Chapter 27 – Gentleness

Lu Chen’s heart softened while watching every change of expression in Xiu Mei’s face. He didn’t even notice why Xiu Mei was reacting like that at his actions. His previous stiff and cold face was gone, only that gentle look and slight curve of his lips was left.

He stifled his laugh before lifting up a spoonful of the congee again and held it near her face.

“Another one.” His tone was so gentle like a feather caressing one’s skin.

Xiu Mei shook her head as she kept her hands on her mouth. She was too taken aback with what she was witnessing as she kept looking wide-eyed at Lu Chen.

Lu Chen didn’t let her though as he kept the spoon in front of her face. She finally made her decision. She quickly grabbed the spoon from his grasp and held the other side of the bowl that Lu Chen was holding. Her hand pulling the bowl to her direction a bit forcefully, clearly expressing her desire to grab the bowl from him.

“I can eat on my own.” Her voice slightly hoarse and shaky. She even had the urge to cough due to the itchiness she was feeling.

Seeing that Xiu Mei was too weak yet still trying to argue with him, Lu Chen just gave up and let her take the bowl from his hand. He wouldn’t want to her to get more stressed that she already is. From his experience everytime he argued with her, he was always the defeated one and Xiu Mei, despite being the dominant one, would always be consumed with anger instead.

Xiu Mei quickly gulped down the congee in a few mouthfuls. She was feeling too hungry due to the fact that the last meal she had was the lunch she had with Kei yesterday. She was too engrossed with working that she forgotten dinner, plus she had to visit Ying Yue’s grave late at night yesterday. And now, when Lu Chen mentioned before that this was supposed to be her lunch meant that she had also slept through breakfast.

On the side, Lu Chen automatically refilled her bowl with food from the flask. Understanding that she was famished, he let her finish the entire contents of the flask. Eating a lot is also good since he had instructed the cook to mix some medicinal herbs on the congee to help Xiu Mei quickly recover from fever.

“Drink this.” Lu Chen was very much fine with acting like a nurse to Xiu Mei as he handed her a pill along with a glass water. Xiu Mei trusted everything that Lu Chen was making her eat would make her well, she willingly accepted the pill and emptied the glass. Lu Chen then called for some maid to clean up the tray and foods that she had eaten clean.

Xiu Mei only noticed the empty plates when she saw the maid taking it away and until she left the room. Her cheeks reddened, realizing how she had acted like a glutton in front of her superior. Really embarassed, ah.

“Quickly go back to rest.”

“Um,..” She quickly held her hand up, stopping Lu Chen from his actions. He was going to help her lie down before he was stopped by the hand in front of him.

“Why am I here?” She started bombarding him with questions. “Weren’t you in London? How did you find me?”

Even though she was sick and felt really weak, her mind couldn’t be put to rest if these questions were left unanswered. She was really too confused as to why she had woken up here in Lu Chen’s place knowing that her last memory was she was still supposed to be in the cemetery.

Lu Chen paused for a second, observing her face trying to understand her expression. He knew that look—that unrelenting look saying that she would never listen to him if he didn’t answer her. Even though he wasn’t an expert in social relations, he was knowledgeable enough to know and understand how Xiu Mei’s mind works. Or at least, he thought he did.

“My men found you passed out in Nature Valley Cemetery.” His mind recalling the moment he heard his men report this to him. He was furious, he really wanted to scold her. Yet he couldn’t stop himself from worrying.

He worried over her too much that he wanted to return to her side. He wanted to see her current situation himself even though Tang Li had said that she would be fine. And then when he saw her lying on the bed sleeping, his heart felt like being squeezed making him feel painful.

He had sat at her side the moment he had arrived home. He felt painful seeing her face scrunched up from pain. He had even heard her occasionally murmuring words sounding like she was pleading and in suffering.

Lu Chen held her hand as he rubbed her forehead for a few times to straighten her furrowed brows. He was even whispering some soothing words at her, trying to stop her from having anymore nightmares. He had only left her side to go to the kitchen to supervise the cooking of her food. He also had to convince Lu Qiang to don’t go inside Xiu Mei’s room or else he will also get sick like her. He had to talk to him for quite awhile but in the end, Lu Qiang reluctantly agreed before letting him promise to let him see her when she recovers. When he returned to where Xiu Mei was and saw her awake, his heart instantly felt lighter. It felt like some stone was finally lifted up from his heart.

Lu Chen originally planned to scold her. For being so careless in taking of her body and for making him worry too much. But his heart weakened upon seeing her pale face and weak self. He thought he really couldn’t bring himself to scold her with Xiu Mei at that state.