CHAPTER 18 (PART 2)

“The medical kit is in the kitchen, second shelf of the first cabinet. There are some of my usual backup medicines there, along with some other medications. Bring it over for me,” Shen Jingyan said after catching his breath.

Shi Li took a deep breath and tossed his hand aside. “Just taking medicine won’t help.”

“It will,” Shen Jingyan insisted.

The two of them argued for a while, until Shen Jingyan finally played his trump card: “Shi Li, help me…”

Shi Li was completely defeated. Resigned, she went to fetch the medical kit. A fleeting smile flashed through Shen Jingyan’s eyes, and the discomfort in his body seemed to ease slightly.

Shi Li brought the kit over and let him find the medicine himself while she poured him a glass of water and made sure he took it properly.

The sudden illness had drained much of Shen Jingyan’s energy. Even something as simple as finding and taking medicine exhausted him. He lay back on the bed, half-lidded eyes fixed on Shi Li.

Shi Li set the medical kit aside, only to turn back and meet his gaze.

Male Lead Hatred Value: 13%

Shi Li had no words for this anymore. After a moment of silence, she said with a stern face, “I’m giving you one hour. If your fever doesn’t go down, you’re going to the hospital.”

“One hour isn’t enough,” Shen Jingyan stated matter-of-factly.

Shi Li lost her patience. “Then two hours. But if anything happens in between, you’re going immediately!”

Shen Jingyan didn’t say anything, which was as good as agreeing.

Only then did Shi Li feel a little relieved. She sat by the bed, frowning as she watched him. Shen Jingyan also stared at her. After a while, he reached out and held her fingers, his voice hoarse. “You’re not mad at me anymore?”

“…You wish. I’m just taking care of you for now because you’re sick,” Shi Li’s mouth twitched. After speaking, she didn’t forget to add, “As long as you don’t let me leave, I’ll stay mad at you.”

“My body hurts,” Shen Jingyan interrupted her.

Shi Li immediately forgot what she had just been saying and worriedly supported his shoulders. “Where does it hurt?”

Seeing her concern, Shen Jingyan finally felt satisfied. He closed his eyes for a moment before letting out a slow breath. “I can’t say for sure. My whole body hurts.”

“Could it be an episode?” Shi Li asked, undoing the buttons of his pajama top. She pressed her ear to his chest, and after confirming his heartbeat was steady, she let out a breath of relief. Just as she was about to straighten up, his arms wrapped around her.

Her soft ear was pressed against his chest. Shen Jingyan’s gaze darkened slightly.

Even though he was sick, Shen Jingyan wasn’t strong enough to overpower Shi Li. However, he was holding onto her head—just a bit of force, and she couldn’t escape.

Shi Li tried a few times to break free before losing patience. “Let go.”

“Listen again. My heart feels uncomfortable too,” Shen Jingyan said in a low voice.

Shi Li narrowed her eyes, instinctively suspecting he was faking it. But she didn’t dare take chances with his health, so she leaned against his chest again. After a long moment of hearing nothing unusual, she tried to pull away. This time, Shen Jingyan didn’t hold on, and she easily slipped out of his embrace.

…Right. He was feeling this terrible—how could he possibly have the energy to take advantage of her?

Shi Li let out a soft sigh. “What kind of pain is it?”

“Probably muscle pain. It’s different from when I have an episode.” Shen Jingyan blinked and obediently looked at her.

Ever since he locked Shi Li up, he seemed to have gained a strange sense of security. His usual awkward and reserved demeanor was slowly disappearing, revealing a more compliant side. If Shi Li hadn’t been keeping her distance, he might have become even more obedient.

Male Lead Hatred Value: 12%

…Even while sick, why was it still dropping? Shi Li glanced at him, thought for a moment, and said, “It might be from the fever. Lie down, I’ll give you a massage.”

Shen Jingyan lowered his eyes, concealing his emotions, and obediently lay back down.

Shi Li took off her shoes and sat beside him, carefully massaging his muscles. “Does this help?”

“Mm,” Shen Jingyan responded. “A little harder.”

Shi Li complied, pressing more firmly. Shen Jingyan felt her fingers moving over his body, and slowly, he closed his eyes. After resting for a moment, he reopened them, looking at her again.

The entire time, Shen Jingyan quietly watched her. His deep eyes, usually filled with unreadable emotions, were clear for once—so clear that it seemed like nothing else existed in them but Shi Li.

His gaze was warm, direct, and impossible to ignore. Shi Li had to keep a stern face to pretend she wasn’t being swayed by his pitiful act.

When the massage was over, Shi Li took a warm towel and carefully wiped the sweat from his body. Her slender fingers, soft and cool, brushed against his skin, making Shen Jingyan feel a slow heat rising inside him.

Shi Li, sitting near his feet, looked up and immediately noticed something wrong. She was speechless. “…You’re this sick, and you’re still thinking about that?”

If this were any other time, Shen Jingyan would have already been flushed with embarrassment. But at this moment, he simply looked at her with damp eyes. “Can I?”

“…Can what?!” Shi Li’s face darkened. “You’re still running a fever, and we’re still in the middle of a fight.”

The last part seemed to remind Shen Jingyan of something. His eyes dimmed, and he turned his head away, refusing to look at her anymore. Even when Shi Li changed his clothes, he stayed silent.

Shi Li glanced at him and then went to heat up the food she had made in the morning, placing it in front of him. “Eat.”

Shen Jingyan’s eyelashes trembled slightly, his mood still down.

Shi Li raised her voice. “Eat.”

“…Mm.” Shen Jingyan sat up weakly, picking up his spoon and eating bite by bite. Sweat gradually beaded on his forehead, but he didn’t stop, as if enduring some great suffering.

Shi Li: “……” This pitiful act—why did it look so familiar? Where had he learned it from?

Shen Jingyan barely ate anything before putting down his spoon. Shi Li frowned. “You’re done?”

“No appetite.” Shen Jingyan lowered his gaze.

Shi Li pressed her lips together. “If you don’t eat, you’ll recover very slowly. Try to eat a little more.”

“Don’t want to.” Shen Jingyan handed the bowl back to her.

Shi Li sighed and tried again. “Just two more bites. Two bites, okay?”

Shen Jingyan firmly returned the bowl.

Shi Li was helpless. “What will it take for you to eat more?”

Shen Jingyan hesitated for a moment before looking at her with clear, expectant eyes.

Shi Li held his gaze for a few seconds, then took a deep breath and gritted her teeth. “Eat properly, and I’ll help you.”

Only then did Shen Jingyan’s expression soften. Right in front of Shi Li, he obediently finished his food.

At first, Shi Li worried he was forcing himself, afraid he’d overeat and feel worse. But seeing how he ate without any difficulty, she realized—so-called loss of appetite? It had been an act all along.

Shi Li realized she had fallen into his trap, but there was nothing she could do about it. Until he recovered, she had no choice but to keep coaxing him. So, with a stiff face, she resigned herself to helping him take care of his “needs” before heading to the bathroom to wash her hands.

Shen Jingyan lay there lazily, too exhausted to even lift a finger, his body filled with a deep sense of satisfaction. He fought against sleep, waiting for Shi Li, his drowsy eyes tinged with red from fatigue.

When Shi Li came out and saw him in that state, she took his temperature and said, “Your fever is already going down. Get some sleep, and you’ll be fine when you wake up.”

“Stay with me,” Shen Jingyan gazed at her expectantly.

Shi Li kept a stern face. “I’m still mad at you.”

“Then I won’t sleep,” Shen Jingyan turned his head away.

Shi Li: “…”

After three seconds of silence, she gave in and lay down in his arms. The moment Shen Jingyan held her, he could no longer fight off sleep. Breathing in the faint scent on her body, he drifted off into a deep slumber.

He slept all the way until the afternoon. When he woke up, he felt much better, though his body was still weak. By then, Shi Li had already gotten out of bed. Seeing that he had recovered, she made sure he had dinner that evening before returning to her spot on the sofa at night.

She deliberately ignored Shen Jingyan’s persistent gaze, steeling herself not to go soft on him this time.

However, after just one night, Shen Jingyan fell sick again—this time with a cold.

Shi Li looked at the man sitting on the bed, coughing, and worriedly advised, “You should go to the hospital. Your immune system is too weak. Just taking medicine on your own won’t be enough.”

“I’m not going,” Shen Jingyan’s voice was nasal, and with his sickly demeanor, he looked especially easy to bully.

Shi Li had the urge to pinch his face, but considering their awkward relationship, she held back and simply tried to persuade him, “You don’t have to stay in the hospital, just go for a check-up. It’ll be quick.”

“You take care of me,” Shen Jingyan mumbled, his eyes slightly watery from his illness, making him look pitiful.

For a high-powered CEO, he was as delicate as a flower. Shi Li couldn’t do anything about him when he was sick. She could only take care of him as best she could. After a whole week of tending to him, his cold finally improved. But after being sick for so long, his underlying condition seemed to be flaring up again, so she resumed massaging him daily and making sure he took his medication.

Unknowingly, they had been living in this house for over half a month. Shen Jingyan’s illness lingered, making Shi Li suspicious. “Didn’t you usually recover within three to five days? Why is it taking so long this time?”

“I don’t know,” Shen Jingyan lowered his eyes.

Shi Li frowned. “You really need to go to the hospital.”

“I’m not going,” Shen Jingyan repeated before closing his eyes.

Seeing that he refused to communicate, Shi Li had no choice but to head to the kitchen to cook while thinking of ways to convince him.

As she looked around at the clean kitchen, she couldn’t help but sigh.

Even though Shen Jingyan had been sick, he hadn’t neglected the household chores. No matter how many times she told him not to do them, he still cleaned up every day. Whenever he went downstairs to take out the trash, he would bring back fresh ingredients.

Watching him work so hard while still taking care of her made her want to tell him to focus on his treatment, reassuring him that she would stay in this house and wouldn’t argue with him anymore. But every time the words were about to leave her lips, the image of him holding a dagger would surface in her mind, making it impossible for her to say anything.

…She was truly selfish. Shi Li ruthlessly criticized herself as she took a potato from the fridge and crouched down by the trash bin to peel it. Her mind was still preoccupied with ways to convince Shen Jingyan to go to the hospital.

Lost in thought, her hand slipped, and the potato fell into the trash bin. Instinctively, she reached for it, her fingers brushing against some used oil-absorbent paper. Then, something colorful slipped out from within.

She froze.

She had been taking care of Shen Jingyan’s daily needs and knew his medications inside and out. Those colorful little pills were all the medicine he was supposed to be taking.