The Female CEO Falls in Love with Me

(Thanks to reader [You'an, Yu Shao] for being promoted to a Mixed, adding a Hall Master! Supplementary thanks for the update!)

"Are you hungry? I can make something for you to eat."

Yue Yao shook her head. She was feeling very weak right now and didn't have much of an appetite. Plus, her body was in no condition to sit up easily, and if she were just to have soup or porridge, would it be like just drinking water again? That would be too much, wouldn't it?

"Then close your eyes and rest for a bit! Get some energy back."

When she hadn't woken up yet, out of concern, there was always a lot of anxiety. Now that she was awake, my heart was at ease, and it felt more normal to sleep and rest.

Yue Yao still shook her head. She lifted her finger slightly, pointing to the special care ward. "Here... since money's being spent anyway, the nurses can look after me... you should go home first!"

Li Yan naturally refused: "How can I leave, seeing you like this? I didn't throw away my luggage, so I'll just stay here with you!"

Yue Yao's gaze was warm, but she gently advised, "You worry about me, but what about Yurong? She worries about you too! You've been gone for a week without saying where you went, and no one knows where you've been or what you've been doing. Won't she worry? She's been glum every day, pondering your whereabouts. And what about Yu Xiaodi? She can't reach you either, won't she be anxious? Have you... forgotten the lesson from the concert?"

Li Yan thought she made sense. However, since they were already worried, if he returned and then found another excuse to disappear, it might only make them worry more. Better not to return at all.

"Hmm? What lesson from the concert?"

"That time you invited everyone to the concert, you tried to attend to both sides, staying a bit here and a bit there, but in the end, everyone felt you spent more time with others and didn't value her enough..."

Li Yan had briefly discussed the incident with Yue Yao, admitting to inviting the three of them, without mentioning Hai Fu and Huang Ying.

"Now you've been missing for a week, and though at the company you said you were preparing for research, Yurong would know, but given your usual attitude towards work, she'd probably think it was just an excuse and suspect you ran off somewhere with Yu Xiaodi; on the other hand, Yu Xiaodi can't reach you for a week, not even knowing this excuse, would only think Yurong restricted your contact with her or even took away your SIM card or something... This would lead them to suspect each other and, consequently, hate you as well."

After Yue Yao woke up, it was the first time she had spoken so much in one go. After finishing, she felt drained and closed her eyes to adjust her breathing.

Seeing her like this, still worrying about him, Li Yan felt both touched and distressed.

"Alright, alright, you just rest peacefully. I'll consider all this. I'll go back, but not today. You mentioned I look a bit haggard, so if I go back looking like this, Yurong would just worry more, wouldn't she? It's been a week anyway. I'll stay with you for two more days before I go back."

"Hmm..." Yue Yao agreed. This was something of a compromise. If he stayed with her until she was discharged, it would take at least three weeks, maybe even over a month. Staying for just two days first wouldn't cause too much upheaval. Truthfully, how could she not want Li Yan by her side? Such opportunities for them to be alone together were precious. But she was even more concerned about the consequences for Li Yan.

"You get some good rest now. It was all due to Old Zheng's influence that I could come in like this. I haven't paid anything yet, so I'll handle that first, then bring you some food back."

"Okay."

...

Leaving the ward, Li Yan realized it was already afternoon. His earlier nap had lasted several hours. Fortunately, it was the hospital leadership personally accompanying Zheng Yixuan that afforded him this leniency, so no one urged him to pay. Nowadays, hospitals, with their rampant costly tests and overpriced meds, don't blink an eye at fleecing people, but the quality of service after marketization has notably improved. Patients in special care wards who pay more naturally receive better services compared to ordinary wards.

Li Yan first paid a hefty deposit to avoid any delays in medications, nursing, tests, etc., due to insufficient funds. Then he bought some nourishing broths and porridge and returned to the ward, where with the nurse's help, he gently helped Yue Yao sit up and tended to her as she ate a little.

Later, he went out again to buy some daily necessities, though the special care ward provided most of them. However, apart from her hospital gown, Yue Yao's intimate clothing had to be prepared otherwise. She had clothes at home, but it was inconvenient for Li Yan to go back to fetch them now, and even if he could, it wouldn't be appropriate to take them. Rummaging through your "wife's best friend's" intimate apparel? What would Yurong think if she saw that?

So, he headed alone to a nearby large shopping mall. Initially, what seemed like a normal and innocent task became less and less justifiable as he reached the clothing floor.

Li Yan had experience shopping for lingerie with girls, like the time in Beihai Country with Matsushima Kui, Shinohara Mirai, and Wen Qianyi at a dedicated lingerie mall. But this time, being alone was a bit awkward, worrying he might be seen as some pervert or a creepy uncle...