Originally, her arms fell limply on her sides while the man hugged her tightly. She wrapped both arms around his waist, returning the hug, and whispered with such solemnity. "En."Teng Man Rui pulled back from their hug and touched his face with her palm. She got burnt by touch.
"You"re burning with fever!" She exclaimed, alarmed.
"Let"s go have you checked in the hospital!" The lady tugged his arm and tried to drag him away, but for naught. The man remained planted on the ground.
Instead, he pulled Teng Man Rui for another hug. "Just stay here with me please."
He enclosed her in his warm, warm embrace.
"What"s happening to you, Fan Hai?" Teng Man Rui tried to shake him, make him move.
"I"m sorry, Man Rui. Please get back with me. Stay with me, my queen." He pleaded.
"I"ll stay with you, but let"s go to the hospital first, mhmm?" She said as if coaxing a child. She was still enveloped in his tight hug.
"No, I don"t want to go to the hospital. Not the hospital." The hug tightened.
"Let"s get you home, then. Where"s your car?" Her mind was alert at that specific moment. She was extremely worried and even flabbergasted, that this big devil would appear in front of her, deliriously sick.
They sauntered towards their car, the man, never letting go of the lady"s hand. Even when feeling ill, he stood haughty yet less overbearing.
All this while, the lady kept on ordering him around and nagging him. He magnanimously allowed her to do so.
"You should have taken care of yourself more, Fan Hai, regardless!"
"Were you dumbfounded when we ended things?"
"This is so not you, Fan Hai!"
Once in a while, the man only spared a side-glance at the whiny little lady beside him.
Soon enough they reached his BMW sports car.
"I"ll drive." Teng Man Rui volunteered.
"No. Get inside. I"ll drive. Man Rui, I can still drive. Don"t look down on me."
The lady sighed and rolled her eyes, but did not say anything more. She embarked on the pa.s.senger"s side.
They drove in silence. It was already nighttime. After a few minutes, they stopped at a restaurant along the highway.
"Fan Hai, let"s get you home. What are we doing here?" She pressed, annoyed at the stopover.
Without answering, s.h.i.+ Fan Hai alighted from the car, went on the pa.s.senger side, and opened the door for her. When she was not moving, he unbuckled her seatbelt, took her hand and guided her out of the car. He was literally dragging her into the restaurant. At this point, Man Rui could only follow him.
"Eat something first." s.h.i.+ Fan Hai commanded. He picked up the menu and ordered several delicacies.
"Those are my favorite dishes. You knew?" Teng Man Rui couldn"t hide her amazement.
s.h.i.+ Fan Hai only grunted in acknowledgement. He closed his eyes. He looked as if he was sleeping.
"Are you sure you don"t want to go to the hospital?"
"Yes."
"Fan Hai." Teng Man Rui warned.
"I"m sure, Man Rui. It"s just a fever. Don"t get yourself worked up over it." He opened his eyes, locked his gaze with hers, and with his gaudy taunting grin returning on his face, he said, "So, you still care for me, huh?" He snickered. The devil had returned.
Teng Man Rui crossed her arms under her bosoms and scowled. "What game are you playing right now?"
"There"s no game."
s.h.i.+ Fan Hai withdrew his gaze, his aura getting darker.
"Can"t I spend more time with you? You"re my woman."
"I"m not! Have you forgotten? We ended things between us!"
"So whose woman are you now? That Zhu b.a.s.t.a.r.d?" His eyes were mocking her.
"No one!" Teng Man Rui was getting worked up. "You seem fine. It"s time to go." She stood up and turned around towards the direction of the door.
"Wait." s.h.i.+ Fan Hai grabbed her wrist. "Eat first."
Teng Man Rui could feel that his touch was abnormally hot. "It"s the fever." Her eyes flickered with annoyance for his stubbornness on not wanting to go to the hospital.
"No thanks, I"ve lost my appet.i.te. On the other hand, you eat. You need nutrition for your brain. It"s getting light-headed as I see it."
"Such att.i.tude, Man Rui. I like it." He seethed through his teeth. He closed his eyes.
He continued blabbering.
"Am I too generous to lend my woman to other flies? I"ll get you back." He leered and crouched further down on his seat. He was getting weaker. No matter how tough he tried to act, he couldn"t hide it any longer.
"I am NOT your woman."
"Just to be clear, I"m only here to make sure you are alright because at the end of the day I am still humane, unlike you. It"s against my moral obligations to leave you behind considering your condition. But since you seem fine, I"ll get going."
She tugged her wrist loose and then proceeded for the door. She turned back and said, "Leave me and Zhu Li Qiang alone. Leave the Chen"s and the Xue"s alone. While you still have the time, I beg you, reflect on your behavior and change! Change for yourself, Fengyu…" Her eyes flickered with so much eagerness.
The person she was talking to, who was still seated casually on the restaurant"s chair, hissed upon hearing that name, but he let it go. He rested his head on the edge of the chair and continued slouching.
"Man Rui, don"t go, please."
"Stay."
It was almost a whisper, but still audible to human ears.
Teng Man Rui hesitated in her tracks. As she had said, she simply could not leave him at this state. If she did leave him, she wouldn"t be able to sleep at night. Her conscience would not allow her to. He was sick and it was so apparent that he was getting weaker by the second.
A few seconds pa.s.sed.
Resigned, she went back and seated on the chair she had previously vacated.
s.h.i.+ Fan Hai grinned triumphantly.
"Shut up and eat. Then let"s get you home." Teng Man Rui irritatedly instructed.
The man obediently followed. Once the food was served, he fetched his chopsticks and forced himself to eat heartily, even though he, too, did not have the appet.i.te. He was fervently doing what he was told by the lady that he deemed special.