Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Keeping a Distance from Her
It’s already late at night, and since it’s a VIP ward, the only sound around is the gentle breathing of the two people.
Ian Preston seems to be sleeping soundly, undisturbed by her presence.
Thea Lynch doesn’t know why she came or what she intends to do; she just sits there, staring absentmindedly at Ian Preston’s profile.
In her memory, it was usually her who was asleep, with Ian quietly watching by her side.
This role reversal scene is appearing for the first time.
She remembers those times when she was extremely insecure. Every night she fell asleep listening to his voice, and during weekends, when he worked, she’d nap on the desk after her work was done.
Every time, she’d ask him to wake her up in half an hour. He would agree, but often delay a bit longer.
Most of the time, he’d let her sleep until she woke up naturally.
When she asked, he’d smile and say, "Seeing you sleep so soundly, I couldn’t bear to wake you."
If it were anyone else saying this, she would definitely think the person wasn’t serious, using sweet talk.
But this was Ian, the quiet, stoic Ian.
Lowering her gaze, Thea squeezed her hand tightly, pinching her fingertips, trying to keep herself awake.
The phone in her pocket suddenly vibrated, startling her, and she instinctively looked at the figure on the bed. Luckily, the vibration wasn’t loud and didn’t disturb his rest.
Thea dimmed the phone screen’s brightness and checked the message on WeChat.
It was Silas Cheney.
He was somewhat worried about her, asking why she’d come to the hospital so late.
That was a good question, because she herself didn’t know the answer.
She had thought for a long time at home, trying to focus on work, thinking through everything from chip research to Stratus’s ten-year future plan.
Everything she thought she should or shouldn’t think about, she had meticulously considered. In the end, the only thing left in her mind was Ian Preston.
She hadn’t even thought it through; it seemed like a momentary impulse urging her to leave quickly.
By the time she came to her senses, she was already downstairs at the hospital.
After tapping for a long time, Thea finally replied to him, "Couldn’t sleep, thought I’d come see Garren. But I didn’t pay attention to the time; he’s resting now, so I plan to head back."
Soon, the remark above indicated, "The other party is typing."
After a few seconds, Silas sent her a voice call notification.
"..."
Thankfully, she had set it to vibrate; otherwise, the ringtone would definitely wake Ian up.
No matter how she looked at it, she felt Silas did it on purpose, but unfortunately, she had no evidence.
She clicked to hang up, typing, "I’m still in the ward, can’t answer."
Silas replied with an "OK" emoji, and then there was no follow-up.
Thea stared at the chat interface for a long time, but didn’t receive any more messages from Silas.
Just when she thought Silas had gone to rest, the phone on the bedside table to her right suddenly lit up, followed by the system ringtone starting to play.
A clap of thunder in the middle of nowhere exploded in the empty hospital room.
Thea held her breath, instantly pressing the hang-up button.
But it was too late...
Ian usually sleeps very lightly, waking up at the slightest disturbance. Coupled with the fact that he’s had sleep disorders in the past two years, he can’t withstand any noise while resting.
His bedroom at home had been specially modified for soundproofing.
If it wasn’t for his recent health issues that had disrupted his rest, he would have woken up the moment Thea pushed the door open.
Tonight he was sleeping a bit deeper, only awakening to this ringtone.
Thea remained in her posture of turning off the phone, afraid to make any noise that could disturb Ian.
Thus, when Ian opened his eyes, he immediately saw Thea holding his phone, sitting on the chair with a look of anxiety. Her entire body was stiff, and her posture didn’t look comfortable.
Upon seeing her, Ian showed no reaction.
His expression was calm until he reached out his hand, cautiously touching her left hand resting on the edge of the bed.
In the instant their fingertips touched, both their hearts skipped a beat.
Thea widened her eyes, looking at him, while Ian furrowed his brows and retracted his hand before she could speak.
The warmth on their hands didn’t have time to linger before it suddenly disappeared.
Thea paused, her gaze lowering, just catching the sight of his evasive action.
"..." For a moment, Thea’s heart felt a bit uneasy.
This was what she had always wanted—a familiar yet slightly distant sense of unfamiliarity.
But for some reason, witnessing this scene made her heart ache uncontrollably.
"What are you doing here?"
When Ian spoke, his voice was unexpectedly hoarse to Thea. She composed herself, silently pouring him a glass of water and handing it over.
As she poured the water, Ian had already sat up and casually pressed the remote to turn on all the lights in the ward.
By the light, Thea secretly observed him.
The man leaned against the headboard, his face pale, his Adam’s apple subtly moving as he tilted his head to drink water. The next moment, as his gaze met hers, he didn’t stare intently at her as he usually did, but just gave a brief glance before looking away.
From beginning to end, his eyes remained clear, without a hint of fluctuation.
Seeing him finish the water, Thea reached out her hand to take his cup. But Ian, as if not noticing, moved his arm past her and placed the cup directly on the table.
"..."
Thea’s hand remained suspended in the air before she finally returned it to her leg, clearing away the emotions in her eyes. "Is Garren doing better?"
"Nothing serious," Ian’s voice was slightly clearer than before. He glanced at the time on the wall, his brows furrowed, "Did Silas tell you to come over?"
"Aren’t you supposed to be on a business trip? Is everything at the company resolved? Why come here so late instead of resting properly? Don’t you have work in the morning?"
He deliberately tried to maintain a distance from her, but the concern for her couldn’t be hidden between his words.
Thea also realized this, gazing at him for a long moment before responding, "Nothing major at the company; it’s all been handled."
"I have work in the morning, but I slept all the way during the day, so I’m not that sleepy now."
"No, Four didn’t tell me to come over; I heard about Garren’s hospitalization, so I came to check on you."
"As long as you’re okay."
She answered calmly, her demeanor seemingly more obedient than in the past few days.
Ian gave her a deep look, turning away just as she raised her head.
"It’s late, call Silas to pick you up and head back,"
He looked as if he didn’t want to talk to her much, and Thea nodded, indicating she knew.
"Take care, Garren. Your health is your own; it’s not worth it for others."
This was a lot of drinking, enough to end up in the hospital.
If it were Silas or Sean, it would be understandable, not surprising. Those two had started hitting the bars when they weren’t even of age, drinking to insane levels.
But for Ian, it made her feel uneasy inside.
