CHAPTER 77: CHAPTER 77: ZINNIA LAWRENCE, I WOULD NEVER KISS MY OWN SISTER LIKE THIS

Before the nurse could finish speaking, there was a sudden crash.

In a flash of inspiration, Zinnia Lawrence had knocked the water glass to the floor, where it shattered.

Zinnia was propped up on the bedside table, half her body still on the bed. Frowning, Jenson Forrest bent down to help her sit up properly.

"If you wanted water, you should have told me! Why are you thrashing about? Or are you so determined not to trouble me now?"

Zinnia’s small face was filled with panic, like a child who’d been caught doing something wrong.

"I didn’t realize I was so weak..."

Jenson’s anger instantly evaporated. He gently helped her lie back down.

Forget it. She’s sick. What’s the point of arguing with her?

He helplessly ran a hand through her hair. Feeling how hot her face was, he frowned. "Why didn’t you take the fever reducer?"

In the midst of this little disruption, the nurse had already left the room.

As Timothy Cohen came over to clean up the porcelain shards, Zinnia explained, "When the doctor checked on me earlier, the fever wasn’t this bad. It’s better to take less medicine if you can tough it out. If it doesn’t go down later, I’ll take it then."

Beneath the blanket, Zinnia nervously twisted her fingers, afraid Jenson would become suspicious.

But he didn’t seem to overthink it. He fetched a basin of cool water, wrung out a towel, and began wiping her face and neck. Then, he moved to unbutton her collar.

Zinnia felt a pang of embarrassment and grabbed his hand.

"I can do it myself."

Jenson’s gaze was cool. "Still being coy at a time like this?"

Zinnia said with a touch of helplessness, "We’re getting a divorce."

"We haven’t divorced yet. And even if we do, I’m still your third brother. It’s not like I didn’t take care of you when you were little."

He forcefully pulled her hand away and began to unbutton her shirt.

Zinnia wanted to say that was when they were kids. How could it be the same now? After they married, he had never taken care of her like this, so it was only natural for her to feel awkward. But she knew that even if she said it aloud, Jenson wouldn’t stop. She just couldn’t understand. They had already decided to get a divorce, so why was he suddenly caring for her now? Was it because, in his mind, their marriage was already over, and he was reverting to treating her like a sister again? That would actually be quite nice.

Jenson wiped her underarms and chest. Then he started to pull down her pajama pants, wiping her thighs all the way to the top.

He patiently changed the water several times and even pressed some of her acupressure points.

Zinnia couldn’t get him to leave. She was worried that her temperature wouldn’t go down on its own, which meant she wouldn’t be able to take the fever reducer.

Thankfully, an hour later, her temperature began to drop. Jenson had made her drink several glasses of water on top of the fluids from the IV drip.

She needed to use the bathroom.

When Zinnia anxiously looked up at the IV bag for the third time, Jenson suddenly lifted her blanket.

"What are you doing?"

"Helping you to the bathroom."

Zinnia bit her lip. "How did you know?"

She had wanted to hold it until the IV drip was finished, but the bag was still two-thirds full. She’d been too embarrassed to ask Jenson for help, but he had noticed anyway.

The man chuckled. "You only get one bladder. You should cherish it."

Zinnia was speechless.

Holding the IV stand, Jenson helped Zinnia into the bathroom. She looked utterly mortified.

"Turn around."

Jenson complied and turned away.

She was wearing a pajama set, which was easy enough to pull down.

Biting the bullet, she squatted down, but for a long moment, nothing happened. She couldn’t go.

They had been married for two years, but they had never really lived together. Peeing in front of him, especially now that they were on the verge of divorce...

Just as Zinnia was in this impossible situation, she heard Jenson speak.

"Zinnia, if you keep stalling, I’m going to make you pee like a baby..."

The image his words painted must have terrified her, because she immediately let go.

The sound was a little loud, and she instantly covered her face in shame.

Jenson caught a glimpse of her beet-red ears, and his thin lips curled into a slight smile.

When they came out of the bathroom, Zinnia was still flushed. She pulled the blanket over herself and squeezed her eyes shut, pretending to be asleep.

But she must have been physically exhausted, because she accidentally fell asleep for real.

When she woke again, the room was already filled with bright daylight.

Zinnia opened her eyes and saw the man asleep by her hospital bed.

The beds in the general ward were narrow. The tall man looked incredibly cramped, slumped over and asleep by her bedside.

His usually immaculate hair was slightly messy, with a few fine strands falling across his handsome brow and eyes.

Zinnia stared, stunned. She truly hadn’t expected him to watch over her all night.

A beam of sunlight was slowly crawling up the bed toward him. Zinnia lifted her hand, shielding his brow from the morning glare. In the quiet stillness, where dust motes danced in the light, her gaze traced the lines of his face.

"My dear, your husband might have a sharp tongue, but he really cares about you," the old woman from the next bed whispered. "You had another fever spike in the middle of the night, and he took care of you the whole time. He was so patient."

Zinnia turned to the old woman and offered a small, weak smile.

"I can see you two aren’t without feelings for each other. So why the talk of divorce? Every couple has their disagreements. You should think it over again. Don’t do anything rash."

A sad smile touched Zinnia’s lips.

"It wasn’t an impulsive decision; it was carefully considered. We just can’t be together anymore. And our relationship isn’t what you think it is."

The old woman sighed. Seeing as she was a stranger, she didn’t press the issue. She just got out of bed to go for a walk.

Zinnia was lost in a daze when she felt a warm grasp on the hand she was holding over Jenson’s face.

She looked over and saw that Jenson was awake. Her breath caught as she found herself lost in his deep, dark eyes.

"You’re awake?"

Jenson didn’t move. He remained slumped by the bed, his hand gripping hers.

"Not that kind of relationship? Then what kind of relationship do we have?"

Zinnia hadn’t expected him to have heard her.

Her voice was hoarse. "You know."

"I don’t. Why don’t you tell me?" Jenson lifted his head, a cold smile playing on his lips.

Zinnia bit her tongue. "A brother-sister... mmph—"

Before Zinnia could finish, Jenson suddenly leaned in and sealed her lips with his, silencing whatever she was about to say.

His breath was hot, and the kiss was fierce.

Zinnia was forced to arch backward, bearing the sudden heat wave that swept over her. Perhaps it was because the scene she had woken up to was so tender and beautiful that she so easily fell into his fervent passion, forgetting to resist, forgetting even to breathe.

By the time she came to her senses, her face was completely flushed from lack of air.

Jenson finally released her. He pressed his forehead against hers, his gaze deep and profound.

"Brother and sister? So, you think what we’re doing now is incest?"

Zinnia panted, her mind a complete blank, unable to process his words.

But he was the one who had always resisted her, resisted their relationship, and given her the cold shoulder for four years. He was the one who refused to have children, claiming it would be incest.

The man’s large hand cupped her small face. "Zinnia, I don’t kiss my sister like this. Understand?"