Taking that risk

Saturday night-

When she got home that day, Qiao Ruo found the matter still clouding her mind. After the talk with Cree, he had remained silent for the remaining hours that she was at his place, and an unexpected phone call had given her the excuse to leave the mansion. Her observant nature immediately told her something was wrong with Cree the very moment he had walked away. Still, she didn't understand what was bothering him. She figured something had happened to Cree that morning, but it had never occurred to her that the problem had been her. She assumed he had a problem with work, and she had never seen him this way before. He was a smooth talker, and being silent for hours wasn't like him. 

Although she had just left his place, would it be alright to go back and cheer him up? It was the weekends after all, and she didn't have anywhere to go. Sooner or later, she had to move in with Cree anyway for their act, so getting prepared earlier was definitely advantageous to her. She opened her fridge to realize it was empty, and she recalled that Cree's housekeeper was off for the weekend. Cree didn't seem to know how to cook, and his pantry had been loaded with biscuit tins and instant noodles. Those were not very healthy for anyone to take as a meal in the long term, she thought.

Since she was hungry and Cree would be too, what if she popped back in to cook him a meal? Would he appreciate it? She smiled, imagining him enjoying her dinner, and all of a sudden, it dawned upon her that she was a little too concerned about him. In the end, she called for delivery instead. It had to be the most boring Saturday of her life.

Meanwhile, Cree reclined on the adjustable backrest of his sofa and reflected on her words. Qiao Ruo had loved how everything was right now, and in her mind, nothing needed to change. He thought about how he had spent his lonely years. It was she who had gradually brought him warmth and given him the desire to even think of having a relationship. She had transformed his world in so many ways, starting from their meeting at the bar.

He yearned for a taste of her luscious lips again, but he realized he was getting more addicted to kissing her with every single time his lips lingered on hers. Two nights ago, under the influence of alcohol, he had almost caved to desire. Still, upon apprehending how drunk she had been, he had managed to abstain from committing an action that would perhaps, cause them to regret the next morning. They had just been so close, and their bodies had been in such proximity under their thin clothing that they could almost feel each other's skin. Sadly for him, she didn't reciprocate his feelings. The more he thought about her words, the more he felt the tension building up inside him and at the same time, broken. His emotions were all churning inside him, and he didn't know why he wasn't good enough for her to consider him. He thought they had made a good match, and he was willing to do more for her, but it appeared he was nothing more than a friend to her. All the time they kissed, and the sweet moments they had spent together... were nothing to her? He questioned himself, and he felt consumed by pain. 

He didn't deny that his feelings for her were getting more intense, and it was aggravating that he was stepping into a bottomless pit of agony. At that juncture, he needed to look for something to absorb his pain. He would continue to hold out for her as long as he could, until the day she was touched by his sincerity. He looked upwards from the sofa, and his eyes met with the tall bottles arranged beautifully in his cabinet. Alcohol seemed to be beckoning him... and in his hopeless state, drinking was about to become his solace.

He hadn't expected that the very only time he had chosen to overindulge in alcohol to numb his senses would have ended up disastrous. Or that he even would be waking up in a completely different place...

.....................................

Cree loved the serenity of the meadow he was in. It was like he had returned to his childhood. Around him, a breeze carried the most beautiful flowers he had ever seen, heaping them into a crown over his head. 

He felt lost, like a child that got stranded from his parents in the supermarket. An inner voice inside him called out, Mother... Mother.

Was this place where his mother had left him? Or was it a fragment of his imagination, and where he wanted to be?

And he felt his eyes brimming with tears as he woke up, cold and confused in a hospital room. The hand on his had felt warm, and a familiar scent filled the room. He was glad to see that it was the woman he had craved for each day and night.

In a flash, he grabbed hold of Qiao Ruo and pulled her on the bed to lie beside him, making her blush. "Cree, for a patient, you're too energetic," Qiao Ruo said with a pout. She was tempted to peck him on the lips, but a part of her was unsure and baffled about her own feelings. They lay there, staring at each other speechlessly until a knock on the door broke the silence between them.

She hurried to stand up abruptly, and to her relief, it had been just the nurse. He whispered to her to get him checked into a private room, and she immediately disappeared to carry out his instructions. Only twenty minutes ago, she had received an urgent call from the hospital. Her heart had almost burst out of her chest when she learned that he had an anxiety attack, and binge drinking had worsened his condition. 

Accidents could happen anytime, and according to the doctor, he had been eating unhealthily for the past few years, which was not conducive to his well-being. The doctor warned that he had to be careful the next time around, and he could be discharged in two days. She felt sympathetic towards him to see him in this condition. Since his housekeeper was on vacation and he didn't have any relatives in the city, she offered to be his caretaker for the time being.

She walked beside him, as the nurse pushed him on a stretcher to the private room, located on a higher floor, away from the noisy inpatient wards. He held tight to her hand, and she smiled warmly at him. Cree was still recuperating and appeared to be lethargic as compared to his usual self. Her heart ached to see him in that way, so she didn't deny him and allowed him to rest on her shoulder as she lay beside him on the patient bed. 

"Xiaoruo, why don't you like me?" he uttered out loud while looking into her eyes. She didn't know how to answer him and took it that he was just fooling around with her. Cree was just too confused at this moment, and she just wanted to take care of him and ensure that he was well. Romantic feelings were just confounding to her now. She didn't even dare to think about her own feelings for him.

"Cree, I know you've been stressed by a lot of things lately," she assured him, "But things will definitely get better!"

"Will you stay with me until I get discharged?" he asked her like a little boy, and she just nodded. He smiled and then snuggled against her more closely.

"Are you feeling a lot better now?" she asked after some hours had passed and they were staring, aimlessly at the ceiling of the room. Time had passed so quickly, and she had barely realized it while she was entangled with him on the hospital bed.

"I don't feel any strange," he said with a chuckle. "I just wanted to lean on you."

She realized how crafty he had been by acting weak, and she pinched him on the nose, but he held her hands tight and pulled her closer to him. Her heart was beating wildly, but the passion in his eyes was overwhelming and overtook her. He nibbled on her lips tenderly, before whispering into her ear, "I don't know how long I can hold back, Xiaoruo. I've been trying to prevent it, but I can't anymore. Ever since the first time I saw you at the bar, I've always wanted you."

Qiao Ruo gazed at the handsome man beside her and found herself drowning. He had so much of an effect on her, and she was losing. But was that love, or just lust? She didn't know anymore, and chaos was about to strike this time, albeit how they had both ended up safe the last time. Instead of preventing it, she wished for it to happen. Maybe she was just tired of being the woman her aunt wanted her to be, and after all, she was not a pure and innocent woman. Even if she pulled back now, it was bound to happen at a later point in her life. She didn't know why, but somehow she wanted to take that risk.

To Cree, everything seemed too good to be true, and he felt like a fool in love when she listened to her feelings and kissed him passionately.