Chapter 34 The Tender Illusion When Feeding Medicine
Later that night, Su Wanqing's fever finally subsided thanks to the powerful medication, and she fell into a deep sleep, exhausted yet no longer tormented by the burning heat. The heaviness and aches in her body remained, but at least her consciousness was no longer bobbing in the scorching heat.
Her sleep was restless, her dreams fragmented. Sometimes she felt like she was floating in icy water, and sometimes she felt like she was wrapped in thick cotton and couldn't breathe. There seemed to be a constant cool and wet touch on her forehead, intermittently dispelling the remaining heat.
As the daylight dawned, she finally struggled to wake up from her deep fatigue.
The moment she regained consciousness, the first thing she felt was a burning, dry pain in her throat and a throbbing, almost bone-shattering ache throughout her body. She struggled to open her heavy eyelids, her vision blurring as she adjusted to the dim light in the room.
Then, she froze suddenly.
Huo Tingxiao was still there.
He didn't sit in the same chair as last night, but... sat beside her bed.
He sat on the edge of the bed, his back to her, his posture still straight, but his head slightly lowered, as if taking a nap. The morning light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, outlining his hard, tired profile. A layer of blue stubble appeared on his jaw, and there were faint shadows under his eyes.
He... stayed with her all night?
This realization was like a weak electric current that instantly struck Su Wanqing's heart, causing her to gasp.
As if he noticed that she had woken up, Huo Tingxiao moved his body almost imperceptibly and then turned his head.
Their eyes met.
His eyes, hazy from waking up, seemed a little deep and dark, with a hint of lingering fatigue, but they soon regained their usual calmness and sharpness. He glanced at her, his voice low and hoarse, with the magnetism of morning: "Awake?"
"...Um." Su Wanqing's voice was so dry that she could hardly make a sound.
Huo Tingxiao frowned, stood up, and walked to the table with a slightly stiff movement, pouring a glass of warm water. He didn't hand it to her directly like he did last night. Instead, he leaned over slightly, one hand supporting the back of her neck, carefully lifting her up a little, and with the other hand, he held the glass to her lips.
This movement was more practiced than last night, but still carried a certain awkwardness and stiffness that made her feel unfamiliar. His fingertips inevitably touched the skin on the back of her neck, which was slightly cold and calloused, causing her to shudder slightly.
"Drink water." His command was still brief, but his tone seemed less cold and harsh.
Su Wanqing took sips of water from his hand. The cool liquid moistened her dry, sore throat, bringing an indescribable comfort. She lowered her eyelashes, not daring to look at him, but her heartbeat accelerated uncontrollably.
After feeding her the water, he released her hand and let her lie down again. Then he picked up the medicine bottle on the bedside table, read the instructions, and poured out a few pills and capsules.
"Take the medicine." He handed the pill over, with a white pill lying in his palm.
Su Wanqing stretched out her hand, her fingertips trembling slightly from weakness, and tried to pick up the pill in his palm. However, her fingers were weak, and she couldn't pick up the small pill after trying several times.
Huo Tingxiao's brows furrowed even tighter, as if he was impatient, or perhaps he was trying to hold back something. He looked at her frail appearance, remained silent for two seconds, and then suddenly did something that Su Wanqing completely didn't expect.
He withdrew his hand, but instead of putting the pills in her hand... he leaned over, picked up a pill with his fingertips, and handed it to her lips.
Su Wanqing was completely frozen, her pupils slightly dilated, and she looked at his face in disbelief. His face was so close to her, cold but with a hint of barely noticeable awkwardness.
He... wants to feed her medicine?
His fingertips were almost touching her lips. The cool, gun-calloused touch formed a sharp contrast with her hot and dry lips, bringing an extremely strange yet indescribable... sense of intimacy.
Her heartbeat suddenly became irregular and her cheeks became hot uncontrollably, not because of a fever, but because of a sudden, huge embarrassment and... a hint of absurdity.
She subconsciously opened her mouth slightly.
Huo Tingxiao quickly placed the pill in her mouth, his fingertips inevitably brushing her lower lip. The touch was so fleeting, almost illusory, that it made both of them freeze for a moment.
He quickly withdrew his hand, turned around, picked up the water glass, and handed it to her lips again, his eyes looking away, his jawline tense.
Su Wanqing mechanically drank the water and swallowed the pills. Throughout the process, her mind was blank, and only the lingering, slightly cool, rough touch on her lips was crystal clear.
Next came the capsule. He repeated the same action, pinching the capsule between his fingertips and bringing it to her lips. This time, his movements seemed even stiffer, and he didn't even look at her. A faint, almost invisible blush seemed to appear at the base of his ears.
Su Wanqing didn't dare to confirm whether it was her own illusion. She swallowed the capsule obediently, and felt her cheeks were so hot that they could fry eggs.
After administering the medicine, Huo Tingxiao immediately stood up and took two steps back, putting some distance between them, as if the brief, almost intimate contact had never happened. He collected the medicine bottles and water cup with an expressionless face, his voice returning to his usual cold, hard tone. "The military doctor will be back for a follow-up check this morning. Lie still."
After saying this, he stopped looking at her, turned around and strode out of the room.
The door was closed gently.
Su Wanqing lay alone in the silent room, her heart still beating wildly in her chest, the touch of her lips lingering.
Feed the medicine...
He used his fingertips...
Touched her lips...
Is this really something that the cold-hearted and aloof Huo Tingxiao would do?
This sudden "gentle" action, which was extremely inconsistent with his character, was like a stone thrown into an icy lake, causing huge waves in her heart.
Is it an illusion?
Was it because she was sick that he felt a rare tinge of pity?
Or... is he not as cold and heartless as he seems?
All kinds of speculations came one after another, making her heart a mess.
That brief moment, the warmth of his fingertips, his slightly clumsy but cautious movements, his averted gaze and tense jaw...all the details replayed repeatedly in her mind, magnified, becoming clearer and more heart-pounding.
A strange, sour yet slightly sweet emotion quietly spread in my heart.
She raised her hand and gently touched her lower lip with her fingertips, where the cool touch with thin calluses seemed to still linger.
Is this... considered progress?
Or is it just an illusory, self-indulgent illusion of tenderness during illness?
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