Chapter 22

After the consultation ended, Qiao Yumian tore off his scarf and replaced it with a thinner, more breathable medical mask.

Although the doctor had advised him not to wear a mask, as it would create an anaerobic environment for his damaged skin barrier, potentially leading to ongoing infections, inflammation, or worse complications, Qiao Yumian refused to listen.

He held the mask firmly against his face, adopting a defiant stance as if to say, “The mask stays with me or else!”

“I swear, as soon as I get home, I’ll take it off right away. But not now!”

Jiang Caifu looked at the stubborn patient who refused to follow medical advice and once again felt relieved she hadn’t pursued a career in medicine. “If I had become a doctor, I probably wouldn’t have lasted two years before being driven to an early grave by uncooperative patients like you.”

“But…” He covered his face, flustered. The thought of Jiang Caifu seeing his disheveled state and possibly making a strange expression filled him with dread. Unable to cope, he grabbed the blanket covering his legs, rolled it into a bundle, and plunged his head into it.

Like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.

“My face is really unpresentable right now… It’s hideous. What if you see it? You might secretly laugh at me…”

He clutched the edges of the blanket tightly, causing it to tremble slightly along with the IV line attached to the back of his hand.

Startled, Jiang Caifu quickly held his arm steady, relenting as she said, “Alright, alright, keep the mask on if you want, but don’t move around so much. You’re still hooked up to an IV.”

After an exhausting evening, if something went wrong during the infusion, she might as well kiss tomorrow’s work goodbye. And her perfect attendance bonus for the month, too.

Qiao Yumian was successfully appeased, and his soft muttering, audible only to himself, abruptly ceased the moment her hand touched his arm.

With his head still buried in the blanket, he remained silent in that position for a long time.

So long, in fact, that Jiang Caifu began to suspect he had fallen asleep.

She wasn’t used to such quietness from Qiao Yumian, having grown accustomed to his incessant chatter. This sudden silence felt disconcerting.

Just as she hesitated about whether to poke him to check if he was awake, the hand attached to the IV moved slightly, seemingly attempting to escape her grasp on his forearm.

Thinking he didn’t want to be restrained, Jiang Caifu obediently let go of his arm.

To her surprise, as soon as she released him, he groped the air hesitantly, and though his eyes weren’t looking in her direction, he still managed to accurately grab hold of her fingers.

Slowly, he wrapped her fingers in his palm, his warmth quickly dispelling the coolness at her fingertips.

He had excellent circulation, his body always warm throughout the year. In contrast, Jiang Caifu’s hands and feet were perpetually cold in winter.

His warmth startled her, and she instinctively curled her fingers slightly. Not wanting to risk jostling the IV line, she didn’t dare to forcibly pull her hand away, instead attempting to withdraw it subtly.

Even with such a faint effort, she easily broke free from his grasp, which surprised her. She froze mid-motion, unsure whether to fully retract her hand. Then, his index finger bent and hooked around her pinky, gently swaying it, over and over.

Her breath hitched, and an inexplicable tightness rose in her chest.

This seemingly innocent physical contact left her feeling unexpectedly flustered—

Should she coldly and ruthlessly swat his hand away?

But he was still receiving an IV. What if she accidentally caused the needle to dislodge and led to backflow?

Yet, was she supposed to just let him keep holding her pinky like this?

Frowning, Jiang Caifu felt as though she were drowning in an overwhelming sea of Jelly Belly jelly beans.

Those vividly colored candies danced and clawed at her, each daring her to open her mouth and guess which flavor would come next.

“…What’s wrong with you?” she finally asked.

Qiao Yumian, still holding onto her pinky, even took it a step further, using his thumb to rub the pad of her finger.

Pressing gently, he waited for the soft flesh to spring back before pressing again, engrossed as though playing with a toy.

This familiar gesture triggered a memory in Jiang Caifu. She recalled him using the exact same method to torment the paw pads of cats in a cat café.

…Unforgivable.

She forced a smile, flipped the script, and pinched his hand instead, using her fingertips to jab at the tender flesh of his palm.

He didn’t resist, obediently spreading his hand out and letting her do as she pleased.

“Speak.”

The word squeezed through Jiang Caifu’s gritted teeth.

Qiao Yumian finally turned his head slowly, looking at her with hesitation before mumbling, “…You’re so fierce.”

Hearing this, Jiang Caifu’s smile grew even more forced.

He seemed entirely oblivious to her growing annoyance, yawning lazily as his eyelids fluttered shut, betraying his exhaustion.

Her lips twitched. “So, while you had your head buried in that blanket, you were actually sleeping, weren’t you?”

“I wasn’t,” he replied softly.

His fingers closed gently, enveloping her smaller hand completely in his warm palm.

“Are you leaving?” His damp lashes drooped, almost hiding his eyes and making it difficult for Jiang Caifu to discern his true emotions.

She didn’t react immediately and instinctively asked a rather silly question, “Leaving for where?”

Perhaps it had been too long since he’d seen her look so clueless. Qiao Yumian studied her wide-eyed expression with a rare sense of curiosity, chuckling softly.

“Home, of course,” he murmured, his voice faint and drowsy. “It’s so late. Aren’t you going home?”

Jiang Caifu shook her head and then responded with…

He rubbed his ears forcefully, trying to suppress the faint tickling sensation that lingered.

His mood changed far too quickly.

Just on the way to the hospital, he was still lively and arguing with her, but after seeing the doctor, he became so dejected that he couldn’t muster any energy, even avoiding her gaze and burying himself under the covers.

And now, he seemed to have digested all his intense and negative emotions on his own, becoming soft and weary due to exhaustion, with all his sharp edges drooping limply.

Although Jiang Caifu had long known he was such a moody person, his emotional swings were more dramatic than a roller coaster every single day. Seeing him this low-spirited still made her feel a little uncomfortable.

“Do you really want me to leave?” she asked nonchalantly.

Qiao Yumin hesitated, then shook his head, his watery eyes flickering. “But you’ve wasted so much time with me today. You didn’t even have time for dinner—are you really hungry now? It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t been careless, you wouldn’t have had to accompany me to the hospital on an empty stomach.”

“That doesn’t matter,” he muttered softly. “After all, I used to come to the hospital alone before.”

He lowered his eyes, gazing at her hand resting quietly in his palm. His eyes involuntarily softened. “But you’re here with me now, and you must find it really boring, right?”

“It’s fine. If I get bored, I’ll play on my phone. I won’t just sit and stare blankly waiting for you to finish your IV.”

She followed his gaze down to her own hand and began to ponder.

Why wasn’t he letting go? Her palm was starting to feel sweaty.

Just as the thought arose, his free hand reached out, enclosing her hand within both of his, like a shell tightly closing around a pearl.

It’s even warmer now, she thought expressionlessly.

From Qiao Yumin’s exposed eyes, Jiang Caifu could see his curiosity and amusement, especially as he lightly rubbed her hand with minimal force, his interest practically brimming.

She looked away, feigning concern. “If you’re tired, just take a nap. I’ll wake you up when the IV is done.”

Qiao Yumin looked at her and said, “I’m not tired…”

The word “tired” was barely out when he lazily yawned, tears hanging at the corners of his eyes. Without wiping them away, he nonchalantly continued, “Not sleeping.”

Jiang Caifu: “…Just sleep for a while. Don’t push yourself.”

Qiao Yumin rubbed his eyes, a bit tempted, but still insisted on staying awake to accompany her. “But if I sleep, what about you? Sitting here alone will be so boring.”

“I told you, I have my phone.” Jiang Caifu glanced at him disdainfully, not holding back. “Do you really think you’re more fun than my phone?”

Qiao Yumin wanted to respond impulsively, to say he was indeed more fun than a phone… but one must know their limits. Too much arrogance would just make him seem dumb.

And since he was indeed very tired, after a moment’s thought, he finally gave in and lay down. “Then I’ll sleep for a little while? If you get bored of playing on your phone, just wake me up.”

Jiang Caifu shook her head firmly. “Even if it’s the end of the world, I won’t get bored playing on my phone.”

Qiao Yumin: …

Fine.

Resigned, he closed his eyes. Soon, his consciousness began to blur.

Just before he was completely submerged by the tide of sleep, he still clung to her hand, bringing it under the covers with him.

At least this way, he thought, her hand would stay warm.

This idea flitted through his mind as he finally drifted into unconsciousness.

By the hospital bed.

Jiang Caifu felt her hand being pressed close to a furnace-like warmth and was a bit exasperated.

If you’re going to sleep, just sleep. Why do you have to hold her hand?

Now she couldn’t even focus on playing with her phone!

With a heavy sigh, she unlocked her phone with her free hand, planning to complain to Lu Jianlan about all the ridiculous things she’d experienced today, but she didn’t even know where to start.

Night deepened.

Qiao Yumin’s breathing grew steady and rhythmic.

As someone who needed at least half an hour of tossing and turning to fall asleep, Jiang Caifu was envious of his ability to drift off so effortlessly.

However, he didn’t seem to sleep very soundly, occasionally tightening his grip on her hand or muttering indistinct words.

She leaned in quietly, trying to catch what he was saying in his sleep.

Before she could hear anything, he seemed to sense someone approaching and suddenly turned his face to the other side.

Startled, Jiang Caifu quickly checked his hand to ensure the IV line wasn’t affected, then let out a sigh of relief.

Looking back at his face again, her gaze fell on a certain spot and refused to budge.

He wore a basic medical mask, which couldn’t completely cover the lower half of his face. When he turned to the side, a small patch near his temple…

The exposed patch of skin not covered by the mask was completely revealed to Jiang Caifu.

Amid the flawless pale complexion, the few raised red rashes stood out starkly.

She immediately understood why Qiao Yimian was so reluctant to take off his mask. If her face, normally fine, became marked with red blemishes, she wouldn’t want to show it to her ex-boyfriend either.

With that thought, she held her breath slightly and cautiously used her fingers to brush away the stray hair hanging in front of his eyes.

His eyelashes were still damp, and the reddish tint at their roots was unusually vivid, as though painted deliberately with vermilion, making him look incredibly pitiful.

His eyelids were also red, but thankfully, they weren’t swollen.

She let out a small sigh of relief, thankful his allergic reaction hadn’t gotten that severe.

“Hmm…”

He suddenly furrowed his brows and muttered something, the movement of his eyeballs beneath his eyelids becoming noticeable.

Jiang Caifu thought he was about to wake up, so she held her breath and immediately straightened up, pretending to be lost in thought while staring at the potted plants by the window.

She tensed up and waited for a while, but nothing happened.

The person on the hospital bed was still as quiet as ever, showing no sign of waking up.

Jiang Caifu’s heart, which had been beating like a drum, finally began to calm down. She was just about to exhale when she realized her hand was once again being pulled into the depths of the blanket, this time resting on his abdomen.

Since he had taken off his outer clothing for the IV earlier, he was left wearing just a thin shirt underneath.

When her palm touched his abdomen, the constant warmth emanated through the thin fabric into her palm.

Her hand immediately started trembling like a leaf, and she instinctively wanted to pull away, but his grip held her firmly in place.

…What’s going on? Was he doing this on purpose?!

Suspicious and unsure, she raised her eyes and stared at Qiao Yimian for a while, trying to discern some hint of intention—but she saw nothing unusual.

It was probably just a coincidence. Surely, he wasn’t such a good actor.

---

The warmth spreading from their touching palms seemed to radiate silently throughout her entire body.

At first, Jiang Caifu only felt her hand becoming excessively hot, but as time passed and his grip remained unyielding, she began to feel her cheeks heating up as well.

She sighed, propped one hand on the edge of the bed, and, as if guided by a mischievous impulse, pressed the trapped hand down slightly.

The springiness of his abdominal muscles under her hand made her eyes widen in surprise, a faint sense of satisfaction blooming in her chest.

As much as she didn’t want to admit it…

His abs did feel pretty great.

Maintaining a neutral expression, Jiang Caifu, driven by curiosity, pressed a few more times with varying levels of force. When she finally felt his grip on her hand loosen, she reluctantly stopped and carefully withdrew her hand.

During this process, her movements were deliberately slowed to avoid waking him up, allowing her to clearly trace the defined contours of his abs beneath her palm.

Though she knew it was wrong to take advantage of her ex-boyfriend like this…

She couldn’t deny he’d trained his body well.

Finally, Jiang Caifu managed to free her trembling hand, which had been shaking like someone with Parkinson’s.

Even after leaving the heat source, her hand remained warm, almost burning, and the same heat seemed to engulf her cheeks, threatening to overwhelm her.

Oh, come on—!

She pressed the back of her cooler hand against her flushed cheeks, trying to calm herself down.

Why was this making her blush and her heart race?!

The old her would’ve been able to playfully grope his chest muscles without batting an eye!

This little incident of touching abs, separated by a layer of fabric, was practically child’s play and shouldn’t bother her at all!

Countless similar thoughts ran through her mind as Jiang Caifu stared blankly at the white sheets, her thoughts drifting like a kite with its string cut.

After some time passed, she barely managed to settle her emotions and shakily picked up her phone, listlessly scrolling through it.

About an hour later.

Jiang Caifu noticed the IV bag was almost empty, so she reached out to wake Qiao Yimian and pressed the call button to summon a nurse.

While the nurse was removing the IV needle, he looked groggy, his half-lidded eyes lazily fixed on Jiang Caifu the entire time.

The way he stared at her made her feel incredibly guilty. Could he have been aware of her actions while pretending to sleep and just not exposed her?

That would be mortifying…

Her thoughts racing, she waved a hand in front of his face and nonchalantly asked, “What’s wrong? Still not awake?”

He nodded groggily, his voice carrying a lazy rasp, “Didn’t sleep well… Felt like I had sleep paralysis or something. Don’t remember too clearly, but I didn’t sleep great.”

Jiang Caifu nodded solemnly, pretending to agree, “Well, you were at the hospital. It’s normal to not sleep soundly.”

He hummed in agreement, rubbing his eyes.

Once the nurse finished removing the needle, he quickly pressed a cotton ball to the injection site. But apparently, he didn’t apply enough pressure, and when he let go, a glaring bruise formed on the back of his hand.

“Are you really not hungry? It’s not too late to grab some supper now,” he suggested as he put on his coat.

Jiang Caifu thought for a moment before shaking her head. “Not feeling very hungry. Let’s skip it.”

“Alright.” Seeing her firm stance, Qiao Yimian didn’t insist. “I’ll take you home then.”

She was about to nod when something struck her as odd. Surprised, she said, “Wait, what? Wasn’t I supposed to drive us back?”

Qiao Yimian looked at her in silence for a moment before showing her the time on his phone. “It’s already past nine. Are you sure you want to drive back at your snail’s pace?”

Her driving was steady, sure, but slow—painfully slow.

She had managed to drive for over half an hour to cover the five kilometers from the restaurant to the hospital, and the road wasn’t even congested most of the time.

“Do you live far from here?” Qiao Yumin asked as he rubbed his neck. Nonchalantly, he added, “If you don’t mind getting home late, then sure, you can keep driving—”

Jiang Caifu immediately raised her hand, motioning for him to stop. “You better drive. I’m a bit tired.”

He chuckled softly, unsurprised, and picked up the medicine bag, striding out of the hospital room.

Outside, the biting Siberian wind, carrying a mixture of dust and various odors, surged in from all directions.

Qiao Yumin unwound his scarf and, without a word, draped it around her neck. Just as he was about to tie a knot, a thought suddenly struck him. Alarmed, he asked, “Wait a second! Can urticaria caused by allergies be contagious? Is it safe for you to wear my scarf?”

Jiang Caifu gave him a strange look. “How would I know? You should’ve asked the doctor earlier. You were holding my hand the whole time while getting your IV—weren’t you afraid of passing it on then?”

Caught off guard, Qiao Yumin faltered before mumbling, “I… wasn’t thinking clearly back then.”

“And now you’re thinking clearly?”

“Yeah, the cold wind woke me up.”

“…”

With her hands stuffed in her pockets, Jiang Caifu replied lazily, “Take your scarf back. What if it does pass on to me?”

Qiao Yumin began tapping away on his phone, the glow from the screen illuminating his relaxed expression. In a cheerful tone, he said, “According to my search, allergic urticaria isn’t contagious.”

Jiang Caifu, ever the contrarian, retorted, “And you trust online search results?”

Qiao Yumin snorted, slipping his phone back into his pocket. He quickly tied the scarf snugly around her neck and quipped, “More than I trust you.”

Jiang Caifu hissed in exasperation before remembering something. “Speaking of scarves, I still haven’t returned the one you gave me last time.”

“Last time?” Qiao Yumin thought for a moment before dismissively waving it off. “It’s just a scarf. You don’t need to return it.”

“I insist,” she said firmly.

“…Fine,” he sighed in exasperation, slumping his shoulders and throwing her an annoyed glance. “So what, are you going to mail it to my office again?”

“You could also give me your home address.” She glanced down, her tone pointed. “Or better yet, just take it back now, and I’d have one less thing to ship.”

Qiao Yumin wrinkled his nose. “No thanks.”

Taking out his car keys, he watched as she climbed into the back seat without a backward glance, sparking a fresh wave of indignation.

“What’s so comfortable about the back seat?!” he demanded.

“It’s more spacious.”

With complete self-assurance, Jiang Caifu shut the car door, leaned back, and imperiously ordered, “Drive on, Xiao Qiao.”

Qiao Yumin laughed in exasperation, getting into the driver’s seat with quick, fluid movements. Despite his many layers of clothing, his athletic grace shone through, making him appear far livelier than he had been at the hospital.

“I must’ve owed you a debt in my past life!” he muttered venomously as he slammed down the gas pedal, his voice recovering its usual clear and bright timbre, though his tone remained cocky and provocative.

Jiang Caifu stared out the window and casually said, “And who was it who dragged me out here to the hospital on an empty stomach in the middle of the night?”

Qiao Yumin: “…”

He shut his eyes in resignation. When he opened them again, he focused on the road ahead with renewed determination. “Fine, Driver Xiao Qiao is here at your service. What’s the next destination?”

Jiang Caifu smiled faintly and gave him her grandmother’s address.

“You’re staying there now?”

“It’s my grandmother’s house; I’m just staying for a couple of days.” Her lazy demeanor vanished, replaced by a stern warning. “Don’t send anything weird to that address, or I’ll make you regret it.”

Qiao Yumin snorted. “What kind of person do you think I am? You make it sound like I’ve actually sent you weird stuff before.”

“Haven’t you?” Jiang Caifu gave him a pointed look. “Back when we were in college and on break, I’d get weekly packages from you!”

“Those were just clothes and accessories—essentials! Nothing weird about that.”

“…Maybe, but why did you keep sending them after we broke up? Got too much money to burn?”

Had she not called him up to yell at him after their breakup, she had no idea how long he would’ve kept sending things.

“And didn’t your family go bankrupt at the time? Why waste money buying me stuff?”

“That was just my dad’s company. My grandfather’s side of the business was fine. That little bit of money—”

“Wait, didn’t you say you barely kept in touch with your mom’s side of the family?”

Qiao Yumin frowned, clearly not keen on discussing this topic. He brushed it off with a few vague words. “We don’t talk much, but it’s not like they’d leave us to fend for ourselves.”

“Oh.” Jiang Caifu responded, then hesitated. “Then why were you crying like you’d lost everything back then?”

The mention of his embarrassing past made Qiao Yumin bristle. “My family really did go bankrupt! Aren’t I allowed to cry? You’re unbelievable, Jiang Caifu!”

She rubbed her nose sheepishly and didn’t press further.

After a long pause, she finally spoke, her voice a bit uncertain. “But thinking back… every time I got one of your packages, I’d hesitate to open it. I was worried you’d sent me a razor blade or something.”

But instead, it was always clothes and handbags—brand-new seasonal items from the brands he liked.

Qiao Yumin snorted disdainfully. “Knew you’d think that way. Always assuming the worst of me. You’re so cynical.”

He clicked his tongue and grumbled, “Sending a razor blade… Give me a break—”

“Afraid that if I sent you razor blades, you’d just grab a knife and come after me!”

“Don’t deny it! That’s exactly the kind of crazy thing you’d do!”

Once upon a time, even Qiao Yumin had been briefly deceived by Jiang Caifu’s sweet and innocent face, mistaking her for a sugary, juicy peach. It wasn’t until later, when he metaphorically “took a bite,” that he realized she was a fiery chili pepper—spicy and searing, enough to make one’s nose and eyes stream.

And yet, that very pain induced by her fiery nature also triggered a strange, addictive rush. It left him with no one to complain to.

Hearing this, Jiang Caifu rubbed her face hard, feeling like the situation was spiraling further and further out of control. “So, given how I’ve treated you, why do you keep sticking around me? Have you ever thought that this mindset of yours might be… unhealthy?”

“Shut up!” Qiao Yumin snapped sharply, enunciating each word with force, unwilling to hear her continue tarnishing his character. “I already said I’m not clinging to you! Running into you is pure coincidence, okay? You make it sound like I’m obsessed with you or something!”

“And for the record, I’m perfectly clear-headed and rational! My mental state is as healthy as it gets!”

“Don’t even think about trying to PUA me again!”