He Yining carried Shen Qi into the car, but he simply couldn’t put her down. Because the moment he set her down, Shen Qi would cling to him again, wrapping around him like an octopus, refusing to let go.
He Yining let out a bitter laugh, lowering his head to look at Shen Qi’s flushed cheeks. Helplessly, he said, “Little one, I’m a normal man. Are you really planning to… well, play with fire like this?”
Shen Qi let out a soft, lazy moan, her voice like a cat’s meow, or perhaps a coquettish plea. That sound only deepened the darkness in He Yining’s eyes.
Xiaochun barely suppressed a smile and said, “President, maybe we should take the car behind us and head back.”
He Yining nodded. The sports car was out of the question now. He had been in such a rush earlier that he hadn’t bothered to check which car he was taking, just grabbed a set of keys and got in. Luckily, Xiaochun and the others had followed in the business vehicle.
“Head straight back to Jinghua Manor. Also, notify Dr. Qin and ask him to come help,” He Yining said, immediately carrying Shen Qi toward the car behind them, holding her as he got in.
He Yining moved quickly. By the time he arrived home, Dr. Qin was already waiting inside.
“Dr. Qin, I’m really sorry to trouble you like this,” He Yining said, nodding apologetically to the elderly Dr. Qin. “You’re Grandmother’s private physician, so I feel terrible for making you come all this way.”
Dr. Qin glanced at Shen Qi in He Yining’s arms and immediately recognized her as the girl who had been burning up with a fever three months ago. He never expected that He Yining, the second young master of the He family, known for his iron fist and cold heart, could show such tender strength. It was truly an eye-opener.
Dr. Qin smiled warmly and replied, “Not at all. Serving the He family is my duty. What’s wrong with this girl?”
He Yining let out another bitter laugh. “She was set up, given a heavy dose of something. I’m counting on you.”
Dr. Qin nodded, already sensing something from Shen Qi’s complexion and reactions. For the second young master of the He family to entrust him so earnestly with this girl, she must be someone dear to his heart. Even though she was under the influence of such a potent drug, he couldn’t bear to lay a finger on her and instead called for medical help. Clearly, the second young master had truly fallen for her.
Shen Qi woke up groggily, and the first thing she saw was herself lying in a bath. Wait… what was she holding onto? Such a comfortable embrace, such a comfortable chest… Hold on… Embrace? Chest?
Shen Qi’s eyes flew wide open! She was clinging to He Yining like an octopus, holding on for dear life, tightly, firmly… What… what had happened? Why was she in the bath with He Yining?
She vaguely remembered grabbing onto something and refusing to let go. Wait… was that something she wouldn’t let go of actually He Yining?
Shen Qi clamped her hand over her mouth, stifling the scream that threatened to escape! She couldn’t scream, absolutely couldn’t scream!
Carefully, she observed He Yining. He was actually asleep? How long had they been soaking like this? This bath was really nice, with a constant temperature feature—the water hadn’t gone cold even after all this time.
Shen Qi tried to carefully climb off He Yining, but she had been in that position for so long that her arms and legs were numb. As she moved, she accidentally brushed against He Yining’s waist.
The movement startled He Yining awake. Opening his eyes, he saw Shen Qi looking at him with a guilty expression.
He Yining said, exasperated, “Finally awake, huh?”
Shen Qi’s face flushed bright red. She lowered her head and said, “I’m sorry… I don’t know how I…”
“I’ve been holding you for over three hours. Can you finally get off now?” He Yining shook his head in disbelief. When he had tried to put her on the bed for Dr. Qin to examine her, she had refused to let go, and no one could pry her off. In the end, he had no choice but to hold her while she got the injection, then carry her into the medicinal bath. Well, at least it had cooled down his own burning desires.
Shen Qi felt even more embarrassed, her head drooping so low it nearly touched her stomach.
He Yining reached out and lifted her legs, carrying her out of the bath, dripping wet, and into the dressing room. He grabbed a towel and tossed it over Shen Qi’s head. “Go take a shower. You reek of medicine.”
“Oh.” Shen Qi didn’t pull the towel down, just kept her head low as she shuffled into the shower, scrubbing herself clean from head to toe.
Only then did it fully sink in—He Yining had truly saved her. And he hadn’t taken advantage of her in her vulnerable state. Instead, he had brought her home and soaked with her in a medicinal bath to neutralize the drug.
For some reason, a sweet feeling spread through her entire body. At her most desperate moment, he had appeared out of nowhere. Like a deity, he had rescued her from her suffering… It felt just like a scene from a romance novel.
Shen Qi felt her cheeks burn even hotter. It was embarrassing, yet… also exhilarating.
After her shower, Shen Qi looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was rosy and unusually radiant. She knew it wasn’t from the lingering effects of the drug, but because of… He Yining.
If only her husband were He Yining. How wonderful that would be. Maybe she really wouldn’t mind if something happened between them… Oh, heavens, what was she thinking! She was actually thinking about being with He Yining… No, no! He was her husband’s younger brother! She couldn’t think like that!
Shen Qi leaned against the wall, letting its coolness force her to calm down. She had already embarrassed herself enough. She absolutely couldn’t do anything worse! She would keep their relationship just as it was. No confessions, no… longing.
A knock came from outside, followed by He Yining’s concerned voice: “You’re not still affected by the drug, are you?”
Shen Qi quickly patted her cheeks, forcing herself to snap out of it, and called back, “No, I’m done washing.” She hurriedly dried her hair and stepped out of the bathroom.
When she came out, she realized He Yining had already showered in the guest bathroom. Shen Qi breathed a quiet sigh of relief, tucking away those fleeting feelings of excitement. She said to He Yining, “Thank you for saving me. But I still need to go back and confirm something.”
“Confirm what?” He Yining asked as he dried his hair. Even with his black hair tousled into a mess, he was still irresistibly captivating.
Shen Qi thought for a moment. It was better not to tell him about her brother. After all, she planned to take her brother far away from H Province someday, and the fewer people involved here, the better.
She made up an excuse: “Oh, my… ID and wallet seem to be missing. I need to go back and look for them.”
He Yining’s gaze shifted to the table beside him. “Are you talking about these?”