When the simple dinner was concluded, Zhong Feng escorted Hu Lei to her bedroom. She did not protest though the night was young. In truth, she did not want to go to bed. She was not sleepy, and she did not want to be alone even if her room was s.p.a.cious and gently lighted, unlike the prison cell.She had an unrelenting fear that once she woke up, she would find herself chained in a cold prison. Everything still felt surreal. Only in her wildest dreams had she dared to think of anyone coming for her, rescuing her. She had always been the one who rescued.
The possibility that someone cared for her this much was almost impossible to conceive. She could not help worrying that once her eyes were closed, the illusion would break. That once again, she would be all alone in the world.
Zhong Feng could see the reluctance on her little face, but he refused to weaken his resolve. If she continued to remain awake, her body and mind would not heal. He had not forgotten his priority was to restore her health.
"Be good." He spoke gently while patting her head. "Proper rest is important."
Hu Lei pouted when she realised that he was treating her like a child. However, she still did not speak. She obediently entered the soft bed, and he covered her with a fluffy duvet. She looked at him with a certain longing before turning away.
For a moment, she had thought about asking him to stay for a while with her. But then, it dawned on her that she would be causing trouble for nothing. She also did not want to be treated like a helpless person or a broken good. She needed to face her fears.
"Do not worry. I will be in the room opposite this one. If anything happens, I will be here." He added before leaving the room.
Thankfully, he did not close the door. Hu Lei felt touched by the gesture.
When Zhong Feng went to his room, he did not go to sleep. He did not have the luxury because his workload was bigger than ever. His absenteeism for multiple days had not spared him the stress of dealing with the countless concerns of Zhong Industries.
Though he had been the president of the corporation for more than two years now, there were still a lot of tasks which needed his personal intervention. Moreover, he had worked hard to expand and increase the power of the corporation into the international market which had significantly increased his responsibilities.
However, he planned to delegate the work more now since he achieved his primary goal. When he had first taken over the company, he had been hoping to increase his power so that he could gain more connections to find Hu Lei. His position had allowed him to connect with military personnel, intelligence officers, business magnates and other influential people who had contributed to the fulfilment of his goals. He was not arrogant enough to think that they would have paid him attention if he did not have control over Zhong Industries.
Of course, he did not plan to abandon Zhong Industries after achieving his purpose. He would keep the company tightly in his grasp. It was not for a n.o.ble reason such as repaying the favour to those who had contributed to his success. The success that these individuals had enjoyed since his tenure began was enough repayment.
He intended to keep the power because he could not imagine being helpless again to help someone important to him. He still remembered that feeling of weakness and powerlessness when he could do nothing about Hu Lei"s disappearance because he had no means.
The words that Vladimir Romanov had spoken at that time had been true. He had been useless when Hu Lei had needed help. As a result, she had lived a life worse than anyone could comprehend. He would not allow the same thing to happen again.
After handling the most urgent matters, he went to check up on Hu Lei. She had not made a sound, but he could not be certain that she was sleeping comfortably. He walked soundlessly to her bedroom which was still dimly lit.
For a moment, he could not see her small figure on the king size bed. And then he discovered that she had uncovered herself and curled up on one lower corner of the bed. When he came closer, he found that she was breathing rapidly. Moreover, a layer of sweat covered her face, and there were thin streaks of tears coming from her closed eyes.
It seemed that she was not resting well. It was not unexpected for her to have nightmares after her ordeal. Those nightmares would probably be there for a long time. Again, Zhong Feng could not help feeling angry at his failure to find her immediately after she had disappeared. Maybe it wouldn"t have been like this if he had had the power.
Unfortunately, regret could not turn back the time past. All he could do for now is ensure that she never felt alone, pained and hopeless again.
He leaned over her and picked her up in his strong arms. Hu Lei immediately sensed the change and opened her glowing eyes with dilated pupils which seemed to indicate her readiness to fight. Her body stiffened as her muscles tightened.
"It"s alright." Zhong Feng spoke gently as he walked around the bed.
Recognising him and his voice, Hu Lei"s body softened and even seemed to lean into him. He placed her on the bed and covered her body which seemed to be colder than normal, even with the heating system turned up.
Just when he was about to leave, a delicate paw reached out of the duvet and touched his arm. He looked at the little face on the pillow. Those eyes were not completely focused, but he could see the unspoken expectation and plea.
Before he could say anything, she moved deeper into the bed and then turned her back to him.
Zhong Feng felt helpless when he saw her behaviour, but he could not bring himself to leave. He climbed onto the bed. He wondered whether this could be considered as taking advantage of a tragedy. However, he felt very satisfied with her show of trust.
Beside him, Hu Lei"s lips stretched almost imperceptibly and her face became a little hot when she thought of her boldness. Yes, for this girl who remained naïve and innocent even after her difficult experiences, reaching out her paw was a bold move.
She did not sleep immediately. Instead, she waited until his breathing was even before subtly moving closer to his body. She sighed with satisfaction as her body came into contact with his. It was just as she remembered. He was the only person who ever gave this feeling of comfort and warmth.