Exclusively for You: Chapter 9

Chapter 9: You can have a room in the ward

✧༝┉˚*❋ ❋*˚┉༝✧ 

The moment Song Li's back felt a bit chilly.

In that instant, a terrifying suspicion leapt into her mind - could this consultant, Little Brother, be Sheng Mu Ci himself?

But in the blink of an eye, she denied this absurd idea.

Su Tangnian couldn't possibly have Sheng Mu Ci's WeChat.

Perhaps he could pinpoint her so accurately because his sideline is... fortune-telling?

After that night, "eating children alive" was firmly located in Song Li's heart -

Being a problem-solving psychological consultant is really misleading.

But if he set up a stall for fortune-telling, he had boundless prospects.

However, Song Li didn't have the energy to care about these trivial matters. In the days that followed, Jin Shiwen almost cut off contact with her, no messages, no calls, and their relationship turned unexpectedly parallel.

Jin Shiwen was shuttling between various social circles of fame and fortune, while Song Li was busy with her usual work.

Song Li wasn't sure how Jin Shiwen was, but there was no denying that the parting that night left her feeling troubled and disheartened.

But sometimes, she thought, this should be the norm.

They were people living in two different worlds.

So the week passed in this manner.

Due to recent heavy concerns, her sleep quality was poor, and her thin skin and dislike for makeup made Song Li's complexion very pale these days, making her somewhat resemble Lin Daiyu with "two concerns on her face and a delicate illness."

One morning, seeing that she still didn't look well, Meng Yingqiao couldn't help but ask, "Did you stay up late reading again?"

Song Li replied with a smile, without explaining.

She did read books, and she did stay up late, but the two were not causally related.

"It's ten o'clock," Meng Yingqiao glanced at the office clock and said, "Don't you have to go to Room 901 for rounds today?"

Song Li lowered her eyes to organize the medical records, her voice was soft, tinged with deep weariness.

A few days ago, Song Li used to go before ten o'clock, but Sheng Mu Ci was still not awake. After a few fruitless trips, she gained some experience.

He couldn't possibly wake up before noon.

So Song Li and Xu Yan agreed that from now on, they would meet at half-past twelve, just after she had lunch. Besides, the task at hand was simple; with Cheng Gui's help, she only needed to change the gauze and medicine. Sheng Mu Ci's wound on his waist wasn't severe; changing it every other day was perfectly fine.

At half-past twelve, Song Li arrived at Room 901 on time.

Seeing her, Xu Yan was initially delighted, but then he suddenly smacked his forehead, "Oh no."

Song Li inquired with her eyes, sensing something was wrong.

Sure enough, she heard Xu Yan hesitantly say, "Third Brother is still asleep today."

"..."

Is this lying down after a bone fracture?

Song Li recalled a pseudoscience she had seen, claiming that a person's lifetime sleep time is limited, and once they sleep too early, they'll live until the end.

She never believed it, but now she felt it from the bottom of her heart that he was very dangerous.

Originally, Song Li wanted to say that she would WeChat him when he woke up, but Xu Yan quickly suggested, "How about this, I'll call third brother, and if it goes through, Dr. Song, will you take it?"

Their eyes met, and Xu Yan nervously smiled.

Song Li immediately understood; he didn't have the courage to disturb someone else.

So, does that mean she does?

Before she could react, the dialed phone was handed to Song Li. When one's mind is in a slump, they tend to be slow to react. She was still dazed and the call was already connected.

"What's up?"

On the phone, the man's voice was low and muffled, conveying a sense of irritation, almost like a warning.

The implication was probably, you better have a good reason to bother me.

Song Li wanted to hang up but couldn't. Under Xu Yan's frantic gaze, she reluctantly put the phone to her ear.

"Mr. Sheng," she said softly, holding her breath.

Sheng Mu Ci remained silent for a moment before slowly responding with a "Hmm."

Not sure if it was a mirage, but Song Li felt that his tone wasn't as harsh as before.

In this situation, Song Li could only try to be gentle as much as possible. "I'm in the living room. Do you want to get up now? The bandages need to be changed."

"I don't want to."

Song Li was tongue-tied, and when a person starts to go downhill, it's as if countless misfortunes swarm them, and even the strongest mindset tends to crumble.

"Then you can sleep first," she said, her willpower slightly diminished, her voice weak. "I'll come back later..."

"The door isn't locked."

Before she could finish her sentence, the man, who had just woken up, interjected, his voice with a gravelly, raspy quality, strangely pleasing to the ear.

Song Li was puzzled and let out an "Oh."

"Come in," he said. From the sound of it, he was obviously still drowsy, probably talking to her with his eyes closed.

Song Li took a moment to understand his meaning and, after some hesitation, she mustered the courage to suggest, "Or maybe we should stay in the living room... The sunlight is nice today, and it's warm here."

There was silence for several seconds.

Unexpectedly, he agreed, completely contrary to what Song Li had imagined about his temper.

For the past few days, it was rare to have something that put her at ease.

Ten minutes after the call ended, Xu Yan pushed Sheng Mu Ci out, and they placed the mobile sickbed in its old position by the French windows.

Sheng Mu Ci changed into a set of dark-toned home clothes, his long legs resting casually on the sickbed. His hair was messy, and he hadn't bothered to fix it yet. He had washed his face, and the tips of his short hair were still slightly wet.

He absentmindedly ruffled his hair a couple of times, his eyelids drooping, looking weary, still wearing that same arrogant look.

The two of them exchanged a brief, uneasy glance.

In an instant, Song Li lowered her head; she was still somewhat afraid of him. She took out the glasses from the pocket of her white coat and placed them on her nose, then put on a pair of medical gloves.

While she prepared, Sheng Mu Ci noticed the faint bluish shadows under her eyelids. They weren't deep, but her fair skin made them especially noticeable.

These past few days, her complexion has been pale, and her visible downturn was easy to detect, revealing subtle changes in her emotions.

Sheng Mu Ci made no trace and said, "Changing the medicine, shouldn't count as me bothering you, right?"

Song Li looked at him strangely, not quite understanding the deeper meaning of this statement, and answered with little confidence, "…I guess not."

Sheng Mu Ci lazily clicked his tongue, leisurely appraising her, "Then, at your young age, what are you worrying about day by day?"

"Did you break up?" he asked casually.

Song Li hesitated for a moment, slowly shook her head, then lowered her eyelashes and continued with her own tasks without responding.

They remained silent for a while.

When preparing to remove the old bandage, Song Li was thinking of asking him to change his lying position, but before she could speak, he lazily turned his body to the side.

Despite his reluctant appearance, he seemed particularly cooperative today.

Song Li was a bit surprised, paused for a moment, and then continued opening several bottles of medicinal water, gently reminding, "Clothing."

Sheng Mu Ci didn't change his expression and raised his clothes by himself.

Watching this, Xu Yan by the side was nearly shocked to the ground.

The pretty sister sure knows how to talk, even the third brother's irritable temperament can be soothed by her words.

Song Li turned around, and all she could see was the man's well-defined waist and abdomen.

Even after looking multiple times, Song Li still couldn't help but think that his abdominal muscles were shockingly attractive, and his waist was unfairly slim.

She suddenly realized that it wasn't entirely unjustified that people had dirty thoughts about him. It was all his fault.

"You're still looking?" Sheng Mu Ci's voice brought her back to reality, and she suddenly felt a little flustered. She stammered, "I-I was thinking about how to do it, and if it doesn't hurt you..."

He's this sensitive?

Sheng Mu Ci's lips curled slightly, and he asked her with an amused tone, "Where do you want to do it?"

There was an underlying meaning in his words, but Song Li couldn't decipher it. With disposable gloves on her hands, she hesitated, gazing at him innocently, "Your waist."

"What are you afraid of in my waist?" Sheng Mu Ci mocked her with brevity and a hint of laughter, "Do as you please."

He said it so casually, but he groaned when she touched him for the first time.

...No, not touched.

Song Li mumbled in her mind, but didn't respond. She bowed her head and carefully removed the gauze, used tweezers to soak a piece of medical cotton with liquid, and gently applied it to his wound.

She was skilled at this, and soon, she had taken care of his wound.

At that moment, Cheng Gui had taken the special Michelin three-star restaurant meal for the private patient and was on his way back. Song Li had already prepared some post-meal medications.

"I'll be leaving now. Remember to take these medicines after your meal," Song Li placed the pre-packaged medicines on the bedside table, removed her medical gloves, and said, "If you need anything, just call me. I'll be in my office."

She sanitized her hands with hand sanitizer and started to clean up the tray to leave.

Sheng Mu Ci, lying back, was puzzled.

Just what kind of boyfriend did this girl have that made her so unhappy for so many days?

She must have a really bad taste.

After a moment of looking closely at her thin gold-rimmed glasses on her nose, Sheng Mu Ci's slightly hoarse voice suddenly asked, "Are you nearsighted?"

In the sudden and unexpected question, Song Li was slightly stunned. Then she took off her glasses and put them back in her pocket.

"I have a little astigmatism."

"Oh." He lowered his gaze and didn't say anything more.

Sheng Mu Ci couldn't say he had no thoughts at that moment, but on second thought, she wasn't his girlfriend, so why bother to console her?

So he just let it be.

Just before Song Li left, Xu Yan, who had been missing for a while, suddenly appeared from the kitchen.

"It's still lunchtime; Dr. Song, have some fruit before you go!"

He remained polite as always, holding two plates of fruit. He directly handed one plate to Song Li and the other to Sheng Mu Ci.

Being caught off guard by the unexpected addition of fruit in her hand, Song Li was speechless.

The porcelain fruit plate was generously filled, and it felt cool in the palm. After Xu Yan handed over the fruit, he returned to the kitchen to make tea, leaving Song Li standing there, bewildered.

In the short and awkward one or two minutes of Song Li's embarrassment, she didn't notice that the person on the bed had silently finished his portion of mango.

Suddenly, her plate felt lighter and then heavier.

Song Li turned with a puzzled gaze.

She saw her plate had reached him, and the man had skewered a piece of mango into his mouth, his movements lazy.

And what she was holding now was his plate, with only strawberries left.

Song Li was incredulous, lost in thought for a while.

His actions made it impossible for Song Li not to speculate if he had remembered what she casually mentioned about mango allergies the last time. But he didn't say anything, making Song Li fear she might be overthinking it.

Sheng Mu Ci slowly savored the soft mango. Perhaps seeing that she still hadn't reacted, he casually spoke, showing no concern in his tone.

"You can't eat strawberries either?"

Song Li is now certain.

He genuinely remembered that she couldn't eat mango.

"Yes, I can't," Song Li replied softly, her voice unintentionally becoming gentler.

After saying that, she didn't know what else to say. She felt perplexed.

The person who should have been most considerate of her was still indifferent, while someone she had considered the least compassionate had now solved her mango dilemma.

This situation was both strange and subtle.

After recovering her composure, Song Li thought for a moment and gently said to him, "Thank you."

Jiangnan's girls had warm and clear eyes, exuding a gentle and ink painting-like aura. Song Li was no exception.

She truly resembled a small jasmine flower.

Beautiful, pure, and easily approachable.

Sheng Mu Ci glanced at her, his eyelashes half-lowered, and then retreated into himself. His eyelids were heavily creased, and his eye sockets were deep and profound.

His every gaze and gesture exuded a sense of nonchalance, making him appear rather unconventional.

This body is not stingy; I think it has been tempered over many years in the city of Forty-Nine, which has seen countless changes.

Would someone like this have a good temper?

Before meeting him, Song Li could hardly imagine it.

But then, he raised his thin lips with a slight curve, and it was definitely with a hint of indulgence, playfully teasing her with a mischievous accent.

"Spoiled."

Strangely, it sounded like he was saying -

"Be delicate, it's not a big deal."

Song Li surprisingly had no urge to retort.

He seemed outwardly aloof, but there was a faint trace of leniency in his tone, perhaps it was Song Li's illusion, but when he casually helped himself to some of her mangoes without hesitation, she was genuinely touched.

But Sheng Mu Ci, in a seemingly nonchalant manner, as if passing by, casually kicked away the stone that was about to trip her.

Casually, unimportantly.

Suddenly, Song Li thought.

Maybe this person wasn't completely heartless.

Song Li lowered her head to look at the solid porcelain fruit plate in her hand.

The strawberries were all plump, with two different colors, one bright red, smelling rich and creamy, the other snowy white, looking a bit milder.

For someone deeply buried in the cold cellar, even the slightest warmth was very sensitive. In that moment, Song Li's nose tingled, and she suddenly felt too lazy to be polite. She absentmindedly picked out a white strawberry and took a small bite.

Surprisingly, it was very sweet.

Sweeter than all the red strawberries she had ever eaten before.

Song Li stood by the bed, holding the fruit plate in front of her, pinched a strawberry to her lips, took a small, slow bite, and ate it very seriously.

Her hair was tied in a loose ponytail with wisps of stray hair, and the white strawberry highlighted her rosy cheeks and red lips.

The soft and obedient demeanor in expression was apparent, and she understood etiquette.

Sheng Mu Ci then slowed down his mango eating speed.

"Not sitting?" He said in a light tone, smiling slightly. "It's like you're being punished to stand with me."

Song Li also felt it was a bit strange to stand and eat, so she sat down on a nearby companion chair and thanked him.

Perhaps the way she ate the strawberry in small bites was quite cute, as Sheng Mu Ci looked at her for a while before lightly chuckling, then lowered his gaze to continue eating his own mango.

Out of politeness, thinking of something, Song Li put the remaining half of the strawberry in her mouth and then reached into the pocket of her white coat and fumbled around for a moment, taking out all of her milk candies.

She didn't have many on her, just four or five.

She casually let go, and with a clatter, all the candies fell next to his medicine.

When Sheng Mu Ci turned to look at the sound, Song Li had already lowered her head, puffing her cheeks while chewing the strawberry, as if nothing had happened.

He licked the corner of his mouth and teased, "What are you doing? Sneakily leaving candies with me."

"...?" Song Li raised her head to meet his eyes.

What does he mean by "sneakily," as if she's infatuated with him like those online fans and is secretly leaving gifts of affection when he's not looking, of course not.

Song Li chewed a bit faster, thinking about how to explain.

But Sheng Mu Ci asked again, "For me?"

After a moment of consideration, Song Li nodded.

After eating enough, Sheng Mu Ci raised his long arm, placed the fruit plate on the bedside table, and suddenly said, "Little sister, did I do something to provoke you?"

This question left Song Li perplexed, and she hesitated before shaking her head.

"Last time, you gave me that candy..." Sheng Mu Ci paused for a moment, squinted his beautiful and sexy peach blossom eyes, and questioned her, "Is that thing meant for human consumption?"

After a moment of contemplation, Song Li understood. He had eaten her lemon candy, and she had hesitated, thinking he wouldn't appreciate it.

Now he seemed to be seeking justice, and Song Li couldn't help but imagine how he looked at that moment, wondering if the sourness had made his teeth chatter and his face scrunch up, a stark contrast to his usual arrogant demeanor.

With this thought, Song Li stifled a low laugh.

Sheng Mu Ci glanced at her.

Her eyebrows relaxed with her smile, and her eyes formed gentle crescents. After several days of gloom, she was finally smiling.

"You're still laughing," Sheng Mu Ci said in a low, deliberate tone.

He leaned against the head of the bed, lazily hugging his arms. His casual home attire had a loose neckline, revealing well-defined collarbones and a difficult-to-approach demeanor.

"Are you intentionally provoking me?"

That strawberry was too big, and Song Li struggled to swallow it. His imposing presence forced her to surrender, and she immediately shook her head, "I'm not trying to provoke you... it's lemon candy, and I ate some too."

Her beautiful and round pupils resembled bright gems, and as she blinked at him, she exuded an innocent charm.

"This time it's milk candy, sweet. Please don't smoke after eating it."

Song Li spoke cautiously to him, as their relationship was purely doctor-patient, and she didn't dare to get too close to him, given his reputation for being unpredictable.

"Sure it's not sour?" Sheng Mu Ci appeared nonchalant and stretched out his hand, saying, "Give it to me, let me inspect."

"?"

How could it be?

Why was there such a person in the world who was so irritating?

"It's just regular milk candy," Song Li was convinced he was intentionally picking a fight and wanted to kick him, but she didn't dare.

She felt a bit resentful, and her voice became lower and lower, "Never mind, don't eat it."

"?" Now he seems unhappy again. "You have no sense of decency."

After silently reciting "medical ethics" three times in her mind, Song Li calmly refrained from arguing with him. "Weren't you suspicious and worried it was sour?"

"You can only know once you've tried it, right?"

Suddenly, Song Li realized that reasoning with a troublemaker was futile. Without thinking, she retorted, "Well, I ate your strawberries, and I don't feel quite comfortable now."

Sheng Mu Ci was uncharacteristically speechless for two seconds, then let out a faint smile, "It's not that quick to poison you."

"..."

"Of course, if you really get food poisoning, I won't shirk responsibility."

Song Li looked at him with suspicion, having a foreboding feeling.

The late autumn sunlight filtered through the window glass, casting a thin layer of golden dust on them, making it warm and dazzling.

In the halo of light, Sheng Mu Ci's lips curved slightly.

"The ward can be divided to give you one."

"."

Thank you.

She felt like he was about to say, "In return for your diligent care in changing my bandages for days, I'll even prepare a pink coffin for you."

Song Li held her breath and remained silent.

Meanwhile, Sheng Mu Ci had a mischievous glint in his eyes as he reached over and picked up a candy, biting the candy wrapper, tilting his head, and tearing open the packaging with his teeth.

The air instantly filled with the scent of milk, apart from the strawberry.

A rich, sweet milk flavor permeated the air as Sheng Mu Ci held the candy in his mouth, provokingly looking at her.

"Go ahead and eat, Doctor Song."

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