Chapter 26

Chapter 26

A little past one in the morning, Lin Yi woke up from the pain.

His stomach was in excruciating pain, and his body felt cold. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, dampening his eyelashes.

Lin Yi reached out to hold his stomach, silently enduring the pain for a while, but it did not subside.

He assessed the situation and concluded that it was likely acute gastroenteritis.

It must have been because he ate three ice creams during the day.

Mainly, he didn't expect this current body to be so much weaker than his previous one.

In his past life, he had eaten several ice creams in a row without any issues, so he hadn't thought much of eating just three.

Who knew this body was too fragile to handle such a thing.

Lin Yi endured the pain for a bit longer, realizing he couldn't bear it anymore and needed someone to take him to the hospital.

He wondered if anyone would still be awake at this late hour.

If not, he would call 120 himself.

With great difficulty, Lin Yi got out of bed, put on his slippers, and slowly shuffled out of his bedroom.

The cold sweat on his forehead increased, wetting his bangs, and his face turned pale.

When he stepped out of his room, he unexpectedly saw that the hallway light was still on. Soon, Huo Jihan's tall and sturdy figure appeared around the corner.

It seemed Huo Jihan had just finished work, dressed in casual loungewear, holding a glass of water.

Seeing Huo Jihan, Lin Yi felt like he had found a savior.

Weakly, he called out, "Mr. Huo, could I trouble you with something?"

Huo Jihan looked over upon hearing Lin Yi's voice.

At that moment, Lin Yi was clutching his stomach in pain, his face pale, and cold sweat streaming down his forehead, clearly indicating he was ill.

Huo Jihan's eyes narrowed, and he quickly approached Lin Yi, asking, "What's wrong?"

Lin Yi sighed, "I think it's because I ate too many ice creams and triggered acute gastroenteritis."

Huo Jihan was about to say something when Lin Yi continued, "I know it's all my fault. I won't eat so many ice creams again."

Huo Jihan tried to speak again, but Lin Yi added, "I really know I'm wrong! Not listening to Mr. Huo's advice has led to this."

After saying this, he looked pitifully at Huo Jihan.

Because he was genuinely sick, his pale and weak appearance required no acting.

Huo Jihan: "..."

This was the first time he had encountered someone who acted so eagerly when committing a mistake but even more eagerly when admitting it.

Huo Jihan spoke sternly, "You..."

Lin Yi knew this was entirely his fault and could guess what Huo Jihan was going to say.

He immediately clutched his stomach and said before Huo Jihan could speak, "Ah, why is it hurting even more?"

He was already in pain, and now with some acting, it looked even worse.

Huo Jihan couldn't say anything now.

He sighed and said, "Lie back in bed; I'll contact the family doctor right away."

Despite his discomfort, Lin Yi exclaimed, "There's actually a family doctor?"

But then again, for a top-tier wealthy family like the Huos, having a family doctor wasn't surprising.

Huo Jihan stared at Lin Yi and asked, "Are you feeling better?"

Lin Yi hurriedly held his stomach and said, "No, it hurts! It definitely hurts! I'll go lie down right now!"

With that, he slowly made his way back to his bed.

The family doctor arrived at the villa soon after.

He was a young doctor named Xu Zheng.

After examining Lin Yi, Xu Zheng confirmed it was gastroenteritis and started an IV drip.

He reassured Lin Yi, "Don't worry, it's nothing serious. You'll feel better once you finish the drip."

Leaning against the headboard, Lin Yi thanked Xu Zheng, "Thank you for coming all the way here at this hour. You must be tired."

Xu Zheng replied, "It's fine; I was at a bar drinking with friends anyway, so I wasn't sleeping."

Lin Yi: "??"

As a doctor, shouldn't you prioritize health? What's with drinking at a bar in the middle of the night?

Lin Yi gained a deeper understanding of this family doctor.

At this moment, Xu Zheng looked around and, confirming that Huo Jihan wasn't in Lin Yi's bedroom, said in a secretive tone, "Also, to be honest with you, I haven't come to the villa for a checkup in a long time. Just taking the pay without doing any work has made me feel really guilty. If it weren't for your sudden illness tonight and calling me over, I might have thought I was out of a job."

Lin Yi: "…"

After a few seconds of silence, he said to Xu Zheng, "No need to thank me."

It seemed his illness had some value after all?

Xu Zheng probably didn’t expect Lin Yi to be so amusing and laughed immediately. "I'm telling you these things behind Big Brother Huo's back, so don't go whispering in his ear!"

Lin Yi: "…"

Was he that boring?

Besides, he wasn't even sleeping in the same bed as Huo Jihan. How could he whisper in his ear?

At this moment, Xu Zheng started gossiping, "By the way, how far have things progressed between you and Big Brother Huo?"

Lin Yi, somewhat speechless, replied, "Is it really appropriate for a doctor to be so gossipy?"

He even doubted if this doctor was a real one.

As if reading Lin Yi's thoughts, Xu Zheng quickly defended himself, "I graduated from a reputable medical school with a Ph.D., genuine as can be!"

His family background was quite good, and after graduation, finding hospital work too tiring, he decided to open his own clinic, enjoying the freedom it provided. He then took on the role of the Huo family’s personal doctor part-time.

Saying this, he leaned closer to Lin Yi, "Come on, tell me, how are things progressing between you and Big Brother Huo?"

People in their circle were genuinely curious about this question.

After all, Huo Jihan was at the top of their social hierarchy, surrounded by many who sought his attention, but he always remained aloof, seemingly uninterested in such matters.

Who knew that one day he would suddenly get married, shocking everyone and making them eager to understand what kind of person had captured his interest.

Tonight, Xu Zheng finally got to see the real face of Lin Yi.

His first impression was that Lin Yi had an exceptionally handsome face, one that effortlessly outshone others.

Even while sick and leaning weakly against the headboard, his extremely refined features were striking, and his illness added a touch of fragility and vulnerability, making him even more touching.

At this moment, Lin Yi raised an eyebrow and asked Xu Zheng, "Really want to hear some gossip?"

Xu Zheng nodded eagerly, "Tell me, I’m listening."

Lin Yi said quietly, "I can tell you, but once I finish, you might lose this job."

Xu Zheng’s eyes widened, "You’re really going to whisper in his ear?"

Lin Yi smiled ambiguously, "Guess?"

Xu Zheng: "…You’re ruthless!!"

Can’t he just not ask anymore?

Now, his impression of Lin Yi included not only his top-tier looks but also that he wasn’t someone to mess with.

Worried that Lin Yi might actually report him, Xu Zheng hurriedly packed up his things, saying, "Once the IV is done, just pull out the needle!"

Seeing Xu Zheng acting like he was about to be taken away by the Grim Reaper, Lin Yi said calmly, "I was just joking; you took it seriously?"

When he said this, his smile was ambiguous, making it hard to tell if he was serious or not.

Xu Zheng: "!!"

Why did he suddenly find Lin Yi a bit scary?

Xu Zheng hastily finished packing and left.

Once he was out of the villa, he breathed a sigh of relief and sent a message in their circle's WeChat group, "Guess who I saw at the Huo residence tonight…"

Lin Yi stayed alone in the bedroom for a while, looking up at the drops of liquid falling from the IV tube.

Just then, there was a sound at the door.

Turning his head, Lin Yi saw that it was Huo Jihan entering.

Even dressed in simple loungewear, Huo Jihan exuded a powerful and icy aura.

Despite the summer heat, he seemed to emit coldness, lowering the surrounding temperature enough to make one shiver.

It was already past two in the morning, and Lin Yi didn’t expect Huo Jihan to still be awake. He asked instinctively, "Mr. Huo, you haven’t gone to bed yet?"

Huo Jihan said in a deep voice, "Just checking."

He came to Lin Yi’s bedside and glanced at the IV bottle.

Lin Yi quickly said, "It’s fine, you should go to sleep. I can pull out the needle myself."

After all, he just played around every day, and even if he went to bed late, he could still sleep in.

But Huo Jihan was different, managing such a large corporation; he must be incredibly busy every day.

Lin Yi having said this, Huo Jihan simply replied, "No problem."

Lin Yi: "…"

Well, okay then.

Huo Jihan wasn't one to talk much, and once Lin Yi fell silent, the bedroom became quiet.

Lin Yi thought that since Huo Jihan had come to visit him, he should start looking for topics: "By the way, Mr. Huo, when I left the bedroom earlier, were you still busy with work?"

Huo Jihan nodded: "I was handling some documents."

Lin Yi was impressed: "You're amazing; it's almost unfair!"

Being surpassed by someone who works harder than you is an indescribable experience.

Fortunately, Lin Yi only needed to be a carefree slacker in this life.

At this moment, Huo Jihan looked at Lin Yi and said: "You're pretty impressive too."

Lin Yi was a bit surprised: "Huh?"

Had he shown any remarkable abilities recently?

Not really; he had completely given up in this life.

At this moment, Huo Jihan said slowly: "You can eat three ice creams in one go."

"Pfft, cough, cough..."

Lin Yi nearly choked.

Was Huo Jihan complimenting him or insulting him?

The problem was that Huo Jihan always had a poker face and a monotone voice, making it impossible to tell his emotions.

But Lin Yi guessed that Huo Jihan was probably insulting him.

He didn't expect Huo Jihan's insults to be so subtle.

Lin Yi silently pulled the blanket up, pretending to be sleepy, and didn't respond to Huo Jihan.

Fortunately, Huo Jihan didn't call him out on it.

Soon, Lin Yi's IV bag was almost empty.

Seeing this, he tried to remove the needle himself, but because of the inconvenience of using one hand, some blood flowed back.

At this moment, Huo Jihan approached him and said solemnly: "Let me do it."

Lin Yi didn't insist and waited for Huo Jihan to help him remove the needle.

After all, having someone else help made things much easier.

Due to his personality and presence, Huo Jihan always seemed to have everything under control, even when removing an IV needle, giving off a trustworthy vibe as if he were a professional doctor.

And during the process, their hands inevitably touched.

Huo Jihan's hands were large and strong, with a thin layer of calluses from handling documents.

Lin Yi's hands, in contrast, were slender, with evenly proportioned fingers and smooth skin.

Occasionally, the calluses on Huo Jihan's fingertips brushed against Lin Yi's skin, causing a tingling sensation.

Fortunately, the process didn't take long, just about ten seconds.

After removing the needle, Huo Jihan straightened up, and the faint scent of cologne lingering around Lin Yi's breath faded.

Feeling much freer with the needle removed from his wrist, Lin Yi gently turned his hand.

At this moment, Huo Jihan said: "You mentioned advancing your living expenses."

Lin Yi nodded immediately: "Right!"

After all, he still needed to buy that mall.

Huo Jihan said slowly: "Is one hundred million enough?"

Lin Yi: "!!"

One hundred million?!!!

Lin Yi sat up straight, excited: "Of course it's enough!!!"

That was one hundred million!!

But because he had been lying down and got up too quickly, he felt dizzy.

He instinctively touched his forehead.

Seeing this, Huo Jihan subtly frowned and disapprovingly said: "Lie down."

Lin Yi, about to receive one hundred million, was overjoyed and complied: "Okay, I'll lie down!"

His face still shone brightly, and his eyes sparkled.

Huo Jihan said with a hint of exasperation: "I should have told you tomorrow."

Lin Yi hurriedly said: "No, no! After you told me tonight, my stomach doesn't hurt anymore. Should I go run a few laps around the villa right now to show you?!"

Sometimes, what Lin Yi says is quite unexpected.

It made one curious about the nature of this intriguing soul.

Huo Jihan paused before saying, "It's late. Go to bed early."

Lin Yi responded enthusiastically, "Alright, goodnight, Mr. Huo!"

His eyes sparkled with a particularly obvious smile as he looked at Huo Jihan.

To him, Huo Jihan was now a shining golden thigh to cling onto.

He would live the rest of his life firmly holding onto this golden thigh!

Soon, Huo Jihan left and closed the door behind him.

Alone, Lin Yi remained excited for a while.

However, it was indeed quite late, and he had just been through an episode of gastroenteritis. Therefore, he didn't take long to fall into a deep sleep in bed.

Even in his sleep, the corners of his mouth were curved upward.

The next morning.

Lin Yi slept until eleven o'clock before waking up.

When he woke up, he found a small figure lying on the bed beside him.

At that moment, Huo Mianmian was looking at him with worried eyes, tears welling up: "Dad, don't get sick..."

It seemed that Huo Mianmian had somehow learned about his illness.

Lin Yi quickly reassured Huo Mianmian, "Don't worry, sweetheart. I'm completely fine now."

Huo Mianmian's eyes showed confusion, as if asking if Lin Yi was really okay.

Lin Yi immediately moved his body to demonstrate, then said, "Look, am I not perfectly fine now?"

Seeing this, Huo Mianmian appeared much more relieved.

Lin Yi patted his little head, "I'm sorry for making Mianmian worry. Dad won't get sick again, alright?"

Upon hearing this, Huo Mianmian finally became thoroughly happy, revealing a small dimple on his cheek.

The more Lin Yi looked at Huo Mianmian, the cuter he found him. He hugged the child tightly for a while before contentedly going to wash up and then bringing Huo Mianmian downstairs for breakfast.

After Lin Yi went downstairs, the Steward greeted him, "Mr. Lin, are you feeling better?"

Lin Yi was somewhat puzzled; why did it seem like everyone in the villa knew about his illness?

Surely he hadn't disturbed anyone last night?

The Steward, noticing his confusion, explained, "This morning, Mr. Huo instructed the kitchen to prepare some light dishes, saying that you had an upset stomach last night and needed something mild."

Lin Yi was surprised to learn that it was actually Huo Jihan who gave the instructions.

But he didn't dwell on it too much.

It must be said that the chef in the villa was truly skilled.

Even a simple meal for someone recovering from illness was prepared with great care, making it both visually appealing and delicious.

Various delicately prepared dishes and a nutritious yet tasty porridge made it hard to stop eating.

Not only did Lin Yi eat a lot, but even Huo Mianmian drank two bowls of porridge, which was one bowl more than usual.

After eating their fill, Lin Yi lay on the sofa and opened his bank account.

The hundred million yuan had already arrived, allowing him to proceed with buying the mall.

After a rough calculation, he realized that a hundred million yuan wouldn't be enough.

Looking at the large sum in his account, Lin Yi wondered what else he could buy, but after thinking for a while, he couldn't come up with anything.

After all, living in the villa meant he didn't need to pay for food or entertainment.

Even if he wanted to play games, he had already set up a game room.

As for going out, he had already bought a Ferrari convertible.

Should he buy another sports car?

Lin Yi realized for the first time that having too much money could also be a bit troublesome.

What if Huo Jihan transferred another sum to his account before he could spend it?

While pondering this, Lin Yi tried hard not to laugh out loud.

Sigh, it was such a troublesome situation!