Chen Yan’s aura had a few subtle flaws, and although his breathing was steady, it was a bit heavier than usual.
Gu Qingyi reached out and touched Chen Yan’s forehead.
Gu Qingyi felt a bit uneasy—was Chen Yan running a fever?
She quickly thought it over and then suddenly came to a realization.
Last month, both of them had fallen ill on the same day—February 5th, both of them got sick and had a fever together!
The Heavenly Dao’s reckoning!
Gu Qingyi frowned and sat down by Chen Yan’s bedside.
February was a leap month with only twenty-eight days, so when the Heavenly Dao’s one-month, thirty-day calculation exploded in March, it came to March 7th!
Chen Yan woke up groggily, feeling something wet and cool on his forehead.
He reached out and found a damp towel on his forehead.
Chen Yan, feeling woozy, took off the towel and tried to sit up, then heard Gu Qingyi say softly, "There’s water on the nightstand, drink some."
Chen Yan turned to see Gu Qingyi lying on the adjacent bed, her pretty face tinged with an unusual flush, wrapped in the quilt, giving him a wry smile.
Chen Yan felt a stir in his heart, then quickly realized, "The Heavenly Dao’s reckoning?"
"Mm." Gu Qingyi sighed, "We both seem to have forgotten about this."
Chen Yan sighed, propped his pillow up against his back, leaned on the headboard, and drank a full glass of water in one go before looking at Gu Qingyi, "How are you feeling?"
"I got it a bit later than you. Maybe my cultivation level is higher, so my resistance is a bit stronger." Gu Qingyi shook her head, her voice tinged with exhaustion, "There’s a thermometer and fever medicine on the table—even though we used the medicine last month and it didn’t cure us, it can still alleviate the symptoms and make us feel a bit better."
Her voice was noticeably hoarse as well, "I also bought some vitamin tablets and throat lozenges, just in case the coughing gets severe and our throats hurt."
Chen Yan looked at the plastic bag on the table, which clearly bore a pharmacy’s logo.
"You... went out to buy them?"
"What else? Did you think the medicine would fly over by itself?"
"Um..." Chen Yan chuckled, "I forgot to teach you. There’s an app for food delivery that also delivers medicine—just like food delivery, they bring it to your door."
Gu Qingyi rolled her eyes, turned over on the bed, and lay on her side facing Chen Yan, "Telling me now is too late."
"...Thank you for your trouble." Chen Yan smiled wryly, "You were sick yourself and still went out to buy medicine, and even put a wet towel on my forehead."
Gu Qingyi snorted, "I’m your Consort Mother, taking care of you when you’re sick is part of my duty!"
"...So, this is what’s called motherly love, huh?" Chen Yan smiled weakly.
Both of them were in the first day of their fever, feeling the worst, and even joking around was half-hearted.
Chen Yan got up, took the wet towel to the bathroom, wet it again with cold water, and also wet another clean towel.
Returning to the room, Chen Yan placed one towel on Gu Qingyi’s forehead, then obediently put the other towel on his own forehead and lay back down in his bed.
"Our plans to go out are temporarily shelved. We’re going to be stuck in this hotel for the next few days to recuperate." Chen Yan sighed, "But the herbal prescription that Old Deng next door gave us is still good. I’ll go out tomorrow and get some herbs from a Chinese medicine shop for you. If I remember correctly, last month when you got sick, it coincided with your... that prescription happened to be right for you."
Gu Qingyi blushed, gritted her teeth and said, "Hey, Chen Yan! Is it appropriate to discuss such topics with your Consort Mother?"
"Oh, come on, what Consort Mother, it’s all just to fool the Heavenly Dao’s marriage pact."
Chen Yan lay down and said slowly, "We’ve been living together for a while now, at least we’re roommates and friends. Stop always putting on that Consort Mother act in front of me. So young, yet you insist on playing the role of an old-fashioned elder. You’re tired, and so am I."
Gu Qingyi’s eyes showed a bit of guilt, "I... haven’t I been a good enough Consort Mother? I spent my Primordial Qi to make lifesaving talismans for you, cared about you and Lu Sisi, and more importantly, I’ve been concerned about your marriage and future descendants... These are all my duties as a Consort Mother, and I’ve done them all."
"Mm, your level is very high, as high as a three-year-old playing house." Chen Yan smiled, "Alright, let’s rest and sleep. We’re both having a fever; sleep is the best cure when you’re sick."
Seeing that Gu Qingyi still wanted to retort, Chen Yan immediately turned over and faced away from her, even pretending to snore.
Gu Qingyi swallowed her retort, but her little face still showed a bit of dissatisfaction.
Am I... really not doing well enough as a Consort Mother?
[I know you need ID to visit the Great Wall, but considering both are cultivators, evading the park’s access control isn’t a big deal. This kind of trivial detail won’t be elaborated on]