Rose Manor: Tycoon's Relentless Chase-Chapter 271 - 253: Back to the Way We Were

Shen Jianian was suddenly startled, raising her eyes to look at his, trying to determine if he was serious or joking.

Regardless of whether it was true, she withdrew her hand and then "snap" closed the lid of the medicine box, giving him a glare.

Fu Jichen was physically exhausted but found it impossible to sleep: "You sleep."

"What about you?" Shen Jianian wanted him to go back to his room, but couldn’t bring herself to say it.

"I can’t sleep." Fu Jichen spoke the truth.

Shen Jianian saw that his smooth forehead was sweating, his thin lips tightly pressed together, perhaps the effects of whatever unclean medicine he took hadn’t worn off yet.

"Have you seen a doctor?" She really didn’t know what to talk about with him.

Ever since she found out what kind of medicine Fu Jichen had taken, Shen Jianian felt it was dangerous to be in the same room with him. If he flared up like before, she’d be the one at a disadvantage.

However, thinking from another angle, since he’d taken the medicine and managed to control himself without forcing her, even in a confused state, it showed that he... was still a gentleman.

"Yes." Fu Jichen’s fingers clasped tightly on the armrest of the sofa, confirming that the medicine’s effects lingered.

Shen Jianian asked, "What did the doctor say?"

"Tough it out." Fu Jichen didn’t mention there was another option, a sedative injection. He preferred enduring the pain over falling unconscious in a strange place.

"How did you hurt your hand?"

"To keep myself awake." Fu Jichen answered briefly.

Shen Jianian suddenly had a peculiar thought, looking at him strangely, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Was it a woman who admired you who set you up? Certainly not a man."

Then again, it could be a rival’s crafty ploy.

A trace of coldness flashed in Fu Jichen’s slightly narrowed black eyes, then disappeared.

He did not deny it, so Shen Jianian assumed he acquiesced, wondering which woman was so daring to lay her hands on him.

"That woman..."

"Shen Jianian." Fu Jichen interrupted her, his throat moving twice before he could speak normally, "Stop talking to me and don’t hover in front of me, right now... I don’t feel well."

He truly lacked the self-control, and the person in front of him wasn’t someone else, but the woman he loved. Her voice and her face were catalysts, only worsening his symptoms, making his self-restraint difficult.

Shen Jianian dismissed the idea of asking questions, went to the bathroom, soaked a cloth with cold water, and brought it to Fu Jichen, wanting to tell him to wipe his forehead, but recalling his request for silence, she kept her mouth shut.

Fu Jichen’s breathing was rapid: "It’s useless."

The effect of cold water was negligible, let alone a cold cloth.

Fu Jichen said, "It’d be better if you kiss me a few times."

Shen Jianian felt the disheartening feeling of her kindness being taken for granted, she tossed the cloth onto the coffee table, climbed onto the bed, covered herself with the quilt, turned her back to him, and said, "Do as you please, just don’t bother me."

"Shen Jianian." Fu Jichen’s gaze was glued to her, shamelessly pleading, "Help me."

Shen Jianian doubted her ears, otherwise, how could she hear Fu Jichen begging her in such a humble and pitiful tone. She turned over to face him, eyes filled with disbelief: "What did you say?"

Fu Jichen knew she heard him clearly, so he didn’t repeat: "We’re a couple, we were, and still are now."

"How do you want me to help you?"

These words were spoken, and even Shen Jianian found it incredible. She hadn’t agreed to help him, but the implication was that she had.

Sure enough, Fu Jichen seemed to have received some sort of signal, got up from the sofa, walked quickly to the bed, lifted the corner of the quilt and slipped in, holding her tightly and kissing her lips.

The thirsty person finally drank from the long-missed sweet spring.

*

Throughout the long night, Shen Jianian didn’t know how she endured it, or when exactly she fell asleep.

The chef employed by the villa didn’t come in the morning, so breakfast was usually made by Cheng Jin, who was quite good at cooking. Early in the morning, she cooked a pot of lean pork congee with preserved egg, and prepared both vegetarian and meat dumplings, frying them in a pan until their sides turned golden. She also took out the pickled sour beans she made from the jar, chopped them into small pieces, placed them in a glass bowl, and mixed them with fragrant sesame oil as an appetizer.

By eight o’clock, neither of them had come down for breakfast.

Fu Jichen wasn’t a heavy drinker, but even when he occasionally drank too much, he would still get up on time the next morning for breakfast, and then leave for the company, being extremely disciplined.

Shen Jianian kept a regular schedule and would get up around seven these days, usually taking a walk with the dog around the villa after breakfast, and then practicing piano upstairs.

Cheng Jin waited for another half hour before going upstairs to call them at eight thirty.

Both room doors were ajar, and feeling puzzled, Cheng Jin, who didn’t dare disturb Fu Jichen, went to Shen Jianian’s room, knocked on the door symbolically with her usual friendly tone, "Jianian, are you awake? Breakfast is ready."

Cheng Jin walked in and saw two people lying in bed, her footsteps suddenly halted, she didn’t look closely, quickly turned around, and quietly exited the room, even helping close the door tightly.

She patted her chest, relieved that she hadn’t made much noise earlier, so she probably hadn’t woken them up.

Cheng Jin walked down the stairs, unable to suppress the smile on her face. The two had finally reconciled completely.

Or rather, you couldn’t really say "reconciled completely", as they hadn’t quarreled. More accurately, they had once again become sweet and loving like before. If only they would get married soon, adding a little one to the villa, it would be even more perfect.

With a smile, Cheng Jin returned to the dining room, took the pot of congee back to the kitchen, simmering it over low heat so it would be ready to eat anytime. The two plates of fried dumplings she placed into a food container, ready to heat up when they got up, which would be no hassle.

On the third floor in the bedroom, Shen Jianian was still sleeping, and Fu Jichen had been awakened by Cheng Jin’s call, raising his hand to rub his sore forehead, while the other arm was being used as a pillow under someone’s neck, he didn’t dare to move.

Fu Jichen slowly turned his head to look at the person sleeping soundly in his arms, his eyes soft, kissed the corner of her lips, intending to end it, but it spiraled into a deeper kiss when he couldn’t stop.

In her sleep, Shen Jianian felt difficulty breathing, frowned, opened her eyes to a dark shadow before her, as her mind gradually cleared, she abruptly pushed the person on her: "You, you, you..."

Fu Jichen filled with a smile in his eyes: "You’re awake."

Shen Jianian’s first reaction was to touch her own body, finding her sleepwear still perfectly in place. Just as she began to feel relieved, memories of last night flooded her mind.

At her question "How do you want me to help you", Fu Jichen’s barely extinguished sparks in his eyes reignited, and he kissed her...

Between them, they did everything except the final step.

Shen Jianian met Fu Jichen’s gaze, seeing her small reflection in his bright pupils. She couldn’t believe that person last night was her, as if her body had been taken over by another soul, now with her own soul returned to take back control, leaving her clueless.

"Shen Jianian, what are you thinking?" Fu Jichen couldn’t read her thoughts, seeing her small face frowning, he asked, "Last night we..."

"Forget it!" Shen Jianian’s voice was swift and heavy, her face was completely red, fearing he would say another word, she would have nowhere to hide. She simply covered his mouth, making him listen to her, "Let’s both forget it! I meant well helping you, no other intentions, hope you don’t overthink."

Fu Jichen removed her hand, asking only, "If it were another man, would you help him like you did for me?"

At the next moment when he asked, Shen Jianian already had the answer in her heart—no.

The unspoken words Fu Jichen said for her: "You wouldn’t. Shen Jianian, even if you forget about me, there’s still a place in your heart for me."

Is that so? Shen Jianian asked herself.

That’s why last night she softened seeing him so pitiful, feeling so distressed, she couldn’t help wanting to make him feel better. There was no other soul occupying her body, it was her subconscious unwilling to see him suffer.

"Shen Jianian, if you don’t want to accept our past, then I’ll pursue you again, start over from the beginning." Fu Jichen, unwilling to let this rare opportunity slip by, leaned in to kiss her again, treasuring their closeness.

Shen Jianian, caught off guard by the kiss, was wide-eyed, feeling that this Fu Jichen was more dangerous than last night’s: "No."

"You can’t decide whether someone pursues you or not, you can only decide whether to accept or not."

I’ve never courted you before, and I want to try."

"Fu Jichen." Shen Jianian asked, exasperated. "Can you please get up and leave my room?" She turned her face away, taking a deep breath as their current position was too intimate!