When Will My Childhood Sweetheart Marry Me?-Chapter 145: Can I Sleep in the Bed?

Pei Donghan entered the hospital room to find that slender and beautiful silhouette standing by the window.

Hearing the door being pushed open behind her, Lin Zhen quickly turned her head and, upon seeing her ex-husband, the joy in her eyes instantly faded.

Three years had passed, yet her love and hate were still distinct. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

She loathed him, even though they had shared a child, and the contempt was still alive today.

Pei Donghan felt bitter, but as that brat had said, he was naturally timid and could only ever humbly gaze down in Lin Zhen’s presence.

No amount of money could match the value of a single smile from her.

Just like yesterday when Lin Zhen, debilitated and sitting on the hospital bed, flashed a gentle smile and grasped his hand, asking him to persuade their son to go abroad with her.

Pei Donghan admitted that, at that moment, his heart had softened.

In their more than ten years of marriage, she’d seldom spoken to him with such tenderness.

Times had changed, and what he once dreamt of was now occurring under these circumstances.

Pei Donghan placed the washed fruits into a bowl and cautioned the figure by the window, "I need to head back to the office for a bit; the caretaker is outside, just call if you need anything."

Lin Zhen hadn’t notified him of her return this time.

Including her fourteen-day quarantine at the hotel, he had only found out yesterday.

She likely didn’t want to be involved with him in the slightest.

Pei Donghan mustered a bitter smile and silently turned to walk toward the door.

It was only when Lin Zhen’s voice suddenly rose from behind him that he stopped again.

The woman’s tranquil gaze fell on him. Despite being ill and pale, she was still more beautiful than many other women.

He said nothing, just stood patiently, waiting for her to speak.

In the heat of June, Lin Zhen, sensitive to the cold, wore a thin knitted shawl over her dress.

If she had been elegant before, now she possessed an additional air of simpleness.

"Has Yan gone back already?" Lin Zhen asked softly.

Apart from the day she woke up and met her son, he hadn’t visited her again.

She had conveyed her wishes to Zhu Yun, thinking that given Yan’s temperament, he certainly would have stormed in to confront her. Instead, she was met with only her son’s indifferent coldness.

Ultimately, Pei Donghan couldn’t bear it. After a moment of focus, he reassured her softly, "Pei Yan hasn’t left; he’s still at the hospital, and he’s worried about you too."

The air hung silent.

Lin Zhen quietly listened to him finish, barely perceptibly nodding her head before she turned away, falling into silence.

When she had nothing to say, she preferred to express herself through silence.

Such a disposition wasn’t endearing, yet the past Pei Donghan had willingly accepted all her flaws.

All of Lin Zhen’s imperfections were perfect in his eyes.

Men—the most merciless yet most affectionate creatures in the world.

Many emotions can’t be weighed by right or wrong, love is simply love, and nothing could deny the fact that Pei Donghan loved Lin Zhen, even if it meant his destruction.

Jiang Shuyao took a taxi to the hospital that afternoon. Lin Zhen was resting and the girl quietly pushed the door open, setting the freshly cooked porridge on the table and standing by the bed, watching silently.

The woman on the bed looked elegant and unblemished, as if time hadn’t left any marks on her face.

Just like when they were children, simply watching her was comforting.

Jiang Shuyao smiled lightly, leaned over to tuck in the blanket for her godmother, and was about to leave when she heard the bed’s occupant utter a faint murmur in her dreams.

She approached the bed, quietly calling out "godmother" twice.

Lin Zhen didn’t awaken. Her eyebrows, dark as if painted, slightly furrowed, indicating discomfort.

Unsure if this reaction was abnormal, Jiang Shuyao quickly pressed the bedside call button, but at that moment, she clearly heard the word "Yan" escape her godmother’s lips.

She froze in her actions, and then, slowly, sat back down in the chair.

That utterance of "Yan" pierced deeply into her heart.

She knew that once a mother had hopes for her son, even in dreams, she would feel a profound attachment.

The bonds of family are the most unbreakable in the world.

Even separated by thousands of barriers, she didn’t want Pei Yan to live out his life in pain and regret.

Jiang Shuyao’s eyes reddened, her hands resting on her knees, unconsciously cold and numb.

Soon, the medical staff came in. She quickly composed herself, stood up from the chair, and went outside to call for Old Jiang.

Pei Yan stood in the hallway outside.

As soon as she looked up, she met his gaze directly.

From yesterday to now, this was their only encounter.

In just twenty-four hours, it felt as though they had been apart for a very long time.

If those twenty-four hours were stretched to a year, it probably would indeed be long and hard.

The girl didn’t move, her gaze drifting, and Pei Yan walked over in a few steps and enveloped her in his embrace.

Jiang Shuyao slowly came to her senses and pushed him, "This is a hospital."

"I don’t care what hospital it is, I just want to hold you."

Clearly exhausted, yet his words were still so dominant.

She glanced at the ward with the corner of her eye and patted his back consolingly, "Let go for now, go take a shower and change clothes later, I’ll make you egg fried rice."

Her body tensed up, constantly worried that Old Jiang would come out of the ward.

Pei Yan slowly loosened his grip, allowing her to step back.

"Only egg fried rice for dinner? Don’t you have anything else?"

He spoke, striding toward the elevator as if he couldn’t wait a moment longer.

Jiang Shuyao silently followed and muttered, "You’ve only ever praised my egg fried rice, you never said anything else was tasty."

The elevator opened, and it was mostly empty.

Pei Yan reached out to press the floor button and said nonchalantly, "That’s my negligence, I’ll praise you more from now on."

His mood didn’t seem as melancholic as she imagined.

She couldn’t even sense what he was thinking.

Jiang Shuyao followed Pei Yan out of the elevator, and on their way back, they barely spoke.

Seeing him close his eyes and lean next to her, his eyebrows furrowed stiffly, she then belatedly realized.

In certain matters, Pei Yan was a hundred times more tormented and conflicted than she was.

Egg fried rice was easy to make.

Jiang Shuyao carried the plate out of the kitchen, and Pei Yan, having showered, was sitting at the dining table.

It was rare to see him sitting so properly, she smiled softly and pushed the rice toward him.

"Your Lordship, make do with it for now, if you get hungry in the middle of the night, come over, and I’ll cook you some noodles."

In the past, she would have told him it’s best not to eat at midnight as it’s bad for the stomach.

But from some moment on, subconsciously, Jiang Shuyao wanted to be with him, even if it was just for a second.

That imperceptible countdown made her feel uneasy and confused.

Pei Yan spooned rice into his mouth and abruptly said, "Tonight I’ll sleep on the sofa."

The night was quiet, only the sound of the two eating seriously resonated.

Jiang Shuyao’s suspicious eyes fell on his face, puzzled, "Why sleep on the sofa when you have a perfectly good bed."

Pei Yan looked up, locking eyes with the girl.

"I can sleep on the bed?"

The word ’can’ almost slipped out.

She suddenly realized, and annoyed, kicked him lightly with her foot.