Chapter 13 Raymond's Affection

that seeing these material things didn't stir something inside her; in dim lights and gentle music, who could remain unaffectedFang Jianghai looked at He Yufan's softened expression and couldn't help...Chapter 13: Ran Xu's Affection

"I'm afraid that if I close my eyes, you'll leave," said Ran Xu as he looked at Yan Luoxi in a soft voice.

"How could you think like this I am someone who always keeps my promises!" snorted Yan Luoxi confidently.

Ran Xu sighed lightly and said, "After my father was gone, I initially lived with my mother. Sometimes she would bring boyfriends home, fearing that others might look down on her because of having such a big son. So she asked me to hide in the closet, even taping my mouth shut to prevent any noise."

"Ah!" Yan Luoxi's eyes widened in disbelief. "How could this happen How can a mother treat her own child like this" Even Xue Liping had never treated her like that.

“Once, she forgot to let me out before leaving the house. I spent an entire day and night trapped in the dark closet. Since then, every time I'm alone, I can't bear being in confined or dark spaces…”

In the eyes of others, Ran Xu was a pampered prince among stars, yet who knew that he had once been abandoned by both gods and humans.

Upon hearing what Ran Xu said, Yan Luoxi's heart softened and became extremely pained. She lost her sleep as tears welled up in her eyes.

"You can rest now; I promise not to leave you!" At this moment, the sentiment she harbored for Ran Xu deepened even more.

“Remember your words tonight,” said Ran Xu after taking cold medicine and struggling to keep his eyes open. Upon hearing Yan Luoxi's resolute assurance, he smiled and closed his eyes.

Ran Xu fell asleep. The sorrowful tone he set made it impossible for Yan Luoxi to sleep.

She rested her head on her arm, thinking about Zhou Guangtao’s whereabouts.

There is no such thing as a completely impenetrable wall; even if the techniques are highly advanced and the cover-up is successful, there will never be anything that only heaven and earth know.

Zhou Guangtao's fatigue, indifference, and irritability these days were not unnoticed by her. She was no fool, let alone with her mother’s occasional reminders.

That night while shopping, the unnatural behavior of Zhou Guangtao and He Yufan didn't escape Yan Luoxi’s notice, despite their efforts to hide it. They used to be the closest people to her; how could she fail to detect something amiss Furthermore, their acting skills were far from being convincing.

She remained calm, not showing any sign of excitement or surprise about the situation's progression. Her behavior could be described as peaceful, at least enough that they didn’t notice anything unusual in her.

Yan Luoxi truly did not want to connect their odd behavior with the stormy night they spent together in the mountain villa before, but every glance and suggestive word from Zhou Guangtao and He Yufan stung her heart like pricks.

Another night without returning!

Yan Luoxi sighed softly.

She tossed and turned restlessly, listening to Ran Xu’s breathing becoming heavier. She got up in a hurry and felt his head; she was alarmed to find that he was even hotter than before.

Looking down at him, Yan Luoxi saw his face flushed frighteningly red with a blister forming on his lips. It seemed that what he said earlier was true—his fever worsened as the night went on.

She anxiously called out: "Ran Xu, Ran Xu, wake up, don't scare me."

Ran Xu seemed to be waking up but kept his eyes closed and muttered something incoherently.

"Ran Xu, what did you say" Yan Luoxi quickly put her ear close to his lips.

"Water, I'm thirsty..."

Only then did Yan Luoxi remember to give Ran Xu some water. She hurriedly poured a glass of water and took the medicine over, helping him sit up before feeding him the water.

After drinking the water, Ran Xu seemed more alert, and his lifeless eyes opened slightly.

"Ran Xu, you have such a high fever. Let's go to the hospital!" Yan Luoxi felt that the heat radiating from Ran Xu was like a furnace, which made her rather scared.

"I don't want to go to the hospital." Ran Xu curled up and shook his head firmly.

"What should we do then You have such an intense fever!" Yan Luoxi was so anxious she nearly cried.

"Idiot, just give me some medicine," said Ran Xu with a strained smile to calm Yan Luoxi down. "After taking the medicine and sleeping for a bit, I'll be fine."

"Will it work" asked Yan Luoxi doubtfully.

"Don't worry, I'm not planning on dying," replied Ran Xu.

Hearing that Ran Xu was still in the mood to joke around with her, Yan Luoxi guessed there shouldn't be anything seriously wrong. She fed him some medicine and forced him to drink two glasses of water before leaving him lying down again where he fell into a deep sleep once more but held onto Yan Luoxi's hand tightly.

After going through such an ordeal, Yan Luoxi felt tired herself, but she couldn't sleep in Ran Xu's big bed. Although they were quite familiar with each other, it seemed they hadn't reached the point of sleeping together in one bed yet.

She slowly withdrew her hand and went to the bathroom. After returning, she lay on the sofa and fell asleep.

The next morning, when Yan Luoxi woke up, she found that Ran Xu, who had slept in the same room as her, was missing. She panicked and rushed downstairs to see him already standing in the kitchen’s early morning light, cooking porridge whose aroma filled the air.

As she watched his back figure, there was a moment of daze; actually, what she wanted wasn’t much, merely wanting to keep Zhou Guangtao's warm silhouette.

Ran Xu invited Yan Luoxi to have breakfast. Seeing that time was running out, Yan Luoxi didn't even have the time to go home and change clothes. So she declined Ran Xu’s insistence on her drinking his porridge made while sick and started packing up to leave for work.

Upon seeing Yan Luoxi about to leave, wearing only pajamas, Ran Xu grabbed an outerwear and chased after her out of the house, driving her to work from the garage.

Fearing being late might upset Zhou Guangtao, Yan Luoxi didn't refuse, letting him take her to work.

As soon as she entered the company building, Yan Luoxi saw Zhou Guangtao standing by the elevator. He was still wearing last night's attire, indicating he hadn’t returned home this morning and had yet to notice her absence overnight. This thought brought a slight relief to Yan Luoxi’s heart.

She stayed over at Ran Xu’s house last night; though there were elements of pouting in defiance of Zhou Guangtao, she wouldn't dare argue with him head-on. She could only vent behind his back.

Yan Luoxi stood by Zhou Guangtao like everyone else, giving a formal nod to him and politely greeting, "Good morning, Manager Zhou!"

Zhou Guangtao gave her a slight nod with a hoarse voice, saying, "Morning."

Looking at Zhou Guangtao's face, Yan Luoxi was stunned. Overnight, his cheekbones appeared slightly bluish and the jawline showed signs of bruising; he must have had a fight!

The whole ride up in the elevator, Yan Luoxi couldn't stop worrying. Upon finally entering her office, she quickly dialed Zhou Guangtao's number: "Brother Guangtiao, what happened to your face"

"I drank too much with clients last night and accidentally stumbled; nothing serious. Focus on work," Zhou Guangtao tersely replied before hanging up.und noon. After that, he wouldn't go anywhere else; he'd stay put until nightfall when his daughter went to sleep.Yan Luoxi had no way of dealing with Lian's legitimate and frequent visits to see thei...