My Straight Childhood Friend Successfully Pursued Me After The Breakup - Chapter 38.2

This had been their way of interacting since childhood. This familiar pattern of conversation gradually relaxed Zuo Xian’s nerves, which had been tense because of Tao Ningxue and that kiss, restoring the most comfortable and natural mode of interaction with Tao Ran.

They were good friends who shared everything before this, and even with the blossoming of love, it didn’t hinder the continuation of their friendship.

When it was time for dinner, the attendant brought the meal, and Zuo Xian personally fed Tao Ran again.

Spoon by spoon, complete with the thoughtful service of blowing on the food to cool it.

The attendant watched from the side and couldn’t help but sigh, “Miss ate by herself this afternoon. Even Mrs. Jiang didn’t feed her. Miss Zuo is truly gentle and considerate.”

At this remark, both the feeder and the one being fed felt a little embarrassed.

Tao Ran raised her hand and pressed Zuo Xian’s wrist, “Maybe I should just eat by myself.”

“Okay,” a hint of loss flashed in Zuo Xian’s clear eyes. She reluctantly put down the bowl.

Her eyes were still glued to the bowl. When Tao Ran picked it up, her gaze dimmed a little more, and she looked like she was about to wilt, like a delicate flower battered by wind and rain.

…Is she really being that dramatic?

“I feel like my wrist is a little weak. How about you help me, A Xian? Thank you.”

“No trouble, no trouble at all!” Zuo Xian immediately smiled and quickly took the bowl.

Tao Ran felt a bit helpless. She really couldn’t understand why Zuo Xian was so enthusiastic about feeding her, it wasn’t like it was an activity where you earned prizes.

After dinner, they felt they should get some activity, otherwise, a person sitting all the time would become stiff.

Since it wasn’t too late, Zuo Xian took Tao Ran to the small garden in the hospital for a walk.

The sunset was beautiful, the wind was clear and refreshing. The grass in the garden looked freshly trimmed, short and neat. Several paths of cobblestone stretched in different directions.

The hospital didn’t have many flowers planted, but there were many trees, mostly evergreens. Looking around, it was lush and vibrant, filling people with hope.

The two girls sat on a bench under the trees for a while, then returned to the room.

No special reason, it was just too hot.

Lushi had been preparing for a heavy rain for the past few days, making it unusually stuffy and hot. Walking outside was like stepping into a microwave oven, making people dizzy from the heat.

The two couldn’t stand being outside for long and were covered in sweat, fleeing back into the hospital.

Back in the room, Zuo Xian collapsed onto the sofa bed.

“So hot, so hot, how can it be this hot in May?”

Tao Ran was also sweating profusely and frowned slightly, “Next time, let’s not go out. A sweaty forehead is annoying.”

“Sweaty?” Zuo Xian propped herself up and sat, a little concerned, “Do you need the nurse to change your dressing?”

“It’s fine, I’ll just change my clothes and wipe myself down.”

Seeing Tao Ran stand up, preparing to head to the bathroom, it seemed she intended to wipe herself down alone.

Her left arm was injured, and the wound on her back had several stitches, just a hair’s breadth from her heart.

Letting her wipe herself down and change clothes was practically abuse of a patient.

Thinking this, Zuo Xian’s mouth moved faster than her brain, “I’ll help you.”

“You’ll help me?” Tao Ran turned around in surprise. Her clear eyes held a hint of shyness, but mostly astonishment.

Before Zuo Xian could react, Tao Ran curved her lips and said, “Okay, you help me.”

Actually, Zuo Xian realized the inappropriateness of her words right after saying them.

After all, they hadn’t completely broken through that barrier yet, and her suggestion sounded like that of a pervert.

But before she could retract it, Tao Ran smiled and asked her to help.

The lights in the room were off. The dim, yellowish sunset streamed through the door and window, like a filter, making Tao Ran appear even more gentle and watery. Even the smile on her lips held a subtle, indescribable charm.

Strange, she was using a word like charm, which usually belonged to mature women, to describe Tao Ran.

Zuo Xian felt like she was mesmerized by that smile, and she numbly followed her into the bathroom.

Click. The bathroom door locked. Zuo Xian finally came to her senses, stepping back a little, belatedly panicking, and fumbling around for a moment.

“What are you doing?” Tao Ran laughed, her hand resting on the lowest button of her hospital gown, unsure whether to undo it or not.

She was the one taking off clothes, but Zuo Xian looked a hundred times more embarrassed than she did.

Zuo Xian took a few deep breaths, steadying her chaotic thoughts, “I’ll help you.”

“Mmm, then help me unbutton the top few buttons. I can’t lift my hand that high,” Tao Ran said deliberately.

“Okay…” Zuo Xian didn’t ask why she couldn’t unbutton it with just one hand.

To make wiping her body easier later, the faucet was running warm water, creating a soft rushing sound.

Zuo Xian raised her hand and started working diligently on the top button of Tao Ran’s gown.

Her fair fingertips trembled slightly as she pinched the small button. Hospital gowns were designed to be easy to put on and take off, and the first button came undone effortlessly.

Next was the second button.

Zuo Xian’s hand shook even more violently. She lowered her gaze, afraid to look too closely.

The bathroom was silent save for the sound of running water. The burgeoning ambiguity climbed like a vine, tightly entwining Zuo Xian. Her every breath was hot, and her heart pounded like a drum.

Finally, Tao Ran couldn’t help but laugh, “A Xian, look up.”

“N-no need.”

The bright bathroom lights illuminated Zuo Xian’s crimson face. Her lips were pressed together, and her long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings. She was so shy that even her knuckles were flushed red.

Tao Ran lifted her chin, “Look up, look at me.”

“R-really no need.” Zuo Xian simply closed her eyes, using her actions to refuse Tao Ran.

Though she was lustful, she was a woman with principles.

Suddenly, her hand was grasped and guided forward. Zuo Xian instinctively resisted, but Tao Ran applied more force. Fearing she might injure her, Zuo Xian had to relax her strength.

She grew even more flustered, “Tao Ran, what are you doing!”

Her fingertips touched a slightly rough fabric. Zuo Xian froze, then opened her eyes to look.

Tao Ran’s chest was wrapped in white bandages, tightly bound like a bandeau top.

Zuo Xian was stunned, “You’re wearing bandages? I thought you were…”

I thought you were naked.

She couldn’t say the rest of the sentence. It was too vulgar, and saying it would truly make her a pervert.

“You… you’re wearing bandages. Why are you wiping your body?”

Tao Ran hummed, her tone rising, “A Xian, are you very disappointed?”

Zuo Xian’s face was hot. Seeing Tao Ran’s composed expression, her competitive spirit flared.

She reached down and briefly touched the girl’s flat abdomen. The sensation was warm and soft. Zuo Xian’s heart fluttered, but she forced herself to maintain composure, “Nice texture.”

Now it was Tao Ran who froze. Her usually slightly curved peach blossom eyes widened. She was fair-skinned, so the flush spread quickly. In an instant, she was entirely pink.

Both of them quieted down. Neither spoke. They quietly wiped their necks and faces, changed clothes, and immediately left the bathroom.

It was stuffy in there. Staying too long meant their breaths were filled with each other’s scent, steaming the two girls, making them both increasingly red.

After a while, Tao Ran lightly cleared her throat and glanced at Zuo Xian, who was sitting on the sofa bed, “A Xian, why don’t you sit a little closer?”

The room was only so big. There was a chair next to the hospital bed, and the sofa bed was against the opposite wall, leaving an aisle wide enough for two people in between the bed and the couch.

“Oh, oh.” Zuo Xian got up and sat on the wooden chair next to the hospital bed.

Tao Ran smiled, “This is perfect.”

Saying that, she reached for Zuo Xian’s hand and gently and slowly intertwined their fingers, “It’s easy for me to hold your hand if I want to. You were sitting too far away just now.”

She was too good at flirting.

Zuo Xian was so thoroughly charmed that she felt disoriented. After holding it in for a while, she couldn’t help but say, “If we hadn’t grown up together, I would absolutely not believe you’ve never been in a relationship before.”

“I haven’t been in one before,” Tao Ran shook their joined hands, “And I haven’t started one yet either. I’d really like to, how about you?”

Having endured all she could, Zuo Xian finally slapped Tao Ran’s right hand, which was tightly intertwined with hers, signaling her to restrain herself a bit.

After slapping it, she worried she hit too hard and covered Tao Ran’s hand with her free hand, gently stroking the back of her hand with her fingertip, whispering, “There’s no sense of ceremony at all.”

Tao Ran couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

The phone on the bedside table rang again. This time, Zuo Xian was faster. She picked up the phone, glanced at it, and handed it to Tao Ran.

Tao Ran took it and immediately hung up.

Zuo Xian: “Another harassing call?”

Tao Ran smiled, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes, “Yes.”

The night was deep, and the hospital was silent, save for the faint footsteps of the occasional night-shift nurse.

The sofa bed in the VIP room had been unfolded. Zuo Xian was covered with a small blanket, sleeping soundly.

The phone by the bedside suddenly lit up, vibrating repeatedly. The girl on the hospital bed sat up, a pale, slender hand reached out from under the blanket, and her fingertip swiped the screen.

Tao Ran quietly left the room and went to the deserted stairwell.

“Assistant Song, is something the matter?”

The sound-activated light in the stairwell responded, illuminating Tao Ran’s cold, sharp eyes.

“Little CEO Tao, Chairman Tao asked me to remind you that if returning to the country turns you into a docile kitten, he won’t be able to keep you in the country anymore.”

Tao Ran’s eyelid twitched, “The matter with Jiang Yuhai was an accident.”

“Little CEO Tao, the Chairman isn’t referring to that lunatic, but… that girl.”

The sound-activated light in the stairwell suddenly went out. Darkness fell. The faint moonlight, like a specter, crept through the stairwell window and up to Tao Ran’s ankle, as if trying to drag her into the boundless abyss.

Tao Ran’s throat felt constricted. After a long moment, she whispered, “What did Tao Ningxue tell my father?”

“Miss Ningxue didn’t say anything.”

“It’s not just Miss Ningxue who’s returned this time, but also your elder brother, Tao Wenbin.”

Tao Ran’s face instantly stiffened. She was speechless. She hadn’t realized Tao Yizhang had sent two people for her sake.

After a long time digesting this, Tao Ran quietly asked, “Assistant Song, how many years have you been with my father?”

“Nearly eight years.” Assistant Song hesitated for a moment before saying, “However, Chairman Tao doesn’t trust anyone.”

Tao Ran exhaled, “No matter how willful he is, he’s still human. And humans can be influenced…”

The sound-activated light in the stairwell stayed on for a long time. After Tao Ran hung up on Assistant Song, she made many other calls.

Her closeness with Zuo Xian was obvious, but as long as Tao Yizhang believed that Zuo Xian, no matter how important, was not as important as the company to Tao Ran, that would be enough to keep Zuo Xian safe.

As for how to explain going to the hospital to save Zuo Xian…

The detailed process of such criminal cases was not publicly announced. Ordinary people would only know the general outline.

Tao Wenbin was an idiot. Tao Ran only needed to offer a few small baits, and his eyes wouldn’t be able to focus on anything else.

He was not a concern.

Calm, calm.