Chapter 53: The King Falls as the Night Grows Cold (19)

"Why can’t I glare at you when you just kicked my girlfriend?” Huangfu Shang said angrily.

Ouyang Zining was speechless.

That actually made perfect sense, leaving her with no rebuttal.

Le Yixian, standing to the side, smiled cheerfully. She glanced at the table, noticed a plate of grapes that had already been washed, picked a few up, and began to eat.

Ouyang Zining tugged at her sleeve and whispered, “Aren’t you going to explain yourself?”

They’d only been fooling around.

But her friend looked at her in surprise. “Explain what? I’m delighted that he’s so protective of me.”

Under the deadly glare of Huangfu Shang, Ouyang Zining silently let go of her grip. Strangely, though she hadn’t eaten dinner, she suddenly felt full.

“Forget it, you two carry on. I’m heading back,” she said, rising and picking up her luggage.

“No way, sis-in-law, you can’t leave.” Huangfu Shang blocked her path, wearing a troubled expression. “Big Brother said you’re not allowed to go.”

“He said I can’t leave?” Ouyang Zining’s anger flared. “And who is he? He can’t keep me here! We agreed it would be just one day under observation. I’ve been cooped up in this crummy hospital for nearly a week—I’m about to grow mold, you know?”

“Ahem, he’s your child’s father,” Huangfu Shang shot her a glance and continued, “The reason you’ve been here so long is because Dr. Tian said the baby wasn’t doing well…”

“Dr. Tian just came by today and said everything’s stable now, I can be discharged,” Ouyang Zining replied.

Dr. Tian’s expression had been clear—‘You’re fine, hurry up and leave, don’t keep occupying the hospital bed.’

“Really? In that case, I’ll call my cousin so he can take you home,” Huangfu Shang said, feigning delight as he reached for his phone.

“Don’t you dare,” Ouyang Zining warned, lunging to snatch his phone, but Huangfu Shang dodged nimbly.

As he evaded her, he cried out in alarm, “Sis-in-law, men and women shouldn’t touch! Don’t grab me—I belong to Xiaoya, in life and death, and besides, she’s watching!”

He looked for all the world like a maiden being accosted by a rogue.

Ouyang Zining choked on her words, frozen mid-pounce by his outburst.

Le Yixian couldn’t help laughing from the side.

She stepped forward, took his hand, and planted a few kisses on it. Then she turned to the stunned Ouyang Zining and said, “Yes, please don’t touch my boyfriend.”

Oh, how she wanted to set fire to these two and their relentless public displays of affection. What was she supposed to do?

Is it a crime to join the FFF Inquisition and burn couples? Is there an urgent answer online?

Naturally, the other two had no idea what thoughts were running through her head.

Huangfu Shang felt her lips press several kisses to the back of his hand, and, a bit embarrassed, called softly, “Xiaoya?”

“Hm?” Le Yixian held onto his hand, unwilling to let go. Her lover’s hands were truly beautiful—long, slender fingers, well-defined joints.

“I haven’t washed my hands,” Huangfu Shang confessed, feeling the hand holding his tense up.

“It’s all right. I like kissing you,” Le Yixian muttered, cursing her adorable lover for ruining the mood, then gave him another peck in retaliation.

Huangfu Shang looked at the glistening trace of saliva on the back of his hand, a grievance in his expression. “You could kiss my face or my lips instead…”

Le Yixian fell silent.

Ouyang Zining was speechless.

“There are still other people here. We can continue when we’re home,” Le Yixian cleared her throat, unwilling to let others see how cute her lover looked while being kissed.

Huangfu Shang’s handsome face flushed. “Okay.”

Ouyang Zining could only sigh inwardly: Enough, you two.

At that moment, someone else entered the hospital room.

The newcomer wore a sharply tailored suit that accentuated his tall, broad-shouldered frame—a perfect inverted triangle, long legs, exuding the aura of an alpha, no, the air of a domineering CEO.

Le Yixian watched Huangfu Lie walk in, radiating an almost tyrannical presence, and mused inwardly, No wonder he’s the male lead I wrote. His brain might be a bit scrambled, but that physique is flawless.

Suddenly, a pair of hands covered her eyes from behind, and Huangfu Shang’s muffled voice sounded, “Xiaoya…”

Le Yixian blinked, her nose twitching as she caught a hint of jealousy.

She grasped Huangfu Shang’s cool hand, and he let go as she applied a little force. Turning, she met her lover’s aggrieved face.

“Let’s go home,” she said gently.

When Huangfu Lie entered and saw Le Yixian, his brows drew together in a fleeting expression of disdain—an expression that Ouyang Zining, who had been watching him closely, didn’t miss. Her heart clenched with sadness. So, after all, this man despised her.

She strode forward, blocking the way between Le Yixian and Huangfu Shang, lifted her chin, and faced him. “Huangfu Lie, I will not go back to the Huangfu family with you.”

“You must come with me,” Huangfu Lie replied, his attention caught, his brows furrowing even more deeply.

“I won’t,” Ouyang Zining declared. “If I go with you, will you toss me out as soon as I give birth?”

“Who would drive you away?” Huangfu Lie looked at her, helpless. “With me here, no one can make you leave.”

Ouyang Zining didn’t believe a word. She refused to go with him no matter what.

“You won’t come with me? Do you think Alice Hotel will still let you work there?” Huangfu Lie was furious. “I’m telling you, if they dare, I’ll drive them into bankruptcy.”

Ouyang Zining stared at him in disbelief. “You wouldn’t dare!”

“What wouldn’t I dare?”

While the two of them quarreled heatedly, Le Yixian and Huangfu Shang had already slipped away.

“Let’s go for a walk,” Le Yixian suggested to her still sulking lover.

“No,” Huangfu Shang clung tightly to her hand, head lowered. “Xiaoya, will you come with me somewhere?”

Anywhere, as long as she was with him.

They arrived at a different neighborhood in the city center.

Once the city’s most famous wealthy district, this area had become quieter over the past decade as the city’s commercial heart shifted elsewhere.

Huangfu Shang led her into a small villa, modest at just three stories. There was a little garden in front and back. When the lights came on, Le Yixian noticed how clean everything was—obviously well-cared for by dedicated staff.

The décor was warm and inviting. To her surprise, Le Yixian spotted childhood photographs of her lover on the walls—pictures she remembered seeing in the real world.

“This place?” she asked.

“This is my home,” Huangfu Shang replied. Since leaving the hospital, he hadn’t been in high spirits. He held her hand as they sat on the sofa. “When I was in junior high, my parents died in a car accident. After that, I was all alone here.”

A wave of sorrow washed over Le Yixian. After a moment’s hesitation, she embraced him. “It’s all right. You have me now.”

“I know,” he replied, his voice muffled, his face hidden from her. “I’m just afraid you’ll leave me, Yixian. Please don’t leave me, okay?”

“I won’t. I would never leave you. Never, ever,” Le Yixian said, gently stroking his soft hair.

“But just now, in the hospital, you couldn’t take your eyes off my cousin,” Huangfu Shang complained, aggrieved.

Le Yixian was caught off guard. “No, I was just admiring his physique… Ow—”

She gasped as she felt a sharp pain in her neck—he had bitten her.