Chapter 11: Just a Fever
Chapter 11: Just a Fever
After a bumpy and tiring journey that took a whole day, Yan Zhen finally returned to Ningchuan in the evening.
Unexpectedly, Yan Zhao came to pick her up in person at the airport gate.
"What day is it today?" She looked up at the hazy dusk sky and said in feigned surprise, "Boss Yan actually came to pick me up in person?"
Yan Zhao carried her suitcase and put it in the trunk. Hearing this, he smiled and said, "We're welcoming the young lady. Are you satisfied?"
Yan Zhen looked him up and down for a moment, raised his eyebrows and said, "You're smart."
The setting sun shone on the car. She lowered the window a little, letting in a cool breeze that made her feel particularly comfortable.
The car was filled with a light fragrance and the music was soft and pleasant. She leaned back in the chair and gradually fell asleep while driving.
My consciousness was immersed in darkness, and I didn't know how much time had passed before I could vaguely hear a conversation.
“…Fell asleep.”
"...She's too tired, so let her sleep for a while."
"...Waiting. I'll go in first."
Yan Zhen listened to the voice, his thoughts were pulled back a little, and he blinked a few times.
She was lying on the passenger seat, still covered with Yan Zhao's coat, while the driver's seat was empty.
There was a man in black leaning against the front of the car. She thought it was Yan Zhao, so she lowered the window, stuck her head out, and called out without thinking, "Brother?"
"Yeah. Awake?" The man responded to her call naturally and turned to look at her. "Do you want to rest a little longer?"
When Yan Zhen saw his face clearly, she asked in surprise, "Chen Huaixu? Why are you here? Where's my brother?"
"He went to the box first. I'll wait for you here."
Yan Zhen glanced around. The underground parking lot was dimly lit, and occasionally the sound of tires running over speed bumps could be heard, echoing dully in the quiet and cold air.
"Where is this, Mingshi?"
"Yes. I'll welcome you and book a private room for tonight."
A famous five-star hotel in Ningchuan City.
She was obviously very satisfied with her own grand ceremony and said, "It's quite grand."
Chen Huaixu just said "hmm" and said nothing more. He just lowered his head and looked at her intently.
Sensing the burning gaze, Yan Zhen retreated into the car, sat up straight, took out a mirror and simply tidied up his hair that had just been messed up by sleeping.
She dressed carefully, and when she raised her eyes, she saw Chen Huaixu still leaning there motionless, his hand casually resting on the hood of the car. The lines of his forearm were smooth, and the watch on his bony wrist was inexplicably matched with the silver-gray car body.
Yan Zhen poked her head out again and said, "You don't have to wait for me here. Just tell me the box number. It's not like I don't know the way."
She leaned against the car window and looked up at him. Chen Huaixu stood outside the car, as if waiting for this moment. He suddenly reached out his hand, clasped the back of her head with his palm, pressed his thumb behind her ear, and bent down, lowering his head to kiss her.
"you……"
The words were swallowed up, and her nose was instantly filled with his breath. The light in front of her eyes dimmed, and her sight was completely captured by him.
Chen Huaixu used one hand to lightly block her head, fearing that she would bump into the window sill. With the other hand, he held her facing him and kissed her with the side of her head.
Because of the inconvenient posture, he didn't kiss her deeply, but he was patient and careful enough.
The parking lot was quiet, and the tangled, chaotic sounds of their breathing drifted clearly into their ears. Yan Zhen's fingers rested on the windowsill, reaching out to push him away. But as soon as her fingers touched his shirt, he tightened his grip. For a moment, she forgot what to do next, and slowly released the force from her fingers tugging at his clothes.
After the kiss, Yan Zhen frowned and complained, "You're so annoying. Why do you just..."
Chen Huaixu didn't retreat in a hurry. Instead, he kissed the corner of her lips again and stroked the soft skin on her neck with his fingers. Their breaths blended together and his voice was very low: "I missed you."
"Your hand is so hot." Yan Zhen pried his hand away from her neck, "You still say this?
That's not like you."
Chen Huaixu leaned his elbows against the car window, his eyes locked on her, and said, "Really? Then what kind of me is this?"
"Cold, calculating, and domineering, you always expect a reward for everything you do." She lowered her eyes. "I can't even tell now if this is just your way to win the game."
"What's the difference?"
"Of course," she emphasized, "It's the difference between sincerity and insincerity."
He was so clever and resourceful that Yan Zhen began to doubt whether all this was a carefully woven trap for her. Perhaps when she fell into the trap, she would find that it was just a lie to tease her.
"But in my opinion, there is no conflict," he said slowly, "because to me, these are all the same."
It is both sincere and a means.
Using his own feelings, he tries every possible way to win her heart.
Seeing Yan Zhen didn't say anything, he smiled and said, "I really didn't lie to you. If you don't believe me, just ask."
She casually asked, "How many girlfriends have you had?"
"No."
"First time with me?"
"yes."
He answered such a personal question so frankly that Yan Zhen felt a little uncomfortable. She looked away from his face and said, "That's all."
Chen Huaixu grabbed her hand and said, "Is this the end?"
"What else?" She struggled but couldn't get free.
He lowered his head and said, "Nothing else you want to ask? I will answer you honestly."
She asked anxiously, "Why are there people like you who force others to ask questions?"
Chen Huaixu opened the car door, pulled her out, and gently held her in his arms.
"I'll slowly let you get to know me."
He added: "All of me."
When the two of them arrived at the box, Lu Jingxuan had almost fallen asleep waiting. When he heard the door of the box open, he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Finally."
Yan Zhen took a look and saw that there were only two people sitting at the huge round table, which looked deserted.
She said, "You can eat first."
"How can I dare to start eating if the protagonist is not here?" Lu Jingxuan called to the waiter, "Serve the dishes."
Yan Zhao tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice and said, "Your brother Lu is treating us today, so don't be polite to him."
Chen Huaixu pulled out a chair for her, and Yan Zhen sat down. She asked curiously, "Why is it you who's treating me?"
"Your brother did me a favor, so I offered to treat him to a meal. I didn't expect you to be back from your trip, so I thought it would be a good idea to treat you two siblings to a meal together."
Yan Zhao raised his eyebrows and said, "What do you mean by helping you? That's too self-indulgent."
"So you're inviting us, my brother and I," Yan Zhen's gaze deliberately lingered on the people beside him, "Then why is there one more person here?"
Chen Huaixu looked calm and didn't mind Yan Zhen's teasing and cunning look at all.
"Don't bother with this shameless guy who comes here to eat for free." Lu Jingxuan came over with a bottle of red wine. "Come on, come on, they're driving, and we're the only ones who can drink here. Have some."
As soon as the chopsticks were picked up, the conversation at the dinner table became lively. Lu Jingxuan raised his glass and saluted Yan Zhao from a distance, giving a thumbs-up with his other hand. "Really? You're amazing. That's it. I heard that the matter went straight to the old man of the Xu family. I guess that idiot won't be able to leave the house for a month or two. Even if he does, he won't dare to come to my place to cause trouble."
Yan Zhao laughed with an unclear expression.
After the dinner, Yan Zhen held Lu Jingxuan tightly and refused to let him leave. When Yan Zhao drove over, he took out a box from the trunk and handed it to him, saying, "A souvenir."
Lu Jingxuan was very surprised and said, "My sister is so thoughtful, and she even wants a share for me!"
He said proudly, "I've said it before, I even suspected Zhenzhen was my biological sister. Look at the two of us, how harmonious we are."
Yan Zhao said, "Really? If my mother had a son like you, she would have been pissed off eight hundred times."
Lu Jingxuan rolled his eyes at him and said, "Get lost."
Yan Zhen took out a slightly larger one and handed it to Yan Zhao, then said to Chen Huaixu who was standing beside him, "There's no share for you."
"Yeah." He just stood there and responded lightly.
Yan Zhen felt a little sorry that she didn't see the expression she wanted on his face, but she quickly cheered up, waved at them, and said, "Then let's go."
Sitting in the car, Yan Zhen was fastening his seat belt when he heard Yan Zhao ask, "Is there really no place for him?"
She paused and snorted, "Of course not."
Yan Zhao steered the car, took a moment to glance at Yan Zhen, and said with a smile, "Well, he's having a tough time. He was supposed to pick you up today."
"Then why is it you in the end?"
"I'm worried that he might be driving while fatigued, and two people might die in one car."
Yan Zhen sensed something hidden in his words and asked, "What do you mean?"
"He seems to have only slept for four or five hours in the past few days. I didn't want him to come tonight because his fever hadn't subsided, but he insisted on coming no matter what."
"Fever?" Yan Zhen recalled the kiss in the parking lot and vaguely remembered that he was indeed a little hot at that time, but she just thought it was a physical reaction to intimate contact and didn't think about it in other ways.
He was actually sick, with a fever, and he hadn't even told her. Not only did he insist on coming over to have dinner with her, but he also stood in the cold wind in the parking lot for so long.
Yan Zhen became more and more uneasy and asked, "Did he take the medicine?"
"You ask me, how should I know?" Yan Zhao laughed, "Why don't you call him."
Outside the window, neon lights shone brightly, and tall buildings stood side by side, leaving them behind. Yan Zhen hesitated for a while, holding the phone, before finally dialing Chen Huaixu's number.
"What's wrong?" The voice on the other end was very low, and the breath was obviously unstable compared to usual.
"I heard from my brother that you have a fever? Then why don't you rest at home tonight? Why do you have to come here?"
"No fever," Chen Huaixu answered neatly, "He lied to you."
Yan Zhen looked over with suspicion, and Yan Zhao said slowly: "I'm your brother, how could I lie to you?"
She gritted her teeth and said, "Chen Huaixu, tell me the truth."
"I don't have a fever."
"Brother, turn around." Yan Zhen spoke into the phone, his tone a little impatient. "Wait at home. I'm coming to check it out myself. If you dare to lie to me, you're dead."
The car drove to the residential area where Chen Huaixu lived.
Yan Zhen leaned back in her chair, the inexplicable urge she had just felt had slowly dissipated during the ten-minute drive. She calmed down and realized that her reaction had been a bit excessive.
If Chen Huaixu just didn't want her to know, then what right did she have to force him to tell her?
Before she knew it, she actually wanted to participate in his life naturally.
It must be Lu Jingxuan's fault for insisting on getting her to drink that night, which made her easily emotional and she said those words without thinking.
It was pitch black outside the window, and tall buildings stood tall in the night. She watched quietly, feeling a little withdrawn: "Brother, why don't we go back?"
Yan Zhao raised his eyebrows and looked at her, saying, "You were angry and wanted to come just now, why didn't you go in when you got downstairs?"
"I was a little impulsive just now. After I calmed down, I thought about it. If he is really sick, what he needs now is rest." Yan Zhen said solemnly, "It's late at night, it's not good for us to disturb him."
Yan Zhao didn't believe she would just go back like that, but he didn't expose her. He just nodded casually and said, "That makes sense."
After saying this, he turned the steering wheel and prepared to turn the car around.
As the car started moving, Yan Zhen regretted her decision. She quickly held his arm and said hesitantly, "How about... should we go up and take a look?"
"Can you give me a definite answer?" He tapped the steering wheel with his fingertips. "It's very difficult for me to handle this."
Seeing Yan Zhaoyun's calm demeanor, she frowned and asked in confusion, "Why aren't you anxious at all? He's your good friend."
"It's just a fever. It won't kill you."
Yan Zhen: “…”
Yan Zhen looked up at the tall house and finally made up his mind: "Let's go take a look."
The two of them passed the gate and entered the elevator. Yan Zhen didn't think much about it and pressed the floor button. Yan Zhao said casually behind him, "Do you know which floor his house is on? Have you been here?"
The sudden question startled her, and even her palms broke out in sweat. She clenched and unclenched her hands repeatedly before she finally thought of a suitable excuse: "I asked on the way here just now."
Yan Zhao nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
Yan Zhen breathed a sigh of relief quietly.
There was only one household on the first floor, and the main door was right outside the elevator. Yan Zhao went up and pressed the doorbell. After a while, the door quickly opened from the inside, and a slender figure appeared in sight.
Yan Zhen raised her head and looked at him carefully in the light of the corridor, and finally discovered that there was something slightly wrong with him.
Her cheeks were a little pale, her lips were slightly pursed, and she looked listless, revealing a rare hint of fragility.
Despite this, he still stood with his back straight, not letting himself show the slightest sign of dejection. His expression was exactly the same as usual, so it was no wonder that Yan Zhen didn't notice it at dinner.
Surprisingly, I like to compete in this area.
Seeing the brother and sister at the door, he turned sideways and motioned them to come in.
Yan Zhao didn't move and said, "I won't go in. I'm leaving first. I have to go to work tomorrow morning."
Upon hearing this, Yan Zhen retracted his steps and turned back, saying, "Then I'll go back with you."
Chen Huaixu held the door open impatiently and said, "You two came all the way here just to hang out in front of my house?"
Yan Zhao laughed and said, "How should I know? I'm just the driver today."
He then added, "That's too cold-blooded, but that's not good. Let me ask you. My family will send a representative to express their condolences. You are responsible for getting her home safely."
Yan Zhen: “Hmm?”
Seeing Yan Zhao really turned around and left, Yan Zhen anxiously said, "Why did you really leave? You didn't even care about your sister. Wait for me!"
She chased to the elevator entrance, and Yan Zhao said slowly: "Didn't you want to come here? Now I have sent you here."
"You can't leave me alone at his house at night, can you?"
Yan Zhao raised his head, glanced behind Yan Zhen thoughtfully, and said lazily, "That's right, then come back with me."
He stood in the elevator, watching the door close. Yan Zhen subconsciously tried to step in, but her wrist was suddenly grabbed and she was pulled back forcefully. She immediately lost her balance and stumbled into someone's arms, watching the door close before her eyes.
The moment the elevator door completely closed, Chen Huaixu's voice was flat: "Goodbye, I won't see you off."
Two people stood at the elevator entrance, and there was silence all around.
Yan Zhen looked at the ticking numbers on the elevator and asked, "Why are you pulling me?!"
"Now that you're here, where do you want to go?" He took her hand and walked towards the door.
Yan Zhen was dragged by him, looking back at the elevator from time to time with nostalgia, until he brought her home.
After a while, Yan Zhen was distracted by another thing.
His hands were really hot.
"You really have a fever. Why didn't you tell me tonight? You were lying to me even when you called me just now."
"No need, it's just a fever." He said lightly.
"Yeah, it's just a fever." Yan Zhen didn't know where the anger came from, and said coldly, "Mr. Chen doesn't even care about himself, so there's no need for others to worry about it. Instead, it seems like he's meddling in other people's business and making a fuss."
She turned around and walked straight to the door, her steps quick and heavy, but before she could touch the door handle, a hand reached out from behind and grabbed her waist, stopping her from taking any further action.
"Angry?" he asked.
Yan Zhen didn't say anything, but frowned and tried to pry his hands away. But even though Chen Huaixu was sick, he was still stronger than her, making it impossible for her to break free from his restraints.
"You care about me." The tone was soft but firm.
Yan Zhen was struck by his words, and her movements were obviously slowed down. She said, "Isn't it normal to care about the patient? I'm not a cold-blooded person."
Although he said this, his voice became smaller and smaller, and it was obvious that he had lost confidence.
Chen Huaixu rested his chin on the top of her head. He didn't press her any further, but instead hugged her tighter and said, "If you want to go back, I can only drive you tomorrow. I really can't drive tonight for fear of something happening."
Yan Zhen snorted coldly, "Why didn't you consider the consequences when you drove back from dinner just now?"
"It was just me, so it's okay."
He paused, his voice, slightly hoarse from illness, echoing in the silent room: "But I don't dare take the risk of taking you with me."
Yan Zhen pursed her lips gently, remaining silent until she smelled the delicate aroma of rice. Then she asked him, "Have you cooked?"
"Yeah, I made some porridge. The food in the evening was too greasy, so I didn't have much appetite."
As a patient, Chen Huaixu actually has to take care of himself. His life is really too miserable.
"You are so rich, why don't you hire someone to take care of you?"
"I'm used to it."
He was born with a personality that didn't like to be close to others, and he didn't like strangers intruding into his life or having too much contact with him. Moreover, he had lived alone for so many years and had long been accustomed to taking care of himself.
Yan Zhen broke free from his embrace and said, "Don't expect me to take care of you."
"It's okay, I can do it myself."
"Why don't you rest?" She frowned and ordered, "Now, immediately, go to bed!"
Looking at Chen Huaixu's back as he walked towards the bedroom, Yan Zhen pondered for a long time, then turned and walked towards the kitchen.
There was a fire burning on the stove. Yan Zhen opened the lid of the porcelain bowl and took a look. The thick porridge was already cooked and was bubbling and emitting a rich aroma.
She turned off the fire, took out a bowl, filled it up, and felt that the freshly cooked porridge was a little hot, so she put it aside to cool down for a while. After thinking about it, she sprinkled a little bit of sugar into it and stirred it gently a few times.
After doing all this, the porridge had cooled down a little, so she picked it up and walked all the way to Chen Huaixu's bedroom.
As expected, he hadn't gone to bed yet. He was leaning against the headboard, absentmindedly browsing his phone.
Yan Zhen walked over, placed the bowl on the bedside table, and said, "I knew you weren't asleep."
"I can't sleep without you here."
"What? Are you afraid that I'll rob your house while you're asleep?" She pointed at the porridge, "Drink it quickly."
Chen Huaixu didn't move, but looked up at her.
She instantly understood his look and snorted, "You have a fever, not a broken arm. You want me to feed you? No way."
He sighed, picked up the bowl, scooped a spoonful, blew gently, and then put it into his mouth. After swallowing, he said with some surprise: "You put sugar in it? It's sweet."
"Yeah, when I was a kid and I was sick, I would always put some sugar in my porridge. Otherwise, it would have no taste and I wouldn't be able to eat it if I didn't have a good appetite." Yan Zhen looked at his expression and asked, "You don't eat sweet things?"
Chen Huaixu smiled and said nothing, but quickly finished his porridge and answered with his actions.
"Have you taken your fever-reducing medicine?"
"have eaten."
"Okay, now you can go to sleep." Yan Zhen took his phone away, "I'll turn off the lights."
She turned to leave, but was stopped by Chen Huaixu. He said, "Stay with me for a while."
Without waiting for her to answer, he used his wrist to pull her onto the bed and put his arm around her.
The soft body was in his arms. He lifted her legs onto the bed, lifted the quilt to wrap them both, and said, "Go to sleep."
Yan Zhen refused: "Chen Huaixu! I haven't taken off my clothes yet... No, I haven't taken a shower yet!"
However, he ignored her and held her tightly with his arms, resting his cheek on the side of her neck. After a while, he fell asleep, and his arms slowly released the strength to restrain her.
I'm really tired.
Yan Zhen didn't know whether to break free or not, so she stared blankly at the ceiling. His breath was steady and long, and it felt numb and itchy on her skin.
"So annoying..." She grumbled and tried to push his head away, but her hand stopped when it touched the back of his head and she slowly retracted it. "Since you're sick this time, I won't bother with you. We'll settle the score when you get better."
The next day, Yan Zhen woke up late as expected.
She slowly got up and sat on the bed with drooping eyelids. Her eyes were dull and she looked dazed, obviously not fully awake.
After a while, there was a noise at the bedroom door. Her eyelids jumped and she looked up. Chen Huaixu walked in from outside, his steps steady and his face as usual. He looked completely recovered, without any of the fragility he had last night.
Seeing her stunned, he walked over and sat down beside the bed, asking, "Are you hungry? Get up and eat something?"
Her morning grumpiness hadn't completely dissipated yet, and she said impatiently, "I need to change clothes, you go out first."
"Okay." He pointed to the clothes piled on the bedside table. "Wear mine for now, and I'll have someone send over a new set later."
Yan Zhen changed her clothes and washed up, but did not rush out. Instead, she looked around Chen Huaixu's bedroom curiously.
She had already noticed the storage cabinet in the corner of the room. It was very conspicuous, with some things neatly arranged on it. She leaned over and saw a framed Polaroid photo.
The glass pressed tightly against the photo, and the dim pixels barely revealed a dim figure within. In the frame, Yan Zhen smiled at the camera, her lips pursed, her eyes curved, a stunning beauty. She had deliberately chosen to occupy only half the frame, allowing the camera to capture the silhouette of a man standing tall and straight in the snow.
It's actually her photo?
"What are you looking at?" a voice came from behind.
Yan Zhen turned around, and Chen Huaixu followed her gaze and saw the Polaroid photo. His words confirmed her guess: "It's the photo we took four years ago when you came to the United States."
"It's also a gift you gave me."
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