The softly dim room was overwhelmingly quiet.
Only the slightly heavy, deep breaths coming from the person leaning on Meng Chu’s shoulder seemed to break the silence, as if quietly reminding her of something. But no one spoke to shatter the stillness.
After a long while, Meng Chu couldn’t help but be the first to break the quiet.
She asked softly, “Have you taken any medicine?”
“Not yet. I meant to lie down for a bit, but I’ve just stayed like this until now,” Cheng Jin’s hoarse voice was indeed weak, thick with a nasal tone.
Meng Chu quickly said, “I brought some medicine over; I’ll go get it for you.”
She wanted to move, but his heavy head was still resting on her shoulder.
Though it seemed like he was just leaning his head against her, there was a heavy weight to it.
Finally, Cheng Jin’s weak voice that sounded like he might faint at any moment spoke up: “Wait a moment. Let me catch my breath first. My head hurts so much.”
At this moment, Cheng Jin was indeed unlike his usual self.
He looked incredibly fragile.
But Meng Chu understood how sick people could be; physical discomfort often exposed a vulnerability not normally seen.
She had also heard that the healthier a person usually was, the more aggressive their illness could be when it hit.
So she didn’t push him but let Cheng Jin rest his head on her shoulder.
The quiet room sank back into a stillness broken only by their soft breathing.
After an unknown length of time, Cheng Jin slowly lifted his head from the hollow of her shoulder.
“How are you feeling?” Meng Chu asked, looking at him.
He closed his eyes slightly. “Uncomfortable, nauseous.”
“Are you going to throw up?” Meng Chu quickly glanced around the room, looking for a trash can.
Cheng Jin pursed his lips slightly. “Not to that extent.”
Meng Chu said, “Wait here. I’ll get your medicine.”
She stood up and headed toward the kitchen.
Leaning slightly against the headboard, Cheng Jin watched her back with the faintest smile at the corner of his lips.
Soon, Meng Chu returned carrying a bag of medicine and a bottle of mineral water from Cheng Jin’s refrigerator. She swiftly tore open a fever-reducing patch.
“Let’s put on this fever patch first. It’ll make you feel more comfortable,” she said.
Cheng Jin’s face was flushed red, clearly from the fever.
As she peeled away the white protective film of the patch, the man, who had been leaning against the bed’s headrest, bent forward slightly, cooperating with her.
Meng Chu was momentarily stunned, then gently lifted a few strands of hair that had fallen across his forehead.
Only then did she carefully stick the fever patch on his forehead.
After finishing, Meng Chu couldn’t help but sigh, “You’re so good.”
But as soon as she said that, their eyes met.
Cheng Jin tilted his head slightly, a flicker of confusion passing through his eyes.
Meng Chu realized her tone had sounded like she was coaxing a child.
She hurried to clarify, “I mean, you’re really cooperative.”
She had just torn off the patch, and he had already moved his forehead closer himself. That was definitely cooperation.
“Yeah, I know,” Cheng Jin said with a light laugh.
Meng Chu expected him to tease her as usual, but he surprisingly played along obediently.
Clearly, he was really sick.
Looking at the medicine on the bedside table, she said uneasily, “Maybe I should take you to the hospital to get checked? Without a doctor’s advice, I don’t dare give you random medicine.”
“Aren’t these medicines from your place?” Cheng Jin’s expression was tired.
He tilted his head toward her. “When you’re sick, what do you usually do?”
Meng Chu replied, “I just put on a fever patch and take some medicine. But you’re different from me.”
“How am I different?” Cheng Jin asked back.
Then he whispered, “I’m not going to the hospital.”
Meng Chu was also not fond of hospitals, and her health was generally good.
For common colds and fevers, she usually just put on a fever patch, took some medicine, and slept it off.
She took out a box of Ibuprofen Suspension and said, “This is really effective for reducing fever. Whenever I have a fever, I drink a little of this, and usually after sleeping, I’m fine.”
The box she brought was a fresh, unopened one from her own stock.
She unscrewed the cap, poured some into a cup, and handed it to Cheng Jin.
Fortunately, the sick Cheng Jin was surprisingly cooperative, taking the cup and drinking it all in one go.
After seeing the fever patch on his forehead and the medicine taken, Meng Chu asked, “Do you want to lie down and sleep some more?”
Cheng Jin shook his head slightly. “I already slept enough. Sleeping more will only make my head hurt worse.”
Meng Chu nodded understandingly.
Then she asked softly, “By the way, did you have dinner?”
Cheng Jin shook his head.
“I had a headache after getting off the plane. I planned to sleep a bit, then contact you, but before I knew it, I had a fever,” he said.
Hearing this, Meng Chu felt even more guilty.
Not only had she not visited him earlier, but she had also been upset with him.
Sigh.
Actually, she didn’t have to wait for him to contact her first.
If only she had reached out sooner…
But after he spoke, Meng Chu felt she had been petty.
She never thought of herself as someone who was calculative.
But with him, she seemed somewhat immature.
Like she was just arguing for the sake of it.
But what exactly was she arguing about?
Meng Chu suddenly asked herself this deep question because she had never encountered this before.
She was usually good at solving problems.
But now, she couldn’t figure this one out.
“What’s wrong?” Cheng Jin looked at her, who had her head bowed, seemingly lost in thought.
He couldn’t help but ask.
Meng Chu snapped back to the moment by his question and immediately said, “How about I cook you something?”
“I know you probably don’t have much of an appetite, but when you’re sick, eating actually helps you recover faster. Maybe after you eat, you’ll sweat it out and feel better by morning,” Meng Chu encouraged.
Cheng Jin nodded.
Meng Chu’s face brightened. “Wait here. I’ll make you something.”
She got up from beside the bed and went out.
Meng Chu didn’t really use Cheng Jin’s kitchen much, and it was quite large—almost the size of where she currently lived.
She rummaged through the cabinets, pulling each out to check.
She soon found the rice.
Since sick people couldn’t eat anything too greasy, she planned to cook congee.
Of course, with a little of her own secret recipe.
After rinsing the rice and putting it in the electric rice cooker, she caught a glimpse of a figure at the kitchen entrance.
She stepped back quickly, and upon seeing it was Cheng Jin, she let out a relieved breath.
“Why are you here?” Meng Chu looked startled.
She also noticed he was still wearing a mask.
Cheng Jin said, “I slept too long. Wanted to get out of bed and move around a bit.”
His voice was hoarse from illness and muffled behind the mask, giving a sense of labored breathing.
Meng Chu quickly asked, “Why are you still wearing a mask? You’re sick and already having trouble breathing. Wouldn’t it be even harder with a mask on?”
“I’m afraid I’ll infect you,” Cheng Jin’s dark eyes glistened with moisture.
Meng Chu froze.
She hadn’t expected him to be so sick and still considerate of her.
“You should take it off,” Meng Chu said. “If I were sick, it’d be great—I could take leave from work.”
Cheng Jin’s eyelids lowered slightly.
Meng Chu stepped closer, reaching out to take off his mask.
But Cheng Jin was very tall, so she had to tiptoe to reach his ear.
As her fingers touched the outline of his ear, the man who had been standing still suddenly seemed to get an electric shock and stepped back.
Meng Chu lost her balance from standing on tiptoes.
As he stepped back, her body instinctively fell forward.
As she lunged forward, Cheng Jin instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist.
When his hands encircled her slender waist, his mind buzzed.
A thought flashed through his head.
Her waist was truly delicate.
Soft and fragile, it stirred an uncontrollable urge to protect her.
Meng Chu’s cheek pressed against Cheng Jin’s chest, and her first reaction was surprise at how hard it felt.
Men’s chests are flesh and blood, but his felt like steel-reinforced concrete.
This thought lingered in her mind until she realized she had been leaning on his chest for a while, and hurriedly pulled back.
“Sorry, I wasn’t steady,” Meng Chu said after standing upright.
Cheng Jin replied slowly, “It’s okay.”
Though just two words, Meng Chu felt there was more implied.
She awkwardly said, “You really should take off the mask. You’ll feel more comfortable. With a fever and trouble breathing, it must be even worse wearing it.”
“I’ll drink some cold-preventative medicine soon,” she emphasized.
Only then did Cheng Jin slowly remove the mask.
Meng Chu looked at his short hair, now tousled and falling over his forehead, the light blue fever patch still on his forehead.
The flush on his face was still obvious, but overall, he looked fragile in a way she couldn’t quite describe.
“You should sit on the sofa for a bit. You still have to wait before eating,” Meng Chu said.
Cheng Jin didn’t reply but obediently walked out.
Soon, Meng Chu stood at the kitchen entrance watching him settle on the sofa.
He lay back against the sofa’s backrest.
Meng Chu stood there when suddenly a shadow dashed across the corridor straight toward the sofa.
She focused and was a bit surprised.
How could she have forgotten?
She hurried after it, and before Momo could get close to the sofa, she stopped her, holding the dog back and softly saying, “Momo, go play in your room, okay? He’s sick.”
She was afraid Momo might jump on Cheng Jin.
Momo was a large dog.
Usually, playing with Momo was exhausting enough.
Especially now that Cheng Jin was sick.
But Momo didn’t understand and just saw Cheng Jin after a long time, so she excitedly tried to jump over.
Meng Chu held Momo back, refusing to let her get close.
Momo barked a few times, seeming dissatisfied.
“Momo,” a slightly stern voice came from the sofa.
Momo immediately stopped barking.
Meng Chu looked up to see Cheng Jin, who had been lying back with his eyes closed, now staring straight at her.
“Go to your room,” Cheng Jin said firmly.
Seeing this, Meng Chu whispered, “Be gentle. Momo doesn’t know you’re sick.”
She hugged Momo close and softly said, “Daddy’s sick, so don’t bother him. When he’s better, I’ll take you out to play. Come on, go to your room and have some snacks.”
Meng Chu carried Momo back to the room, fed her some snacks, and calmed her down.
After returning, she quickly went to the kitchen where the rice cooker indicated the congee was done.
She washed her hands and prepared to serve it.
Cheng Jin sat at the dining table and took a sip of the congee, then looked at Meng Chu: “Is it sweet?”
He tasted it and felt the sweetness linger on his lips.
“You’re sick; your mouth probably tastes bland. Plain congee can make you lose your appetite, so I added some sugar to make it less tasteless,” Meng Chu explained.
If this were at her place, she’d also make some hot wontons.
Eating warm wontons would help induce sweating.
But Cheng Jin’s fridge had almost nothing, likely because he hadn’t been home much recently.
The housekeeper hadn’t stocked much food.
“Yeah, it’s tasty,” Cheng Jin nodded.
The rice cooked until thick, plus a bit of sugar, was indeed appetizing.
In no time, Cheng Jin finished a bowl.
Seeing how quickly he finished, Meng Chu couldn’t help but ask, “Want another bowl?”
“Okay,” Cheng Jin nodded.
Meng Chu quickly served him another bowl, also sweetened.
After he finished, Meng Chu thought she saw an unusual glow on his face, like the flush had subsided a bit.
He also looked more energetic.
“Put your bowl in the dishwasher,” Cheng Jin reminded.
Meng Chu chuckled, “It’s just one bowl; I can wash it anytime.”
After washing up and returning, she saw Cheng Jin still sitting at the table and reminded, “Do you want to lie down and rest a bit?”
“Yeah,” Cheng Jin replied.
But just as he stood up, he suddenly looked up at Meng Chu.
“How about you stay here tonight?”
“Ah?” Meng Chu blurted out instinctively, clearly surprised by the suggestion.
When she looked up, Cheng Jin’s gaze met hers as he said, “I’m worried it’s too late now, and I can’t send you home.”
Oh, that made sense.
Meng Chu thought it was fine; taking a taxi was safe.
But Cheng Jin seemed to sense her hesitation. He lowered his eyelashes and softly said, “It’s not that I’m afraid of being sick without anyone to care for me.”
Right. He was this sick.
Meng Chu felt she couldn’t just leave him alone at home.
After her initial shock at his suggestion faded, she realized she really couldn’t go.
“Okay. Besides, I already showered before coming,” Meng Chu nodded.
When Cheng Jin looked at her again, their eyes locked.
Suddenly, Meng Chu realized—
No.
What nonsense am I saying!
She hurried to clarify, “I mean I’ve already showered, so I can just go straight to sleep.”
Cheng Jin smirked slightly and asked softly, “Which meaning? I don’t quite understand.”
You!
Meng Chu hurried to explain, “I mean just sleeping, purely sleeping.”
“Oh, sleeping,” Cheng Jin nodded gently.
Ah, ah, ah.
She was really not implying anything else.
Her innocence was about to be lost.
He was a patient; what else could she do?
No, why was she thinking this way?
Meng Chu felt like Cheng Jin had completely dragged her into his trap.
“I mean just sleeping,” she still couldn’t help but defend herself.
“Just… sleeping,” Cheng Jin lifted his chin a bit, speaking each word clearly.
Meng Chu took a deep breath.
Actually, there was no need for him to repeat what she said.
But this time, Cheng Jin said no more.
He simply passed by her and headed toward the room.
After a few steps, sensing she hadn’t followed, Cheng Jin stopped and looked back.
His gaze lightly settled on her as he parted his lips: “If you’re not just sleeping, then hurry up and come here.”
Meng Chu: “…”
She suddenly felt the phrase “just sleeping” sounded far from innocent.