Volume One, Chapter 23: A Passionate Kiss

Lin Chen had no idea that someone next door was eavesdropping.

He held Xu Mi’s hand, sitting by the bedside, gently sharing amusing stories from his school days.

A smile never left Xu Mi’s face, but as a patient, her spirit was low, and before long, she had fallen asleep unintentionally.

“Wife?” Lin Chen whispered softly. Seeing Xu Mi’s eyes closed and her breathing steady, he finally exhaled deeply.

He had managed to lull her to sleep at last.

The day’s exertions must have been quite a burden on Xu Mi’s frail body.

Leaning over the bed, Lin Chen gazed intently at her sleeping face, unable to help but recall those days in the hospital.

Back then, Xu Mi was in a vegetative state; no one knew if she would ever wake up or if they had a future together.

But now, Xu Mi was awake, her health steadily improving, and she was willing to reach out to him. Perhaps they could truly become lifelong partners.

Lin Chen smiled foolishly, tightening his grip on her hand.

Her hand was small, delicate, and fair—his palm could easily envelop it.

“Wife, you’re so beautiful,” he murmured. “I wonder what good karma I had in my past life to marry you. I must be the happiest man in the world.”

The girl who had been his childhood goddess had grown up, and here she was—his wife. It felt like a dream come true.

“Wife, since you said you’re willing to try being close to me, can I take that as a sign you like me a little too?”

“I’ve never dated before, no experience at all. That’s why I made a fool of myself in the elevator today. But don’t worry, I’ll learn—I promise to give you the best love possible!”

“So you’ll stay by my side forever, right?”

Lin Chen rambled on, watching Xu Mi sleep soundly, his heart stirred once again.

Back at the hospital, he had drunkenly held her through the night.

Now that she was discharged... well...

Reproaching himself for such impure thoughts, Lin Chen slipped off his jacket, tiptoed onto the bed, and crawled under the covers.

The air conditioner kept the room at a comfortable temperature, but Xu Mi’s weak body was more sensitive to the cold.

Feeling the warmth, she instinctively nestled into Lin Chen’s embrace.

Holding her small frame, breathing in her sweet scent, Lin Chen’s heart melted completely.

What was this feeling?

Wife, child, and a warm bed!

All that was missing now was a child.

But...

Lin Chen looked down at Xu Mi in his arms and sighed.

He had a wife, yes—but with her fragile health, having a child was out of the question. Even raising his voice too loudly might cause her harm.

There were still many hard days ahead.

Unconsciously, Lin Chen drifted off to sleep while holding Xu Mi.

What he didn’t know was that after he fell asleep, Xu Mi opened her eyes.

“What a fool,” she thought, reaching out with her delicate fingers to trace his facial features in the air, a smile never leaving her lips.

At first, she had truly been exhausted and fallen asleep. But due to her condition, her sleep was light; she had woken shortly after Lin Chen began speaking, yet pretended to be asleep.

By chance, she overheard everything he said.

In her heart, Xu Mi silently repeated, “Even if you don’t learn how to date, I still want to be with you.”

Her heart had been unknowingly filled by Lin Chen.

Perhaps he was clumsy, inexperienced, and sometimes childish around others, but sincerity was his ultimate weapon.

Thinking of Lin Chen’s words, warmth blossomed in Xu Mi’s cheeks, and she buried her face in his arms.

Holding onto his lean waist, listening to his heartbeat, Xu Mi soon slipped into a dream.

...

They slept until evening, awakened by a knock on the door.

Lin Chen opened his eyes to meet Xu Mi’s doe-like gaze.

Perhaps still groggy from sleep, her eyes were moist and a little confused. Her rosy cheeks and tousled hair made her utterly adorable.

Especially those tender, pink lips...

On impulse, Lin Chen kissed her.

Startled, Xu Mi’s eyes widened, a blush spreading across her cheeks. Then she closed her eyes again and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Both were novices in love, utterly lacking in technique.

Lin Chen only knew that kissing his wife’s soft, sweet lips intoxicated him. As the kiss deepened, his hands began to wander.

Xu Mi, shocked and shy, tried to push him away but found herself helplessly surrendering, her mind hazy, holding onto Lin Chen as he claimed her.

Until the knocking came again.

Lin Chen jolted awake, realizing Xu Mi’s breathing was uneven.

Her once rosy face was pale, her eyes distant, her breath weakening.

Clearly, her body couldn’t bear such emotional upheaval.

“Wife, are you okay?!” Lin Chen panicked, stopping immediately and holding her close to check on her.

But despite feeling his warmth, her heart raced faster, and her complexion worsened.

“Please don’t scare me!” Tears welled up in Lin Chen’s eyes.

Xu Mi struggled to speak, “The medicine... it’s in my bag...”

“All right, I’ll get it now. Hang in there!” Lin Chen scrambled out of bed, found the medicine in her bag, and helped her take it.

Only after taking the medicine did Xu Mi start to recover, lying weakly on the bed.

Lin Chen was filled with guilt and sorrow, slapping himself hard. “It’s all my fault!”

He knew her condition, yet had acted like a brute. Thankfully, nothing serious happened.

If anything had gone wrong, he would never forgive himself.

“I’m okay, don’t blame yourself,” Xu Mi managed a faint smile. “It’s my poor health, not you.”

“No, it’s all my fault!” Lin Chen squeezed her hand, about to say more when the knocking came again.

At the same time, Lin Chen’s phone rang.

It was Li Xiulan calling.

“Lin Chen, what are you two up to? The nanny’s here—go open the door!”

“Nanny?”

“Yes! Tang Tang’s health is poor, so she can’t cook. You have to work, and we can’t have you running back and forth between home and the company to cook. So I hired a nanny to take care of meals and chores.”

“I got it, I’m opening the door now!”

Lin Chen hung up and hurried out.

Xu Mi lay in bed, watching his retreating figure, her thoughts drifting back to that kiss.

If only her body had been stronger, would things have been different?

She didn’t dare think further, pulling the covers over her flushed face.

Beneath the blanket, a sweet smile lingered.