Chapter 78.2

“Lili, why are you back?” Jing’s father found it unexpected.

Jing Li replied, “I came back to check on Ranran. How is he doing?”

Jing Ran’s father shook his head, “He still refuses to take his medicine. His mother is in the room changing his towels and trying to lower his fever.” Jing Ran’s father also felt helpless as Jing Ran was always smart and the only child, so the family doted on him. They never forced him to do things he didn’t want to do, but when it came to being sick, they shouldn’t indulge his stubbornness. He stubbornly refused to leave the house, locking himself inside. Just now, Jing Li called him but he didn’t pick up, so Jing Ran’s father and mother came over to see what was going on, and even had to call a locksmith to open the door.

Unless he becomes seriously ill and incapable of resisting, they can’t get him to the hospital. As long as he retains some rationality and spirit, they struggle to convince him to seek medical help.

“I’ll go see him.”

Jing Li went to the bedroom, and Jing Ran’s mother sat on a small stool by the bed, half-dozing. When she heard the door open, she woke up.

Jing Li whispered, “Auntie, let me take over. You can rest for a while.”

After Jing Ran’s mother left the room, Jing Li removed the damp towel from Jing Ran’s forehead and felt it. It was particularly hot.

This childish guy, getting so sick and still refusing to go to the hospital? Is he waiting to damage his brain with the fever? Jing Li shook Jing Ran awake, saying, “Ranran, wake up.”

Jing Ran opened his eyes, the vision in front of him blurry, but he seemed to hear Jing Li’s voice.

“Lili?” Jing Ran’s voice was hoarse, emitting two sounds.

Jing Li nodded, hugging his shoulders, trying to help him sit up. “Yeah, Ranran, let’s go to the hospital.”

“I’m not going to the hospital!”

“Don’t act like a child.”

“I’m not going!”

Seeing him being stubborn, Jing Li also spoke firmly, “If you don’t go to the hospital, I’ll cancel our engagement!”

“No!” Jing Ran sat up, shouting.

Jing Li, seeing him throwing a tantrum, got frustrated and issued an ultimatum, “You promised me to take good care of yourself. If you can’t take care of yourself, how will you take care of me and our future children? Every time you get sick, you refuse to take medicine or get injections. What if something serious happens in the future? What am I supposed to do?… Waa… I spent more than 5 hours coming back from Hong Kong just for you, and you won’t even go to the hospital. Do you think I have nothing better to do? It’s all because you’re my boyfriend, my fiancé! If you don’t go to the hospital, I’ll go back to Hong Kong now, and I’ll work there for the rest of my life, never coming back…”

Jing Ran realized his stubbornness had worried Jing Li. Dragging his tired body up, he stood and held Jing Li’s hand, speaking in a hoarse voice, “Lili, don’t cry. I’ll go to the hospital.”

“It’s not just this time, it’s every time you get sick in the future. You have to go to the hospital, whether I’m by your side or not, do you understand?” Jing Li sniffled and said.

“I understand.”

Jing Li pulled out a tissue from the tissue box on the bedside table, wiped her tears, and said, “Then let’s go to the hospital quickly.”

After Jing Ran changed his clothes, Jing Li supported him as they walked out of the bedroom. Jing Ran’s father and mother in the living room were worried and didn’t rest.

Jing Li said to them, “Uncle, Auntie, please rest first. I’ll accompany Ranran to the hospital.”

Jing Ran’s father was a bit worried and said, “Let me drive you there.”

Jing Li shook her head and said, “I’ll take him there. You two rest well. I have to go back to Hong Kong tomorrow, and then I’ll trouble you to take care of Ranran.”

Jing Ran’s father nodded and said, “Alright, be careful on the way.”

After the two of them left, Jing Li, like a responsible adult, lectured Jing Ran, “Ranran, you shouldn’t be so stubborn in the future. Look at your parents, the deputy general manager of a hotel group. They work so hard and still have to take care of you in the middle of the night. And, you’re already in your twenties, how can you be so shameless? You’re not allowed to behave like this in the future, understood?”

Jing Ran nodded, with a receptive expression, “Understood.”

Jing Li accompanied Jing Ran to the hospital, stayed with him during the IV drip, and by the time they finished, it was already morning. After having a light meal at a nearby breakfast shop, they went home to rest. In the afternoon, Jing Li returned to Hong Kong.

After New Year’s Day, the winter vacation and the Spring Festival are just around the corner. Both G City and Hong Kong are famous tourist destinations, so the hotels have become busy again. In the past, the winter vacation was the most leisurely time of the year for Jing Li’s parents. The three of them would go back to the United States to celebrate the Lunar New Year with their grandparents. This year, Jing Li is working and doesn’t have time off during the Spring Festival; she’ll have to take her vacation after the new year. Jing’s parents went back to the United States as usual, and Jing Li will join her family after the new year.

Before the Lunar New Year, the hotel is adorned with festive decorations, creating a lively atmosphere. Despite the increased number of guests and diners, Jing Li still feels a bit lonely, perhaps because it’s her first time spending the New Year alone. Recently, Jing Ran mentioned that he’s on vacation, but he needs to attend the family reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve, so he’ll only be able to join her after the first day of the Lunar New Year.

On New Year’s Eve, the hotel’s Chinese restaurant is bustling with customers, more than usual, as families come together for a reunion dinner. Jing Li recalls celebrating the Lunar New Year in the United States during her childhood, where her parents worked even on Lunar New Year’s Eve. Only Jing Li and her grandparents would have a reunion dinner. Later, when her parents moved to China for work, although they were part of an American company, they had to follow China’s holiday schedule, allowing them to return to the U.S. for a ten-day Spring break each year to celebrate the Chinese New Year with their grandparents. Now that Jing Li is working, her off days don’t align with her parents’, making the chances of reunions more limited, causing her some nostalgia.

After finishing work, Jing Li plans to grab a takeout box from a nearby restaurant since many small businesses are closed for the family reunion dinner. In the end, she settles for a pack of frozen dumplings from a 24-hour convenience store, making it a simple meal for herself.

When Jing Li returned to the apartment, she entered the door code and opened it to find the lights on and the enticing smell of food in the air. She heard the sizzling sound of cooking coming from the kitchen. As she entered, she saw Ranran wearing a cute pink apron, cooking. Next to her, a stew pot was constantly emitting steam, carrying a strong herbal scent.

Jing Li can’t believe what she sees: “Ranran, why are you here? Didn’t you say you were having a family reunion dinner?”

“I had lunch earlier; now I’m here to have a reunion with my wife,” Jing Ran replies. He uses a spatula to taste a piece of meat, finding the flavor just right, and puts it on a clean plate.

Hearing that Jing Ran specifically came to reunite with her, Jing Li’s nose tingles, feeling deeply moved. She steps forward, hugs Jing Ran, and tearfully says, “Ranran, I missed you so much.”

Jing Ran gently strokes her head and softly says, “Lili, don’t cry. I’m already here, aren’t I?”

After dinner, the two take a shower and sit on the living room sofa to watch the Spring Festival Gala. Probably not having seen each other for a long time, Jing Ran’s hand keeps reaching into Jing Li’s clothes, caressing her body. After a few gentle moans from Jing Li, she shyly says, “Ranran, let’s go to the bedroom…”

Jing Ran easily princess-carries her and smirks, “Lili, I’ve learned a few new positions recently. Let me teach you.”

Jing Li responds, “You’re quite a quick learner…”

After some intimate moments in bed, before Jing Ran proceeds further, he habitually reaches for the bedside table to grab a condom. This time, upon opening the drawer, he finds it empty.

“No condoms left!” Jing Ran discovers an unfortunate situation.

Since the last time Jing Ran used them, Jing Li hadn’t bothered to restock, and with Jing Ran being away from Hong Kong for quite some time, she had forgotten about it.

“I’ll go downstairs to buy some!” Jing Ran gets out of bed to pick up his clothes.

Jing Li has a different idea and says, “The shops on the street have all closed for the New Year’s Eve, and no one is keeping their stores open!”

“Aren’t there 24-hour convenience stores downstairs?”

“They’ve closed too.”

“Even the 24-hour ones?”

“Yes.”

“They closed for the night?”

“Yeah.”

Jing Ran sighs, “Well, what do we do now?”

Jing Li smirks, “Looks like we’ll have to get creative.”

“What do we do now?”

Jing Li kneels at the edge of the bed, pulling Jing Ran back, saying, “Ranran, it’s okay, we can continue.”

“No, it might lead to pregnancy.”

Jing Li: “….” Who was thinking about having a wife and kids when graduating?

“If it happens, it happens!” Jing Li appears indifferent.

“I’m not of legal age to get married…”

“…” Jing Li takes a deep breath, suppressing her impulse, patiently explaining, “You still have three months to get a marriage certificate. Having a child takes about 10 months.”

“Lili, didn’t you say unmarried pregnancy is not allowed?”

Unable to tolerate Jing Ran’s hesitation, Jing Li pushes him down on the bed, straddles him, and touches his heated manhood, which has swollen considerably, saying, “Silly, I want to give you a little monkey. Can’t you understand what I mean?”

Then, Jing Li positions herself and sat in at once.

“Ah…” Jing Ran lets out a painful cry, covering his vulnerable area and saying in agony, “Lily, the procedure is not supposed to be like this. It hurts so much…”