89: Chapter 89 Feelings Heat Up

Dinner was even more sumptuous than breakfast—braised pork ribs, steamed fish, stir-fried water spinach with garlic, and a pot of fragrant seaweed egg drop soup.

Xiao Bei ate with relish, finding every dish perfectly suited to his taste.

"How did you know I like spicy food?" Xiao Bei asked curiously, picking up a piece of braised pork rib coated in chili.

Su Yun smiled. "I guessed. You look like someone who can handle spice."

After the meal, the two cleaned up the dining table together. Xiao Bei took the initiative to take out the trash, and upon returning, he found that Su Yun had already brewed two cups of tea. They sat on the balcony, watching the city lights in the night, chatting idly.

"You must be very busy with work usually, right?" Su Yun asked, sipping her tea.

Xiao Bei nodded. "I often work overtime, and sometimes I have to deal with emergencies in the middle of the night."

"Then... have you ever thought about starting a family?" Su Yun's question was soft, but it made Xiao Bei's heart jolt.

He turned to look at Su Yun and found that she was also looking at him, her eyes filled with a certain expectation and nervousness. The night breeze blew through her hair, and the moonlight cast a silver lining around her silhouette, making her look unrealistically beautiful.

"I hadn't thought about it before," Xiao Bei said honestly. "Work is too busy, and I felt it would be unfair to my partner."

He paused and added, "But now... my thoughts have changed a bit."

Su Yun's eyes lit up, and the corners of her mouth lifted slightly. The air between them seemed to solidify, filled with unspoken affection.

On the third morning, Xiao Bei woke up earlier than usual. He got up on tiptoe, wanting to give Su Yun a surprise—preparing breakfast. However, when he walked into the kitchen, he found that Su Yun was already there, kneading dough.

"What are you making today?" Xiao Bei asked as he walked to her side.

Su Yun looked up, a little flour on her face. "I wanted to make some steamed buns, but it might not be very successful."

She showed him the dough. "The dough doesn't seem to have risen well enough."

Xiao Bei leaned in to take a look. "Maybe you didn't put enough water."

He naturally took the dough basin. "Let me help you."

The two stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the kitchen, kneading the dough and preparing the filling together.

Xiao Bei was surprised to find that he enjoyed the process, especially when Su Yun chuckled at one of his clumsy movements; that sense of pleasure became even more pronounced.

"You look beautiful when you smile," Xiao Bei blurted out, then immediately realized what he had said and added somewhat awkwardly, "I mean, you should smile more often."

Su Yun blushed, but her smile grew brighter. "You too. You're always so serious at the office."

"It's required by work," Xiao Bei explained, continuing to knead the dough.

"But you're on vacation now," Su Yun said softly, her fingers inadvertently brushing against the back of Xiao Bei's hand.

That momentary touch felt like an electric current passing through, causing both of them to freeze for a moment.

Xiao Bei could feel his heart rate accelerate, while Su Yun quickly withdrew her hand, pretending to focus on seasoning the filling.

After the buns were steamed, although their shapes weren't perfect, they tasted surprisingly good. The two sat at the dining table enjoying breakfast, the atmosphere even more relaxed and at ease than the previous day.

"The weather is nice today," Xiao Bei suggested. "Do you want to go for a walk? The doctor said that appropriate activity is good for wound recovery."

Su Yun nodded. "Sure."

There was a small park near the residential complex, shaded by trees and not crowded. The two walked side-by-side, maintaining a proper distance, yet their arms would occasionally touch because the path was narrow. Every inadvertent contact made Xiao Bei's heart skip a beat, and Su Yun seemed to have the same reaction, her ears always slightly flushed.

"Do you have any hobbies?" Su Yun asked suddenly.

Xiao Bei thought for a moment. "Reading, occasionally playing basketball. Work is too busy, so I don't have much time to develop other hobbies."

He turned to Su Yun. "What about you?"

"I like painting," Su Yun said, "but I haven't painted in a long time. I studied watercolor for a while in the past."

"If there's an opportunity, you can paint something for me to see," Xiao Bei said sincerely.

Su Yun smiled. "I'm not very good at it; I'm afraid you'll laugh at me."

"I wouldn't," Xiao Bei said, looking at her. "I believe you will paint very well."

Their gazes met again, and this time, neither looked away immediately. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, spilling onto Su Yun's face and outlining the contours of her delicate features.

Xiao Bei suddenly had an urge to reach out and brush aside a strand of hair from her forehead...

On the fourth night, the two watched a movie together. Su Yun chose a lighthearted comedy. They sat at opposite ends of the sofa, maintaining a distance at first, but as the plot developed, Su Yun laughed so hard at a funny scene that she leaned towards Xiao Bei without realizing it.

When her shoulder gently brushed against Xiao Bei's arm, both of them froze for a moment, but neither pulled away.

The movie continued playing, and Xiao Bei could feel Su Yun's body heat coming through the thin clothing, making his heart race.

On the fifth night, Xiao Bei suddenly developed a high fever. When Su Yun got up in the middle of the night to drink water, she heard painful groans coming from his room.

She pushed open the door and saw Xiao Bei tossing and turning on the bed, his face flushed, and his forehead covered in cold sweat.

"Xiao Bei?" Su Yun hurried to the bedside and reached out to touch his forehead. "Oh my god, you're so hot!"

Xiao Bei opened his eyes groggily, seeing Su Yun's anxious face through his blurred vision.

"I'm fine..." He tried to sit up, but fell back onto the pillow due to a wave of dizziness.

Su Yun immediately sprang into action. She brought a basin of cold water, soaked a towel to place on Xiao Bei's forehead, and found fever-reducing medicine to feed him. Throughout the process, her hand kept gently stroking Xiao Bei's cheek and arm, as if silently conveying comfort.

"What should I do?" Su Yun said worriedly. "Should we go to the hospital?"

Xiao Bei shook his head. "No need... I'll be better tomorrow..." His voice was weak, but he insisted on not going to the hospital.

Su Yun had no choice but to continue using physical methods to help him lower his fever.

She changed the cold towel on his forehead over and over, gently wiping his face and neck.

In his semi-conscious state, Xiao Bei felt Su Yun's gentle fingers and the faint scent on her body, like a glimmer of light in the darkness, making him unable to resist wanting to get closer.

"Don't go..." When Su Yun got up to change the water, Xiao Bei unconsciously grabbed her wrist.

Su Yun froze for a moment, then comforted him softly, "I'm not going anywhere, just going to change the basin of water."

Throughout the night, Su Yun stayed by Xiao Bei's bedside, barely closing her eyes. When the sky began to brighten, Xiao Bei's fever finally broke.

He opened his eyes and saw Su Yun asleep, leaning against the chair, still holding a damp towel. The morning light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, spilling onto her exhausted face and casting a soft, golden halo around her.

Xiao Bei got up gently and carefully carried Su Yun to the bed; she was so tired that she didn't even wake up.

Xiao Bei tucked her in and stood by the bedside, quietly watching her sleeping appearance.

At this moment, he clearly realized that he could no longer treat Su Yun as just an ordinary friend.

He bent down, gently brushing aside the stray hair from Su Yun's forehead, his lips almost touching her forehead...