Ruolin lay peacefully on the bed, looking at Han Haoxuan sitting beside her, and said, "It's so late, you should go home first. I'm sorry to have taken up your time tonight, thank you."
"No need to be so polite with me, you should get some rest." Han Haoxuan looked at the IV drip, watching it flow slowly and evenly from the bottle into the thin tube.
Ruolin didn't know what to say, and her words of gratitude seemed rather meager.
"After finishing the IV drip, I took a taxi straight home. You don't need to come with me. Look how much better I feel now," Ruolin said with a smile.
How could she feel any better after just receiving an IV drip? She just felt a mix of emotions as Han Haoxuan stayed with her.
Perhaps, she would feel better if he left.
Han Haoxuan looked at the weak Ruolin with gentle eyes, like a pool of emerald green water.
For a moment, Ruolin was stunned. His eyes seemed to possess infinite charm, locking her gaze firmly onto the clear lake water.
"Do you know the panda's two biggest wishes?" Han Haoxuan withdrew his affectionate gaze, a smirk playing on his lips as he looked at Ruolin.
"..." Ruolin paused, wondering what his intentions were. After thinking for a moment, she couldn't help but laugh to herself and said, "First, it doesn't want its big dark circles under its eyes, and second..." Ruolin paused, thought for a while, her smile faded, and continued, "It doesn't want to be seen by others, it wants freedom."
"..." Han Haoxuan smiled, not in a hurry to give the answer.
"What's the answer? I think I'm right, right?" Ruolin asked Han Haoxuan with anticipation.
"The giant panda's two biggest wishes are: to get a good night's sleep and to have a color photo taken," Han Haoxuan said with a smile. He paused, frowned slightly, and said casually, "You're pretty much the same as it."
"..." Ruolin pondered for a moment, then, as if she had just realized something, glanced at Han Haoxuan sideways and said, "Do you think I'm a reincarnated panda?"
"How silly," Han Haoxuan murmured, then looked at Ruolin with a hint of affection in his eyes and said, "I hope you can rest well and not make yourself look like that, wouldn't that be ugly?" After saying that, Han Haoxuan couldn't help but smile.
"..." Ruolin felt as if she had been tricked, her face flushed red, and she was speechless.
"Stop talking and get some sleep," Han Haoxuan said softly.
"And what about you?" Ruolin felt it was a bit inappropriate for two people, a man and a woman, to be alone in a room, but she couldn't just tell him to leave.
"I'll just read a book here." Han Haoxuan casually picked up a magazine from the table, waved it around, and smiled.
Ruolin was powerless to argue. She closed her eyes and felt the cool liquid quietly flowing into her body.
Han Haoxuan gently pulled over a chair, sat on the edge of the bed, and started reading a magazine, glancing at Ruolin every now and then.
Halfway through the IV drip, Han Haoxuan heard Ruolin's soft breathing. Like a child, her pale face gradually regained some color, and her delicate eyes were closed as she slept peacefully.
Han Haoxuan gently tucked the blanket around Ruolin and looked down at her.
Ruolin's fair, rosy face seemed to glow with a crystalline light, shimmering and sparkling. Her even, warm breath brushed against his face, causing Han Haoxuan's heart to flutter. He raised his hand and gently placed it on her forehead. Her fever had subsided, and his anxious heart relaxed. Her forehead was smooth and soft; with just that light touch, he seemed to fall in love. His heart began to pound, his palms felt hot, and a fire seemed to burn in his mind. He leaned down and placed a kiss on her beautiful cheek, a quick touch before pulling away. He was afraid she would wake up, afraid she would overthink, afraid… However, all his worries were unnecessary, because Ruolin was still sleeping peacefully, her eyelashes not even blinking. She was probably truly exhausted, and now she was sleeping so soundly.
Han Haoxuan stood up, glanced at the sleeping Ruolin, and a smile appeared on his lips.
When the IV drip was almost finished, Ruolin had already woken up from a nap, and Han Haoxuan called the nurse to help her remove the needle.
The nap and the saline solution really improved Ruolin's mood a lot. When she was about to pay, Han Haoxuan said, "No need, I've already paid." Ruolin had no choice but to pay him back next time, because she didn't have that much money on her.
After Han Haoxuan took Ruolin to her place, Ruolin said, "Thank you for your help today. I will pay you back."
"I don't need that much money. Just make sure you get plenty of rest and don't waste any more money," Han Haoxuan said cryptically.
"..." Ruolin smiled. She would take good care of her health, and wasting money was not something she wanted. Who knew that she had originally wanted to work hard to earn some money, but now she had not only ruined her health but also lost money. Even so, she couldn't stop working just because she was sick. Money wouldn't fall from the sky if she didn't work. She planned to take a good rest over the weekend and not work at the restaurant for the next two days until she recovered.
"Don't do your job at the restaurant for the next couple of days," Han Haoxuan said with concern.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Ruolin said, raising an eyebrow.
"Then we really are on the same wavelength," Han Haoxuan said with a smile.
Ruolin didn't reply. She said goodbye to Han Haoxuan and turned to leave. Before she had taken more than a few steps, Han Haoxuan called out to her, "Aren't you going to invite me in for a while?"
Ruolin paused for a moment, looking at Han Haoxuan under the streetlight. After a while, she smiled slightly and said, "Maybe next time. I want to rest early today." This was just a small excuse for Ruolin; she felt it wasn't right to let a man into her house so late at night.
"Then I'll wait until next time," Han Haoxuan said with a smile.
"Hmm." Ruolin smiled perfunctorily, then disappeared completely into the night.
Her steps were no longer unsteady, but much firmer.
Seeing her like this, Han Haoxuan felt relieved and drove away.
The lights were turned off, plunging the small room into darkness. Ruolin lay on the bed, listening to the cicadas chirping outside the window. What usually annoyed her was now a beautiful melody, like a lovely symphony.
Just now at the hospital, when Han Haoxuan kissed her cheek, she was in a state of half sleep and half wakefulness. She actually felt something, and felt his gentle breath spraying on her cheek like a feather. For a moment, she had difficulty breathing, but she pretended to still be asleep.
She actually enjoyed the feeling of being cared for by him.
Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the trees, dappling her face. A faint light flickered in her eyes, and a gentle smile played on her lips; she seemed lost in reverie.
She listened to the cicadas for an unknown amount of time before drifting off to sleep peacefully.
Chapter Forty-Five
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If the doorbell hadn't kept ringing, Ruolin probably would have continued sleeping. She grabbed the alarm clock from the bedside table and saw—it was already 10:30!
Perhaps because I was too tired, I slept soundly all night without any dreams until now.
However, few people know about this place, and almost no one visits. Who will be the guest today?
She quickly dressed and got out of bed, tidied herself up hastily, and went to open the door.
A middle-aged woman, whom Ruolin didn't recognize, stood outside the door. Ruolin looked at her with a puzzled expression and asked, "Hello, who are you looking for?"
The middle-aged woman smiled at her: "You must be Ruolin? I'm Aunt Wang. Didn't you say you were coming over this weekend to replace the exhaust fan?"
"Aunt Wang, please come in." Ruolin hurriedly ushered Aunt Wang into the house. Aunt Wang was the mother of Xinyu's colleague and also her landlord. They rarely contacted each other because Ruolin paid the rent to Xinyu every month, and then Xinyu would pass it on.
This time, if the bathroom exhaust fan hadn't broken, Ruolin wouldn't have bothered the landlord. After all, it was their property, and it wouldn't be right for her to just replace it herself.
"Wow, what a diligent girl! The house is very clean!" Aunt Wang looked around as soon as she entered the house.
Ruolin responded with a smile.
“It’s an old house, and this type of exhaust fan is quite hard to find. I’ll have to take it apart and buy the same one at the market. I’ll come over and install it for you once I’ve bought it,” Aunt Wang said as she stood on a stool to remove the exhaust fan.
"Okay, thank you for your help."
"Sigh, if my son hadn't bought a new house for his wedding, I wouldn't have been willing to rent this place out! The transportation here is so convenient, and life is so easy. But with the new house, the monthly mortgage payments are a lot of pressure. The rent of 1,300 yuan a month here helps ease some of that pressure."
What? 1300 yuan for rent? Ruolin almost thought she misheard, because she only gave Xinyu 800 yuan a month!
Could it be that Xinyu secretly paid an extra 500 yuan in rent for her every month?
No wonder her colleagues were extremely envious when they heard that she rented a house in this area, and no wonder Mu Jingyan had to pay 1,500 yuan in rent even though he lived in the same community as her.
I see, I see.
A complex mix of emotions welled up inside her. She didn't know whether to thank Xinyu or blame her for not telling her the truth. She did need help, she did need money, but she didn't need pity, much less charity.
After the landlord left, Ruolin was about to call Xinyu to find out what was going on when her phone rang first.
Now, seeing his name pop up on my phone doesn't bother me as much as it used to.
"Are you feeling better?" Han Haoxuan asked with concern.
"Much better."
"You sound weak and listless, which worries me."
"It's okay, I'm fine, I can talk and laugh." As she spoke, Ruolin even laughed a few times to fit the mood.
"I don't believe it. I want to see it for myself."
"What do you mean?" Ruolin asked, puzzled.
"Open the door, I'm at the entrance."
"What?!" Ruolin asked in disbelief.
"I said I'm at your door, please open the door," Han Haoxuan repeated.
Ruolin opened the door with some skepticism—and there really was Han Haoxuan standing there, holding his phone and smiling! A handsome smile curved his lips, revealing a set of clean, white teeth. His tall, upright body leaned against the door, and his obsidian-like eyes gazed at her with deep affection.
She unconsciously put her finger to her lips, bit it, and it hurt! It really wasn't a daydream.
Han Haoxuan looked at Ruolin's actions and couldn't help but laugh heartily: "If you want to verify whether it's a dream, there's actually a better way. Just touch my face and see if I'm alive." As he spoke, he naturally pulled Ruolin's hand and pressed it against his cheek.
Han Haoxuan's skin was smooth and textured. As soon as Ruolin's fingers touched it, she recoiled as if she had been electrocuted: "You... how did you know I lived here?" Although he had driven her back before, he would only stop at the entrance of the community and then stop letting her drive him. How did he know which unit and apartment number she lived in?
"I'd like to know there are plenty of ways. But it seems you're not very welcoming. I'm already at the door, aren't you going to invite me in?" He came uninvited, and although he was prepared to be turned away, he was still unwilling to be shut out like this.
"...Please come in, if Young Master Han doesn't feel that the house is too small and makes him feel uncomfortable." After struggling with her thoughts for a moment, Ruolin gave up the idea of kicking him out.
"Does it have to be said like that? Love is equal for everyone, there's no question of feeling wronged or not. Besides, this place is quite nice, it feels very cozy..." After entering the house, Han Haoxuan began to look around Ruolin's living quarters.
This was the first time someone had said that her place felt cozy, and Ruolin couldn't help but smile.
"Have you had breakfast yet? I brought you some millet porridge to aid digestion; it's better to eat it in the morning." Han Haoxuan placed a thermos he carried with him on the table, then said casually, "Oh, I made it myself. I've never cooked for anyone else, so my cooking skills aren't great. It might not be very good, but you'll have to make do with it."
"..." Something seemed to be stuck in her throat, and Ruolin didn't know how to answer for a moment.
"Eat it while it's hot, it's not good when it's cold." Han Haoxuan opened the lid of the thermos. "I'll go to the kitchen and get you a bowl."
Then, Han Haoxuan went straight to the kitchen, as if he were the host and not the guest.
Two pairs of chopsticks and two bowls were already placed at opposite ends of the table. Han Haoxuan sat at one end and called to Ruolin, who was still in a daze, "Sit down and eat."
"Don't be so good to me..." Ruolin remained standing still.
Han Haoxuan approached her and pressed her down onto the stool: "If I'm not good to you, who am I good to?" At the same time, he stuffed chopsticks into her hand.
“Xinyu is your girlfriend, you should treat her well.” Ruolin herself felt a little bitter when she said it.
"I broke up with her." He said it in a calm tone, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.
"Huh?!" Ruolin was incredibly surprised. How could they have broken up without her knowing? Then, Xinyu must be heartbroken? At this moment, she no longer cared about asking Xinyu if she had helped her pay the rent; she was only thinking about whether Xinyu had been hurt.
"Don't be so surprised, breakups between boyfriends and girlfriends are the most common thing." Han Haoxuan said, a faint smile playing on his lips. However, this smile sent chills down Ruolin's spine. He and Xinyu had broken up, yet he could still smile?
"How could you do this? How could you treat feelings like a game? Do you know how much you're hurting Xinyu? Don't be fooled by her seemingly carefree exterior; she's actually incredibly fragile and sensitive inside..." Ruolin seemed to have a spark ignited within her, and she rattled off a long string of words.
"Why are you so agitated? She was the one who initiated the breakup. What can I do if she wants to break up with me?" Han Haoxuan said casually.
Ruolin was utterly astonished. Xinyu had repeatedly emphasized that Han Haoxuan was the prince charming she had been searching for, and that she had even gained the approval of Han Haoxuan's parents. How could the situation suddenly take such a dramatic turn, and why was she taking the initiative to break up?
"You must have offended her for her to break up with you, right?" Ruolin still didn't believe that Xinyu would take the initiative to break up.
"Am I really that bad in your eyes?" Han Haoxuan frowned impatiently, but his tone was unusually serious. "If you don't believe me, you can go and ask Xinyu directly."