CHAPTER 289: CHAPTER 289: YOU ARE THE MOST PRECIOUS 1_1

However, her anxiety quickly vanished when the taxi came to a halt. The moment she stepped out, she was pulled into an embrace. Huang Xiaojue’s voice was urgent, "Xixi, are you okay?"

A wave of relief washed over her. Oblivious to any onlookers, she just hugged his waist tightly.

Huang Xiaojue stared in alarmed disbelief at the layers of gauze wrapped around her head, his eyes bloodshot. "Xixi, did he hit you? Did he do this to you?"

She gently took his hand. "Let’s go back first and then talk."

The moment her feet crossed the threshold of her own room and the door closed behind them, Yan Xixi truly felt like she had narrowly escaped disaster. Only then did she take a proper look at Huang Xiaojue. He was terribly haggard. His eyes were shot with blood, and his complexion was awful. Clearly, he had been in a state of high anxiety and worry for the past few days and hadn’t rested properly at all.

He looked her over from head to toe, then from toe to head again. Only when he confirmed that only her head was injured, and it was just a minor abrasion, did he let out a small sigh of relief.

She gripped his hand tightly. "Xiaojue, I’m sorry..."

A hint of a smile finally touched his eyes. "You silly girl, it’s my fault for not protecting you properly."

He hugged her tightly, his voice hoarse.

To say her heart wasn’t stirred in that moment would be a lie. Yan Xixi buried herself in his embrace. When she looked up at him, for the first time, a unique emotion filled her eyes. A sense of security! Yes, that’s what it is, a sense of security. It was something she had desperately lacked in her life for so long. It was just like that night she had fled the ’Exchange Despair Club’ after Wan Donglin took her there. At that time, looking out at the vast world, she had felt like a stranded bird with no branch to perch on.

But things were different now. Now, she had Xiaojue.

She didn’t even dare to speculate: if Xiaojue hadn’t paid such a huge price, a price that had even alerted Liu Daqing, would Wan Donglin have let her go so easily?

Deep down, she had always been afraid of Wan Donglin—though she herself didn’t know why.

Just as she had always believed Huang Xiaojue would never harm her—again, for no particular reason.

With her mood lightened, she felt more cheerful. She took a bath and changed into clean loungewear. As she unwrapped the layers of gauze, the scar on her head was still alarmingly conspicuous.

Huang Xiaojue got an antiseptic to apply for her. The moment he dabbed it on the wound, she winced and let out a soft cry, "OW, that really hurts!"

Huang Xiaojue felt a pang of heartache mixed with anger, but he gentled his movements even more, softly comforting her, "It’ll be better in a moment."

"Xiaojue, do you think it will leave a scar? It would look so ugly."

"No, it won’t. Besides, if there is a scar, you can always have it removed at a hospital."

Medicine was reapplied and fresh gauze wrapped around her head. Finding herself back in her warm, familiar room, she settled comfortably onto the recliner. Only as she truly relaxed did she realize how hungry and thirsty she was.

"Xixi, rest for a bit. I’ll make you something to eat."

She was surprised. "Xiaojue, do you know how to cook?"

"I can handle simple dishes."

It was simple indeed: instant noodles cooked with an egg and some ham mixed in, along with two large cups of steaming hot coffee. Her face lit up at the sight. "This looks amazing!"

"Eat up, then get some good rest."

She didn’t stand on ceremony and immediately dug in. She had been too frightened and anxious to eat properly these past few days. With hunger being the best spice, the instant noodles suddenly seemed like an exquisite delicacy.

Only after drinking all the hot coffee did she feel truly satisfied. Just as she was about to clear the dishes, Huang Xiaojue stopped her, saying gently, "I’ll get it."