Chapter 28: Sick

Chapter 28: Illness

"Achoo!"

The moment Song Shimu stepped outside, the sharply dropping temperature hit him with a chilly breeze. His nasal passages instantly flared with a sudden, prickling itch, and the explosive vibration of the sneeze made his eye sockets ache.

Song Shimu hugged himself, arms wrapped tightly, his steps toward work hesitant. "So cold."

"Don’t you usually check the weather before going out?" Qin Xu’s voice came from behind him.

The moment Song Shimu turned his head, everything went dark.

A soft, heavy fabric suddenly enveloped his entire face, completely blocking his vision. The wool’s distinctive fuzzy texture brushed against his cheeks, making them itch, and his breathing became muffled and constricted.

Song Shimu pulled the fabric away from his face and realized it was an overcoat, its color matching the suit he was wearing today.

Holding the coat, Song Shimu’s eyes curved into alluring crescents. "I didn’t expect you to be so thoughtful."

Qin Xu’s thin lips pressed into a sharp, straight line. "Don’t block the way."

"..." The feeling of being given a treat only to be slapped left Song Shimu unsure whether to say thank you or not.

"Still not going? If you don’t leave now, you’ll lose your perfect attendance bonus for this month," Qin Xu said.

Song Shimu stepped out, pulling the overcoat on as he grumbled, "Your actions are so warm, but your words are so harsh."

A short, derisive snort escaped Qin Xu’s throat. "Better than your actions being harsh and your words warm."

"...Aside from those two times I zapped you, I haven’t really caused you any substantial harm, have I?" Song Shimu said.

Qin Xu glanced at him, his jawline taut, and quickened his pace toward the car.

Song Shimu caught Qin Xu’s gaze and sensed he was referring to events from their past life, so he fell silent and got into the car right after Qin Xu.

The driver headed toward the company. Song Shimu and Qin Xu sat in the back, neither speaking for a while.

After a long silence, Song Shimu spoke up. "Is work always this busy lately?"

Ever since Qin Xu discovered his new abilities a few days ago, Song Shimu hadn’t been able to clock out on time, spending every day either working overtime or on his way to do so.

Working long hours inevitably bred complaints, even though this job was better than his last one.

"Mm," Qin Xu nodded.

"Isn’t it a bit too much? Last time you came back from a business trip, you’d visibly lost weight, and you still haven’t gained it back." Song Shimu tried to use concern as a pretext to ask for some time off.

But Qin Xu didn’t take the bait, instead turning it back on Song Shimu. "You seem to be living quite comfortably—your complexion looks rosier than ever."

"...Really?" Song Shimu touched his face but didn’t feel any change. "My weight hasn’t even gone up."

Qin Xu’s gaze swept over him, his deep eyes faintly tinged with resentment.

Song Shimu leaned closer and asked, "Don’t you feel tired?"

"Tired, but money has to be made," Qin Xu said.

"..." Song Shimu was convinced by the capitalist mindset.

"Tomorrow I need to go on a business trip to Qiancheng. Book me a flight."

"Okay," Song Shimu agreed, then changed the subject as he stroked the soft fabric of the overcoat. "The color of this coat goes really well with my suit today. You put thought into it."

Qin Xu smiled without warmth. "You’re my capable subordinate. If you get sick, what will happen to the work?"

"..." Song Shimu tugged at the collar, suddenly wanting to take the coat off.

Qin Xu saw through his intention and said, "What’s the use of taking it off now? If you’ve got the nerve, get out of the car and walk to the company like this."

"Can’t I just be hot?" Song Shimu argued.

"Then I hope you’re still hot when you get out."

"..."

[Favorability +10]

Song Shimu fell silent, temporarily losing the desire to chat with Qin Xu. Just as he was about to close his eyes for a nap, he heard the system’s announcement in his mind.

?

Song Shimu was baffled. Originally, after a week of overtime, Qin Xu’s favorability had turned from negative to positive. But now, just bickering a little had added about as much favorability as a whole week of overtime?!

A strange light flickered in Song Shimu’s eyes. "Qin Xu, does nobody usually make small talk with you?"

"?"

A question mark popped up over Qin Xu’s head, unsure what Song Shimu was dreaming up now.

"If you really want to chat, you can talk to me. I don’t mind you wasting my time."

"......"

Qin Xu looked utterly speechless. "Give me a step-by-step explanation of how you concluded that I like small talk, or you won’t be going home before midnight."

"?...!"

"Actually... that was just my way of trying to understand you," Song Shimu said with an awkward laugh.

"..." Qin Xu had no words and silently shifted away, creating a wide gap between them where there was already plenty of space.

"Achoo!"

As soon as he got out of the car, Song Shimu sneezed again. Qin Xu frowned. "If you’ve caught a cold, don’t come to the company."

"Are you finally firing me?" Song Shimu rubbed his nose.

"There’s a term called ‘working from home.’ I’m telling you to go home, not resign."

Song Shimu waved his hand with a laugh. "Don’t worry, it’s just two sneezes. I’m not that fragile."

"You’d better not be."

"Hey, Shimu, didn’t you sleep well last night?" In the break room, Song Shimu finished making his coffee as usual before starting work and ran into Yu Hua, who had come in to get water.

"Really?" Song Shimu blinked.

"You look a bit tired today. Your lips aren’t as rosy as before," Yu Hua said, studying Song Shimu’s face carefully.

"Maybe it’s from all the overtime lately," Song Shimu said with a pained expression.

Speaking of overtime, Yu Hua also felt that Song Shimu had it bad—while he had gotten the whole company to leave early, he himself was often held back by his boss.

In a way, it could be considered taking one for the team.

Yu Hua sighed and advised, "If it really gets too much, try asking your parents for help. I’m sure they’d move you to a more relaxed position right away."

"Let’s not do that," Song Shimu refused. He had previously promised to stick with Qin Xu—how could he leave in less than a month?

That would be too reckless.

"Bro, if you really can’t take it and want to start your own thing, I’ll definitely follow you," Yu Hua said, patting Song Shimu’s shoulder.

Song Shimu replied jokingly, "I’d just pull even more overtime out there."

"……" Yu Hua clammed up, momentarily speechless.

Song Shimu patted his arm and said, "Gotta go. If I keep chatting, I’ll end up staying late again today."

"Alright, see you," Yu Hua waved.

"See you."

Back in the office, Song Shimu got to work as usual.

Generally, during work hours, Song Shimu and Qin Xu each focused on their own tasks. Unless work-related matters came up, they usually left each other alone.

Today was no different. Song Shimu was busy with assignments Qin Xu had delegated, while Qin Xu was occupied with long-standing company problems that started because of Song Shimu.

Both were slammed and, to some extent, caused by the other, so neither was in a particularly good mood.

"Have you booked the flight to Qiancheng?" It wasn’t until the lunch break that Qin Xu finally spoke to Song Shimu, as the two walked together toward the cafeteria.

Song Shimu nodded. "Yep. Do you need me to send you the flight info now?"

"No need. I’ll be back from Shenzhen the day after tomorrow—book a flight back for me then," Qin Xu said.

"Why are you coming back from Shenzhen?" Song Shimu raised an eyebrow.

"Seeing an old professor who gets back tomorrow."

Song Shimu understood.

"Get the driver yourself today. I won’t be back tonight," Qin Xu said.

"Aren’t you leaving for your business trip tomorrow?"

"Too much to handle. I’ll be working all night tonight," Qin Xu’s voice got heavier.

Whether it was psychological or not, Song Shimu heard some tiredness in his tone. He turned, his gaze settling directly on Qin Xu’s face.

Under the overhead light, the shadow from Qin Xu’s high, prominent brow bone fell perfectly over his well-defined phoenix eyes. The outer corners tilted up slightly, with light dark circles under his eyelids. Paired with long, thick eyelashes, it looked as though ink had been dipped in ink and brushed on, creating a soft, smudged effect.

Song Shimu marveled—even dark circles could look like an accessory on someone so good-looking.

Noticing the prolonged stare, Qin Xu said coldly, "See something you like?"

Song Shimu nodded. "You’re pretty good-looking."

"……" Qin Xu hadn’t expected an actual compliment, but Song Shimu’s gaze didn’t waver. He turned to meet his eyes. "Jealous?"

Song Shimu looked away. "It’s giving you props for your looks, not envy. Thanks."

"Looking a second time is appreciation. Staring nonstop is called the male gaze."

"?"

"Fine, fine. If I ever look you directly in the eye again, I won’t be surnamed Song," Song Shimu said, annoyed but amused.

Qin Xu smirked. "Even better—change your surname to Qin. My parents would be so thrilled they’d probably get the paperwork done same day for you."

"……No thanks," Song Shimu refused.

Qin Xu pursed his lips and didn’t push further.

As dusk faded, the city at seven in the evening resembled a sparkling galaxy set ablaze. Neon lights wound between buildings like rivers of light, while the glass facades of office towers reflected the last of the sunset glow, mixing with car headlights to form a shimmering matrix.

Orange twilight streamed through the window, tipping Song Shimu’s hair with gold and softening the sharp contours of his profile into a hazy, gentle glow.

*Thump!* Song Shimu closed the file in his hands and fell back into his chair. "Finally done……"

Qin Xu glanced up at the sound, then lowered his head to continue working.

Sitting for too long had left his lower back stiff and achy. Song Shimu stood up to stretch, but as he raised his arms overhead to relieve his stiff shoulders, a sudden dizzy spell shot from his tailbone to the back of his head. His temples throbbed, and the orange-tinted office, lit by the setting sun, instantly went black.

Song Shimu collapsed heavily into his leather swivel chair with a dull thud.

Qin Xu looked up, figuring he’d stood up too fast and gotten dizzy. Jokingly, he said, "Seems your chair doesn’t want you to leave work."

Song Shimu closed his eyes, waiting for the dizziness to subside, then said, "I’d rather be in my own bed at home. I’m heading out. Bye."

Qin Xu nodded, watching as Song Shimu left the office.

Once out, Song Shimu headed straight for the IT department. He’d texted ahead, and before he even arrived, he saw Yu Hua waiting outside. As he approached, Song Shimu patted him and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting."

Yu Hua shrugged. "Just an hour. Killed time with some games."

Then, studying Song Shimu’s face, he asked, "You look really pale—even worse than this morning."

"Probably drained by work," Song Shimu said, patting his cheeks to wake himself up.

Yu Hua nodded in sympathy—constant overtime could do that. "Work really is the worst addiction. Come on, let’s go get some good food and reward ourselves."

"Okay."

After the meal, Yu Hua took Song Shimu back to his villa.

During this time, Song Shimu gradually began to notice something off. His body felt feverish, his breath scorching hot, his head dizzy, and his throat parched…

He was getting a cold.

It probably started with that chilly gust when he’d stepped out earlier…

For the first time, Song Shimu truly experienced how weak his constitution was.

A single cold breeze was all it took to make him sick.

*Click—*

Song Shimu turned on the villa’s lights.

The previously dim room instantly lit up like daytime. The off-white marble floor reflected the enormous crystal chandelier hanging from the dome, its thousands of prisms scattering glints like crushed diamonds that danced across the gold-leaf carved ceiling.

Not far away, the plush velvet sofa stood empty. The television screen was a cold black, and the hallway was swallowed by shadows, missing its usual lived-in warmth. Apart from the warm glow of the lights, every corner of the vast living room seemed icy and unwelcoming.

Song Shimu stood at the entrance, taking a moment to remember that Qin Xu was working overnight at the office, while Tan Manjin and Qin Song were both abroad. He was alone in the massive villa.

Song Shimu strode inside, his footsteps echoing softly in his ears, making him space out for a second.

It felt like returning to his days living alone, when coming home always meant a cold and silent house. Even if he bought many cheery decorations, he could never quite create a cozy, lively feel.

Having grown accustomed to a home filled with life, the sudden emptiness felt weirdly jarring.

Song Shimu took a quick shower, took his medicine, and lay down—just like before: work, off work, shower, sleep.

There were no other hobbies or fun stuff. The only difference was that in the past, he lacked time; now, he lacked energy.

"Buzz—buzz—buzz—"

The vibration of his phone jabbed through his sleep haze, jolting Song Shimu awake from a deep dream.

His eyelashes fluttered open. In his blurred vision, he moved his arm and immediately felt his joints ache, stiff and sore like rusted hinges.

His cold seemed worse than yesterday.

Slowly pushing up from the mattress, Song Shimu picked up the phone. The screen showed the contact name "Soft-hearted Rubber." He answered the call.

"Hello?"

He could hear the heavy stuffiness in his own voice.

But the voice on the other end sounded even more raspy. "Send me the flight details."

"Okay." Song Shimu agreed and was about to hang up when Qin Xu's voice came through again.

"Did you just wake up?"

"Yeah."

"Time to get up for work," Qin Xu reminded him, then questioned, "When did you used to get up? Every time I call, you’ve just woken up. Did you even punch in on time when I was away on business?"

Song Shimu moved the phone away to check the time. "My alarm is set to go off in five minutes. What do you think—can I make it to work on time?"

"Mm, got it. Bye."

For some reason, Qin Xu's distant tone irritated Song Shimu, so he retorted, "Did you call just to wake me up?"

"No, to remind you to send the flight info."

"Got it. Bye." With that, Song Shimu hung up first.

Qin Xu looked at the ended call record and muttered, "So immature."

"Mr. Qin, is it urgent? You look rough—should I drive slower so you can rest a bit on the way?" The driver glanced at Qin Xu in the rearview mirror, noting his eyes bloodshot, voice scratchy.

He looked like he hadn’t slept all night and now had to rush to catch an early flight.

"To the airport. No rush, drive slowly." Qin Xu rubbed his temples, finding a comfortable position to close his eyes.

He had stayed up until past 3 a.m. the previous night to finish up work before his business trip, slept for three hours, then got up to pack before setting off.

It was way too hectic.

But if he didn’t hurry, Song Shimu might seize an opportunity.

That was the last thing Qin Xu wanted. Given the current situation, Song Shimu didn’t seem intent on making a move on Qinfeng, but there was no telling if he’d lose it and run the company into the ground overnight.

He had no idea how to prevent it...

Qin Xu wanted to confront Song Shimu directly, but until the company fully met the highest industry standards, he didn’t dare act recklessly.

Asking Song Shimu to bring down Shenjing was originally meant to observe how he would dismantle the company from a bystander’s perspective, but now...

Qin Xu thought of Song Shimu, who used to show up to work punctually every day, always hiding his true capabilities. Why was he coasting in this life?

...Could he have been replaced?

But if he really was a different person, why did Song Shimu act like someone without any clear purpose, laid-back and relaxed every day?

...

"Mr. Qin, we’ve arrived at the airport."

Qin Xu opened his eyes, clear and alert. That nap had been pointless.

On the other end, Song Shimu drifted through work, his discomfort making it hard to focus. He even made several silly errors—typos, misread data, miscalculations.

"Secretary Song, your face is so red! Are you sick?" Assistant Wen, who had come in to deliver documents, was startled at the sight of Song Shimu’s face.

"It’s a cold," Song Shimu replied, his voice thick with congestion.

"Eh? Your voice... When did this start? You were okay yesterday!"

"Probably yesterday. The temperature dropped suddenly, and I got caught in the cold."

"Is it serious? Why didn’t you call in sick?" Assistant Wen walked over and held the back of his hand against Song Shimu’s forehead to check his temperature.

But the touch was shocking—was that even a normal human body temperature? He was burning up!

"Whoa! You’re burning up!"

Song Shimu hadn’t thought much of his illness, believing he could power through it. "It’s just a minor cold. Some medicine will fix it."

"With a fever that high, it’s not minor! You should go to the hospital. A guy with your looks can’t afford to fry his brain," Assistant Wen insisted.

Song Shimu sighed. "I’m really fine. I can still work."

"Work isn’t more important than health. Take the day off—I’ll handle your tasks today," Assistant Wen suggested.

"It’s okay, I have medicine." Song Shimu picked up the packet of medicine he’d left on the desk and shook it.

"Is it helping?" Assistant Wen took the box and examined it. It was indeed for reducing fever and clearing toxins, but...

He looked at Song Shimu’s flushed red cheeks with concern.

"I’m feeling a bit better, really. It’s not a big deal. You go ahead—Qin Xu piled me with work, and I’m sure you have plenty too," Song Shimu urged.

"...Secretary Song, you were always the first one in. Why are you insisting on staying now that you’re sick?" Assistant Wen asked, puzzled.

Song Shimu went still, suddenly realizing this wasn’t his old world.

So he abruptly stood up, "I'm burning up... Agh, please help me ask for leave. I need to rest."

Standing up so suddenly made Song Shimu even dizzier. He staggered and only managed to stay upright with Assistant Wen supporting him.

"Go ahead, I'll ask for leave for you," Assistant Wen said.

"Okay, thanks." After expressing his gratitude, Song Shimu slowly walked out.

Assistant Wen watched Song Shimu's back as he left, shook his head, and sighed.

Driven home by the driver, Song Shimu took some meds and went back to bed.

The next day, Song Shimu woke up groggy and checked his phone, only to find it was already noon!

Always punctual for work, Song Shimu was startled by the time and wanted to jump out of bed, but his joints felt as stiff as rusted iron, aching with stiffness and pain with every movement.

Grimacing in pain, Song Shimu remembered he had already asked for leave, so he relaxed and continued to sleep.

Just as he drifted off, his phone rang again. Song Shimu fumbled for it and answered it by reflex.

Qin Xu's voice came through, "Song Shimu, send me my flight information for today."

"H..." Song Shimu wanted to say "okay," but as soon as he opened his mouth, it felt like a knife was scraping his throat.

He had to stay silent. With fever-bright, exhausted eyes, he edited Qin Xu's flight info and texted it over.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Qin Xu's confused voice came through.

Song Shimu didn't respond and tossed his phone aside, wanting to go back to sleep.

On the other end, Qin Xu pushed, "Didn't you ask for leave? Can't you even talk at home?"

Song Shimu grabbed his phone and hung up directly.

"?" On the other side, Qin Xu pulled the phone back from his ear and looked at the call ended screen. "What's going on?"

The driver, noticing this, asked, "What's wrong? Didn't he send the address?"

"He did. I don't know why he isn't talking." Qin Xu's stern eyebrows furrowed.

"Maybe he's busy," the driver said, trying to help.

"Hmm, head to Shenbei Airport, and make it quick." Qin Xu glanced at the flight departure time in the message.

"Okay."

At the airport, Qin Xu went to the check-in machine to print his boarding pass but found that the flight information wouldn't scan.

A cold glint flashed in Qin Xu's dark eyes. Song Shimu's unusual behavior, coupled with the inability to check in normally, gave him a bad vibe.

He went to the staffed counter and handed over his ID. "Hello, I'd like to check in."

"Sure."

"Sorry, sir, we can't find your flight information. Are you sure you purchased a ticket?"

Qin Xu's frown deepened, and his sense of foreboding grew stronger.

He showed the staff the information Song Shimu had sent. "Could you check this flight, please?"

"Of course." The staff typed on the keyboard but soon shook their head. "I'm sorry, sir, we can't find the flight. Are you sure you're at the right airport?"

"..."

Qin Xu pursed his lips into a thin line. Instead of calling Song Shimu to confirm, he opened a flight tracker app to check.

Sure enough, the flight was leaving from another airport. Song Shimu had sent him the name of the wrong airport...

It would take over an hour to get to the other airport, and his flight was departing in 20 minutes...

Qin Xu's dark, deep-set eyes turned icy cold. He took a deep breath to suppress his anger and asked the staff, "When is the next flight out to Huajing?"

"In an hour, sir. Would you like to reschedule?"

"Get me a ticket." Qin Xu spat out the words through clenched teeth. Furious at being messed with made him want to go back and give Song Shimu a beating right then.

But there was nothing he could do except wait an hour.

After booking the ticket, Qin Xu sat in the VIP lounge and called Song Shimu.

But every call went straight to voicemail.

Qin Xu gripped his phone, his knuckles turning white. His cold expression made other passengers too wary to sit near him.

With a frustrated slap, Qin Xu irritably tossed his phone onto the table. The screen was filled with a list of missed calls. He cursed under his breath, "Where the hell is he?"

Qin Xu turned his phone face down, not wanting to see it, and looked out the window. He noticed a plane about to vanish into the clouds. Checking his watch, he knew it was the flight he was supposed to be on...