Chapter 44

Jiang Chao now understood all too well what it meant to push her luck.

She had meekly taken the blame Sheng Huaixi had tossed her way and gone along with one of Sheng Huaixi’s requests. After that came one unrestrained demand after another, piling up with no restraint at all.

The fingers pinching the flesh of her ear tightened unconsciously. Jiang Chao narrowed her eyes and fixed her gaze on the watery, pitiful look that had gathered in Sheng Huaixi’s eyes because of it.

This time, she knew how to hold the line.

“Denied.” Looking at Sheng Huaixi’s tear-bright red eyes, Jiang Chao added, “Don’t go kissing some fool who walks out in the rain without an umbrella. You’ll end up an idiot too.”

Thinking of Sheng Huaixi’s back as she had left without a second thought in the footage, Jiang Chao’s heart gave a sharp, worried tug.

On a night of driving wind and pouring rain, Sheng Huaixi had walked out just like that.

At the thought, Jiang Chao’s fingers dug hard into Sheng Huaixi’s earlobe again.

The fool herself blinked innocently, her fingertips scratching at Jiang Chao’s wrist, rubbing over the soft inner flesh as the moisture in her eyes spread. That weak, willow-in-the-wind look appeared again.

“I’m sick right now. You have to cut me some slack.”

Sheng Huaixi lowered her voice, her words soft and husky. The warm rasp of her breath brushed over Jiang Chao’s wrist.

Soft enough to feel sticky.

The damp heat suddenly clung to the cold; the collision of hot and cold made Jiang Chao’s wrist tremble uncontrollably, almost wanting to draw back.

The itch from those teasing scratches worked its way straight beneath the skin. Jiang Chao pressed her lips together, her breathing growing heavier, and blinked at her. “Even a sick person doesn’t get to say impossible things the second she opens her mouth.”

Sheng Huaixi’s lashes fluttered. She blinked slowly, her bright eyes fixed on Jiang Chao’s face for a long moment, light flickering in them.

She seemed to be seriously considering whether the request was really as unreasonable as Jiang Chao said.

Jiang Chao approved of her willingness to close her mouth and think. If only she could also take back the fingers endlessly teasing Jiang Chao’s wrist and stop blowing hot breath over the itchy spot...

Then Jiang Chao would be much more willing to give Sheng Huaixi space and time to think.

Trying to draw her wrist back, Jiang Chao endured the prickling itch of Sheng Huaixi’s fingertips digging in again and said, “My hand’s gone numb. Let go.”

“No.” Sheng Huaixi refused. Her tapping fingers lifted from Jiang Chao’s wrist and touched her own cheek instead; her gaze was stubborn. “You didn’t agree to kiss me either.”

Their completely mismatched logic suddenly collided, and Jiang Chao was left speechless for a moment.

To Sheng Huaixi, simply pulling her wrist away was apparently on the same level as refusing a kiss, and she could say it with complete composure.

Lowering her eyes, Jiang Chao felt that sour, numb itch spreading through the gaps between her bones. She stared at Sheng Huaixi’s fever-red face, one brow lifting slightly, but before she could say anything...

Sheng Huaixi lightly rubbed her cheek against Jiang Chao’s palm, a teasing smile flashing in the depths of her eyes and spilling outward.

“Are you thinking again that I’m pushing my luck?”

Jiang Chao blinked, then nodded without ceremony. Her fingertips brushed over Sheng Huaixi’s earlobe as she smiled. “I like how self-aware you are, so...”

“No.” Sheng Huaixi seemed to know exactly what Jiang Chao was about to say. Her brows knitted in discomfort. “The pillow is too soft. When I lie down, it feels like my brain is spinning around all dizzy.”

Jiang Chao froze. The seriousness that had just settled on her face disappeared, replaced by thick guilt in her eyes. She awkwardly licked her lips.

“Sorry.”

Her health had always been good. When Sheng Huaixi woke up, her responses were clear and coherent, no different from usual, and it had almost made Jiang Chao forget how awful feverish dizziness could feel.

Keeping her wrist obediently extended where it was, Jiang Chao picked up her phone and checked it. The doctor hadn’t called her.

Estimating the time in her head, Jiang Chao took the initiative and asked, “Do you want me to wipe you down again and help bring your temperature down? Would that make you feel better?”

Sheng Huaixi stared at Jiang Chao with a dark, unreadable look. Jiang Chao grew inexplicably uneasy, touched her own cheek in confusion, and in the end simply lowered her wrist and let Sheng Huaixi keep looking.

After a long while, Sheng Huaixi closed her dark eyes tightly and let out a heavy sigh, her fragile throat moving as she swallowed down her temper.

“Jiang Chao, the things I teach you—you need to listen properly next time.”

Listen properly to her words, and listen properly to her warnings.

Sheng Huaixi sincerely hoped Jiang Chao would believe that this was one of the rare times she was being kind.

“What...” Jiang Chao looked down at herself in confusion, then blinked at Sheng Huaixi. She didn’t understand what she meant.

The things Sheng Huaixi taught her? What things? The things she had said on Jiang Chao’s first day at Shengjing? What did that have to do with their current situation...

“You..."

The phone rang, instantly pulling Jiang Chao’s attention away. She leaned forward and grabbed it, speaking softly, “Hello, Dr. Zhou, you’re here, right? I’ll come down and open the door now.”

“033033.” Sheng Huaixi tightened her grip on Jiang Chao’s wrist, her brows slightly furrowed. “The gate password.”

Her wrist was held only lightly, but Jiang Chao still lowered her head and met a pair of damp eyes fixed unblinkingly on her.

The attachment in them was obvious; she didn’t want to let go even for a second.

“Sorry, Dr. Zhou, I’m tied up at the moment. The gate password is 033033. Please open the door and come straight up to the second floor; the room with the light on is the right one.”

Jiang Chao hung up, lowered her head, and looked at the faintly visible white curve of Sheng Huaixi’s shoulder. Because Sheng Huaixi was turned sideways while speaking to her, Jiang Chao’s line of sight drifted downward.

A faint valley shimmered in the dim yellow light.

Jiang Chao’s brow couldn’t help but crease.

“There’s another set of your pajamas in the wardrobe behind you. Go get it.”

Sheng Huaixi reluctantly moved her cheek away from Jiang Chao’s wrist, her eyes swaying as she watched Jiang Chao stand up and walk off decisively. Amusement rippled in her gaze.

Estimating that Dr. Zhou would be upstairs any moment, Jiang Chao didn’t dare waste a second.

After opening the wardrobe and finding the pajamas, Jiang Chao immediately turned back, sat down at the bedside, and supported Sheng Huaixi upright against her shoulder. The fabric slid smoothly down as she pulled it over Sheng Huaixi’s head.

Sheng Huaixi lay there lazily, letting Jiang Chao guide her wrist through the sleeve opening. Her pupils shifted slowly and settled on Jiang Chao’s profile.

Because she was worried the doctor could arrive at any moment, Jiang Chao’s face was unconsciously tense; her lips were pressed into a thin line, visibly nervous.

Nervous because of Sheng Huaixi.

At that thought, the corner of Sheng Huaixi’s mouth rose almost imperceptibly.

Jiang Chao was completely focused on helping Sheng Huaixi get dressed. The drifting gaze on her face wasn’t unfamiliar to her.

If Sheng Huaixi wanted to look, then Jiang Chao would let her look openly.

Only, sometimes, she hoped Sheng Huaixi wouldn’t look at her with quite such burning eyes.

Jiang Chao lowered her head to adjust the fabric on Sheng Huaixi’s body, her thoughts in disarray. After a moment, they settled back into calm.

“Miss Jiang, sorry to bother you.” Two soft knocks sounded at the door, followed by a gentle voice from the room.

“Dr. Zhou.” Jiang Chao nodded. Her hands were still supporting Sheng Huaixi, so she couldn’t do much else and could only smile apologetically.

“Thank you for coming all this way. Please help me check on my friend’s condition. She slept all night in wet clothes, and now she’s burning up with a fever.”

Doctor Zhou’s voice matched her appearance; her features carried a warm, considerate air. Hearing this, she smiled and shook her head, setting down the box in her hand and taking out a thermometer to hand to Jiang Chao.

“This is what I should do. Please take this young lady’s temperature first.”

Jiang Chao took it, lowered her eyes, and naturally brought the slim glass tube to Sheng Huaixi’s lips, pressing a thin, unmistakable mark against them. “Bite it.”

Sheng Huaixi obediently did as told. As she bit down on the thermometer, her brows and eyes instinctively narrowed, curving downward in a habitual way.

That only lasted for an instant before she returned to normal.

Jiang Chao watched for a moment, then looked away thoughtfully.

During the wait, Dr. Zhou gently asked a few questions about Sheng Huaixi’s recent exposure to the cold. Jiang Chao listened carefully, and the more she listened, the more her brow twitched.

As expected, Sheng Huaixi’s fever really had been caused by catching cold.

But why had Sheng Huaixi fallen asleep on the bed in wet clothes?

She couldn’t possibly have been that crazy, deliberately choosing to sleep in wet clothes all night just to give herself a fever, could she...

A series of guesses flashed through Jiang Chao’s mind, and the arm around Sheng Huaixi’s waist tightened unconsciously; her fingertips pressed down, then pinched again before she realized it.

Sheng Huaixi quietly lifted her eyes. Jiang Chao’s distracted expression came clearly into view; it was obvious she was holding something back.

What is Jiang Chao thinking about?

Her eyes narrowing slightly, Sheng Huaixi stared at Jiang Chao’s face. A dark glint flashed through her gaze, and the moisture in her eyes slowly receded, revealing a hidden edge of danger.

“All right, the timing’s about right. You can take the thermometer out now.”

Jiang Chao came back to herself, took the thermometer out, and handed it to Dr. Zhou. “How is it?” she asked in a hurry.

Dr. Zhou frowned, concern showing on her face as she replied, “A high fever. I recommend an IV drip directly. That way this young lady will recover sooner.”

Jiang Chao nodded. “Okay, I’ll follow your advice.”

“Just to be safe, I’ll draw some blood and do a more comprehensive examination to understand her condition better.”

“Sheng Huaixi, are you afraid of blood draws?”

Jiang Chao didn’t know whether Sheng Huaixi was, but she herself was. She lowered her eyes and asked Sheng Huaixi for the answer.

Sheng Huaixi shook her head and tugged at Jiang Chao’s sleeve. In a small voice, she said, “Go to my room and get my underwear from the little compartment on the right side of my wardrobe.”

Instinctively looking up at Dr. Zhou, Jiang Chao felt the tips of her ears heat up a little. She hurriedly agreed and rushed out of the room.

Sheng Huaixi’s gaze followed Jiang Chao’s flustered back; the corners of her mouth lifted slightly. Then she turned her eyes back to Dr. Zhou, her expression going completely cold.

“Dr. Zhou, about the report after the blood test—please leave some parts out and don’t tell Jiang Chao.”

Interest flashed in Dr. Zhou’s eyes. She put away the chart in her hand and looked at the patient before her, who no longer bothered to hide her coldness now that Jiang Chao had left.

“Why? Miss Jiang cares about you a lot.”

Sheng Huaixi closed her eyes, enduring the pain in her head as though an iron rod were striking it over and over again. The headache felt as if it were splitting her skull, and she didn’t want to chat about unnecessary things with anyone.

“The report will show that I’ve been drugged with an aphrodisiac. I don’t want Jiang Chao to know that.”

“What if I already know now?”

Sheng Huaixi opened her eyes. Her gaze trembled slightly as she looked toward the source of the voice.

At the doorway, Jiang Chao had returned and was standing there, staring intently in this direction. Her hands were clenched tightly into fists, and each breath came heavier than the last.

“Sheng Huaixi, shouldn’t you explain this to me properly?”

“What’s going on with the aphrodisiac?”