Shen Shuangjian's hands were slightly cool, like a section of bamboo in fresh snow, with a delicate and smooth exterior but also clearly defined veins of muscle and bone.
Xie Jinghui was calmer than him and roughly knew the state of a heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest. Shen Shuangjian that his breathing was not rapid and his face was not changed except for being pale.
Therefore, Xie Jinghui's first reaction was to reassure her, and only then did he allow the standby medical team to approach and give Shen Shuangjian a basic examination. In the end, the result was indeed that there was no danger.
Shen Shuangjian had already let go of the hand when the medical team approached. He sat by the window, looking somewhat dejected as he huddled in the corner.
Because a stethoscope had just been inserted into his chest, two buttons on his shirt were undone, but he forgot to button them up.
Perhaps due to the unease of the unknown, Shen Shuangjian still tightly clutching the thin blanket in her arms. Beneath her slightly disheveled long hair, her exposed skin revealed a hint of snow-white color, which only made her seem more like she was trying to cover up something.
Suddenly, Xie Jinghui thought of that kiss that couldn't really be called a kiss.
Shen Shuangjian's cool fingertips held his tightly. When he looked up, his lips brushed against Shen Shuangjian's thin earlobe. Besides the familiar cool fragrance, there was also the soft, flowing hair of Shen Shuangjian.
It turns out... Shen Shuangjian wasn't always so distant. When he was uneasy, he would take the initiative to get closer; when he was uncomfortable, he would curl up in a dark corner like a withered lily of the valley.
Xie Jinghui's eyes gradually began to lose focus. He reached out and hesitated for a moment before stopping beside Shen Shuangjian's ear.
Shen Shuangjian her eyes closed and seemed to have begun to doze off. At this arm's length distance, Xie Jinghui.
At the moment when her gaze was at its deepest, Xie Jinghui touched a strand of cool, jade-like hair on the side of his neck with the most unrestrained yet most restrained gesture.
At this moment, Shen Shuangjian suddenly opened his eyes. He lifted his eyelids and glanced at Xie Jinghui with a hint of weariness.
So Xie Jinghui slowly returned his gentle smile. Xie Jinghui couldn't help but wonder why he was always so uneasy, trying to guess Shen Shuangjian's thoughts.
Shen Shuangjian what he truly wanted, and whether, at some point, he had been looking at her the way she had looked at him.
When will he finally have the courage to utter those words?
Four hours later, the plane landed safely.
After the pressure of the descent subsided, Shen Shuangjian, guided by the flight crew, stood on the land of Northwest China.
A strong, dry wind and a barely perceptible heatwave swept in, instantly scattering Shen Shuangjian's long, loosely tied hair, the crimson ribbon lingeringly drifting away from the ends of her hair.
Just as it was about to drift away with the wind, Shen Shuangjian a hand suddenly reach out from not far behind him. The fingertips caught the falling red rope, wrapped it around a few times, and kept it in his palm.
"The northwest is windy and dusty, but this place is already very close to the desert."
Xie Jinghui said, then draped a white veil large enough to completely cover Shen Shuangjian over his shoulders. "Once we enter the desert, the sandstorm will redden your face."
The car that came to pick them up had already driven into the private parking lot. Xie Jinghui gently put his arm around Shen Shuangjian and helped him into the car.
The meeting point set by the production team was already very close to the entrance of the desert. Xie Jinghui's convoy was some distance away, about an hour and a half's drive away.
From the moment she boarded the plane, Shen Shuangjian's body was not adapting well to the pressure of takeoff and landing and the climate of the Northwest, and she always looked listless.
So Xie Jinghui could only hold the defenseless Shen Shuangjian in his arms. Shen Shuangjian slept against his legs, while he used his phone to communicate with the production team about more details and handle some of his personal work.
Entering the desert is not like being in the city. The production crew alone already had dozens of vehicles. Although they ensured safety, Xie Jinghui was still worried.
Therefore, at Xie Jinghui's request, his privately hired medical team and desert survival convoy were incorporated into the program team.
Just as Xie Jinghui was arranging things in the desert, a call notification suddenly popped up at the top of his otherwise clean WeChat list.
Xie Jinghui paused slightly, his gaze falling on Shen Shuangjian, who was sleeping lightly in his arms. His originally relaxed brows furrowed slightly.
Xie Jinghui turned down the volume and answered the phone. After the call connected, he didn't speak but just listened quietly.
But the more Xie Jinghui listened, the more his expression darkened. After a moment, he pursed his thin lips and lowered his voice, which carried a chilling unease.
"Waste."
Xie Jinghui closed his eyes, rubbing his temples, revealing a hint of weariness and impatience.
Xie Jinghui whispered, "I understand, you can hang up now."
There were still some unclear points about entering the desert, so Xie Jinghui had to pick up his phone again and carefully review the situation with the accompanying convoy.
If conditions permit, Xie Jinghui, like Shen Sixian, doesn't want Shen Shuangjian into the desert and exhaust herself just to record a program.
The desert has a large temperature difference and is a remote, uninhabited area far from the city. Shen Shuangjian's body is extremely weak, and if she were to suffer from hypothermia or heatstroke, the situation would be very dangerous.
But if even Shen Sixian couldn't persuade him, why did Xie Jinghui think he might be able to?
When everything was almost done, Xie Jinghui finally put down his phone. He finally had time to look out the window and soothe his dry, tired eyes.
The closer you get to the desert, the more desolate the surrounding scenery becomes. Yellow sand flies everywhere, and there are few cars and few people on the wide highway.
Such scenery may be rare in the city, but it seems particularly ordinary because it is too monotonous and unlike the dazzling night view of Capital's skyscrapers.
Just as he was getting tired and about to look away, the slender figure curled up between his legs began to move slowly.
When Shen Shuangjian woke up, he lingered for a while before struggling to sit up.
It seemed that time was irrelevant, so Shen Shuangjian against the car door, turned his head to look out the window, and the white gauze scarf piled on his shoulders and neck ruffled his long hair, making it look slightly messy.
Through the glass frame, Shen Shuangjian's profile appeared as if it were encased in a single roll of duct tape, and the car window became his only lens.
Xie Jinghui watched him quietly, and through the gap beside him and the faint reflection of his silhouette on the glass, Xie Jinghui saw the same scenery as before.
After a brief silence, Xie Jinghui suddenly understood. It turned out that this place was not barren, and the desert in the northwest was not completely devoid of vegetation.