She always knows how to coax him.
"Get up. If you don't get up now, you'll be late for work."
"Mmm... I'm so sleepy." Jiang Ruoqi was too drowsy to open her eyes. She pulled the covers over her head, refusing to get up. "I can't get up. I've been sealed in by the bed and the blanket."
Meng Shang looked at Jiang Ruoqi, who had wrapped herself up like a silkworm chrysalis, then checked the time. Finally, he shook his head helplessly. "Want to take the day off? Are you still feeling unwell? Let me take a look?"
Before he finished speaking, Jiang Ruoqi shot upright, her sleepiness vanishing instantly. Recalling last night and this morning from his words, even the thick-skinned Jiang Ruoqi felt a rare embarrassment. "Look at what? No day off! I'm getting up, right now, okay!"
Jiang Ruoqi still had her eyes closed, her messy long hair bristling with the same "keep away" aura as her morning grumpiness.
Yesterday... they had indeed slept quite late.
Thanks to the alcohol, all reason was gone.
The second time, Jiang Ruoqi was so sensitive that her lower abdomen had a twitching sensation. But she couldn't bring herself to say it, and Meng Shang didn't notice. He just heard her softly whimpering with her arms around his neck, and he even pressed harder.
After it was over, Jiang Ruoqi was too tired to keep her eyes open, so Meng Shang took care of her washing up. She had only brought her pajamas downstairs and had no change of clothes, so Meng Shang had to find a clean cotton T-shirt of his for her to wear. It reached her thighs, like a nightgown.
By the time they were finally done, it was almost dawn. Jiang Ruoqi curled up with her back to Meng Shang, sleeping restlessly. It was only then that Meng Shang noticed something was off. His warm body pressed against Jiang Ruoqi, and his large hand covered her lower abdomen, gently rubbing it. He kept asking softly if she felt uncomfortable anywhere, but Jiang Ruoqi was half-asleep. She turned around and hugged Meng Shang like a pillow, then fell deeply asleep.
"Then go wash up. I'll pack your breakfast for you to eat in the car. I'll drive you to work in a bit." After a night, the roles had reversed. Seeing Jiang Ruoqi like this, Meng Shang's smile became even more tender.
"Wait! All my clothes are upstairs. Go get them for me first!" Jiang Ruoqi pounded the blanket in dissatisfaction, ordering him around but still not opening her eyes.
"Okay. What do you want to wear?"
"What to wear today" was a headache as big as "what to eat today." Jiang Ruoqi didn't have an idea right away and decided to dump the problem on Meng Shang. "President Jiang's outfit today is in Dr. Meng's hands. You pick for me. If it doesn't look good..." She paused, then continued with a completely unthreatening voice, "If it looks bad, tonight I'll order takeout for you at the hospital! A mix of mango and red dragon fruit! Ten boxes!"
This was piling threats on top of threats. Clearly, she had done her research in private. To avoid implicating his night-shift colleagues and becoming the department's pariah, Meng Shang immediately stood up and declared, "I'll do my best."
Watching Meng Shang leave the bedroom, Jiang Ruoqi briefly woke up again before closing her eyes. She threw off the covers, and when her feet hit the floor, her legs felt a bit off. She stood still for a moment to adjust, sighing that this was the price for poor time management. Fortunately, the floor plan upstairs and downstairs was the same. Jiang Ruoqi kept her eyes closed as she navigated to the bathroom without any trouble. A cup and toothbrush with toothpaste already squeezed out were waiting by the sink.
In the mirror, her hair was messy, her dark circles were obvious, and the wide collar of the T-shirt had slipped to one side, revealing faint red marks on her shoulder that hadn't faded yet. Jiang Ruoqi massaged her lower back. Thinking about Ada's earlier advice on relaxation, she almost wanted to agree wholeheartedly.
It was tiring, but after that extreme exhaustion, the feeling of refreshment and relief was completely different from just getting tipsy. Meng Shang really lived up to being a surgeon—he knew the human body inside out. Though he lacked experience, his technique made up for it. And his stamina was truly impressive. If she hadn't been so tired, she felt they could have gone another round in the bathroom. The only downside was lack of sleep; she was still a bit out of it and dizzy.
While brushing her teeth, Jiang Ruoqi planned that she would find a time when she could sleep enough and challenge Dr. Meng's limits.
Meng Shang was quick. As for his fashion sense... well, Jiang Ruoqi's figure was a clothes hanger; unless he dressed her in a sack, she wouldn't look bad. He brought her clothes downstairs and, while she changed, packed her breakfast. A freshly made ham sandwich and a bottle of milk at just the right temperature. Once settled in the passenger seat, Jiang Ruoqi enjoyed her breakfast without having to worry about a thing.
Although she thought it would be even better if the milk were swapped for an Americano, this level of care already gave her the satisfaction of having married a thoughtful and virtuous husband.
But wasn't this guy tired? He had done the physical work, cleaned up after her and the bed, made breakfast early, and drove her to work, yet his face showed no signs of fatigue.
Jiang Ruoqi couldn't help but ponder. She guessed that the selection criteria for surgeons probably had something to do with stamina and energy. Of course, as the beneficiary, she hoped Meng Shang would stay this way.
"I have the night shift tonight. I'll leave dinner for you—just heat it up when you get home. What do you want to eat?"
"I'm still not awake." Jiang Ruoqi took a wrinkled bite of the sandwich, chewing mechanically with a blank stare. "My brain isn't working right now. I can't think of what to eat."
Meng Shang caught a glimpse of her from the corner of his eye, and his heart softened even more. He felt that even if Jiang Ruoqi asked for the moon right now, he would grit his teeth and say he'd try.
"Then text me when you think of something. If there's any other discomfort..."
Jiang Ruoqi whipped her head around, as if she wanted to cover his mouth. "Don't say that!"
She vaguely remembered his questions from last night, but discussing such things outside the bedroom really made her feel shy.
"I'm just worried." Dr. Meng adopted a very professional attitude, his gaze falling on her lower abdomen. "Last night, I felt some twitching in your lower abdomen."
"That's because it was too intense!"
As for the reason for the intensity, it had to do with size and technique. To shut him up completely, Jiang Ruoqi added, "I admit you're naturally gifted, okay?"
That phrase wasn't used that way, but Meng Shang didn't bother to correct her. As she wished, he remained silent until they reached the office building.
"Here, here! Just drop me off by the curb!"
With five minutes to go before clock-in, Meng Shang finally stopped the car. Jiang Ruoqi hastily stuffed the last bite of sandwich into her mouth, unbuckled her seatbelt, grabbed her coat and bag, and pointed at the drop-off point, ready to jump out.
"Wait until the car is fully stopped before getting out." Seeing her put the milk bottle back into the storage bin between the seats, Meng Shang guessed her intentions and couldn't help but remind her, "Also, it's cold. Drink hot coffee whenever possible, and don't add too much ice."
"Got it, got it." With her mouth full, Jiang Ruoqi's words were muffled and unclear. She pulled the door open to get out but seemed to remember something. She leaned back in and kissed Meng Shang on the cheek, leaving breadcrumbs all over his face.
"Don't worry. I'll still love you when I get off work."
Even at the risk of being late, President Jiang still found time to appease the hardworking Dr. Meng; otherwise, she felt she'd come off as a heartless jerk who takes things for granted.
"I have to go, I'm gonna be late! Bye, hubby!"
"Put on your coat..."
Before Meng Shang could finish, Jiang Ruoqi slammed the door shut. With her coat in one hand and her bag in the other, still in heels, she quickly walked toward the office building while maintaining a graceful posture.
Oh well. It's just a short walk. She probably won't get too cold.
Meng Shang exhaled, stepped on the gas, and looked for a place to turn around.
Traffic was heavy in the city center during rush hour. As expected, Meng Shang got stuck in the middle of a main road. His eyes were fixed ahead, but his mind wasn't entirely on the road.
He thought of Jiang Ruoqi, of her mouth that never held back sweet words. Even though they had already been so intimate, just a simple kiss from her made his ears burn.
She always knows how to coax him.
As for Jiang Ruoqi, she rushed and barely managed to catch the elevator that would allow her to clock in just in time. To be precise, someone in the elevator kindly waited for her.
"Thanks." Jiang Ruoqi looked up to thank the person. When she saw who it was, both of them seemed to want to take back their actions.