Chapter 36 Low-Grade Fever

Chapter 36 Low-Grade Fever

It was eight in the evening when they arrived home.

The car pulled up at the neighborhood entrance. Lin Yunshu stirred awake, realizing he had been deeply asleep in Zhou Yu's arms.

"Awake now?" Zhou Yu stroked his hair.

Lin Yunshu didn't respond immediately. He gazed out the window to clear his head, then slowly sat upright.

His eyes were unfocused, and his hair, rumpled by Zhou Yu, made him look oddly dazed.

Zhou Yu found it amusing and didn't rush him, leisurely observing his "startup sequence."

Secretary Lin's vacant, wide eyes blinked closed, then open, closed again, then open once more. He then slowly rotated his neck to stretch his cervical spine, his bones popping a few times.

Secretary Lin pressed a hand to his neck. His neck was long and his fingers slender. When he tilted his head, the lines of his neck and shoulders tensed into an exceptionally graceful curve, a faint, rosy blush visible beneath his fair skin.

"Awake."

Lin Yunshu had finally "booted up" successfully.

The next second, Zhou Yu pulled him into his arms and kissed him hard several times.

Leaving him bewildered once more.

The driver accidentally let out a chuckle but quickly stifled it, pretending not to have seen anything.

Lin Yunshu's ears flushed crimson instantly.

In the entire car, only Zhou Yu felt completely unperturbed.

His expression showed no abnormality. He got out, walked around the car, opened Lin Yunshu's door, and took his hand to help him out.

The driver sped away, leaving Lin Yunshu still looking puzzled.

The weather had turned cooler, and darkness fell quickly. By eight o'clock, the sky was already pitch black, devoid of stars or moon, with only a few wispy, moon-white clouds drifting by.

"You were too cute; I couldn't resist kissing you," Zhou Yu offered as an explanation.

Lin Yunshu's cheeks flushed even redder. He didn't understand what was cute about it but still meticulously corrected him: "It was several kisses."

Zhou Yu laughed even more heartily, cupping his face and kissing him several more times.

Lin Yunshu: "QoQ!"

Lin Yunshu froze, trying to decipher Zhou Yu's thought process.

Could it be that his neck, which creaked like an old zombie's when he moved it, was actually adorable in Zhou Yu's eyes?

Lin Yunshu found it horrifying.

To test his theory, he stretched again.

*Crack...*

*Crack, crack, crack!*

His back and waist cracked simultaneously. His old bones and joints stretched, and he let out a satisfied sigh.

Immediately after, he was kissed so fiercely he almost lost his breath.

Lin Yunshu: "..."

Too terrifying.

Zhou Yu's quirks were too terrifying.

Zhou Yu, utterly content, took his hand. "Let's go, home now."

Lin Yunshu, still catching his breath and with a face still burning, stood rooted to the spot.

Zhou Yu turned back. "Not coming?"

It was dark, and the dim streetlights in the neighborhood perfectly concealed Lin Yunshu's flushed cheeks.

Under the night sky, he gazed into Zhou Yu's bright, dark eyes and, on a whim, blurted out, "How about a walk instead?"

Zhou Yu's face lit up, and he immediately agreed. "Great idea!"

He had never taken a proper walk with Lin Yunshu before. Every day, they were either at home eating, playing with the cat, and then engaging in their combined sleep routine, or they were at work.

But looking around, other couples always took walks or walked their dogs in the neighborhood after dinner.

They didn't have a dog, but they had a cat!

Once Yu Shu grew a bit bigger, they could buy some cute harnesses to put on his back, and the family of three could go for walks.

Just the thought made Zhou Yu's blood buzz with excitement.

"Alright," he enthusiastically draped an arm around Lin Yunshu's shoulder. "Your husband will take you for a walk."

Lin Yunshu: "..."

What was this guy thinking about now?

The night breeze was slightly cool, gently caressing their faces, gradually dissipating the heat.

Lin Yunshu forced himself not to overthink and simply strolled aimlessly.

For a while, neither of them spoke, yet the atmosphere was exceptionally harmonious.

Before long, Lin Yunshu felt a weight on his shoulder. He turned to see Zhou Yu had draped his own jacket over him.

"I'm fine," Lin Yunshu said. "I'm not cold."

Zhou Yu glanced at his pale complexion and sighed helplessly. "Can't I just say you're cold?"

"..."

Lin Yunshu smiled helplessly and didn’t protest further.

The neighborhood was quite large. They walked all the way to the recreation area, which had a small basketball court, fitness equipment, and a children's sandbox.

The murmur of voices grew louder.

A basketball flew out of bounds and rolled to Lin Yunshu's feet. Zhou Yu stepped in front of him.

"Hey!" a player in a jersey shouted from afar. "Sorry about that! Didn’t hit you, did it? Could you toss it back?"

Zhou Yu bent down to pick up the basketball, took a few steps forward, and tossed it back. "Be careful next time!"

"Sorry, sorry," the person raised a hand in apology, caught the basketball, and asked, "Wanna join a game?"

"No, no."

Zhou Yu waved his hand dismissively, but when he turned around, he saw Lin Yunshu sitting on a bench outside the children's sandbox.

Beside him stood a large tree, its leaves swaying in the night breeze, casting dancing shadows from the streetlight across Lin Yunshu's face.

He wore a faint smile.

Zhou Yu’s heart suddenly softened, and he hurried over.

Lin Yunshu looked up, the light reflecting in his light-colored eyes, making the smile in his eyes even more evident.

"Why didn’t you join them?" he asked.

"It’s not that fun anyway," Zhou Yu replied nonchalantly.

Lin Yunshu wore a skeptical expression. "Didn’t you love playing basketball in college? You even founded some kind of club—"

"Don’t bring that up," Zhou Yu coughed, slightly embarrassed. "That was so long ago. I was young and way too cringey back then."

*Not much has changed now,* Lin Yunshu thought to himself.

Zhou Yu crouched in front of Lin Yunshu, took his hand, and frowned upon feeling how cold his fingertips were.

"That’s enough for today," he said, squeezing Lin Yunshu’s fingers tightly. "Let’s go home."

After walking for so long, Lin Yunshu was also feeling a bit tired and nodded. "Okay."

The temperature had dropped these past few days, with a significant difference between day and night. Zhou Yu held Lin Yunshu close as they walked home, and as soon as they stepped inside, he nudged him toward the bathroom.

"Hurry up and take a hot shower."

"Wait, wait…" Lin Yunshu glanced back repeatedly. "I want to see Yu Shu."

"The cat isn’t going anywhere," Zhou Yu urged impatiently. "You can see him after your shower. Be good, okay? You’re cold all over."

"But Yu—"

Before he could finish, the bathroom door closed.

Lin Yunshu: "..."

He sighed, but a faint smile he hadn’t even noticed appeared on his face.

Since it had come to this, he stopped resisting. He took off his clothes and prepared to shower.

The bathroom door was knocked twice, and Zhou Yu raised his voice from outside. "I left your pajamas by the door."

Lin Yunshu raised an eyebrow in surprise. Now he’s acting all proper and gentlemanly?

"Okay, thanks."

"Thanks again, thanks again!" Zhou Yu muttered outside the door. "Do you have to be so formal to thank your husband for getting your clothes? Sigh…"

A swift shadow darted past—Yu Shu came trotting over.

The cat had been sleeping in his own room but was awakened by the noise of their return. He dashed over to find his dad.

And, unsurprisingly, got grabbed by the scruff of his neck by his dad.

"Meow!" Yu Shu let out an indignant cry.

Lin Yunshu had already turned on the water but shut it off and came back to the door. "Was that Yu Shu calling me?"

Behind the semi-transparent frosted glass, a slender outline was faintly visible.

Zhou Yu caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye and immediately froze.

He swallowed hard, mustering all the self-control he had to cover the kitten’s mouth.

Yu Shu: "Mrow?"

"Yes," he said, straining to keep his voice steady. "Hurry up and shower. You’re already undressed—be careful not to catch a cold!"

As he spoke, he carried the cat away, looking back over his shoulder until he reached the living room.

He turned on some calming Buddhist chants to clear his mind, while the cat glared at him fiercely from the side.

"Meow! Hiss!"

Zhou Yu casually ruffled the cat’s head. "Who are you trying to intimidate? Do you still want to eat or not?"

"Meow! ~~ Mrow…"

The food-motivated cat immediately backed down.

Zhou Yu exhaled, maintaining his clear-minded composure, glanced at the now-subdued cat, and tried to reason with her.

"Your mom doesn't have strong health. He just got exposed to the wind outside, and now he’s undressed. If you pester him to hold you, what if he gets sick?"

"Whether you’re human or cat, the most important thing is to learn to control your animal instincts. You really didn’t inherit any of that from me."

Yu Shu stared with big, round eyes, clearly not understanding.

Zhou Yu glanced at the cat.

The kitten’s expression at that moment was almost identical to when Lin Yunshu looked up at him, and his rock-solid heart softened instantly.

"Tch, silly cat."

He resignedly got up to open a can of food.

·

After finishing his shower, Lin Yunshu wouldn't let go of the cat.

Zhou Yu also washed up thoroughly, exuding restless energy as he lay down beside Lin Yunshu, but Lin Yunshu didn’t even glance his way.

He endured it.

Finally, after Lin Yunshu was done playing with the cat, he put the cat in its bed, returned to the room, and slipped under the covers.

Zhou Yu was raring to go, but when he turned his head, he saw that Lin Yunshu had fallen asleep in seconds.

Zhou Yu: "..."

With his pent-up energy with nowhere to go, for a moment he even considered waking Lin Yunshu up.

But there were slight dark circles under Lin Yunshu's eyes, his face was etched with exhaustion, his breathing was steady, and he was sleeping deeply.

Zhou Yu reached out a hand but had a change of heart, letting it rest gently on Lin Yunshu's shoulder as he tucked the blanket around him.

He went to the bathroom and relieved himself.

·

In the middle of the night, Lin Yunshu jolted awake from a dream.

His chest felt extremely tight. Groggily, he tried to take a deep breath, but a sudden itch in his throat made him cough violently.

He was now fully awake.

Covering his mouth, he turned over and sat up, groping his way out of bed to go to the living room for some water, when suddenly Zhou Yu's arm tightened around his waist.

The mattress behind him dipped, and an intense wave of pheromones pressed down on him. The next second, the bedside lamp clicked on.

Zhou Yu pulled him into an embrace from behind, a large hand rubbing circles on his back. "What's wrong? Why are you coughing so badly?"

"Cough... cough!"

Lin Yunshu couldn't speak, shaking his head with his hand over his mouth, his face and neck flushed, seeming to struggle for breath.

"Yun Shu!"

Zhou Yu quickly pulled him closer, placing a hand on his chest to help him breathe. "Don't panic, don't panic, take it slow!"

He helped Lin Yunshu sit up straight, letting him lean against his shoulder to catch his breath, continuously rubbing his back.

Once Lin Yunshu had calmed down a bit and wasn't breathing so heavily, Zhou Yu propped him against the headboard and hurried to the living room to fetch a glass of warm water.

Lin Yunshu leaned his head against the pillow, his chest still rising and falling rapidly, his eyes half-closed, his eyelashes damp.

Zhou Yu sat by the bed, tested the water, and gently lifted Lin Yunshu's chin. "Here, sweetheart, drink some water."

Lin Yunshu took a couple of sips from his hand, then shook his head to indicate he'd had enough.

Zhou Yu set the glass on the bedside table, got into bed, and drew Lin Yunshu into his arms, continuously massaging his back and chest until his breathing returned to normal.

"Feeling better?" he asked carefully.

Lin Yunshu nodded, opening his eyes. His eyelashes were still wet, his gaze unfocused. "I'm fine now."

"You scared me to death," Zhou Yu said, still worried.

"My throat was just a little itchy," Lin Yunshu said weakly. "Maybe I caught a cold."

Zhou Yu held him, pressing his cheek against Lin Yunshu's forehead. He felt like his temperature was a bit high, but it wasn't pronounced.

Lin Yunshu's face had flushed from coughing earlier, but now the redness had faded, leaving his lips extremely pale.

Zhou Yu pressed the back of his hand to Lin Yunshu's forehead again and confirmed it was warm.

"You seem to have a bit of a fever," he said seriously. "Wait here a moment."

He got out of bed and quickly returned with a temperature scanner, taking Lin Yunshu's temperature with a beep.

"38.1°C," he said, his brow furrowing deeply. "You have a fever, baby."

Lin Yunshu nodded casually. Through his blurry vision, he saw Zhou Yu starting to change clothes.

"What are you doing?" he asked, struggling to open his eyes.

"Going to the hospital," Zhou Yu said, reaching to pick him up. "You have a fever."

"No need," Lin Yunshu gave a weak smile, pressing Zhou Yu's hand down. "It's just a low-grade fever. Some medicine will help."

Zhou Yu looked clearly disapproving. "If you're sick, you should go to the hospital. Besides, can your stomach handle fever medication?"

"It should be okay," Lin Yunshu said softly.

He knew his own body well. For fevers below 39 degrees, medication usually worked. Only above 39 degrees did he need an IV at the hospital.

Fever reducers might irritate his stomach a bit, but he'd rather endure a few minutes of discomfort than deal with the hassle of going to the hospital in the middle of the night.

"Really," he said, gently squeezing Zhou Yu's fingers. "Trust me. This season, there are lots of people with colds. Going to the hospital might just lead to cross-infection."

"Do you think being cute will make me give in?" Zhou Yu said with a stern expression, though his tone softened involuntarily.

He really was helpless.

Lin Yunshu was always mild-mannered, never angry or upset.

Now that he was sick, lying weakly against the headboard, his voice was even softer. His black hair contrasted with his pale skin, and under the warm glow of the lamp, he looked fragile.

Zhou Yu had no choice but to fetch some fever reducers and give them to him.

"If the fever hasn't gone down in a few hours, we're going to the hospital," he insisted.

This time, Lin Yunshu didn't argue and nodded obediently. "It will go down."

Zhou Yu sighed, turned off the light, and got into bed, pulling Lin Yunshu into his arms.

Under the influence of the medication, Lin Yunshu soon drifted into a deep sleep.

But Zhou Yu couldn't sleep at all. He held Lin Yunshu from behind, his hand resting on his chest and stomach.

Before long, he noticed Lin Yunshu frowning in his sleep, a cold sweat on his brow, his hand unconsciously pressing against his stomach.

As expected, his stomach was reacting.

Zhou Yu took his wrist to stop him from pressing too hard, warming his palm and gently rubbing his stomach.

Only when the wave of stomach pain had passed and Lin Yunshu's brow gradually relaxed did Zhou Yu quietly withdraw his hand.

Zhou Yu kept watch a while longer, waiting until Lin Yunshu was sound asleep before sliding out of bed quietly.

Leaving the bedroom door slightly open, Zhou Yu went out to the balcony, closing the glass door behind him. Keeping an eye on the bedroom, he dialed his doctor friend's number.

Even though it was the middle of the night, the call was answered quickly.

"Hello," came the professional yet slightly suffering voice of his classmate. "Boss Zhou, what's going on with your partner?"

Zhou Yu was stunned and glanced at his screen to confirm. "How did you know I was going to talk about this?"

The other person sighed. "As an ordinary person who attended the same high school as rich kids from powerful families and chose to study medicine at a crossroads in life, I’ve been mentally prepared since day one of med school to become the doctor who gets called at night in rich family stories—the one who gets woken up in the middle of the night to treat someone."

"And as it turns out, my instinct was spot on."

Zhou Yu: "..."

"So, what’s wrong with your partner?"

"He has a fever," Zhou Yu said with a grave expression.

"Oh, don't worry yet," his classmate replied leisurely.

Zhou Yu heard a soft sound from the phone, followed by the rustling of fabric.

The other person had put the phone on speaker and was getting out of bed to get dressed.

Zhou Yu anxiously tightened his grip on the phone. "How can I not panic?"

"Even if you’re anxious, try not to panic yet," the classmate said. "What’s his temperature? How long has he had the fever? How many times have you had sex? Is there any bleeding from the wound?"

Zhou Yu: "???"

"Do you think I’m an animal?!"

There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by a soft chuckle. "Haven’t you done it before?"

"...I’ve never made him bleed," Zhou Yu said hoarsely.

"You sound almost proud of that?"

Zhou Yu: "..."

"This time it’s really not like that. I didn’t do anything!" Zhou Yu paced in anxiety. "We were just taking a walk downstairs in the evening, and he got chilled by the wind. I made him take a hot shower as soon as we got back, but he still ended up getting sick."

He worriedly pinched the bridge of his nose. "His temperature is 38.1°C. His face is all flushed from the fever—he looks so pitiful. He’s been coughing nonstop. I gave him medicine and spent a long time comforting him until he fell asleep."

This time, the other end fell silent for a while.

"You really don’t need to add so many embellishments," the classmate said in a mechanical voice. "Alright, I understand. No need to worry. You can go back to sleep now."

Zhou Yu then heard more rustling sounds—it seemed his classmate had gotten back into bed.

Zhou Yu: "??"

"But he's running a fever! Isn’t that serious?!" he said incredulously. "And he refused to go to the hospital, saying he’s afraid of cross-infection."

"He’s right about that," the classmate sighed. "With the season changing and temperatures dropping, everyone's catching colds. Omegas naturally have weaker constitutions—it’s perfectly normal for them to get sick. Did you think everyone is as tough as you are, strong as an alpha bull?"

Zhou Yu: "...You should choose your words more carefully."

The classmate then said carefully, "Strong as a top-tier alpha bull from a landlord’s family?"

Zhou Yu: "…………"

He brought the conversation back on track. "But he had an allergy just a few days ago. Don’t you think it’s unusual for an omega to have both an allergy and a fever in such a short time?"

"Perfectly normal," the classmate patiently explained. "Seasonal allergies mean a weak immune system. You can have your housekeeper prepare more nutritious meals and consider immunoglobulin injections."

"If you’re really worried, monitor his condition tonight. If the fever hasn’t subsided by tomorrow morning, or if it gets worse, you can take him to the hospital, or I can come to examine him. If the fever breaks, just let him rest. Taking him to the hospital in the middle of the night would only make him more uncomfortable, wouldn’t it?"

Zhou Yu thought for a moment and was persuaded.

"Alright, I’ll follow your advice for now."

"Thank you for your trust, Boss Zhou. Feel free to call me anytime—I’m available 24/7," the classmate said respectfully.

"Understood," Zhou Yu said coldly. "The consultation fee will be transferred to your account tomorrow."

"Thank you, Boss Zhou, for supporting my work!" the classmate exclaimed in the most energetic tone of the night, pausing briefly. "Oh, Boss Huo is calling too. Please allow me to see what he wants."

"Go ahead."

Zhou Yu hung up the phone.

But that person’s surname did sound more domineering than his, making him subtly dissatisfied.

Author's note: Boss Zhou (fiercely): Why isn’t my surname Huo, Fu, or Li? Why doesn’t my name include Si, Ling, or Ye?! Am I not domineering enough?! (Fuming)