Chapter 175 Why Does It Seem Like Flirting?
When Grace woke up again, it was already evening.
The moment she opened her eyes, she noticed the darkness outside the window.
A sudden wave of panic hit her, and she tried to sit up in bed.
"Don't move."
Alexander walked over to her.
"Your injuries haven't healed yet."
Grace asked in confusion, "Did I sleep for a long time?"
Alexander replied, "Yes, for two whole days and nights."
Heaven knew how difficult those two days and nights had been for him.
He hadn't slept well at all. Even when he did manage to sleep, he could only doze off while slumped over the side of her bed. Given his height, the bed was too low, leaving his entire body stiff and sore.
Grace's consciousness cleared a bit more. "Where are Max and Liam?"
"They're sleeping."
Alexander lifted his head as he spoke.
Following his gaze, Grace saw Liam and Max curled up together, sleeping on the adjacent bed.
"While you were missing, they didn't sleep well either," Alexander continued. "I wanted to send them home, but they refused. They insisted on staying here to watch over you."
Warmth spread through Grace's heart. These two children truly cared about her..
"Are you uncomfortable anywhere?" Alexander asked.
Grace shook her head. "No."
"I had no idea your injuries were this serious," Alexander said. "I didn't even notice. I never realized you could endure so much pain. If you feel even the slightest discomfort, you must tell me."
"I don't feel uncomfortable anywhere," Grace replied, "just a little thirsty."
Alexander gently brushed the disheveled strands of hair from her face, tucking them behind her ears. "The doctor says you can't drink water yet."
"But I'm thirsty," Grace protested.
Alexander coaxed gently, "Just bear with it a little longer, okay? The doctor said you have to wait three hours after waking up before you can have any fluids."
Grace nodded reluctantly. She touched her empty stomach—not only was she thirsty, but she was also starving.
Unfortunately, she was in a hospital where she couldn't be willful, so she could only lean against the headboard in resigned misery, staring blankly into space.
Alexander picked up a glass of warm water from the bedside table, dipped a cotton swab into it, and sat on the edge of the bed. He gently dabbed the moistened swab against her lips, which had cracked from dehydration.
He was sitting so close to her.
She could even feel his breath, light as a feather.
Alexander didn't dare breathe too forcefully, as if the woman before him was a fragile porcelain doll. She had never seen him this cautious and careful before.
Grace noticed he kept staring at her lips, his brow slightly furrowed. "Why do you keep staring at me?"
Alexander smiled with a hint of mischief. "Can't help it—you're just too beautiful to look away from."
Grace fell silent.
Suddenly remembering something, she gripped his arm nervously. "Where's Lily?"
Alexander looked puzzled. "Lily?"
Grace explained, "The little girl I rescued!"
"She wasn't injured," Alexander replied, "but she's at the police station. The officers are trying to contact her relatives."
Grace relaxed as soon as she heard that.
"Her mother was killed by those criminals, and no one knows where her father is."
"Don't worry," Alexander reassured her. "She's safe now."
Grace nodded.
Alexander suddenly stood up and brought over a thermos.
"What's that?" Grace asked curiously.
Alexander raised an eyebrow. "Guess."
"Water?" Grace ventured.
Alexander unscrewed the lid.
The thermos contained fragrant, steaming chicken soup.
Grace instinctively reached for the thermos, but Alexander gently tapped her hand away. "Max was right—look how you're practically drooling over his homemade chicken soup."
"Well, I'm hungry!" Grace said matter-of-factly.
"But you can't even drink water right now, let alone chicken soup," Alexander pointed out.
"So Max's specially made soup for me is going to waste?" Grace asked.
"No, it won't. If you can't drink it, I'll finish it," Alexander replied.
How cruel! Not only couldn't she drink it, but she had to watch him consume it right in front of her?
This was pure torture.
Alexander laughed. "I'm just teasing you. Once you're allowed to drink water, you can have the chicken soup too."
Grace nodded and obediently waited, leaning against the headboard.
She kept picking up his phone to check the time, but the minutes crawled by with agonizing slowness, each second feeling like torture.
She was so hungry she felt like she could devour an entire cow.
At the same time, she was curious about what had happened after she lost consciousness.
"What happened to the people on the ship?" Grace asked.
"The ship eventually sank," Alexander replied, "but most of the casualties were from the Black Mass organization."
Most of the innocent people had been rescued onto the armed cruisers. While the Black Mass members had worn uniforms, some had removed them to blend in with civilians and board the rescue ships. However, these individuals were arrested by police as soon as they reached shore.
"Grace, you saved them," Alexander said. "Do you know that? Many of them want to meet you in person to thank you."
"That's not necessary," Grace replied. "I didn't save them to get their gratitude."
She had simply done what she could within her abilities.
"In desperate situations, human nature's survival instincts and selfishness become most apparent," Alexander observed. "Not everyone could have done what you did."
He had initially thought Grace had only rescued one little girl, but as the investigation deepened, he learned she had saved so many more people.
"I suppose my only virtue might be kindness," Grace said.
Alexander chuckled. "Besides kindness, you have many other qualities."
Grace's eyes lit up. "Like what?"
Alexander appeared to be deep in thought.
Seeing him struggle so much, Grace felt disappointed. "Forget it, you don't have to force yourself to compliment me if you can't think of anything!"
Alexander suddenly reached out and affectionately ruffled her hair. "You're beautiful, with such big, expressive eyes. You appear gentle on the outside but are strong within—you look fragile, but your heart is resilient. You're intelligent, decisive in crucial moments, never indecisive. And... you gave me the most precious gift in the world."
Grace looked slightly bewildered. "A gift? Are you talking about Max?"
Alexander gazed at her tenderly.
Suddenly, he gently cradled the back of her neck and kissed her.
He didn't kiss her forcefully, mindful that she was still injured. At first, it was just a light touch, like a butterfly landing briefly. When he finished, he didn't forget to place a comforting kiss on her forehead. "Silly girl, the most precious gift in the world isn't Max—it's you."
Grace's face immediately flushed with heat, though she protested, "You're just feeding me sweet lies!"
"Well, are you going to listen to these sweet lies or not?" Alexander asked.
"I won't listen," Grace replied. "You must have ulterior motives."
She suddenly realized belatedly that they were... flirting with each other, weren't they?