When Han Xiaoye woke up, it was already pitch dark outside.
"Water," she uttered, only to realize that her mouth was filled with the taste of rusty blood. Her stomach felt like it was being twisted, causing immense discomfort.
A strong arm helped her sit up, and a glass of water was brought to her lips. Han Xiaoye was extremely thirsty and eagerly drank it down.
"Cough... cough..."
Due to her hurried drinking, the water choked her throat, and she erupted into a series of coughs. The coughing shook her stomach, causing her to break into a cold sweat from the pain.
The man's thin lips tightened, and his big hands clumsily helped her catch her breath. A hint of frustration flashed in his eyes. "How are you feeling now? Does it feel better?"
"Water..."
Her stomach was in excruciating pain, but her throat was desperately demanding more.
The man's slightly rough fingertips brushed against the damp corners of the girl's eyes, moistened by her intense coughing. In the dim light, his initially cold features seemed to soften.
Suddenly, he tilted his head back and drank the water from the glass, then leaned down and pressed his thin lips against hers.
"Mmm!"
Han Xiaoye stared in astonishment at the handsome face magnified before her, unable to resist, as her lips were forcefully parted. The warm water trickled into her mouth. Due to her dryness, she reflexively swallowed it, resembling a hungry little bird being fed. She had no idea how long it lasted, but the man's thin lips left hers, leaving a trace of water that slid down her chin, an indescribable sense of ambiguity and intimacy.
The dryness was slightly alleviated. Han Xiaoye said in a hoarse voice, "Fu... Fu Zhiyan?"
She remembered when she thought she was about to die from the pain, he was the one who held her with an expression of uncontrollable panic.
"It's me," Fu Zhiyan replied hoarsely. His dark, captivating eyes were bewitching in the darkness. "Do you want more water?"
Han Xiaoye regained some clarity of mind and suddenly realized how she had "drunk" water just now. She struggled in his embrace, feeling somewhat flustered. "No, it's not necessary."
"Aren't you thirsty?"
"..." Even if she was thirsty, it didn't mean she had to "drink" water like that!
He looked sincere, and Han Xiaoye unexpectedly felt like she was the one being sly. She couldn't find the words to accuse him.
Clearly... Clearly, she was the one who was forcibly kissed, right?
She felt extremely frustrated.
A slight frown creased Fu Zhiyan's brow as he placed a pillow behind her back and spoke calmly, "If you get thirsty, just let me know."
"Not thirsty, not thirsty," Han Xiaoye hurriedly replied, afraid that if she responded too slowly, the man wouldn't believe her.
The room fell into a brief silence.
Han Xiaoye squirmed uncomfortably, her small face twisted into a frown. In fact, she was dying of thirst, her throat felt like it was smoking. It was manageable when she wasn't fully conscious, but now that she was awake, she couldn't ignore the incessant demand from her throat.
Her eyes unconsciously glanced at the glass on the cabinet, and she licked her cracked lips.
She really wanted to drink...
Her rationality told her to look away, but her desire urged her to press her eyes against the glass.
Han Xiaoye swallowed her saliva.
The parched sensation in her throat immediately sent warning signals, the burning thirst driving her nearly insane...
What should she do?
How could she drink water normally?
If she mentioned it to Fu Zhiyan, what if he did something like that again? It would be so embarrassing. But if she didn't say anything... Han Xiaoye couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the man's overpowering presence.
Fu Zhiyan watched the little figure on the bed, her face filled with confusion and discomfort. He pursed his lips, pondered for a moment, and finally spoke, "Do you want to go to the toilet."
"Huh?"
Han Xiaoye looked bewildered.
The toilet? Did she mention that she needed to use the toilet?
That was right!
Toilet!
She had figured it out!
She felt like she had come alive again, eagerly looking at the man by the bed. "Fu Zhiyan, I'm hungry. I want to have porridge."
"I'll have Auntie Wang bring it over," Fu Zhiyan replied.
Han Xiaoye quickly grabbed his wrist, playfully shaking his arm. "No, I want to eat what you cook."
Hurry up, hurry up...
If he left, she could finally drink water. She was so thirsty and she was dying of that thirst.
Fu Zhiyan's eyebrows knotted into a bowtie as he glanced at the pale girl lying on the hospital bed. His thin lips formed a straight line. "Be good and wait for me here. I'll be back soon."
"Okay." Han Xiaoye nodded her head like a little chick pecking at rice.
"There's a call sensor on the left side of the cabinet. Press it if you feel uncomfortable, and the doctor will come immediately. The nurses will come in every fifteen minutes. If you need anything, just tell them. And..."
Han Xiaoye, who was almost driven crazy by thirst, urgently interrupted his instructions. "I know, I'll wait here obediently for you to come back. Fu Zhiyan, hurry up, I'm starving."
A hint of helplessness flashed in the proud man's eyes as he reached out and ruffled her soft hair. "Alright, I'll be back."
Perhaps it was because of his gentle expression and tone at that moment, Han Xiaoye's restless emotions suddenly calmed down.
But then...
Thump, thump, thump...
She pressed down on her left chest, trying her best to suppress her heartbeat. What the hell? Not only did she eat too much, but did she also have a heart problem? It seemed like it had been like this recently. Her heartbeat would suddenly race like she had a heart attack.
The door closed.
Han Xiaoye snapped out of her thoughts and immediately rushed to the cabinet, almost snatching a cup of water and gulping it down.
...She was saved.
The fire in her throat was finally extinguished by the water, and she felt a sense of relief throughout her body.
She placed the empty cup back on the cabinet and let out a sigh. It was only then that she realized, belatedly, that there was an intravenous needle tied to the back of her hand, and there were several bottles of liquid hanging on the intravenous stand to her right.
No wonder she felt a chill all over her body. It turns out she was on an intravenous drip. Han Xiaoye nestled herself into the blanket and took a look around the ward.
She had been so desperate from thirst earlier that she hadn't paid attention to her surroundings. Now that she looked, her jaw nearly dropped in astonishment.
Was this really a ward? It was too big to be a ward.
Shouldn't hospital wards be small and purely white?
Why was this place so luxuriously decorated, with appliances like refrigerators and televisions, and even a fully equipped living room with a sofa?
Han Xiaoye looked here and there, quickly yawning. Slowly, she closed her eyes...
...
One hour later, Fu Zhiyan pushed open the ward door.
Upon entering the room, he immediately noticed that the person who had been complaining about hunger was already fast asleep. She was cocooned in the warmth of her blankets, with only a glimpse of her tiny face peering out. Perhaps due to the snugness, her once pallid complexion now bore a faint rosy hue, a sign of improved health.
A gentle curve formed at the corner of his mouth as he carefully placed the insulated flask on the cabinet. Momentarily hesitating, he retrieved his phone and swiftly composed a text message. Within moments, a smartly dressed man hurriedly entered the room, clutching a stack of documents in his arms.