Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
She cried out his name a few times. Huo Yunshen was delirious in his high fever and he could vaguely hear Xu Xiyan calling his name.
He thought it was an illusion and reached out to her saying, “Jing Xi, don’t go…”
“I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”
Xu Xiyan held his hand, closing her fingers around his.
His palm was wide in her hand. It felt dry and very warm.
His body temperature was so high. Was it a fever?
He mumbled something incomprehensible then fainted. Xu Xiyan touched his forehead with the back of her hand. It really was a fever.
He looked very ill and Xu Xiyan felt an unspeakable heartache. Wasn’t he fine yesterday?
How did he suddenly become sick today?
Xu Xiyan had learned Chinese medicine from her grandfather since she was a child. She remained calm as she looked him over and took his pulse, then proceeded to treat him and lower his body temperature.
Xu Xiyan boiled some ginger soup. Then she helped sit him up and held him in her arms, feeding him ginger soup bit by bit.
After the soup was gone, she covered Huo Yunshen with a blanket.
He began to sweat heavily, and not long after that, his fever receded and he began to regain consciousness.
Huo Yunshen opened his eyes and saw Xu Xiyan in front of him, light returning to his dark eyes.
“Jing Xi, why are you here?” he said weakly.
Even though he had lost his voice, he still sounded charming and even more mesmerizing.
Xu Xiyan helped him wipe the sweat off his forehead and his body and said, “If I had not come, you might’ve died and nobody would have known.”
“Thank you.”
Huo Yunshen knew that she had been taking care of him and felt very moved.
“You don’t have to thank me. I am your caretaker and I’m supposed to take care of you.”
Then she looked at him and said, “But, weren’t you all right back at the Huo family house yesterday? How did you become so sick today? Why didn’t you contact anyone?”
How would Xu Xiyan know that Huo Yunshen had become seriously ill because of her?
Since last night, he had sunk into a depression and did not sleep or eat or drink until today, trapped in pain and turmoil.
Anxiety, sadness, hopelessness…he was suffering in all sorts of complicated moods. How could he not fall ill?
“I didn’t expect it to be so serious, and I thought I would recover…” he said, then let out a few coughs.
Huo Yunshen thought that he could bear with it, but he did not expect to have a fever that high and become very sick.
“Not only do you have a fever but you’re also coughing. Don’t be so stubborn next time; you should go to a doctor if you’re not feeling well. Don’t you know how worried your mother and your sisters will be if they learned you’ve fallen very ill?” Xu Xiyan lectured him.
Huo Yunshen did not speak. In fact, he did not care whether others would become worried for him. He really wanted to ask, Jing Xi, would you worry about me?
Xu Xiyan continued to wipe his body with a warm towel. Her movements were natural, as if she was a wife wiping her husband’s body.
When she reached his lower abdomen, Huo Yunshen suddenly grabbed her hand.
Xu Xiyan was surprised and looked up, “What’s wrong?”
Huo Yunchen’s cheeks were flushing red. “You don’t have to wipe anymore.”
“You’ve been sweating all over. If you’re not dry and put in clean clothes, the moisture will seep into your body and aggravate your condition.”
Xu Xiyan guessed that he was shy, but she was his caregiver now. Isn’t it normal for her to clean his body?
“But…”
How could he let her do these things for him?