Chapter 71 He Has a Fever (Part 2)

Yu Ling quickly turned off the fire, poured the boiling ginger soup into the bowl, and carefully handed it over.

"Hurry, drink it while it's hot." She handed the bowl to his lips.

Zhao Chen leaned back on the sofa, slightly opening his hazy eyes and looking at her. His amber pupils seemed to be covered with a layer of mist, losing their usual sharpness and depth, leaving only pure dependence and a kind of almost childish grievance.

He leaned on Yu Ling's hand and sipped the hot, spicy ginger soup. As the warm liquid slid down his throat, he seemed to feel a little better. His frown relaxed slightly, and his body sank into the soft sofa.

Yu Ling's heart broke at the sight of his frail appearance. She set down the empty bowl, took a dry towel, and gently wiped his still-dripping hair. Her fingertips threaded through his thick black hair, feeling the scorching heat from his roots, her heart aching beyond measure.

"Lingling..." He closed his eyes, tilted his head slightly, and leaned on Yu Ling's busy arms. His voice was low and vague, with a strong nasal tone and sleepiness, "Cold..."

Yu Ling immediately put down the towel and turned to get a blanket, but her wrist was grabbed by a big, scorching hand.

Zhao Chen didn't open his eyes, but instinctively pulled with all his strength. Yu Ling was caught off guard, and with a low cry, he pulled her down onto the sofa, landing right next to him.

He seemed to have found the warmest source of heat, and his body instinctively leaned in. His scalding forehead rested on Yu Ling's slightly cool neck, and his hot breath sprayed on her sensitive collarbone, bringing a slight shudder.

His tall body was huddled up, frail and sick, pressed tightly against her, absorbing her warmth. His arms naturally wrapped around her waist, holding her tightly in his embrace.

"Don't go..." He muttered vaguely, his voice filled with attachment and uneasiness.

She didn't struggle, but instead carefully adjusted her position so that he could lean more comfortably. She reached out and gently wrapped her arms around his broad back, which was trembling slightly with fever, while her other hand gently patted him intermittently, as if comforting a sick child.

"No, I'm here." She responded in a low voice, her voice as soft as a feather brushing past.

Yu Ling lowered her head, watching his profile as it slept against the crook of her neck. Losing his usual control and the sharp edge he occasionally displayed, Zhao Chen's expression now revealed only defenseless fatigue and vulnerability.

An indescribable warmth, a mixture of heartache, pity, and a strange sense of contentment, quietly flowed through Ling's heart. In that moment, she truly felt the weight of being needed. It wasn't dependence, but protection. She embraced him, guarding the most precious treasure. The shadow of the countdown to the agreement seemed to be completely dispelled by this warm embrace.

In this quiet and warm moment——

Zhao Chen, leaning against her neck, seemed to be haunted by some nightmare, and his body shifted uneasily. His brows were tightly furrowed, and he uttered a few indistinct mutterings.

"...Don't...go..." His arms tightened unconsciously, squeezing Yu Ling's waist even tighter.

Yu Ling thought he was suffering from a fever and was about to comfort him, but she heard his next vague, painful murmur:

"Qianqian... stop making trouble..."

The two words "Qianqian" were like two ice cones filled with poison, instantly piercing through all of Yu Ling's warm illusions!

All the blood in her body seemed to freeze in an instant!

Gu Qianqian! It's her again!

While Zhao Chen was running a high fever and blurry-eyed... he called out Gu Qianqian's name?! He mistook her for Gu Qianqian? He hugged her and called out another woman's name?! That dependence and vulnerability he'd shown earlier... was also for that woman?!

The immense humiliation and icy despair instantly engulfed Yu Ling like a tsunami! All the warmth and satisfaction just now turned into the most acute irony! Her heart felt like it was being gripped by an icy hand, the pain so severe that she could hardly breathe! Her body was as stiff as a stone, and the arms that were wrapped around Zhao Chen instantly lost all strength, and she just wanted to push him away!

But just when her fingertips were cold and about to explode,

Zhao Chen's frown suddenly relaxed a little, as if he had escaped a nightmare. He unconsciously nuzzled Yu Ling's cool neck, his hot lips brushing against her sensitive skin, and he sighed with satisfaction. Then, a more vague, yet incredibly clear and doting whisper drifted out like a feather:

"...Lingling's...strawberry print...is the sweetest..."

All of Yu Ling's actions, all of her anger and despair, were paused at this moment.

She froze there, her mind blank.

Lingling? Strawberry print? The sweetest?

Just now he yelled "Qianqian, stop making trouble", but then he said "Lingling's strawberry prints are the sweetest"?!

His chaotic thoughts churned violently like a lake with a stone thrown into it! Was it a dream? A slip of the tongue in the midst of the chaos? Or had he, in his dream, pushed Gu Qianqian aside and chosen her?

The huge shock made Yu Ling unable to think. She looked down at Zhao Chen, who was still hugging her tightly, sleeping in her neck like a child.

The sentence "Lingling's strawberry print is the sweetest" is like a piece of honey wrapped in a sour coat, thrown into the chaotic lake of her heart, slowly and slowly melting into a strange sweetness.

She raised her slightly trembling hand and gently brushed her fingertips across his feverish brow, trying to smooth out the tiny wrinkles. Her movements were gentle and firm, a gesture she herself hadn't noticed.

No matter what that dream mumbling just now meant, at this moment, in her arms, the one who needed her protection was Zhao Chen. He was her, Yu Ling's, husband.

She took a deep breath, suppressed the bitterness and doubts in her heart, tightened her arms around him again, hugged him tighter, and used her body temperature to warm his hot body.

"I'm here." She lowered her head and placed a gentle yet solemn kiss on his burning forehead. "Go to sleep. I'll be with you."

Outside the window, the wind and rain continued. In the living room, under the warm yellow light, she was like the most gentle fortress, guarding her "fragile" god of war all night long.

It was almost dawn and the wind and rain were gradually subsiding.

Yu Ling leaned back on the sofa, holding Zhao Chen tightly in her arms, not closing her eyes all night. The long period of fixed posture had left half her body numb, but as she watched the man in her arms regain his composure as he slept, the temperature in her forehead seemed to cool, and all her fatigue turned to peace.

The dim morning light filtered through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, casting hazy shadows on the living room floor.

Zhao Chen rested his head on Yu Ling's lap, covered in a thick blanket. His breathing was even and long. Although his face was still a little pale, his fever had obviously subsided. His phone, which had been placed on the armrest of the sofa, lit up silently.

A new message popped up, sent by: [Special Assistant-Lin Feng].

The message was extremely brief, without any greetings, just a cold report:

【Zhao Dong, Morning Post.】

1. The acquisition of the target company, Ruijin Technology, has been completed and the documents have been deposited into the vault.

2. The other party's core team has signed a non-compete agreement, prohibiting them from engaging in related fields for five years.

3. Cinda Capital, which intercepted the project, saw its stock price plummet 30% at opening this morning, indicating short-selling funds have been secured.

[4. Ms. Gu's flight will arrive at Haicheng International Airport at 3:15 PM today. A pick-up vehicle has been arranged.]

The light from the screen seemed a little dazzling in the dim living room.

Yu Ling's eyes swept over unintentionally.

"Ruijin Technology"? "Intercepting a project"? "Cinda Capital plummets 30%"? "Short-selling funds"?

These cold and gunpowder-filled words, like a sharp key, instantly pierced through the fragile veil of last night's tenderness!

She suddenly lowered her head and looked at the man who was still "sleeping" in her arms.

Zhao Chen's eyelashes trembled slightly and almost imperceptibly the moment her gaze fell on him.