He reached back and pulled the curtains shut, plunging the room into darkness.
Shen Zhiyi's outstretched hand dropped limply. Then her body went slack, and she fell forward into Chi Ye's arms.
Chi Ye felt as though he were holding a furnace. She was burning all over; clearly, her fever had gotten far too high. And she wanted to chase the moonlight? She would scorch it.
He hurriedly carried her to bed, then took her temperature with a thermometer. Her fever was nearly 39 degrees. He couldn't call a doctor in the middle of the night, and Shen Zhiyi didn't like hospitals, so he could only look up ways to bring her temperature down.
First came a damp towel, then cooling patches, then rubbing her body down with alcohol. In the end, he even fetched ice cubes from the freezer.
He cared for Shen Zhiyi rather clumsily. In all his years, this was his first time looking after someone who was ill, so he was inevitably a little hesitant.
"Oh, Shen Zhiyi, Shen Zhiyi. Once you wake up, you'd better work yourself to the bone to repay me. It's bad enough that you look so cold, but your heart is even colder.
"If you hadn't met a good person like me, this fever would definitely have turned you into an idiot. Just thinking about how you rejected me on the mountain makes me angry. I'd already made my threats, and now you've made me break my own rules."
Once he started muttering, he couldn't stop. He didn't consider himself talkative, but ever since he met Shen Zhiyi, his words had started flowing without end.
It was as though he had to say all the words Shen Zhiyi left unspoken. If anyone from the company saw him like this, they would surely think their boss was possessed.
As far as they knew, Chi Ye had a vicious tongue and never went easy on anyone when mocking or scolding them. He had once reduced an intern to tears, leaving the intern too afraid to say much for an entire month, working in constant trepidation.
The way Chi Ye was now, talking so much with a considerably gentler expression, was nothing like his cold, sharp-tongued self at the company.
He stayed beside the bed. Since he couldn't sleep, he turned on a desk lamp and began working on his laptop, checking on Shen Zhiyi every half hour.
By five in the morning, Shen Zhiyi's temperature had finally dropped a little. Chi Ye closed his eyes to rest briefly, and when he opened them, they were visibly bloodshot.
It had been a long time since he had felt this exhausted. The only time he remembered being this tired was when he had first started the business. He picked up his phone and checked it, tested the company's product, noted down the things that needed changing, and sent them to Assistant Fang, asking him to remember to tell the project team.
He still had to go to the office today. Looking at Shen Zhiyi sleeping on the bed with her brows tightly furrowed, he leaned closer. His well-defined fingers smoothed the crease between her brows as he murmured,
"You're unhappy even in your dreams. Shen Zhiyi, you're hiding quite a lot."
He withdrew his hand, and once he confirmed that her temperature was rising, a smile curled his lips. Thank goodness. Though he wasn't good at looking after people, at least he hadn't made her condition worse.
But Shen Zhiyi was covered in sweat, and both her bedding and clothes needed changing. Chi Ye could manage changing her clothes, but helping someone bathe was beyond him.
Fortunately, he could have a female assistant come over today to help. He first went back to his room to shower and change, then ran into the Housekeeper, who had just gotten up, as he went downstairs.
After explaining things to him, he asked the Housekeeper to keep a close eye on her today. The female assistant would come over to help once the workday began.
Most importantly, Shen Zhiyi had thrown up last night and would probably be hungry when she woke, so he asked the Housekeeper to have food ready in advance.
After giving instructions until there was truly nothing left to explain, he picked up his jacket and prepared to head to the office.
The Housekeeper's mouth was slightly open, but before he could say a word, Chi Ye had delivered all his instructions in one breath. Finally, as Chi Ye was leaving, he said excitedly,
"It's been so long since I've heard the young master say so much."
Chi Ye stumbled mid-step, then turned to glare at the Housekeeper, warning him to rein it in. Some things could be left unsaid.
The Housekeeper ignored him and saw him out with a small smile.
As soon as the female assistant started work, she received a message from her boss telling her to work at Heavenly Domain Villa. Initially, she was against it. After all, that was her boss's private territory.
She was a secretary in the executive office, and her abilities ought to be put to use in the business world. But her boss was offering far too much.
He was doubling her salary for the month as an extra payment, paid on the spot at that. Her boss generously transferred the money straight over, then told her to take good care of Miss Shen at the villa.
Capitalists were all detestable, but she liked the kind who threw money at people. Preferably, he could throw even more. She wouldn't mind in the slightest.
She accepted her orders and went to Heavenly Domain Villa, where the work turned out to be even easier than she had imagined. It was Linda's first visit to Heavenly Domain Villa. Chi Ye wasn't particularly fond of letting others into his home.
There were therefore no spare slippers in the house. She put on shoe covers and met the Housekeeper. He took her upstairs, then opened the door to a guest room and led her inside.
The Housekeeper was very kindly, nothing like those in television dramas who used their employers' power to look down their noses at people. On the contrary, he was an adorable little old man.
"Our young master asked you to look after Miss Shen today. Have you had breakfast? Would you like some in a bit?"
Linda had already eaten breakfast, so she waved a hand in refusal.
"No, thank you. I've already eaten."
The old man was a little disappointed. Visitors were rare, so he had outdone himself in the kitchen. Miss Shen was ill and certainly wouldn't be able to eat much either.
I can't let it go to waste. I'll just have to pack it up later and take it to the office for the young master, the Housekeeper thought.
A sleeping beauty lay on the bed. That was the thought that flashed through Linda's mind at first sight. Even with her fever, the hair at her temples soaked with sweat and her lips deathly pale, she looked like a sleeping beauty, making it hard to walk away.
"How could the boss bear to leave such a beauty behind and go to work? Even my heart's fluttering just looking at her," Linda muttered.
But a moment later, the sleeping beauty woke. She stared at the ceiling for a while, then closed her eyes again.
Seeing this, Linda hurried over and felt her forehead. Her boss had instructed her to check whether her temperature had risen again.
Fortunately, her temperature was still normal. Linda mentally rehearsed her words and began explaining why she was there.
"Hello, Miss Shen. I'm Linda, one of Mr. Chi's assistants. Mr. Chi asked me to look after you. You had a fever last night, and you might need a bath and a change of clothes now."
Shen Zhiyi's eyes shifted, and then she sat up.
"Thank you," she said. She had slept for a long time and had been delirious with fever. Now her mouth was terribly dry, and every word she spoke felt as though it came through a mouthful of grit.
Linda picked up the glass of water beside her. There was even a straw in it, all prepared by the Housekeeper. The warm water was at just the right temperature, too.
She brought it to Shen Zhiyi's lips so she could take the straw into her mouth and drink a few sips.
Unwilling to trouble anyone, Shen Zhiyi took her clothes and went into the bathroom to wash up. Meanwhile, Linda began changing the duvet cover and the rest of the bedding, also asking the Housekeeper what else needed doing afterward.
The Housekeeper shook his head. There was nothing else to do. If she wanted to stay for lunch, he could make some extra food.
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