Chapter 111: With Me, You’ll Always Be the Exception

Chapter 111: With Me, You Are Always the Exception

It's... going to hurt?

Song Jiang stayed still, quietly feeling the vibrant, beating heart beneath his chest. After a long moment, his gaze unconsciously wandered elsewhere.

Two completely different arms intertwined created a striking visual impression.

His skin was paler than Fu Zhichen's, and his arms lacked the smooth muscle definition Fu Zhichen had.

What he saw was a stark contrast between slender and strong.

Song Jiang blurted out on a whim.

"Fu Zhichen."

"Hmm?"

"Fu Zhichen." Song Jiang called again.

In the past, Fu Zhichen would've definitely gotten impatient, but now Fu Zhichen calmly responded again.

"Hmm?"

Song Jiang was surprised by this. He paused for a few seconds, then suddenly perked up, the corners of his mouth curling up more and more.

"Fu Zhichen."

Fu Zhichen responded once more, "Hmm?"

Having every call answered felt really great.

Fu Zhichen gets a point!

Since Fu Zhichen got anxious when he was hurt, he should also treat Fu Zhichen as someone very important.

Fu Zhichen, did you know that you always call the names of people important to you three times in a row?

Song Jiang picked the biggest, reddest strawberry from the porcelain bowl and held it to Fu Zhichen's lips.

"Fu Zhichen, have a strawberry."

"It's so sweet~!" He drew out the last syllable, and Song Jiang's almond-shaped eyes narrowed, looking totally adorable.

Fu Zhichen lowered his gaze, his deep black eyes resting on the strawberry for a moment. Under Song Jiang's expectant gaze, he lifted his chin and bit the strawberry's bottom.

His large hand settled on the back of Song Jiang's head, not pulling him forward, but holding Song Jiang still so he couldn't dodge. Then he leaned down and pressed his lips to Song Jiang's.

The tip of the strawberry was pushed into Song Jiang's mouth, the sweetness dissolving in his saliva, instantly flooding his mouth.

Their lips met. Even though this wasn't their first kiss, Song Jiang's breath still hitched for a few seconds the moment Fu Zhichen leaned in, so much that he forgot to chew.

The strawberry was bitten in half, and what actually went into Song Jiang's mouth ultimately didn't end up in his stomach.

The sweetness followed by sourness tingled Song Jiang's taste buds. Someone gently held his chin, and instead of resisting, he responded slowly and timidly.

This feeling was really nice.

The two shared a delicate, lingering kiss that tasted of strawberry.

...

When the kiss ended, Song Jiang's body went limp as if melting. His arms wrapped around Fu Zhichen's neck, and his head buried into the crook of Fu Zhichen's neck.

This had become Song Jiang's go-to post-kiss move. That's where the cool sandalwood scent was strongest, and for Song Jiang, it was an intangible comfort.

Song Jiang pressed his face there, taking small breaths, his heart racing as if it might leap out of his chest at any moment.

His heart was racing, and even more, it was fluttering.

Fu Zhichen stayed bent over, gently patting Song Jiang's back over and over.

Only when he noticed Song Jiang's breathing had returned to normal did Fu Zhichen pull him away from his neck. His thumb wiped away the remaining glistening wetness from Song Jiang's lower lip.

"I tasted it. The strawberry really is sweet."

The tears from the kiss still clung to Song Jiang's eyelashes, fluttering as his lashes trembled. His watery, pink-rimmed eyes made him look like a startled little rabbit.

After hearing Fu Zhichen's words, the redness that had barely faded from Song Jiang's cheeks flared up again.

...

...

Night had fallen, and who knows how many hours had passed. It was the first night since he'd woken up from the car accident.

Song Jiang didn't know how Fu Zhichen had gotten through the time he was unconscious, and he naturally assumed Fu Zhichen would go back to the villa at night.

He lay half-reclined on the bed watching some random movie, but his mind wasn't on the movie.

Someone had turned the narrow sofa and coffee table into a temporary workstation. A computer, file folders, a water glass, a pen, a phone.

The documents were stacked in two piles—approved files on the left, unread ones on the right.

This was Fu Zhichen's long-standing habit—a cold man who kept things simple when it came to work.

A video conference was playing on the computer, and the phone hadn't stopped either, ringing nonstop.

A CEO whose business spanned the globe, squeezing himself into a hospital room to keep him company while handling major projects worth tens of millions or even hundreds of millions.

Was this... really okay?

The cold white light of the hospital room enveloped him. A man focused on work had an invisible charm.

Song Jiang quietly picked up the remote and turned the movie volume all the way down.

He hadn't taken in much of the two-and-a-half-hour movie. As the movie was nearing its end, Fu Zhichen's video conference finally wrapped up.

Song Jiang finally got a chance to speak.

"Aren't you heading back to the villa?"

Fu Zhichen rubbed his forehead, finished the glass of water beside him, wet his throat, and then answered.

"Have you ever seen a caregiver who doesn't stay the night at the hospital?"

???

Playing the part so diligently—did the CEO really see himself as a caregiver...?

A billionaire working as his caregiver—the more he thought about it, the creepier it got. Wasn't this guy going to lose years off his own life?

Song Jiang shivered.

What exactly had Fu Zhichen meant earlier when he said he'd get repaid in other ways? He still couldn't figure it out.

Song Jiang looked up at him. "But there's no toothbrush or anything here, and no second bed either."

"How are you gonna..." sleep?

Before Song Jiang could finish, Fu Zhichen had already walked over to the bed, his long fingers ruffling Song Jiang's hair a few times, cutting him off.

"Don't worry about that. Finish your movie and go to sleep. By the time I'm out, you'd better be asleep already."

Why did this guy have to say the most caring things in such a serious tone?

Song Jiang blinked at him. He actually wanted to say he wasn't tired yet.

When Fu Zhichen came out of the bathroom, Song Jiang was counting sheep. Yes, he really couldn't sleep—maybe he'd slept too much while he was out cold for those days.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, Song Jiang quietly peeked out from under the blanket.

The lights in the room had been turned off before Fu Zhichen went into the bathroom.

Only a few slivers of faint light slipped through the gap in the curtains. The man was bare-chested, a towel wrapped around his waist, his chest and abs on full display, muscles like stacked bricks.

He was drying his hair with one hand, a pure white towel in his grip—broad shoulders, narrow waist, a perfect V-taper on full display.

Song Jiang couldn't help swallowing hard under the covers. Had he really slept in the arms of a body like that before?

He'd never really thought about it before, but now, seeing this, it finally clicked.

Fu Zhichen's legs must've recovered ages ago. Maybe he'd even been secretly working out behind his back.

There was no way a body like that was built in a day or two.

"You happy with what you see?"

Fu Zhichen opened the small wardrobe against the wall and, just as he was about to slip into his pajamas with his back to him, suddenly spoke.

Busted, Song Jiang felt a wave of guilt and quickly squeezed his eyes shut.

Was he gonna get a stye? Was Fu Zhichen seriously walking around shirtless?! This was a hospital! A hospital where doctors could walk in for rounds at any second!

Fu Zhichen might not care about being seen, but Song Jiang was terrified people would get the wrong idea about their relationship!

And now Fu Zhichen was asking if he liked what he saw—liked it? Of course he liked it. He dreamed of having a body like that.

While Song Jiang was spiraling, Fu Zhichen quietly walked over and found his hand under the blanket without missing a beat.

"You can look all you want, and you can touch too. Wanna try?"

Ah!!! Was he for real?

It took a long moment, but Song Jiang finally found his voice.

"Why... why are you letting me touch you?"

"I... we..."

"This isn't right..."

Just as he was stammering, Fu Zhichen seemed to get it. He took Song Jiang's hand and pressed it against his firm abs.

In the dim room, Fu Zhichen's voice cut through, flat on the surface but with a trace of indulgence if you listened closely.

"Song Jiang, with me, you'll always be the exception."

*

ღ(✞╹◡╹✞)ற To those of you heading back to school, see you next week!

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