Belated Romance (Mu Tongrui)

Xinghe was injured and Jiahe needed to care for him, therefore Tongrui got herself a new room. Since they were a couple, it
would be inconvenient for Tongrui to share a room with them.
Xinghe suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries. Jiahe dared not go to sleep. She decided to stay up all night and watch
over him.
Xinghe patted the bed area next to him. He spoke in a hoarse and gentle voice, "Girly, come here and sleep with me."
Her legs would become numb if she continued to kneel by the bed.
"If I fell asleep, I wouldn't notice when something happened to you. Your wounds are quite serious. I should stay awake. Once I
lie down on the bed, I'll definitely fall asleep right away."
Kneeling is a very uncomfortable position. I doubt I could fall asleep in this position.
Jiahe noticed that her boyfriend had opened his eyes, and he looked pallid and frail. She gently placed her hand over his eyes
and urged, "You should rest to regain your strength."
Xinghe lifted his hand to remove her hand. After that, he wrapped her hand in his palm. He stared straight into her clear eyes
and asked, "Aren't you curious how I got hurt?"
Jiahe bit her lower lips and shook her head. She replied, "Anyway, you're a good person in my heart."
Xinghe laughed when he saw her cute and innocent expression. He let out a smile and asked tentatively, "Did you think other
people think of me as a heinous villain?"
Jiahe became grave in his demeanor. She said, "Perhaps you've done something bad, but I know you won't hurt me."
When the young girl said this, she dropped her long eyelashes and narrowed her watery eyes. Her expression was inexplicably
confused and adorable.
Xinghe stretched out his long arm and circled around her neck. He pulled her head down until it rested against his.
Jiahe looked at him with a puzzled expression. She asked, "Are you in pain?"
"No."

"Then, you..."
His slightly cool and dried lips gently kissed her forehead. It was a gentle kiss, but it was filled with affection.
Jiahe's ears turned red when his lips moved. He had gotten close enough to her nose to tickle her, she wanted to scratch it and
pushed him away.
When she reached out to push him, Xinghe suddenly coughed violently.
Jiahe got closer to him and asked worriedly, "Are you alright?"
Xinghe took the chance to lift her onto the bed and hold her tightly in his arms.
Jiahe protested, "Xinghe, quickly let go of me. I'll touch your wounds!"
The man rubbed her head with his chin. He sighed, "Babe, I need to sleep. Stop moving around, and let me hold you like this. I'm
exhausted."
Jiahe was at a loss for words.
It’s not a good idea for him to call me this. It's difficult for me to tell if he calls me that because he values me or because he sees
me as a child. That word carried dual meanings, despite his calling me intimately.

Jiohe secretly roised her foce. She noticed thot he oppeored tired ond thot he hod closed his eyes to rest. She reoched out her
hond ond gently hugged his neck. She whispered, "Then I'll sleep for o while too."
"Hmm, permission gronted."
Jiohe wos speechless.
...
In the meontime, in North City's Fu Monor, the londline kept ringing.
Mr. Fu onswered the phone, "Hello?"
"Dod, where is Rui? Why con't I reoch her through her phone?"
Mr. Fu wos both ogitoted ond worried when he heord the voice of his son. He osked, "Lingye, where ore you? Are you sofe?"
"I'm sofe. Whot's wrong?"
Mr. Fu slopped his foreheod ond excloimed, "Oh no! This is bod. We sow o terrorist ottock in Itoly reported in the news. Your wife
went to Rome to look for you becouse she wos worried obout you. Where ore you now? Are you in Rome?"
...

After he hung up the phone, Lingye quickly instructed Xu Kun next to him, "Book o flight to Rome immediotely."
Xu Kun wos stunned. He osked, "Boss, we hove on oppointment tomorrow."
...
The next morning, when Xinghe woke up ond sow his girlfriend sofely loying in his orms, his mood significontly improved. He
hugged her ond kissed her on the foreheod, feeling greotly sotisfied. Even the poin thot hod bothered him the entire night
seemed to be much more toleroble now.
His motions owokened the girl he wos holding.
Jiohe wos disoriented. She rubbed her eyes ond mumbled, "Are you owoke? Are you hungry?"
"Just o little, nothing urgent."
Jiohe reoched for her phone ond reolized it wos olmost ten in the morning. Outside, the sun wos high in the sky.
Jiohe soid, "It's lote. I need to get up ond give Tongrui o coll. We need to get breokfost from the restouront. When we checked in
lost night, the front desk soid breokfost would only be served until ten-thirty in the morning."
As she soid this, she struggled to get up.
Xinghe did not stop her.
Jiohe glonced ot his wound ond soid, "I'll bring breokfost bock to the room ond chonge your bondoge loter."
...
Both of the girls ocquired everything they could from the restouront.
Afterword, Jiohe returned with breokfost.
Xinghe hod cleoned himself up, but it oppeored thot his octions hod offected his injury. There wos fresh blood seeping out of his
bondoge.
Jiohe hurriedly set the breokfost down. She rushed over to help him. She urged, "Sit down, I'll help you chonge the dressing ond
re-bondoge the wound."

When he noticed her worried ond onxious expression, Xinghe felt even better. He obediently sot on the edge of the bed to ollow
her to kneel in front of him, ond she gently helped him remove the bondoge.
Jiahe secretly raised her face. She noticed that he appeared tired and that he had closed his eyes to rest. She reached out her
hand and gently hugged his neck. She whispered, "Then I'll sleep for a while too."
"Hmm, permission granted."
Jiahe was speechless.
...
In the meantime, in North City's Fu Manor, the landline kept ringing.
Mr. Fu answered the phone, "Hello?"
"Dad, where is Rui? Why can't I reach her through her phone?"
Mr. Fu was both agitated and worried when he heard the voice of his son. He asked, "Lingye, where are you? Are you safe?"
"I'm safe. What's wrong?"
Mr. Fu slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "Oh no! This is bad. We saw a terrorist attack in Italy reported in the news. Your wife
went to Rome to look for you because she was worried about you. Where are you now? Are you in Rome?"
...
After he hung up the phone, Lingye quickly instructed Xu Kun next to him, "Book a flight to Rome immediately."
Xu Kun was stunned. He asked, "Boss, we have an appointment tomorrow."
...
The next morning, when Xinghe woke up and saw his girlfriend safely laying in his arms, his mood significantly improved. He
hugged her and kissed her on the forehead, feeling greatly satisfied. Even the pain that had bothered him the entire night
seemed to be much more tolerable now.
His motions awakened the girl he was holding.

Jiahe was disoriented. She rubbed her eyes and mumbled, "Are you awake? Are you hungry?"
"Just a little, nothing urgent."
Jiahe reached for her phone and realized it was almost ten in the morning. Outside, the sun was high in the sky.
Jiahe said, "It's late. I need to get up and give Tongrui a call. We need to get breakfast from the restaurant. When we checked in
last night, the front desk said breakfast would only be served until ten-thirty in the morning."
As she said this, she struggled to get up.
Xinghe did not stop her.
Jiahe glanced at his wound and said, "I'll bring breakfast back to the room and change your bandage later."
...
Both of the girls acquired everything they could from the restaurant.
Afterward, Jiahe returned with breakfast.
Xinghe had cleaned himself up, but it appeared that his actions had affected his injury. There was fresh blood seeping out of his
bandage.
Jiahe hurriedly set the breakfast down. She rushed over to help him. She urged, "Sit down, I'll help you change the dressing and
re-bandage the wound."
When he noticed her worried and anxious expression, Xinghe felt even better. He obediently sat on the edge of the bed to allow
her to kneel in front of him, and she gently helped him remove the bandage.
She frowned when she saw the gunshot wound.
Jiahe cleaned his wound while she scolded him in a tone as if she were intimidating a child.
"Look at this! You have to play with a gun out of all the toys that you can play with. It’s dangerous to play with a gun, and it can
kill you!"
"If I die, will you send me a wreath?"

Jiahe was at a loss for words. She covered his mouth with her hand, glared at him, and chided, "Cut this nonsense off!"
Xinghe smiled and held her hand. He kissed it gently and said, "Alright."
Jiahe withdrew her hand and continued to clean his wound. However, she thought of a question.
She wondered, "Xinghe, do your family members know that you suffered from such a serious injury?"
She pondered inwardly. Or perhaps he had engaged in illegal activity and was unable to inform his family of it?
"I have no family."
Jiahe was stunned.
His tone is calm and it did not sound like a joke.
She looked up and saw his dark, black eyes staring back at her.
This guy—is it true that he had no family? What about his parents?
Xinghe continued to explain, "My parents were killed while carrying out their duties."
"Carrying out duties?"
"Yes, in the line of duty."
At this early stage of their relationship, Xinghe had no intention of disclosing too much about his complex past and family. He
was worried it would scare her.
Jiahe sighed and said, "You’re pitiful."
Pitiful?
Xinghe had a hard time containing his smile. He had never received any comments to his face about how pitiful he was.
After some time, Jiahe gave him an earnest look and said, "Your parents must be great heroes because they gave their lives in
the line of duty. You have to swear to me that you won't engage in any illegal activity going forward. Otherwise, if your parents
found out about this in the afterlife, they would be devastated.

Xinghe furrowed.
Do I look like someone who would commit crimes?
Jiahe was hell-bent on getting an answer from him. When she noticed that there was no response from him, she threatened, "If
you did not give me your word, I...I would break up with you!"
Xinghe chuckled softly.
"What the heck are you laughing at?"
"That’s a big threat," he replied as his eyes were filled with amusement.
"So, are you going to give me your words or not?"
"How could I refuse? The most important thing to me is my girlfriend.
As Jiahe felt his burning gaze, her face began to turn red. She looked away quickly.