The Inconceivable Flame: A Fallen Angel's Disguise

It took Ru thirty minutes to drive to Xiao Zhiren’s location and all this while, she didn’t disconnect the call. She could hear his breathing and it brought a strange sense of ease. It was enough, at least, until she managed to reach him. As for why it was enough, well, she didn’t want to waste her time thinking about it.

She was a very rash driver, to begin with, and now, that she was in a hurry for some God-forsaken reason, she had really forgotten all about traffic rules. On a busy road, her car revved like a cyclone.

And as she found his car parked at the roadside, she rushed up to his car and looked inside through the window pane. Inside the car, she could see him unconscious as she tried to open the door but it was locked from inside. Pulling out a silver needle from her needles pouch which is stuck to her body all the time, she fiddled with the lock.

As the door unlocked, she mumbled, "Never thought I’d use my precious needle for something as insignificant as picking a lock."

Shaking her head, she opened the door. She placed her hand on his shoulder and tried shaking Xiao Zhiren, "Oi! Wake up! Xiao Zhiren!" But the latter wasn’t very responsive. Ru held his wrist to take his pulse and realized how hot his body was. "Is he running a fever?" As she took his pulse, her brows furrowed.

With his arm around her shoulder, she supported his body and helped him out before settling him in her own car. She hunched over to buckle his seatbelt. "I didn’t cheat on you. I promise." His mumbling made her turn her face and without realizing it, her lips brushed past his jaw. The touch seemed to have awakened Xiao Zhiren as her wrist was held in his vice-like grip.

His eyes shot open and she the blood veins in his eyes. "I don’t remember her. I don’t even know her."

"Who are you talking about?" Ru asked looking at his anxious and more so, scared expression.

"You’d leave me if I said it out loud." He shook his head, not wanting to disclose anything.

"So, you’re gonna hide something from me?" Ru questioned with a quirk of her brow.

"I-I don’t want to. I can never hide anything from you." Ru felt like he was really vulnerable. He was acting like a kid who was asking for her reassurance.

Ru placed her other hand on his as she said, "I won’t leave. I give you my word." Since he decided to stick with her when she pushed him with all her might, she also decided to do the same for him.

Xiao Zhiren looked at her in surprise, not knowing how easily she agreed. Was she returning the favor? He couldn’t tell but her words relaxed him a bit but as he tried to say something, the pain shot through his head all over again. He held his head as a scream escaped through his mouth.

"Are you okay?" Ru asked as she saw his face contorted in pain. She rushed over to the other side and started the car. "Just hold on, I’ll take you to the nearest hospital."

About fifteen minutes later...

Ru was settling through the hospital procedure while Xiao Zhiren was being checked by the doctors. Since it was her first time doing the paperwork for a hospital, she was really lost. More so, she felt exasperated. Why was this admission process so lengthy?

But she had to swallow her complaints. It wasn’t worth it. At least, not in a hospital.

"Are you a family member?" A nurse came out to ask.

Ru looked at her face for a while longer before nodding her head while the word that slipped out of her tongue was, "No."

"Is it yes or no?" The nurse asked in confusion since Ru’s action was saying something while her mouth was saying something else.

"Yes," Ru replied while shaking her head. Clearly, her mind and heart were both in conflict and that led to her tongue and body being so not in sync.

The nurse kept silent while tapping her foot impatiently. Ru sighed out saying, "I’m family." It seemed it took a lot of effort on her part to say that simple sentence. But when she did, everything felt right. As if it was a very natural thing for her to say that.

"Okay. So, does the patient have any allergies? Or past medical record that we should know about?"

Ru scratched her head, not knowing the answer to that. She rummaged out her phone with an awkward cough and said, "Let me ask someone who knows about that." She called Ji Syaoran, gave him the gist of the situation and said, "Talk to the nurse." She passed the phone while Ji Syaoran was still stunned to receive her call.

But Ji Syaoran was immediately on alert mode as he heard the questions of the nurse. He answered each and every question patiently while making his way to his car. He had to see his brother, to know what was wrong.

After the nurse went back inside, Ru was left pacing around in the corridor. She hated waiting from the beginning of time but today, in particular, she wasn’t feeling very fond of waiting. Soon after, the doctor came out of the room and saw Ru staring at him inquisitively.

"He’s running a high fever and as for his headache, we have done the scans. They are clear, you don’t have to worry at all. It must be a simple migraine because of work stress." The doctor told Ru and allowed her to see him.

She walked inside the silent but very clean room. He was laying alone on the white bed.

She saw his pale face with beads of perspiration again visible on it. As if in a daze, she walked slowly to his side and placed her hand on his hand. She picked up a towel and went to wet it before lightly wiping his face. A frown was permanently etched between his brows, Ru ironed it down with her fingers.

She was brushing his untamed fringe off of his wide forehead, she heard his raspy voice, "Are you done taking liberties?"

Ru immediately stepped away from him. "What liberties?" She almost shouted at him but since he still looked very weak, she refrained herself yet again.

"I heard that when people are feeling guilty, their voices take a sharp turn. So, my little chili, are you guilty?" Ru really couldn’t believe this man. He was lying here looking all sick and weak but his mind was still active. Especially, when it came to teasing her.

"Why would I be guilty?" Ru retorted but with a deep breath, she changed her words, "You know what, forget it. I think arguing with you will eventually make me lose half of my life. So, I’m not going to."

Xiao Zhiren’s eyes didn’t shift from her face, not even for a second. He kept gazing at her with a loving expression as if he was looking at his whole world. "Come here." He beckoned her towards himself while Ru was a bit reluctant to do so. "Are you scared?"

With a snort, Ru took a couple of steps close to him again and asked, "What is it? Do you need anything? Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?"

"I don’t blame you," said Xiao Zhiren.

"For what?" asked Ru in return.

"Well, seeing such a handsome man lying vulnerable and weak on the bed... Sigh! It’s no wonder that you’d want to take liberties."

"You!" Ru glared at him and turned away with a huff.

But...

Xiao Zhiren held her hand and pulled her back, Ru was caught unguarded and ended up falling towards him or more precisely, on him. Instinctively though, she managed to place her hands on both sides of his head and saved herself from landing right on him.

"Why did you pull me?" She screamed at his face.

This odd posture of theirs was really ambiguous; with her face hovering above his with only a few inches of air separating them or was it connecting them? Since they were breathing the same air now, Xiao Zhiren inclined towards the connecting part rather than the separating one. Ru was busy glowering at him while Xiao Zhiren was busy etching her face in his mind. If he could forget someone as important as his fiancee. He was scared that he might forget his little chili as well. And that alone, was a very disturbing thought. His brows furrowed again.

"What are you thinking about now?" Ru asked looking at his strange behavior.

Xiao Zhiren smiled and shook his head as he lifted his hand to caress her face and said, "I was wondering how could a nasty person like you be so damn beautiful?"

Ru’s mouth twitched as his reply. Was he complimenting her or insulting her? Forget it, his fever has gone to his head. I’ll just show some mercy on account of his poor health. Ru calmed herself down with these thoughts completely ignoring the way his hand was making her skin feel tingly. It was totally normal... Right?