Chapter 56: Did You Kiss Me?

When Liu Mingxiu woke up again, his vision was initially blurry, but gradually became clear. Two figures appeared before him. Immediately, his body system seemed to regain consciousness, causing him to suddenly feel an intense itch all over his skin.
Just as I was about to scratch my itch, I heard a crisp female voice saying, "Min Lie, look quickly, Ming Xiu is awake!"
Shortly after, the bedside of his bed began to ring with a "beep-beep" sound.
Just then, a hand grabbed his restless hand, "Stop scratching, you've already been medicated."
Liu Mingxiu weakly couldn't make a sound, and as she closed and opened her eyes again, she clearly saw the people in front of her - it was Min Qier and Min Lie.
While Min Lie was holding his hand, he gently helped him put his hand back on the edge of the bed.
Liu Mingxiu felt a slight pain on the back of his hand. He turned his head with difficulty and looked at his hand. There was a needle and an IV drip inserted on the back of his hand.
"What... is this?" Liu Mingxiu's voice was very low, struggling to sit up.
Looking around, all he saw was a vast expanse of white.
White sheets, white walls, he realized he was in a hospital.
"Mingxiu, rest well and don't get up." Minqi's gentle voice sounded in his ears.
There seemed to be something blocking his throat, making it difficult for him to speak. Just as he uttered a sound, his voice was interrupted by the sound of someone barging in from outside the door.
"Has the patient woken up?" the nurse pushed open the door and walked in.
The nurse briefly examined Liu Mingxiu's condition. Liu Mingxiu's high fever has subsided, but her skin is still covered in red spots, which is still a matter of concern.
The nurse frowned and recorded something on a notebook while asking, "Liu Mingxiu, are you aware that you have a severe allergy to chili peppers? Did you not know about it before?"
Liu Mingxiu listened but remained silent. How could he not know?
"Fortunately it arrived just in time, otherwise... sigh, be more careful in the future, never touch chili again, rest well." The nurse finished speaking and shook her head helplessly.
"By the way, who will pay the fees?" The nurse asked as she walked out.
"I will," Min Lie answered, and he instructed Min Qi, "Qi'er, you stay here with Ming Xiu. I'll be back soon."
"No...no need, Lie Ge...the expense..." Liu Mingxiu's chapped and pale lips weakly open and close.
Min Qi'er hurriedly gestures for him to relax, "Don't worry about these things, focus on getting better, okay?"
……
After the nurse and Min Lie left, Min Qi'er also had great doubts about the nurse's question just now.
"Ming Xiu, do you know that you can't eat chili?" Min Qi'er asked cautiously, "You really scared me, the doctor said you almost..." she didn't finish the rest of her sentence.
After a long time, Liu Mingxiu nodded.
Min Qier was greatly puzzled.
"Then why... do you say you love spicy food?" She recalled the scene of Liu Mingxiu eating rabbit meat and asked urgently, "If you can't eat it, why do you keep eating it?"
"...I want...to drink water." Liu Mingxiu hesitated for a long time, but ultimately did not answer.
"Alright..." Min Qier didn't press him further, as the most important thing now was to let him rest properly.
She brought a glass of water and struggled to lift Liu Mingxiu.
In these few hours, she has expended too much energy and is feeling a bit overwhelmed.
A few hours ago, with the help of everyone, Min Qier sent Liu Mingxiu to the hospital and then quickly called Min Lie.
And it was only after the owner of the rabbit meat restaurant found out for sure that Liu Mingxiu was allergic to peppers, and not because of the rabbit meat in his restaurant, that his worried heart finally returned to his stomach.
But he also blamed himself a bit, "Hey, it's all my fault for talking nonsense and making Lao Wang perform first aid measures for nothing. Luckily it didn't waste time and this young chap is fine."
The owner of the rabbit meat shop stayed at the hospital for a while and then went back. Later, Min Lie came over, and when Min Qi saw him, his heart finally settled down.
Looking back, it was really a thrilling process.
Min Qier slowly regained his thoughts and looked at Liu Mingxiu again.
"Mingxiu, it would be better to inform your parents about such a big matter," Min Qier said seriously.
Liu Mingxiu's movement of drinking water stopped for a moment, and she immediately shook her head repeatedly, "No, there's no need... no need to notify them, they are too busy... too busy to bother about me."
Upon hearing this, Min Qier felt quite dissatisfied—although she had no experience with the affection between parents and children, whenever she felt uncomfortable, Min Lie's concern made her feel the warmth of family.
She and Min Lie are not blood relatives, yet they are as close as family. What kind of parents would be so busy that they wouldn't even care about their own child being hospitalized?
"Should we inform your school and teachers? Or maybe your friends and classmates?" Min Qier asked with concern.
"No... really no need... We're about to graduate, everyone is busy with their own stuff... No time... I'll just make up the leave form later." Liu Mingxiu finished speaking, then lowered her head to drink water, "Gudong Gudong" she gulped down a large glass of water and felt much better.
"Qier… There's something I want to ask you…" Liu Mingxiu licked his lips, and the corners of his mouth clearly curved slightly upwards.
But Min Qier's attention was focused entirely on his previous sentence—please… request… leave."
Upon hearing the words "leave request," she exclaimed inwardly in panic.
It was only then that she realized - she hadn't had a chance to inform the company about not going to work in the afternoon.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no..." she murmured, leaving the bedside and anxiously digging out her phone from her pocket.
It was too late to send a message, so I quickly made a phone call.
The phone rang for more than ten seconds before someone answered–
"Hello, Haige! It's Qier. Haige, I had a sudden emergency in the afternoon and forgot to ask for your permission. Can you help me cover for it?"
"Qier... the person who kissed me, was it you?"
But Min Qier did not hear a response from Haige, instead he heard Liu Mingxiu muttering to herself on the hospital bed.
"What? What did you say?" Min Qier asked Liu Mingxiu while continuing to listen to his phone.
即使她听力再好，也没听清刘明秀说的什么，不是因为听不到，而是因为她的注意力全在手机那头。
刘明秀看着她，嘴角带着一丝笑意，又暗暗低下了头。
This made Min Qixi even more confused.
"I'll tell you later," Min Qixi whispered to Liu Mingxiu, then continued to speak into the phone, "Hello, Haige, are you listening?"
But there was still no response on the other end of the phone.
Weird? Could it be a wrong number?
Min Qi was just about to check if she had dialed the wrong number, when suddenly a voice came through on the other end of the phone -
"Min Qier, you dialed the wrong number."
The stern voice was like a lightning bolt, striking Min Qier's nerves.
She immediately widened her eyes and anxiously held up her phone screen – the screen displayed Wu Shi's office number!
"Wu..." Min Qier struggled to speak, unsure of what to say.
Should he say, "I'm sorry, I dialed the wrong number," or should he say, "Can I just ask for leave directly with you, Mr. Wu?"
No, she can't say any of these things. After what happened yesterday, she finds it difficult to even utter a word to him.
When it comes to Wu Shi, it's as if she has lost all her ability to speak.
Strange feeling.
She thought, if the call were suddenly disconnected at this moment, she wouldn't have to consider these things.
Beep beep beep beep-
Just as she was lost in her thoughts, as she wished, the call was hung up.
"Stupid rabbit!" she cursed under her breath, even though her wish had come true, her heart was filled with disappointment.
She took a deep sigh in her heart, adjusted her emotions slightly, and dialed the HR department's phone number again.
After finishing what needed to be handed over, she turned around and remembered what Liu Mingxiu had said earlier, "Mingxiu, were you about to tell me something? I didn't hear it clearly."
A flush washed over Liu Mingxiu's face, but due to an allergy, his face was already crimson. He swallowed, "Nothing, it's nothing."