Chapter 111
Unexpectedly, Chen Zhiyi slept very soundly. After sweating profusely, his body temperature dropped to below 38 degrees Celsius in the morning, becoming a low-grade fever. Lin Ting was worried that it would recur, but this did not happen. His cough symptoms were lessening, and his complexion was gradually improving. All the symptoms were moving in a positive direction, and Lin Ting's anxiety slowly subsided.
By the afternoon of the second day, the fever had completely subsided, and on the morning of the third day, the virus test strip showed a negative result, indicating a negative result.
At that moment, Chen Zhiyi held the test strip, and Lin Ting stood outside the partition door. The two looked at each other with tears in their eyes, finally having made it through.
Lin Ting remained vigilant, given the numerous precedents of patients testing negative and then testing positive again. She continued to stand guard outside the master bedroom door into the night.
Chen Zhiyi repeatedly urged her to go to the second bedroom for a good night's sleep, but she still refused to move.
"I'm really fine now. How about I show you some push-ups?" Chen Zhiyi said, and then lay down on the bed to practice.
But after only a few sessions, she collapsed, panting heavily. She had just recovered from a serious illness and had been burning up for several days. All her strength was gone. Although she had tested negative, she was still as weak as Lin Daiyu.
Lin Ting stomped her foot in anger, "Do you really think you're made of steel, invulnerable to swords and spears? Lie down!"
Chen Zhiyi's attempt to show off failed. Seeing a ball of fire rising from Lin Ting's head, he pouted and obediently lay down.
He was declared fully recovered only after testing negative for three consecutive days.
Chen Zhiyi immediately removed the partition door, rushed into the hall, and hugged Lin Ting tightly. He took off all his protective gear and once again deeply felt the warmth of each other's bodies and the intense heartbeats of each other.
A few seconds later, Chen Zhiyi relaxed, looking somewhat worried, "Maybe we should still put on the protective suit and mask."
Lin Ting took the initiative to hug him, "It's okay. I asked an expert online, and the test results were negative for three consecutive days, which means that the virus in my body is gone."
Upon hearing this, Chen Zhiyi hugged Lin Ting tightly again and whispered in her ear, "Lin Ting, I'm alright."
"Yes."
"I'm alive."
"Yes."
After a moment, Chen Zhiyi asked again, "Then shouldn't you keep your promise to me?"
Lin knew what he meant, but pretended to be clueless: "What?"
“You said it yourself, as long as I pull through, we’ll get our marriage certificate. This matter should have been settled three years ago, but it’s been dragged on until now.”
Lin Ting joked, "Then why did you push me to Han Ming, trying to get us together?"
Chen Zhiyi became anxious, "I felt like I didn't have long to live, and the person I was most worried about in this world was you, so I wanted to make arrangements for you and find a reliable person to take care of you."
"They say a dying man's words are good, and I'm serious. Now that you're fully recovered, I can move back to 301. Tonight, Han Ming and I will video chat every day to build our relationship."
After saying that, he turned and walked towards the door.
Chen Zhiyi simply scooped him up in his arms, carried him into the master bedroom, tossed him onto the bed, and locked the door from the inside. "If the main door can't be locked, you're not leaving through this door."
Before removing the partition door, Chen Zhiyi thoroughly disinfected the master bedroom inside and out, and replaced all the bedding and household items with new ones.
Seeing his face turn red with anger, Lin Ting covered her eyes with her elbow and chuckled.
Only at this moment did she truly realize how important he was to her. Thankfully, it was all over, and thankfully he had come back to life.
He came back to life, and so did I.
Lin Tingye realized how terribly wrong she had been for the past three years. She forced herself to let go of him, hate him, and forget him, closing her heart and emotions off. But when Chen Zhiyi appeared, all her hatred and perseverance began to crumble. It turned out that she had never stopped loving him.
She also hates herself for distrusting him, for being wavering in love, and even more so for her outwardly strong but inwardly humble nature.
The previous five years, the current three years, eight years have been wasted.
As I thought about it, tears welled up in my eyes with a smile.
Chen Zhiyi leaned over her, removed her hand from her eyes, and saw her red eyes and damp eyelashes.
Why are you crying?
Lin Ting shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck, "I just feel that it's so good to be alive."
Then he looked up and kissed her.
Their soft lips met, and Chen Zhiyi was taken aback at first before reacting and taking the initiative to kiss her fiercely, pressing her down on the pillow and sucking and biting her hard.
Only in this way could he be sure that Lin Ting had returned and was back by his side, and his heart, which had been adrift and uncertain, finally found its home.
But as they continued kissing, Chen Zhiyi noticed something was off.
After the kiss, he was panting heavily, and the person beneath him fell asleep immediately.
I've heard of people kissing so deeply they faint, but I've never heard of someone kissing so deeply they fall asleep.
Chen Zhiyi almost laughed in exasperation. Touching her face, he noticed that her eye sockets were dark, her cheeks were sunken, and her chin was extremely sharp. She was clearly exhausted.
In fact, Lin Ting slept no more than four hours a day for the past week, on and off. If it weren't for her willpower, she would have collapsed long ago.
With her like this, she would suppress any bad thoughts she might have.
Chen Zhiyi sighed, got off her, and lay down on his side beside her.
In the past, when the two lived together, Chen Zhiyi liked to lie on his side and look at her in the quiet of the night, tracing her face in his mind again and again. Every time, he would sigh that she was exactly what he liked, and he couldn't help but feel a physical attraction to her.
Just watching her sleep quietly is a pleasure.
Just then, Lin Ting's phone rang. Chen Zhiyi quickly answered it, not wanting to disturb her sleep.
The community said that there are now hospital beds available and the ambulance will be there soon.
Chen Zhiyi refused, telling them that he had recovered on his own and that he could share his recovery experience in the hope of helping those with mild symptoms who were isolating and treating themselves at home.
This is a good thing.
When the call ended, Lin Ting groggily opened her eyes. "Who called?"
Chen Zhiyi put his phone on silent and lay back down. "It was the community that called, saying there are beds available at the hospital. I've already explained, it's fine now."
"Okay, sure." After saying that, Lin leaned closer to him, buried her head in his chest, wrapped her arms around his waist, and inserted her legs between his legs, their bodies pressed so close together that there was no gap between them.
Chen Zhiyi had never received this kind of treatment, even when they slept together intimately before. He suddenly felt that the suffering he had endured from the virus these past few days was worth it.
Chen Zhiyi felt smug and stroked her back intermittently.
At this moment, Lin Ting was like a small, injured animal that needed great protection, which greatly satisfied Chen Zhiyi's vanity.
"Are we completely back together?" Chen Zhiyi murmured softly.
"Um."
Unexpectedly, she was able to reply, and it seemed that she was probably unaware of it, which gave Chen Zhiyi an idea.
Now was the perfect time to make his request, and he needed to keep a record of it, since the girl he loved was too fond of saying one thing but meaning another. So he turned on the phone's recording function.
"You can hit me or yell at me when you're angry, but you can't just leave whenever you want."
"Um."
"You must trust me absolutely, choose me. I love you so much, I will never betray you."
"Um."
"And you have to communicate with me whenever you encounter problems, and you can't hide anything from me."
"Um."
"That's fine," Chen Zhiyi said, getting even more excited and making more requests.
"Tell me you love me every day. Of course, I will definitely tell you every day. Don't get tired of it. It's a sign of a good relationship."
"Um."
"Although I mostly listen to you, you should also listen to my occasional suggestions."
"Um."
"Let's move our work focus back to Haishi, and then we'll be together every day."
"Um."
"All my property belongs to you, and you will be in charge of it from now on. You cannot refuse."
"Um."
"And most importantly, we must keep our promise that we will get our marriage certificate after the pandemic lockdown is lifted."
"..."
There has been no reply.
Chen Zhiyi pinched her cheek, but Lin Ting remained unresponsive, as if she were unconscious.
Enter a deep sleep completely.
Now look what happened! He didn't get a reply, which was the one he should have replied to the most. Chen Zhiyi wanted to slap himself. Why did he ask so many questions in the first place?
After lying in bed for a week, Chen Zhiyi was wide awake. Seeing Lin Ting, who had lost so much weight that she looked like an African refugee, he got up and made her a delicious meal to help her recover.
The refrigerator was well-stocked with both meat and vegetables. Chen Zhiyi removed the ingredients and prepared to make a chicken soup, stew some braised pork, and stir-fry two vegetable dishes.
After a flurry of activity, it took almost two hours to finish.
Lin Ting also woke up.
She opened her eyes to find the room filled with the aroma of food.
I got up and walked into the living room, just in time to see Chen Zhiyi carrying a clay pot out of the kitchen.
Perfect timing! Come and eat! If you don't eat properly soon, you'll become as thin as a stick.
Looking at the sumptuous meal on the table, which looked and smelled delicious, Lin Ting found it hard to believe that he was the same kid who didn't know anything about grains ten years ago.
With Chen Zhiyi piling food onto her plate, Lin Ting ate two whole bowls of rice for dinner, almost to the point of being choked with hunger.
If you feed them like this every day, they'll be close to becoming adult pigs.
Chen Zhiyi recovered from his illness, and Lin Ting did not move back to 302. The two started living together again, although the bed in the second bedroom was still not used.
Chen Zhiyi claimed that in order to save energy and reduce consumption, it is a waste to turn on two air conditioners at night. During this difficult period, the government is even advocating that everyone save energy.
But Lin understood exactly what Chen Zhiyi was thinking. As his body gradually recovered, his lower body began to stir. Chen Zhiyi was shameless enough to say that he hadn't had sex in three years and didn't feel sorry for him.
When Lin Ting saw him take a small box out of the drawer, she asked in surprise, "Where did this come from?"
Chen Zhiyi lay on top of it, his face completely at ease, "I brought it with me."
Feeling sorry for them? They had no good intentions from the start.
Chen Zhiyi countered that this was called being prepared for any eventuality.
Chen Zhiyi finished quickly and left.
Seeing that he looked unwell, Lin asked with concern, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Chen Zhiyi mumbled, "I overestimated myself. I only tested negative a few days ago, and my body is still weak."
Lin Ting nudged him, "I told you to rest properly, but you wouldn't listen and just kept causing trouble."
Chen Zhiyi felt wronged, "It's just that I've been holding it in for too long."
"We've already been holding it in for three years, what's a few more days?"
"But I'm a young man full of vigor, sleeping with the person I like, and then just chatting under the covers all day long, isn't that too torturous?" Chen Zhiyi said righteously.
"You're so right. I think I'll move to the second bedroom."
Chen Zhiyi pulled her down into his arms and then turned off the light. "Okay, go to sleep."
In the darkness, both of them had their eyes closed but were not asleep.
Lin Ting was more concerned about his health. This was a bad omen. Currently, there's no definitive answer regarding whether the virus will leave any long-term effects, but experts believe it's unavoidable; everyone will experience some degree of damage. The specific manifestations, duration, and whether it will be lifelong are all unknown. It would be such a pity for someone with such perfect physical attributes to suffer incurable long-term effects from the virus, especially since he's a public figure, it would also impact his career.
Chen Zhiyi only focused on one thing: after the two reconciled, he always thought that getting a marriage certificate was just a matter of time. But everyone says that maintaining a marriage depends on money and sex. He has plenty of money, but sex seems uncertain. He is a dignified man, in his prime, capable of seven times a night and an hour each time. Is he now facing this problem?
The stability of his marriage suddenly dropped by half; how could his love life be so turbulent?
Chen Zhiyi was so angry with himself.
After resting for a while, Lin Ting and Chen Zhiyi returned to their community volunteer work. Chen Zhiyi even took the initiative to share his self-healing process, saying that those who are not infected should eat well, sleep well, and exercise more to increase their immunity. And those who are unfortunately infected should not be afraid, but should be optimistic and face it positively. The love of family is the best medicine, and we will all get through this difficult time safely.
After that, the daily routine included distributing supplies, thorough disinfection, nucleic acid testing, confirming infections, and isolating patients for treatment.
Gradually, the number of reported infections began to decrease, while the number of people recovering increased.
Gradually, the number of people who recovered exceeded the number of people who were infected.
One month later, the number of infections was reduced to zero.
In another two weeks, all data will be cleared, the government will lift the lockdown order, and the restart will begin.
It was truly late spring, a warm and blossoming day when everyone's lives returned to normal.
Before the midnight mark when the lockdown was lifted, the neighborhood was bustling with activity. Everyone stood in front of their balconies to celebrate. Some hung red lanterns, some lit sparklers, and some waved national flags. As far as the eye could see, it was a sea of red. Everyone sang and danced in the festive atmosphere, celebrating the hard-won victory, wishing the country strength, and hoping for a peaceful and prosperous life in the future.
Heaven has returned to the world the joyous, festive, and family-reunited New Year's Eve.
Chen Zhiyi and Lin Ting also stood on the balcony, sharing in this joy, and of course, they felt an even greater sense of pride.
Chen Zhiyi: "Now I finally understand what you always say: no matter what, we must try to live. It's good to be alive."
Lin Ting smiled and said, "Yes, only by living can we experience all the flavors of life and witness miracles."
Chen Zhiyi went along with it, saying, "Only by living can you stay with the one you love until old age."
After saying that, he picked Lin Ting up in his arms.
Lin Ting looked bewildered. "What?"
Chen Zhiyi grinned mischievously, "They have their ways of celebrating, and we have ours."
Since testing negative, Chen Zhiyi has followed the expert's advice and rarely engages in strenuous exercise. Moreover, given his previous failure and the pandemic, he hasn't been interested in it. But now that the pandemic is over, he clearly feels his physical condition is getting better and better. He even feels a surge of heat in the middle of the night. He can't help but feel a big rush of heat during this time when the whole country is celebrating together.
Now that the floodgates have been opened, let's release everything completely.
It took two whole hours to get from the bathroom to the bedroom, and Lin Ting was so tired that she couldn't even lift her fingers.
Chen Zhiyi then hugged Lin Ting from behind, burying his head in her shoulder and kissing her tenderly, breathing heavily, looking unsatisfied.
"I think I shouldn't have any aftereffects. What do you think?"
Lin Ting said weakly, "I feel like you want me to die."
Chen Zhiyi chuckled quietly from behind, "Just to be on the safe side, I'll still get a premarital checkup."
"Before marriage?"
"Aren't you going to change your mind again?"
"Do you have any evidence? Words alone don't count."
There was evidence, but the crucial part wasn't recorded; all that could be heard was Chen Zhiyi's angry voice.
Lin Ting smiled and chuckled to herself, "Who told you to bully me just now and not listen to me?"
If you're told to be light, you'll be heavy; if you're told to be slow, you'll be fast.
retribution!
After a while, Lin Ting changed the subject, "Are you going back to Haishi?"
"Yes, now that the lockdown has been lifted, all work needs to start again, and I will be in charge of many things."
"good."
Chen Zhiyi asked, "And what about you? When are you planning to go back?"
Lin Ting hesitated and did not respond.
Having just repaired their relationship, Chen Zhiyi wanted to be cautious and didn't want to ruin it again. Besides, things should be done slowly and steadily.
"It's okay. If you don't want to move, I'll come over often. It's not far from Hai City."
"Aren't you tired of going back and forth like this?"
"I'm not tired. Just knowing that you're here makes me want to crawl here."
Lin Tingxin felt a pang of sadness and clenched the hands that were wrapped around her waist. "Actually, I'm scared. My career started in Shanghai and was also ruined in Shanghai. I still carry the accusation of plagiarism. In the design industry, it's very difficult to turn things around once you have that kind of reputation. That's why I wear a mask when I do social media and don't want to show my face to people. I even got a new pseudonym."
Chen Zhiyi turned her body to face him. "Listen to me. I have investigated the plagiarism matter and found that it has nothing to do with you. I can't go into details right now, but I'm waiting for a public opportunity to explain everything. At that time, the real criminal will have to atone for their sins, so you don't need to be afraid."
His eyes gleamed as he spoke, making people believe everything he said.
“How can someone as talented as you be allowed to remain obscured in this noisy market? Your talent and ability are your greatest assets, something that no one can taint.” Chen Zhiyi tenderly stroked her face. “Such a beautiful and confident face, yet you have to wear a mask to show yourself. It’s a pity for the world, and it breaks my heart.”
Lin Ting's right cheek was pressed against his hand, feeling the continuous warmth of his palm. Whenever his hand touched her, it was always a warm expression of love.
At that moment, Lin Ting's phone lit up.
It was a message from Han Ming: "The lockdown is over. I'll come see you in a couple of days."
Chen Zhiyi saw everything without uttering a word, and his eyes immediately narrowed as he became wary.
Seeing that his jealousy was about to surface, Lin Ting immediately suppressed it. "I will make things clear to him. I have always made things very clear."
"I don't understand men. What they can't have always stirs their hearts. I don't think he's so easy to deal with."
Lin Ting frowned. "What nonsense are you talking about? No matter what, I've always considered him a friend, there's no doubt about that. Besides, he has indeed helped me a lot in the past two years. I should thank him for what I should thank him for, and I should be honest with him for what I should be honest with. He will realize it; he doesn't seem like the kind of person who sticks to his principles."
Chen Zhiyi raised his eyebrows. "That's not necessarily true. I've heard some of his dirty secrets."
Lin Ting patted him on the shoulder and said, "You used to say he was a good person, and that I should entrust him to you."
Chen Zhiyi retorted, "There was no other way. Among the people I know around you, the only one who is truly good to you is him, so I had no choice but to choose him. However, he has indeed done some things against his conscience in order to achieve his own goals."
"Want to get into Qin Fei's bed?"
Chen Zhiyi asked in horror, "How did you know?"
Lin Ting remained calm. "I also know you've climbed that path before."
Chen Zhiyi immediately sat up in bed, his expression serious. "These are all rumors. Besides, you know what kind of person I am. I have emotional purity issues. I wouldn't even climb into a dragon bed, let alone yours."
"So you're concluding that Han Ming's story isn't just a rumor? Even if it were true, well, everyone has times when they're too eager for quick success and take the wrong path. These kinds of things are also matters of mutual consent; it takes two to tango. There's a reward for every effort."
"He dumped his first love for his future career; that wasn't exactly a consensual relationship, was it?"
"?" Lin Ting was surprised.
"I only heard Qin Fei mention it once. Han Ming had a childhood sweetheart as his first love. In order to enter the entertainment industry and establish a persona, he dumped his first love. It was a precipitous breakup. His first love even came to find him, but he ignored her. The girl stood in the rain outside his building all night."
Lin Tingting's eyes were wide open.
“When we were together, I often bragged about our relationship in front of him. We were both each other’s first love, but he chose to give up and hurt us, while we chose to stay together and stay together. He must have felt a little regretful and guilty, after all, it was a bond we’d grown up with since childhood, and he just gave it up like that.” Chen Zhiyi said with a hint of regret at the end.
But Lin Ting understood something.
Chen Zhiyi lay down again and hugged Lin Ting. "The night is long, why are we talking about other people's love stories? No one is as affectionate as me, clinging to one person for ten years without wavering."
So in the end, I still praised myself.
Soon, Lin Ting's eyelids became heavy and she drifted into a deep sleep.
In the darkness, Chen Zhiyi lightly kissed her cheek like a feather brushing against her skin, then picked up his phone, registered a Douyin account, and posted his first video.
The video shows his life since the pandemic lockdown, in which he candidly revealed everything and also announced his relationship.
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