The stove in Ji Yanchen's house was cold, and the water tank was empty.
Zi Xi searched the entire house but only found half a bowl of moldy cornmeal.
Half an hour later, when Zi Xi took out ibuprofen from the small garden, put it in hot milk, and prepared to feed it to Ji Yanchen, he was already delirious with fever.
He unconsciously tugged at his collar, revealing a gruesome old wound on his collarbone.
"Comrade Ji, get up and have some water."
Zi Xi helped him up, his body burning hot. The touch made Ji Yanchen's muddled eyes suddenly clear for a moment.
He held the bowl tremblingly, but pulled his hand back abruptly when he touched her fingertips, almost spilling all the milk.
"sorry……"
"I, I'll go... to..."
He stared at the soaked sheets, then suddenly began to cough violently, his whole body convulsing.
"Don't move!"
Zi Xi grabbed the person who was trying to climb off the kang (heated brick bed) and fed him spoonful by spoonful, blowing on the spoonfuls to cool them down.
Ji Yanchen obediently opened his mouth, but his eyes remained fixed on the puddle of water on the ground, like a child who had made a big mistake.
As Zi Xi was changing out of the countless cold towels, her wrist was suddenly grabbed by a scalding hot hand.
Ji Yanchen opened his eyes at some point, his gaze burning with a terrifying light.
"Don't go..."
"I have everything... all of me is for you..."
His voice was so hoarse that it was almost inaudible.
Zi Xi then noticed the empty bundle piled in the corner, with half a piece of red cloth sticking out from inside—the very same bundle that had appeared beside her bed this morning.
"Fool, if you give it to me, how will you live?"
Zi Xi touched Ji Yanchen's forehead; his fever had subsided.
"I still have..."
Ji Yanchen misunderstood her meaning. He hurriedly sat up, but before he could finish speaking, he collapsed back onto the pillow, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
"I lack nothing..."
Zi Xi gently wiped the sweat from his brow with a damp handkerchief.
The oil lamp crackled and popped, producing a burst of flame.
"I know, but you... don't move out..."
"I...I will chop more firewood..."
"I'll take your place... I'll go to work... Don't go..."
In his dazed state, Ji Yanchen grabbed the hem of her clothes with astonishing force. He was delirious from the fever and even showed a hint of grievance.
He didn't expect anything to happen between him and the fairy; he just wanted to see her and do what he could to help her.
It turned out that he had overheard Liu Fang's suggestion.
Looking at this madman who had piled all his belongings around her bedside, Zi Xi suddenly understood where his persistent high fever had come from.
Most likely, he had been moving the entire Ji family ancestral home out in the rain last night, and then making countless trips back and forth between the two families. Even an iron body couldn't withstand that.
"I'm not leaving, I'm staying here."
"But you have to promise me that you'll sleep well at night from now on and you're not allowed to sneak into my house in the middle of the night again."
Zi Xi gently pried open his tightly clenched fingers and tucked them into the bedding.
Running in and out every night to repair her house, chop firewood, and tidy up her room—even an iron body can't withstand that kind of work.
Ji Yanchen's face, which was pale due to the fever, immediately flushed red.
"By the way... I'm not moving, so you can take those things back and hide them away."
Zi Xi picked up the bundle beside the bed, which contained the things Ji Yanchen had placed on her bed.
"No... I don't want them, you can have them all..."
Ji Yanchen buried his face in the blanket, his voice muffled. He suddenly coughed violently, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
Zi Xi then noticed that his face had suddenly turned frighteningly pale, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat.
"...The fever is starting again?"
She reached out to touch his forehead, but he grabbed her wrist.
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