Chapter 798: Chapter 798: The Consequences of Li Qiao Staying in Bed

At six in the morning, with the first light of dawn barely visible, a light rain pattered down, dampening the ground and trickling down the glass.

Next to the sofa, a floor lamp was lit, and Xia Siyu clenched a towel, resting against the arm with a slight lean.

The living room was so quiet that only shallow breathing could be heard.

It wasn’t long before Yun Lih opened his eyes, his brow furrowed in extreme discomfort, his head splitting with pain, and his limbs devoid of strength.

He felt disoriented for a moment, finding the unfamiliar ceiling above him quite surreal.

Only when his consciousness gradually became clear did Yun Lih remember what had happened the day before.

He labored to raise his arm to rub his temples and sighed deeply before turning his head and seeing such a woeful face.

Her eyes and brows were haggard, her lips injured, her shattered hair messily clinging to her forehead, and her face flushed with an abnormal rosy tint.

Xia Siyu was startled awake.

She hadn’t been sleeping soundly to begin with and sensed a strong gaze upon her; she sat up abruptly, lifting her eyelids to meet Yun Lih’s dark, conflicting eyes.

Xia Siyu felt dizzy and touched her forehead, then focused again with joy appearing on her face, “Brother Lih, you’re awake?”

Xia Siyu didn’t notice her own dishevelled state.

In Yun Lih’s memory, she was the wealthy heiress of Huanxia Pharma Enterprise, a bold and flamboyant young woman, now sitting on the floor with a face full of exhaustion, a far cry from her usual vibrance.

“Brother Lih?” Seeing Yun Lih not speaking, Xia Siyu’s heart once again hung in trepidation.

She scrambled to her feet, using both hands and feet, and nearly fell over due to the weakness in her legs from sitting too long.

Yun Lih wanted to reach out to help, but Xia Siyu steadied herself using the coffee table, and with a worried back, she hurried outside.

“Xiaxia…” Yun Lih called her from behind. Xia Siyu suddenly halted, “Wait for me, I’ll call Brother Four over.”

“No need,” Yun Lih said hoarsely, stopping her as he tried to prop himself up with his elbow, showing a particularly lack of strength, “Don’t go.”

Xia Siyu had known him for many years and had never seen Yun Lih so weak.

He was still wearing his favored gray shirt, all crumpled, with several buttons undone on the collar, and his pale face showing a sickly and helpless hue.

Xia Siyu’s heart severely clenched, disregarding her own dizzy condition, she obediently went back to pour him a glass of water, “Alright, I won’t go, have some water first.”

She helped Yun Lih sit up and brought the cup of water to his lips, “Open your mouth.”

Yun Lih lowered his gaze to the water cup, then looked up at Xia Siyu, a nearly invisible tease in his eyes, “Do you really think I’m completely useless?”

He snatched the water cup from Xia Siyu’s hand with a trembling grip and downed it in one go.

Following that… an eerie silence spread through the air.

Most of that cup of water had spilled, sliding down Yun Lih’s jawline into his lapel, and a good amount splashed onto the center of his trousers.

Xia Siyu glanced at his trousers, coughed lightly, and quickly turned her face away.

Whatever material those trousers were made of, they absorbed water quite slowly, and a small puddle of moisture boldly spread around the zipper area of his pants.

Xia Siyu glanced around in disarray, pulled out a tissue, and handed it to him, “Are you feeling any better?”

Yun Lih ‘hmm’d in response, ignoring the water stain on his body, and although dishevelled, he maintained his freewheeling demeanor.

He leaned back against the sofa, his Adam’s apple prominent, with even the lines of his neck and collarbones clearly visible.

Xia Siyu looked sideways, about to find a conversation starter to break the awkward atmosphere when Yun Lih spoke, “Did you stay with me all night?”

“No, not at all.” Xia Siyu blurted out without hesitation, feigning a light tone, “I just came over.”

Right at that moment, Liuyun walked in from outside, saw the two already awake, paused in his steps, “Breakfast is ready. Neither of you ate last night, would you like to eat breakfast before resting?”

Yun Lih opened his eyes and glanced at Xia Siyu, “You didn’t eat last night?”

She nodded, and Liuyun, the epitome of straightforwardness, instinctively stepped in to help. “Brother Lih, Miss Xia took care of you all night without eating or sleeping. You should persuade her to rest,” he said, or she’ll ruin her health by continuing like this.”

Xia Siyu propped her forehead and sighed, “…”

Yun Lih then closed his eyes, his Adam’s apple moving as he spoke in a hoarse voice, “Bring the breakfast over.”

…

At eight in the morning, Li Qiao was sitting in the master bedroom, hugging the quilt and staring blankly.

When the man came out of the bathroom, he saw her sitting there in a daze, with a tuft of hair sticking up on her head.

Shang Yu’s gaze drifted downward, landing on her fair shoulder, and his dark eyes slightly darkened.

Li Qiao wore only a soft and comfortable spaghetti strap nightgown, with one strap sliding off her shoulder and her hair spread out, exuding an unconscious allure.

Shang Yu’s thin lips tightened, and he walked over, lifting the cup to cover her exposed shoulder and straightened out her long hair, “Not awake yet?”

Li Qiao blinked and, holding the quilt, lunged forward, bumping into his embrace. Her voice was soft and husky from just waking up, “Has the card reader arrived?”

The floppy disk found last night had still not been read because modern computer equipment had long since discontinued support for floppy disk drives.

There was no other option but to have Luoyu find an external floppy disk reader overnight.

After all, even the most advanced computer technology is useless without the right drivers.

“Yes, in the study,” Shang Yu said, lowering his eyes. His chin touched the warm tip of Li Qiao’s ear, and he turned his head to give her a peck.

Li Qiao was still concerned about the floppy disk, hardly rational just after waking up.

The tip of her nose was filled with the man’s refreshing and pleasant scent, and she couldn’t help but rub her nose against his chest.

Shang Yu wrapped his arms around her shoulders, lowered his face, and narrowed his eyes, “Hungry or not?”

A common inquiry. Buried in his embrace, Li Qiao shook her head, “Not really hungry.”

“Hm.” A clear flame gradually ignited in the depths of the man’s eyes, and his dry, warm palm gently stroked along her spine until it reached her waist, “Then we’ll eat later.”

Li Qiao hung her head, still oblivious to certain changes, and readily agreed with a lazy murmur, “Then I’ll lie down a bit longer.”

Lying down was no longer an option.

Because the man was now nibbling on her earlobe, his breath hot and beguiling as he said, “Give me your hand.”

Li Qiao regretted lazing in bed: “…”

…

At nine o’clock, Shang Yu, looking refreshed, led Li Qiao downstairs for breakfast.

There was nothing obviously amiss with either of them, except that the man couldn’t stop massaging her wrist with extra care.

As they passed the living room, they just happened to meet Luoyu coming in from outside.

She had a layer of moisture on her, brushing off the droplets from her face, and said matter-of-factly, “Ma’am, the card reader is in the study.”

“Thanks,” Li Qiao replied, glancing out the window, “How’s Yun Lih doing?”

Luoyu answered truthfully, “He’s awake now. Fourth Young Master Su just went over, and Liuyun is there too.”

Li Qiao pursed her lips and nodded, pondering a time to go have a look.

After breakfast, Li Qiao headed straight for the study.

On the desk were two bulky, ancient floppy disk readers.

Li Qiao took a seat, connected the card reader to the computer, opened the drawer, and took out the floppy disk she had brought back the previous night.