Chapter 5 Fever

“Seeing each other every day—aren’t you tired of it?”

Qin Mohuai’s low voice carried a hint of grievance. “My parents never loved me, not even when I was a child. When I was kidnapped, they were on their honeymoon. Now, even my little darling doesn’t love me.”

Playing his role to the fullest, the crazed male lead let out a sob. “Life feels meaningless to me. Why don’t we just die in bed tonight, you know, go out with a bang?”

Qin Mohuai had always been a conservative person, having spent 27 years living a cold and abstinent life. But once his passion ignited, he became daring enough to say the most brazen and provocative things.

“…” Xia Yuan’s beautiful face flushed red as she held the phone to her ear, her rosy lips pouting as she blew him a kiss through the phone.

Qin Mohuai’s voice grew hot and urgent. “Come to the office right now! I’m giving you half an hour. For every minute you’re late, baby, tonight’s going to get tougher for you.”

How obedient.

After he had filled her ears with all those dirty, wicked words, she didn’t even protest or scold him. Instead, she had blown him a soft kiss.

This kind of submissiveness completely fed the dark and twisted side of Qin Mohuai, who thrived on control.

–

At Qin Corporation.

The secretary was already waiting in the underground parking lot. After picking up Xia Yuan, she led her into the private elevator reserved for the president, taking her straight to the top floor.

Xia Yuan, who loved staying home, felt out of place in such a serious, formal setting. Her small head, adorned with a pink beret, tilted as she glanced towards the secretary’s department.

The busy elites all turned their eyes toward Xia Yuan in unison, startling her. She quickly averted her gaze, not daring to look around anymore.

They all looked so capable.

Little did she know, in their eyes, she was the most capable one—after all, she had managed to tame the domineering and ruthless President Qin.

Rumor had it that even Qin Mohuai’s therapist was overwhelmed, and after every session with him, the therapist needed to see their own psychologist…

Qin Mohuai was flipping through a document, his eyes lazy and proud. But the moment Xia Yuan appeared, his gaze darkened.

“Come here.”

Xia Yuan took off her coat and walked over, sitting down across from Qin Mohuai. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a photo frame on his desk.

It was a picture from her birthday.

She was holding a broken strawberry cake, her cheeks smeared with two streaks of whipped cream, her delicate shoulders dodging as she laughed—sweet and charming.

If she remembered correctly, her brother and parents had been next to her in the original photo, but in this version, they had been cropped out.

That wasn’t the point, though. The important thing was that she hadn’t even met Qin Mohuai when that picture was taken.

He must have dug up her personal history and decided that this particular picture was worth keeping on display.

Qin Mohuai clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, his eyes smiling but his patience wearing thin. He patted his thigh. “Baby, I said sit here.”

There was no need to provoke him over something so small. Xia Yuan obediently sat on his lap. The closeness of their faces made it perfect for mischief.

“Am I bothering you while you’re working like this?”

“It won’t. It’ll only make me work faster.”

“So, should I just stay on your lap the whole time?”

“Unless you’d prefer to sit on someone else’s lap?” Qin Mohuai shot back.

Just then, the secretary walked in with some documents, only to be caught off guard by the intimate scene. Quickly, he backed out.

“Come in,” Qin Mohuai called out calmly, unbothered.

The secretary, eyes fixed on the floor, placed the documents on the desk. He dared not glance around, worried that if he saw something he shouldn’t, the madman sitting before him might gouge his eyes out.

Qin Mohuai held a pen, but suddenly felt warmth radiating from his shoulder. He gently moved Xia Yuan’s head from where it rested in the crook of his neck and touched her forehead—she had a fever.

“Baby, wake up, your forehead’s burning.”

“Mm…” Xia Yuan mumbled groggily, half-conscious. “Your fault… I feel terrible.”

“It’s my fault.” Qin Mohuai immediately took responsibility and instructed the secretary to call a doctor.

Xia Yuan’s body had always been delicate, a weakness she had since birth. No amount of modern medicine could cure it; she needed constant care.

Qin Mohuai had been careful in taking care of her, ensuring she stayed healthy for the past six months. But in less than a month after moving out, she fell ill.

It was all his fault. He shouldn’t have played those games of “hard to get” with her.

A little cold wasn’t much of a concern, but Xia Yuzhe had once told him that whenever his sister caught a cold, it took at least ten days or even half a month to recover. Their parents and Xia Yuze would take turns watching over her, fearing that her pale, fragile face might turn for the worse at any moment.

Xia Yuan, now feverish and dizzy, had no idea how much trouble her illness had already caused.

The negligent author of this novel never fully explained why Xia Yuan was so weak. The simple answer was that her mother hadn’t eaten well during pregnancy, leading to Xia Yuan’s frail constitution at birth. Without proper care, she could easily pass away young.

Qin Mohuai’s personal doctor and close friend, Yang Yi, sped over. He was the same guy Qin Mohuai had once forced into wearing lipstick and kissing a shirt.

Yang Yi checked Xia Yuan’s temperature, lifted her eyelids, examined her mouth, and took her pulse.

“A cold caused by the chill. Nothing too serious, but from her medical records, I can see she’s frail. Even a minor cold could land her in the hospital for half a month. Tsk tsk, she’s been with you for six months and her health hasn’t improved at all. Have you been taking good care of the poor girl?”

Qin Mohuai replied, “I hired a nutritionist. Every meal, I make sure she eats well. I don’t even let her step on a slightly cold floor.”

Yang Yi raised an eyebrow. “But you let her stay outside for half a month.”

Qin Mohuai clenched his jaw but didn’t refute.

Yang Yi was surprised. The high-and-mighty heir of the Qin family, at a loss for words? This was new. Qin Mohuai was usually the one leaving others speechless.

Like that one time, when he had forced Yang Yi to wear lipstick…

Dare to resist? Can Qin Mohuai, who has trained in Muay Thai, win?

Yang Yi’s gaze shifted to Xia Yuan. She was attractive enough, but her family background was too ordinary. The Qin family might not agree to let her in. Old Master Qin had his eyes on Ouyang Jing, waiting for her and Qin Mohuai to hold the engagement banquet before officially announcing it.

—

Saint Sea Manor.

When Xia Yuan woke up in the familiar yet unfamiliar environment, she saw the beautiful sunset, but she was not in the mood to appreciate it. Her head was throbbing intermittently, feeling like she was about to die.

“How long have I been asleep?”

“It’s been three days.” Qin Mohuai’s voice was hoarse as he gently patted her back through the blanket.

He didn’t expect a cold to make her unconscious for three days. When he saw her open her eyes, the tension he held finally eased.

“Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

“No.” Xia Yuan had a white towel on her forehead, her eyes red, and her nose too, looking like a sick little bunny.

“I had a nightmare. I died and wandered by the Naihe Bridge for a long time, wanting to see you but also not wanting to.”

“Baby.” Qin Mohuai held her hand against his cheek, his eyes showing an unprecedented purity and tenderness. “Nightmares are all fake. I will keep you healthy and live a long life. Please don’t move out again, okay?”

“Mm. Kiss.”

Qin Mohuai, soft-hearted as ever, kissed her hot cheeks several times, urging her to recover quickly.

When Qin Mohuai wasn’t going crazy and tormenting her, he was a better partner than most men. When she was anxious and sleepless due to the love index, the unknowing Qin Mohuai would hold her hand and walk under the night sky, letting her rest on his back when tired. He never found it troublesome and would even gently pat his wife’s small buttocks to lull her to sleep.

The system notified Xia Yuan that the love index of the crazy male lead had increased to 84%, awakening her from the feelings that should never have arisen.

“What if I really died?” she asked.

“Then I will follow.”

“Awesome!”

“…Let’s be playful after you recover.”