The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 191

Li Rong and Cen Xiao spent a night indulging themselves. The next morning, Jiang Weide’s phone call pulled them out of bed.

Jiang Weide: “I went to your office to look for you and realized you haven’t arrived yet. Why are you so late today?”

The curtains were tightly drawn, leaving the room pitch dark and making it impossible to tell the time.

Li Rong was so exhausted he could barely open his eyes. Every muscle in his body ached from overuse, and one arm was still pinned under Cen Xiao’s forearm. Yet his voice showed no trace of fatigue.

“What’s up, Teacher?”

Jiang Weide didn’t notice anything unusual and assumed Li Rong was handling work at A University.

“There’s a new project that I think has great potential, but the current technical methods aren’t mature. We may need to carve out a new path. Do you want to take a look at it?”

“I’ll head to the office in a bit,” Li Rong said, lifting the blanket and carefully pulling his arm out from under Cen Xiao’s.

Despite his gentleness, Cen Xiao still woke up. He lifted his arm and, in turn, hooked it around Li Rong’s waist.

Li Rong gestured for him to keep quiet and pointed to the phone.

Jiang Weide remained oblivious and continued, “It’s almost noon already. You might as well have lunch at the school before coming over. Don’t overwork yourself—remember to relax when you need to.”

Li Rong: “Got it. I’ll head over after lunch.”

He didn’t know why Jiang Weide always thought of him as some workaholic who gave his all, day and night, without rest.

Before, when matters concerned his parents, he had been in a hurry, naturally. But now that he was free of that burden, it wasn’t as if he didn’t know how to enjoy life.

After hanging up the phone, Li Rong turned to Cen Xiao. “Director Jiang says there’s a new project for me.”

Cen Xiao gently caressed his waist and back, leaving faint marks on his smooth, supple skin. Lazily, he said, “The so-called ‘new project’ he mentioned is just old news for you.”

Li Rong raised an eyebrow and sighed softly. “Yeah. That’s why there are some things I really shouldn’t get involved in—I need to leave the results to their original owner.”

Cen Xiao’s fingers paused, and he looked at him. “If you’re not involved, doesn’t that mean you’ll have more free time?”

Li Rong’s eyes held a hint of a smile. He turned over and straddled Cen Xiao’s legs. “And what would I do with free time?”

Cen Xiao, feeling the solid weight on him, placed his palms on Li Rong’s waist, pulled him into his arms, and said in a low voice, “Date me.”

Li Rong froze for a moment before pressing his lips together, unable to hold back his laughter.

Hearing “date me” from Cen Xiao was still special—or rather, hearing such words from the usually composed Team Leader of the Ghost Eye Group was quite extraordinary.

But thinking carefully, they hadn’t really spent much proper time dating.

Li Rong cupped Cen Xiao’s face and touched his nose lightly. “How do you plan to date me? Does the Team Leader of the Ghost Eye Group even have time?”

It was only early spring, so the weather wasn’t particularly warm. Cen Xiao pulled the blanket over Li Rong’s back. “No matter how busy I am, I can make time for you.”

“Alright, then let’s study how to date,” Li Rong murmured. His light breathing, with every rise and fall of his chest, seemed to transmit warmth through the blanket to Cen Xiao.

Unfortunately, the world didn’t go according to plan. When Li Rong finally arrived at Jiang Weide’s office and saw the project proposal, he realized it was the same coagulation agent experiment he had worked on in his previous life.

If it was a project he had once participated in, there was no reason to refuse. He just hadn’t expected that this project had already been part of Jiang Weide’s plans. It seemed that back then, the delay was only because Zhu Yan hadn’t approved it.

For now, portable coagulation agents remain an area that demands groundbreaking effort.

The challenge lies in ensuring the agent acts only on activated platelets in local and deep tissue without affecting inactive platelets in the bloodstream.

“There’s a significant population in our country with coagulation disorders. For them, even minor injuries can be life-threatening. If we can minimize the cost of stopping bleeding, they can live lives indistinguishable from ordinary people. It’s truly meaningful,” Jiang Weide explained, unable to resist sharing his thoughts as he saw Li Rong studying the document seriously.

Li Rong nodded lightly. “I understand.”

Jiang Weide scratched his head. “To be honest, I’ve wanted to work on this project for a long time, but Zhu Yan wouldn’t approve it. I think he felt there was no immediate need. After all, most patients with these disorders take extensive precautions to reduce risks at the source, so the investment and output might not balance out.”

Hearing this, Li Rong chuckled softly. “But you’re still doing it.”

Jiang Weide huffed, “I told myself that if I ever ran Hongsuo Research Institute, I would definitely get this done!”

Li Rong placed the document back on the table and said seriously, “Alright, then let’s do it. I’m in.”

As the Team Leader of the High Tower Group, he couldn’t rely on his parents forever. After all, GT201 stemmed from Luyinxu, a field pioneered by his parents. Eventually, he had to find his own foundation.

Jiang Weide hadn’t expected Li Rong to agree so readily. “Are you sure? This won’t be easy. Do you really think you can handle it?”

Li Rong responded calmly, “I’ll do it. I don’t care how difficult it gets, but I need to bring a few professors in to work with me.”

The people who had worked with him on this project in his previous life couldn’t be left out. This honor rightfully belonged to them.

Jiang Weide assumed he needed help—after all, Li Rong was only in his twenties, and it was natural for him to seek support.

“That’s no problem. I’ll fully back you.”

For the next two months, Li Rong was busy initiating the project. Being busy was nothing new to him—he had always lived a hectic life. It was just that his and Cen Xiao’s “research on dating” would have to be temporarily put on hold.

By early May, the weather was already showing signs of summer heat, though only the nighttime breeze brought a hint of comfort.

As usual, Li Rong worked overtime until 9 p.m.

Finally finding a brief moment to relax, he was about to call Cen Xiao to ask if he had gone home yet. The past few days had been so hectic that they hadn’t shared dinner together for nearly a week.

Suddenly, his assistant knocked on the door, worriedly reminding him, “Team Leader Li, the gatekeeper said that Team Leader Cen from District Nine is here to see you.”

Ever since Hongsuo and Blue Pivot began collaborating, the Ghost Eye Group rarely came to Hongsuo to cause trouble.

Team Leader Cen Xiao of the Ghost Eye Group was known for his swift and decisive ways, his emotions unreadable. He was rumored to be a tough character and, given the supposed past grievances between him and Li Rong, the assistant couldn’t help but worry.

Li Rong paused, then took off his anti-radiation glasses and carefully washed his hands at the nearby sink. “Let’s go.”

If Cen Xiao were just an ordinary person, he could have visited Hongsuo openly as Li Rong’s partner—or vice versa, Li Rong could have visited District Nine.

But that wasn’t an option. Whenever they appeared together in public, it inevitably sparked considerable discussion. After all, their previous “performance” had been too vivid, leading everyone to believe they had only superficially reconciled for the greater good of Hongsuo and Blue Pivot, while in reality, they despised each other.

The assistant stammered, “Uh? Where are you going?”

He was still debating whether to inform Director Jiang, worried that Cen Xiao might have come to stir up trouble.

Li Rong replied matter-of-factly, “To pick him up.”

The assistant protested, “That… that’s not necessary. I’ll just bring him to your office.”

The office Jiang Weide had assigned Li Rong wasn’t particularly luxurious. Although he was the Team Leader of the High Tower Group, he wasn’t officially employed at Hongsuo and was still quite young, so his workspace only included a desk, a chair, and some cabinets for miscellaneous items.

Li Rong insisted, “I’ll go.”

As the Team Leader of the Ghost Eye Group, Cen Xiao wouldn’t be stopped by the gatekeeper. Sure enough, when Li Rong reached the staircase, he found Cen Xiao already standing in the lobby.

Cen Xiao wore casual sportswear, clearly having gone home to change after finishing work in District Nine.

A fleeting smile flashed in Li Rong’s eyes before his expression quickly returned to calm indifference.

“Team Leader Cen, you’re here.”

Cen Xiao walked toward him, noticing the faint marks on Li Rong’s face where his mask had pressed into his skin. Because the assistant was present, he refrained from reaching out to touch it. “Mm. I need to discuss something private with Team Leader Li.”

Li Rong didn’t ask further. His eyelashes trembled slightly as he nodded. “Alright. Come to my office.”

With that, he put his hands in his pockets and turned to lead Cen Xiao upstairs.

The assistant hesitated. “Uh… what about me?”

Li Rong instructed, “No need to follow. I’ll be talking with Team Leader Cen for a long time. Don’t let anyone disturb us.”

Cen Xiao’s cold gaze swept over the assistant’s face before he followed Li Rong upstairs.

The assistant swallowed nervously under that gaze.

Although the conflicts between the two Team Leaders weren’t his concern, he sincerely hoped for smooth cooperation between Hongsuo and Blue Pivot. After all, since their collaboration began, profits had increased, and their welfare benefits had improved significantly.

Li Rong led Cen Xiao into his office. Just as he was about to turn on the lights, Cen Xiao grabbed his wrist.

Li Rong raised an eyebrow, looking at Cen Xiao’s face in the dim light from the streetlamp outside. He lowered his voice and asked, “What does Team Leader Cen think he’s doing?”

Cen Xiao chuckled softly and locked the door behind him. “Taking advantage of the moment to do something that can’t be seen.”

In the darkness, Li Rong’s eyes were especially bright. His gaze flickered as he listened for sounds from the hallway outside, but his hands instinctively climbed up to Cen Xiao’s neck. “How can’t be seen are we talking? The soundproofing here isn’t great.”

Uncontrollable, explicit thoughts flashed through his mind. The poor soundproofing was real—he could even hear people going up and down the stairs on other floors.

Some things were definitely off-limits. While he wasn’t exactly a “moral paragon,” doing such things in the office felt like crossing a line.

Still, getting a bit affectionate wasn’t a problem. After a long day, he missed Cen Xiao dearly.

Li Rong had just washed his hands, and his fingertips were still cool. His faintly cold fingers teased the back of Cen Xiao’s neck, lips hovering so close they almost touched.

He thought Cen Xiao would give him a long, passionate kiss. He was ready for it. But instead, Cen Xiao covered his eyes with a hand.

“I told you, it can’t be seen. Close your eyes,” Cen Xiao said as he pinned Li Rong against the wall, right beside the light switch.

Li Rong’s eyelids fluttered, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly, but he obediently closed his eyes. Still, he couldn’t help but warn, “Don’t take off my clothes. Pants are off-limits too.”

With his eyes closed, even the light from the streetlamp outside was lost, plunging him into complete darkness.

When vision is taken away, the other senses become sharper. Li Rong could hear Cen Xiao’s low, steady breathing, feel the coolness of the wall through his clothes, and hear the soft rustling of tree leaves brushing against the glass.

His toes bumped against Cen Xiao’s, his knees pressing against his. He could feel Cen Xiao’s body heat and the familiar touch of his fingers.

Those fingers gently lifted Li Rong’s wrist, stroking inch by inch along his arm until they reached the center of his palm.

Li Rong’s palm felt ticklish, and he instinctively wanted to intertwine his fingers with Cen Xiao’s. He nearly opened his eyes to sneak a glance.

But Cen Xiao was watching him closely. Noticing the hint of movement, he immediately said, “Be good, Team Leader Li.”

Li Rong had no choice but to abandon the idea of mischief. With a teasing tone, he replied, “If I’m too obedient, am I still me? Team Leader Cen, wouldn’t it be better if—”

Before he could finish, he froze.

He felt something cool and perfectly sized being slipped onto his finger.

He knew what it was—unexpected yet unsurprising.

At that moment, he didn’t know how to react. He even forgot to open his eyes.

Cen Xiao intertwined their fingers and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on his lips. His voice was low and tender: “I spent two months making this. I wanted to wait for a special day, but when I finally held it in my hands, I realized I couldn’t wait even a moment longer. There’s no romantic setting or grand design—just an urgent need to share this feeling with you. I love you, baby. I swear I’ll love you deeply, with my life.”

Li Rong tightened his grip on Cen Xiao’s hand, slowly opening his eyes to reveal a beautiful, contented smile.

He felt his eyes grow slightly damp, though he wasn’t overwhelmed. He had always been the receiver of Cen Xiao’s love and promises, and he could feel Cen Xiao’s overflowing affection every moment.

He had always known.

Under the gentle night, he leaned in to soften Cen Xiao’s steadfast vow with a kiss.

“You don’t need to swear. You’ve already proven it. Is this a proposal? I accept.”

—Your avatar never changes. Every time it snows, I think of you.

—So how much am I worth? The price of my life, perhaps.

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