CH 15

The scene was dead silent for a while.

What was abominable was that after tossing about, Li Chengyuan finally exhausted his strength, swayed, and fell straight down. This left Xia Xingchi alone to try his best to explain that the two of them were not performing content prohibited to those under eighteen.

But Dr. Zhao only jokingly said “An explanation is a cover-up,” with an expression as if he had discovered a new world, making Xia Xingchi even more embarrassed. Incidentally, he strongly doubted that this crooked “doctor” who was wearing pajamas and cotton slippers was really reliable.

Fortunately, Zhao Yinhe’s proficiency successfully proved that he was fairly trustworthy. Xia Xingchi heaved a sigh of relief and then became angry, wanting to curse Li Chengyuan, that instigator.

Unexpectedly, this person was now so fragile that one dared not touch or scold him —

The stomach medicine didn’t seem to have worked. Li Chengyuan’s face was pale, his long eyelashes were moist with cold sweat, and he was curled up while gritting his teeth silently.

“It looks like stomach cramps.” Zhao Yinhe lifted the bottle. “He vomited even after taking the medicine, so we can only try to make him lie flat, apply hot compresses, or give him a gentle massage.”

Speaking of taking medicine, Xia Xingchi had been very worried that he would be poisoned after taking so many antipyretics, but the result was that he staggered into the bathroom and vomited in the dark as soon as an IV was attached.

The intravenous drip had to be reinserted into a different arm.

Seeing him in pain at this moment, Xia Xingchi unconsciously clenched his fists. He had no choice but to reach out and grip his ice-cold fingers, using the other hand to gently help him rub his stomach.

After Zhao Yinhe finished his work, he began idling again and immersed himself in the suspected romantic scene just moments ago. He was honestly shaken for a long time and couldn’t extricate himself —

Although Mr. Zhao had seen plenty of erotic scenes, if the other party was Li Chengyuan, who was like an ironwood tree, then it was a different matter.

Therefore, when Xia Xingchi turned his head, he saw the teasing expressions of “You love him so much” and “He loves you so much” written all over the face of this casual and familiar doctor.

He even smiled ambiguously and said: “If his fever hasn’t subsided after taking the antipyretic injection, you can help him take a bath. The physical cooling effect is very good.”

It was true that antipyretics were almost useless to Li Chengyuan, who was gradually becoming resistant to them. They were almost pointless apart from making his stomach hurt more, and only physical cooling could be used instead.

But from Zhao Yinhe’s mouth, these words were quite indecent.

Xia Xingchi was rather skeptical of this unreliable doctor’s methods, suspecting that he was only forcing his hand to get the two to cooperate together: “Really? Has anyone cooled him down like this before?”

“Of course not!” Zhao Yinhe only thought that the lawfully wedded wife was drinking vinegar. “Don’t worry, who else would dare to strip him naked and take a bath?”

The two were not on the same channel at all. Xia Xingchi was astonished: “Then he’s had such a fever before? What should we do if his body temperature can’t be lowered?”

Even an iron-strong body couldn’t stand continuous high fevers, not to mention Li Chengyuan’s fragile condition. Could it be that he died like this?

In the past two days, he had tried his best to observe what disease had caused Li Chengyuan’s mortal end, so that he could find a loophole and let him live longer. But looking at it now, this was not checking for leaks and filling in the gaps, this was simply Nuwa mending the heavens, ah.[1]

– – –

“Uncle Ding, go to sleep.” Xia Xingchi patted his chest. “Don’t worry, I will pull out the IV and stand guard over him tonight.”

Uncle Ding had just sent Zhao Yinhe out, and when he heard these words upon his return, he was almost moved to tears on the spot —

Whoever dared to spread rumors about Young Master Xia’s selfishness and indulgence, he must be the first to knock the other person’s brains out!

Seeing this, Xia Xingchi was a little embarrassed, and thought to himself how bad the reputation of the original owner was. Wasn’t it a matter of course to take care of one’s fiance?

So he touched the back of his neck shyly and said with a smile: “I should take care of him. He’s my fiance, after all, and I love him.”

It couldn’t be helped, the money he gave was too much. Who couldn’t fall in love with a monthly salary of one million and such a generous donor?

Only by providing the highest quality hospice care and preventing Li Chengyuan from falling from grace and dying with hatred as in the book, could the little money-grubber Xia inherit his legacy with a clear conscience.

He was also worried that Li Chengyuan would keep silent if his condition worsened in the middle of the night, or would go crazy and take medicine again.

No wonder the medicine box was kept in the living room. If it was not antipyretics, but nitroglycerin or something tonight, it would be too late to save him. Who would have thought that the word “madman” actually meant “foolish” in Li Chengyuan’s case.

Li Chengyuan was indeed not a burden on anyone at all. Not to mention the gradual drop in body temperature, he was so uncomfortable that he was able to stay silent and not move for the entire night.

Such was the case that Xia Xingchi accidentally fell asleep after removing the IV for him, then woke up in the middle of the night to find him motionless, and was so frightened that he hurriedly felt to make sure he was still breathing and warm.

– – –

It was dawn when Li Chengyuan slowly opened his eyes.

It was rare that he didn’t have the usual chills and stomach ache after a high fever, but instead felt warm and comfortable. He was unused to it.

When he fell ill, he would not completely black out. After waking up, he gradually recalled the absurd events of the previous night. All at once, he realized that Xia Xingchi had witnessed all the embarrassment and ugliness of his illness that he had carefully hidden during the onset, and froze as if struck by a lightning bolt.

……Had Xia Xingchi been frightened? Did he feel disgusted?

Li Chengyuan frowned and tried to get up, but suddenly felt a soft, warm hand across his abdomen. The warmth all over his body was actually because Xia Xingchi was leaning into his arms, holding him tightly.

Because Xia Xingchi felt him move, although he was in a drowsy sleep, he immediately rubbed his stomach in a circular motion on conditioned reflex, and murmured softly as if he wanted to say something comforting.

The force was very light, like a feather brushing the apex of his heart, slightly itchy and tingling.

Li Chengyuan’s slender fingers curled up slightly as he stared expressionlessly at the beautiful young man who was sleeping soundly.

After a long while, he leaned over slightly and laid a light kiss on his smooth forehead, careful and cherishing.

No matter before or now, this little liar always had the ability to make people fall easily. Knowing that he loved money and he himself had been thoroughly cheated once, he still couldn’t help being moved again and again.

Li Chengyuan took a deep breath. When he thought of these things, he nearly gritted his teeth, and looked at Xia Xingchi silently for a long time, his emotions complicated —

In the end, he directly lifted the person out of the bed!

Xia Xingchi had been sleeping soundly. Suddenly, like a little hedgehog pulled out of the nest, he opened his eyes and met the gloomy gaze of the big villain. Confused and terrified, he was so frightened that his soul exited his body on the spot, and his eyes widened. He didn’t dare to move.

Although Li Chengyuan was so beautiful that he was almost seductive, his face and eyes were very cold, and he didn’t look feminine at all. He seemed even more grim when his face was expressionless, lacking anger but still intimidating. It was very scary.

— What the hell! Why is Li Chengyuan in my bed!

He was dazed for a few seconds before coming to his senses and realizing the situation. Xia Xingchi hurriedly said: “Wait! Let me go, this is really a misunderstanding!”

Last night, they had a quarrel over the topic of “going to bed,” and he’d said something like, “I’ll sleep with you tonight if you pay me” in a fit of anger, but just happened to “sleep” in his bed today.

Judging from this person’s appearance, it should be that he didn’t remember what happened after he got sick, so he must think that he was deliberately blackmailing him.

Xia Xingchi clarified forcefully: “Boss Li, what happened last night was what I should do with a monthly salary of a million!”

He was a little money-grubber with a bottom line. It was his duty to take care of his sick benefactor. Of course he couldn’t charge a separate fee and profit from his misfortune.

Li Chengyuan was not happy at all when he heard these words, and his face became even more gloomy —

Again it was because of money. This meticulous care and concern was really just in the name of money. He didn’t even hide it, and said it out loud.

“Get out.” An unknown fire surged again, and Li Chengyuan gritted his teeth.

Although this person’s attitude of turning his face and refusing to recognize anyone after “getting out of bed” was truly abominable, these were the words that Xia Xingchi loved to hear most, and he trundled out happily.

Unexpectedly, he had just taken a step forward when he heard a deep voice behind him: “Wait a minute. Go change clothes, we’re going out later.”

– – –

The car was very quiet.

Xia Xingchi glanced nervously at Li Chengyuan beside him. He had only drank some porridge millet for breakfast and probably still felt unwell. He didn’t know why he wasn’t resting at home.

Words of concern reached his lips, but Xia Xingchi swallowed them back. Presently, Li Chengyuan didn’t look as if someone had stepped on his tail, but rather that someone had pulled his tail and didn’t let go. His expression was full of irritability.

Even driver Xiao Wu felt that something was wrong. Thinking that the boss and his wife were quarreling, he quickly lowered his sense of existence with trepidation, for fear that he would become collateral damage.

Xia Xingchi could only express his innocence. Who dared to quarrel with this grumpy scumbag? Who worked so hard to take care of him for half the night? And today he turned his face and didn’t even say where they were going.

As a “contract partner,” Xia Xingchi had no choice but to sit in the car ignorantly. Although he didn’t know what they were doing, he estimated that they would be acting like a loving couple in a while.

The car slowly came to a stop, and outside was a rather high-end Western restaurant. Xia Xingchi was drowsy, and when he opened his eyes to this scene, he thought in a trance that he was there to work as a waiter.

The doorman opened the car door for him, and Xia Xingchi realized that he was indeed here to “work,” so he quickly got on the job and took the initiative to pull Li Chengyuan out.

He had never been in a relationship and didn’t know how couples were supposed to get along, so he could only recall content from TV shows. After some thought, he obediently rubbed his head against Li Chengyuan’s arm.

Li Chengyuan froze slightly, not understanding what Xia Xingchi was doing.

He figured it out after a moment, but deliberately didn’t tell him that there was no business today, and just patted his head — he had wanted to touch this little soft-furred hedgehog, and finally got the opportunity today.

A man in a suit and leather shoes paced forward at the door, smiling and greeting them attentively: “Mr. Li, you actually came here in person. You flatter me, ah.”

After speaking, Wang Chengjin looked aside at Xia Xingchi and saw that he was charming and handsome, unlike the long-rumored “Xia Xingchi” who was short and chunky.

Could this be Li Chengyuan’s little lover?

Thinking of this, Wang Chengjin’s well-thought-out plan to make a fortune had fallen through a bit, but he just nodded, bowed calmly, and led Li Chengyuan all the way to the private room.

It was unavoidable that an old fox’s bad habits would be hard to change. First, he flattered with all his might, and then talked about other things without just cutting to the point.

Xia Xingchi sat listening on the sidelines, mystified and bored, so he lowered his head to study the menu. When he opened it, he was unexpectedly blinded by the ridiculously expensive prices. The cheapest lemonade cost 30 yuan, which was just a money grab…..the problem was, this thing had been served automatically?!

He picked up the lemonade tremblingly, took a sip to suppress his shock, and silently closed the menu, pushing it a little farther away.

Lest he accidentally look at the top image again and be greedy for the horribly priced veal steak and milk cake.

No one would have guessed that he wouldn’t order because he couldn’t bear it. After all, how could someone next to the boss be short of money?

Li Chengyuan gave him a faint look, knowing that he was being habitually stingy again. He couldn’t help feeling that it was a little laughable. It wasn’t like he was spending his own money, so what was he trying to save?

Just looking at the menu, he could guess what this person was craving. Li Chengyuan was about to order something for him, but suddenly had another idea in mind.

So while Xia Xingchi thought he was quietly browsing the menu, Li Chengyuan calmly pretended not to be aware, and let him bite his lip eagerly like a little glutton.

[1] Nuwa is a well-known goddess in Chinese mythology who was the mother and creator of the world. ⮐