Ten Years of Yearning. My Love, Let Me Protect You.

"Ang…" Luo Lixi moaned in bliss as she hugged his arm and went to chase him in her dreams. 

At the same time, she refused to let his warmth go. Sheng Ruming's ear tips turned red as he was embarrassed by her cute reactions. 

'How can I fall for someone so stupid?!' Sheng Ruming hid his face with his palm. He regretted bringing someone at that time. Luo Lixi was well prepared to give him trouble even when she wasn't functional.

From the side, Feng Shaoling couldn't stop chuckling as he witnessed this situation. Even though he felt sour for some reason, he ignored it and felt he should give the couple some privacy and thus, left quietly.

Sheng Ruming was relieved when Feng Shaoling left the room. The man quietly sat beside her hospital bed and let her use his hand as a cushion as well as a thing she could rub all over her face. 

"Ouch~" Sheng Ruming flinched when his finger was bitten by her. 

He wanted to take his hand back but she whispered angrily, "Don't go!"

"..."

A lock of her black hair fell on her right eye, making her eyelashes tremble from the itchiness. Sheng Ruming was conflicted upon watching this. 

'Should I remove it or not?' 

His mind began to debut as to what he should do for such a trivial matter. Not only that, his fingers were itching to tuck her fringes away from her face, making it hard for him to resist.

On the other hand, Luo Lixi was having an intense chasing game in her mind. 

'Stop right there!' Her mind shouted but the figure was going further away, far from her reach. 

In the dream, she was chasing someone persistently for a long time. But, the man was very bad and ran away as if someone was running for his life. Suddenly he stopped in his tracks.

The back of him was too familiar to Luo Lixi to even forget. The man suddenly stopped in his tracks and threw a side glance at her. Her eyes paused because the familiar back was not of the current man she knew. 

"Ruming…" Luo Lixi called out in her sleep. But her voice was mixed with sadness. 

Sheng Ruming, who was staring at the window to avoid the sensation on his hand, froze. He swirled to her sleeping figure and so the pained expression on her face entered his eyes.

'Why are you sad? I didn't… abandon you in the end.' This thought came to his mind when he realised that she must be having a nightmare involving him. 

With his other free hand, Sheng Ruming patted her head and whispered.

"I am here."

Hearing his voice, Luo Lixi's eyes trembled. In the next moment, her eyes fluttered and she opened those beautiful orbs, coming out of her dream. 

Noticing the figure beside her, she flashed a huge smile even though some drops of tears were hanging on the edge of her eyes. 

Sheng Ruming, who had forgotten everyone, was stunned when he saw the pure smile. He labelled those tears as mist because she had just woken up from 'sleep'! 

He curled his lips and asked while moving her hair aside, "Do you like me so much to dream of me or… were you acting?"

Upon hearing those harsh words as well as watching the mocking look on his face, the smile on her face vanished instantly. 

When she recalled that the man in front of her wasn't the one in her dreams, Luo Lixi clenched her fingers and tightened the hold on him. 

The man in front of her was another version of that man. Even though she knew both of them are the same, she still felt heartache remembering that back which was a bit different from the current Sheng Ruming. 

'He would never treat me like this…' This thought flashed in her mind. Luo Lixi's eyes chilled as she looked away from him and whispered in a hoarse voice, "Don't you have work? You can go. Just… let me see you when I want. I promise not to waste your time."

"Oh?" Sheng Ruming also became serious as she refused to see him. Not only that, she even showed him back as she hid her face on her pillow. 

"You have changed your words so effortlessly… it's good." The man said very gravely. Then, he dragged her to face him and patted her face. 

"Let's stay together from today." Sheng Ruming spoke while staring into her eyes. 

"Ah, really?" Instantly, Luo Lixi's eyes brightened as she sat up and grabbed his arm in excitement. 

"Yeah." Sheng Ruming nodded. Luo Lixi wanted to hug him but the man backed away swiftly. He still felt reluctant to let her 'touch' him. 

At that Luo Lixi pouted and asked, "Why did you agree so suddenly?"

Sheng Ruming smiled mysteriously and went beside her ear. Then he whispered seductively, "I need an assistant… who can do everything… I mean everything…" 

Instantly, Luo Lixi's eyes quivered and her cheeks blushed. She pushed him away and cried out in embarrassment, "You! Don't talk so ambiguously!"

"Did I? Nevermind. Starting from today, you shall live with me." Sheng Ruming said with a commanding voice. 

Luo Lixi nodded her head with a smile even though she wanted to punch him in the face. How could she miss this opportunity? Who knew when he would change his mind and push her away?

When she wanted to move, her eyes stuck to the saline tube attached to her hand. Sheng Ruming wanted to clarify her situation but she stopped him from speaking. 

"The thing is… Hospital is like my second home. So, it's fine." Luo Lixi forced out a smile and stared at him. Sheng Ruming didn't understand and didn't give more thought to it. 

At that moment, Pan Er Jiu suddenly burst into the room and shouted with a panicky voice, "Miss, did you get in trouble again?!" 

"Ah, Cough! Cough!" Luo Lixi was so surprised by her sudden arrival that she went into a 'Cough' fit. Sheng Ruming hurriedly stood up and patted her back. 

"Take deep breaths!" The man murmured. His eyes fell on the medicines he had brought last night. But knowing that she couldn't have them, he looked away and clicked the summoning button. 

In the next moment, a nurse came and thus, Sheng Ruming left the room. After Luo Lixi stopped coughing, Pan Er Jiu went beside her and murmured, "Why did your condition become so bad?" 

"I don't know." Luo Lixi slipped under the blanket and whispered. 

Winter was one of the seasons she loved and would play in the snow whenever she liked. But never had she suffered like this. 

Pan Er Jiu stopped talking and sat beside her. Her eyes roamed in the room and fell on the fruit basket which was behind her. She picked up an apple and began to peel it off with a fruit knife. 

While doing it, Pan Er Jiu sighed and whispered helplessly, "Boss, why do I feel I will lose my job soon?"

Luo Lixi's head peeked out of the blanket as she asked, "Why say that?"

"You vanish now and then and I feel like you don't need me anymore." Pan Er Jiu looked down on the apple as she made little bunnies-shaped pieces out of it. 

"Don't think too much. I am not a baby who needs 24 hours of care!" Luo Lixi sat up and said loudly for her to hear. Pan Er Jiu shook her head as she handed the apple pieces to Luo Lixi. 

She took them all and admired the clean craftsmanship for a second. Then, one after another, she threw the pieces into her mouth and frowned, "Too sweet!"

Pan Er Jiu took one piece from Luo Lixi and bit on it. Her face was confused as she retorted to Luo Lixi, "It's kinda fine…"

"Whatever." Luo Lixi shrugged her shoulders and continued to eat anyway. Sheng Ruming came after a while, with a lot of things. 

Pan Er Jiu swiftly stood up and rushed ahead. 

"Let me…" She tried to take them from Sheng Ruming but the man dodged her. 

Pan Er Jiu stood there awkwardly as he turned to her and said indifferently, "Leave."

But rather than obeying him, she turned to Luo Lixi and inquired about her instruction with her eyes. 

As Luo Lixi nodded, Pan Er Jiu moved to the door. Before leaving, she turned back and said with worry, "Give me a message or call when you need." 

"I will. Thanks, Jiu." Luo Lixi nodded as she waved her hand at her. After she left, Luo Lixi turned to Sheng Ruming and curiously glanced at the things he bought. 

The man sat down beside her and took out a food box. He handed it to her and said curtly, "Eat." 

"Oh." Luo Lixi murmured as she looked down on the bland porridge.. She frowned and gave it back to Sheng Ruming, "I am not hungry. You can eat, cough!"