Chapter 187 - I Like This

Two months had gone by in a blink of an eye. Their routine was the same. Dion would still spend almost the entire day with Devon. She only realized that Dion couldn't go anywhere, as reporters would flock around him because of the Qin Empire's scandal. So, she tried to be lenient with him — although there was no need as the two clicked, eventually. They usually play video games to kill time.

In the evening, Lewis would arrive to have dinner with the two of them. He had been trying. Sometimes he would cry in silence, but he never sulked anymore. Due to the tax evasion case, it became the perfect distraction for him, so to avoid Marshall from getting imprisoned. 

The trial about it was still ongoing and everyone knew it would be a long process. Some of the Qin Empire's rival companies had taken this opportunity to fuel the fire. The Qin Empire had entered a crisis and was still struggling, as some of their business partners had backed out.

Fortunately, Lewis and Marshall's connections and the trust they had built with powerful individuals helped the Qin Empire persist. One of them was the De Luca family. The company was still struggling, but many people believed it would stand stronger than ever. 

"Please don't forget your check-ups and therapy. So you can walk again," the Doctor reminded Devon while gazing at her. Her legs were still in a cast and she still needed a wheelchair. He had briefed them thoroughly about her medications and everything she needed to recover at home. 

"Congratulations, Miss Lin."

Devon clicked her tongue and shook her head. "Doctor, how can you congratulate me when I still need a wheelchair?"

"But it is better now that you can go home. That only means the problem is just your legs which can be treated through therapy." The Doctor shrugged with a smile. It was obvious that she had grown close to her doctors and the nurses for staying here for months. Although Devon was sometimes brash with her words, she was very open and easy to talk with.

"Don't worry, Doctor. She will not miss a single appointment unless she doesn't want to walk again." Lewis, who was standing behind her wheelchair, offered a kind smile. 

She looked up at him and frowned. "Don't make it sound like I'm unreasonable, husband. I will walk again and get rid of this damn --"

"Of course. You'll lose that cast if you behave." Lewis smiled while covering her lips with his palm. He already predicted the long profanities that would flow out of her lips. 

"Thank you for your help until now, Doctor."

"You're too kind, Mister Qin. We were simply doing our jobs."

Devon frowned as she was forced to listen to Lewis and the doctor exchange flowery words. His palm was still covering her lips, and it didn't sit well with her. So she brushed it lightly until he realized he was still covering her lips. 

The doctor reminded them once again as if to make sure they wouldn't forget his advice. After that, Lewis wheeled her out of the hospital. Dion was carrying the paper bag, containing her stuff.

"Wow... weren't you all being charged hundreds of millions by the government? How come you still have money for this kind of stuff?" Devon wowed upon seeing the van with a wheelchair ramp parked outside the establishment. "You can just carry me like a princess."

"But it is still a hassle," Lewis replied as he wheeled her in. Dion followed and sat in the back seat while Lewis sat beside her after securing her spot. Throughout the process, Devon just watched him in silence. 

"Damn," she whispered, gazing down at the spot especially made for her and her little wheelchair. "I feel so damn useless."

"You'll be fine." Lewis patted her head while she gazed at him and sighed. 

"Sis, you're useless now but not for long," Dion chimed in to encourage her, but she only rolled her eyes. 

"Dion, thank you for agreeing I am still useless." Devon rolled her eyes and replied sarcastically. Lewis glanced at Dion while the latter just shrugged. 

"I'm okay." Devon turned her head to Lewis and forced a smile. "It just feels strange, that's all."

Lewis didn't answer but ruffled her hair like a big brother. The two of them had been kind to each other, but they were more like friends. They would talk about things too, but the line between them was very clear. She might call him husband, but that didn't make her heart flutter. 

There was no difference in her relationship with Dion and Lewis. They were both her... friends. 

'Goddamnit...' she cursed internally while gazing at the window. 'Please, not today, self. You promised to find reasons to fight... you can't entertain these feelings now.'

Of course, Devon had been smiling and laughing, trying her best to be better. To think better and see positivity in everyday life. But there were still times that she would stare at the ceiling and wallow in the emptiness in her heart. She tried filling it with Lewis, but it felt bottomless. 

"Husband Qin," she called and waited for him to turn his head to her. "Hold my hand."

His brows rose, but he didn't raise questions. Instead, he slipped his fingers in between hers and squeezed her hand lightly. Devon stared at their hands for a moment and then looked up at him.

'It feels nothing,' she whispered in her mind, but the words that came out of her mouth were the complete opposite.

"Much better."

Lewis just stared at her for a moment before he nodded. "That's good, then."

Devon smiled, peeling her eyes away from him and setting them on her side of the window. They traveled in silence, with Lewis holding her hand. There wasn't much to talk about, anyway. 

Soon, they reached the Old Qin Residence. At first, he offered to bring her back to their place. However, she considered that that place would only bring pain to Lewis. She was the boss, so her decision bore more weight. Also, the Old Qin Residence was the best option because of its relaxing environment.

Since Lewis didn't want to strain her, he wheeled her to the garden where she could relax. She had been staying in the hospital room for months, so staying out was better.

"Everything is prepared," she murmured as she gazed at the snacks and tea the butler prepared for them. Her eyes shifted to Lewis, who sat across the round table. Dion told them he would join them after a shower, so it was just the two of them.

"Of course. It's the first time I'm bringing you here as my wife," Lewis explained while filling her plate with snacks. "Do you hate it?"

"Hate it? I'm being treated like a princess. So, why would I hate it?" 

Again, Lewis stared at her and sighed. "You're not fine, Lin Devon."

"I am fine."

"Going back to the real world, but can't even stand on your own? Sure. This doesn't bother you." He nodded and shrugged. Hearing his sarcastic remarks made her sigh faintly.

"Who would want to be in a wheelchair?" she inquired while picking up a tart. "The ramp, the van, the way everyone looked at me... I don't feel normal at all."

Devon took a bite and chewed it while staring at him. Lewis was now eating well and his complexion was better than last month. Since he promised her he would take care of himself, he had been doing that. 

"How about you?" she asked after a moment. "You're also forcing yourself to be fine, right? Do you hate it when you have to stop distracting yourself?"

"Not really."

"Why?"

"Because... you are a distraction yourself." Lewis raised a hand and wiped the side of her lips with his thumb. "Whenever I'm with you, I always think about what is inside your mind. Do you still hate life? Am I making you happy enough? Things like that."

"Am I a project to you?" she frowned, watching him draw his hand away.

"No."

"Then why are you so obsessed with making me happy?" her brow quirked as she tilted her head to the side.

Lewis smacked his lips as he thought of the right words to explain it. "I don't know?"

"Because she used to smile a lot with this face," she answered for him. "I'm not an idiot, Qin Lewis. I know what you are doing."

"You don't."

"I do." She fixed her eyes on him without backing down. "Even before you realize it, I already know your reasons. It's not that I hate you for it, but it makes you extra attentive. So, I feel like you can read my soul. That's what I hate — people reading me."

"Sorry." Lewis rested his arms on the edge of the table.

"It's alright. That keeps you from thinking about other things and your attentiveness keeps me distracted as well. So, we can call it quits." She shrugged and ate the tart in her hand. Devon propped her arms on the edge of the table, staring into his eyes while narrowing hers. 

"Husband, can you like dilate your eyes? I will guess what's in your mind," she suggested since they were just staring at each other. Lewis was curious if she could read his mind, so he widened his sharp eyes while barely blinking.

"Can you read what's in my mind now?" he asked while her eyes were literally digging a hole into his. 

"Beauty," she murmured with conviction. "Right now, you think I am an angel without wings and in a wheelchair."

A soft chuckle immediately slipped past his lips and shook his head. "An angel?"

"What — what is this reaction? Don't you think this goddess is not an angel?!" she gasped in disbelief, looking at him in utter dismay. "This won't do. Again, Qin Lewis."

"Oh, Dev."

"Come on, you! Happy wife, happy life, remember?" 

"Fine..." Once again, Lewis thrust his face forward and dilated his eyes while she examined them. 

"Pretty without a shadow of a doubt," she guessed, making him laugh once again while she rolled her eyes. "Damn... this is annoying. You do it this time and I will laugh like a psychopath like what you're doing."

Devon crooked a finger out to annoy every fiber of his body. Lewis refused, but she ground her teeth and threatened him. So In the end, Lewis could only sigh while he tried reading her mind. 

"Hey, quick. My eyes sting!" she complained as he was taking his precious time while she refrained from blinking until it hurt.

"Mhm." Lewis cupped his jaw with his knuckles, not really trying to read her mind but just staring at her. When Devon had enough, she blinked to recover before glaring daggers at him.

"I like this," he said before she could curse him to death. His eyes softened as a subtle smile appeared on his face. 

"That is what's on my mind, Dev."