Take My Breath Away

Erica pouted, but grudgingly drank half a glass of water.

After putting away the water, she still didn't sleep. She kept baiting Matthew, who was wiping her body with a clean towel, into a conversation. "Matthew, I'm so moved. I didn't expect that you would personally take care of me."

Without raising his head, the man answered with feigned annoyance, "I have no other choice." The decision hadn't been a difficult one to make. Right from the beginning, all he had wanted to do was take care of her.

Erica snorted when she heard his reply. Would it be so impossible for him to say something nice for once? "Hey! You know what? The members of the Four Colors are all scumbags!"

Her declaration filled Matthew with satisfaction. "How do you know?" he asked, curious to hear her explanation. If that was the case, then he didn't need to do anything.

"Because... all men I can't get will be considered as scums!" Erica laughed out loud and ignored the sour expression on his face.

Matthew's eyes narrowed, and he lowered his voice as he spoke. "Do you want to hear something horrible about them?"

"What? Really?" Erica was reminded of her previous idol, Aaron Gao. Not long ago, he had been ridiculed as a has-been star. He stopped appearing in front of cameras ever since. She rarely saw him anymore.

"Of course. Everyone in the entertainment circle has kept something secret from the public," he said nonchalantly. He didn't want his wife to think about male stars all the time. So, he decided to find female stars or actresses to cooperate with the ZL Group in the future.

Erica shook her head decisively. "I don't want to know! Don't tell me anything!" If things went on like this, she would have no idols left except for Matthew!

The man gazed at her in silence.

"Matthew, you know what? I've envied two types of women in my life. The first is the kind of woman who is very confident and does well in her career. A successful woman who always follows her mood and chooses whether to talk to you or not. And the second is the kind of woman who appears fragile and acts spoiled. People would do anything to protect a woman like that. As for me, I happen to be stuck between these two kinds of women. I'm neither successful nor fragile. Matthew, what kind of woman do you like?"

He raised her chin with one hand and wiped her neck with the other. His intense gaze studied her for a reaction as he said firmly, "Neither." No matter what kind of woman Erica was, he would like her. He wanted her to know this, but he struggled with finding the right words. He liked her. Only her!

"Humph!" It was so typical of him to be frugal with his words. Erica believed he was this way with her because he just didn't want to talk to her. "People like you should die alone. Then you would learn how precious women are!"

There must be so many women around him that he could pick whoever caught his fancy.

He didn't have to wait until he died alone to know how precious it was for him to have married her.

"Perhaps you have nothing to say as you don't dare to confess your love for your goddess in front of me?" 'Is he afraid that I will get even with Phoebe again?' she wondered.

Matthew's gaze met hers as he replied, "You're right about that."

'What? He didn't deny it?'

Erica grabbed his hand, placed it on her chest, and asked, "Can you hear my heart breaking?"

Matthew's gaze intensified when he looked where she had placed his hand. He swallowed hard and said, "My hand can't hear anything." He tried to keep his desire at bay as she was sick, and he didn't want to take advantage of her.

Erica was careless even when she had a fever. She couldn't see what the man thought, even though it clearly reflected in his expression. Still lost in her world and insecurities, she prattled on. "Oh...my heart aches. Forget it. Just hold me and sleep!" It didn't matter whether he loved her or not. He was by her side now, and she was determined to enjoy this moment with him.

"Okay. I need to wash my hands first." Reluctantly, Matthew withdrew his hand from her chest, flipped the towel on her forehead, and tidied up the bedside table before heading for the bathroom.

Fortunately, Erica's fever lowered after midnight.

Soon, it was dawn. Matthew looked at the thermometer after he had taken her temperature. It was 37.5 degrees Celsius. Relief coursed through him at the thought that she had a low fever now.

She would be fine if she paid more attention to herself during the day.

At eight o'clock in the morning, Erica slowly opened her eyes, turned over on the bed, and fell into a man's arms. It was Matthew.

It was Matthew. He was still by her side! She glanced at his face only to find that his eyes were closed. She was surprised to find that he was still asleep. He hadn't rushed off to work like before!

Erica grinned as she pulled his arm, rested her head on his shoulder, and placed her other hand around his waist. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sense of security of being in her husband's arms.

The corners of Matthew's mouth lifted slightly.

Her warm breath fell on his chest, and her sweet fragrance surrounded him. This blissful moment was precious, indeed.

However, two minutes later, she couldn't help coughing, thus, breaking the silence in the room.

Matthew pushed her hand away and sat up on the bed. Erica continued to hold his waist. She buried her face in his body and said in a sweet tone, "Please sleep a little longer!"

The sick girl seemed to be a little clingy. He smoothed her long, messy hair and said softly, "Sleep again after taking your medicine."

He had just checked her temperature, and it had returned to normal. She didn't need to take an antipyretic, but she still needed the cold medicine.

Erica sniffed. She knew he was right. But, she just didn't want to let go of him. Grudgingly, she removed her hand.

After wearing his pajamas, Matthew placed a call for breakfast before heading to the bathroom to wash.

Erica slept for about ten more minutes. She was still groggy when he returned from the bathroom and helped her up from the bed. "Breakfast is ready. Go brush your teeth," he said in a gentle tone.

"Okay." Her stomach rumbled when she heard the word, breakfast. She pushed her messy hair behind her ears, yawned, and struggled to open her eyes.

Matthew had prepared warm water, a toothbrush, and toothpaste for her in the bathroom. Erica was still so dazed that she barely noticed as she brushed her teeth mechanically.

After breakfast, she took her cold medicine and went back to bed.

Matthew sat on the edge of the bed after tucking her in, and said, "I'm in the meeting room next door. Call me if you need anything."

"Don't you need to go out to work?"

He shook his head. When he learned that she was unwell, he postponed all his appointments for later that afternoon. He would go out after lunch if she were better.

Erica's mind was so hazy with the medicine that she didn't think too much. She just closed her eyes and continued to sleep.

It was almost noon when Erica woke again. This time, she was in high spirits. Except for a nasal twang when she spoke, all other symptoms had improved.

Later in the afternoon, before leaving for work, Matthew asked her to stroll around the streets near the hotel and not stray too far. He didn't want her to exhaust herself as she was still weak.

She was obedient this time and just took photos on the old streets nearby.

The streets of this city had a history that dated back thousands of years. The most famous spot was the ancient gate of the city in the southern part.

When she stepped through the ancient gate, Erica found that the alley was filled with shops that sold a variety of goods or souvenirs. The alley floor had been paved with some kind of ancient black bricks. Walking in the alley, Erica felt as though she had been transported to ancient times.

For Erica, who liked to take photos of scenery, this was the best place for shooting. She held the camera and took photos happily.

After a while, she felt a bit tired and thirsty. So, she found a small shop to buy a bowl of red bean soup with taro balls and a cup of bubble tea. It was leisurely to walk along the street while eating these desserts.

She took a picture of the food in front of her and sent it to Matthew. "Matthew, the red bean soup with taro balls is delicious. Do you want me to bring you one?"

"Who allowed you to eat a smoothie?"

'Huh? Smoothie?' Erica looked at the food carefully. As she had eaten some of the red beans and taro balls, the thick layer of shaved ice beneath them had been exposed. Matthew's eyes were so sharp!