Chapter 36 So, is it a fever... or...?
There was only a dim light on in the kitchen, the kettle was bubbling on the stove, and white steam was rising, filling the small space.
Zhou Ai leaned on a small stool beside the stove, with one of her long legs casually resting on her side, her hand unconsciously stroking the brand new silver thermos.
He lowered his head, his silver-gray hair hanging down, partially obscuring his expression. Only the slightly upturned corners of his mouth were faintly visible in the dim light.
Just as Zhou Ai was lost in thought, thinking about something in his mind, a "ouch" suddenly came from the kitchen door, accompanied by the sound of something being tripped.
Zhou Ai was startled, suddenly came to his senses and looked up.
Zhou Jiashu rubbed his knees, jumped into the kitchen with a grin, and muttered, "It's dark, who put the stool here... I almost fell..." He obviously didn't expect that there was someone else in the kitchen. He complained while groping for the switch on the wall.
With a "click", the dazzling light of the incandescent lamp instantly dispelled the darkness and illuminated the entire kitchen.
Zhou Ai was blinded by the sudden bright light and subconsciously squinted his eyes and turned his head away uncomfortably.
Only then did Zhou Jiashu see clearly that the person sitting on the small stool was Zhou Ai. He was immediately startled and stammered an apology: "Zhou, Zhou Brother? Why are you here? You didn't even turn on the light... I didn't see you. Sorry, I didn't step on you, did I?"
Zhou Ai adjusted to the light and slowly opened her eyes. Her tone was lazy and no emotion could be heard: "It's okay."
His gaze involuntarily fell back on the thermos in his hand, and his fingers unconsciously tightened a little.
Zhou Jiashu breathed a sigh of relief, walked to the stove and looked at the boiling water, then curiously glanced at Zhou Ai who was obviously distracted, and the cup in his hand that he was stroking repeatedly.
"Eh? Brother Zhou, your thermos cup... seems to be the same model as Teacher Chu's, right? The one he always holds in his hand, exactly the same!"
Zhou Ai's motion of stroking the cup suddenly stopped. "Really? I didn't notice. I just bought it casually." He shook the cup in his hand, as if this was really just an insignificant coincidence. "This style is very common in supermarkets."
Zhou Jiashu was simple-minded and didn't think much about it. He just smiled innocently: "Oh, so that's it. But Teacher Chu's one seems to have been used for a long time and looks a bit old. Brother Zhou, yours is new, right? It's so bright!" As he said that, he poured himself a cup of hot water and blew on it.
"...Yeah, new one." Zhou Ai responded vaguely, lowered his head, and his gaze fell on the thermos again.
Zhou Ai scoffed inwardly. He had seen Chu Yi's cup several times before. It had a frosted texture and minimalist design, a Nordic brand known for its quality and affordability.
"New, never used."
Chu Yi's cold voice seemed to ring in his ears again.
So, Chu Yi specially bought a new cup of the same model... for him?
This realization made Zhou Ai's heart skip a beat uncontrollably. An indescribable tingling sensation quickly spread from his heart, making him even more dizzy than the previous head hit.
He gripped the thermos tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white.
After Zhou Jiashu finished drinking the water, he saw Zhou Ai still staring at the cup in a daze, and couldn't help asking again: "Brother Zhou, is your water not boiling yet? Do you need help?"
Zhou Ai snapped back to his senses, coughed to cover it up, and stood up to get the kettle: "No, the water is boiling. I'll make some medicine."
He poured the boiling water into the thermos in a hurry, watching the dark brown cold medicine swirl and melt in the boiling water, the hot steam blurring his now slightly hot cheeks.
Zhou Jiashu watched him go through a series of actions and blinked. He felt that there was something strange about Zhou Ai tonight, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He shook his head, said, "Brother Zhou, go to bed early," and left the kitchen with his water cup.
Zhou Ai was the only one left in the kitchen. He screwed the lid of the thermos bottle shut but didn't leave immediately.
He leaned against the stove, looked down at the cup in his hand, which was the same model as Chu Yi's, and felt the warmth coming from the cup wall with his fingertips.
The sound of rain outside the window became softer at some point, and it now sounded like a lover's whisper.
Zhou Ai raised his hand and gently touched the small bump on his forehead that was no longer noticeable. He remembered Chu Yi's focused and serious eyes when he squatted in front of him to examine him, and his seemingly cold but actually... considerate look when he handed him the hair dryer and medicine.
Finally, all the images froze on Chu Yi standing at the door wearing soft pajamas with her collarbone slightly exposed.
Zhou Ai's Adam's apple rolled, and he tilted his head back and took a big sip of warm cold medicine.
Mm, so sweet.
He licked the corner of his mouth, looked at the same thermos in his hand, and chuckled softly.
Zhou Ai drank the last bit of warm medicine in the cup, and the sweet and bitter taste seemed to still linger on the tip of his tongue.
He looked at the empty thermos, then at the kettle on the stove that was still steaming slightly. For some unknown reason, he filled another kettle with water and boiled it.
The water soon boiled again. He carried the gurgling kettle and knocked on Chu Yi's door for the second time.
“Knock knock.”
There were light footsteps in the room and the door was opened.
Chu Yi seemed to be getting ready for bed. He had taken off the knitted cardigan he had been wearing, leaving only the soft apricot-light wood pajamas in his outfit. The collar was looser than before, revealing the clear lines of his collarbone and a small area of skin on his chest.
His hair looked drier and fluffier than before, and he had an air of defenseless homeliness about him.
"What's wrong?" Chu Yi looked at Zhou Ai who had returned, and the kettle in his hand that had obviously just boiled, with a hint of doubt in his eyes.
Looking at Chu Yi like this, Zhou Ai's prepared words were stuck instantly. His brain seemed to have crashed and he could only stare at the other person blankly.
The fresh scent of Chu Yi's fresh shower and the warm light in the room hit him in the face, making him forget to react for a moment. He just stood stupidly at the door holding the kettle.
"I...I boiled some water," Zhou Ai hesitated, his eyes wandering. He didn't dare to look Chu Yi in the eye. He subconsciously raised the kettle in his hand and said, "I'll pour some for you."
Although Chu Yi felt strange, seeing Zhou Ai's somewhat awkward and forced calm look, he did not ask any more questions. He just said lightly: "Thank you, wait a moment." Then he turned around to pick up the water cup on the desk.
The moment Chu Yi turned around, Zhou Ai, relying on his height advantage, easily looked over Chu Yi's shoulder and took in the entire scene in the room.
Then, his eyes fixed on the single wooden bed.
There were two quilts placed side by side on the bed, one thick and one thin, with a warm-looking down jacket piled next to them. These beddings cleverly formed a shape similar to a "nest", creating a depression in the middle of the bed that looked extremely warm and safe.
Zhou Ai's mind instantly and uncontrollably imagined Chu Yi curled up in this small "nest" carefully constructed with a quilt and down jacket, with only a furry head exposed, cheeks flushed from sleep, and a defenseless and obedient appearance...
This picture is really too impactful.
With a "boom", Zhou Ai felt a surge of hot blood rushing to his head, his ears instantly turned red and even his neck was covered with a thin layer of red.
Just at this moment, Chu Yi turned around with a cup of water.
At first glance, one could see that Zhou Ai's ears and neck were abnormally red, and even the side of her face had a suspicious blush.
Chu Yi frowned immediately, and his first reaction was: He has a fever again?
He subconsciously stretched out his hand, and his slightly cool fingertips touched Zhou Ai's red and hot earlobe directly, wanting to feel the temperature.
"You..." Do you have a fever again?
However, before he could even ask the question—
Zhou Ai was immersed in the amazing imagination of her "nest" and "good baby", when she was caught off guard by a cool, soft touch on her earlobe with the unique clean scent of Chu Yi!
This light touch was like lighting the final fuse.
Zhou Ai's whole body suddenly stiffened, as if struck by a weak electric current, and the hand holding the kettle trembled.
He jumped back a step as if he had been electrocuted, instantly widening the distance between them. His entire face, including the base of his neck, turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye, even more red than before.
His extreme reaction also scared Chu Yi.
Chu Yi's hand remained frozen in mid-air, the burning sensation from his fingertips still lingering. He watched Zhou Ai's reaction as he retreated dramatically, his face filled with shock and... avoidance?
Chu Yi came back to his senses instantly and realized what he had just done.
He actually reached out and touched Zhou Ai's ear without permission.
A feeling of embarrassment and regret quickly surged into my heart.
Chu Yi immediately withdrew his hand, his fingertips curled up, a barely perceptible panic flashed across his face, and he hastily apologized, his tone more hurried than ever before: "I'm sorry! I... I didn't mean to. I thought you had a fever again..."
Zhou Ai was holding the kettle, her heart still pounding as if it was about to burst out of her chest.
He looked at Chu Yi's slightly red ears and evasive eyes when he apologized, and felt the incredible heat on his face, and his mind was in a mess.
He wanted to say "It's okay", wanted to say "I don't have a fever", and even wanted to ask "How did you sleep in that bed?"
But all the words were stuck in his throat, and in the end he could only squeeze out a few dry words: "No, it's okay... Water... Water is for you..."
He hurriedly handed the kettle forward, not even bothering to pour water for Chu Yi, and almost stuffed it into the other's hand. Then, as if something was chasing him, he said incoherently, "Go to bed early", and turned around and fled the scene.
Chu Yi stood there in a daze, holding the slightly warm kettle. He watched Zhou Ai's back as she almost fled in panic. He then looked down at the fingertips that had touched Zhou Ai's earlobe. It seemed as if the abnormally hot temperature still lingered there...
So, was it a fever... or was it...?
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