes, hearing a gentle voice, “Okay, I didn’t hear anything. Now you can sleep in peace, right?”

Perhaps taking these words to heart, plus the fact that he still had a fever, Xi Yufeng temporarily escaped the insomnia that plagued him, sleeping deeply.

He even had a dream.

But rather than a dream, it was a replay of a memory.

Xi Yufeng saw a seven or eight-year-old boy sitting alone in the middle of a vast courtyard, facing the gate, his eyes not blinking, as if waiting for someone.

Dark clouds gathered overhead, and heavy rain suddenly came. A nanny-like woman came out with an umbrella, calling for him to go inside, but he wouldn’t, insisting on waiting here.

He heard the woman say, “Madam went to look for the master, she won’t be back today.”

“What about tomorrow?” he asked.

The woman showed a troubled expression. “She might not come back tomorrow either.”

“And the day after tomorrow?”

“The day after tomorrow, maybe… Xiao Feng, come inside. Aunt Fang will make your favorite sweet braised pork. We can eat and wait together.”

The boy shook his head, continuing to guard the gate.

Later, before the person arrived, the boy developed a high fever. In a daze, the boy heard Aunt Fang’s voice, “Madam, Young Master has a fever, you should see him quickly.”

However, the woman called Madam was preoccupied with other matters.

“A fever? Call a doctor. What use is it for me to see him?” She had a soft, beautiful voice, but at this moment, it became sharp and grating due to impatience. “Have you prepared the dishes I asked you to? Tonight, when the master comes back, if I can’t keep him, you’ll be the one to blame!”

In the dream, the bone-chilling rain extended into reality. The moment he opened his eyes, Xi Yufeng heard the faint sound of raindrops.

Along with the sound of footsteps back and forth, and the noise of windows being pushed and pulled.

Jiang Ruo was moving between rooms, closing the windows one by one while inwardly complaining about the inconvenience of having such a large house.

When he entered the master bedroom, he deliberately walked softly. After closing the window and about to leave, he glanced at the bed and approached uncertainly to observe.

Their unexpected eye contact stunned Jiang Ruo for a moment, and he quietly asked, “Did I wake you up?”

Xi Yufeng stared at him for a while before slowly shaking his head.

Jiang Ruo approached and picked up the thermometer beside the pillow.

Leaning forward to touch Xi Yufeng’s forehead, “Beep,” Jiang Ruo looked at the number in the light, relieved.

“It’s gone down, but you still have a slight fever.” Jiang Ruo arranged like a parent, “Take tomorrow off from work and rest for another day.”

Xi Yufeng didn’t comment on this. He turned to look at the alarm clock on the bedside table; the time had just passed midnight.

Food for the sick should be bland, so Jiang Ruo cooked porridge, served it into a bowl, and placed it in front of him, then hesitated. “This appearance… forget it, I’ll order takeout instead.”

Sitting next to him, Xi Yufeng took away his phone. “No need.”

Then he scooped the porridge with a spoon and put it into his mouth.

To be honest, the taste was acceptable. Jiang Ruo somehow learned to cut vegetables into thin strips, dice shrimp, and cook them with rice until soft and mushy. These ingredients mixed together tasted decent even without any seasonings.

Besides, Xi Yufeng didn’t have a strong appetite. He could eat a piece of lettuce between slices of whole wheat bread without showing any change in expression.

After eating, it was already late at night. Jiang Ruo yawned, telling Xi Yufeng to go back to his room to continue resting, but Xi Yufeng grabbed his wrist and brought him back to the room.

“The bowl hasn’t — ”

“Leave it for tomorrow.”

“There’s leftover porridge that hasn’t been put in the fridge yet…”

“It won’t go bad overnight.”

Xi Yufeng, who had recovered most of his health, seemed to regain control instantly, pushing Jiang Ruo onto the bed without hesitation, making him sleep.

But Jiang Ruo still had something to say, “But you — ”

“I’m going to take a shower.”

After Xi Yufeng finished speaking, he heard a soft laugh from the person behind him.

Turning around, he indeed saw Jiang Ruo’s lips curved upward, his smile bright and radiant, familiar to him.

“I was going to say, but you haven’t told me…” Jiang Ruo reached out to tug on the corner of Xi Yufeng’s shirt, holding it tightly and wrapping it around his finger. “It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other, do you miss me?”

Amidst the autumn rain in Feng City, a kiss naturally occurred, effectively dispelling the chill.

Xi Yufeng bent down, his arms supporting him on either side of Jiang Ruo, while Jiang Ruo raised his neck, chasing and responding to the shape of the cool but somewhat warm lips.

At some point, Jiang Ruo couldn’t help but think, indeed, no matter how strong one’s willpower is, it must submit to the instinct of desire.

Just as he had done so much mental preparation before coming, telling himself to remain calm and rational, to stay superficial, not to indulge, and not to get emotionally invested. But once he was in this situation, the defenses he had built up with great effort would easily crumble amidst the surrounding gentleness.

Even if there was still a hint of unwillingness lingering in his heart. After the kiss, Jiang Ruo panted, raising his hand to touch Xi Yufeng’s eyes in the air, thinking to himself that if there was anyone to blame, it could only be them. When these eyes gaze upon someone, they seem infinitely affectionate.

And when they are tightly closed, the blue veins on the eyelids are clearly visible, making him seem so vulnerable, so in need of oneself.

At this moment, quite inappropriately, Xi Yufeng suddenly brought up the past, “That day, it was because of seeing you.”

A calm statement, but it stirred Jiang Ruo’s emotions, as if suddenly gripped, squeezing out all the oxygen in the crevices.

He understood the unfinished words — that day, it was because of seeing you that I put aside my work, boarded a plane, and crossed half the country to find you.

Raindrops pattered outside the window, while the two people inside gazed at each other, holding their breath for a moment.

Maybe people who are sick always find it hard to hide their weakness and fatigue. Jiang Ruo heard a sigh, a kind of helplessness as if unable to deal with someone.

Turns out, Xi Yufeng also knew how to yield.

His palm caressed the slightly chilled cheek, using another question to answer Jiang Ruo’s earlier query, “Do you think I miss you?”