22 chapters Flower Language: Passionate Love

Ji Sang's eyes were slightly swollen from crying in her nightmare just moments ago, with a faint rosiness at the corners, making her already clear and clean eyes shimmer slightly with ripples.

She presented an image of fragility that suddenly reminded the man of a phrase:

A pair of eyes, seemingly wet but not quite crying.

Fu Yisi felt a sharp tremor in his heart and dared not look in her eyes anymore.

His throat felt dry, rapidly swallowing a few times.

Yet the woman in his arms was unaware, her small hands tightly clutching his clothes,

"Didn't you say you'd tell me after I had eaten?"

Ji Sang was truly not lucid, her tender, coquettish tone like that of a child begging for sweets.

Fu Yisi couldn't help but smile helplessly, his heart melting messily, realizing that this heartless lady actually had such a side.

He reached out and gently ruffled her hair, softening his voice unusually.

"Because you are my wife."

"Ji Sang."

"I am your husband, I won't neglect you, caring for you is my responsibility,"

his raspy and low voice sounded like a rich, melodious monologue, carrying a calming magic.

Fu Yisi, a man naturally indifferent, had never engaged in romantic relationships before. However, now that Ji Sang was his wife, he vowed to fulfill his duties as a husband.

This was perhaps the only comforting aspect of his cold and detached persona.

Ji Sang apparently didn't quite grasp Fu Yisi's words, her gaze blankly fixed on him, foolishly asking,

"Husband? Will you always be my husband?"

As she spoke, her eyes filled with cautious hope, her grasp on the man's robe tightening.

Fu Yisi paused momentarily.

He had long suspected that Ji Sang was not a very secure person - from her sleep posture on their first night, her sleep talking in the office, her recent nightmare, and from her tears... he could tell.

He couldn't understand how someone so insecure could have the courage to capture the dark truths others overlooked. During the awards ceremony, pressured by Ms. Ye Lin from the Fu Family, he learned about Ji Sang's various famous works, including one that he vividly remembered.

It was the only piece by Ji Sang that made the news headlines and also what brought her widespread fame.

Initially, it was a minor fire; the people inside could have escaped on their own, and firefighters were on their way. But then, a scene unfolded where a woman, having accidentally twisted her ankle, reached out to grab a man's sleeve; the man callously shook her off, unwilling to drop the suitcase he was carrying.

The scene was engulfed in flames, bathed in dark red hues.

He couldn't imagine under what circumstances she captured such a photograph.

Flames, a frail woman, a DSLR camera.

Thus, while Ji Sang wasn't fully lucid, the man made a promise.

He said:

"Ji Sang, let's continue to live well like this; I will always be your husband, and you will always be my wife."

Divorce was unheard of in the Fu Family, and cherishing one's wife had become a tradition among the Fu descendants.

He might not be able to love her as profoundly as his father loved his mother for their entire lives, but he vowed to uphold his duty and take care of Ji Sang to the best of his ability.

That was all he could do.

Whether Ji Sang fully understood or not, as the fever medicine began to take effect, her eyelids gradually drooped, and she drifted towards sleep.

Fu Yisi stopped talking and waited until her breathing became steady before gently lifting her and laying her in the bed. As he stood up, her hand was still tightly clutching his robe.

The man hesitated for a moment, then bent down, bringing her into his arms, letting her clutch tightly.

"Sleep."

Ji Sang burrowed into his arms and fell soundly asleep.

However, all this care had fully woken Fu Yisi.

He looked at the petite woman in his arms and sighed softly.

Getting ill every three days seemed too fragile.

It looked like he'd have to take good care of her from now on.

…

The next day, Ji Sang woke up in Fu Yisi's arms, fragments of the previous night resurfacing in her mind. The nightmare, the despair, the escape, his cold hands, his deep voice, the fever medicine at her lips…

And also, the words Fu Yisi had said before she fell completely asleep.

She had heard them, etched them in her heart.

Suddenly, the panic from yesterday didn't seem so terrifying.

If... if Fu Yisi would always be her husband, always stay by her side, always care for her, then…perhaps she could bravely face it, right?

The fever medicine was effective; other than feeling a bit heavy-headed, Ji Sang felt no other discomfort, albeit the whole night being closely held by Fu Yisi resulted in a sweat-drenched body which now felt quite uncomfortable.

Ji Sang carefully extricated herself from Fu Yisi's arms, seeing no signs of him waking, she breathed a sigh of relief and grabbed her clothes to head to the adjacent shower room for a comfortably hot bath.

Just as she stepped out of the bathtub, a sudden pain in her lower abdomen made her back unable to straighten.

Ji Sang raised her hand to her forehead.

The period had not only arrived early but was also fiercely intense.

After tidying up a bit, Ji Sang returned to the bedroom. Fortunately, she had moved her feminine products over when she moved in; after rustling around for a bit, she woke the man on the bed.

Fu Yisi rubbed his sore forehead, sat up, and looked at the woman squatting beside the cabinet,

"Feeling better?"

His voice still held traces of sleep-induced raspiness.

Ji Sang's face slightly reddened.

"Yes,"

Then, taking advantage of his still groggy state, she rushed into the bathroom with her items.

She feared if she didn't leave, she'd collapse from hemorrhaging.

Fu Yisi: ...

Was she afraid to make eye contact with him yesterday, and today she didn't even want to be in the same room with him?

This was the first time Fu Yisi doubted himself; was he really so unpopular? And moreover, with his own wife?!

The man's tongue pressed against his mouth, he let out a cold laugh, shook his head, and walked to the shower room next door. As he entered, he could feel the lingering warmth, causing Fu Yisi to falter.

His eyes, which had been somewhat lazy, instantly sharpened.

Tsk, this woman isn't just a block of stone, she even knew to take a shower here.

So… what exactly was she avoiding?

...

By the time Fu Yisi came out, Ji Sang was already in the kitchen preparing breakfast. The pain from her period wasn't too obvious now, and it didn't interfere with her actions. Most importantly… she really didn't know how to face Fu Yisi.

How had she managed to ask those questions last night?

She really wished she had been even more confused last night and forgotten all these events.

The Western breakfast was simple and convenient to make. When Fu Yisi came downstairs, Ji Sang had just finished setting everything on the table.

Ji Sang wiped her hands and handed him a glass of milk, speaking softly,

"Eat."

Fu Yisi took it and, seeing her good complexion, still said,

"Take your temperature again later."

Ji Sang paused as she drank her milk and slightly nodded her head,

"Okay,"

her voice low as well.

This made Fu Yisi arch an eyebrow across the table, somewhat amused as he finally asked,

"Where did I offend you, hmm?"

Ji Sang: ...

Is that all right…?

Lowering her head, Ji Sang poked at the fried egg on her plate, clearly not wanting to answer.

Fu Yisi thought she would refuse, but he hadn't expected such a reaction, his eyes narrowing slightly, had he really provoked her?

Putting down his knife and fork, Fu Yisi's slender fingers tapped casually on the table,

"Ji Sang…"

"When are we leaving?"

Their voices overlapped, and Fu Yisi raised his eyebrows at Ji Sang.

"That… didn't we say we're going back to the Fu Family's home this weekend?"

Ji Sang also put down her knife and fork, gathering the courage to meet the man's eyes.

Her eyes still clear.

The man looked away, bowed his head, and picked up his knife and fork again, responding faintly,

"Hmm."

This response made Ji Sang subconsciously curl up her fingers; she could feel Fu Yisi's mood suddenly sink. Last time was the same, when mentioning going back to the Fu Family's home for the weekend, his entire aura suddenly became very low, gloomy and oppressive.

What exactly could make a man like Fu Yisi feel so sad?

On the road, Fu Yisi's expression was dark, and he drove very fast. This street was not the way to the Fu Family's home, and Ji Sang dared not say a word, afraid of disturbing the man beside her.

Not until the car stopped in front of a flower shop.

She groggily followed the man out of the car, asking softly,

"Are you buying flowers?"

The man did not respond.

Instead, the shop owner inside greeted Fu Yisi warmly after seeing him,

"Same as usual?"

The man nodded.

The shop owner picked a few red roses, skillfully wrapped them up and said, looking down,

"My mom said you come here every year at this time, but unfortunately she was a bit under the weather last night and couldn't come to the shop today. Here, it's ready."

Fu Yisi reached out to take it, paid, and as he was leaving, he glanced back,

"Could you please send her my regards?"

"Yes, I will."

From their brief exchange, Ji Sang pieced together some facts.

Fu Yisi came to this shop every year at this time and had done so for many years, and he had a good relationship with the shop owner's mother.

Back in the car, Ji Sang occasionally looked at the bunch of red roses on the backseat through the rearview mirror.

She knew the symbolism of this flower:

Passionate love.

A phrase completely unrelated to Fu Yisi.

Ji Sang clutched the seatbelt tightly, still feeling the atmosphere inside the car too oppressive, making it difficult for her to breathe. She raised her hand to press the window button, lowering it halfway, but in less than half a minute, the man directly raised the window from the main control.

Ji Sang: ...

Confused, she turned her head to look at Fu Yisi, only to see the man lower his window on his side, not looking at her, and simply stating,

"Want to get a fever?"

Ji Sang then stopped talking, turned her head away, looking out the window. She had tried hard for a long time, yet she still couldn't help smiling when Fu Yisi looked sad.

It seemed, the car didn't feel so oppressive anymore.