Chapter 21: Can You Let Me Touch?

During her makeup trial in the day, Ruan Li had only eaten a little, and after leaving the Ruan family in the evening, she hadn’t had anything. She was actually a bit hungry, but the spicy food she ate earlier, combined with the alcohol, left her with no appetite.

“I can’t eat,” Ruan Li gently shook her head.

Fu Huaizhou, someone who occasionally dealt with stomach problems himself, knew exactly what was happening with her. He frowned, looking at the girl in front of him who seemed drained of energy. “Looks like you want to be taking stomach medicine tomorrow.”

“All I have here is traditional Chinese medicine.”

Immediately, Ruan Li remembered the black herbal pills he had sent her before, with their strong traditional smell. If it wasn’t for the outer packaging, they would have filled the entire room with their odor.

“Alright, I’ll have something light,” Ruan Li gave in, realizing her stomach was indeed uncomfortable.

The butler left a warm bowl of pumpkin yam porridge, and Ruan Li looked at the man still standing at her door, puzzled. “Are you planning to stand there and watch me eat?”

Fu Huaizhou raised an eyebrow slightly, giving her an amused look. “Better hurry up.”

Not sure what he meant by that, Ruan Li hesitantly started eating. Fortunately, the porridge wasn’t too much, and after a few sips, her stomach started to feel warm, easing the earlier cramping.

“I’m done,” she pushed the empty bowl toward Fu Huaizhou, signaling that he could leave now.

He got up and placed the tray on a small table near the door. Ruan Li, feeling relieved, was about to get into bed and rest she had to film the first episode of a new variety show tomorrow, and she definitely didn’t want to show up with a swollen face.

Just when she thought he was leaving, he came back into the room and stared at her.

“What are you doing?” Ruan Li tensed up immediately. They were alone in a room, and she remembered they had spent one night together before. Maybe she had misjudged him.

Fu Huaizhou picked up the white jade jar from the bedside table and glanced at her guarded expression, his voice calm. “Where’s the injury?”

Even though the scrape on her back was painful, Ruan Li stubbornly refused to admit it. Pouting, she said, “I can handle it myself!”

“There aren’t any female servants here, and bringing someone over from the Fu family would take two hours,” he replied with a hint of exasperation, already noticing her injured back when she turned away from him.

The once fair skin of her back was marred by a large bruise, red streaks standing out starkly against her skin, making the injury look even more shocking.

Ruan Li refused to turn around, her stance as defensive as a small animal.

“If you don’t treat it, it’ll get infected by tomorrow,” he warned. Given how much she’d been moving around all night, combined with sleeping in a new place and using different products, the wound would definitely worsen.

Ruan Li hesitated, remembering she was supposed to wear a backless dress for the variety show tomorrow. If the wound got infected, there would be no way to hide it with makeup, and who knew what people might think if they saw it.

“Fine, but turn off the lights,” Ruan Li blushed. If she couldn’t see his face, maybe she could pretend he was just a regular servant. Then it wouldn’t feel as awkward.

Fu Huaizhou gave her an amused look. “How am I supposed to apply the ointment if I can’t see?”

“Oh, right…” Ruan Li felt a bit embarrassed by her own suggestion. She hugged a pillow and turned her back to him, leaving her back exposed. “Be gentle, okay?”

Fu Huaizhou stood by the bed, dipped a cotton swab into the ointment, and gently applied it to her skin.

His movements were slow and careful.

“Ow, be more gentle…” Ruan Li couldn’t help but cry out. The ointment was cold, and as it touched the wound, it stung. His hands were also much stronger than hers, and she felt the pressure, her voice trembling. “It really hurts.”

“I’m already being gentle,” he frowned but slowed down his movements even more. “Pull your dress down a little.”

Ruan Li obediently tugged her nightdress down slightly so he could reach the lower part of her injury. But standing at the bed’s edge made it difficult for Fu Huaizhou to apply the ointment properly, so he sat down on the bed, leaning closer to treat her back.

“Did you throw away the medicine I gave you last time?” he asked casually.

Ruan Li immediately knew what he was talking about and felt a bit embarrassed. Those pills had been quite personal. She whispered, “No, I used it. It was a misunderstanding that day. I didn’t know you sent medicine.”

As he finished applying the ointment, Ruan Li’s once-tense back finally relaxed, her guard seemingly down. The room fell into a quiet stillness.

“Turn around,” Fu Huaizhou said suddenly.

“Huh?” Ruan Li was confused but instinctively obeyed, turning to face him.

He grabbed a new cotton swab and pulled her wrist toward him. It was only when he had asked her to adjust her dress earlier that he noticed a red mark on her wrist as well.

“This… did you rub it yourself?” he asked, noticing how different this mark was from the scrape on her back. It seemed freshly made. “Not satisfied with this place?”

He was obviously referring to her wrist, but Ruan Li quickly shook her head, flustered. “No, no… I just accidentally did it.”

He didn’t ask further, simply continuing to apply the ointment to her wrist.

“It hurts…” Ruan Li muttered, feeling as helpless as a stray cat in need of care. The more she thought about her situation, the sadder she became, and soon large tears started falling onto her wrist.

Fu Huaizhou froze. The last time he saw her cry was in bed, after that one night. He pulled some tissues and handed them to her.

“My wrist is still being held by you,” Ruan Li choked out between sobs.

He looked down at her but didn’t argue. Instead, he gently wiped away her tears.

“Earlier at the Ruan family’s house, my father… Ruan Cheng forced me to greet that man,” she sniffled, her voice shaking. “Then, when I came downstairs, he even helped me by the arm. He’s so ugly, much older too, it was disgusting.”

Ruan Li mumbled softly, sneaking a glance at Fu Huaizhou’s expression. But he remained focused on applying the ointment, his expression serious.

“Don’t overthink it. I just needed to tell someone, or else I’d feel suffocated. It’s bad for my health to keep it all in,” she added quickly, speaking in a broken voice.

“Continue,” Fu Huaizhou said, tossing away the cotton swab and wiping his hands clean of the ointment with a tissue. He glanced over her skin to make sure there were no other injuries.

This was the first time Ruan Li had observed Fu Huaizhou up close. His hair was still slightly damp at the ends, and his features were deep and striking, less cold and distant than during the day. His nose was high and straight, and his eyes were dark and intense.

Because of the ointment, they were quite close, and Ruan Li could even feel Fu Huaizhou’s gentle breathing and see the muscle definition beneath the collar of his black robe.

A surge of impulse rose in her chest. No wonder those wealthy young men either drank or sought out pleasure when they were in a bad mood. With beauty right in front of her, it was easy to make mistakes. The temptation to do something reckless felt oddly liberating.

“I’m not feeling great,” Ruan Li muttered, her lips curving downward as she sat up slightly. While Fu Huaizhou was busy closing the ointment jar, she leaned in and gently pressed her lips to his sharp jawline.

The air stilled, as if time had frozen.

Ruan Li’s fingers clutched the fabric of his robe around his waist, and in a small voice, she asked, “Can you let me touch you?”

She felt like she was in one of those exclusive clubs, asking the star attraction if she could touch him, as if it were his job to entertain her.

“And why should I?” Fu Huaizhou froze for a second, then quickly responded, his eyes darkening. The faint scent of her perfume lingered in the air around him as he grabbed her wrist, which had been gripping his robe.

Ruan Li used to think older men like him were boring, but now, as she saw the intensity in Fu Huaizhou’s gaze, she felt even more rebellious.

“Because you brought me back, so you have to take responsibility,” she said, emboldened by the alcohol she’d had earlier. It seemed like her half-bottle of wine was finally giving her the courage to act recklessly. She moved closer, her hands roaming over his robe with a sense of defiance. “What’s wrong with letting me touch? It’s not like you’re losing anything.”

Fu Huaizhou released her wrist and placed his hand on her slender waist, gripping it just tight enough to make her sit up straighter, leaning slightly into him.

He let her hands continue their mischief, nearly loosening the robe’s tie. Unhurried, he tossed the blanket between them aside.

“You’re right. I’m not losing anything. But this time, we keep the lights on.”