CHAPTER 825: CHAPTER 825: REUNION

The little thoughts and tricks of the female doctor were completely transparent to Xu Ke; trying to approach him with such a tactic was simply wishful thinking.

Xu Ke withdrew his gaze from the doctor, and the mocking smile on his lips disappeared. A female doctor could only get so much of his attention; more was impossible.

Sitting on the chair, Xu Ke suddenly remembered Ariel, whom he hadn’t contacted in a long time. He turned back to the hospital room to leave a note for Lin Mengyao, then left.

Xu Ke went to the apartment he had bought for Ariel. As he opened the door, the room was so cold and empty it seemed like no one had ever lived there. Xu Ke frowned slightly, looked around carefully, and found the place was still clean but appeared to have been uninhabited for several days.

Just as Xu Ke was about to call Ariel to find out where she was, the door was opened from the outside. Ariel, whom he hadn’t seen for a long time, had dyed her hair blue, looking much cooler, giving Xu Ke a sense of unfamiliarity.

Ariel stood at the door, staring at Xu Ke. He could see delight in her eyes, but it quickly vanished, replaced by a look of indifference.

"Oh, who might this be, suddenly showing up in my home?" Ariel rolled her eyes at Xu Ke, carrying her suitcase into the house, and spoke in a sarcastic tone.

Seeing her demeanor, Xu Ke knew Ariel was angry. Guilt appeared on his face; indeed, he hadn’t behaved well, promising to visit her often, only to be gone for almost half a year. A few eye rolls from Ariel were deserved.

"Are you mad? I know I messed up. I shouldn’t have taken so long to come see you. Please don’t be mad at me. Forgive me, will you?" Xu Ke approached Ariel, trying to wrap his arms around her, but Ariel blocked him.

"How could you be wrong? You’re not wrong. The one at fault is me for believing you. I’m the stupid and foolish one, not your concern." Ariel said, her expression cold as she looked at Xu Ke.

"No, no, no, it’s my fault. Please forgive me." Although Ariel pushed him away once, Xu Ke stretched out his arms again, pulling Ariel into his embrace with a pleading tone.

"It’s not that I didn’t want to see you. I’ve just been too busy lately. I went abroad for a while due to some matters and only returned a few days ago. Then something happened at home, Yu Xia was hospitalized, and these things kept tying my hands, otherwise, I would have come to see you much sooner." Xu Ke explained softly in Ariel’s ear.

This time, Ariel didn’t pull away, and her expression softened considerably, indicating her attitude had relaxed. Xu Ke seized the opportunity to continue with sweet talk until Ariel was smiling again.

"Alright then, I’ll forgive you this time, but remember, if it happens again, you don’t even need to come here. I’ll leave you, and our relationship will automatically end, understood?" Ariel said, giving Xu Ke a sideways glance.

"That’s not acceptable. I disagree." Xu Ke thought for a moment and said seriously.

Ariel had expected Xu Ke to agree to her demand without a second thought. To her surprise, he refused.

Instantly, Ariel became angry, pushing Xu Ke away from the embrace and even giving him a shove in annoyance.

"What do you mean by that? Do you plan to leave me here alone again for another half a year? What do you take me for, Ariel? A pet you keep? Visit when you remember and let it fend for itself when you don’t, is that it?" Ariel’s eyes filled with hurt.

Seeing Ariel misunderstood, Xu Ke quickly reached out to grab her again, explaining: "It’s not what you think. How could I consider you a pet? You’re my woman, my girlfriend. I refused because I can’t control the time, not because I don’t want to see you. The reason I couldn’t come sooner this time is because I went on a mission. I couldn’t return until it was done. This mission was my first, but it won’t be my last, so I can’t promise you that. Do you understand?" Xu Ke explained.

Hearing Xu Ke’s explanation, Ariel’s eyes welled with tears, hanging at the edge of her lashes, unsure of what to do.

"Is what you’re saying true?" Ariel sniffled, her wide, furry eyes blinking at Xu Ke.

"Why would I lie about this? Of course, it’s true." Xu Ke reached out to wipe the tears hanging from Ariel’s lashes. This time, Ariel didn’t dodge; she even leaped into Xu Ke’s arms.

"Is your job dangerous?" Ariel asked.

"As of now, it’s not very dangerous for me. Why? Worried about your man?" Perhaps because she had been pushing him away earlier, this time Ariel didn’t evade, standing obediently while Xu Ke pinched her cheek.

"I’m very worried about you." Ariel nodded, not denying. "I remember you never had such things before. Why do you suddenly have missions? What are you up to?" Ariel curiously asked Xu Ke.

"I’m just hoping to add some leverage to my family. On the surface, our family seems wealthy and respectable, but only within the merchant circle. Outside of that, our status in politics and the military isn’t high. I think relying on others isn’t as good as relying on oneself, so I started taking on tasks." Xu Ke didn’t go into details, but Ariel, being so smart, picked up on his implications.

Ariel patiently listened to Xu Ke, then cupped his face with both hands, letting out a long sigh: "I really don’t want you working so hard, but I respect your choice. Just make sure to keep yourself safe, alright? Otherwise, I’ll be worried about you."

"I know, don’t worry. With you waiting for me here, nothing will happen to me." Xu Ke raised his hand to make a promise.

Seeing Xu Ke’s reassurance, Ariel finally smiled. Due to their long absence, the temperature between them quickly rose, sparking a kind of passionate chemistry. Just one look at each other made their hearts race.

However, even at this crucial moment, Xu Ke didn’t forget what the place looked like when he first walked into the apartment.

"I’ve told you everything about me, but you haven’t told me where you were going with your suitcase. When I arrived, the house seemed so empty, like no one had lived there in ages." Xu Ke asked.