Chapter 43: When the Ruse of Self-Sacrifice Is Overused, It Loses Its Novelty

The elderly professor stared at the celery on the table and suddenly slammed his hand down. His wife jumped, startled. “What are you doing?” she asked.

The professor grumbled indignantly, “That brat has all sorts of crooked ideas.” Hearing this, his wife seemed to realize something, muttering softly, “I think young Gu is a good kid. You’re just prejudiced, always imagining the worst about people.”

The professor retorted, “You women, long hair, short insight.” She set her bowl down with a clatter. “If you’re so insightful, you can wash the dishes after eating.”

The professor was left speechless.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, after examining Gu Pingsheng, the doctor set up an IV drip and explained a few precautions before leaving. “Luckily, he didn’t eat much celery. If he had, he might need to have his stomach pumped.”

Wen Zhixia returned from the pharmacy downstairs with his medication, nodded to see the doctor off, and approached him. “This is for external use, this one you take orally. Take the medicine first.”

Gu, once handsome but now covered in red rashes, lifted his head to look at her without a word.

Wen Zhixia shook the box of medicine. “Take it.”

“Feed me,” he said, his thin lips curving upward.

She stared at him for a few seconds before simply placing the medicine beside his hand.

Gu Pingsheng frowned, reaching for the water cup on the table. It was just out of reach, and with the IV in his hand, blood started to flow back through the soft tube.

Wen Zhixia’s brow jumped in alarm. She quickly stood up and pressed him back into place. “What are you doing?”

He replied, “Taking the medicine.”

She took a deep breath, poured the pills into his hand, and placed a cup of warm water nearby for convenience.

As Gu Pingsheng took his medicine, the professor’s wife called to ask, “How is he? Is it serious?”

“No, it just looks bad but isn’t dangerous,” Wen Zhixia glanced at Gu and replied.

Hearing this, the professor’s wife relaxed a little. “That’s good, that’s good. If only I’d asked if young Gu had any dietary restrictions at the start! Getting old, always forgetting things…”

“You don’t need to blame yourself. He’s grown; he knows his own limits,” Wen Zhixia replied unexpectedly.

She hadn’t spoken privately, so Gu Pingsheng heard her words clearly, his deep gaze flickering.

After ending the call, Wen Zhixia turned, their eyes meeting. She spoke, “Are you satisfied with your current situation, Mr. Gu?”

Gu’s eyes were dark; he said nothing.

Wen Zhixia sat down, laughing softly. “Using your own body as a joke—Mr. Gu, you really have a way with things.”

Once the initial panic faded, Wen Zhixia had already sorted things out when she went for the medicine. The current Gu was nothing like his younger, reckless self. That conspicuous celery was eaten only if he meant to do it; Wen Zhixia could think of no other explanation.

“If I say I took the wrong thing because my attention was all on you, would you believe me?” His thin lips moved as he spoke.

Would she believe him?

She always did, but somewhere along the line, doubt crept in, and she wasn’t sure when it began.

“Why haven’t you applied the ointment yet? It works best if you use it quickly,” the nurse came by to check the IV and saw the topical medicine still on the table.

Wen Zhixia nodded, sat on a chair, opened the ointment, and squeezed it onto a cotton swab.

Gu Pingsheng leaned closer, cooperating so she could apply it to his face and neck.

But he leaned in too close, his breath almost brushing her face, his deep eyes fixed on her, reflecting her image in their dark depths. Wen Zhixia frowned, “Close your eyes.”

Gu smiled, his voice low and lingering, “Alright.”

She was meticulous, using the cotton tip gently, as softly as silk, carrying a subtle fragrance.

She rarely wore perfume, because even the lightest scent always seemed deliberate, and she disliked strong smells. Yet somehow, even as someone who almost never used perfume, Gu Pingsheng always found himself enchanted by the fragrance she carried.

It was like a summer by the sea—breeze sweeping by, skirts fluttering, a young woman holding her heels in one hand and a small bottle in the other, dancing barefoot on the sand as she pleased.

There was no overwhelming scent, yet it was intoxicating, like drinking wine.

She finished applying ointment to his neck, instinctively blowing gently, stirring ripples on calm water.

Gu Pingsheng paused his breath. As she capped the ointment, he suddenly reached out.

Wen Zhixia, unguarded, fell against his chest, her whole body sprawled over him.

He sat on the sofa, one hand attached to the IV, the other pressed firmly against her waist, holding her close.

“You—mm…” She opened her mouth to warn him not to make things worse, but Gu Pingsheng gave her no chance. His thin lips pressed down, forceful and possessive, stealing her breath like a storm sweeping across the hills.

She raised her hand to push him away, but hesitated out of concern for the IV.

When their lips parted, her breath was disordered; she grabbed a tissue and wiped her lips with a frown.

Gu watched her, his brows drawn, eyes narrowed coldly.

“If you like the taste of ointment, leave me out of it.” Whether some had smeared her cheek or she’d tasted it just now, Wen Zhixia felt the flavor lingered stubbornly.

Unable to rid herself of the taste, she took the water cup to rinse her mouth in the bathroom, finally feeling it fade a bit.

The IV took a long time. At first, Wen Zhixia watched the news, but soon fell asleep beside him.

Gu Pingsheng pressed the call button for the nurse.

When the nurse entered, she was about to speak, but he pressed a finger to his lips, signaling silence.

He glanced at the IV bottle, indicating it was finished. The nurse came over to remove it.

Still half asleep, Wen Zhixia awoke, instinctively checking the IV, only to find it empty, and the room as well.

She sat up. “Pingsheng?”

No reply.

She reached for her phone to call him, only to see his phone left on the table. He hadn’t gone far, likely just stepped out for something.

She waited in the room. When footsteps sounded, she looked up. Before she could speak, she smelled faint tobacco on him.

“You smoked?”

Gu Pingsheng glanced sideways, inhaling deeply. The scent was barely detectable, and he smiled, “You have a sharp nose.”

Wen Zhixia frowned.

“Just one, I don’t smoke often.” She didn’t like him smoking, said it was like slow poisoning, insisted he quit, and he’d rarely touched cigarettes in recent years.

At the hospital entrance.

Wen Zhixia was headed back to the hotel, but since she’d driven him here, Gu’s car was still parked at the professor’s house.

He claimed it was hard to hail a cab at the hospital, and that the germs in taxis might trigger his allergies again, so he got back into her car, demanding she drive him home.

He sat in the passenger seat, his dark eyes flickering like fireworks. “If you send the Buddha, send him all the way west.”

Wen Zhixia frowned, uncertain what this trip home meant.

The car arrived at Lanhu County. Wen Zhixia had no intention of getting out, only opening the passenger door for him. “We’re here.”

Gu Pingsheng got out without a word, but instead of heading home, he went around to her side, opened the driver’s door, and said, “You’re home.”

Wen Zhixia made no move.

“Your things are already brought back. The hotel has been checked out,” he said.

Wen Zhixia jerked her head up. “What gave you the right?!”

How dare he make decisions for her without so much as a word!

“Is the hotel more comfortable than home?” he asked. “You always say you need your own bed. Why put yourself through this?”

He leaned closer. “That day I really was handling work. You only heard Zhao Fuhe’s voice because I happened to run into her. She’s just a tool to take to dinners, nothing more. Why stoop to her level?”

He took her hand, lifting her out of the car, and as she resisted, spoke softly, “The doctor said breaking the rash could cause infection.”

He was certain of her soft heart, sure she’d care.

“If she upsets you, deal with her as you wish. She’s not worth your anger.” He carried her home, knelt to help her change shoes. “Welcome home.”

Wen Zhixia sat in the entryway, watching the man kneeling to change her shoes. After a few seconds, she went upstairs in slippers. “Study or guest room as you please, but don’t enter the master bedroom.”

The hotel bed was indeed uncomfortable. He was right; there was no need to make herself suffer. Why be hard on herself?

Gu Pingsheng watched her retreating figure, his thin lips curving as he set down his coat and changed his shoes, then headed to the kitchen.

It was late, but fortunately he’d had food prepared early that morning.

Wash the vegetables, cut them, into the pot, add water, add noodles…

Soon, two steaming bowls of plain noodles were ready.

“Xiaxia, come out and eat,” he called, knocking on the bedroom door.

No response. He knocked again; still silence.

Gu Pingsheng pushed open the door. The room was empty, only the sound of water coming from the bathroom.

After leaving the hospital, Wen Zhixia felt she still carried the smell of disinfectant, so she took a quick shower, wrapped herself in a towel, drying her damp hair as she stepped out.

As she opened the bathroom door, the man sitting on the sofa looked up, saw her shimmering with moisture, and naturally took the towel from her hand to dry her hair.

A beautiful woman, no matter the circumstance, was lovely when her eyes flickered, especially in the moment after a bath.

“I’ll do it myself.”

She sat in the chair, reluctant for him to dry her hair, because such moments often led to trouble.

Gu Pingsheng’s gaze deepened as he circled her from behind. “Wrap it up for now, I’ll finish drying it after dinner.”

“I’m not hungry,” she said.

“Hungry or not, you should eat. Or… if you exercise first, you’ll have more appetite.” Gu Pingsheng suggested.

Wen Zhixia tossed the towel at him and went downstairs.

Before bed, Gu Pingsheng, wearing a robe, came to her with the ointment. Wen Zhixia closed her book. “If I’m not mistaken, there’s a mirror in the guest room. Mr. Gu, you’re good at ordering people about.”

He loosened his robe, exposing his strong upper body. “I can’t reach my back.”

Gu Pingsheng sat on her bed, back to her.

Wen Zhixia paused as she saw the small red spots on his back, and when she picked up the ointment, she noticed a burn on his hand, her breath catching. “How did you do that?”

“Carelessly burned it,” he said, glancing at it.

The blister had been broken, washed over in the shower, red and pale, looking rather fierce.

“Gu Pingsheng, did you do this on purpose?”

Deliberately making trouble, and showing it to her.

After finishing the ointment on his back, she stopped. “The rest you can manage yourself.”

He turned, his long fingers tracing her shoulder blade like a cello. “My hand is injured.”

Back out of reach, needs her to apply ointment; hand injured, needs her to do everything.

His deep eyes gleamed in the dim light, his muscular torso pressing close, breath hot around her. He took her slender fingers in his palm. “Without you here, I can’t sleep.”

Married couples quarrel at the head of the bed and make up at the foot, but always in bed.

Their eyes met; he placed her hand over his heart, where it beat hotly. His voice dropped low, dark as midnight, calling her name, “Xiaxia.”

For adults, a lingering, gentle invocation was an invitation.

Wen Zhixia slid her fingers from his heart to his Adam’s apple, teasing lightly, her cool, refined features tinged with seductive charm. “After the back, where else do you want me to help?”

Her playful, drawn-out tone was thick with allure.

As his breath caught and he reached for her, Wen Zhixia suddenly pushed him away. “Mr. Gu, don’t you know that a feigned injury loses its novelty after repeated use? You could spend your time with Miss Zhang, Miss Li, or Miss Chen. I’m not a schoolgirl; your tricks don’t work on me. Out.”

Her voice was cold. Gu Pingsheng clenched his jaw, and as she hardened her tone to drive him away, he pressed her down onto the bed.