Side Story: If You Get the Flu in Summer, Will Pretty Girls Take Care of You~?

The story I'm going to tell you today takes place during the early days when Aemeath and her friends first started going to school with Hajiling.

As everyone knows, besides the incessant mosquitoes and the ubiquitous twin ponytails of Guangdong people, there's another thing that's most unbearable in summer—

"Achoo!"

A loud sneeze came from Xiao Ling's mouth, startling Dania, who was playing a game next to him.

"What did you do?" Dania looked up at his face and asked with a slight frown.

"I don't know..." Xiao Ling pulled out a few tissues, wiped her runny nose, and replied.

He recalled his recent lifestyle: he always covered himself properly with a blanket when sleeping with the air conditioning on, he ate three meals a day on time, and he exercised every day. Maybe the only problem was staying up late, but overall his lifestyle seemed fine. How could he have suddenly caught a cold?

You know, catching a cold in the middle of summer is one of the most annoying things. If you leave the air-conditioned room to get better quickly, then you'll have to accept the sweltering heat that makes you feel like you're being steamed alive.

Dania sighed softly, put her phone back in her pocket, stuffed her porcelain-like bare feet into pink slippers, and hurried upstairs.

Not long after, she quickly went downstairs with small, quick steps to the water dispenser and began to prepare the medicine she had brought down from upstairs.

After everything was ready, she returned to the sofa, poked Xiao Ling's cheek with her finger, and then sat back down next to him.

"Take your cold medicine," Dania reminded her after noticing Xiao Ling's gaze.

"Yaya is so good to me~" Xiao Ling hugged Dania affectionately and rubbed her delicate face against her cheek.

"Stay away from me, don't infect me," Dania said with a disgusted tone, even trying to push him away, but her reddened ears said it all.

Besides, Superman Solaris isn't that easily infected.

If Hajiling had recovered simply because of Yaya's comforting cup of cold medicine, then this story would never have happened.

The turning point came on Saturday morning.

When Aemeath came down from her room yawning, the other girls had already started eating breakfast.

"Where's A-Yu? Why didn't he come down?" Aemeath asked habitually when she noticed that Xiao Ling wasn't at the dining table.

"Ignore him. That guy always stays up all night during holidays. He's probably sleeping in right now," Dania said while struggling with the steamed corn in her bowl.

In fact, Dania didn't fall asleep until two or three in the morning. If Sigrika hadn't come to wake her up, she probably would have slept until lunchtime.

However, this didn't bother her much. She would go back upstairs to sleep after finishing her meal; it was the weekend, a perfect time to sleep in.

Having spent so much time with Xiao Ling, the girls present had a good understanding of his habits and had no objections, continuing to eat breakfast without any worries.

However, even after Lynae, the last one to finish breakfast, put down her chopsticks, they still didn't see Xiao Ling come down, and there wasn't even a sound from upstairs.

Aemeath immediately sensed something was wrong, so she rushed upstairs to check on Xiao Ling's situation.

"A-Yu, are you awake?" Aemeath arrived at Xiao Ling Ling's door and gently knocked twice.

There was no response.

So Aemeath knocked on the door again with a little more force, but still received no response.

Little Ai frowned, realizing that things were not so simple.

This time, she didn't plan to knock. Instead, she turned the doorknob on Xiao Ling's door. Fortunately, Xiao Ling hadn't locked the door, otherwise Aemeath would have had to consider whether she should kick the door down.

She rushed into the room and immediately saw Hajiling lying on the bed with a furrowed brow.

He was wearing pajamas, his face was unusually rosy, the blankets were crumpled up, and the room was cool, probably because Lao Ling had turned the air conditioner to the lowest temperature.

Aemeath touched Xiao Ling's forehead to check his temperature and immediately felt that he was burning hot.

She immediately ran to a corner of the room, rummaged through Xiao Ling's small medical kit, took out a mercury thermometer, shook it a couple of times, and then stuffed it under his armpit.

"Little Ai...?"

Sensing the disturbance, Xiao Ling opened her eyes with some discomfort and found Little Ai looking at her with a worried expression.

"Hey! A-Yu, don't move!" Aemeath immediately pressed down on Xiao Ling, who was trying to get out of bed, and said in a slightly serious tone, "You're sick and need to rest!"

Having been stopped, Xiao Ling had no choice but to lie obediently on the bed.

"Aemeath, what's wrong with Ling?"

Dania led the other three girls upstairs and found Xiao Ling weakly buried in the quilt. Her brows immediately furrowed.

"She's sick," Aemeath replied. "Has A-Yu experienced any unusual symptoms before this?"

"Yes, he's been sneezing much more often lately," Dania replied after a moment's thought. "So I've been giving him cold medicine every day for the past few days, but why...?"

"That means it's not a common cold, senior," Chisa speculated.

"Are there different types of colds, regular and unusual?" Lynae replied steadily.

"Of course, a common cold is caused by catching a chill, and it can be resolved by keeping warm and taking the medicine on time. But in this situation... Senior, you probably have the flu." Sigrika analyzed the cause of Xiao Ling's illness.

"Is it the flu that Doctor Lu mentioned?" Aemeath asked to confirm.

"Judging from the symptoms, it should be," Sigrika nodded.

After turning off the air conditioner in the room, Dania turned to the others and asked, "What do we do now? Take him to the hospital?"

"Given the current situation, it's definitely safer to send her to the hospital," Lynae was the first to agree with Dania's suggestion.

"I think so too," Chisa nodded in agreement.

"I agree," Sigrika nodded seriously.

"Aemeath, and you?"

Aemeath had been frowning, turned around immediately upon hearing her companion's call, revealing a somewhat troubled expression.

"I think... the situation isn't as simple as you all think."

Then came Xiao Ling Ling's hoarse and weak voice.

"No... I don't want to go to the hospital..."

His tightly closed eyes and his head shaking wildly from side to side both showed his resistance to the hospital.

"Are the doctors here... really that scary?" Lynae asked cautiously, offering an awkward yet polite smile, "What makes Xiao Ling so resistant?"

"Forget about doctors for now, the point is going to the hospital isn't going to work, right?" Dania said helplessly, spreading her hands. "How about we try finding Doctor Lu? Have him come and examine Ling?"

After speaking with Doctor Lu on the phone, Little Ai breathed a sigh of relief, then cleared her throat and said to the other girls:

"Doctor Lu said that A-Yu's condition is not serious and there is no need to go to the hospital. Just rest more, drink more water, and take your medicine on time."

Upon hearing this, Dania and the others immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"By the way, does Ling have any fever reducers in her medicine kit?" Dania asked.

"I checked the thermometer just now, and it seems we weren't prepared, not even fever-reducing patches," Aemeath shook her head.

"Then I'll go buy it. I can get there faster by bike." Lynae said, and ran back to her room to change her clothes before heading out.

"Then I'll go make some steamed egg custard for you, senior." Chisa tied her hair into a bun with the hair tie on her wrist and went downstairs to cook.

"Chisa! I'll join too!" Sigrika also went to help Chisa.

So, only Aemeath and Dania remained in Xiao Ling's room.

"Xiao Ya, why don't you go take a nap?" Aemeath asked with concern. "You look very sleepy."

"Do you think I can sleep peacefully with him like this?" Dania shook her head.

"I understand, I understand~ You're worried about him too." Aemeath gave a knowing smile. "How about this, I'll take care of A-Yu this morning, and you can take over my shift this afternoon."

"No problem?"

"No problem!"

"I'm going to sleep now."

Dania walked out of Xiao Ling's room, turning back every few steps, while Aemeath sat by Xiao Ling's bedside and watched her return to her own room.

With a click, Dania closed the door, and Aemeath and Xiao Ling once again enjoyed some time alone together.

However, since Hajiling was a patient this time, Aemeath had no romantic thoughts in her mind, only worry for him.

"Right, we need to cool down his little head first."

Suddenly remembering something, Aemeath shuffled into the bathroom and returned a moment later with a clean towel and warm water.

She soaked the towel in warm water for a while, wrung out the excess water, folded it into a long strip, and then placed it on Xiao Ling's forehead.

After doing all this, Aemeath gently took Xiao Ling's hand in hers and then held it tightly.

During her time living on the ice field, whenever she caught a cold or fever from playing too much, he would do this. Occasionally, she would dream of her parents' smiling faces when she was sick. When she felt sad or even cried because of this, that warm big hand would gently hold her delicate little hand, silently telling Aemeath that he was always there.

And now, she will use the same method to tell him that she will always be by his side.

"Aemeath, I'm coming in?" Chisa knocked lightly on the door twice.

With a click, the door opened, Aemeath easily took the steamed egg custard from Chisa's bowl. The two entered the room one after the other.

"How are you doing, senior?" Chisa asked.

"I just took fever-reducing medicine and put on a fever-reducing patch. My condition is at least much better than it was at the beginning," Aemeath replied with a nod.

"Do you need me to take over?"

"I'm fine, and Xiao Ya will be coming to cover my shift this afternoon."

"Okay, that's good." Chisa nodded. "Let's wake up Senpai first; he needs to eat something."

Aemeath nodded, then gently nudged Xiao Ling's shoulder and said softly, "A-Yu? A-Yu? Get up and eat something."

"Uh-huh?"

Xiao Ling groggily opened his eyes and turned his head to see Aemeath and Chisa sitting by his bedside, with a bowl of steaming egg custard on the bedside table.

He slowly sat up in bed, and just as he was about to reach for the bowl of steamed egg custard, Aemeath stopped him.

"... I can do it myself," he said in a hoarse voice.

"No way~ You're the patient, there's no reason for a patient to do it themselves." Aemeath picked up the bowl of steamed egg custard, scooped up a spoonful, gently blew on it to cool it, and then brought it to Xiao Ling's lips. "Here, ah~"

Xiao Ling silently ate the spoonful of steamed egg custard from her lips, the warm taste instantly melting on her tongue.

Then came the second bite, the third bite, until the entire bowl of steamed egg custard was completely gone.

After finishing their meal, Xiao Ling went back to bed to sleep, while Chisa took away the bowls and spoons.

"It's rare to see you so vulnerable, senior," Chisa said with a gentle smile.

"After all, he's always been reliable, hasn't he?" Aemeath replied with a smile.

"Indeed," Chisa nodded. "Then I'll go downstairs and clear the dishes. You and Dania can go eat after you finish your shift. Thank you for your hard work."

"It's not hard at all~"

Chisa left the room with the empty bowl and spoon, closing the door behind her.

With a click, the room fell silent once more.

By the time Dania arrived to take over her shift, it was already past 2 PM.

She didn't sleep much because she was worried about Xiao Ling and tossed and turned all night. If she hadn't been so tired, she probably would have stayed awake until the afternoon.

She gently pushed open Xiao Ling's door and found Aemeath sitting on the edge of the bed, nodding her head. Xiao Ling was lying on the bed resting, and their hands were still clasped together.

"Aemeath, I'm here to relieve you," Dania said softly.

"Hmm... hmm? Oh, Xiao Ya, you're here." Aemeath woke up from her drowsiness and, seeing Dania had come to relieve her, gave a slightly tired smile. "Sorry, I think I'm a little sleepy."

"Go get something to eat and rest for a while. I can handle things here."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work Xiao Ya ~"

After completing the handover, Aemeath left the room, gently closing the door behind her. Now, only Dania and Xiao Ling remained.

Dania looked at Xiao Ling, who was fast asleep on the bed, and felt somewhat annoyed.

If only I had discovered it sooner...

She mimicked Aemeath's gesture, holding Xiao Ling's hand in hers, her delicate hands once again feeling the substantial quality of Xiao Ling's large hands.

"Look at you, you're always jumping around so enthusiastically, and now you've fallen ill," Dania muttered softly.

Then there was another silence; perhaps Dania didn't know what to say at that moment.

At this moment, Xiao Ling suddenly woke up. After slowly opening his eyes and staring blankly at the ceiling for a while, he slowly sat up.

When Dania saw that Xiao Ling had woken up, her cheeks flushed slightly as she tried to take advantage of his inattention to pull her soft hand out of his grasp.

The moment she moved her hand, Xiao Ling's gaze fell upon her.

"You dislike me?" His hoarse voice carried a hint of amusement.

Dania stuck out her tongue somewhat awkwardly, and didn't move her hands anymore.

"... Tsk, I'm covered in sweat, sticky and uncomfortable." Xiao Ling said, preparing to take off her pajamas.

"No!" Dania stopped Xiao Ling, first tearing off the fever-reducing patch from her forehead, and then checking her temperature with her own forehead.

The boy's warm breath was very close. It was clearly Xiao Ling who was sick, but Dania's cheeks gradually turned red, as if they were burning up.

"It doesn't seem so hot anymore. Are you still feeling unwell?" Dania sat back down on the bed and asked Xiao Ling about her current physical condition.

"Right now, I feel a little dizzy, sleepy, and sticky all over," Xiao Ling replied. "Other than that, I'm fine."

"That should make you feel much better. I'll go get you some water."

Dania walked briskly into the bathroom, and a moment later returned to the bedside with another clean towel and a basin of warm water.

"Can you handle this yourself?"

Are you willing to let the patient do it themselves?

Men and women should not touch each other.

Special cases should be treated specially.

"You still don't forget to mess with me even when you're sick?" Dania said, her face darkening.

"No, I can wipe the front myself, but I can't get the back clean," Xiao Ling explained.

"I'll just wipe your back... is that enough?"

"I'd be happy to help you wipe my body down."

"Save your breath, I'll just give you a back rub at most." Dania rolled her eyes cutely.

(Roll your eyes as many times as you can while you still can, otherwise you'll be forced to roll your eyes later.)

"Then I'll have to trouble Yaya ~"

As soon as Xiao Ling finished speaking, he took off his damp, sticky pajamas, revealing his muscular physique to Dania.

"Hey!" Dania instinctively covered her eyes. "I'm still here!"

"Come on, how can I dry myself without taking off my clothes?" Xiao Ling said with a helpless smile. "Besides, these clothes should have been changed a long time ago; they're soaked and uncomfortable to wear."

After this little incident, Dania handed Xiao Ling a towel soaked in warm water so he could wipe himself down.

While Xiao Ling was wiping his body, Dania began to scrutinize Xiao Ling figure.

In short, he looks slim in clothes, but has some muscle when undressed, has a great figure, and while his abs aren't very defined, you can at least see six distinct bulges.

Dania stared for a long time, then suddenly wondered why she was staring at the other person's body.

"Does it look good?" Xiao Ling asked with a light laugh, handing the towel to Dania as she did so.

"Tch, nothing special, just a greyhound," Dania retorted, her face flushed.

(To Dania and the others, Hajiling is indeed no different from a greyhound now.)

Xiao Ling chuckled twice, then turned his back to Dania.

"Could Yaya please scrub my back, Ya Ya?"

Dania found these words strange, but she didn't think of refuting them. She simply washed the towel again and began to wipe Xiao Ling's back.

The moment the slender, jade-like fingers touched their backs, both of them shuddered; it was a novel experience for them.

Although Dania was reluctant, her hands moved very carefully and gently, as if afraid that there was any spot that wasn't cleaned properly.

Xiao Ling, meanwhile, was comfortably enjoying Dania's back-rubbing service with his eyes half-closed, occasionally making some strange noises, which made Dania blush and slap his back hard to make him quiet down.

After fussing around for a while, Xiao Ling finally managed to clean herself up and change into some dry clothes.

"Since you're feeling better now, I won't disturb your rest any longer. I need to catch up on some sleep too."

As soon as she finished speaking, Dania was about to leave when Xiao Ling grabbed her hand and pulled her onto his bed, then hugged her tightly.

"Hey! What are you doing!" Dania struggled to break free and scolded him somewhat angrily.

"Sleep with me," Xiao Ling grinned.

"Who wants to sleep with you!" Dania pouted. "Let me go!"

Xiao Ling immediately went to sleep, ignoring Dania's protests.

Dania felt both angry and helpless watching this rascal fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

However, she didn't resent this feeling.

After struggling to no avail, Dania resigned herself to her fate and could only stare helplessly at Xiao Ling's sleeping face.

Thankfully, at least my complexion isn't as bad as it was during the day.

After watching quietly for a while, Dania suddenly felt sleepy and yawned.

"Hmm... just sleeping like this doesn't seem so bad... Goodnight..."

So Dania snuggled into Xiao Ling's arms and fell asleep, but to outsiders it looked like they were sleeping in each other's arms.

The golden sunset witnessed this scene, then contentedly disappeared, and night fell once more.

(Happy Dragon Boat Festival, everyone! Here's a bonus picture of Yaya.)