Chapter 106: She Was Truly Moved!

Mu Yinyin and the others found themselves caught between laughter and tears. Yet, the very fact that she cared was something to be grateful for.

Thus, the group chatted and laughed, and two more hours slipped by.

Guo Xiaoqi immediately spoke up, “When are you all leaving tomorrow? It’s already past eleven. You should all go back and rest.”

She then glanced at Li Chuan. “A-Chuan, you’ve been keeping me company these past two days; you should rest, too. You’ll have to hold down the company on your own tomorrow. I’ll just have my assistant take care of me.”

Mu Yinyin’s lips curved into a slight smile. “When I say tomorrow, I mean after midnight.”

“Ah? Leaving in the middle of the night?”

“Mm. The plane’s at one. We’ll stay a little longer, but we really have to go.” Jiang Ling’s voice remained calm and steady. After a pause, he looked at Guo Xiaoqi and said, “Just focus on recovering these days. Don’t worry about anything else. We’ve got everything covered.”

“Alright... then you all take care on the road. If anything interesting happens over there, you have to tell me the gossip!” Guo Xiaoqi’s voice held a trace of eager anticipation.

Heaven knows how stifled she felt now. She had always been one to relish gossip, but now that she was trapped here, her yearning to know about the outside world only grew stronger.

“All right, if there’s anything fun, I’ll let you know.” Mu Yinyin’s lips lifted in a faint smile.

After chatting for a while longer, Mu Yinyin and Jiang Ling departed.

Li Chuan did not see them off but stayed behind in the hospital room with Guo Xiaoqi.

Guo Xiaoqi looked at him with a pang of sympathy. “A-Chuan, you really don’t have to keep me company all the time. You have work to do. You’ll wear yourself out. I can just have my assistant take care of me, really.”

Li Chuan sat beside her again and took her hand in his.

Guo Xiaoqi’s eyelashes trembled, and shock flickered in her eyes.

They had never done this before.

In that instant, her heart raced wildly.

Li Chuan looked at her earnestly, his voice gentle: “Xiao Qi.”

Guo Xiaoqi blinked, suddenly too afraid to speak, fearing her voice might betray her trembling heart.

Because today, Li Chuan felt different.

He had never held her hand before...

Even though they had grown close, their relationship was still unlike that of ordinary friends.

Yet...

They never crossed that delicate line.

So now... what did A-Chuan mean?

Guo Xiaoqi’s nerves were fraying.

Before she could overthink it, Li Chuan spoke again.

“Xiao Qi, I’ve been meaning to tell you this for a while, but the timing never felt right. This time, I don’t want to wait any longer.”

Guo Xiaoqi’s heart seemed to beat even faster. She looked at the handsome man before her, utterly speechless, her face clouded in confusion.

She might have guessed what he was about to say, which left her dazed, her thoughts swirling, her anxiety mounting—a series of emotions that made her seem foolishly vulnerable.

“Xiao Qi.” Li Chuan’s gaze was serious as he tightened his grip on her hand and softly asked, “Will you be my girlfriend?”

Guo Xiaoqi was stunned beyond words.

Even the shock reflected in her eyes was unprecedented.

“You…”

She didn’t know what to do, still reeling in confusion.

She was utterly at a loss for words.

Truly, she felt like a fool.

Li Chuan held her hand firmly without letting go, his gaze devoted. “Xiao Qi, I know this might surprise you, but I don’t want to wait any longer.”

There were things he couldn’t say much about to Guo Xiaoqi. This illness had truly shaken him.

Before, he thought they were still young. He wanted to become better, wanted her to understand him more, to feel secure.

But now...

After this illness, he felt that not saying certain things would be a profound regret.

He didn’t even dare imagine the worst.

He knew in his heart that Xiao Qi liked him, but as a girl, she might be reserved and afraid of rejection.

But now, he no longer wanted to think about the future or anything else. He just wanted to be with her, without any regrets between them.

“Xiao Qi, will you be my girlfriend?” Li Chuan repeated softly, his eyes full of deep affection as he looked at her lying in the hospital bed. His voice was gentle but laced with solemnity.

“I may not be able to prepare much for you here in the hospital, but once we’re out, I’ll make it up to you,” he promised.

This time, Guo Xiaoqi fully came back to herself.

Though her heartbeat had not yet steadied, she understood everything.

After the initial shock and confusion, Guo Xiaoqi’s feelings turned to warmth and anticipation.

She took a gentle breath and clasped Li Chuan’s hand. “A-Chuan, do you know how long I’ve waited to hear you say that?”

Guilt flashed in Li Chuan’s eyes. “I’m sorry for speaking so late, but I’ve loved you for a long time. It’s just... I wanted to provide better for you. I was afraid my current situation wasn’t good enough, afraid you’d be hurt.”

Guo Xiaoqi immediately shook her head, her voice firm. “No, that’s not true.”

Tears of emotion spilled down her cheeks.

Li Chuan hastily raised a hand to wipe them away, a touch of anxiety in his voice: “Xiao Qi, don’t cry.”

She was already unwell; he could not let her suffer more.

He hadn’t expected her to cry, and for a moment, he was at a loss.

Guo Xiaoqi smiled and shook her head. “No, these are tears of happiness.”

She truly felt so moved.

Li Chuan’s eyes flickered with a complex light, but then he whispered, “Xiao Qi, I will treat you well.”

Guo Xiaoqi nodded immediately. “I know you will, of course you will always take care of me.”

He was the person she trusted most in the world.

Li Chuan squeezed her hand a little tighter but quickly loosened his grip, fearing he might hurt her.

Guo Xiaoqi smiled and held his hand firmly. “Then don’t ever let go of my hand again. Hold on tight, just like you did today.”

“All right!” Li Chuan nodded solemnly. With his other hand, he gently wiped away her tears.

Guo Xiaoqi smiled softly, though the tears still fell uncontrollably.

“Don’t cry, Xiao Qi. Please don’t cry.”

She nodded, steadying herself to keep from sobbing aloud. After a pause, she spoke again.

“I’m really touched. Sometimes I did wonder... you never told me. Did I misunderstand? Was it like with Boss Jiang—that you see me only as a brother?”

“Do you think I treat you the same as I do Yinyin?” Li Chuan looked at her intently and asked seriously.