Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Under the soothing warmth of Fu Yunzhe's palm, Yu He gradually relaxed, and his tense muscles unwound.

He could feel the needle in his blood vessel, feel his blood flowing into the collection tube, and feel the needle being pulled out from his vein.

The doctor placed a cotton ball at the puncture site on the crook of his arm, and Fu Yunzhe, through the cotton ball, pressed down on his arm.

Yu He blinked.

As the palm in front of his eyes moved away, Aunt Zhou handed him an iced Coke, advising, "Drink slowly."

The coke, effervescent with bubbles, filled the glass, which had frosted over. A slice of yellow lemon sat at the bottom, while ice cubes floated on the surface, adorned with two leaves of mint.

Yu He grasped the straw and took a big gulp of coke.

The doctor exclaimed upon seeing this: “Why are you giving coke to a patient?”

Fu Yunzhuo paused slightly, his reasoning sound: "He likes it."

Doctor: "......"

Liking it doesn’t mean you can give a feverish patient ice-cold coke, with lemon slices and mint leaves to boot. It looks good, but it’s not the right choice.

The doctor sighed: “Mr. Fu, drinking cold beverages like this while he has a fever could easily lead to a gastroenteric cold.”

“Xiao He...”

As soon as Fu Yunzhuo called Yu He’s name, he picked up the glass, tilted his head back, and downed the coke in gulps.

“I won’t drink coke anymore.” Yu He put down the glass and burped, “I’ll listen to the doctor.”

The doctor thought to himself: You didn’t listen to me at all.

It's the patient who suffers when they have a fever. Faced with such a stubborn patient, the doctor felt helpless. He glanced at Yu He’s blood test report and wrote a prescription, “There’s no inflammation. Take some antipyretic medicine, and you won’t need an IV.”

Hearing that he could avoid the IV and needles, Yu He was satisfied.

He nodded frantically, became dizzy from nodding too hard, felt the cold coke sloshing in his stomach, and propped himself up, holding onto the head of the bed, weakly retching a couple of times.

Doctor: “......”

Fu Yunzhuo: “......”

“I told you not to let him drink coke,” the doctor instructed his assistant to bring a bucket and place it beside Yu He’s bed. “He might throw up in a bit. He'll feel better after that.”

Yu He then had a look of utter misfortune.

Watching Yu He’s miserable yet pitiful state, Fu Yunzhuo felt both heartache and amusement, his eyes betraying his laughter. He lowered his eyes, pressed his fist to his lips, and coughed lightly before regaining his calm composure.

The doctor, seeing that Yu He had taken his medicine, advised, “Antipyretics are hard on the stomach, so don’t take them on an empty stomach. His fever might rise again tonight. If it goes over 38 degrees, he’ll need a fever-reducing shot.”

Aunt Zhou nodded in agreement, “Alright, Doctor. I’ll go and make him some clear porridge right away.”

When it came to eating, the doctor, out of professional habit, advised, “Avoid greasy, spicy, raw, cold, and seafood, as well as other hard-to-digest foods.”

Hearing this advice again, Yu He and Fu Yunzhuo exchanged a glance, reaching an unspoken understanding.

“Make sure to rest well.” Having given his instructions, the doctor nodded towards Fu Yunzhuo and left with his assistant.

Yu He, feeling unresigned and discontent, complained internally that greasy, spicy, raw, and seafood dishes were all his favorites.

“I might as well just stop eating altogether.” Yu He grumbled, then turned to Fu Yunzhuo, “Mr. Fu, I don’t want to drink porridge.”

Fu Yunzhuo fixed his gaze on the slightly reddened corners of Yu He’s eyes, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly as he asked in a deep voice, “Then what would you like to eat?”

Yu He couldn’t come up with an answer; his mouth tasted bitter, and he had no appetite. His whole body ached under the high fever, and even his bones throbbed in pain.

He reached out towards Fu Yunzhuo, “I want to be held.”

“You better just stay lying down.” Fu Yunzhuo, seated in his wheelchair, looked down at Yu He from his higher vantage point, “If you get any closer, my old bones can't take the heat.”

Yu He blinked and then sat up from the bed, swaying as he got down and squatted beside Fu Yunzhuo.

Fu Yunzhuo sighed, calling out helplessly, “Xiao He…”

Gathering his strength, Yu He stood up, bent down to scoop up Fu Yunzhuo in a princess carry, gently threw him onto the bed, and then, energy spent, collapsed weakly onto Fu Yunzhuo, gasping for breath.

Fu Yunzhuo: “......”

“Mr. Fu,” Yu He spoke, his lips almost touching the side of Fu Yunzhuo’s neck. Propping himself up on his arms, he looked down at Fu Yunzhuo beneath him, “I’ve caught you.”

The bed in Yu He’s room was exceptionally soft, and Fu Yunzhuo sank into the mattress, unable to find any leverage. Pinned under Yu He, he couldn’t move at all.

Yu He’s fever-flushed eyes were downcast, his burning breath fanning over Fu Yunzhuo’s face. He pressed his body closer, their noses almost touching, and said in a hoarse voice, “I insist on bothering you.”

Fu Yunzhuo’s pupils trembled, his breathing becoming erratic.

“Xiao He... A twisted melon is not sweet,” Fu Yunzhuo’s voice was also husky, the words seemingly meant for someone to hear, “You’re only nineteen…”

Yu He bowed his head, perhaps delirious from the fever. He daringly flirted with Fu Yunzhuo.

He wanted to tell Fu Yunzhuo that he wasn’t a melon twisted off the vine by force; he genuinely enjoyed being with Fu Yunzhuo.

“It’s sweet,” Yu He’s breath was heavy as he grasped Fu Yunzhuo’s hand, pressing it against himself, “It is sweet; otherwise, I wouldn’t feel this way. I’m completely drained of strength; even my bones feel soft.”

However, Fu Yunzhuo couldn’t feel any softness.

He suddenly withdrew his hand, as if touching Yu He was scalding him.

Yu He was indeed burning up. Fu Yunzhuo wrapped his arms around Yu He’s shoulders, pulling him tightly into his embrace, “You have a fever of 39 degrees and you're still so energetic. You must be delirious.”

Delirious indeed.

Fu Yunzhuo thought to himself that he was the one delirious.

The flutter in Yu He’s heart dissipated in an instant.

Fu Yunzhuo’s steady heartbeat echoed in his ears, while Yu He’s own heartbeat raced, highlighting Fu Yunzhuo’s calm and composed rhythm.

Yu He frowned, thinking that Fu Yunzhuo had feelings for him.

Just a moment ago, Fu Yunzhuo’s gaze had been filled with emotion. So why, despite their close proximity and Yu He’s many probing words, did Fu Yunzhuo’s heartbeat remain undisturbed?

Yu He felt as if his chest housed a frantic rabbit, while Fu Yunzhuo remained as calm as ever.

This turmoil was his and his alone.

Fu Yunzhuo was indeed mature and wise, skillfully wrapping those ambiguous words in a decent and thoughtful coat —

Delirious.

This was a rejection, wasn’t it?

Yu He closed his eyes, feeling very unhappy.

*

Yu He’s unhappiness was evident, directly impacting his recovery.

What should have been a mild cold, that would break after a night’s fever, stubbornly turned into pneumonia.

It took him well over a week to fully recover.

The fever broke, and his mind cleared.

Yu He had lost a significant amount of weight, looking listless even during his night shifts. He would cough softly a couple of times just after unbuttoning his shirt.

Fu Yunzhuo’s expression was cool and detached as he held down Yu He's hand, firmly refusing, “Forget it, you should go back and rest.”

In the past, Yu He might have struggled a bit, said a few sweet nothings, and tried his best to present himself well in front of his sugar daddy to avoid being dismissed.

However, since he had come to terms with his own position, Yu He reverted back to his original, indifferent nature.

Just how indifferent did he become?

When he fell ill, his immune system stood completely on the same line with him, slacking off along with Yu He.

The white blood cells were on a rampage; if they couldn't kill the virus, they seemed ready to take down the host instead, landing Yu He in the emergency room.

After a tumultuous visit to the emergency room, Yu He became indifferent to life and death.

Fu Yunzhuo had made it clear that he was only interested in a physical relationship, not an emotional one. This attitude was like pouring a bucket of cold water on Yu He's enthusiasm, leaving him cold as well.

He was willing to cling to Fu Yunzhuo, but for all he knew, Fu Yunzhuo might find him annoying.

Hmph.

Only a fool would eagerly demean themselves.

Hearing Fu Yunzhuo tell him to forget it, Yu He paused, his hands slipping from his collar.

Kneeling on the bed as he was, Yu He straightened up and gave Fu Yunzhuo a slight bow, then stepped onto the floor barefoot, his tone all business, “Then I’ll be going, Mr. Fu.”

There was no expression on Fu Yunzhuo’s face, but the hand that Yu He couldn’t see was clenched into a fist as he answered coolly, “Go ahead.”

Yu He turned and left without a second thought.

Everything seemed to have come full circle, just like his first night there.

Standing in the hallway, Yu He felt restless and agitated.

After aimlessly watching live streams in his room for a while, Yu He still couldn’t calm down. Everything irritated him, and even as he tried to log into a game on his laptop, he ended up slamming the screen shut before he could even log in.

Standing up, Yu He paced around the room, restless as a caged animal. Catching a glimpse of his gloomy expression in the mirror, he decided he couldn’t stay cooped up in his room any longer.

He opened the wardrobe, changed into a coat, picked up his mobile phone, and walked out of the villa.

Outside the villa, the night was shrouded in darkness, and the cold, pale moonlight of late autumn held no warmth. The merciless glow fell upon the withered branches and fallen leaves, casting a bleak and desolate scene.

So annoying.

Even the moon is against me!

Yu He straddled the motorcycle, secured his helmet, kicked the engine into life, and sped away.

In the upstairs room, Fu Yunzhang heard the roar of the motorcycle fading away and silently lowered his eyes.

The next morning, Aunt Zhou was preparing tea at the bar and casually asked, "Mr. Fu, is Young Master Yu's pneumonia finally better? Should we add a few spicy dishes to satisfy his cravings? Did he tell you what he wants to eat for lunch today?"

Fu Yunzhang showed no emotion: "He went out."

"Oh," Aunt Zhou responded, "Young Master Yu is having lunch outside, then. Ah, he's just like a child, always rushing outside as soon as he's recovered from illness, can’t stay still for a day.”

Fu Yunzhang said, "Let him be."

But what Aunt Zhou didn’t expect was that Yu He actually didn’t come back for two days.

On the third day at noon, while serving dishes, Aunt Zhou couldn’t help but ask, “It’s been two days, Yu…”

Fu Yunzhang put down his chopsticks.

He said nothing.

Seeing Fu Yunzhang’s grim expression, Aunt Zhou immediately fell silent and asked no further.