Ai was sleeping with her head resting on his hand as she was seated on a chair.
What the…How is she here?
Jun's expression turned frighteningly cold. A woman was inside his house and leisurely sleeping beside him. His fuse was close to short-circuiting when he remembered an important fact.
Wait. She couldn't be inside unless I let her in…
As he thought back to the previous day, he remembered he had opened the door for someone who was incessantly ringing the doorbell.
Was it her?
Then he faintly remembered a figure trying to feed him something warm, and he was touching her cheeks and neck to get relief from his heat.
His face blackened with disbelief.
What…What was I doing!? How could I touch another woman like that? Impossible…
He wondered if some ghost had possessed him. Apart from Han Shui, he could never think of touching a woman so intimately.
Fuck my fever!
He pressed the space between his brows, feeling furious at himself.
I had lost it!
He cursed himself endlessly when another memory popped in.
'I believe you.'
Her voice echoed in his ears, and his brown orbs slowly widened.
'I believe you. You didn't do it on purpose.'
Jun glanced down at her. It was really Ai's voice. He thought it was a dream, but she was indeed talking to him.
Believe me? You don't know anything about me, and you believe in me? How could you say that with such conviction?
He wryly laughed.
Your words are futile on a villain like me.
Yet the confidence in her voice made him strangely feel at ease.
His gaze fell onto her hand, and he was taken back to that moment in his past life just when he was about to take his last breath.
His hand was holding onto hers. He was looking into her eyes that were slowly shedding tears. He clutched onto the last bit of warmth until his body laid cold in his wrecked car.
Jun didn't realize it, but his thumb was ever so lightly caressing her palm. It wasn't soaked in blood. Her fingers weren't trembling with pain now.
What could have happened with her that night?
What will happen to her ten years later?
Jun stared at her face, which was filled with pain and disbelief in his past life.
What will go so wrong for her to die like that?
—
Ai moved in her sleep and suddenly woke up with a jolt. She yawned but sat upright, startled not seeing Jun on the bed. She hastily went out and saw Jun cooking in the kitchen. The sound of something sizzling came from the pan.
She stared at his back. "You…"
Jun turned and narrowed his eyes. "Good morning, Miss Zhou."
Ai pursed her lips. "I am sorry for sleeping the night here. I was waiting for you to wake up so that you don't think a thief broke into the house and panic because of that. But I fell asleep."
"...You thought I would think a thief broke into my house? A thief who took care of the condo's owner when he was sick and even cleaned the house for him? That's some moral thief you thought of. Plus. Do you think this condo is so easy to break in with the security it has?"
So was it useless to stay here then? Ai wondered.
"By the way. I saw my clothes were changed," he tilted his head.
"Yes," she nodded. "I changed them. Don't worry. I had closed my eyes. I didn't see you naked."
His mouth twitched.
"Are you sure you really shut them?" He asked with suspicion.
"I have no reason to wish to see you naked."
"Really?"
"Women don't like to be seen naked by a stranger. I feel it would be the same for men too. Plus, you are not my type."
He choked.
Ai furrowed her brows. "Why do you always want to prove that I am interested in you?"
His tone was cold. "I don't want to. But I have never met a woman who is NOT interested in me. Looking at you reminds me of those women who play hard-to-get with me. As if not showing interest in me would pique my interest in them," he sneered.
"Oh. Rest assured. I am really not interested in you that way."
Well, I am indeed interested in you but only from an observation point for my novel's inspiration.
Jun sneered. "Good for you. You wouldn't want to know how those women end up if they don't give up on me."
"How do they?" She curiously asked.
"Like I said you wouldn't want to know."
Ai was disappointed.
"Anyway. Now that you are awake, let me properly apologize to you."
She bowed. "I am sorry. It was my fault you fell so sick. I came here to apologize but you collapsed on the doorway, so I brought you inside. Sorry for intruding without your permission. Seeing you running with such a high fever, I felt it was my responsibility to at least take care of you. I did what I could to help you. Are you feeling better?"
Jun raised his brow.
So courteous and polite.
"...Hm."
Ai was satisfied. Then she remembered something. "Oh yes. I am sorry once again for looking through your bookshelf. I got curious and spent my whole day reading books in your collection…" her tone was guilty. "I know it's wrong to touch someone else's things without their permission. But as payment, I cleaned your house," she pursed her lips, "I hope you don't mind."
Jun blinked his eyes and suddenly burst into laughter. Ai looked at him in confusion.
It is the first time I am seeing him laugh…
"I don't know if I should call you silly or what? Why are you confessing to me like a good obedient kid? I wouldn't have known if you checked out my bookshelf anyway."
Ai seriously answered. "I don't like keeping things from anybody. I already feel guilty for making you sick."
Jun said nothing. He turned and went back to cooking.
"By the way, you made me rice porridge. So why were there so many veggies outside?"
Ai bit her lip. "At first, I thought of making some soup for you. But it didn't end well. Porridge is what I could make…"
She stood at his side but keeping a safe distance from him, lest he misunderstand her again.
"...You seem to know cooking quite well," she commented as she observed his fluid movements.
Jun was skillfully making a hamburger steak.
"My mom is a chef. Cooking is something me and my siblings learned naturally."
"Oh," Ai then expectantly asked, "Can I help?"