Ever since Su Qing gently nudged Jiang Sui, the young man had become incredibly well-behaved, his rebellious eyes shimmering with a watery glint.
He allowed Su Qing to let him stand up, standing firmly. A corner of his home clothes had gotten caught in his pants, his hair a bit disheveled, and his eyes kept glancing up at Su Qing.
Freed from the feeling of being weighed down, Su Qing rose and went to open the curtains.
When she turned around, she found Jiang Sui standing behind her, motionless, allowing someone to grab his wrist and pull him.
Su Qing placed the back of her hand on Jiang Sui's forehead, which felt intensely hot.
"Where are the fever-reducing pills and a first aid kit at home?"
The boy, not sure if he was awake or not, stared at her silently, gesturing to the bedside table beside him.
It was neatly arranged, holding a small medical box. Su Qing glanced inside and saw that there was fever-reducing medicine. She then took Jiang Sui's wrist and headed towards the living room.
"Sit here for a moment. I'll heat up a kettle of water."
Looking at the handsome boy sitting on the sofa, his expression hazy, his thin lips dry as he stared blankly at her, Su Qing felt a wave of weakness in her heart.
Just as Su Qing turned to head to the kitchen, she heard a noise behind her. Naturally, she caught a glimpse of Jiang Sui following behind her, his head lowered, about to bump into the edge of the coffee table.
"Be careful."
Su Qing reached out and tugged at his arm, but missed.
He must have woken up, thinking about what had happened between them.
Su Qing withdrew her hand, pursed her lips, and said nothing more, letting Jiang Sui follow.
His kitchen was spotless, as if new and unused.
It was well stocked. Su Qing heated up some water. The small, cramped kitchen seemed a bit crowded with two people, but there wasn't much mess to deal with.
Inside the living room, there was a bucket of instant noodles and several empty cans on the coffee table, along with a lighter and cigarettes. Su Qing glanced at them and, finding the trash bag, was about to start cleaning up when her hand was grabbed.
The young man stood beside her, took the trash bag from her hand, and began to clean up.
"I didn't smoke."
After a long pause, his voice hoarse, Jiang Sui tossed the unopened cigarettes on the coffee table into the trash can.
He had clearly noticed the person around him looking at the cigarettes a few times, so he simply tossed them all into the trash can.
Su Qing was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting an explanation. She bit her rosy lips and said, "The kitchen water is boiling. I'll go get some."
She fled in panic.
Her eyes fell on the boiling kettle, lost in thought. The moment she saw Jiang Sui, her chaotic mind vanished, leaving only the thought of not letting him get sick.
She found a cup, poured hot water into it, and placed it on the coffee table.
"Take your temperature first, and drink the medicine once the water cools."
The girl was patient. She read the instructions on each pill she took from the medicine box, then picked out a few. She had intended to place them in Jiang Sui's hand, but when she saw the boy obediently taking his temperature, she placed the pills in her own palm.
The two of them rarely got so hysterical, and their arguments were usually subdued.
Su Qing thought, her personality has always been unpopular. She didn't quite understand how to deal with it, but every little movement made her nervous.
There seemed to be no trace of other girls in this room. The only things that seemed to be there were her dolls and the pair of pink slippers on her feet.
Time passed by minute by minute. When the boy placed his thermometer in front of Su Qing, she was stunned for a moment, then picked it up and looked at it under the sunlight.
38.9.
He was indeed having a fever.
Su Qing sighed deeply and frowned.
Jiang Sui stared blankly at the girl in front him, who was so worried about him. The light from outside shone on her face, her porcelain-white complexion still adorable with fine down.
He just didn't like seeing her frown.
Jiang Sui must have woken up the moment he felt her in his arms. His groggy head cleared, and he realized it wasn't a dream; she had truly come to see him.
She could do whatever she wanted. Jiang Sui didn't want to disrupt the momentary silence. Something stuck in his throat, something he wanted to say but didn't. He wanted to ask but didn't.
"You have a fever. Take some antipyretics first. You'll feel drowsy afterward. Cover yourself with the covers and get some sleep. If you're not feeling better when you wake up, we'll go to the hospital."
Su Rao had often used this method on her when she was sick as a child. As Su Qing handed the medicine to Jiang Sui, the worry in her eyes instantly filled Jiang Sui's heart with joy.
However, he didn't want to sleep. If he fell asleep, he wouldn't be able to see her, and she might be gone soon.
Jiang Sui even wanted to stay sick like this forever.
He loved the feeling of her circling around him, even without having to do anything, just being there.
Looking at the medicine Su Qing handed him, the boy pursed his lips, seeming a little reluctant to drink it, which Su Qing noticed.
"You have to take this medicine."
"You said it would make me sleepy."
Only then did Su Qing get a clearer look at this handsome young man. His eyelashes were even longer than the girl's, thick and black, like small fans. His eyes betrayed his unhappiness at taking the medicine.
"If you're sleepy, just take a nap."
Su Qing glanced at the instructions. Indeed, it stated that taking the medicine would cause drowsiness, as fever-reducing medicine should.
"If you fall asleep, I won't be able to see you anymore."
Without hesitation, Su Qing watched the boy stare at her eagerly, as if bargaining, accusing her of dissatisfaction.
"No, I've taken the afternoon off. After you finish drinking, go to bed. I'll do my homework here."
Su Qing hadn't expected Jiang Sui to be concerned not about sleepiness but about fear that she would leave. A momentary flicker of discomfort crossed her face.
Hearing her refusal to leave, the boy's lips curved slightly.
"Really?"
He asked cautiously, tilting his head. Only then did Su Qing notice what looked like a swollen, purple scar behind his ear.
Sensing Su Qing's gaze, Jiang Sui reached out and touched the back of his ear, sitting up straight. He said something rather unnecessary.
"I accidentally bumped into it a few days ago."
A few days ago?
It seemed like it wasn't there yesterday?
Bumped into it.
It looked like a noticeable abrasion, a bump?
Su Qing suppressed her doubts and said nothing, simply motioning for Jiang Sui to take the medicine.
Seeing the girl silent, fearing she might get angry, Jiang Sui obediently drank the medicine.
It was around three or four in the afternoon, the perfect time for the sun to shine brightly.
Jiang Sui felt groggy after taking the medicine, his body aching and weak.
As expected, he soon fell asleep, his head resting against the sofa pillow.
His breathing was heavy from the cold.