Did My Ex-Wife Agree to Remarry Me Today? - Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Just a Touch

Chi Yun decided to steal a kiss.

She couldn’t let this perfect opportunity go to waste while Li Zhou was still asleep. Even if it only lasted a second, she would be satisfied.

In her sleep, Li Zhou’s breathing was steady and her expression peaceful. Her lips weren’t as vivid as when she was awake; they were a soft pink, looking tender and inviting.

Chi Yun was quick to decide and even quicker to act. She instinctively closed the distance, shutting her eyes just as she was about to make contact. She could feel Li Zhou’s soft breath against her nose. She tried to hold her own breath, but even then, a small current of air brushed against Li Zhou’s face.

She tried to control it, but failed. That’s the thing about breathing—when you’re in front of the person you love, it gets heavy and escapes your control.

Chi Yun was defeated by her own breath. It woke Li Zhou up.

When Li Zhou opened her eyes and saw a face so close no matter how flawless or beautiful, no matter how much she actually liked it her first instinct was to turn away. She raised her palm and unceremoniously shoved the offending face away.

Chi Yun felt her face get caught in a pincer movement and forced back to its original position. Opening her eyes, she met Li Zhou’s annoyed gaze.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Li Zhou demanded.

Chi Yun blinked her bright, innocent eyes, peeking through the gaps in Li Zhou’s fingers. Since her mouth was muffled by Li Zhou’s hand, her voice came out low and muffled.

“I was going to kiss you,” she said.

“Kiss? Who gave you permission?” Li Zhou was indignant. She had kindly acted as a space heater for this woman, and the moment she woke up, she tried to pull this? It was like the fable of the Farmer and the Snake.

“You gave me permission yesterday,” Chi Yun argued, pulling Li Zhou’s wrist down so her lips were free to defend herself.

“Yesterday…” Li Zhou remembered the scorching kiss before Chi Yun fainted. Her eyes widened. Even if she had permitted it, that was yesterday. Did she really have the nerve to carry that over to today?

“Yesterday, when I got close to you, I couldn’t really see. My legs were like jelly and I had no feeling in my body,” Chi Yun pleaded. “I fainted almost immediately. I don’t even know if we actually touched. I don’t think… that counts as a kiss.”

Chi Yun’s argument was twofold: she didn’t know if they touched, and even if they did, she couldn’t feel it, so it didn’t count.

Chi Yun didn’t feel the softness; Li Zhou did. Chi Yun’s head was a mess then; Li Zhou’s was clear. Li Zhou knew exactly how she leaned in and where she landed. To Li Zhou, it was a kiss. Chi Yun was just playing the rogue now.

Seeing the look in Li Zhou’s eyes, Chi Yun knew her logic wasn’t being accepted. She didn’t give up. Her arm remained wrapped around Li Zhou as she whispered, “How about I confess again? I’ll tell you I love you a hundred times, and then you let me kiss you once.”

The air from her words brushed against Li Zhou’s palm, feeling ticklish and itchy. Li Zhou’s ears, waiting for the confession, felt itchy too.

“I—” Just as Chi Yun was about to start, Li Zhou moved her hand up from Chi Yun’s chin to block her mouth again.

“Don’t say it.” Li Zhou’s face flushed, her voice losing its edge.

A faint floral scent drifted through the air. Chi Yun’s neck turned red, though Li Zhou, focused on her eyes, didn’t notice.

“I won’t do anything crazy. I won’t move. Just a touch on your lips,” Chi Yun bargained, her eyes shimmering with a small, dancing flame. She was negotiating with the utmost sincerity.

The reflection of that flame flickered in Li Zhou’s pupils. Her hand muscles relaxed, betraying her changing mind.

“Just a touch. You said it.” Li Zhou moved her hand away, finally yielding.

“Mm.”

As Chi Yun’s voice trailed off, the floral scent deepened, pulling at their heartstrings. As she leaned over Li Zhou, her chest felt hot, her breath scorching. Just a touch? she thought. When the wood is dry and the fire is lit, how could there be only a spark?

Chi Yun leaned down and pressed her lips to Li Zhou’s.

The first touch was well-behaved a light press, a soft lingering.

But for the second touch, just as she moved her tongue to graze the seam of Li Zhou’s lips, the phone on the nightstand let out a piercing, shrill ring.

Both of them jumped, the heat vanishing instantly. The ringing continued, deafening and relentless, shattering the atmosphere into tiny pieces. Chi Yun knew that even if she ignored it, the moment was gone. Without that specific feeling, “just a touch” was just a touch; there would be no deeper development.

Chi Yun collapsed back onto the bed, burying her face in a pillow and screaming internally. Who is ruining my life?!

It was Li Zhou’s phone. She awkwardly wiped her lips with the back of her hand and sat up to grab it. It was Dr. Wang. It was 7:00 PM; they had arrived. The courtyard gate was closed, so the car couldn’t get in.

“Wait a moment, I’ll come down and open it,” Li Zhou said. She needed a moment to tidy up before letting them in.

The bed was a twin; for two people to fit, they had to be right at the edges. Chi Yun was currently huddled at the edge, drowning in sorrow. Li Zhou knew exactly why she was moping. She didn’t scold her for overstepping; she just fixed her position. “Dr. Wang is downstairs. Lie down properly.”

Chi Yun straightened up with a pout, biting the quilt and glaring at the imaginary sound of the ringtone. Li Zhou smoothed the wrinkled sheets and straightened the blanket. Finally, she checked Chi Yun’s appearance.

“Open your mouth. Let me see your collar.”

Chi Yun obeyed. Li Zhou checked the buttons were all fastened. Good. She covered Chi Yun back up. “Stay put. Don’t roll around. I’m going to get the doctor.”

Chi Yun shrunk back into the covers, her eyes filled with regret.

Li Zhou had to tidy herself, too. The heat from the kiss still lingered on her lips. She went to the bathroom and splashed her face with cold water. Chi Yun’s collar was fine, but hers had been rumpled. She changed her clothes and redid her hair.

By the time she went down, Dr. Wang and her team had been waiting in the car for fifteen minutes. No one dared to rush Li Zhou or the precious Phoenix in her house.

“Can she walk tomorrow?” Li Zhou asked as she led them upstairs.

“Is she feeling better?” Dr. Wang asked back.

“Much better,” Li Zhou replied. Given how much Chi Yun could roll and toss, the word “sickly” didn’t seem to fit her anymore.

“Walking is fine,” Dr. Wang said, “but no strenuous activity. She can work, but she should have the IV drip at night instead of during the day. After the drip, she needs a solid night’s sleep.”

Li Zhou asked, “When will the temperature fluctuations stop?”

“When the cold is gone. Someone should watch her these next few days. Heat is okay, but don’t let her catch another chill when she’s cold.”

Li Zhou said nothing and led them into the bedroom. Chi Yun was sitting up, leaning against a pillow, greeting them normally. After a few questions about how she felt, it was time for the needle.

Chi Yun looked away, unable to watch. Li Zhou stood beside her. When Chi Yun looked up, she met Li Zhou’s deep, clean eyes. Chi Yun’s eyes were misty with fear.

Li Zhou’s gaze softened. “Dr. Wang is very skilled. She’ll get it in one try.”

Dr. Wang, who was about to start, felt her hand shake. She stepped back. “Xiao Luo, give me more light. I need to see clearer.”

Chi Yun didn’t dare turn her head. Li Zhou looked at the needle, then at Chi Yun. Seeing her watery eyes, she whispered, “I’ll give you pear juice after it’s done.”

In that moment, Chi Yun’s entire world consisted only of Li Zhou.

The needle went in successfully. The assistants looked like the clouds had finally cleared, almost wanting to clap. Li Zhou’s presence was pure pressure.

“The IV has nutrients, but if she has an appetite, it’s best to eat some easy-to-digest liquid food,” Dr. Wang advised. “If she wants to move, she can push the IV stand. She can go to the window and look at the stars.”

After the doctors left, Li Zhou moved her workstation a bit further from the bed. That afternoon nap had delayed her progress, and she needed to focus.

“I’m hungry, A-Li,” a voice called out from the bed.

Li Zhou didn’t look up from her drawing. “What do you want?”

“Chive pancakes,” Chi Yun said, consistent as ever.

“Too oily,” Li Zhou rejected. “The doctor said liquid food.”

“Then pancakes and liquid food,” Chi Yun bargained. “Liquid food first, then pancakes. Or one bite of each. That way it won’t be oily in my stomach.”

Li Zhou looked up, ready to give a stern refusal, but seeing the desperate look in Chi Yun’s eyes, she sighed. She put down her mouse and walked out with a dark face.

“Wait here.”

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