Chapter 82: I Didn't Blame You

The man who heard the voice stood frozen for several seconds. The familiar, sweet tone burrowed into his ears, and the heart that had been suspended mid-air finally settled slowly. Gu Zhenzhi’s deep eyes lingered on Ruan Cha, staring at her for a long while. His fingers, hanging at his sides, were unnaturally pale. After some time, those slender, beautiful fingers curled slightly.

“Call me Brother Zhizhi,” he said, forcing a smile into his eyes. Gu Zhenzhi walked up to Ruan Cha, draping his half-damp coat, which hung over his arm, onto her soaked shoulders. As if nothing had happened, he wrapped Ruan Cha in the dry side of the coat.

Ruan Cha quietly raised her eyes to look at him. After he helped her put on the coat, she smiled sweetly at Gu Zhenzhi and asked, “Brother Zhizhi, how did you know I was here?”

“I guessed,” Gu Zhenzhi replied simply. Suddenly, his body gave way, and darkness blurred his vision.

He leaned in, resting against Ruan Cha’s shoulder. The sudden dizziness startled Ruan Cha, her heart tightening in alarm.

She hurriedly supported Gu Zhenzhi’s body, and a thought flashed through her mind—

In the book, it was written that when Gu Zhenzhi was seven, the fourth son of the Gu family, Gu Chengzhe, pushed him into a swimming pool. He couldn’t swim, struggled for ages in the water, and the cold seeped into his bones. Since then, Gu Zhenzhi had been plagued by frail health.

Just now, Gu Zhenzhi must have searched for her in the rain for a long time before he found her!

Ruan Cha trembled at the thought.

“Gu Zhenzhi?” she called again.

Gu Zhenzhi didn’t lift his head for a long while.

After some time, he finally raised his head, belatedly. “I’m fine…” He had barely finished speaking before his body went limp, collapsing fully onto Ruan Cha.

Ruan Cha panicked. She touched Gu Zhenzhi’s forehead—it was burning hot.

He was definitely running a fever.

Ruan Cha’s breaths grew heavy. She disregarded everything else, and, using the weak signal, sent out an internal message.

Gu Zhenzhi’s complexion worsened by the minute. The person she’d called had not yet arrived. Ruan Cha glanced at his pale lips, remembering she might have some candy in her pocket.

Freeing one hand, she fumbled around in her pocket and found a fruit candy.

“Gu Zhenzhi, would you eat a candy to get some energy?” she asked, tearing the wrapper open and holding the candy to his lips, coaxing him gently.

In his hazy, muddled state, Gu Zhenzhi furrowed his brow and avoided the cool touch of the fruit candy on his lips.

Seeing him refuse to open his mouth, Ruan Cha anxiously looked around, then her gaze fixed on his lips.

She pressed her lips together, steeling herself.

The next moment, Ruan Cha placed the candy between her own lips.

She leaned in and pressed her lips to Gu Zhenzhi’s.

The cold fruit candy rested between their lips. With some effort, Ruan Cha managed to send the candy into his mouth.

“What are you doing?” A hoarse voice sounded above her.

Ruan Cha’s body stiffened. She looked up in surprise, meeting Gu Zhenzhi’s eyes, bloodshot from the rain.

“I’m—sorry! I really didn’t mean to do it this time! I was afraid you’d faint from exhaustion and just wanted to give you some candy!” Ruan Cha quickly explained in a fluster, afraid Gu Zhenzhi would again think she was taking advantage.

“I’m not blaming you.”

Gu Zhenzhi didn’t move. He coughed twice, his voice rasping as if it had been ground by coarse sand.

“I really didn’t mean to kiss you just now. Please don’t make me leave…” Ruan Cha’s tone was pitiable, her head lowered in grievance, not daring to meet Gu Zhenzhi’s gaze.

Gu Zhenzhi said nothing.

After a long silence, just as Ruan Cha thought Gu Zhenzhi didn’t want to pay her any mind, her waist was suddenly pulled tight.