Gu Moqian's hand holding the cotton swab paused, seeing her brows knit tightly in pain, he suddenly couldn't bring himself to continue.
"It's okay, I can endure it." Seeing his hand stop, Ji Wei bit her lower lip, her voice trembling slightly.
Though she said she could endure it, her uneasy, wandering gaze still betrayed her.
Gu Moqian hesitated, then put the cotton swab down.
"Really, it's fine. You can go on." Ji Wei, at this moment, started to act tough. She didn't want Gu Moqian to think she was being overly fragile.
"Not scared anymore?"
"Not scared!"
Ji Wei put on a resolute expression.
To divert her attention, Ji Wei found a topic: "Gu Moqian, how do you know how to do these things?"
In her impression, as the heir of Rongcheng's number one elite family, Gu Moqian should be someone removed from the mundane concerns of life.
Whatever he did should be accompanied by a crowd of people, rather than being this... versatile, even knowing how to disinfect and bandage wounds.
Thinking back, it seemed she was the one more spoiled, growing up as a pampered young lady taken care of by others. If she was thirsty, a servant would automatically bring her water. If she was hungry, she only had to say a word. Even if she accidentally got a small cut, Old Madam Ji would hold her in distress for half a day.
If she were thrown into a group and left to live alone, she probably wouldn't even have basic self-care skills.
"When I was a child, I lived in the countryside for a while." Gu Moqian paused slightly, his tone calm as he replied.
Countryside?
Why would the dignified heir of the Gu Family live in the countryside? What had he experienced in his childhood?
Tss~
Before Ji Wei could make sense of it, the pain in her wrist surged again. This time, she endured without crying out, but her brows furrowed tightly.
Gu Moqian glanced up at her. It seemed she really couldn't handle pain, but seeing her hold back and feign resilience, his heart softened even more.
He picked up the bandage and wrapped it carefully around her wrist, one layer at a time.
The man's side profile under the light appeared much softer, his concentrated expression growing increasingly captivating to the point of unreal.
Ji Wei stared dazedly.
"It's done. Try not to touch water, to prevent the wound from getting infected."
Gu Moqian instructed casually, then put away the supplies into the medicine box.
"...Thank you."
Ji Wei withdrew her hand, lowering her lashes as she murmured softly.
"You're my fiancée, what are you thanking me for?"
Gu Moqian's words drifted to her ears. Biting her lip, Ji Wei summoned her courage and met his gaze: "Gu Moqian, do you genuinely want to marry me, or is it just because you don't want to go against the elders' wishes?"
She was unruly and headstrong. Given Gu Moqian's status and position, he could have completely refused this marriage!
Gu Moqian paused for a moment, his deep, unfathomable gaze revealing nothing. He eventually answered calmly: "Our engagement was arranged long ago. I will take responsibility for you."
They haven't even been intimate! What 'responsibility' is there to take?!
Seeing her face full of disbelief, Gu Moqian raised his broad palm and softly ruffled her silky black hair: "Alright, if you don't sleep now, it'll be morning soon."
Ji Wei turned her head to glance out the window, the faintly lit courtyard shrouded in thick mist becoming a bit clearer.
Come to think of it, Gu Moqian had been awake all night. He probably had work tomorrow, right?
Thinking of this, Ji Wei hurriedly said: "Then I'll go sleep in the guest room—"
She had just started to rise from the bed when Gu Moqian pressed her back down, "Sleep here."
"No, that's not appropriate..."
Ji Wei stammered and protested.
After all the torment in the middle of the night, the effects of the medication in her system were gradually dissipating, but she wasn't confident she wouldn't pounce on Gu Moqian again.
"You sleep in the bed. I'll sleep on the sofa."
Leaving her to sleep alone in the guest room, he couldn't feel at ease. What if her medication effects returned?
After speaking, Gu Moqian walked to the wardrobe, taking out a brand-new blanket and placing it on the sofa.
Ji Wei sat on the bed, watching his actions in a daze.
Gu Moqian began undressing with elegance, his fingers unbuttoning halfway when he suddenly turned toward Ji Wei. "Still not planning to sleep?"
His collar was open, revealing tan skin, a broad chest, and perfectly sculpted muscle lines... The enticing image of his strong physique firmly captivated Ji Wei's gaze.
She unconsciously swallowed and hastily turned away, "Sleeping, I'll sleep right away."
She quickly lay down on the bed, forcing herself to close her eyes.
After a while, she heard footsteps approaching and thought Gu Moqian was up to something. Her entire body tensed, her palms clutching the blanket as sweat seeped out.
But after a moment, the sound of footsteps grew distant. Summoning courage, Ji Wei opened her eyes slightly, only to find the bedside lamp had been turned off.
So he had just come to turn off the light.
She had startled herself for nothing.
Ji Wei turned over, her eyes open in the darkness for a while before exhaustion overwhelmed her.
This night had felt incredibly long to her.
She was utterly drained and sleepy. Though there was still some residual medication in her body, sleep swept over her, and she didn't even have the energy to lift her eyelids.
From the edge of the bed, faint breathing was audible. Gu Moqian lay on the sofa, his dark eyes gazing at the faint light seeping through the window, a quiet smile slowly spreading across his lips.
——
The next morning.
Ji Wei opened her eyes amidst the warmth of sunlight, still a bit dazed.
It took her a few seconds to remember she was in Gu Moqian's bedroom. As for last night...
She abruptly looked toward the direction of the sofa, only to find it restored to its usual state, with no sign of anyone sleeping there.
Ji Wei sat up, looking around the unfamiliar room, suddenly thinking of her own boudoir.
Back at the Ji Family, every morning, Aunt Liu would come to the bedside to wake her up. Her father, Ji Yunting, would wait for her at the dining table to have breakfast together. Everything had been so peaceful and wonderful.
Father...
She wondered if her father had sent people to search for her after her sudden disappearance last night.
She should first call her father to let him know she was safe.
Ji Wei looked around, only to realize her phone was missing. It must have slipped out at the hotel while tangled up with Ji Chuyang last night.
The sound of footsteps echoed from the doorway, steady and powerful.
Ji Wei abruptly raised her head to see Gu Moqian walking in.
"Can I... borrow your phone for a bit?" she asked.
Gu Moqian unhesitatingly took out his phone and handed it to her, "Use it for as long as you need."