Chapter 117 — The Wound Beneath Her Smile
As the sharp sting shot from her neck, Bai Xia's breath trembled. She hadn't expected the pain to still be that intense. The moment Fu Jian's fingers brushed over the sensitive spot, heat flashed through her nerves—followed by regret. She should have beaten Gu Nan earlier when she had the chance. The scratch was far deeper than she thought. Why was Gu Nan always so vicious?
Fu Jian's expression froze for half a second. Then, like a storm rolling across a calm sky, his face darkened.
"Bai Xia… what happened to you?" His voice lowered, deep and steady—but clearly holding back anger.
"It's nothing," she brushed it off casually, though her eyes wavered. "I got into a fight with someone."
"Who dared to scratch you so ruthlessly?" His tone grew colder, carrying a sharp edge she rarely heard.
Bai Xia shrugged lightly. "It's my brother's girlfriend. We got into a fight."
"Your brother… again." Fu Jian's jaw clenched. "How could he let her injure you to this extent?"
Bai Xia let out a small laugh, waving a hand dismissively. "You know her too."
Fu Jian blinked. "I know her?"
She nodded. "Remember our first date? That girl in the restaurant with the high-pitched voice? Somehow, she managed to climb up to my brother."
Fu Jian's face turned even darker. That girl? That irritating shrill woman who insulted Bai Xia in public? His face twisted with suppressed fury.
Without another word, he scooped her gently from his lap and placed her on his office chair. His tall figure strode to the side room, opening a cabinet. A moment later, he returned holding a medicine box.
"What's her name?" he asked, voice like cold steel.
Just as Bai Xia was about to speak, something popped into her mind.
"Fu Jian… what did you do to Zhou Liang?"
Fu Jian paused mid-step. "Who's Zhou Liang?"
"That senior from before who proposed to me," she replied casually, leaning back in his chair as he prepared the medicines.
Fu Jian's expression became unreadable, but his voice held a faint, almost sour tone.
"Why are you suddenly asking about him?"
"I ran into his girlfriend the other day and remembered his existence," Bai Xia said lazily. "He's just a gold digger."
Fu Jian's brows relaxed, and he secretly felt pleased.
"It's good you know he's a gold digger," he said, gently applying ointment to her wound.
As he finished wrapping the bandage, he straightened up. Standing tall in front of her, he exuded an oppressive aura. Bai Xia subconsciously shrank a little under his towering presence.
"So," he asked again, "what's the name of the girl who hit you?"
"Gu… Gu Nan," she replied quietly.
The moment the name fell from her lips, Fu Jian's expression finally softened.
He sighed and let his shoulders relax a little. "Are you hungry?"
"No. I'm not."
Without warning, Fu Jian sat back down on the chair and pulled her into his lap again. This time she didn't resist, her body leaning into him as his arms wrapped around her waist.
"Fu Jian…" she murmured, "I was thinking… maybe tomorrow we can go out on a date. I have many places I want us to go together."
For a moment, his expression stiffened. Guilt flickered across his eyes.
"Xia'er… can we go some other time?"
Bai Xia immediately sat up straight, staring at him in disbelief.
"You don't want to go with me?"
"No, no." He quickly shook his head, holding her hands gently. "It's not that. I… have to return to the capital tomorrow."
"Why…? Can't you go another day?"
"I can't," he answered softly, the guilt thickening in his voice. "I've postponed for a long time. I have to go."
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it, but Bai Xia pulled her hand away, pouting. She leaned back into his arms with an aggrieved look, cheeks puffed slightly. She didn't say she agreed—but she didn't argue either.
Fu Jian understood that she was still sulking. He could only coax her warmly.
"Okay, okay… I'll be back in a week. Don't be sad."
Bai Xia's eyes widened. "In a week!? That's too long!"
Silence filled the office. Only the faint hum of the air conditioner could be heard.
Finally, Fu Jian's voice broke the stillness.
"I'm going because of you."
She blinked. "…Because of me? Hump. Then stay because of me."
"That's not what I mean." He looked upward, as if gathering courage. "A few months ago I had a serious heart disease. After meeting you… I was suddenly healed. That alone makes greedy people who chase long life come after me."
Bai Xia froze.
Fu Jian continued, his voice low and steady. "And now I survived a serious brain injury. What do you think people will think? What do you think will happen?"
Her heart thumped heavily.
Fu Jian's hand tightened slightly around her waist. "Nobody knows what happened that day. But I know… you gave me something before the doctors came in."
Bai Xia's heartbeat skipped.
She quickly turned her face away from his gaze. She couldn't tell him about her space, her system, or anything else. She didn't trust anyone that much—not even him. Not yet.
But now… he had noticed.
He had suspected something.
Her mind raced. What should she do? What should she say?
Just as panic started rising in her chest, his voice came again—soft, probing, and dangerously perceptive.
"Bai Xia…
did you really get the medicine from an old man…?"