Heavy rain is coming
In the family suite, Gu Yansheng realized belatedly that his behavior just now was very rude. With mixed feelings, he didn't want to accept Jiang Lin's "judgment" of him. He also didn't have the energy to do so. The alcohol from the toast to Wu Mingyi made his brain dull.
"I want to be alone for a while..."
Gu Yansheng lowered his head and turned his back to Jiang Lin. He couldn't see the other person's expression, but he could probably guess that his request might be rejected.
He tensed his shoulders, as if waiting for a silent trial. The alcohol slowed his thoughts, leaving only a complex, escapist weariness.
However, the expected opposition or strong intervention did not come.
There was only a very brief, even gentle response coming from behind:
"Um."
Gu Yansheng's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
Then, Jiang Lin's low and steady voice clearly added, "I'm in the living room. Call me if you feel unwell."
The footsteps were heard, not approaching, but moving farther and farther away in the direction of the living room. Then the door was gently closed, blocking the direct line of sight between the bedroom and the outside world, but leaving a gap.
Gu Yansheng turned around abruptly.
There were still some complex emotions on his face - the vulnerability of escape, the confusion brought by alcohol, but at this moment, all of this was covered by a pure, almost blank surprise.
His eyes widened slightly, his pupils clearly reflecting a hint of light under the warm yellow wall lamp, as if he hadn't understood those few simple words. His mouth unconsciously opened slightly, as if he wanted to confirm something, but no sound came out.
He... just agreed to it?
No questions, no denial, no forcing to stay?
This completely deviated from Gu Yansheng's inherent understanding of Jiang Lin's behavior. How could Jiang Lin, who always had a strong desire for control, give in so easily?
This unexpected "respect", or "space given", was like a small stone thrown into the chaotic lake of his heart, causing ripples of surprise and even a sense of vague unreality.
This surprise briefly diluted the previous boredom and the heaviness of alcohol. He stood there in a daze, staring at the half-open door for several seconds before slowly coming to his senses.
"……oh."
He responded softly to the empty room, as if it was a belated response to Jiang Lin's words just now, and also as if to confirm that this was not an illusion.
The fatigue and aftereffects of the alcohol surged back. Gu Yansheng shook his head, feeling heavy, and stopped thinking about this unusual "smoothness." He just wanted to wash off the smell of alcohol and the sticky discomfort.
The sound of water gurgling in the bathroom filled the air, the warm water washing over her skin, briefly removing some of her fatigue but failing to dispel the dullness of her brain. Gu Yansheng dried herself slowly and changed into clean pajamas.
He pushed open the bathroom door and walked into the bedroom, suffocating with damp air. He didn't turn on the headlights, relying only on the dim light of the city and the wall lamps filtering through the window. He walked straight to the large bed covered with soft light gray bedding and collapsed on it. He didn't even bother to cover himself properly with the quilt, but simply pulled a corner of it around his waist.
The soft bed instantly enveloped his exhausted body. The effects of the alcohol were completely released in the relaxing environment, and his heavy eyelids immediately glued together. He turned sideways and buried his face in the pillow with a faint scent of detergent. Almost instantly, his consciousness sank into a hazy darkness.
In the living room, only a floor lamp in the corner was on, and the light was dim and quiet.
Jiang Lin sat on a large, single sofa, his body tucked into the shadows. The TV screen was on, broadcasting the late-night local news. His face was expressionless, his eyes fixed on the screen, yet seemed to penetrate it, focused on a certain void.
The news ended and the screen switched to the weather forecast. The well-dressed female anchor stood in front of the weather map and spoke clearly:
"...Affected by the outer circulation of Typhoon Haiyan, this year's Xth typhoon, our city is expected to experience a round of heavy rainfall starting early this evening. This period may last for more than 24 hours, accompanied by short bursts of heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and strong winds. Some areas may experience rainfall reaching torrential downpour levels. Citizens are advised to take precautions and avoid unnecessary outings..."
Heavy rain.
These three words echoed clearly in the quiet living room.
Jiang Lin's face remained as still as a perfect ice sculpture, without a single ripple. His jawline was taut, his thin lips pressed into a cold, hard line. Even his eyes didn't change, as if he were simply listening to a routine report that had nothing to do with him.
But his right hand, with its distinct joints and a calm and powerful appearance, was gripping the TV remote control, its slender fingers firmly clasped on the remote's cold plastic casing.
His knuckles were bluish-white from the excessive force, clearly bulging as if they were about to crush the tiny controller. On the back of his hand, pale blue veins bulged and pulsed slightly beneath the skin, silently revealing the turbulent emotions within its owner, a stark contrast to the outward calm.
The light from the screen reflected in his bottomless pupils, and the weather forecast continued, describing in detail the intensity and scope of the rainstorm.
The unfamiliar environment would aggravate Gu Yansheng's skin hypersensitivity in rainy weather...
Besides, just now at the wedding, he reacted violently, as if he really hated being tied to himself...
Jiang Lin felt inexplicably irritated. He loosened his tie and sent a message to Hu Meiling asking about Gu Yansheng's psychological counseling this week.
Hu Meiling: He is in good condition now. I don’t think he will have such serious symptoms as last time.
Jiang Lin: Gu Yansheng probably won't be able to handle the heavy rain, and his reaction will be huge.
Hu Meiling: Then take him to the hospital first. They have the best emergency equipment there. You're a doctor, so I don't need to remind you. (Cute)
Jiang Lin didn't reply directly...
Wu Mingyi asked about Gu Yansheng's situation on the phone. Since she was the protagonist, she couldn't come over to find out why Mr. Nice Guy had such a big reaction today.
Jiang Lin didn't reply. He called the hotel customer service number to order a meal, then opened the backpack on the sofa. Inside was only a change of clothes. The rest was filled with medicine, a small oxygen tank, and an adrenaline injection...
Every time he went out, he would carry these items with him. After all, the city roads were crowded during heavy rain. Even if an emergency number was called and the ambulance was on green channel, it would not be possible for it to arrive at the speed of light immediately. However, those severe stress reactions would immediately take Gu Yansheng's life.
In the bedroom, Gu Yansheng was lost in a bottomless nightmare. Chaotic fragments intertwined—senior Wu Mingyi's pristine white wedding dress transformed into a glaring flash, Su Rui's magnified smile twisted into a silent question, Chen Yu's hand patting his shoulder turned into a cold needle piercing him... And deepest within, under the pale light of the underground parking lot, Jiang Lin's eyes, brimming with undisguised disgust, pierced him coldly and directly!
"No...no..." He moaned unconsciously, his body twisting uncomfortably in the soft bedding.
In this suffocating nightmare, a more real physical pain suddenly tore him apart!
It was as if countless red-hot needles were piercing densely from beneath my skin without warning! A sharp burning pain instantly swept through my body, and every pore screamed! My throat felt like it was blocked by scalding sandpaper, and I felt as dry as if I had been exposed to the desert sun for three days and three nights.
It was as if the thermostat inside his body had been overturned. A burst of biting chill just passed through him, and the next second he was enveloped by boiling magma. The torture of ice and fire was so severe that he almost had a spasm.
"Ugh..." A painful groan finally broke through his throat. Gu Yansheng suddenly broke free from the nightmare and sat up in shock!
Outside, the wind roared with terrifying force, pounding against the French windows on the upper floors with a dull, persistent "woosh," as if a giant beast were trying to break in! The glass frame trembled slightly. Pale lightning tore through the thick clouds, instantly illuminating his pale face and terrified pupils in the room. Then, deafening thunder roared, as if exploding overhead!
Heavy rain! A heavy rainstorm is coming!
This realization was like a cold shower, instantly extinguishing the chaos of the nightmare he had just escaped, leaving only a deep-seated fear! His rainy-weather hypersensitivity... was about to flare up! And this time, the feeling was even worse than before!
He gasped for air, cold sweat instantly soaking his thin pajamas, sticking to his burning skin, adding to the torture. Every breath was a burning sensation, as if his lungs were filled with scalding cotton.
He struggled to get out of bed and find some water, but his body felt as weak as a ball of cotton, his hands and feet trembling uncontrollably. His vision went black, and he almost collapsed from the dizziness.
Just as he tried to prop himself up and awkwardly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, the bedroom door was silently pushed open.
Gu Yansheng looked up in panic.
Jiang Lin stood tall at the doorway, his expression unclear against the dim light filtering in from the living room. In one hand, he held a few white pills in a bottle cap, and in the other, he held a small portable oxygen tank. On the table next to the room lay an opened first aid kit, complete with gauze, syringes, and antihistamine injections.
He had been prepared long ago! Before the rainstorm hit, before Hu Meiling responded, even before Gu Yansheng realized it himself! He had already anticipated the worst-case scenario and prepared all the rescue supplies!
This should have been a reassuring scene. But at that moment, in Gu Yansheng's brain, stunted by panic, illness, and alcohol, only the scenes of the day's wedding surged back—the people's ambiguous heckling, Su Rui's piercing words, "I look forward to drinking your wedding wine," and his own uncontrolled yelling, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
A strong emotion, a mixture of embarrassment, self-loathing and inexplicable stubbornness, suddenly rushed up.
He couldn't show weakness! Especially in front of Jiang Lin! Especially after... he had just vehemently denied any possible relationship between them! He couldn't let Jiang Lin feel that he was a troublesome "monster" who needed to be taken care of all the time. He needed to be independent.
He gritted his teeth and used all his strength to suppress the painful groan in his throat and the instinct to seek help. He forced himself to sit up straight, even though his fingertips were trembling uncontrollably and the stinging under his skin was like millions of ants gnawing at him.
He looked at Jiang Lin at the door, trying to make his voice sound steady, even though it was hoarse and with unconcealable weakness and trembling.
"I... I'm fine... I'm just a little hot and thirsty... I can just... drink some water... I can... I can bear it..."
He tried to force a smile that expressed "relaxation," but the twisted corners of his mouth and the cold sweat that kept rolling down his forehead made the smile look extremely pale and forced. He was like a child teetering on the edge of a cliff but pretending to be calm, stubbornly clinging to the last bit of fragile self-esteem.
Jiang Lin at the door remained silent as a mountain.
He made no comment on Gu Yansheng's stubbornness, neither rebuking nor comforting him. His eyes, which seemed particularly deep in the dim light, simply stared intently at Gu Yansheng's pale face, capturing every tiny, painful twitch and every hard-pressed gasp.
Then, Jiang Lin moved.
He took a few long steps, reaching the bedside. His tall figure brought an invisible sense of oppression, as well as a faint, familiar aura of coldness. He ignored Gu Yansheng's evasive gaze, nor did he reach for the water cup. He simply reached out and handed the bottle cap containing a few white anti-allergy tablets to Gu Yansheng without question.
The movements were concise and neat, carrying a sense of command that required no words.
The pills lay quietly in the bottle cap, like a silent judgment and an irresistible redemption.
Gu Yansheng tried to use the psychological suggestion method taught by Doctor Hu to stop himself from being afraid of rainy days, but his groggy brain, hot and cold body, itchy skin, and the gradually thinning oxygen in his lungs made him shiver and gasp uncontrollably...
"You have a fever..."
Jiang Lin's eyes were like a sophisticated instrument. The tacit understanding they had since childhood made it impossible for Gu Yansheng to hide her illness from him. Every slight tremor and every suppressed gasp were as clear as the diagnosis written in the medical record.
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