Chapter 28: Long Summer Days

Before Zhou Mi arrived, she bought herself breakfast: pan-fried buns with preserved vegetables and pork, and sugar-free soy milk.

A movable tabletop was attached to the bedside cabinet, which could be rotated out to form a small dining table. She pulled over a chair and sat down, opened the paper box containing the pan-fried buns, picked one up with slender bamboo chopsticks, and carefully brought it to her mouth, her palm underneath as a precaution.

Tan Yanxi had already returned to the hospital bed, leaning against the raised headboard, his long legs crossed. He glanced at the transparent IV tube, dissatisfied with the slow drip rate, and reached out to adjust the small valve.

Zhou Mi was quicker, her hand lightly slapping his, "Don't mess with it."

Tan Yanxi could only smile and withdraw his hand.

Bored out of his mind, he turned to look at her.

She was wearing a short-sleeved green top, her collarbones clearly visible. For convenience while eating, she had tied up her long hair with a hair tie, revealing her slender neck.

Her eyes weren't particularly large, but they perfectly complemented her cold and beautiful appearance. The upper part of her eyes had a crescent moon shape, which gradually curved down towards the end, with a slight upward hook at the outer corners.

It was these eyes that gave her a sense of allure, but it was a cold allure, one that kept people at a distance, untouchable.

A woman with such looks would naturally be proud of her beauty, often dressing up meticulously to enhance her appearance.

But not her. Since she wasn't working, she had completely given up on makeup, sitting at the small dining table with a bare face, eating half a pan-fried bun in one bite.

Vivid and natural.

Thinking back, from the first time they met, she had never been associated with pretense or affectation.

As if noticing his gaze, Zhou Mi looked up at him, her expression slightly troubled, "You probably can't eat yet, right?"

Tan Yanxi chuckled, "...I wasn't trying to steal your food."

Halfway through Zhou Mi's breakfast, footsteps echoed in the hallway. Someone lightly knocked on the door, "Third Brother."

It was Yin Ce's voice.

The door was slightly ajar, and Tan Yanxi called out, "Come in."

Yin Ce entered, holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a laptop in the other.

His gaze fell on Zhou Mi, paused for a moment, and he nodded slightly in greeting.

After placing the bouquet on the cabinet by the bed, he turned to Tan Yanxi and apologized, "Third Brother, last night I was too childish and impulsive. After I went back, I thought about it carefully..."

He glanced at Zhou Mi, who had just picked up another pan-fried bun, and she dropped it back into the box, smiled, and prepared to stand up.

Tan Yanxi raised his hand to stop her, "It's fine. Sit and eat slowly."

Then he looked at Yin Ce and said, "Go on."

Yin Ce was slightly surprised. He had been working with Tan Yanxi since graduation and had never seen him allow a female companion to stay during serious discussions.

He paused, then continued, "After I went back, I came up with a few plans, trying to see if there's a way to resolve this situation without any losses."

Tan Yanxi hummed, indicating he wanted to hear the plans first.

Yin Ce sat on the edge of the bed with his laptop, explaining while showing Tan Yanxi the data charts he had prepared.

After presenting all three plans, he looked up, pushed his glasses, and stared intently at Tan Yanxi, waiting for his decision.

Tan Yanxi said calmly, "Under the premise of cooperation, your three plans all have their merits. But there's no room for negotiation in this matter."

Yin Ce's face turned pale, "I know this is an order from Uncle and Second Brother, but Third Brother, are you really willing to give up all the effort you've put in over the past six months, just because of one word, and hand it all over to the Qin Family..."

Tan Yanxi interrupted him, "I said there will be more opportunities for you to gain experience in the future."

Yin Ce fell silent, took off his glasses, and lowered his head. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his index and middle fingers for a while, then put his glasses back on, closed the laptop, and stood up, "Third Brother, rest well. I'll head back now."

Tan Yanxi said, "Take a half-month break, go out and relax."

Yin Ce didn't respond, leaving in a daze.

On the other side, Zhou Mi had finished her breakfast and quietly cleaned up the small dining table.

She deliberately didn't pay much attention to their conversation, but from the bits she overheard, she finally understood that Tan Yanxi and Yin Ce were likely cousins, which explained why everyone around him treated Yin Ce with such respect.

She thought Tan Yanxi was actually quite a gentle person.

He himself felt he didn't have time to stay in the hospital for a few more days, yet he told Yin Ce to take a break and relax.

Around noon, Monica also came by to report some work matters and brought a few documents for him to sign.

In the afternoon, Tan Yanxi received several calls, both personal and work-related.

He had probably kept his hospitalization a secret, as his "friends" in the circle continued to invite Third Brother to various events as usual.

After finishing a call, Tan Yanxi turned to see Zhou Mi sitting on a chair, her arm resting on the bedside cabinet, one hand propping her chin, lost in thought.

Tan Yanxi asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking, you're really patient. If I were sick and so many people kept bothering me, I would have lost my temper by now," Zhou Mi glanced at him, then suddenly leaned over to reach for the phone in his hand.

Her eyes were fixed on him, as if she would immediately withdraw her hand if she saw even a hint of displeasure in his expression.

Tan Yanxi simply smiled at her.

She gently took the phone from him, "What do you think, if you turned it off for the afternoon, would the world stop turning?"

Tan Yanxi raised an eyebrow, smiling, "I don't know. But it's worth a try."

Zhou Mi then pressed the volume up and power buttons in front of him, and in the menu that popped up, she swiped her finger to the right and selected the shutdown option.

Throughout this, she was still observing his expression.

He just smiled, completely indulgent.

Zhou Mi tossed the turned-off phone aside and asked him, "Wouldn't you feel bored, suddenly having so much free time?"

Tan Yanxi smiled, "Then find something for me to do?"

"Watch TV?" Zhou Mi stared at him, "Or, how about a movie?"

Tan Yanxi's expression showed he wasn't particularly interested.

"Then how about I read to you?" Zhou Mi joked.

To her surprise, Tan Yanxi said, "Sure."

"...Seriously?"

Tan Yanxi smiled, "Wasn't it your suggestion?"

He adjusted his pillow, lay down, and half-closed his eyes, "Just read something, I'll take a nap."

Zhou Mi glanced at him, cleared her throat, and was about to start when he patted the empty space beside him.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhou Mi kicked off her shoes and climbed onto the bed. He stretched out his arm, letting her use it as a pillow.

Zhou Mi turned her head slightly, catching a glimpse of his slightly sharp jawline, the skin from his ear to his neck was a pale, almost inorganic white. Raising her eyes slightly, she saw the light brown mole near his Adam's apple.

Tan Yanxi felt her breath brushing against his neck.

Suddenly, a small patch of warmth landed on his Adam's apple. He involuntarily swallowed, slightly lowering his head to look.

After a moment, she began to read softly, "Un jour, j'étais âgée déjà, dans le hall d'un lieu public, un homme est venu vers moi..."

Her voice was clear and ethereal, the tone beautifully modulated, like the opening monologue of a movie, immersing the listener even if they didn't understand the words.

The summer days were long, the sunlight outside glaringly bright, bleaching the blue-striped curtains.

He felt a mix of drowsiness and desire, in the cool, clean room, as if the sunlight was directly shining on his skin.

-

The next day, Monday, Zhou Mi had to go to work.

She had brought an extra set of clothes, so after washing up in the hospital bathroom in the morning, she could head straight to the company.

After work, Zhou Mi went back to the hospital.

Tan Yanxi was now able to start on liquid food, and Auntie Yao had brought some clear porridge she had personally cooked.

Yin Ce was also there, no longer emotional like the day before, calmly discussing new project plans with Tan Yanxi.

Zhou Mi stayed for a while but had to leave soon. She still had to work overtime and didn't know how long it would take, so she couldn't stay the whole night.

Auntie Yao said, "Then I'll leave with Miss Zhou. It's a bit of a detour, but it saves the driver from making two trips."

Yin Ce glanced at Auntie Yao and said to Tan Yanxi, "Third Brother, I came by car. I'll take Auntie Yao back—I'll have the plan ready in a couple of days."

Tan Yanxi nodded, telling them to be careful on the road.

Downstairs, Auntie Yao asked Yin Ce, "Where are you headed? Is it on the way?"

Yin Ce paused for a moment and named a place.

Auntie Yao said, "Oh, that's completely the opposite direction. It'll take two hours round trip."

Yin Ce then glanced at Zhou Mi, "Miss Zhou and I are actually going the same way. How about this, I'll take Miss Zhou, and Auntie Yao, you can have the driver take you back."

Zhou Mi quickly said, "It's fine, don't worry about me. I can take the subway back."

Yin Ce said, "That won't do. Otherwise, Third Brother will blame me for not being considerate."

Auntie Yao was also conflicted, looking at Zhou Mi, waiting for her decision.

Zhou Mi really didn't want to trouble anyone, so she compromised, saying to Yin Ce, "Then could you take me to the subway station? It's more convenient for me to take the subway from where I live."

Yin Ce hesitated but finally nodded, "Alright."

Zhou Mi knew sitting in the back seat would make it seem like she was treating him as a driver, which was impolite, but she deliberately ignored this and insisted on sitting in the back.

Yin Ce's car was a Tesla Model S, its sleek body giving off a futuristic vibe, quite fitting for his image as a top student.

The car had no extra decorations, just clean and simple.

On the way, Yin Ce didn't say a word, the silence only broken by the sound of the engine.

The subway station was close, just a few minutes away.

Yin Ce parked the car by the entrance, and as Zhou Mi opened the door, he looked back at her, "Be careful on the way."

His gaze was straightforward, showing no emotion.

Zhou Mi nodded, thanking him for taking her to the subway station.

Yin Ce said, "No need to thank me. It's my duty."

-

After Tan Yanxi was discharged from the hospital, he rested for a few days before getting busy with new projects. Over the next few weeks, Zhou Mi only saw him a handful of times, just enough to have a meal together.

They did chat more frequently on WeChat.

He was away on a business trip for a week, occasionally sending her messages asking what she was up to. But the conversations never lasted more than a few sentences before he got busy again, leaving their chats full of unfinished dialogues.

Zhou Mi didn't mind; she was used to it.

One night at ten, Tan Yanxi called her on WeChat, saying he was exhausted after a meeting and wanted to hear her voice.

As Zhou Mi spoke, he fell asleep on the other end.

Zhou Mi, for some reason, didn't hang up. She left the phone charging beside her while she worked on her computer.

She was translating a document and didn't finish until past midnight. When she picked up her phone, she saw the call was still ongoing. She only hung up after brushing her teeth and getting into bed, just before falling asleep.

The next morning, Tan Yanxi was clearly shocked by the 147-minute call duration and sent a question mark.

Zhou Mi calmly replied: I fell asleep last night and forgot to hang up. Only realized when I got up in the middle of the night.

-

By mid-July, Zhou Mi received a call from Tan Yanxi asking, "Where are you?"

Usually, when Tan Yanxi asked this, it meant he wanted to see her.

So Zhou Mi said, "Are you done with work?"

Tan Yanxi said, "Yeah. I'll pick you up for dinner."

Zhou Mi said, "Let's do it another day. It's my period today."

Tan Yanxi chuckled on the phone, "Can't I just see you?"

Zhou Mi hesitated, "...How soon can the driver get here?"

Tan Yanxi probably noticed her weak voice, "Are you feeling unwell?"

"...Yeah. I took the day off, resting at home."

Tan Yanxi said, "Then I'll come over to see you."

"No need. If you come, I won't be able to entertain you..."

Tan Yanxi's tone was firm, "Send me your address."

She had moved to a new place, and Tan Yanxi hadn't been there yet.

After sending her address to Tan Yanxi on WeChat, Zhou Mi fell into a deep sleep from the pain.

She was awakened by a series of urgent knocks on the door. She quickly got up, went to the door, and looked through the peephole to see Tan Yanxi standing outside. Only then did she remember he had said he was coming over.

She opened the door, and Tan Yanxi looked unusually anxious, probably having waited outside in the heat for some time, a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, "You took so long to open the door. I thought you had fainted."

Zhou Mi smiled apologetically, "I was asleep."

There were no slippers, so Zhou Mi told him to come in as he was.

She was about to head to the kitchen to boil water and make him some tea when he reached out, wrapped an arm around her waist, and gently pushed her towards the bedroom, "If you're not feeling well, just lie down."

He was wearing a thin white shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his wrists, his body radiating warmth, as if he had brought the summer heat into her space.

Zhou Mi's room was small, with a single bed, a wardrobe, and not much else.

But it was tidy, with few clutter, so it didn't feel too cramped. Her bedsheet was green on the inside, white on the outside with leaf patterns, a refreshing color scheme for summer.

Zhou Mi got back under the covers, picked up the air conditioner remote, and turned the temperature down a few more degrees, as if worried he might feel hot.

Tan Yanxi sat on the edge of the bed, turned to look at her, her face pale, looking somewhat haggard, a rare display of vulnerability.

She was lying on her side, her hair covering half her face, her clear eyes open.

She was looking at him.

After a moment, she moved her head closer, her cheek brushing against the back of his hand.

Tan Yanxi was momentarily stunned, finding it hard to resist this gesture—like a usually aloof and independent wild cat, one that never warmed up to anyone no matter how much you fed it, suddenly rubbing against your leg as if seeking affection.

He looked down at her for a while, then the hand she was leaning against suddenly flipped over, his long fingers gently gripping her chin, asking, "Did you miss me?" His voice was slightly hoarse.