Chapter 062: Xiao Xuezheng, I think I’ve fallen in love with you.

He spoke such tender words, in such a gentle tone, that Shi Runrun was utterly unprepared, unable to resist. Her cheeks flushed red, and she pressed her lips together, murmuring, “Stop saying those things. What if the doctor or nurse comes in, or if Nan and the others walk in...”

Watching his wife’s shy demeanor, the man’s heart softened. He reached out his large hand, grasped her small one, interlacing their fingers, and said, “Stay here tonight. Sleep with me?”

Shi Runrun shook her head. “No, you’re still recovering...”

“If you stay with me, I’ll recover faster!”

Shi Runrun was silent.

In the end, unable to win against him, Shi Runrun conceded—she knew she always lost these negotiations, helpless to do anything but agree.

Seeing her acquiescence, the man was overjoyed. He braced his strong body and moved further into the bed, making space for her beside him.

Shi Runrun hurriedly said, “You don’t need to make so much room, I only need a little space. This isn’t the capital, the bed isn’t big.”

With that, she lay slowly on the bed. Mindful of his condition, she dared not get too close, moving with the smallest of motions, adjusting herself, yet inadvertently touching his solid body.

In an instant, Shi Runrun’s face grew even redder, and she dared not move.

The two of them lay there, separated by a small distance, facing each other, their breaths heavy.

Under the glow of the bedside lamp, Xiao Xuezheng gazed at her flushed cheeks, his lips curling into a smile. His large hand reached beneath her neck, gently hooking her closer.

Resting against him, his firmness gave her a deep sense of security. At such close proximity, she could clearly smell the mature scent of him, and her racing heart gradually calmed.

He always had this magic, making her feel utterly safe.

Shi Runrun sighed softly. The next moment, his hand tightened, pulling her into his embrace, and he asked in a gentle voice, “While you were away from me these days, did you miss me?”

Shi Runrun was silent.

Her eyes grew red and moist in an instant.

Of course she missed him—how could she not?

From the moment she left the hospital in the capital and boarded the plane to City B, she began to miss him.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have cried bitterly on the plane, nor would she have slept restlessly every night after arriving in City B.

Because every midnight, in dreams and waking moments, he filled her thoughts—he was everywhere.

Shi Runrun couldn’t help but sob quietly, crying as she nestled into his arms, rubbing against him, then whispered, “I missed you.”

Hearing the answer he longed for, the man’s smile grew wider.

He held her tighter, as if to fuse her into his very bones, and pressed his chin to her forehead, sighing softly, “I’m sorry for losing you for so long, for leaving you alone out there.”

“When we got married, I promised to protect you, not let you be bullied by others. I broke that promise and failed you. I’m sorry…”

For the first time, a man of his stature bent down, apologizing again and again to someone so ordinary.

Shi Runrun listened, dazed, her heart pounding, wrapped in the sweetness of his words.

She hadn’t expected that someone so reserved would say such things.

Shi Runrun couldn’t help but wonder if everything before had simply been a misunderstanding.

She had no clear evidence or answers, but now, she felt his love for her more genuinely than ever.

Shi Runrun freed one hand to wipe her tears, then reached out to gently touch his strong, defined face, softly continuing, “You don’t need to apologize. I made mistakes too.”

Shi Runrun was a simple girl.

Whoever treated her well, she would treat them even better, revealing her true heart.

After taking a deep breath, she began to explain the reasons for everything that had happened these days. “About the car accident—I wasn’t really blaming you. I was angry that, when I called you for help, you were with another woman, while I and the baby were in danger. When the baby was lost, I knew I wasn’t the only one grieving. You must have been heartbroken, too—I knew that. And then, at the hospital, when I asked you who Zaozao was, your reaction really hurt me. That’s why I felt so hopeless and decided to leave you.”

“Darling... about Zaozao…”

He had just begun to speak, but she pressed her hand over his lips, stopping him. She continued, “Xiao Xuezheng, let me finish first.”

“Brother Qiao Yu being with me in City B was pure coincidence. I didn’t know he followed me there. After the plane landed, I felt sick and fainted in the hospital. He called the doctor, paid the medical bills, saved my life. Originally, I didn’t want any entanglements with him, but it’s so hard being alone in another city, and I had no money. I had to let him help me—he found me a place to live, helped me audit classes at B University, let me continue my studies. I’m grateful to him. I know you mind him, but I want to tell you clearly: he and I are just good friends, nothing more. I hope you won’t be jealous of him anymore, okay?”

The man listened earnestly, and when she finished, a smile appeared on his lips.

In the dim light, he teased her, “When have I ever been jealous of him? You make it sound like your husband is very petty.”

Shi Runrun laughed along, then hesitated, shyly uttering, “Xiao Xuezheng, it’s only after leaving you that I realized how much I miss you, how much I can’t live without you. Xiao Xuezheng, I think I’ve really fallen in love with you.”

That last sentence sent a rush of heat through him; his body began to burn.

“Darling…”

He was so moved, he bent down and pressed his lips to her cheek in a kiss.

Shi Runrun, feeling his passion, continued softly, “I realize how useless I am. I fall so easily into your tenderness. Xiao Xuezheng, what about you? Is there any room for me in your heart?”

The man looked down at her in his arms, gazing intently, and after a long silence said, “Believe me, many people and many things are already in the past. Now, the one standing by my side, the one who is my wife, is you. Remember that—it’s enough.”

In that moment, Xiao Xuezheng felt that he could slowly begin to forget the girl he met at eighteen.

But could he really?

He didn’t know. Still, for now, he knew he didn’t want to lose the person lying beside him.

Tonight, their hearts drew even closer.