Chapter 37: Dual Impact

Chapter 37: Dual Impact

After an indeterminate amount of time, Shen Xian, who was in her sleep, began to emit uneasy, rapid breaths. Her hands, concealed beneath the thin blanket, fidgeted restlessly on the sofa, alternating between fumbling and pounding.

Zhou Mu paused in his model-building, casting a concerned glance at the unrested Shen Xian. He noticed her flushed cheeks and the fine beads of sweat trickling down her forehead.

Alarmed, Zhou Mu quickly stood up and bent over to touch her forehead. The skin beneath his fingertips felt scorching hot.

"Shen Xian, Shen Xian."

He called out to her anxiously, gently stroking her damp hair with a tender hand.

"Hmm?"

She responded groggily but didn't open her eyes.

"You have a fever, Shen Xian. I'm taking you to the hospital."

Shen Xian slowly regained consciousness and lifted her head to meet Zhou Mu's worried gaze.

"Feeling feverish?"

"Mm-hmm. We should head to the hospital."

As Zhou Mu spoke, he tried to help her up.

"No need, Zhou Mu, there's no need to go to the hospital."

Shen Xian pushed Zhou Mu's hand away, her head indeed muddled. She touched her forehead and, realizing she seemed to have a fever, pointed at a drawer in the TV cabinet.

"There's a thermometer and cold medicine in there. Can you help me find them? Taking some medicine should be enough."

Seeing her insistence, Zhou Mu quickly fetched the thermometer, figuring it would be wise to check her temperature first.

After taking her temperature, it was a high fever at 38.5 degrees Celsius!

Zhou Mu grew anxious and attempted to take Shen Xian to the hospital immediately.

But Shen Xian was resolute in not going. After a brief standoff, Zhou Mu reluctantly gave in and obediently retrieved some fever-reducing medication from the cabinet.

"When are you going to change your stubborn ways?"

Though his words carried a hint of reprimand, they were laced with countless tenderness.

Shen Xian remained silent, lifting her hand to take the glass of water.

"Open your mouth."

Instead of handing her the medicine and the cup, Zhou Mu brought the pill from the bottle cap to her lips, followed by the water.

Shen Xian was taken aback by this intimate gesture, which made her feel uneasy. Aware that she was in the wrong for insisting on not going to the hospital, she reluctantly opened her mouth to swallow the medicine obediently.

"I'll lie down in bed for a while. Zhou Mu, it seems I won't be able to properly entertain you today."

As she spoke, she slowly rose, her words filled with politeness and regret.

The temperature on the sofa seemed unusually high, causing her back to burn with fever.

"Who needs your hospitality? Look at yourself now, why bother saying such things?"

Zhou Mu was well aware of the subtle hint in Shen Xian's words to leave, but he simply couldn't bring himself to leave her alone at this moment.

Back in bed, Shen Xian felt her mind foggy, yet one thought was crystal clear:

She must have caught a cold and fever from being drenched in the rain last night. Such a minor illness was a rare occurrence for her; perhaps it could be seen as an upgrade to her immune system...

If Zhou Mu, who was busy preparing cold water for an ice compress, knew what was going through her mind, he would be both amused and distraught.

As a man, Zhou Mu didn't have much experience in taking care of others. Though gentle, his actions were inevitably clumsy. After finally managing to place the chilled towel on Shen Xian's forehead, he was drenched in sweat himself.

After settling Shen Xian down, he turned to the living room to clean up the pile of medications he had fetched. As he sorted through them, he noticed some peculiar pills among the common cold and digestive remedies.

Fluoxetine, Effexor, Melatonin...

Zhou Mu wasn't entirely ignorant; even without prior use, he had a general idea of what fluoxetine was used for.

His expression grew increasingly solemn as he held the pill bottles in his hand.

How had Shen Xian managed all these years? Relying on these medications?

He crouched on the ground, holding the medicine bottle tightly in his hands, his handsome and resolute brows knitted together.

He meticulously returned the medications to the drawer, remaining crouched for a long while before rising to attend to Shen Xian inside the room.

The person in bed had slightly flushed cheeks, her sleeping face gaunt with furrowed brows. Her hands, placed by her side, were clenched into tight fists.

Shen Xian's sleep was far from peaceful.

Zhou Mu approached and fetched a towel, dipping it in cold water before placing it back on Shen Xian's forehead. Then, he sat on a stool by the bed, gazing at the person lying there.

With her brows tightly knitted, Shen Xian appeared to be experiencing some terrifying nightmare.

Zhou Mu took another towel to wipe the sweat from her palms; her fists were clenched so tightly that perspiration had already seeped through.

"Little Bai, Little Bai..."

In her sleep, Shen Xian suddenly cried out in alarm.

"I'm sorry, Little Bai, I'm sorry, I was wrong... Wuhu... I was wrong..."

"Save her, save her, hurry and save her..."

Zhou Mu held Shen Xian's struggling hand in his own, soothing her gently with a heart-wrenching voice, "It's alright now, it's okay, Shen Xian..."

Perhaps sensing the strength in his palm, Shen Xian gradually calmed down from her struggle. She continued whispering something, but her voice faded, becoming indistinct.

Zhou Mu held onto Shen Xian's hand tightly, while the other hand brushed away the strands of hair from her face.

The incident from those years had left Shen Xian with an irreparable pain that lasted a lifetime.

For so many years, she had been trapped in these recurring nightmares, bound by the memories of that fateful event, suffering over and over again...

Gazing at Shen Xian's gradually calming expression, Zhou Mu couldn't help but recall that early morning from many years ago.

Back then, he was just a member of the squad. As the team leader was out on a mission, he had taken the role of welcoming the new recruits, among whom was Shen Xian.

He vividly remembered the fresh-faced girl, full of vitality, saluting him with a resounding voice, "Thirteenth Squad's bomb disposal specialist, Shen Xian reporting for duty!"

Amidst the crowd, she was the only girl, yet her presence was as formidable as any other's.

She stood with impeccable posture, her figure tall and straight, her gaze exuding an extraordinary courage and vigor. Upon her youthful face, one could discern an unwavering determination and conviction for the days to come.

At her side stood Bai Zhan. Perhaps he found her serious demeanor unusual, for the usually playful man couldn't help but chuckle.

"What are you laughing at?"

Back then, as the team leader, he was particularly strict with newcomers.

Upon hearing this, Little Bai instantly suppressed his smile, promptly standing at attention. He declared in a resonant voice, "Reporting, I was wrong!"

Beside them, Shen Xian shot Bai Zhan a withering glare, uttering an annoyed sound under her breath.

"Name!"

"I am the bomb disposal specialist of the 13th Squad, Bai Zhan!"

"Chuckles!" Another burst of laughter!

This time, it was Shen Xian who laughed.

What was up with these kids? Was it really that amusing to say their own names? Weren't they trained to do this countless times at school? What was so funny about it?

"Penalty: Run fifteen kilometers with your backpacks. No lunch until you finish!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

With two resolute replies, the two youngsters, still carrying their backpacks, turned and sprinted towards the playground behind them. Zhou Mu didn't know if they grumbled at each other along the way, but they genuinely completed the 15-kilometer run.

Although this was a common exercise in previous training, the outdoor temperature was a scorching 37 degrees Celsius. In the end, Little Bai had to carry Shen Xian's backpack as they finished.

Later on, it was revealed that Bai Zhan had laughed because he recalled the moment during their initial military training when Shen Xian had announced her name so loudly that her voice had cracked. This anecdote had followed Shen Xian throughout her college years, lingering like a persistent joke.

It was the first time for both of them to report to the team with such seriousness. In a similarly solemn setting, the memory involuntarily resurfaced.

Little Bai had great trust in Shen Xian, acting like her loyal sidekick, constantly addressing her as "Sister Xian" while they were in the team.

Only later did Zhou Mu realize that those repeated "Sis Xian" were the results of Shen Xian's persistent interactions during her school days.

Bai Zhan was mischievous by nature, and there were few girls in their class. Shen Xian, on the other hand, was an unwavering and competitive person who always sought to outdo the boys. This inevitably led to Bai Zhan teasing her with sharp words. As time went on and Shen Xian found herself unable to refute Bai Zhan's remarks, she resorted to physical confrontations.

And so, they fought until one was convinced!

Back then, they were truly young and genuinely happy...

A soft moan from Shen Xian in bed pulled Zhou Mu back from his distant memories.

He reached out to touch the towel, which had cooled to room temperature. Rising from his seat, he replaced it with a fresh one and wiped Shen Xian's palms and arms again before tucking her in. Then, he sat down once more.

How could anything in this world surpass the unpredictability of life?

None of them could have foreseen that a single unforeseen incident would shatter all the beauty of their past...