Chapter 26: Applying Medicine

Jiang Nai felt unsettled by his gaze and turned to leave.

Anywhere would do—the bedroom or the bathroom…

But his hand still held her arm: “Where are you going?”

Jiang Nai stammered, “I-I want to go to sleep.”

“Wait a moment.”

Li Qingji stood up, guiding her to sit by the tatami.  Not sure what he intended, Jiang Nai watched as he went to where he’d stashed his ski gear, took out a small box, and came back. He knelt in front of her, opening the box.

Jiang Nai asked, “What is this—ointment?”

“Yes. If you don’t apply it now, wearing the gear again tomorrow will hurt.”

“Oh…”

With his left hand, he grasped her calf, pulling it slightly toward him, while his right hand scooped up some of the ointment and applied it directly to the swollen area.

“Ah…!”

Jiang Nai hadn’t expected him to do it himself; she thought he’d just let her handle it. The sudden touch, combined with the unexpected sting, startled her, making her instinctively lean back and move her leg. But before she got far, he tightened his grip, pulling her back so that she ended up almost face-to-face with him, stopping just shy of colliding.

“Stop moving.” His gaze bore into her. At such close range, she could smell the lingering scent of red wine mingling with the faint traces of alcohol on her own skin. It was tense, close, almost dizzying.

“It… it hurts a little.”

“I’ll be gentler.”

“Okay…”

Li Qingji continued applying the ointment, though his actions momentarily paused. Her nightgown, already pulled up to her knees to let him apply the ointment, had ridden even higher after he’d tugged her back, exposing a good portion of her pale thigh beneath his hand.

Jiang Nai noticed too and blushed, hurriedly tugging the fabric down. Without a word, he averted his eyes slightly and resumed his task. Not daring to move again, she stayed put, maintaining the close proximity. With her heart racing, she felt just as exhilarated as when she had skied down the mountain slope earlier, the pounding tempo almost unsteady.

Beyond that, it felt as though something else was gradually moving forward on its own.

Was it the alcohol, the atmosphere, or the late night? She couldn’t say for sure, only sensing that something about this felt… off.

“Your hand.”

After finishing with her leg, Li Qingji looked up at her.

The room was softly lit, but in that moment, his gaze held an unexpected sharpness, dark and intense, as if concealing some unspoken ambition. Her heart skipped, and she hesitated, not extending her hand. But he didn’t insist, merely holding her gaze, waiting.

Swallowing hard, Jiang Nai’s fingers clutched her clothing, and she stammered, “Maybe I should… do it myself—”

Before she could finish, he acted.

Her words were cut short. Because, all of a sudden, Li Qingji leaned forward and kissed her!

The intense, soft sensation overwhelmed all her senses in an instant.

Unexpected, yet somehow… anticipated.

Even so, Jiang Nai froze.

She had imagined intimate moments with Li Qingji before—since the very first time she saw him after returning to the country. She’d once speculated that his kiss might be cold, or that he might even skip kissing altogether, going straight to the point, as if just fulfilling a marital obligation.

In her imagination, they would go through the motions like actors in a video, enacting human instincts but lacking any passion or connection. It would probably feel rather boring, she thought. But in this moment, she realized it wasn’t like that at all.

He held her lips, and as she stood dazed, he gently pried her mouth open, his tongue soft but forceful, leaving no space for her to react. At the moment of complete connection, a wave of tingling heat shot up her spine, as if a jolt of electricity had run through her body, making her tremble involuntarily.

Jiang Nai felt an urge to pull back from the intensity, but he easily held her waist, pressing her firmly against him. He teased her lips, relentless and insistent…

Their breaths mingled, fast and heavy, entwining together.

Gradually, Jiang Nai felt as if she could hardly breathe. Her chest was burning, as though a fireball had exploded within her…

So this is what kissing Li Qingji feels like. She found herself melting into his arms, her mind muddled, thinking he must be drunk to be so uninhibited in claiming her like this.

If it were any other time… under normal circumstances…

He would never do this. A person as calm and collected as him would never lose control like this. Li Qingji also felt himself unraveling, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop. In that moment, he simply wanted to kiss the person in front of him. And why shouldn’t he? This was, after all, natural between them.

The kiss lingered, and finally, he pulled back slightly, his gaze lingering on her.

Jiang Nai finally caught her breath, savoring the cool sweetness of the air, her heart racing uncontrollably as she looked back at Li Qingji, unable to quiet the fierce thudding in her chest.

“Does your hand hurt a lot?” Li Qingji’s voice was low and husky.

Jiang Nai blinked, not quite following his thought process, and responded with a confused, “Hmm?”

Li Qingji’s breathing hitched slightly, his gaze simmering with unspoken intensity as he said in a deep voice, “Bear with it if it hurts. We’ll apply more ointment later.”

Before she could even register his words, he was kissing her again. He gently pushed her down onto the tatami, leaning over her. He was still in his snow clothes, the cool, stiff fabric brushing against her bare arms, creating a slightly uncomfortable sensation.

“No…,” she whispered.

He cupped her face, leaning down so close that his fingers brushed through her hair. “Hm?”

Jiang Nai managed to find a small opening to speak. “You… don’t…”

Li Qingji stopped.

She panted softly, flustered and nervous. “We… don’t have… protection.”

The intense atmosphere seemed to freeze in that moment. Jiang Nai wasn’t even sure if there was any; she hadn’t checked today. Coincidentally, this hotel, unlike those back home, didn’t stock any of the usual essentials—not even basic contraceptives.

After a brief pause, she heard Li Qingji take a deep breath near her ear before he sat up.

Without saying a word, and with an unreadable expression, he handed her the ointment. “Take it to your room. I’ll go take a shower.”

He stood up and left.

Jiang Nai lay there, listening to the sounds of him rummaging through his suitcase, then the click of the bathroom door closing. With a sudden jolt, she sat up. Her face still burned, her mind a whirl of confusion. She glanced at the tightly closed bathroom door in the distance, grabbed the ointment, and hurried into her bedroom.

She certainly wasn’t going to wait for Li Qingji to come out and apply it for her. Taking care of the red marks on her arms herself, she buried herself under the covers.

It felt like a dream. Every second of it.

Jiang Nai pulled the blanket over her head, feeling like a boiled shrimp, curled up in bed, her whole body burning.

Why did he suddenly kiss her…

Oh, right, he had been drinking. It was so abrupt that she couldn’t believe it wasn’t influenced by alcohol…

She let out a sigh, now calmer but increasingly unsure of how she’d face Li Qingji later. There was only one bed in the room; it wasn’t as if she could ask him to sleep on the tatami…

Fine… she’d just pretend to be asleep!

Either way, things couldn’t go any further. She wasn’t sure how much time passed, but just as her pretend-sleep was about to turn into real sleep, she heard movement outside. With her eyes half-closed, she saw Li Qingji enter, now changed into pajamas. The main bedroom light was already off, leaving only his bedside lamp on. He got into bed but didn’t lie down.

Suddenly, she felt a corner of her blanket being gently lifted, and her heart skipped a beat. No way… was he planning to continue?

She instantly opened her eyes and looked at him.

Surprised to find her awake, Li Qingji paused. “Not asleep?”

Jiang Nai: “What are you doing…”

Li Qingji caught a hint of wariness in her eyes. “I was just checking if you put ointment on your arm. What did you think I was going to do?”

Jiang Nai: “…”

After a silent moment, she buried herself back under the blanket.

“Didn’t think you’d do anything. I’m tired, I’m going to sleep!”

A faint smile played on Li Qingji’s lips. “Oh, got it.”

“…”

With that, the last light was turned off, and the room was completely enveloped in darkness.

Jiang Nai couldn’t fall asleep for a while, but she didn’t dare move around too much, instead staring into the darkness in a daze. The person beside her also seemed to have trouble falling asleep, making small movements.

Jiang Nai suddenly wondered—if the room they were in had certain…safety measures tonight, what would happen?

Would they continue?

What kind of scene would it be?

After what had happened earlier, Jiang Nai could no longer think of Li Qingji as someone who remained cold, even in bed. Maybe…maybe things would be even more intense than kissing. Perhaps it was with these thoughts in mind that Jiang Nai entered her dream. In her sleep, she had a similar dream.

When she woke up, she couldn’t clearly remember the details, but one image lingered faintly in her mind: her nightgown in Li Qingji’s hand, and his other hand on her body. The light outside was bright, and as Jiang Nai sat up in bed, her heart was still racing from the unfamiliar sensation.

“You’re up? Go wash up and get breakfast,”

Li Qingji said from the bedroom doorway, pausing by the doorframe. Jiang Nai glanced at him; he had already changed into another set of snow clothes—a white jacket and gray-white snow pants.

Tall and fresh, he looked sharp and vibrant.

Jiang Nai couldn’t bring herself to compare him with the person from her dream who had no clothes on, so she looked away.

“Coming.”

She quickly got out of bed, took her snow gear, and went into the bathroom to freshen up. After dressing, she came out. Jiang Nai followed him out the door. After last night’s intimacy, especially with the effects of alcohol, the clarity of the morning felt especially strange. When they were alone in the elevator, the silence in the enclosed space felt increasingly awkward.

Jiang Nai cleared her throat and casually started a conversation, “Did you… get up early today?”

“Mm.”

“Why didn’t you wake me?”

Li Qingji replied, “You seemed to be sleeping soundly.”

“Well, you could’ve had breakfast without me; you didn’t need to wait.”

Li Qingji glanced at her. “I wasn’t in a rush. Besides, Joseph and the others are also having breakfast now. We’ll join them.”

“Oh… What about Lu Feng?”

“He should be up by now.”

“Alright.”

When they arrived at the restaurant, Joseph and his associates had just started breakfast. Seeing them come over, Joseph raised a hand in greeting, inviting them to join. The hotel had a buffet, so the two greeted Joseph briefly before going to get their food. Lu Feng and Lin Hui also arrived at the restaurant.

Lin Hui greeted her, “Jiang Nai!”

“Here.”

“Yeah.” Lin Hui grabbed a tray, following beside her to get breakfast. After a while, she suddenly pulled Jiang Nai aside, her tone playful, “Hey, didn’t you two have enough energy after skiing last night?”

Jiang Nai was puzzled. “What?”

Lin Hui pointed at her neck. “Pretty intense.”

Jiang Nai reached up to touch her neck, still clueless, until Lin Hui laughed and led her to a reflective glass panel. There, she saw a very noticeable mark on the side of her neck.

It happened last night on the tatami.

Jiang Nai’s face instantly turned red, and she zipped up her snow jacket. “…”

Lin Hui, a year younger than Jiang Nai, was unabashed about these things. Seeing Jiang Nai’s shyness, she chuckled, “Why are you still embarrassed? You’re already married.”

“Embarrassed about what?”

Suddenly, Li Qingji’s voice came from behind. He had circled around and come back.

Lin Hui, spotting him, promptly replied, “I was talking about your wife,” and made a quick exit.

Jiang Nai adjusted her collar, staying silent as she turned to head back to the table.

Before she could take a step, Li Qingji pulled her back. “What did she say?”

“Nothing.”

Li Qingji bent down slightly to look at her. “Nothing? Then why are you blushing?”

It seemed the people at the table noticed them whispering, and all turned to watch, amused.

Under their gaze, Jiang Nai felt a bit embarrassed. But since Li Qingji insisted on knowing, she had no choice but to tug on his clothes and whisper, “She said… not to bite so randomly next time!”

Li Qingji raised his eyebrows slightly, realizing what she meant. “Where?”

“…”

Jiang Nai refused to continue this conversation, grabbing her breakfast and returning to her seat. Not long after, Li Qingji also came back. Jiang Nai didn’t look at him, focusing on her food.

“Eat a bit more; you’ll need the energy later.”

Li Qingji moved some food onto her plate. Jiang Nai paused, glancing up at him. The distance between them seemed to have suddenly become very close. Perhaps it was because they were away from their families right now, making them momentarily forget their usual dynamic. Or maybe it was the kiss last night that had shifted their relationship from how it had been back home.

Either way, Jiang Nai couldn’t stop a small sweetness from bubbling up inside. “You don’t need to give me more. I’m full.”

Li Qingji replied, “Then if you get hungry later, let me know.”

“Alright.”

Lu Feng gave Li Qingji a thumbs-up, his voice playful. “Can I tell you if I’m hungry?”

Li Qingji shot him a blank look.

Lu Feng sighed, “I see, only caring about your wife, huh?”

Lin Hui laughed at the exchange.

Joseph also chuckled. “That’s how it should be. In my experience, when your wife comes first, everything else falls into place.”

Lu Feng clicked his tongue in agreement. “Then Li’s definitely putting his wife first right now.”

Lin Hui glanced at him. “My friend, what about you? Am I first in your heart?”

Lu Feng wrapped an arm around her. “Of course! Who could ever be above you~”

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