Exclusively for You: Chapter 7

Chapter 7: I thought you wanted to poison me

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The weak light was eerie, and Song Li couldn't fully see his face. Listening to the sound, he probably just asked casually, not genuinely interested.

A quiet moment passed, and she softly muttered, 'Hmm.'

Sheng Mu Ci didn't say anything further.

The phone she was holding automatically turned off at that moment. The room went completely dark. Song Li was startled for a moment and immediately turned on the screen again.

Just as she was about to ask where the switch was, she saw him suddenly approaching.

In the dim night, the man's shadow towered over her, gathering all the light between them, illuminating his face from an ambiguous angle.

Face to face, right in front of her, Song Li could faintly sense his breath, cool and refreshing after a shower.

Her words hung on her lips.

"Afraid of the dark?" He asked absentmindedly, remembering something.

"...Aren't you afraid?" In Song Li's understanding, fear was a common human emotion.

But for Sheng Mu Ci, it was absurd. Perhaps he had never experienced fear in his world, and even if he did, it would remain invisible.

After a moment of silence, he let out an inexplicable low laugh, as if mocking her for being a scaredy-cat.

At this close yet safe distance, Song Li felt somewhat uncomfortable. She wanted to move back, but the man in front of her raised his hand and reached out to her.

In that brief second, his fingertips carried a hint of cool water as they brushed through her ear. It should have been unintentional.

Song Li shrank back sensitively.

As the touch-sensitive switch by her ear made a "beep" sound, the lights in the corridor extended to the living room, filling the room with bright light.

Song Li couldn't help but squint her eyelashes. After adjusting to the brightness, she saw the man walking towards the living room with his back to her.

He held his right shoulder, moving his arm with some difficulty due to a bone injury.

Song Li followed him and explained why she was there. He didn't seem to care much, just replied with a simple "Oh." He casually wiped his wet hair with one hand, then threw the towel on the sofa, before struggling to lie back on the hospital bed.

It seemed like he didn't plan to dry his hair.

"Shall I blow-dry your hair? I'll go get the hairdryer," Song Li asked cautiously, afraid of being too intrusive.

Sheng Mu Ci reached for the dark silver metal cigarette case on the bedside, gave her a playful glance, and said, "Will you help me?"

Realizing that one of his hands was not working well, Song Li was about to say the usual "Sure," but then hesitated.

"..."

"I'll help you put on the shoulder support."

Song Li turned her gaze away, picked up the rehabilitation belt tossed at the foot of the bed, and Sheng Mu Ci somewhat cooperatively raised his arm to allow her to put it on.

"Is this comfortable?" Song Li asked after adjusting the tightness.

Sheng Mu Ci raised his lips and asked her slowly, "Is it comfortable to wear this thing?"

It's not like she could take it off casually! Afraid that his bones won't heal properly?

Faced with his stubbornness, Song Li wanted to give him a piece of her mind, but she silently reminded herself to stay calm and not let her mouth run ahead of her.

"You shouldn't do this next time..." Song Li's voice was slightly lowered, her tone soft: "It's not serious. As long as you stay put for a month, your daily activities will be fine, really."

Her tone could be described as earnest.

But Sheng Mu Ci, in a somewhat nonchalant manner, replied, "I won't die."

"..." Song Li found that this man had the knack for shutting her up.

Sheng Mu Ci played with the lid of his cigarette box between his fingers. "Did you study in Beijing city? Which school?"

Song Li hasn't snapped back to reality yet. "...Uh, I studied at the Beijing Medical College."

He smiled leisurely, "A good student, huh?"

Sheng Mu Ci glanced at her, capturing her in his gaze, and suddenly, for no apparent reason, he asked, "What about your childhood?"

Song Li's eyelashes quivered lightly, and she remained silent for a moment, unable to speak.

She had lived in Beijing city for a year during her childhood, but there were things from that time that she didn't want to recall.

"I forgot..."

She brushed it off, and Sheng Mu Ci didn't pay it any mind. His thumb slid open the cigarette box, he took out a cigarette, and clamped it between his teeth. His movements were so skilled, as if he was about to pull out a lighter from his pocket and light it in the next second.

"Don't smoke, it's not good." Song Li stopped him promptly.

"Don't fight in the future."

"It hurts."

Suddenly, Sheng Mu Ci's voice was stirred by her words.

In a moment of reverie, he collected his thoughts and casually smiled, "Not even one?"

Song Li shook her head firmly.

Gone was the seriousness of her work; at this moment, her clear eyes blinked playfully, and her cheeks had a touch of cuteness.

The cigarette box was tossed up and down in Sheng Mu Ci's hand, a person who shouldn't smile.

His wild and untamed villainous image was deeply ingrained, and this appearance was particularly unsettling.

It felt like he was selecting a weapon, without seeking forgiveness, about to smile and stab you to death...

After refuting his words, Song Li still had lingering fear, but she was a doctor; she couldn't just watch him harm himself, at least not during his hospital stay.

"Be a good boy."

Song Li, out of professional habit, used the tricks to pacify children.

"Quitting smoking might be uncomfortable, but it's good for your health. Millions of people worldwide die from smoking every year, and considering your lung injury, you shouldn't be stubborn."

She gently persuaded him, displaying a kind of precocious cuteness.

Sheng Mu Ci listened to every word without a single omission, and he almost burst into laughter, looking composed, "How old are you?"

"...What's the matter?" Song Li was puzzled.

"Just asking."

Feeling his mockery, Song Li pursed her lips and said, "Anyway, your condition is not that great..."

"You investigated me?" Sheng Mu raised an eyebrow.

Song Li hesitated for a moment, then vaguely replied, 'It's just... quite obvious.'

Sheng Mu fell silent for a while and then suddenly sighed, "Actually, I suffer from a hereditary premature aging condition, a mutation in the laminin gene. I've been receiving treatment abroad for many years. Small surgeries every three days, major surgeries every five days, and a daily dose of medication larger than my food..."

Song Li listened in shock.

"I'm only sixteen this year, but I could die at any time."

His earlier playful demeanor had completely disappeared, adding a touch of misery.

Song Li was both incredulous and worried, with a hint of instinctive sympathy. "Really? But you look perfectly normal, you should be managing it well... Don't lose hope; clinical medicine has promising prospects now. Maybe they'll develop a special medication soon."

"Fake."

"?" Song Li was bewildered, doubting her hearing.

Sheng Mu chuckled, "You're too easy to fool, are you trying to be cute?"

Song Li couldn't react for a moment, and then she realized he was intentionally teasing her.

No! It's! So! Boring!

Is he only three years old?

Song Li felt embarrassed and awkward, her face turning red, but she couldn't retort as he continued to casually watch her.

However, she didn't want to play along and ignored him. She reached into the pocket of her peacock blue coat and searched for a while, then reached into her small bag in front of her.

Finally, she found a piece of candy and placed it on his bedside table.

"When you crave a smoke, you can have a piece of candy." Song Li considered herself a doctor who repays kindness with kindness.

Unfortunately, Sheng Mu happened to be a carefree scoundrel.

He said, "Oh, I thought you were trying to poison me."

Song Li swallowed the words she was about to say.

She was prone to low blood sugar due to her busy schedule and always carried sweets with her. This was the last piece. However, most of the candies that lasted until the end weren't as tasty as others, and this one in her hand wasn't particularly delicious.

It was lemon candy.

The kind that made your teeth shiver with sourness after a single taste, often used for pranks. Song Li used it to stay alert.

Originally, she wanted to remind him that it was a bit sour.

Now, Song Li just wanted to say, "It's you who's been sour! Live with it!"

But at that moment, Song Li didn't notice that Sheng Mu subtly glanced at her and discreetly licked his lips.

"Sister, do you want to stay here? People are getting impatient waiting for you." He drawled lazily.

Song Li didn't understand, "Who's waiting for me?"

Sheng Mu Ci leisurely glanced over, "Your boyfriend didn't pick you up?"

At the mention of Jin Shiwen, Song Li's mood darkened.

Originally, after work, Song Li wanted him to accompany her to watch the new movie in theaters, but Jin Shiwen's time was all occupied with social engagements, and he couldn't spare any time for her.

"I'll go by myself," Song Li's voice was low.

Just then, Xu Yan returned, along with Cheng Gui, who had gone to the villa to pick up something for someone. It turned out that the phone had been left in his car before they departed.

Song Li was just about to take her leave and go home, but Xu Yan stopped her first, asking where she lived and how she was getting back.

"Changning Road, not far, it's just two subway stops," Song Li said with a faint smile, and upon closer thought, you could sense a subtle distance in her politeness.

However, Xu Yan was a warm-hearted straightforward person who didn't have that discernment.

He said with great enthusiasm, "I'm about to buy some drinks, I can drop you off. It's not safe for a young lady to go home alone at this late hour, and if you get back late, you can blame it on me."

"It's out of your way..."

As Song Li was in the middle of declining, the man waiting for Cheng Gui to set the meal box on the bed suddenly asked casually, "Where did you buy the fruit the other day?"

Xu Yan paused for a moment, thought carefully, and replied, "It seems it was near Changning Road."

"Go buy some."

"Now? There are still some in the fridge..."

Sheng Mu Ci's gaze was icy, "Why waste words?"

Xu Yan immediately pursed his lips, slowly turned to look at Song Li, and said, "Dr. Song, it's on the way now."

"..."

As she left, Song Li noticed that, at some point, the candy had replaced the pack of cigarettes in the man's hand. He played with it, and the candy wrapper made a rustling sound.

Lu Zhiyuan was near the center of Nan Yi City, with mostly small high-rise buildings and plenty of greenery, resembling a small green city with a strong forest feel.

It was truly a haven for single girls.

A military green Jeep Wrangler was parked at the entrance of the residential area.

Song Li unbuckled her seatbelt, thanked Xu Yan, and got out of the car.

Not long after, Song Li turned around and saw that Xu Yan was still parked in the same spot without driving away. After some thought, she turned back.

She knocked on the driver's window.

"Third Brother, I just dropped Dr. Song off at home. What would you like to eat? I can bring something back."

Inside the car, Xu Yan was on a phone call, and upon hearing the sound, he naturally lowered the car window.

Seeing it was Song Li, Xu Yan immediately set aside his ongoing call.

"Did Dr. Song forget something?" he asked with a smile.

Song Li shook her head and organized her words a bit, "I didn't forget anything. I just wanted to say... Please make sure someone is there to look after Mr. Sheng at all times, don't leave him alone. It wouldn't be good if it led to a second injury."

"Ah, how could I dare not listen to Third Brother's intentions! In the past, in the army, he was the officer, and I was the soldier. There's no way around it, military orders are like mountains!"

"..."

Could he really keep obeying his commands forever? He had to wash himself despite his broken bones, and you all seem to be used to it. If something goes wrong, it's not her who suffers.

As if he could hear her thoughts, Xu Yan smiled and said, "Dr. Song, don't worry, my Third Brother is not that fussy, he knows his limits."

"You all let him have his way too much..."

Thinking of that disrespectful face and the man's terrible behavior tonight, Song Li suddenly unleashed her pent-up emotions.

After hesitating for two seconds, she made her decision and chose to speak, her voice clear and concise—

"Don't spoil him."

It felt so good to say it out loud.

In reality, what Song Li really wanted to say was that Sheng Mu Ci became more lawless the more he was spoiled, he needed discipline and guidance!

Suddenly, from the phone, a man's relaxed voice with a hint of intriguing laughter emerged softly.

"—Don't spoil who?"

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