Taking Medicine

He reached over and felt Wang Siyi's forehead again. It was a little hot.

He asked uncertainly, "Did the fever fry your brain?"

Wang Siyi glared at Li Changle, annoyed, and slapped his hand away.

"You're the one whose brain's been fried!"

Her voice was so hoarse that the words seemed to scrape their way out of her throat.

"Then why are you smiling? You've got such a high fever and you can still laugh. That's just like you."

Li Changle shook his head. When he saw she was about to speak again, he quickly stopped her. "Don't say anything else. You'll lose your voice if you keep talking, and you still have to sing."

Wang Siyi didn't argue. She obediently stayed quiet.

Then Li Changle took an electronic thermometer out of the bag, wiped it off, and made sure it was switched on.

He handed it to Wang Siyi. "Here, an electronic thermometer. Check your temperature. Put the end with the metal in your armpit..."

Who knew whether she knew how to use an electronic thermometer? He even demonstrated with it.

Wang Siyi took the thermometer and looked at Li Changle. When she didn't move for a long time, he was about to ask her what was wrong.

But then Wang Siyi, her face a little red, said, "You... turn around!"

Li Changle froze, feeling awkward.

"Sorry. I'll go heat up the food. Once you've taken your temperature, send it to me on WeChat..."

Then he hurried out. He couldn't exactly watch her put the thermometer under her arm...

Wang Siyi watched him hurry out, then burst into a giggle and pulled open her clothes.

She put the thermometer under her arm. The moment its cool surface touched her skin, it tickled.

Li Changle reheated the food in the kitchen and shook his head. He'd cooked it shortly after six, and it was already past eight. The food had all gone cold without them even getting to eat.

After reheating the food, he checked the time. It should have been long enough, but Wang Siyi still hadn't sent him a message on WeChat.

He thought about it. He'd better go in and check. Women with fevers weren't thinking straight. Who knew what kind of trouble she might be getting into?

"Hey, are you incubating an egg with that thermometer? Hurry up and take it out so we can see your temperature..."

Sure enough, she'd forgotten all about it again. After he spoke, Li Changle turned around and waited for her to take out the thermometer.

Wang Siyi blushed a little, but obediently handed it to him. The thermometer brushed Li Changle's hand. He turned around and checked the reading.

"39 degrees! You've got a high fever. I'll take you to the hospital..."

As he spoke, Li Changle started gathering their things.

"I... I don't want to go to the hospital..."

Wang Siyi said weakly.

She was afraid of hospitals. Her grandfather had died in one, and she never wanted to go to one again. The last time she'd taken Li Changle to the hospital, she'd had no choice.

"How can you not go? Your temperature's so high. It won't come down unless you go to the hospital..."

Li Changle was getting anxious. She really wasn't thinking straight. Could the fever have damaged her brain?

"I just won't!"

Wang Siyi stubbornly turned her face away and said angrily.

Judging by the way she was acting, there was no chance she'd go to the hospital...

"All right, all right, we won't go. But you still need to take some medicine... Sit up and eat something first. Then you can take your medicine after you've had some food..."

Wang Siyi agreed and sat up, about to get out of bed. Li Changle hurriedly supported her and helped her step by step into the living room, where the dining table was.

Because of her fever, Wang Siyi had little appetite. She barely ate anything, pushing her food around and stopping after a couple of bites.

After clearing away the bowls and chopsticks, Li Changle waited half an hour before setting the fever medicine in front of Wang Siyi.

"Time to take your medicine."

Wang Siyi's expression stiffened. She asked uncertainly, "Do I really have to?"

Li Changle looked at her without expression. "What do you think?"

Wang Siyi looked at the fever medicine and anti-inflammatory medicine. There were capsules and tablets.

Her face fell. She said pitifully, "I don't want to take them. They're too bitter..."

"You have to take them, whether you want to or not!"

Li Changle firmly rejected her idea.

"I'm not taking them!"

Wang Siyi started acting up, turning her head away and puffing out her cheeks.

Li Changle had no choice but to shake his head. He went to the fridge and took out a pear, a few pieces of rock sugar, and some goji berries and red dates.

He went into the kitchen and got to work. He peeled the pear, cut off the top quarter, and hollowed it out. Then he put in the goji berries, red dates, and rock sugar, added a little warm water, and steamed it.

Wang Siyi watched Li Changle, unsure what he was fiddling with in the kitchen.

About forty minutes later, Li Changle came back with a bowl. A pear sat on top: steamed pear with rock sugar.

"Here, steamed pear with rock sugar. Take your medicine, then have a sip of the juice. It'll take away the bitter taste. Then eat the pear—it'll be good for your throat."

Since Wang Siyi was afraid of the bitter taste, Li Changle had no choice but to make her some steamed pear with rock sugar.

It really was good for the throat. Wang Siyi didn't say anything. She took the bowl, picked up a spoon, and had a sip.

It was sweet, and it lifted her spirits. After thinking it over, she decided to take the medicine.

Watching Wang Siyi take a pill, drink a sip of water, and then have a spoonful of the pear juice, Li Changle found her a little adorable and couldn't help smiling.

His mother had taught him how to make steamed pear with rock sugar. It worked wonders when you had a cold or fever and a sore throat.

He rarely got to use his cooking skills, so it felt satisfying to put them to use for Wang Siyi.

Wang Siyi finished the pear one spoonful at a time. She still wanted more and licked her lips. Maybe taking medicine wasn't so bad after all.

And after eating it, her throat really did seem to feel better. It wasn't so difficult to speak anymore.

"Tomorrow I want chicken soup!"

Since moving in, Wang Siyi had grown fond of soup, especially chicken soup.

"No. You shouldn't have too much chicken soup when you have a cold and fever. You need to eat something light..."

Wang Siyi frowned, clearly dissatisfied with that answer.

"I don't care. I want it!"

"I said no, so no."

This woman really had changed...

Where had the old, aloof Wang Siyi gone? Please, take back your divine powers! Li Changle was practically screaming in despair inside.

Seeing Wang Siyi sitting there in silence, looking glum, Li Changle couldn't bring himself to refuse her.

"Tomorrow I'll make you a soup with cooling herbs and duck. Chicken isn't suitable when you have a cold or fever..."

After much pleading and reasoning, he finally talked Wang Siyi into it.

Li Changle kept his word. He went out first thing in the morning to buy cooling herbs and an old duck, then made a pot of soup.

Wang Siyi seemed to need people more when she was sick. For the past few days, she'd wanted Li Changle in her sight at all times, except when he went out or went to sleep.

She'd also become more sentimental. Li Changle had tens of thousands of words written ahead, and every day she insisted he show them to her first. After reading, she'd get worked up.

She'd wipe away tears as she commented.

"This Baiyue, the leader of the Moon Worship Sect, is such a monster."

"Li Xiaoyao is so stupid. He could have changed history..."

"Liu Jinyuan is so pitiful..."

"Anu and Tang Yu Xiaobao have it so bad."

"Wine Sword Immortal is such a scumbag! But he's so pitiful—he was killed by his own daughter..."

"Li Xiaoyao is so pitiful too. In the end, he's all alone."

"That Sword Saint is the worst. He's the strongest, but he doesn't show up until the ending!"

Li Changle hadn't planned to make Legend of Sword and Fairy 1 very long. It was a short story, and his original draft had already reached the middle-to-later stages.

So in three or four days, Li Changle had finished writing Legend of Sword and Fairy 1. Looking at the ending he'd written, he fell silent.

He wondered whether the readers could accept such a cruel truth...

As it turned out, the story updates for Legend of Sword and Fairy 1 on the Chinese Web Novel Platform had gradually entered the middle stages. The tragedy had begun, and the cheerful mood from the beginning was gone...

The comments section for Legend of Sword and Fairy 1 was full of readers wailing.

"I knew this author named Li Xiaoyao was up to no good! This is absolutely a tragedy..."

"Ling'er really is a Descendant of Nuwa! I guessed right!"

"How could Ling'er be a monster!"

"Why does this Sword Saint seem like a villain..."

"Caiyi is so pitiful. Am I the only one who thinks so?"

"If this novel ends in tragedy, I swear I'll kill the author!"

"Kill him!"

"Anu is such a cute girl. Baiyue won't really get her killed, will he?"

"Tang Yu Xiaobao is such a lovesick fool!"

"Liu Jinyuan is so pitiful. His new wife just died, and now his parents have been killed too. Will he turn evil..."

"This novel is definitely a tragedy. What do I do? I still want to keep reading..."

"I'm afraid to keep reading, but I can't stop myself..."

"I can't control myself!"

"Are you sure this is okay?" Wang Siyi asked Li Changle uncertainly.

That ending... it really was too tragic!

Li Changle wasn't sure either, but he couldn't change it!

"Tragedy is the heart of a novel. Don't panic..."

"After reading this story, don't you think you'll remember it for a long time?"

"I guess I won't forget it. Whenever I think about the ending, I feel so upset. It hurts."

Wang Siyi had kept taking her medicine for the past few days, and her cold was almost gone. Her foot still hurt a little, but she could get up and walk on her own now without anyone supporting her.

But she still acted as though her foot hurt badly. Every day, she stayed in Li Changle's room and watched him type.

Now that Legend of Sword and Fairy 1 was finished, she had no more story to read and was a little bored.

"Are you going to write another novel? Will you write more Legend of Sword and Fairy? From the title, it seems like there should be a sequel..."

Wang Siyi had become a devoted reader—and a super member, at that.

Most members could read only a few chapters in advance. She'd already finished Legend of Sword and Fairy 1 a whole month early.

"I'll definitely write another one. As for what I'll write... um, I haven't decided yet. There'll be another Legend of Sword and Fairy, though."

Li Changle didn't keep anything from his super member.

"You're not going to write another tragedy, are you..."

Wang Siyi pouted. Legend of Sword and Fairy was a great read, but it was really hard for anyone who'd finished it to accept the ending.

One tragic ending was bad enough. If the second one was a tragedy too, who could stand it? Wang Siyi wouldn't even dare keep living with him. She was afraid readers would send him razor blades.

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