Chapter 27

She hurried toward the bedroom, where she found Shen Zhirou lying groggily on the bed. The room was dimly lit, but enough faint light filtered through for Lu Yao to make out Shen Zhirou’s face. Her cheeks and the tips of her ears were flushed pink, and she looked feverish all over.

Lu Yao pressed her lips together. It had been more than a week since she and Shen Zhirou had shared any intimate, friendly time together, and after staying in hotels the whole time in Jing City, the sight of the bedroom bed felt strangely welcoming.

After a quick shower and a change into her pajamas, Lu Yao was ready to catch up on some sleep. She pulled back the covers on one side and sat down on the edge of the bed, her gaze shifting to Shen Zhirou. Her movements had been quiet, but they still made a little noise. Was Shen Zhirou really sleeping that deeply?

Puzzled, Lu Yao reached out and touched Shen Zhirou’s forehead. It was burning hot to the touch. Frowning, she gave her a gentle nudge. “Shen Zhirou? Why are you so feverish? Have you taken any medicine?”

Shen Zhirou was sleeping in a haze, her head throbbing terribly. She slowly cracked her eyes open and peered at Lu Yao in confusion. “Aren’t you supposed to come back next week?”

Lu Yao’s expression cooled further as she looked at Shen Zhirou huddled under the covers. “If I’d come back any later, you would’ve burned your brains out.” Seeing Shen Zhirou still gazing at her in a daze, Lu Yao sighed and said, “Be a good girl and lie still. I’ll be right back.”

She got up, retrieved the medicine box from the TV cabinet in the living room, and poured a cup of water from the kitchen at just the right drinking temperature. Then she returned to the bedroom, set the cup aside, and shook out two fever reducers. Finally, she propped Shen Zhirou up a little and drew her into her arms.

Even just holding Shen Zhirou from behind made Lu Yao feel the intense heat radiating from her body. She grabbed the thermometer gun and checked—39.4 degrees. With the medicine in her left hand and the cup in her right, Lu Yao held the pills to Shen Zhirou’s lips. “Sleep after this. Take the medicine first.”

Shen Zhirou had no strength left and could only lean back against Lu Yao. Her head spun fiercely, so she followed Lu Yao’s instructions on instinct.

Shen Zhirou lifted her head slightly, her tongue darting out to sweep both pills from Lu Yao’s palm. She frowned, waiting for the water.

The brief touch of Shen Zhirou’s tongue against her palm left Lu Yao’s left hand tingling with heat. Worried about making her uncomfortable, Lu Yao tamped down the rush of emotions stirring inside her. She held Shen Zhirou close and carefully pressed the cup to her lips, feeding her sips of water one at a time.

With her eyes half-closed, Shen Zhirou drank in small gulps. Droplets clung to her soft pink lips, making them look even more lush and inviting. Her fever made her skin scorching, and Lu Yao was already starting to sweat from the brief embrace.

Lu Yao turned her face away and took a few deep breaths, forcing herself not to look. Her aim faltered as she fed the water, spilling a little.

Her gaze returned. Right hand steadying the cup, Lu Yao used her left to gently wipe the stray droplets from Shen Zhirou’s face. When her eyes landed on one just below her lips, Lu Yao’s breathing grew ragged. Shen Zhirou was desperately thirsty, her soft tongue slipping out now and then to wet her lips. “Water… I want more.”

Her voice came out even softer than usual, her brows pinched together as she twisted restlessly against Lu Yao.

Lu Yao set the cup aside with her right hand while easing Shen Zhirou back down onto the bed, murmuring soothingly, “Okay, here it is.”

Her eyes locked onto Shen Zhirou’s without blinking. She took a sip from the cup, leaned down, and pressed her lips to Shen Zhirou’s.

Parched and delirious, Shen Zhirou had no idea what she looked like. She simply sought out the water with blind instinct, her foggy mind tangling with something warm and yielding.

Lu Yao tucked a stray lock of hair behind Shen Zhirou’s ear. After feeding her the first mouthful, she craved more. She took another sip and kissed her again. The flush crept deeper across Lu Yao’s ears and cheeks. But with Shen Zhirou in such a state, all Lu Yao could do was nestle into her embrace, not daring to let her thoughts wander further.

Cuddled in Shen Zhirou’s arms, Lu Yao slid her hand upward, her fingertips brushing lightly along her cheek. She muttered softly, “I was only gone a few days, and you end up this sick? Not very obedient. If your fever doesn’t break in a few hours, we’ll have to go to the hospital.”

Lu Yao stretched for her phone on the nightstand and set an alarm. Exhausted herself, she didn’t want to oversleep and miss any changes in Shen Zhirou’s condition.

Still not entirely reassured, and worried all the sweat would make Shen Zhirou uncomfortable, Lu Yao fetched a warm towel and gently wiped her down. Only then did she settle back into Shen Zhirou’s embrace.

Lu Yao slept until past four in the afternoon. It was her phone alarm that finally woke her. She reached out and felt Shen Zhirou’s forehead, then used the thermometer gun to check her temperature. It had dropped to just over 38 degrees—not too bad, though she was still running a slight fever. Once Lu Yao was sure Shen Zhirou was okay, she finally let out a sigh of relief.

While leaning in Shen Zhirou’s arms earlier, keeping her company, Lu Yao had been mulling over the afternoon’s events. She’d never taken care of a sick person before and had assumed it would feel like a hassle. But she hadn’t minded at all. She wasn’t even sure anymore what her feelings for Shen Zhirou really were.

Lu Yao leaned down and gently kissed the corner of Shen Zhirou’s lips. Then she got up, ready to make some light, nourishing food for her patient. She knew how to cook, but usually, for convenience, she just ordered from the hotel or had her assistant pick something up. With Shen Zhirou still feverish, though, Lu Yao decided to prepare something simple and easy on the stomach.

Sensing the absence beside her, Shen Zhirou slowly opened her eyes and looked toward Lu Yao. “Yaoyao?”

Hearing Shen Zhirou call her name brought a smile to Lu Yao’s face. She turned back with a grin. “Feeling better? Anywhere still hurting?”

“Much better. Just a little dizzy.” Shen Zhirou cleared her throat as she spoke. The fever reducers had made her sweat a lot.

Lu Yao fetched a cup of water from the kitchen dispenser and returned to the room. There sat Shen Zhirou, staring eagerly at the door like a puppy waiting for its owner. Lu Yao’s smile deepened, and she teased lightly, “I’m not going anywhere. I just got you some water.”

Lu Yao didn’t even realize how much gentler her tone was than usual, or how her face stayed lit with a smile. She sat on the edge of the bed and handed Shen Zhirou the cup.

Shen Zhirou took it and stared at it for a moment, her thoughts drifting back to what had happened a few hours earlier. She’d been half-asleep then, unsure if it was real or a dream—just the soft, warm touch on her lips. Even thinking about it now brought a flush to her earlobes.

Lu Yao’s gaze had never left Shen Zhirou. Seeing her fixated on the cup, then noticing the pink at her ears, Lu Yao chuckled and leaned in. “What are you thinking about? Hoping I’ll feed you like before?”

Shen Zhirou hadn’t been entirely sure before, but Lu Yao’s words sent the blush racing from her ears to her cheeks. Her head was still fuzzy from the fever, making her soft eyes look even more docile than usual as she met Lu Yao’s gaze. It sent a warm spark through Lu Yao’s chest. What had started as teasing now tempted her to make it real.

Shen Zhirou’s cup emptied as Lu Yao took it, sipped from it, then drew closer. Their breaths mingled until Lu Yao’s warm lips pressed against hers.

Still dizzy, Shen Zhirou responded with unusual docility, yielding completely to Lu Yao’s kiss. When Lu Yao pulled back slightly, the blush had spread down Shen Zhirou’s neck.

Lu Yao’s eyes lingered on her lips. She’d just fed Shen Zhirou water—why was she thirsty now?

“Want more?” Lu Yao’s voice was soft and laced with allure, impossibly seductive. Without thinking, Shen Zhirou nodded.

Lu Yao’s smile widened. She leaned in and kissed the corner of Shen Zhirou’s mouth. “Jie Jie, you’re so obedient right now. It’s hard to hold back. Get better soon, okay?”

“I’m already much better. One more dose of medicine, and I should be fine by evening.” As Shen Zhirou spoke, her ears burned crimson. Was she just reassuring Yaoyao, or hinting that they could do more later?

Sure enough, Lu Yao let out a soft laugh. “Alright, then. We’ll see how the fever is tonight. Rest a bit more—I’m going to boil some noodles for dinner.”

With that, Lu Yao handed the cup back to Shen Zhirou and headed to the kitchen.

Shen Zhirou looked at the cup, pressed it to her lips, and drank the remaining half. She set it on the nightstand, then lay back down under the covers, waiting for Lu Yao.

Her eyes grew a little red-rimmed as memories from childhood flooded back. Her parents had divorced young. Her mother would take her and her sister for a couple of days every year, while her father simply sent money for his share and never once visited them at Grandma’s house.

She still remembered how, when she was little and fell ill, her paternal grandmother was always by her side, bustling about to bring her water and food. Later, after she started university and her grandmother passed away, Shen Zhirou had to tough it out alone whenever she got sick. If the discomfort grew unbearable, she would head to the clinic for an IV drip or injection, but most of the time she simply took some medicine and powered through. Even after she began working, nothing changed.

It had been a long time since Shen Zhirou last felt this kind of genuine care. Liu Fengxia’s words from yesterday had been excessively harsh in many ways, but she had hit the nail on the head about one thing: Shen Zhirou was starved for love. That was why, when her mother extended even the slightest olive branch, she had flung herself at it without a second thought—despite the fact that her mother had barely looked after her and her sister before, and even if her mother had ulterior motives of her own. Shen Zhirou still cherished her all the same.

But things were better now. She had Yaoyao, and Yaoyao at least cared about her, didn’t she?

Shen Zhirou lay on her side in bed, tears slipping silently from the corners of her eyes. She reached for a tissue to wipe them dry, then buried herself in the warm, soft bedding. In the beginning, she hadn’t been used to such a plush mattress, but now she loved its gentle give. She truly thought of this place as her home.