Chapter 54

In the end, Mi Zhao stayed.

The hospital room where Li Sipei was staying was a suite, complete with a kitchen, bathroom, and even a living room, though there was only one bed in the bedroom. If Ruan Xin and Li Zhixuan wanted to stay overnight, they had to find somewhere else.

But Mi Zhao didn’t stay to sleep elsewhere.

After a quick wash, he took off his coat, pants, and scarf, leaving only his bright red thermal underwear. Standing by the bedside, he stared at Li Sipei with eager anticipation.

Li Sipei looked at Mi Zhao’s bright red outfit and fell into deep thought.

Only when Mi Zhao climbed onto the bed did he snap out of it. Lifting the blanket on the right side, he said, “Come in.”

Mi Zhao had been waiting for these words. He happily burrowed under the covers.

The hospital room’s heating was set high enough that they wouldn’t feel cold even without a blanket, but Mi Zhao still wrapped himself and Li Sipei tightly. He carefully avoided Li Sipei’s casted leg and placed a hand on his waist.

He let out a satisfied sigh.

Li Sipei’s arm wrapped around Mi Zhao’s shoulder, gently stroking his back.

“What’s wrong?” Mi Zhao noticed that Li Sipei had touched his back several times, as if checking something.

Li Sipei paused and lowered his eyelashes, his gaze falling on Mi Zhao’s face. “Have you not been eating properly lately?”

“I have.” Mi Zhao rested his chin in the crook of Li Sipei’s arm and answered without thinking. “We just didn’t go to the cafeteria. We ordered takeout.”

But takeout had to be picked up downstairs, and neither he nor Yan Qinting wanted to move while lying in bed. By the time one of them finally went down, the food was often cold, and after a few bites, he lost his appetite.

Thinking of this, Mi Zhao suddenly felt guilty. “Why are you asking?”

Li Sipei said, “No reason.”

After a moment, he added, “Eat properly from now on.”

Mi Zhao muttered in a small voice, “Got it.”

Lying in bed with nothing to do, they started chatting aimlessly.

Li Sipei asked what Mi Zhao was doing at the financial district today. Mi Zhao found this question exasperating. “My parents said your birthday is next month, so they wanted to buy you a painting as a gift.”

Li Sipei hummed in acknowledgment, then deliberately asked, “Did you get one?”

“No, I ran into you instead,” Mi Zhao grumbled. “You don’t know how hard it is to buy a painting. The value keeps fluctuating—if you offer too little, they won’t sell it; if you offer too much, you’re just getting scammed. I spent forever asking around before I finally contacted a classmate’s aunt.”

But now that he knew Mr. San was actually Li Sipei, things would be much easier.

Mi Zhao tilted his head and rubbed his chin against Li Sipei’s, then mumbled, “Paintings are hard to buy. Why don’t I just give myself to you instead?”

Li Sipei’s body stiffened slightly. His arm around Mi Zhao’s shoulders suddenly tightened, and he murmured in a low voice, “Okay.”

“Really?” Mi Zhao blinked. “Then my family won’t send any other gift.”

Li Sipei lowered his head and kissed Mi Zhao’s lips. “As long as I have you, that’s enough.”

Sometimes, Li Sipei was quiet and reserved, but when it came to sweet words, he could leave Mi Zhao utterly defenseless. His heart pounded wildly, his face burning as if it would catch fire.

But inside, he felt immense joy, as if a beautiful flower was blooming in his chest.

So this was what it meant to be overjoyed.

He couldn’t see his own expression, but he must have been smiling, because he could hear himself giggling.

“Alright then,” he said, getting restless. His hands started to wander. “You said it yourself.”

Li Sipei frowned and grabbed the misbehaving hand under the blanket. “Behave.”

Mi Zhao blinked his big eyes at him. His head, the only part of him exposed, looked perfectly innocent, but only Li Sipei knew what his body was doing under the covers.

Li Sipei grabbed his hands and pulled them out of the blanket, wrapping Mi Zhao up completely. “Go to sleep. You have class tomorrow morning.”

Mi Zhao was surprised. “You memorized my class schedule?”

Li Sipei said nothing, closing his eyes to feign sleep.

But before long, Mi Zhao’s hands sneaked back under the blanket. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, his head slowly slid downward.

Li Sipei’s eyes snapped open, a hint of anger flashing through them. “Mi Zhao.”

Mi Zhao was completely buried under the blanket. Since Li Sipei’s casted leg was elevated, it created just enough space for him to curl up inside.

The blanket was suddenly lifted forcefully. Li Sipei reached in and grabbed Mi Zhao’s thermal shirt. “Come out.”

Mi Zhao refused to budge, looking up at him with a teasing glint in his eyes. “Did you take a shower?”

The directness of this question hit Li Sipei like a freight train, sending a shockwave through his nerves. His eyes shut tightly for a moment, and his usually composed face turned bright red.

His body was burning up.

Mi Zhao could feel the heat radiating from him.

He let out a mischievous chuckle, his half-lidded eyes gleaming like a cunning little cat. “So you just wiped down, huh?”

He knew that Li Sipei was not only introverted and fastidious but also had mild OCD. Even with his injury, he insisted on daily sponge baths.

“Mi Zhao.” Li Sipei’s patience was wearing thin, his brows furrowing into a tight knot. He gripped Mi Zhao’s arm harder. “I said, come out.”

Mi Zhao refused without hesitation. “No.”

Li Sipei’s breathing grew heavy. He shut his eyes again and again, trying to suppress his frustration. His temples throbbed with tension.

After taking a deep breath, he finally found his voice. “You don’t have to please me like this.”

Mi Zhao’s eyes were tinged with red. He looked up at Li Sipei through his thick lashes, his gaze misty and shimmering. If he blinked, his tears might spill over.

Li Sipei had never seen Mi Zhao like this before.

So alluring.

Desire was written all over his eyes and brows, unhidden and unrestrained. His face was so red it looked as if it had been dyed, the color seeping deep into his bones.

“I just want to please you,” Mi Zhao admitted hoarsely, his voice open and unabashed. “I want to make you happy.”

Li Sipei opened his mouth but couldn’t find any words to refute him. He could only press his lips together tightly in silent restraint.

The air in the hospital room grew thick with warmth and intimacy. Other than the soft hum of the heating system, there were faint, rustling sounds that carried a strange rhythm.

The sounds continued for several minutes—until, suddenly, a crisp electronic chime interrupted them.

At the same time, the keypad outside the door started beeping.

“Lock disengaged—” A mechanical female voice broke the silence sharply. “Please enter.”

Someone was coming in!

Mi Zhao’s heart nearly stopped. Cold sweat broke out all over his body.

He had never expected anyone to show up at this hour. His heart leaped into his throat, his hands trembled, and his mouth instinctively snapped shut.

Above him, a stifled groan of pain escaped Li Sipei’s lips.

“…” Mi Zhao realized he had just made a terrible mistake. His jaw ached with the force of his bite. Panicked, he whispered, “S-Sorry!”

Meanwhile, the sound of high heels clicking against the floor drew closer.

“Sipei!” Pei Yu had flown back from Japan overnight as soon as she heard the news. She hadn’t even had time to change her clothes before rushing in, exhausted yet anxious. “How are you? Does your leg still hurt?”

As she spoke, Pei Yu finally noticed how pale Li Sipei looked, beads of sweat visible on his forehead. Her expression changed immediately. She turned sharply and snapped, “Ruan Xin!”

The startled Ruan Xin, who had followed behind her, jumped in fright. “Madam.”

“How could you let this happen? Call the doctor, now!”

“No need.” Li Sipei stopped Ruan Xin just as she was about to run out. His voice trembled slightly as he said, “I’m fine. Don’t call the doctor.”

Pei Yu’s heart ached terribly. Seeing her son like this, it felt as if an invisible hand was wringing her heart. She reached out, wanting to touch his face, but Li Sipei turned his head away, avoiding her touch.

Her expression stiffened for a moment. Her hand hovered awkwardly in midair before she slowly withdrew it. “You’re like this, and you still won’t call a doctor?”

The worst of the pain had already passed, and Li Sipei’s expression returned to his usual impassiveness. Without a hint of emotion, he casually adjusted the blanket covering him. “I’m fine. Why are you here?”

Underneath the blanket, Mi Zhao was sweating buckets, drowning in embarrassment.

He debated whether he should crawl out and greet the two women outside, but just picturing that mortifying scene made him want to stop breathing altogether.

If he wasn’t mistaken, the woman who had just rushed in was Pei Yu—Li Sipei’s mother. The formidable businesswoman who controlled the entire financial empire of the Li family.

The realization made him even more terrified to come out. He wished he could just disappear into thin air.

If only he hadn’t been so reckless.

He regretted it so much his intestines were twisting into knots.

If he had just behaved himself and cuddled Li Sipei to sleep, he wouldn’t be in such a dire predicament now.

The air inside the blanket was running out. Mi Zhao had to stay perfectly still, terrified that any movement would give him away. But the more anxious he was, the itchier he felt all over. His back was already drenched with sweat.

Just as he was reaching his limit, Li Sipei’s hand slipped under the blanket, found his, and laced their fingers together.

In the darkness, their palms were damp with sweat, their warmth mingling.

Amid the unbearable heat and tension, Mi Zhao miraculously began to calm down.

Outside the blanket, the conversation continued.

Because Li Sipei had one leg raised, the blanket was slightly lifted, creating a small space underneath. Pei Yu, preoccupied with worry, didn’t notice that someone else was hiding beneath the covers.

As for Ruan Xin, who stood nervously behind her, she didn’t even dare lift her head, let alone notice anything unusual.

“Mom, I’m a little tired. You traveled all the way here and should rest too. Go back and get some sleep first—we can talk about everything else tomorrow.” Li Sipei subtly signaled for her to leave.

“Alright.” Pei Yu wanted to stay longer but didn’t want to disturb her son’s rest. She sighed and reluctantly reminded him, “If anything happens, call the doctor. Get some good rest. I’ll be back first thing in the morning.”

“Okay.”

Pei Yu hesitated with every step, glancing back multiple times as she finally left. She had arrived in a whirlwind, and now she departed with just as much reluctance.

The door closed softly behind her.

Mi Zhao held his breath for another thirty seconds until Li Sipei finally said, “Come out.”

He threw off the blanket in one swift motion, sitting up and gulping in fresh air.

But before he could fully recover, the door—left slightly ajar—was pushed open again.

Li Zhixuan stepped in from outside. “Third Master, Madam forgot her—”

The words died on his lips.

He and Mi Zhao, who was straddling Li Sipei’s lap, locked eyes in mutual horror.

Mi Zhao was flushed, his entire body damp with sweat as if he had just been pulled from water. His hair, soaked and disheveled from the blanket’s friction, clung to his forehead. His mouth was slightly open, chest heaving, eyes misty with a dazed, vulnerable glow.

Li Zhixuan: “…”

After a long silence, he forced out a single word: “Bag.”

At that moment, he wished more than anything that he could stab his own eyes blind.