Spellbound Hearts - Chapter 88 - Can We Have a Fake Marriage?

As Song Zhaoli finished speaking, Ji Xuan’s mind buzzed, and her face turned even redder. It wasn’t from shyness, but from embarrassment. Ji Xuan had no idea how to respond to Song Zhaoli’s words. It seemed like no matter how she replied, it would be wrong.

The awkward atmosphere persisted for about five minutes. Just as Ji Xuan couldn’t hold back and was about to apologize again, Song Zhaoli removed the cigarette butt from his mouth and extinguished it in the ashtray in front of him. “Weren’t you going to make some snacks to go with the drinks?”

Ji Xuan took a shallow breath, feeling as if she had been granted a pardon. “Do you eat celery?”

Song Zhaoli looked up. “Stir-fried?”

Ji Xuan replied, “Cold dish, celery with peanuts.”

Song Zhaoli nodded, twisting his cigarette. “Sure.”

A few minutes later, Ji Xuan appeared in the kitchen. She first went to the fridge to take out some celery, then put water in a pot on the stove. Once it boiled, she placed the washed and cut celery into the pot, blanched it, and then set it aside in a bowl to cool.

Celery and peanuts with red wine, although it seemed a bit mismatched, was better than nothing. Perhaps it was because she felt guilty about what had just happened, or maybe it was to repay Song Zhaoli for finding a kidney donor for Mother Ji.

After mixing the cold dish, Ji Xuan turned and took some ice cubes from the fridge. At one in the morning, Ji Xuan returned to the coffee table with a plate of cold dish and a bowl of ice cubes.

Song Zhaoli was eating the tomatoes she had just brought over. The sugar on them had completely melted, making them sweet but not cloying, perfect for sobering up.

Seeing the ice cubes in Ji Xuan’s hand, Song Zhaoli raised an eyebrow slightly. “Are ice cubes considered a cold dish too?”

Ji Xuan’s lips curved slightly. “No, the ice cubes are for you to apply to your face.”

With that, Ji Xuan placed the cold dish and ice cubes on the coffee table, straightened up, and walked to the bathroom.

Hearing this, Song Zhaoli paused with his chopsticks in hand, a certain emotion that he had been suppressing in his chest began to grow.

Not long after, Ji Xuan came out with a freshly unwrapped towel, wrapped the ice cubes in it, and handed it to Song Zhaoli. “Try it. Cold compresses within 24 hours of an injury, then hot compresses after 24 hours, can reduce swelling quickly.”

Song Zhaoli looked at the ice cubes in Ji Xuan’s hand but didn’t take them. “Are you sure it works?”

Ji Xuan said confidently, “I’m sure.”

Song Zhaoli asked, “How can you be sure? You’ve never been injured.”

Seeing his stubbornness, Ji Xuan pursed her lips and said, “How do you know I’ve never been injured? I was quite naughty as a child and often got spanked. I used this method frequently, and it works—it’s practical and effective.”

Song Zhaoli frowned. “Your parents hit your face when you were naughty?”

Ji Xuan replied, “Who said they hit my face? They hit…”

The words came out of Ji Xuan’s mouth, but she suddenly stopped.

The two of them exchanged glances, and Ji Xuan couldn’t explain, so she mustered her courage and said stubbornly, “Anyway, it works.”

Seeing that Ji Xuan was genuinely anxious, Song Zhaoli’s thin lips curved slightly as he took the towel with the ice cubes from her hand and applied it to his injured face.

With one hand holding the towel, Song Zhaoli used the other to pick up the cold dish Ji Xuan had just made with chopsticks. To be honest, it wasn’t as tasty as the food made by the chefs at home. But this ‘home-cooked flavor’ was something that even ten chefs at home couldn’t match.

There wasn’t much red wine left in the decanter, and after such a long time, it was almost empty. Song Zhaoli moved his thin lips, wanting to ask Ji Xuan to pour some more, but in the end, he didn’t say it. It wasn’t out of embarrassment, but because he was afraid that if he stayed any longer, she might overthink things.

After finishing the last peanut, Song Zhaoli put down his chopsticks and spoke in a deep voice, “Thank you for today.”

Ji Xuan’s heart stirred. “You’ve helped me so much, it’s the least I could do.”

Song Zhaoli said, “About today…”

Before Song Zhaoli could finish, Ji Xuan interrupted, “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything.”

Song Zhaoli nodded, “Okay.”

Seeing the atmosphere becoming awkward again, Song Zhaoli stood up and said, “It’s getting late, I won’t disturb you any longer.”

Ji Xuan asked, “Is Qiu Lin picking you up, or will you take a taxi?”

Song Zhaoli replied, “I’ll take a taxi.”

Ji Xuan said, “Okay, take care on the way.”

Song Zhaoli wasn’t Wu Shu, so no matter how late it was, Ji Xuan couldn’t say anything to make him stay. A man and a woman alone at night, anything could happen.

Seeing Song Zhaoli out, Ji Xuan followed behind him, letting out a light breath.

As the elevator doors opened and she watched Song Zhaoli enter, Ji Xuan gave him a small smile. “Goodnight.”

Song Zhaoli responded in a low voice, “Goodnight.”

After speaking, Song Zhaoli’s fingers moved in his pocket, and he said in a deep voice, “Ji Xuan, do you have any suitable women around you?”

Ji Xuan was puzzled. “What?”

Song Zhaoli said, “I need someone to marry, but I don’t have any suitable candidates around me. Do you?”

She only had Wu Shu around her. Naturally, she couldn’t watch Wu Shu jump into the ‘fire pit’ that was Song Zhaoli.

Ji Xuan’s lips moved slightly. “No.”

Song Zhaoli’s eyes darkened, and he asked, seemingly naturally and calmly, “What about you?”

Ji Xuan was stunned.

Song Zhaoli’s thin lips curved slightly as he said, “Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a real marriage, just a fake one. Just do me a favor, and once the situation calms down, we’ll secretly divorce.”