Chapter 66: Fever

Chapter 66: Fever

After the last half of the candle burned down, Jin Zexu held Chu Jin through the night in the leaky rented room.

The rainy night was especially cold, and the rented room had so many leaks that the dripping was incessant.

Chu Jin lay under a blanket, covered by his suit jacket. The rain finally stopped after an entire night. When Chu Jin woke up, he found himself held tightly by Jin Zexu, his back pressed against Jin Zexu’s chest, their breaths rising and falling in sync. Chu Jin slowly closed his eyes, recalling the previous night.

Last night, he had told Jin Zexu everything. Chu Jin sighed. Jin Zexu’s arms were still wrapped around his waist, having not let go all night.

Chu Jin admitted his impulsiveness, but he had no regrets. Things had come to this, and he was prepared to face even the worst outcome.

It was as if a great weight had been lifted from his heart. That night, breathing in the faint orange scent on Jin Zexu’s clothes, Chu Jin slept relatively soundly.

The person behind him was breathing heavily. Chu Jin shifted the clothes aside and pushed himself up from the bed. Jin Zexu was deeply asleep, his head resting on a makeshift pillow of folded clothes. What time was it? Chu Jin rubbed his temples and called out, "Jin Zexu."

No movement beside him.

Chu Jin frowned and looked over. Jin Zexu was actually frowning, half his face pressed against the bed board, breathing heavily, looking quite unwell.

"Jin Zexu?" Chu Jin immediately sensed something was wrong. He patted Jin Zexu’s shoulder, and when his hand touched Jin Zexu’s forehead, it was alarmingly hot.

A fever?

"Jin Zexu, wake up. Can you hear me?"

Unsure how long he had been feverish, Chu Jin called out several times before finally rousing him. Jin Zexu struggled to open his eyes, his head throbbing. Drowsily, he looked at Chu Jin and asked, "What time is it?"

"You have a fever," Chu Jin said, pressing the back of his hand against Jin Zexu’s scorching forehead.

It seemed that getting caught in the rain and wind last night, then sleeping in a soaked shirt, had given him a chill.

Chu Jin looked at Jin Zexu with a grave expression and said, "A-Xu, can you stand up? I’ll take you to the hospital."

A-Xu? Jin Zexu’s mind buzzed.

"Chu Jin, what did you call me?"

"What else?" Chu Jin frowned deeply, having no time to dwell on terms of address. "How long were you in the rain last night? Didn’t you change your clothes when I told you to?"

"There was no pillow, so I used the dry clothes you gave me as padding and didn’t change," Jin Zexu said, now a bit more lucid, propping himself up. "It’s probably just a cold. I’m fine."

Fine? His ears and eyes were bright red, and he claimed to be fine?

Chu Jin shifted position and glanced at the pillow made of dry clothes at the head of the bed. On Jin Zexu’s side, there was only the bare bed board. Chu Jin’s frown deepened. He leaned closer, asking Jin Zexu, "Do you remember what I told you last night?"

"Which part? Chu Chu, you said so much last night. I remember every word."

At this moment, the dazed Jin Zexu resembled a large, fluffy dog with its tail drooping, completely devoid of the imposing demeanor he had shown the night before. His wet hair had dried, messy over his forehead, almost obscuring his vision. Jin Zexu lifted his chin to get a clearer view of Chu Jin.

After a moment, the Chu Jin before him began to double, then triple, and then... Jin Zexu heard Chu Jin ask, "Then tell me, what do I do for a living?"

The blurry vision cleared. Jin Zexu snapped out of it, staring into Chu Jin’s eyes for a long while before a faint smile touched his lips as he called out, "Dr. Chu."

Not bad—he still remembered "Dr. Chu," indicating his mind wasn’t entirely muddled.

"So dizzy." The second young master of the Jin family had held on stubbornly but was ultimately defeated by the virus. He pressed his hand to his forehead and mumbled before his vision blurred and he swayed forward. Fortunately, Chu Jin reacted quickly, catching him and cradling his face to prevent him from hitting the bed board.

"With a fever this high, no wonder you’re dizzy," Chu Jin said helplessly. "Since you know I’m a doctor, you should listen to me when you’re sick. Now, can you get up?"

Jin Zexu nodded. "I can do it myself. Stay away from me so I don’t give it to you."

"Fevers themselves aren’t contagious," Chu Jin said sternly, holding his arm. "That’s enough talking. Save your energy."

Jin Zexu, dizzy and muddled, couldn’t help but smile faintly when he heard Chu Jin’s retort.

He secretly glanced at Chu Jin, sensing he was annoyed, and teased, "Dr. Chu, what would happen if... if I didn’t listen to you?"

Dropping his professional demeanor, Dr. Chu replied without hesitation, "You’d die."

...

Jin Zexu’s illness hit hard, taking a full week to gradually improve.

To avoid infecting Chu Jin, Jin Zexu wore a mask around the house and reluctantly moved out of the bedroom. Dr. Gu repeatedly emphasized that it was a viral cold and insisted Jin Zexu stay away from Chu Jin. Following the doctor’s orders, the second young master of the Jin family, though unwilling, dared not disobey.

During the two worst days of his illness, Jin Zexu stayed in the guest room next to Chu Jin’s. Separated by just a wall, with professional doctors and nurses at home, Jin Zexu had people ensure Chu Jin didn’t enter the guest room. All Chu Jin could do was knock on the door each day to reassure Jin Zexu he was still there.

Fortunately, Jin Zexu had a strong constitution. When Chu Jin asked Uncle He about him, Uncle He simply said he was fine and told Chu Jin not to worry.

One day, while Chu Jin was making porridge in the kitchen downstairs, Uncle He came rushing over anxiously, urging him to go upstairs and check on Jin Zexu.

"What’s wrong?"

"Tsk..." Uncle He avoided eye contact, hesitating for a long time. "Ah, Mr. Chu, you’d better see it yourself. The young master won’t let anyone into the room."

Chu Jin put down the ladle and followed Uncle He upstairs. "Not letting anyone in? What’s going on?"

Uncle He said anxiously, "Actually, it’s been like this since the day before yesterday. He’s conscious but refuses to eat or sleep. He won’t even let Dr. Gu in. We had no choice but to..."

"Why didn’t you tell me earlier?"

Uncle He replied, "The young master’s cold isn’t fully recovered yet. We were afraid of infecting you, and also..."

Chu Jin frowned. "And what else?"

Uncle He paused, then took a deep breath. "The young master had someone bring a pile of your clothes from the wardrobe to the guest room."

Oh no. Uncle He regretted it the moment he said it. Would Mr. Chu now think the young master was a pervert? Surely not!

"Clothes?" Chu Jin stopped in his tracks. "He only asked for clothes?"

Uncle He, looking nervous, nodded.

After a few seconds of silence, combining these symptoms, Chu Jin had a rough idea of what was happening. He turned to Uncle He, who was looking down, and said, "Uncle He, I’ve cooked some porridge in the kitchen. Could you please bring a bowl up later?"

"Of course, right away."

Soon, Chu Jin reached the door of the guest room. He pushed it open gently and entered, but at first glance, he didn’t see Jin Zexu resting on the bed.

Hearing sounds from inside, Chu Jin cautiously entered the closet. Stepping on clothes and blankets scattered on the floor, he lifted his foot, his suspicions growing stronger. Only when he walked further in and saw Jin Zexu using clothes to build something in the corner did Chu Jin finally breathe a sigh of relief.

In the corner, Jin Zexu had used clothes and blankets to construct a nest—warm and soft, with clothes stacked high around it and layers of cozy blankets forming a sunken center, providing a strong sense of security.

Dr. Chu, who worked in obstetrics, recognized it immediately: it was nesting behavior, typical of an alpha partner.

The busy second young master of the Jin family, hearing the noise, snapped without raising his head, "Get out!"

An alpha in a nesting state is irritable and highly territorial. Chu Jin stood still, sighed, and said, "Then I’ll leave."

Jin Zexu froze at the words, and the cushion he had adjusted multiple times slipped from his hand, falling into the sunken area in the middle.

He turned around: "Chu Jin."

"It's me, Jin Zexu. What are you doing?" Chu Jin walked over and asked.

Jin Zexu froze, glanced at the nest he had built, and said absently: "...I don’t know."

Nesting behavior stems partly from instinct and partly from anxiety. Chu Jin couldn’t prescribe anti-anxiety meds like he could at the hospital. He took off his shoes and socks, stepped barefoot onto the soft cushions, and looking into Jin Zexu’s eyes, said, "I haven’t worn those clothes you took. They don’t carry my scent."

Hearing this, Jin Zexu pulled Chu Jin into a hug.

"I’ve missed you so much," he said.

Though only a few days had passed, it felt like half a lifetime to Jin Zexu—every moment dragged on. Now, burying his face in Chu Jin’s neck, he caught the faint scent of disinfectant and instantly felt at ease.

His voice was muffled against Chu Jin’s shoulder: "I know they don’t have your scent."

"Then why did you ask Uncle He to bring them over?"

Chu Jin chuckled softly: "Do you know what this behavior is called?"

"No," Jin Zexu replied, inhaling Chu Jin’s scent deeply before picking him up. "But I do know that walking barefoot could give you a cold."

"It’s fine. The carpet is soft and comfortable."

"I was planning to tell you after I finished, but it’s alright. Since you’ve found out, you can try it out now."

Gently, Jin Zexu placed Chu Jin in the sunken center of the nest. Surrounded by the clothes, Chu Jin settled into the depression. Jin Zexu put socks on him and placed a cushion behind his back.

"How does it feel? Comfortable?"

Chu Jin adjusted his posture slightly and nodded.

Seeing him relax, Jin Zexu smiled slightly. Though there was still space beside Chu Jin to lie down, Jin Zexu chose to prop himself up on the clothes behind him, gazing intently at the treasure—no, the catch—he had brought into his nest.

Jin Zexu’s face was close, looking noticeably thinner, with dark beard stubble and slightly hollowed cheeks. Through his disheveled hair, Chu Jin noticed the red veins in his eyes. "How long has it been since you slept?"

"I forgot," Jin Zexu said hoarsely, leaning closer. "I’m not tired. I have to go to the company tomorrow. Stay home and behave, alright?"

"Can I say no?"

Jin Zexu narrowed his eyes: "No."

Chu Jin sighed and reached up to stroke Jin Zexu’s stubble. "I’m a bit sleepy. Will you lie down with me?"

"Okay," Jin Zexu replied promptly, lying down and wrapping his arms around Chu Jin’s shoulders, almost enveloping him completely. Then, he lifted a hand and gently pressed it against Chu Jin’s swollen abdomen, whispering, "Close your eyes. Sleep."

The two nestled together in the warm little nest, the fresh scent of oranges mingling with the faint smell of disinfectant. Their breathing synchronized, steady and slow.

"Dr. Chu, in your professional world, what kind of illness would I need to have for you to take care of me?"

Chu Jin, eyes closed, murmured softly. "You wouldn’t want me to take care of you."

"Why?"

Chu Jin: "...Because I’m an OB/GYN."

Author’s Note:

Back with more! New chapters coming!