Chapter 40 Fever, stay a while longer
The door opened, and Chen Jiashu stood there with a gentle smile on his lips.
Qin Qiao was slightly taken aback. "How could you..."
"Would you believe me if I said I knocked on every door and asked around?" Chen Jiashu feigned mystery, then chuckled, "Just kidding. Won't you invite me in for a bit?"
Qin Qiao stepped aside and said, "Come in."
Chen Jiashu entered the room, tapping his white cane, and gently pushed the door shut behind him. The cane tapped on the hotel carpet, making a barely audible sound.
This is a standard guest room. To the left of the entrance is the bathroom, and further in is a bedroom of about 30 square meters. A large bed of 1.8 meters occupies the main space, and a small sofa is placed by the window. The tassels of the curtains hang down and are draped over one corner of the sofa.
Qin Qiao briefly described the layout, and Chen Jiashu nodded slightly, already having a mental image of the room. He walked forward; the passageway was narrow, and his cane lightly tapped at the foot of the bed. He circled around the foot of the bed and turned right, and after a few steps, the tip of his cane touched the leg of the coffee table. He skillfully walked around it, accurately finding the edge of the sofa, then put away his cane and sat down.
Most hotel rooms across the country are laid out like this. His years of frequent business trips and hotel stays had made him intimately familiar with this type of space.
He turned his head, struggling to make out Qin Qiao's figure in his blurry vision. The white bathrobe almost blended into the background, only a faint, blurry silhouette could be seen. "I just asked the director of the town's investment office if he knew a reporter named Qin Qiao, someone I heard lived here. The director was very helpful and found her for me."
Qin Qiao took a bottle of warm mineral water from the insulated box and placed it beside him. Chen Jiashu's fingers twitched slightly as he accurately grasped the bottle.
She didn't address how she found her, but simply asked, "What brings you here?"
Chen Jiashu unscrewed the bottle cap, took a sip of water to moisten his throat, and then carefully placed the bottle aside: "Here's some warmth."
It was rare for Qin Qiao to see him so unserious, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curve slightly before she quickly pursed them.
"Only one bottle of mineral water?" Chen Jiashu replied quickly, his tone filled with a pure and earnest sincerity based on facts. "But that's exactly what I need, thank you."
Qin Qiao fell silent. He then said, "I want to finish this bottle of water before I leave." Qin Qiao didn't respond, which was taken as tacit agreement.
With permission, Chen Jiashu picked up the water bottle again and drank slowly. Time passed quietly in the room, and more than ten minutes later, the bottle was only half empty.
Qin Qiao had been running around all day, and her whole body ached and felt uncomfortable, especially her back, which was stiff and sore from maintaining one position for so long. She couldn't help but stretch her back and change her sitting posture.
Sensing a focused gaze, Qin Qiao glanced to the side and met the man's eyes, which were filled with concern. Those deep eyes were brimming with clear worry. However, the next second, his outline began to blur and sway, and a wave of dizziness washed over him.
The man suddenly stood up. Qin Qiao wanted to raise her hand to indicate that she was alright, but before she could speak, everything went black.
Then, he collapsed.
In the last instant before her consciousness completely vanished, Qin Qiao vaguely felt a pair of strong arms lift her up.
"Qiaoqiao!"
Finally, all images and sounds completely disappeared.
*
The door was ajar. Old Song knocked on the door before pushing it open.
"Chairman Chen, here's the medicine you requested," he said in a low voice.
Hearing the sound, Chen Jiashu leaned against the wall and walked to the door. Old Song immediately and carefully slipped the drawstring of the plastic bag containing the medicine onto Chen Jiashu's outstretched index finger.
"Chairman Chen, the bottled medicine is for fever reduction, the adult dosage is one capful of the measuring cup; the boxed medicine is for colds, one tablet at a time."
After Old Song finished speaking, he waited for Chen Jiashu to nod slightly and take a step back before gently closing the door and leaving.
A bottle of mineral water with its cap loosened sat on the bedside table. Chen Jiashu's figure swept past the table and sat down on the edge of the bed. He carefully slipped a hand under Qin Qiao's neck and gently lifted her upper body. He moved a couple more times so that Qin Qiao's upper body was completely against his chest.
The high fever made Qin Qiao's breath hot. Her hand, holding a full cup of fever-reducing medicine, stopped in mid-air. Chen Jiashu checked it for a moment, then moved it down half an inch and gently touched her lips with the outside of his thumb. After confirming that it was the right medicine, he handed the measuring cup to her lips.
"Qiaoqiao... let's get up and drink the fever reducer."
The person in her arms wasn't completely unconscious; she had just been muttering curses at him for being a bastard. Hearing her call, she instinctively opened her mouth, slurped up three mouthfuls, and finished the fever-reducing medicine in the cup.
He placed the empty measuring cup on the bedside table, waved his fingers in the air twice, and grasped the mineral water bottle. He walked up, opened the cap, and set it aside. Then, using the same method he had used to feed the medicine, he brought the water to Qin Qiao's lips.
Her throat was burning, dry, and sore. In her hazy state, Qin Qiao felt the cool mouth of a bottle and the flow of water near her lips.
Like a traveler in the desert who has found a precious source of water, even though her eyelids feel like they weigh a ton, she still struggles to lift them a crack, grabs the bottle, and drinks hard. The warm liquid rolls down her burning throat, and she can never get enough of it.
"Slower."
The bottle was held up by his large hand, and Qin Qiao's eyelids twitched. The confusion that had been blocking her from seeing clearly seemed to be blown away by a gust of wind.
Images flashed through my mind: the message Chen Jiashu sent, him knocking on the door, me politely handing him the bottle of mineral water... everything passed by in a flash, like a movie playing at double speed.
She nestled in the man's arms like a little rabbit. The cool and steady scent emanating from him filled her nostrils. It was that familiar scent, soothing all her fatigue from the past few days, and bringing her indescribable comfort.
For a moment, she even considered pretending to be stupid and hiding a little longer, but reason pulled her back. She suddenly straightened up and pulled back, completely forgetting the half-full bottle of water in Chen Jiashu's hand, and crashed solidly into it.
The moment the water bottle flew out of her hand, she watched helplessly as it splashed onto the white blanket, leaving a large, dark gray stain.
Perhaps due to the amazing effects of the medicine, in less than ten minutes, his body, which had been weak just moments before, was now full of energy.
Hearing her loud, frustrated exclamation, Chen Jiashu turned his head slightly, following her voice, and a faint, reassuring smile appeared on his lips.
If she saw it, the man's curved lips would seem to be tinged with the moonlight outside the window, flowing with a pearly elegance.
After making a phone call, a waiter brought over a new quilt. Qin Qiao took it, hugged it to her arms, and turned to walk inside.
The waiter closed the door behind him when he left.
As soon as she stepped out of the entrance hall, her vision went dark, and she saw Chen Jiashu standing in front of her.
The fluffy blanket blocked most of her view, but the man was like a mountain, obscuring even the slightest light.
Qin Qiao freed one hand to press down the blankets, looked up and asked, "Are you leaving?"
The pale yellow light overhead wasn't too harsh, casting a delicate glow on Chen Jiashu's face. After a long silence, he moved his lips to answer her question.
"You can leave, or you can stay." His voice was hoarse and deep.
This was less of an answer and more like throwing a question at her.
"Bang!"
A loud bang suddenly shattered the glass, making it vibrate and rattle.
Qin Qiao was startled and instinctively looked up, but her view was blocked by Chen Jiashu. She immediately stepped to the side and stood next to him, looking out the window.
A cluster of dazzling fireworks lit up the sky, then vanished into darkness in an instant. She felt a sudden emptiness in her heart.
Nobody dislikes watching fireworks.
But people instinctively feel melancholy when fleeting and beautiful things pass by.
Unexpectedly, one after another, the windowpanes were shaken, and brilliant fireworks tore through the darkness time and time again, illuminating the world.
Chen Jiashu slowly turned around amidst the explosion, the dazzling colors reflected in his pupils.
"Is this a celebration of new students?" Qin Qiao murmured, seemingly in response to the occasion.
A slight tremor still lingered beneath his feet. This tremor was entirely different from an earthquake; it didn't bring destruction, but rather… a vibrant, bustling life. Chen Jiashu glanced sideways, his gaze returning to Qin Qiao's face, and followed her words: "Right?"
He casually brought up the matter: "Qiaoqiao, weren't you afraid when you ran back to find me that day?"
Qin Qiao slowly turned her eyes, and her gaze met his. Her heart skipped a beat. Instead of answering, she asked, "Weren't you afraid when you let go?"
The fireworks stopped, and the question remained unresolved. The two exchanged a smile.
Chen Jiashu said, "I'm leaving. Take care of yourself."
The door closed gently. Qin Qiao put down the bedding and walked quickly to the door. Through the peephole, she could no longer see his figure.
Qin Qiao opened the door a crack.
The corridor was brightly lit. Chen Jiashu's back was straight, his shadow shrank into a ball at his feet. His white cane tapped the ground steadily, and his steps were without the slightest hesitation.
Just as they reached the end of the corridor, Old Song appeared in time to greet them. They then walked side by side, and together they turned right and entered the elevator lobby.
Qin Qiao then stepped back and leaned against the wall, letting out a breath she had been holding for a long time.
*
Chen Jiashu returned to Lanchuan the next day. He didn't even go home; in the evening, he summoned all the directors to the conference room for a meeting.
In the meeting room, a five-person group led by Director Lü collectively denounced his mistakes in this decision-making process.
Chen Jiashu listened attentively as they spoke in turn, occasionally tapping the table with his fingers. Only after the last person finished speaking did he snap the document shut and lean forward slightly: "Have you all finished?"
After a brief silence, Chen Jiashu nodded slightly: "Alright. Now, let's look at the facts." He pushed the document in his hand to the center of the table: "The basis for all the questioning of the decision is nothing more than the losses caused by this earthquake. But all decisions were made after due diligence was completed before the acquisition. Everyone should be familiar with this document on the table. When you passed it around and reviewed it, and when you read it aloud, no one raised any objections."
Everyone at the table turned their attention to the document.
"All documents show that the seismic resistance of the factory buildings meets national standards and even exceeds local requirements."
Director Liu looked directly at Chen Jiashu, the Hetian jade pendant on his chest gleaming with an oily green luster against the black fabric: "Director Chen, if I may be frank, your situation is special. Has this affected your judgment and management of potential risks? The public and investors now need an image that can stabilize the situation and give people confidence."
As Tian Jiayue's fingertip traced the edge of the paper, a cut appeared, and blood seeped from her index finger. Zhu Ao slammed the "Merger and Acquisition Investigation Report" shut, straightened up, and was about to remind Director Liu that private matters were inappropriate to discuss in the meeting room. However, Chen Jiashu spoke first:
"My situation?" Chen Jiashu scoffed. "Director Liu, are you questioning my blindness, or my ability to lead this company?"
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