Chapter 321: Volume 1, Chapter 321 – Prison (6)

Fu Shao Huai gave Qiao Yu a gloomy look: "Not better yet?"

Qiao Yu withdrew the last needle, stood up, and said: "All right, all right."

He smelled the rich tobacco scent emanating from the man; it turned out he had been out this long just to smoke.

They left the bedroom.

Fu Shao Huai walked to the bedside, his voice low and hoarse: "If you're awake, open your eyes."

Jiang Zhi opened her clear eyes, the man shrouded in shadow at the bedside reflected in her pupils; she weakly propped herself up and whispered: "Master Fu."

Fu Shao Huai: "Would you go to your death even if I told you to?"

Jiang Zhi lowered her forehead; silky black hair fell from her shoulders onto the sheets, her pale, fragile neck outlined in a graceful curve by the faint light, her slightly curled fingers veined with faint blue.

All that could be heard was her soft, gentle voice: "You are my benefactor; without you, I would have died in that rainstorm."

Her change began after he threw the transaction contract at her that day.

Fu Shao Huai suddenly stepped forward, pressing her onto the soft big bed beneath him; with light force, he almost simply pushed her down.

Her porcelain-white skin intertwined with his dark, bronzed, muscular arms, the contrast striking.

The rich tobacco smell assailed her; Jiang Zhi coughed uncomfortably a few times, her lips growing paler, her light eyes catching specks of light, she frowned slightly and unconsciously eased her breathing to keep the smoke out of her lungs.

Fu Shao Huai seized both her wrists, pressing them firmly to the mattress, almost sinking into her delicate, warm skin, restraining the urge to kiss her, his voice low and hoarse:

"I don't want to be your benefactor."

Jiang Zhi looked astonished, blinking blankly.

Her thick, long lashes clung together in strands, trembling like butterfly wings.

Like countless hooks scratching at his heart.

"Fu… Master Fu?"

Fu Shao Huai: "Be my woman."

He suddenly realized that he would never tire of her; from the moment he saw her, he could no longer let her go free—she could only be his in this lifetime.

Jiang Zhi paused a few seconds, then suddenly asked: "Is there… a salary?"

Fu Shao Huai frowned: "What?"

Jiang Zhi thought and said: "Master Fu, I told you the first time we met that I was short of money."

Fu Shao Huai gave a thin smile, his eyes tinged with gloom.

"Yes."

He found it funny—did she not realize that the title of Marshal's wife mattered more than money?

Jiang Zhi's lips curved slightly, revealing a shallow, faint dimple.

"Then I agree."

Fu Shao Huai could no longer hold back; he leaned in to kiss her lips.

The girl, taking advantage of his inattention, pulled back her right hand and blocked his mouth.

"Master Fu's smell is unpleasant."

She said it seriously, without disgust in her eyes, sincere and earnest.

Fu Shao Huai's dark eyes gradually withdrew the lust and madness within; he remained still, his voice hoarse as he asked: "You just despise me now?"

Jiang Zhi shook her head: "If Master Fu gets any closer, I will… throw up."

She feared he would misunderstand, explaining: "I ate too much this morning."

Fu Shao Huai, angry to the point of laughing, got off the bed and slowly tidied his disheveled clothes, giving her a sideways glance.

Each of her words sounded offhand, with no other meaning, as if she were truly explaining that eating too much in the morning made her nauseous at his tobacco smell.

Yet it sounded strange; between the lines, everything was about his problem.

He took his clothes and went to the bathroom.

After washing up and brushing his teeth twice, he stepped out of the bathroom steaming hot, about to get into bed for some lovemaking, when his phone rang—it was Qiao Yu calling.

Fu Shao Huai, face solemn, walked out of the bedroom to answer.

"Speak!"

Qiao Yu, hearing the resentful tone on the other end, could only truncate what he wanted to say.

"Master, her health is poor; she can't handle vigorous activity, not even kissing~"

Fu Shao Huai, hearing this, nearly crushed the landline.

Just before Fu Shao Huai lost his temper, Qiao Yu hastily hung up, patted his chest nervously, and breathed a sigh of relief.

The beauty in his arms, seeing this, asked puzzled: "Who could make Young Master Qiao so afraid?"

Qiao Yu spat out two words:

"Madman."

From childhood, Fu Shao Huai has been a complete madman—his moods unpredictable, and once he goes mad, no one can stop him.

…

While recuperating at the Fu residence, Fu Shao Huai had not touched her, and sometimes they didn't even share a bed; he wronged himself by curling up on the narrow sofa to sleep.

Jiang Zhi was happy to be at ease.

Over the past month, the Love Points had remained at 89 with no progress.

But only by breaking past 90 points would his feelings for her rise to the level of love.

She had also become quite familiar with Doctor Qiao Yu, knowing he was not only the Fu residence's private physician but also the medical officer in charge of Fu Shao Huai's army.

His medical skill was superb, also influenced by his grandmother; in the family, aside from her, he was the only one who pursued medicine—others either went into business or joined the military.

"Tomorrow is my grandmother's birthday banquet; I'll have Master Fu bring you along then," Qiao Yu said.

Jiang Zhi had never attended a gathering before; for a moment she felt somewhat constrained: "I'd rather not go."

Qiao Yu thought she was afraid, "Don't be scared, with Master Fu protecting you, what do you have to fear?"

Jiang Zhi lowered her gaze and said lightly, "No."

Her voice had always been gentle, just like her temperament.

"I've never attended a banquet; I'm afraid I'll cause trouble for Master Fu."

Before Qiao Yu could speak, Fu Shao Huai returned, weary from travel, his rain-soaked windbreaker not yet taken off, and he gave a gloomy laugh: "What trouble could I possibly have?"

Hearing his voice, Jiang Zhi looked up in surprise, gazing at his silhouette: "Master Fu, you're back."

These past few days he has been busy, leaving early and returning late; it is already winter, the outside temperature has dropped below zero degrees Celsius, the cold seems to seep into the marrow, unusually cold.

Fu Shao Huai knew she feared the cold; he took off his windbreaker indoors, stopped not far from her, and said in a deep voice: "I've never been afraid of any trouble; what are you worried about?"

Qiao Yu chimed in: "Exactly, don't worry."

Fu Shao Huai gave him a sinister, sideways glance.

Qiao Yu immediately said he had something to do and should leave, slipped away, and hurried off.

The door closed, and the room returned to silence.

Jiang Zhi lifted her face, calmly looking at him, and asked: "Can I go too?"

Fu Shao Huai warmed himself by the stove for a while, dispelling the chill before walking up to her and saying: "If you want to go, then go."

Jiang Zhi was in a good mood: "Thank you, Master Fu."

Fu Shao Huai had repressed himself for a month; wild wolves watching fat sheep sway before them all day—who could bear that?

He thought, now it's about time to raise them properly.

"Just a kiss, that should be okay, right?"

He stepped closer, his face near hers; he had quit smoking for a month, and when the craving came he only chewed gum, leaving no trace of smoke on him, his distinct-knuckled fingers resting on her nape, rubbing back and forth.

Seeing this, Jiang Zhi slightly lifted her eyelids: "Master Fu, do you want to kiss me?"