Chapter 68: Doting

“Don’t cry…” A weak murmur spilled from the man’s lips.

Si Qingyu, who had been weeping in distress, paused and looked at the man in her arms.

The pale, emaciated man in her embrace had already opened his tightly shut eyes, now brimming with tenderness and a watery haziness as he gazed unwaveringly at her.

Si Qingyu came back to her senses and smiled joyfully, but the bitterness in her heart remained. Her simultaneously laughing and crying appearance made the corners of the man’s mouth also curve up in a feeble smile.

A hand, deathly pale against the red robes, slowly caressed the woman’s bare face, wiping away the tear streaks: “Don’t cry… it pains me…”

He truly couldn’t bear her tears.

Hearing this, Si Qingyu hastily wiped her face and pressed his hand tightly against her cheek, gazing at him with heartache: “How could you be so foolish… If I hadn’t returned, did you really intend to torture yourself to death?”

Luo Shaoxuan’s bloodless lips pursed slightly, not answering.

If she truly didn’t return, didn’t want him, then what meaning would there be in living?

Now that she had come back, everything was worth it to him.

Sudden mist shrouded the man’s eyes. Pressing his lips together, he stared fixedly at her, his appearance truly making one’s heart ache unbearably.

Si Qingyu held him a bit tighter, fingers gently wiping the clear tears from the corners of his eyes, carefully caressing his face: “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

She lowered her head again, sweeping her gaze over his entire form.

But Luo Shaoxuan weakly shook his head, fingers lightly scratching at her hand as if in accusation, whispering: “You didn’t want me… abandoned me all alone…”

Seeing his pitiful appearance, what could Si Qingyu do? She bent and pressed a kiss to his forehead: “Not anymore…” She recalled just moments ago, his eyes tightly shut, face deathly pale as if…

Not daring to think further, Si Qingyu clutched his hand in lingering fear: “Never again…”

She never wanted to see such a scene again.

…

On the couch, Luo Shaoxuan curled up in the refined woman’s embrace, downing one spoonful of millet congee after another that she fed him, beautiful eyes blissfully narrowed.

Just like a languid cat, only lacking a tail swaying leisurely behind him.

Si Qingyu shifted her somewhat stiff body, immediately eliciting dissatisfied mumbles from the person in her arms. The man furrowed his brows and glanced up at her in displeasure, lips glossy with congee and slightly pursed adorably.

Unable to resist the itch in her hand, she lightly pinched the man’s thinned chin.

Luo Shaoxuan grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, pretending he would bite, but from the corner of his eye, he saw the woman watching him with interest.

A trace of darkness flashed through his beautiful eyes. Gently biting the woman’s thumb, he stuck out his pink tongue tip and licked her palm like a hook.

Feeling the woman’s body tremble as he wished, he glanced at her like a smug cat that got the cream, wanting to continue, but the woman abruptly withdrew her hand.

Si Qingyu set the congee bowl aside and wiped her palm in exasperation, flicking his cheek and doting: “Even like this, you still act up.”

His entire frame was so thin it felt a bit bony, yet he was still playing around like this.

The man lowered his lashes, a hint of loss flashing by. He turned in a circle in her arms to change positions, fingers clutching her collar the whole time. Raising his eyes, he glared at her in slight annoyance: “You’re the one teasing me!”

Just like a bristling cat.

Si Qingyu chuckled: “Alright alright, I teased you.” Picking up the congee bowl, she scooped up a spoonful, blew on it, and brought it to his lips: “Come, finish the congee first.”

Having an empty stomach for too long, he still couldn’t eat greasy foods. Some millet porridge was best for now.

The man made a small sound and leaned against her shoulder, sipping in small mouthfuls.

Si Qingyu alternated between feeding him and stopping to press on his abdomen, only halting after confirming he had eaten enough.

Don’t blame her for being overly fussy. Even if he was full to bursting, he wouldn’t say a word, swallowing everything she fed him. Si Qingyu sometimes suspected that even if she fed him poison, he would gulp it down with a blissful expression.

Sighing in fond exasperation, she set the last bit of congee aside. Glancing down, she saw the man lying in her arms let out a small yawn, the back of her hand lovingly stroking his cheek: “Sleepy?”

The man’s eyes were half-closed. Hearing her murmur, he shifted and burrowed further into her embrace, face nestled against her neck, drowsy eyes growing hazier.

Si Qingyu adjusted her posture to let him rest more comfortably. Kissing the top of his head, she coaxed in a gentle, soft voice: “Sleep then.”

“Mm…” Hazy eyes fully shut as he dozed off sweetly in the woman’s arms.

The corners of Si Qingyu’s mouth curved up. Lowering her gaze, her fingers carefully brushed aside a strand of black hair stuck to the man’s cheek, hand patting his back in a soothing rhythm.

The bedroom door was wide open. The weather was quite nice today, sunlight shining on the tea table in the center of the room. Occasional warm breezes wafted in, stirring the sleeping man’s hair by his cheeks.

Si Qingyu held the man tightly in her arms, gaze a bit bored as she watched the leaves continuously drifting down in the courtyard.

From time to time, her eyes would slowly shift back to the person in her embrace. After confirming he was fast asleep, she carefully pried loose the hand clutching her collar.

But as soon as she exerted strength, she saw the man’s brows furrow in unease. Si Qingyu instantly froze, face twitching a bit stiffly. Seeing that the man only knitted his brows without waking, she let out a relieved breath.

Sigh, by the time he woke her whole body would probably be numb.

Slender fingers smoothed out his furrowed brows. Circling her hand behind his back, she continued patting lightly, the protruding spine feeling a bit bony against her palm.

Heart aching, she nuzzled the man’s forehead, resting her face against it. Without realizing, she also drifted off.

In her dream, she felt like she was hugging a weight in her arms, terribly heavy.

She wanted to put the weight down but discovered it was stuck tightly to her body.

Lifting her head, she felt she was about to be flattened by this weight.

But then the weight transformed into a giant cat, continuously licking her face and neck.

Yet it was still awfully heavy.

She wanted to push this amorous feline away but found they were connected so tightly together that she couldn’t budge it at all, her face, neck and collarbones all damp.

Si Qingyu opened her eyes in discomfort, still able to feel that wetness. Glancing down, she saw the man who should have been fast asleep now burying his face against her neck, licking with relish, even showing signs of moving lower.

She sucked in a sharp breath. Hands cupping the man’s face, she forcibly pushed him away from her neck.