Chapter 61

Ruan Xinyi tugged at the hem of her pants, trying hard to maintain the smile on her face. Reluctantly, she said, "Then I'll check if that hotel still has any available rooms."

Ruan Su propped her chin on her hand, the corners of her lips curling slightly as she spoke with interest. "Go ahead."

After a few seconds, she casually added, "By the way, are you two sharing a bed?"

"Mm, yeah, we are," Ruan Xinyi answered without a second thought, holding her phone.

"…"

Under the table, Wen Xihan gave a hard kick to the little fool who had just blurted that out.

"Hiss—!"

Wen Xihan's kick landed right on Ruan Xinyi’s leg. The unexpected sharp pain made her gasp, completely forgetting table manners as she bent forward, trembling as she rubbed her leg.

"???" Wen Xihan hadn’t expected to kick that hard.

Biting her lower lip, she hesitated for a moment before discreetly rubbing Ruan Xinyi’s leg under the cover of the table as an apology.

"Mm—" Ruan Xinyi leaned against the table, looking pitiful. "Be gentle, it hurts."

"Ahem." Raising her eyelids slightly, Ruan Su gave the two of them a meaningful glance. Her gaze lingered a little longer on Ruan Xinyi’s hand under the table before she asked, "Ruan Ruan, what’s wrong?"

"Huh?" Ruan Xinyi quickly grabbed Wen Xihan’s hand, forcing a smile. "Nothing, my leg just cramped."

"Yeah, a leg cramp."

"Really?" Ruan Su sounded doubtful. "Then you should keep rubbing it."

"Mm-hmm." Ruan Xinyi nodded repeatedly, sneaking a glance at Wen Xihan before whispering, "Mom, my wording earlier was a bit misleading. I didn’t mean we slept together. We just stayed in the same suite."

"What kind of suite?" Ruan Su teased. "A king-sized bed?"

Ruan Xinyi/Wen Xihan: "…"

Enduring the pain radiating from her leg, Ruan Xinyi took a deep breath and righteously clarified, "No, it was a presidential suite with two separate bedrooms."

Ruan Su gave an indifferent "Oh," her slender finger tapping the table rhythmically. Out of nowhere, she asked, "Feeling better now?"

"Yes, much better." Ruan Xinyi let go of Wen Xihan’s hand and slowly straightened her back.

Ruan Su’s lips curled up slightly. With an elegant lift of her wrist, she clinked glasses with Wen Xihan. "Ruan Ruan, send me the link to the hotel you booked. I’ll have Secretary Chen make the reservation."

"Oh, okay." Ruan Xinyi obediently sent the hotel link to Ruan Su.

Wen Xihan silently took a sip of her drink, picked up her phone, and nonchalantly sent a message to Ruan Xinyi: [Still hurts?]

The phone vibrated twice.

Ruan Xinyi’s expression remained unchanged as she typed back: [Yes. (Pout)]

Wen Xihan lifted her gaze and glanced at Ruan Xinyi, her thin lips slightly pressed together. "Sorry, I didn’t mean to."

Wen Xihan truly hadn’t meant to, but Ruan Xinyi had done it on purpose.

She continued typing expressionlessly: [But it really hurts. Sister, can you rub it for me again?]

Wen Xihan: "..."

Ruan Xinyi: [Wuwuwu.]

Ruan Xinyi: [Sister, please~]

If it weren’t for Ruan Xinyi’s completely blank yet delicate face, Wen Xihan might have actually believed her.

Perhaps Ruan Xinyi should be grateful that Ruan Su was still here. Otherwise, Wen Xihan would have definitely kicked her again.

Feeling speechless, Wen Xihan replied with a string of ellipses.

Ruan Xinyi took a sip of lemon water: [Wuwuwu, sister, you’re so heartless.]

Letting out a heavy breath, Wen Xihan flipped her phone face-down and pulled a tissue to wipe the corner of her lips. “I’m done eating. President Ruan, take your time.”

Ruan Su smiled lightly and gracefully put down her chopsticks. “I’m done too. Ruan Ruan, what about you?”

Ruan Xinyi swallowed, clenched her molars, and rubbed her own leg before obediently saying, “I’m done eating too.”

“Alright, then let’s go.” Ruan Su picked up her bag and stood up first.

“Hiss—” The moment Ruan Xinyi stood up, a sharp pain made her stumble, causing the chair to screech against the floor.

Fortunately, Wen Xihan reacted quickly, catching Ruan Xinyi steadily before she could fall onto the table.

After pausing for a couple of seconds, Ruan Xinyi let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, General Manager Wen.”

Perhaps because Ruan Su was present, or maybe because something felt off inside her, the way Ruan Xinyi addressed her as ‘General Manager Wen’ sounded unusually distant to Wen Xihan.

“You’re welcome.” Wen Xihan calmly withdrew her hand, putting some distance between them.

As they stepped out of the restaurant, Ruan Su put on her sunglasses, making her profile appear even more refined and aloof. “Secretary Chen has already booked the hotel. Are you going back for a nap, or do you want to stay here and wait for the afternoon meeting?”

Ruan Xinyi looked at Wen Xihan, signaling that she would follow her lead.

Wen Xihan checked the time and shook her head. “There are only two hours. Going back and forth would be too rushed.”

“Alright, then I’ll get going first.” Ruan Su waved casually, turned smoothly, and got into a black Mercedes that had been waiting by the roadside.

As soon as the car drove off, Ruan Xinyi crouched slightly, rubbing her leg, exaggerating her pain with a couple of dramatic hissing sounds.

Wen Xihan was oddly touched by her pitiful display. Softening her tone with a hint of guilt, she asked, “Does it hurt a lot?”

“Mm, a little.” Ruan Xinyi nodded, then shook her head, slowly rolling up her pant leg. She tentatively touched the bruised skin and murmured, “It feels like the bone aches in waves.”

Ruan Xinyi’s skin was fair and delicate—every little bump left a noticeable mark, let alone this bluish-purple swelling, which looked quite alarming.

“Sorry.” Wen Xihan felt a pang of guilt as she bit her lower lip. “Wait here for a moment.”

Ruan Xinyi grabbed her wrist, her voice pitiful and persistent. “Sister, where are you going?”

“There’s a pharmacy over there.” Unknowingly, Wen Xihan’s tone had taken on a soothing quality. “I’ll be back soon.”

“Alright then.” Ruan Xinyi reluctantly let go. “But, sister, you have to come back quickly.”

“Mm, I will.”

A few minutes later, Wen Xihan returned with a bottle of safflower oil from the pharmacy.

Ruan Xinyi sat on a bench by the roadside, waiting for her. Noticing the bottle in the bag, she asked in surprise, “Sister, why did you buy this?”

Wen Xihan didn’t answer but asked instead, “Are we applying it here?”

Ruan Xinyi glanced around hesitantly, looking slightly embarrassed. “Here... wouldn’t that be a bit inappropriate?”

The scent of safflower oil was rather strong, and she was worried about affecting others.

Misinterpreting her hesitation as another one of her antics, Wen Xihan held back her impatience and asked, “Then where do you want to apply it?”

Ruan Xinyi thought for a moment before replying seriously, “Somewhere with fewer people.”

In the end, for some inexplicable reason, they ended up booking an hourly hotel room—just to apply safflower oil on Ruan Xinyi’s leg.

Ruan Xinyi lifted her pant leg, exposing most of her calf.

“Is it cold?” Wen Xihan touched Ruan Xinyi’s bare skin, her brows furrowing as she saw that the bruise had spread even more.

Wen Xihan’s fingertips were naturally cool. The moment they made contact, Ruan Xinyi instinctively flinched, gripping the bed frame tightly. She stubbornly insisted, “Not cold.”

“Oh.” Wen Xihan straightened up, placed the bag containing the safflower oil into Ruan Xinyi’s hands, and turned toward the bathroom without a second glance.

Hearing the sound of running water from the bathroom, Ruan Xinyi leaned back onto the soft bed.

About ten minutes later, Wen Xihan finally emerged from the steamy bathroom, a faint mist clinging to her skin.

Droplets of water clung to her fingers, glistening transparently as they trembled on the edge before falling.

As Wen Xihan walked closer, Ruan Xinyi noticed a single droplet slipping from her ring finger and landing on the floor, forming a small darkened spot.

But in the next second, Wen Xihan wiped her hands with a pristine white towel, erasing not only the droplets but also any lingering moisture on the back of her hands.

“Get up.” Wen Xihan nudged Ruan Xinyi’s uninjured leg with her knee.

Ruan Xinyi propped herself up on her elbow, trying to sit up using her core strength but failing. She half-covered her face and murmured, “Sister, can you give me a hand?”

“Give me your hand.” Wen Xihan extended hers.

“Huh?” Just as Ruan Xinyi lowered her hands from her face, Wen Xihan firmly grasped them.

With a slight pull, Wen Xihan helped Ruan Xinyi up, one hand gently steadying her slender shoulder. “Sit properly.”

“Mm? Okay.” Ruan Xinyi rubbed her fingertips together, still savoring the lingering warmth from their brief touch.

It was warm, slightly damp, and delicate to the touch.

Wen Xihan lifted the hem of her clothes and crouched down. She poured a little safflower oil into her palm and gently massaged the medicinal alcohol onto Ruan Xinyi’s bruised calf.

“Is this pressure okay?”

“Huh?” Ruan Xinyi snapped back to reality, gripping the edge of the bed tightly as she tried to keep her voice steady. “Mm~ It’s fine.”

“Does it hurt?” Wen Xihan softened her touch a little more.

“No.” Ruan Xinyi suppressed a shiver. “It’s a little ticklish.” As she spoke, another soft hum escaped from her nose.

The motion of rubbing the medicinal alcohol paused briefly. Wen Xihan lowered her head and said, “Bear with it.”

“Alright~” Ruan Xinyi covered her lips, trying to swallow the slight quiver in her voice. “Mmm~”

“Hiss—Mm~”

Wen Xihan continued for a while before finally saying, “If you really can’t hold it in, just cry out.”

Ruan Xinyi looked at her in shock, as if she were a virtuous woman being teased by a rogue. She leaned back slightly and said, “Sister, I never expected you to be this kind of person!”

Wen Xihan: “…”

Without saying a word, Wen Xihan ‘accidentally’ increased the pressure of her massage just a little.

Immediately, Ruan Xinyi’s wail echoed through the entire room. “Ah! It hurts, it hurts!”

“Sister, be gentler! I was wrong!”

“I was wrong, I was wrong, really wrong!”

Since Ruan Xinyi had admitted her mistake so sincerely, Wen Xihan eased up again. She shot her a sideways glance and asked, “Still being cheeky?”

Ruan Xinyi immediately shook her head, making her stance clear. “No more cheekiness.”

Wen Xihan chuckled and mercilessly exposed her. “You’ll just stop for now.”

“No way.” Ruan Xinyi clutched the pure white bedsheet, murmuring in protest. “How could you say that about me, sister…”

Her once self-righteous tone gradually faded under Wen Xihan’s deep and unwavering gaze.

Pouting slightly, Ruan Xinyi wisely chose to keep quiet.

Only when the medicinal alcohol was almost fully absorbed did Wen Xihan stop massaging Ruan Xinyi’s leg and slowly stand up.

She loosely clenched her fingers, the scent of medicinal alcohol still lingering on her hands. With a slight frown of distaste, she turned to head toward the bathroom to wash them properly.

“Sister,” Ruan Xinyi called out.

Wen Xihan turned around, her eyes carrying a silent question.

Ruan Xinyi hesitated for a moment before finally gathering the courage to speak. “I like you.”

“Do you… maybe like me a little too?”

Wen Xihan remained calm and replied with just two words: “Take a guess.”  

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