Chapter 14: Taking Care
…
Friday, sunny.
He was sick yesterday. He had a high fever, almost forty degrees, and he also had low blood sugar. His forehead was burning hot, and he had lost consciousness. I was so scared. What’s wrong with this guy? He’s a grown-up, and he can’t even take care of himself. How can he have the nerve to lecture me?
It was supposed to be a very romantic meeting, but in the end, I was pressed against the corner of the wall by him, and I couldn’t even move. He was so tall, and he was lying on my shoulder, and he was breathing hot air. He was like a big, fluffy dog. Fortunately, the doctor came quickly, and I was able to catch my breath.
He wouldn’t let me go to work, and he saw that I was bored at home, so he recommended a lot of messy and chaotic soap operas to me. I suddenly felt that the way he held her when he was being overbearing was actually a bit like a domineering CEO. But I don’t like the way he’s fierce with me. I probably won’t be able to forget that time he held me and said, “Hey, my woman. We’re not going to treat this illness.”
The feeling of being understood and loved is really good. Loving someone and being loved are equally difficult. But I really love him so much. I feel sorry for him being sad and worried because of me. And I’ve already made a lot of progress, haven’t I? Take it slow. Time will erase everything. Only love will remain.
Love is enough to overthrow everything. If I really love him, there’s nothing I can’t do.
So, Xia Qiange, Xia Qiange, you have to work hard. You have to let the you of ten years from now see your growth. At that time, you will definitely still be together, and you will still be deeply in love with each other.
Thinking of this, I suddenly wanted to write a letter. How should I start? “Hello, Ms. Xia.” Hmm… it doesn’t sound very good.
Xia Qiange, who has gone from a girl to a young woman? It’s even worse. She would definitely be very concerned about her age at that time.
Mrs. Su, how about that? That’s too blatant! I’ll be laughed at by those bad women.
She had a straight face and had crossed out all these words.
Her face was suddenly so hot. Was she also having a fever after being infected by him? It would be better to change the beginning to something simpler.
She held the pen and wrote firmly and powerfully, “Hello, Xia Qiange. I’m the you of ten years ago…”
He seems to be about to wake up. I can’t let him see it. Hmm… then I’ll write it next time.
…
The air was filled with the smell of disinfectant. The cicadas were chirping, and they were lingering with this midsummer, and they would only stop when they died.
“Overworked, and he hasn’t been sleeping much. He might also be a little unaccustomed to the climate. He should have a good rest for two days after he gets back.”
“Okay, thank you, doctor.”
Su Yu slowly opened his eyes and was pricked by the scorching sunlight that was shining through the window. He instinctively closed them tightly. His neck was itchy, and the tip of his nose was smelling the fragrance in her hair. He endured the sourness and raised his eyelids, and he was met with Xia Qiange’s clear black and white eyes.
He blinked his eyes slowly and squeezed out a smile. “I… how long have I been asleep?”
“A whole night.”
The girl didn’t say much, and she didn’t have the intention of being playful with him. She had a straight face, and her naturally gentle and well-behaved features were not very cooperative. Her deterrent force was limited, and she was like a little fierce cat whose baby teeth had not yet grown in.
“You’ve been watching me all night.”
He looked at the dark circles under Xia Qiange’s eyes. Her hair was messy and was drooping on her shoulders, and the ends of her hair were dry and split. Her face was full of a tired look.
She suddenly stood up and looked down at him with a fierce look. Her pale lips were trembling. “You report to me every day and ask me to go to sleep. What about you? Why do you have low blood sugar? Isn’t it because you’re not eating properly?”
“I’m busy with work… this order is very important. I had made a lot of preparations, but in the end, they signed it without even looking at it.”
“That’s not a reason. No matter how busy you are, there’s always time to eat, right?”
“Alright, alright. I’ll listen to you.”
Xia Qiange looked at the increasingly thick smile on Su Yu’s face, and she was so angry that she couldn’t stand it. She didn’t know since when she had become more and more dependent on him. It was a benign kind of a feeling that was born from love. Relatives, friends, and lovers, this included too much.
“Is this your attitude of listening to advice? What are you laughing at? Are you listening to me properly?”
Su Yu was silent. He was just staring at the girl in front of him. His dark black eyes were shining with a light, and there was her shadow. He had not seen such a pure expression of emotion on her face for a long time. Whether it was joy, anger, sadness, or happiness, he should have accepted it. This was the real Xia Qiange.
It’s just… she’s so talkative, a bit of a nag, like a middle-aged woman going through menopause.
He suddenly covered his temples, his voice weakening. His face was already a little pale, and it looked real. This time, it scared her a little.
“What’s wrong?”
Su Yu paused for a moment, his voice hoarse. “My head hurts a little.”
“Then I’ll go and get the doctor.”
She frantically put down the hot soup pot in her hand. Before she could run two steps, her wrist was grabbed by Su Yu. His tone was anxious, his voice raised. “Don’t go. I’ll be fine after a rest. Don’t bother them.”
“Hah…”
A cold laugh brushed past his sensitive nerves. His fingertips, which were on her wrist, trembled. His heart tightened. He looked up and met her half-closed, indifferent eyes. The smile on her lips was cold, and the thin hospital gown couldn’t block it.
“Su Yu, are you being perfunctory with me?”
“Hiss, it hurts.”
Soon, he cried out again. This time, it was real.
…
“Hurry up and drink. The soup is getting cold.”
She fed him, the soup blown to the right temperature.
“I’ll do it myself. I have the strength.”
People were passing by in the corridor outside from time to time, and the door was still ajar. Su Yu was a little uncomfortable. He bit the soup spoon and quickly drank the soup. The meaty soup went into his stomach, and it was warm. His sore and weak limbs slowly got better.
“Don’t move.”
Xia Qiange scolded him and dodged his hand, which was trying to grab the soup spoon. “You’re embarrassed, aren’t you? I came over in the middle of the night. I didn’t even put on my makeup…”
She inadvertently glanced at the mirror on the table and was suddenly stunned, carefully examining herself.
The girl inside didn’t look well either. She was in a bad state, her features still exquisite and beautiful, but her skin was a little sallow, with dark circles and puffiness under her eyelids. She was like a flower that had bloomed too early and had withered before its season.
The mirror seemed to have said goodbye to her a long time ago. Whether she was busy with work or binge drinking and starving herself, she wasn’t interested in how others saw her, only in how he did.
She was in her prime. What young girl didn’t love beauty? If these lost things were exchanged for the present, she would be willing. But she was still a little aggrieved. She turned her head and looked at Mr. Su, who was afraid that she would feed him and embarrass him, and was gulping down the soup.
“Ah Yu, am I not pretty anymore?”
Su Yu finished the last mouthful, wiped the grease from his lips, and stared at her for a long time. He said, confused, “Haven’t you always been the same? You were like this in high school. Just…”
He remembered something embarrassing, and his ears turned red. He stammered, “I used to peek at you all the time back then. Did you know?”
“Who knows.”
Xia Qiange shook her head. Her hand rested on her cheek. After a while, the temperature rose, and her fingertips were slightly hot. She had never thought he would answer her like this.
But his words were useless. She felt she should take better care of herself. She suddenly raised her head and looked at him seriously. “I won’t stay up late anymore, and I’ll eat well.”
She quickly added, “From now on… I’m sleepy.”
She took off her shoes and socks, and before Su Yu could react, she jumped onto the bed. She snatched half of the blanket from his hand and snuggled into his arms. His body was a little stiff at first, but it soon relaxed. He bent his back so that she could sleep comfortably, and his hand wrapped around her from behind her neck.
Her cheek was pressed against his chest, and his heartbeat was steady. Her cold hands and feet were quickly warmed. She was like a little cat that was greedy for heat, and she snuggled into his arms again and again. The tip of her nose was smelling the scent on his body. After rushing around for half the night, her eyelids were getting heavier and heavier.
His gentle breathing sounded in her ear. “Get some sleep. We’ll be discharged this afternoon. We can stay here for a few days before we go back.”
She seemed to have nodded, and then she remembered something. She grabbed his collar and said no, we have to go back quickly.
“What’s wrong?”, Su Yu had a bad feeling and asked her, “By the way, how did you get out? Didn’t I ask An Zhi…”
After a long silence, she answered him dryly.
“I… I locked An Zhi at home.”
