I like you.

In the hotel, Jiang Chen closed the bathroom door and took a shower. Cold water drenched his hair as he changed his clothes, the doctor's words echoing relentlessly in his mind.

“She’s suffered a severe shock.”

“She refuses to face it.”

“From past cases, when the patient wakes up, she may be in great pain. I hope you, as her family, can comfort her and help her get through this hurdle as soon as possible.”

The bathroom was filled with the steady drip of water. Jiang Chen closed his eyes, then made another call.

An international call, a number from Southeast Asia.

When the call connected, the person on the other end spoke a flurry of incomprehensible words.

Jiang Chen said, “I need you to find me a doctor skilled in hypnosis.”

A pause.

“You’ll be well compensated.”

...

At dawn, after a night of rain, Jiang City was refreshed and sparkling. The hotel nestled deep in the forest, surrounded by lush greenery and vibrant life. When Ye Mian awoke again, the first thing she saw was a shaft of sunlight that stung her eyes, making her instinctively reach up to rub them.

In the next moment, she noticed Jiang Chen sitting on the sofa by her bed.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the man half-reclining in a single leather armchair, his long legs casually stretched out before him. The morning light poured through the balcony window, casting half of his face in brightness and the other in shadow, making it impossible to read his expression. Yet, the exhaustion he suppressed was palpable.

Ye Mian’s heart thudded wildly. She glanced at her clothes, frowned slightly, and felt a muffled thunder rumble in her chest.

After a while, she tried to get out of bed to search for her phone. But as she moved her foot, a sharp pain shot through it, and she couldn’t help but cry out.

“Hiss—”

Hearing the sound, Jiang Chen’s fingers trembled. He opened his eyes reflexively.

Seeing her awake, he rose, lifted the quilt, and examined her ankle.

The gentle pads of his fingers pressed against her skin. Feeling his touch, Ye Mian grew flustered, heat swirling through her entire body, leaving her restless and uneasy.

Under his smiling gaze, the warmth continued to surge within her.

“Does your foot hurt?” Jiang Chen bent over slightly to check her injury, keeping his gaze level with hers. “Anywhere else you feel uncomfortable?”

Ye Mian nodded. “My head hurts.”

For a moment, it seemed she saw Jiang Chen become visibly tense.

She couldn’t help but ask, “Is this your room?”

He didn’t answer immediately, smoothing her ankle before looking at her calmly.

“You... you really don’t remember anything?”

“I...” Ye Mian was uncertain what she was expected to forget.

Watching her frown in thought, Jiang Chen’s eyes flickered away. He reached out and tapped her nose affectionately. “Don’t trouble yourself. You drank too much and fell down the stairs—gave yourself a concussion. No one was home, so I brought you back.”

The unusual intimacy of his gesture made Ye Mian’s face burn. She nodded lightly, enduring the headache, and forced a half-joking tone: “Well... then I really should thank you.”

Jiang Chen nodded in agreement. “Yes, you should. How will you thank me?”

What a question!

Ye Mian hadn’t expected him to pursue this so seriously. No matter how she racked her brains, she couldn’t think of a suitable reward that Jiang Chen might lack.

But she did owe him her thanks.

After pondering in vain, she could only lift her small face to him and say with utmost sincerity, “Just tell me what you want. Whatever I have, it’s yours.”

He seemed amused by this, his lips curving into a gentle, handsome smile as he gazed into her eyes. “Everything?”

Ye Mian squeezed her hands under the quilt and nodded. “Yes.”

“Alright,” Jiang Chen said, as if praising her, “you’re very generous.”

In the soft light of the summer morning, the man’s face was exquisite and noble, flawless from any angle. Yet in Ye Mian’s eyes, he looked tired, as if he hadn’t slept for days—just as she remembered.

“Honestly,” she blurted out, almost against her will, “I think I dreamed about you.”

Jiang Chen’s smile froze briefly before returning to normal. “Really? What did you dream?”

Ye Mian fell silent, as if savoring a memory so vague it was almost nonexistent.

She ventured, “I dreamed you said you liked me.”

There was a long silence.

When he didn’t reply, she awkwardly tried to smooth things over herself. “I was only joking. So, what reward do you want?”

“Hmm...” His eyes softened as he looked at her, earnestness and gravity filling his gaze. “There really is something I want.”

“...Go on...”

He rested his chin on his hand, a spring-like smile in his eyes as he watched her.

“Ye Mian, I like you.”

“...”

“I want to date you.”

“...”

“Will you?”

As the words fell, the wind outside seemed to eavesdrop, sweeping leaves and blossoms from the vines onto the balcony.

Ye Mian stared at his features in a daze, hardly daring to believe.

Afraid she’d misunderstood, she repeated in a small voice, “You mean... you like me? You want... to be together with me?”

Jiang Chen took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes.”

Ye Mian’s mouth parted slightly, her nose stinging as tears threatened to fall without warning.

She’d been harboring this secret crush since senior year of high school, long enough now to count in years. She thought she’d be waiting forever.

But now, he was telling her he liked her.

No matter the reason.

In that long, bright morning, Ye Mian’s mind went utterly blank.

She could no longer hold back—the rims of her eyes reddened.

The summer wind from that year seemed to have found her at last, whispering that she hadn’t missed her chance, that she was, after all, quite lucky.

Meeting his gaze, she noticed the corners of his eyes were tinged red, too, perhaps from the morning breeze.

Jiang Chen gently set his hand on her head, gathering her hair in a symbolic gesture, not pressing, only softly caressing.

He smiled warmly. “Is this too much? Did I startle you? It’s alright—you can say no.”

Ye Mian shook her head in a daze, taking in his tousled black hair and weary eyes.

Just as when they first met—fair-skinned, strikingly handsome, almost unreal.

The one she’d missed day and night, yearned to be close to, had finally confessed to her.

How could she not be brave?

She’d always had that kind of courage.

“I do,” she whispered. “I always have.”

Hearing these words, Jiang Chen’s fingers tensed. Meeting her eyes, he was almost awkward in his sincerity, not daring to overstep, unsure how to reassure her.

He could only promise in a low voice, “No one will ever love you more than I do, Ye Mian.”

Perhaps the room was too quiet; only the faint sound of the mountain wind could be heard.

“I know,” she replied.

Saying this, Ye Mian felt her heart sink and her breath falter. She buried her head beneath the covers.

In the hush of darkness, she thought she heard him chuckle, his voice gentler than moonlight. “Rest a little longer. I’ll arrange for breakfast to be sent up.”

“Okay.” Ye Mian clung tightly to the quilt, still wrapped in the moment just past.

She hadn’t wanted to cry.

But the muscles around her mouth refused to obey her will, sinking heavily with her heart.

In truth... she remembered.

Thanks to: Yi Jian Ruochu, RK-1123, bds, RK-1123, Liao Girl, and Xia Mo_ea for their generous rewards—sincere thanks, flowers and bows.

Thanks also to: FM Liusu, Xiao Zhizhi, Ri Nuan Lan Tian, Book Friend 20230324639737, Yan Yu@J, +-x- for their monthly tickets—many thanks, flowers and bows.

Sweet romance is just around the corner.

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(End of chapter)