Chapter 72 Your son has returned to study in China. Thinking of him,

Shang Youqing had just washed her face. There were still traces of moisture at the corners of her eyes, and her pale lips were slightly open as if covered with a layer of water.

Hearing He Cong's words, her eyelashes, which were stained with water droplets, squinted for a moment because she couldn't see clearly. She looked over with confusion like a bird tilting its head, and only then caught a glimpse of the pinhole bruises on the wrist that he had held.

She realized belatedly that it was because she was so anxious to leave the manor that she even forgot to wear gloves.

And most importantly, she really didn't expect to meet He Cong here.

Shang Youqing coughed lightly and said "Nothing". She tried to struggle her hand out of his palm, but He Cong immediately held her tighter, almost pulling her towards his chest. After

not seeing anyone for more than half a month, Shang Youqing looked even thinner.

Just by being tugged at by him, the neckline, which was already a little loose, slid down from her shoulders, revealing the round and delicate curve of her shoulders, like a piece of cold, white jade, dazzling the eyes.

He lowered his head and stared at her, chuckling.

"Not bad, you lie to me directly now, without even bothering to find a reason?"

Shang Youqing remained calm, "You know it, yet you ask?"

There were footsteps approaching from the corner of the corridor. Shang Youqing pulled his hand back with a sudden force, his eyes lingering on He Cong for a slightly complicated moment, then he almost immediately retracted his gaze, straightened his collar and turned to leave.

He Cong was left standing there, staring at Shang Youqing's thin figure as he left, his palms rubbing the lingering soft fragrance for a few times.

After a while, he called the driver who was still waiting outside and asked him to go to the nearby drugstore to buy something for him.

When they returned to the conference room after the intermission, He Cong had already resumed his reserved and aloof demeanor, discussing the progress of the collaborative project in a businesslike manner.

Just like in the first half, his gaze never strayed even a fraction towards Shang Youqing.

At the end of the meeting, Shang Youqing didn't join the dean and the others to see He Cong off. Instead, he snuck back to his lab for a while, drawing a qualified vial of liquid medicine into a vial and taking notes before leaving.

Shang Youqing had originally intended to take a ride directly back to the botanical garden, but just as she exited the base gate, a rather conspicuous luxury car pulled up on the side of the road. As Shang Youqing was walking towards them, the car honked at her and slowly lowered its window.

Shang Youqing turned his head and saw He Cong sitting in the driver's seat with his hands on the steering wheel. He said, "Get in."

Before Shang Youqing could say anything, He Cong calmly opened the passenger door and said, "If you don't want others to see me chasing you around the base."

Shang Youqing: "..."

After a moment of silence, Shang Youqing had no choice but to open the car door and get in.

As the car started, Shang Youqing saw that the destination of his navigation was the botanical garden where he usually stayed. He couldn't help but squint at him and said, "You even found out where I live?"

He Cong said calmly with a hint of regret: "Fortunately, I haven't found out where you've lived for the past two weeks."

"...I don't think I meant to compliment you."

She pursed her lips, and some questions she wanted to ask were stuck in her throat, but she couldn't ask them.

She was about to turn her head away and force herself not to think about it, at this time, He Cong spoke calmly again.

"Your son has returned to China to study. If you miss him, I can let you video chat with him. However, he is still angry and may not be willing to answer your call."

After a pause, he made some inducement at the right time, "But if you bribe me properly, I can reluctantly help you say a few good words in front of Mo Mo."

Shang Youqing raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard this, and leaned back in the car seat with a relaxed posture before asking, "For example."

"For example, tell me now, how did you get the wound on the back of your hand?"

Shang Youqing looked at his profile as he concentrated on driving, his eyebrows curved, and his tone was light, but he told him truthfully: "I got an injection."

Hearing this, He Cong's face sank slightly, and his hands on the steering wheel slowly tightened. It seemed that he tried to restrain himself for a moment, but he still couldn't help but glance sideways at her hand hanging by her side.

Before he could say anything, Shang Youqing reminded him, "Drive carefully."

He Cong had no choice but to look back at the front, his eyes cold: "Injections? How many injections did you take to get your hand bruised like this? Are you sick? Or was it that—"

Shang Youqing leaned his head back against the seat in a relaxed manner, closed his eyelashes, and interrupted him softly and casually, "So noisy."

He Cong fell silent instantly.

Shang Youqing yawned lazily and said, "I'll take a nap. Call me when we get there."

As He Cong continued driving, he couldn't help but breathe more lightly. He readjusted the air conditioning temperature and lighting in the car. Afraid that she wouldn't sleep well, he even played soothing music.

More than half an hour later, the car arrived at the entrance to the main gate of the botanical garden. The car slowly stopped. He Cong did not wake up Shang Youqing, who was sleeping in the passenger seat with his head slightly tilted to the side and his hand resting on his thin shoulder.

He calmly adjusted Shang Youqing's seat to a more comfortable sleeping angle, then, with his eyes lowered, closely observed her fair, clear face.

Perhaps she had truly been ill, the curve of her chin seemed even more pointed and thinner than before, and the color of her lips was extremely pale, a pale pink, like a rubbed-out Manta rose.

He Cong gently rolled his Adam's apple, which was wrapped beneath his tie, forcing his gaze away from her rosy lips. He leaned over and took out the ointment he had asked the driver to buy.

Gently, he cupped Shang Youqing's hand in his own, his eyes fixed on the purple marks that had appeared on the back of her once-white, translucent hand. Even though he had seen it once before, the sight was still strangely jarring.

Even so, Shang Youqing didn't bother to explain a single word to him. She

simply brushed it off with the word "injection,"

as if he were just an insignificant human being, unworthy of knowing such relevant details.

He Cong thought with a gloomy expression, but his next move was still extremely careful and meticulous.

He evenly applied the squeezed ointment on the back of her hand where it was partially bruised, and gently spread it.

Then, according to the instructions, with the accurate massage method, he used the tip of his thumb to gently circle back and forth on it until the skin above was completely absorbed and some bruises were rubbed away.

Then he took out a hot water bottle from the bag and changed its position little by little to apply hot compress to the bruised area of Shang You.