Chapter 34 - Do you want me to stay?

Song Luli woke up with a sore throat.

She cursed Long Jie in her mind. That damn fool! She thought. Why did he kiss her in the first place? But she was more concerned as to why she let him.

There was no mistaking her physical attraction to him, but in terms of something more profound, she could not let that happen. A kiss was a kiss, and that was that.

Song Luli nestled into the sheets of her bed, trying to get into a comfortable position as her dry throat felt scratchy, and her chest was heaving.

She called the company within the next moment, informing the management team to move forward with the daily tasks, without her. She had her assistant call off any meetings she had that day and to post-pone any urgent requests for the following day.

What she hated about being sick was the feeling of lying down in bed and not doing anything productive. But what she liked about it, was for the same reason, lying down in bed and doing nothing. However, she was feeling rather bored and gloomy.

Song Luli wasn't tired, so she scrolled through her Weibo, trying to find something interesting, and found nothing, no trending topics piqued her interest, so she decided to complete some work on her laptop.

After an hour, she heard the door of her room open. She glanced at the door, watching as Long Jie entered. He wore grey sweatpants and a hoodie, strands of his auburn hair laid flat against his forehead.

"I heard some noise. I was wondering why you're still here?" Long Jie said with some concern.

Song Luli closed her laptop, burying herself under the covers, facing away from him. "You made me sick, idiot." She felt embarrassed, more because she was conscious of their kiss. The warmth that lingered on her lips from last night had gone cold, and she hated how he affected her because some part of her wants to explore him . But she wouldn't go farther than their experiment from last night unless they've established what boundaries they should cross whether it was too soon or not.

Long Jie couldn't see her expression, and he was glad that she couldn't see his. He flushed at the thought of making her sick from what they did last night. He should have thought about the consequences. He was only teasing her, and yet, in truth, he should have stopped after he left her lips the first time. But instead, he let himself get carried away, tasting the lips she allowed him to have for a moment.

Long Jie left the room abruptly, and Song Luli raised her head from underneath. She noticed he was gone, so she sighed in relief, resuming her work.

Not long after, Long Jie returned, holding two steaming cups, and a bottle of medicine. He approached her bed, and Song Luli narrowed her eyes, raising her guard. He sat on the edge carefully. He glanced at her, handing her a cup. Song Luli took it and noticed it was warm orange juice.

He began to drink it, and Song Luli realized he must still be sick, which was why he was home, too. Song Luli then followed his movements, taking medicine, drinking the orange juice, tasting the honey he poured with it. It soothed her sore throat, feeling temporary relief.

She awkwardly glanced at Long Jie while sipping her drink. After she finished, she placed the cup on the nightstand next to her bed. Long Jie rose to take the empty cup, heading out of the room.

"Are you coming back?" she asked him. Long Jie stilled. He turned to face her, his expression calm and composed. His deep, resonating voice asked, "Do you want me to stay?"

Song Luli's expression did not waver. She outwardly and boldly responded, "Yes," without feeling embarrassed. She didn't like being left alone when sick, and she wasn't sure why, but it had been like that since she was a child. Back then, she would have her mother, father, or siblings by her side.

Long Jie spared her a blue glance before saying, "All right. I'll be back."

He then turned to exit the room, putting the cups away. Song Luli began to feel nervous. She invited him to stay, and at that, she gritted a flush. I won't feel embarrassed, she told herself.

When he returned, Song Luli scooted over to one side of the bed. She then gestured him to join her. He cautiously stepped forward, slipping under the covers next to her.

Song Luli turned on the television screen and said, "I have an advance copy of a film premiering next month. Do you want to watch it?"

Long Jie nodded.

Typically, Song Luli wouldn't let watch anyone watch any of the advanced copies; everyone would have to wait until the premiere or advanced public screening. But she hadn't had the chance to watch it herself, and she trusted Long Jie not to reveal any spoilers or content of the film.

So, she played it. It was a historical fiction film, and at some point, Long Jie told her to pause it so he could get some snacks. When he returned, he placed it between them, settling himself in a more comfortable position than his initial stiff and awkward stance.

Around the end of the film, Long Jie had told her of his opinion. "I never thought history could be so..."

"Intriguing?" she finished the sentence for him.

Long Jie faced her with a small smile. "Yes," he said.

Song Luli smiled back. "I'm glad you liked it," she replied with a dreamy voice. She was beginning to feel sleepy. Though it was only lunch, the cold was taking a toll on her, and the medicine made her feel drowsy. It appeared Long Jie was feeling the same way, as his eyes narrowed deeply.

"You should write a screenplay," he told her.

Song Luli's eyes widened. She then chuckled softly but coughed shortly after. "No one would be interested," she told him.

Long Jie furrowed his brows. "Judging from your last few releases and this one, you have an eagerness to tell stories, to show people what they have been missing out."

Song Luli was facing him. She could feel the warmth of his breath; she could see the different hues and shades of blue in his eyes, meshed together, iridescently.

"Maybe," she whispered to him, the softness of her voice lowered with each word she spoke. Exhaustion pulled her to sleep, taking Long Jie with her for an early afternoon nap. She felt comfortable with him by her side, feeling protected in some way. She wondered if he felt the same way, too.