Chapter 6 They both collapsed onto the couch
When Qingxing arrived at the entrance of Zhizhixuan, she knocked on the door for a long time but no one answered.
Shen Ci'an lives alone here. His father had originally assigned a servant to take care of him, but he politely declined.
Jiang Zhi pushed open the door and entered, only to find the Zhizhixuan courtyard empty. Upon entering the inner room, she found it dimly lit and filled with the scent of ink from books.
The tall, slender man lay on the couch with his eyes half-closed. His once handsome face was now flushed with a sickly redness, and his dark sideburns clung to his forehead, trembling slightly with his weak breathing. It was Shen Ci'an, who was bedridden.
"Miss, the young master seems to have a high fever," Qingxing said.
Jiang Zhi stepped forward and touched his forehead with the back of her hand; sure enough, it was burning hot to the touch.
Jiang Zhi asked Qing Xing to fetch a damp cloth to wipe his forehead and exposed hands.
Shen Ci'an's hands were also extremely beautiful, with distinct and long knuckles, thin calluses on his palms, and slender wrists like ink bamboo, one could imagine the vigorous strength he possessed when writing.
Jiang Zhi wiped him for a long time, but his fever showed no signs of going down.
If this continues, something terrible is bound to happen.
Jiang Zhi pursed her lips, asked Qingxing to fetch another basin of water, and then asked her to brew a medicine for typhoid fever.
After Qingxing went out and closed the door, Jiang Zhi could no longer care about anything else. She helped Shen Ci'an up a little and then deftly unbuttoned his long robe.
Although Shen Ci'an looked slender, he was not weak. His shoulder line was as sharp as if cut by a knife, and was wrapped in a thin layer of muscle, making it smooth and firm. The contours of his waist and abdomen were like a soft sword that had not yet been drawn from its sheath, giving him a natural air of ease and freedom.
Jiang Zhi couldn't help but think that if she married him in the future, watching him read and write under the eaves, with his refined and upright scholarly demeanor and handsome appearance, would not be a bad thing.
A smile spread across her face as she soaked a handkerchief and began to wipe his body.
His body was burning hot, as if he were about to catch fire. Soon the handkerchief was also heated up, so the water had to be changed again and again.
After this process was repeated several times, Shen Ci'an's burning body temperature finally dropped, and the feverish person slowly opened his eyes.
"This is..." Shen Ci'an was still in a daze. He raised his hand and pinched his throbbing temple before he realized what was happening and looked up at Jiang Zhi in astonishment.
"Young Miss?" He recognized the person in front of him and thought he must be delirious from the fever.
But he soon realized that he was lying half-reclined on the couch, with his clothes disheveled, and Jiang Zhi's fair hand holding a handkerchief was pressed against his chest.
This is utterly outrageous!
A buzzing sound filled Shen Ci'an's mind, and in his shock, he frantically tried to back away.
However, he was already weak from his illness, and as he stumbled backward, Jiang Zhi couldn't support him, and the two of them ended up falling onto the bed.
"Ugh," Jiang Zhi cried out as her forehead struck his chest, "Cousin, you..."
Shen Ci'an's face, which was already flushed from the fever, was now even redder, like blood. He reached out to push her away, but then felt that men and women should not touch each other and were afraid of offending her. His hands were raised in a daze, and he didn't know where to put them.
He could only gasp for breath and weakly say, "I'm sorry, Miss... please get up first."
Looking at his uneasy appearance, Jiang Zhi felt that her cousin's reaction was far too strong.
So she decided to tease him and deliberately placed her hand on his waist and abdomen. Feeling the muscles under her palm tighten instantly, Jiang Zhi's lips curled up slightly, as if she wanted to use the strength to get up, but her hand slipped and she fell back onto him.
"Watch out!" Shen Ci'an didn't dare to move, the girl's fragrance filling his nostrils.
He had buried himself in his studies for over a decade, never even getting close to a woman. Now, however, he was being embraced by a woman with a warm and soft body. He froze like a stone, his mind went blank, and his already dry throat became even drier, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty.
"I'm sorry, cousin. My hands are sore and weak from wiping you down. I didn't mean to. Are you alright?"
She looked up at him, her watery eyes filled with undisguised concern.
Shen Ci'an's eyelashes trembled slightly. "Get up first, then we'll talk."
"Oh right, right." Jiang Zhi seemed to just realize it and hurriedly got up.
Shen Ci'an finally breathed a sigh of relief, quickly turned around, and put on his loose-fitting clothes.
"Cousin, you had a high fever earlier, so I tried wiping your body to lower your temperature. I didn't expect it to actually work," Jiang Zhi said thankfully, seemingly oblivious to his discomfort.
"Thank goodness you're awake, otherwise I really wouldn't know what to do."
Her eyes sparkled, as if she was happy to be able to help him.
Shen Ci'an felt a throbbing vein on his forehead.
There is a difference between men and women, and her behavior was truly improper. If outsiders found out, it would be one thing for him, being a man, but what would become of her reputation? If she were implicated because of this, wouldn't he become a sinner?
So, disregarding his weakened state, he sternly admonished her, "Young Miss, how could you..."
Before he could finish speaking, a cool hand touched his forehead. "Thank goodness, the fever has gone down. You should be fine now."
The touch on his forehead was fleeting, leaving him no time to flinch. By the time he realized what was happening, Jiang Zhi had already placed a bowl of water in front of him.
"Cousin must be thirsty. Drink more warm water to sweat it out, and your typhoid fever will heal faster."
Her expression was calm, but her eyes showed concern.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Shen Ci'an's brows furrowed even deeper, and she did not take it. "I can do it myself. Please allow me to tidy my clothes first, Miss."
"Okay, then I'll wait for you outside." Jiang Zhi knew he was old-fashioned and shouldn't be provoked too much, so she readily placed the teacup beside him, took a towel and a basin of water, and went out.
When Shen Ci'an saw the handkerchief in her hand, the warmth that had subsided surged back up.
Although I was delirious with fever just now, I still had some consciousness.
A scorching heat surged through my body, my eyelids felt as heavy as lead, and even my breathing became heavy and labored.
In his half-awake state, he felt a cool sensation coursing through his body. Wherever it passed, the unbearable burning pain lessened and dissipated, like a spring breeze caressing his face, bringing peace to his mind.
At that time, he thought he was hallucinating due to a high fever, but he didn't expect it to be real.
He sighed heavily, feeling a deep headache.
The young lady acted out of desperation, and it was out of good intentions.
However, I cannot pretend that nothing happened.
He tidied his clothes and appearance, then opened the door and went out.
Jiang Zhi was leisurely drinking tea under the eaves when she saw him come out, and a smile unconsciously appeared on her face. "Cousin."
Shen Ci'an coughed lightly, avoiding her gaze, "There is a difference between men and women. Do not get too close. Miss, you are a lady of noble birth. Do not do such things again."
"Does my cousin think I'm frivolous and disrespectful?" Jiang Zhi's smile faded, and her face turned frosty.
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