99 Hostile eyes

"What, what are you doing?" Jia Li said, shock evident in her green eyes.

"I am trying to teach you how to make me recover faster, next time I get hurt. You clearly do not know how to give tender love and care," he whispered, bringing his mouth next to her ear.

Colour flooded her face. She could hear the galloping heartbeats. Were they hers, his, theirs? It didn't matter. This wasn't right. She pushed him back gently but firmly with her hands up against his chest.

She stood up and thankfully, he didn't resist. Her bun had come undone in the process. She opened the clip, gathered the hair in a swoop and put the clip back on.

His eyes followed her hand movements, as if hypnotised.

"I used to imagine our lives together every time I was alone with my thoughts. I have seen this scene enough number of times in my head. But a slightly different version of it, where I am the one running my fingers through those auburn tresses. Untangling any & every knot, familiarising myself with the texture of the hair, twisting them around my fingers, rubbing them against my cheek, inhaling the scent and much more…" his voice dropped by a few octaves.

"Enough of this talking. I want you to rest now. With so many people in the room, I don't think you have managed to shut eyes since you woke up this morning," she cut his train of thoughts.

She avoided looking at him and spent an extra minute straightening the sheet and blanket on his bed.

"I do feel tired but I am worried that the minute I shut my eyes, you would disappear again," he said, unnamed emotions in his words.

She looked up and promised him that she won't go anywhere. She settled down into the chair kept next to him.

"You are sitting too far. How are you going to caress MY hair or hold my hand or check how long my eye lashes are, as I sleep? Have you never watched a romantic drama ever? Abysmal performance as a caregiver," he reproached her in mock seriousness.

Shaking her head at his theatrics, she scooted the chair next to the bed. He reached out to cover her fingers with his own and placed them on his chest. He closed his eyes in contentment finally while Jia Li's eyes spent the entire afternoon tracing and reacquainting themselves with the lines and contours on his face.

These were going to be tough hours but she knew that she had to keep him in good humour, and herself in check. Irrespective of what he may imagine their relation to be currently, she knew the harsh reality of it. As she had promised Wei, she remembered his words.

"Mom, I don't know who has given you such a twisted version of my relationship with Jia Li but I can assure you that she is an amazing person. Having said that, I don't really think that I owe you or anyone else an explanation about who I like and why," Wei replied coldly to his irate mother on the phone.

"I am coming down there to see this girl for myself. You may not think that you owe me anything but as your mother, I have the right and duty to make sure that my son doesn't make wrong choices in such important matters," she replied unfazed.

"I don't think you should talk about rights and duties as far as my life is concerned. Also, this matter is between you and me. I will not allow you to drag Jia Li in this. I am coming back to Shanghai this evening. We shall talk further on this face-to-face," he said firmly and put down the phone.

Wang Wei entered Tang's hospital room with some trepidation. He hadn't known what to expect but the scene in front of him made his heart go still.

Jia Li's hand lay encased tightly in Tang's fist on his chest while he slept. She had angled her body sideways on the chair and was dead to the world, as well. Last night's fatigue had probably caught up with her. Her head was at an awkward angle and she was bound to wake up with a crick in her neck.

Wei removed the woollen scarf from his neck and rolled it up as a makeshift pillow. He lifted her head gently and placed the scarf between it and the hard edge of the chair. He was immediately rewarded with her sigh in relief. Pleased with his efforts, he stepped back and saw Tang looking at him with hostile eyes.

"Who the hell are you?" Tang growled.

"I…err, your father and mine are business partners. We work together. My name is Wang Wei," he replied calmly.

"For a business associate, weren't you touching my girl a touch too intimately?" Tang persisted.