Page 8

Fifteen minutes later, the bathroom door opened again, releasing a cloud of hot steam. Chen Lüli, dressed in black pajamas, dried his hair as he poured himself a glass of water in the master bedroom. He had just taken a sip when he heard Lin Yu outside, calling to Xiao Diu and playing with him.

"Xiao Diu, come here."

"Xiao Diu, leave the tray alone."

"Xiao Diu, Xiao Diu, Xiao Diu~~~"

There was a slightly coquettish note to the last call. Chen Lüli could almost see her stroking Xiao Diu's back. He drank his water slowly, listening as Xiao Diu responded with affectionate meows of his own.

"Meow, meow, meow~~"

"Meow, meow~~"

That was Xiao Diu's happy tone. Her strokes must have felt good.

But she had stayed a little late tonight and still hadn't left at this hour. Chen Lüli's throat felt a little itchy. He rubbed his neck, put down his glass, and returned to the bed.

Once he sat down, his exhaustion weighed even more heavily on him. He lay down and fell asleep.

In the living room, Lin Yu had no idea Chen Lüli had even taken a shower. After she washed the rice and set the timer in the kitchen, Xiao Diu jumped down from the grooming table and wound around her legs, wanting to play. Chen Lüli had forgotten to turn off the tray, which blinked beside the water dispenser, catching Xiao Diu's attention. He ran over and scratched it a few times.

The tray couldn't talk. It could only move in a straight line, collect water, and deliver it. It looked a little adorably dazed, and after Xiao Diu scratched it a few times, it seemed almost comically helpless.

Lin Yu quickly called Xiao Diu back, picked him up, and coaxed him.

The main reason she hadn't left yet was that she was worried about Chen Lüli. She had messaged her mother to ask whether it was dangerous for someone with a high fever to be home alone.

Her mother was still reading academic papers in the middle of the night and replied: Of course it is. With a fever that high, why hasn't the patient been taken to the hospital for an IV?

Lin Yu: If medicine can bring it down, wouldn't there be no need for an IV?

Mother: Then be careful and keep an eye on her at all times.

Her mother didn't ask any more questions, assuming it was one of Lin Yu's female friends. Even if she had asked, Lin Yu would have lied. Sitting on the sofa, Lin Yu fiddled with her phone and watched the time.

She planned to go home two hours after the medicine took effect, as long as there was nothing seriously wrong.

Her mother sent another message.

Mother: You can help cool her down physically. It'll help the medicine work.

Lin Yu replied: Okay.

But physical cooling...

That stumped her. She couldn't very well go into his bedroom. She absentmindedly stroked Xiao Diu's back and waited. Xiao Diu was so comfortable lying on her lap that he grew drowsy.

She didn't know how much time had passed when Xiao Diu suddenly jumped off her lap and started for the master bedroom. Startled, Lin Yu quickly stood up and called softly, "Xiao Diu."

"Meow~" After Xiao Diu ran inside, Lin Yu also heard coughing from the master bedroom. The door was open, and Xiao Diu ran straight to the bedside and jumped up.

Following Xiao Diu, Lin Yu saw at a glance that Chen Lüli had a hand resting on his forehead as bouts of coughing shook him. A few seconds later, seemingly hearing Xiao Diu, he swept a large arm around him and rolled over onto his stomach, his face on the pillow. Half a shoulder was exposed, its muscles clearly defined. Lin Yu instinctively stepped back. It was her first time seeing his master bedroom, her first time seeing him asleep, and the first time she had discovered that he slept with his upper body bare.

In fact, that wasn't the case. Lin Yu hadn't noticed the black pajama top draped over the far side of the bed. Chen Lüli had taken it off because he was too hot.

After retreating out the door, Lin Yu thought that Xiao Diu was already inside and Chen Lüli was only coughing... She could go home.

But after she took one step, Xiao Diu meowed, and Chen Lüli started coughing again, more violently this time. Xiao Diu seemed startled, his tail sticking up.

Lin Yu bit her lip, remembering her mother's words.

If nothing else worked, he had to be taken to the hospital for an IV, or she could cool him down physically. But had his medicine taken effect yet?

After thinking it over, Lin Yu went to the living room, picked up the forehead thermometer, and returned to the master bedroom. Xiao Diu was half cradled in Chen Lüli's arm on the pillow, staring at her with round eyes.

The master bedroom carried on the style of the living room, predominantly black and gray, and was somewhat spacious and bare. But it was plenty warm, and several wall lamps were lit.

He had gone to sleep without turning off the lights, though they all cast a warm glow.

Lin Yu switched on the thermometer and held it to his forehead.

It beeped twice and displayed a red reading: 38.7 degrees. It hadn't gone down at all. Lin Yu's heart jumped. She called softly, "Chen Lüli!"

He didn't answer. Xiao Diu rested a paw on his face, seemingly calling him too. He didn't move, sleeping deeply, his features handsome. Lin Yu called him several times, but apart from coughing a few times, he didn't open his eyes.

Lin Yu sighed.

She wondered if she had called too softly.

In fact, she had.

Xiao Diu finally struggled free of his arm, jumped to the floor, and put his paws on her leg, as if asking her what to do.

What could she do?

Lin Yu put down the thermometer and went to the bathroom. As soon as she entered, she saw moisture condensed on the walls. He had taken a shower.

No wonder.

Lin Yu found a disposable towel, filled a basin with water, and dragged a chair to the bedside. She wet the towel, wrung it out, then leaned closer and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

The sweating meant the medicine should be taking effect.

Perhaps it needed a little more time.

From so close, she could see the man's features more clearly. Lin Yu took care not to touch his face or skin, letting only the towel wipe him.

After she had done this several times, sweat had gathered on the tip of Lin Yu's nose, and her scarf had come loose. She wrung out the towel, folded it into a narrow strip, and laid it on his forehead.

Chen Lüli slept heavily, half-dazed. A drop of water fell on his eyelid, and he reached up to brush away the movement on his forehead, pressing Lin Yu's hand down in the process.

His palm was shockingly hot.

Lin Yu was startled. Then he sleepily opened his eyes, giving her an even bigger fright. She instinctively pulled her hand back, but when she looked again, his eyes were closed.

Lin Yu breathed a sigh of relief and picked up the towel that had slipped off. When she felt its temperature again, it seemed much cooler.

She immediately picked up the thermometer and held it to his forehead.

Beep, beep. Green, 37.2.

His temperature had finally come down.

Lin Yu relaxed, her gaze resting on his sleeping face. Back in university, several of them had attended the same school and often crossed paths. Once, outsiders had come into the cafeteria looking for trouble. The place had been in an uproar, with people shoving one another. Those men had looked fierce and menacing, banging the tables and moving about chaotically.

He and Jiang Yan'an had originally been sitting behind the women. Carrying their trays over, they had each taken a seat on the outside of the group. He had happened to sit on her outer side, shielding her from the threats.

The bench had already been crowded, and when he sat down, he had been almost against her arm, his presence just inches away. She could even smell the faint scent of soap at his collar.

Another time, she had an ardent pursuer who had followed her for a whole week. Jiang Yan'an had thought it couldn't go on, fearing the man might do something bad, so he had enlisted Chen Lüli to help protect her for a week. On several occasions, Chen Lüli had been too busy and Jiang Yan'an had also had something to do, so Chen Lüli had asked his classmates to escort her.

Looking back, she had received quite a bit of protection from him along the way.

She rinsed the towel again and carefully wiped his face, then picked up the thermometer to confirm that his fever had completely subsided. She carried the basin to the bathroom to empty it, with Xiao Diu following at her feet and meowing. She gently shushed him, and Xiao Diu obediently crouched outside the bathroom door.

She turned the basin upside down, threw away the disposable towel, and tucked Chen Lüli in. Stroking Xiao Diu, she whispered, "I'm leaving. Don't disturb him."

Xiao Diu meowed twice and followed her out.

Lin Yu adjusted her scarf, took a sticky note and pen from her coat pocket, and wrote a line to stick by the kitchen doorway. Xiao Diu rubbed against her feet, and she picked him up and rubbed against him. Under the gaze of his golden eyes, she took her umbrella and left, the door locking behind her. Xiao Diu let out a yowl and crouched in the entryway for a while. Only when the door didn't open again did he run back to the master bedroom.

The rain was still falling outside, and it was bitterly cold. Lin Yu walked over the wet paving tiles and returned home. A glance at the time told her it was already very late. She took her pajamas, had a hot shower, and went to bed.

The next day.

A little sunlight appeared after the rain, but the curtains in the spacious master bedroom were tightly drawn, and the only sound in the room was the faint hum of the humidifier. Xiao Diu crouched by the bed and rubbed his face a few times, looking as though he had just woken up. The man on the bed was still lying on his stomach. Gradually, his mind cleared, and he opened his eyes.

Seeing him awake, Xiao Diu meowed and jumped onto the bed.

Chen Lüli raised a hand and stroked Xiao Diu's head. Xiao Diu rubbed against his palm. "Meow, meow, meow~~"

Chen Lüli sat up, and the covers slipped down, revealing his lean, clearly defined muscles. He idly stroked Xiao Diu with his palm and said hoarsely, "Hungry, aren't you?"

Xiao Diu meowed.

He picked up the forehead thermometer from the nightstand and checked his temperature.

It was green. No problem.

He threw back the covers, got out of bed, and scooped up Xiao Diu on his way into the bathroom. He was wearing a pair of long black pants on his lower body. His throat was still a little itchy, and he coughed softly. He stopped at the sink, set Xiao Diu on the counter, and turned on the

water

tap. The next second, his gaze fell on the trash can beside the sink.

There was only a disposable towel in the otherwise clean trash can. He glanced at the basin hanging nearby, just as a drop of water fell from it. So his impression from last night hadn't been wrong.

After falling asleep, he had seen Lin Yu's face in his daze and smelled her fragrance. Those hands had tried hard not to touch him, but he had still felt them as they brushed past: soft and slender.

He came back to himself and tapped Xiao Diu on the nose. "Was Lin Yu here last night?"

Xiao Diu answered him, "Meow, meow."

Yes, yes.

Chen Lüli raised an eyebrow, then lowered his head and cupped water in his hands to wash up.

After leaving the bathroom, Chen Lüli opened the wardrobe and pulled on a black top, covering his abs. He walked out of the master bedroom to pour some water. Seeing that the tray had run out of power, he plugged it in. Glass in hand, he turned to go check his email on the sofa and spotted a pale yellow sticky note on the black wall tiles.

He reached out, peeled it off, and looked at it.

In her graceful handwriting, it read: There's congee in the kitchen. Don't forget to have some when you get up. If you're still sick, go to the hospital for an IV. Don't put it off.

-yu

Chen Lüli looked at it for a few seconds, then went into the kitchen.