Chapter 12: Mischief, Recovery, and a Guiding Hand

Barely a minute had passed when Xia Zhiquiu finally opened her eyes, a glimmer of clarity gradually returning to them, and she swiftly pulled her crimson lips away.

The mere thought of how she had actually felt something while being kissed by this young man sent a ripple of panic through her heart.

No, this couldn’t be real! It had to be her imagination!

Through this act of self-deception, Xia Zhiquiu gradually managed to calm her agitated mind.

As for Bai Hao, when the woman’s crimson lips withdrew, he smacked his own lips, clearly unsatisfied.

‘This woman was truly a temptress, enough to drive a man to sin…’

“There, are you satisfied now? Do you have any other wishes? Just tell me them all at once.”

A faint blush blossomed on Xia Zhiquiu’s mature and beautiful face, and she spoke, her gaze shying away from the young man’s.

Upon hearing her words, Bai Hao continued to feign a critical condition. He was just about to speak when a flurry of footsteps announced the arrival of medical personnel.

They forced open the door to the screening room, and transported Bai Hao and the unconscious couples to the hospital.

It was quite absurd, really. Nearly half an hour had passed since the surveillance cameras were destroyed, yet the staff had been slacking off the entire time, only now realizing the gravity of the incident.

***

The following day, in a hospital room permeated by the scent of disinfectant.

Xia Zhiquiu arrived at the hospital after handling some urgent matters, and seeing the young man now out of critical danger, she let out a profound sigh of relief.

Had he truly died because of her, her conscience would have been tormented.

In truth, Bai Hao was perfectly fine, but to maintain the act, he had no choice but to undergo hospital treatment.

With this thought, he chose an opportune moment to awaken, his gaze falling upon the woman seated by his bedside.

Bathed in the sunlight streaming through the window, her delicate, beautiful face appeared even more alluring.

“Jie-jie…”

Xia Zhiquiu, observing the yellow-haired young man slowly stirring awake, hastily spoke.

“You’re awake? Don’t move yet, or you’ll tear your stitches.”

“How do you feel now?”

Bai Hao shook his head slightly.

“I’m fine. Oh, by the way, Jie-jie, we’re boyfriend and girlfriend now, aren’t we?”

Xia Zhiquiu hadn’t expected the young man to ask about this the moment he woke up. After a moment’s thought, she still nodded.

Bai Hao was quite pleased by this, then, as if remembering something else, he chuckled mischievously.

“Oh right, Jie-jie, I remember you promised to grant me two small wishes yesterday, and one has already been fulfilled. So, there’s still one more…”

Upon hearing the young man’s words, Xia Zhiquiu immediately recalled the kiss from last night, which had left her somewhat flustered.

Thus, in Bai Hao’s eyes, a tantalizing blush gradually bloomed on the delicate face of this mature and beautiful woman, making her appear incredibly alluring.

Fortunately, Xia Zhiquiu quickly regained her composure, and shot the young man a pointed look before speaking.

“You wish! I only agreed because I thought you were dying and felt a moment of pity. Now that you’re not dead, it naturally doesn’t count.”

Bai Hao hadn’t held much hope to begin with, but since this woman had already agreed to be his girlfriend, they had plenty of time ahead of them.

Afterward, neither of them brought up the kiss from the previous night again…

***

For a period of time thereafter, Xia Zhiquiu visited the young man daily to care for him, and also helped him request leave from school.

However, when asked by his teacher about her relationship with the young man, Xia Zhiquiu, in a moment of desperation, claimed she was his aunt.

Although the teacher harbored some doubts, after Bai Hao confirmed it, they didn’t press the matter further. They merely informed Xia Zhiquiu about the young man’s conduct at school.

Upon hearing this, Xia Zhiquiu realized her earlier suspicions were indeed correct: this young man was a troublesome student.

He slept through classes, was frequently late, loved playing basketball, but also often skipped school.

However, considering he had no parents by his side, Xia Zhiquiu felt a degree of understanding in her heart. Perhaps his current state wasn’t entirely his own fault…

On this particular day, Xia Zhiquiu arrived at the hospital room as usual. The young man’s body was recovering remarkably fast, and he would be discharged before long.

His rapid rate of recovery had even surprised the doctors.

In reality, Bai Hao simply found staying in bed too boring, so he had subtly adjusted his condition, making his body appear to recover quickly…

Xia Zhiquiu was currently peeling an apple, and observing the young man on the bed staring intently at her, she thoughtfully began to speak.

“Bai Hao, you’re already in your final year of high school. Have you thought about what you want to do after graduation?”

Bai Hao paused, surprised by the question, then replied without hesitation.

“I’ve already thought about it, I’m going to live off Jie-jie.”

Xia Zhiquiu’s face darkened upon hearing the young man’s words, and she glared at him before speaking.

“I’m serious! Look at your grades; they’re so poor, you probably won’t even get into a vocational college.”

Bai Hao, however, seemed entirely unconcerned by her words. ‘Anyway, he wasn’t even human anymore,’ he thought, ‘what was the point of going to university?’

Of course, Xia Zhiquiu was unaware of such things, so she merely felt that the young man had given no thought to his future whatsoever.

Initially, Xia Zhiquiu would have absolutely paid no mind to anything concerning this delinquent youth.

However, after this incident, a thought had taken root in her heart: to guide the young man away from the path of a delinquent and back toward becoming a good student.

Perhaps it was because he was the same age as her daughter, and, like Xia Wei, had lost his biological parents. Xia Zhiquiu simply didn’t want such a young man to stray further down the wrong path…