Sweet But Jealous

Chapter 10: Collision Course (10)

"What was her offer?" Tang Ze couldn't resist digging.

"She told me to 'be frugal'."

"...Pfft!"

Tang Ze finally lost it, spraying coffee onto the pristine floor.

Bo Siyan, notorious for his fastidiousness, took a deliberate step back, his expression one of pure disdain.

Tang Ze wiped his mouth, ignoring the stain on his usually impeccable shirt. "Bo, you're not actually considering it, are you? Name her price! I'll double it! I'll support you!"

"Get lost."

Tang Ze wisely retreated from further teasing as a nurse approached down the corridor, holding a report. He intercepted it and handed it to Bo Siyan.

Bo Siyan scanned the results, his handsome face hardening. The blade was poisoned.

"That bad?" Tang Ze leaned in, his own expression sobering as he read. "Damn. That's nasty. It's a new synthetic hallucinogen. High dose: lethal. Low dose: highly addictive."

"Antidote?" Bo Siyan's voice was flat, controlled.

"None that I know of."

...

Inside the room, Qu Yan heard enough. Silently, she summoned her system interface, calling her AI assistant, Xiao Qi.

"Xiao Qi, what poison is this? Addiction is not on my to-do list."

"Host, your innate rose fragrance neutralizes all toxins."

Qu Yan was startled. "Really? It does that?"

"Affirmative, Host. Post-neutralization, any toxin metabolizes into a potent aphrodisiac."

Qu Yan: "..."

This was a setup! She was injured and poisoned, not looking to spontaneously combust with lust! Bo Siyan, the hyper-vigilant paranoid, would never buy that!

"How long does the... effect last?" she demanded, furious.

"Twenty-four hours."

Before Qu Yan could ask more, she heard firm footsteps approaching the door. She severed the mental link instantly, looking up just as the man entered. She offered a picture of weary innocence. "I overheard... outside."

Bo Siyan walked to her bedside, looking down at her. His expression was unreadable. "You took the blade for me. I will see you through the detox."

"Then I don't want to detox," Qu Yan pouted, the gesture incongruous with her pallor. "Once I'm clean, you'll vanish."

She swung her legs off the bed, ignoring the pain. "I'm discharging myself. Going home." She was a walking time bomb. A cold bath was her safest bet.

She slid her feet into her discarded heels and headed for the door.

Two steps. A strong arm encircled her waist, halting her.

"You intend to walk home like this?" His deep, resonant voice was close, too close.

Qu Yan felt a sudden, treacherous warmth pool low in her belly. A slight tremor ran through her.

Oh no...

It was starting.

"L-like what?" She glanced down. The back of her dress had been cut away around the bandage, leaving her back partially exposed.

"I'll take you." Bo Siyan gathered her into his arms again, as effortlessly as he had carried her in.

A soft, involuntary moan escaped Qu Yan's lips. It sounded... intoxicatingly soft. She bit down hard on her lower lip.

Damn this useless perk! It failed when needed, activated at the worst possible moment! And Bo Siyan, Mr. Trust-Issues Extraordinaire, would never believe this was accidental!

"What's wrong?" Bo Siyan felt the slight tremor, looked down. Her face was flushed a delicate pink, her eyes glistening, overly bright. She looked... unnervingly alluring.

"I... I don't feel well," Qu Yan managed, half-truth, half-panic. "This hallucinogen... it distorts perception, right? Things feel... fuzzy..." Her voice was breathier than intended.

"I'll call Tang Ze."

Bo Siyan moved to set her back on the bed. Qu Yan clutched at his shirt. "No! If there's no antidote... I just want to sleep. At home." Desperation edged her plea.

Bo Siyan studied her flushed face, her dilated pupils, the slight tremor she couldn't suppress. After a moment, he acquiesced. "As you wish."

*

Back at the North City apartment, Qu Yan felt like her skin was on fire, teetering on the brink of losing control. "Thank you for bringing me home," she said quickly, pulling away the moment her feet touched the floor. "I'll be fine alone. You should go." Her dismissal was abrupt, starkly different from her earlier persistence.

Bo Siyan didn't move. He removed his suit jacket, draping it casually over her sparse living room sofa. His gaze swept the empty space – the lone pink suitcase in the corner screamed "recently moved in."

"I need to sleep..." Qu Yan insisted, edging towards the hallway.

"Then sleep." Bo Siyan's reply was unhurried. He settled onto the sofa. "I'll be here. Call if your condition worsens."

"Really, I'm fine! No need to babysit. Please, leave." She kicked off her heels, leaning weakly against the wall for support. Her legs felt unsteady.

Unaware of how she looked, she failed to see the high color staining her cheeks, the unmistakable, liquid heat in her eyes, the unconscious sensuality radiating from every slight movement. Her body betrayed her, screaming the truth Bo Siyan had already perceived.