Chapter 135: Side Story – New Year’s Eve, Falling Ill

The day before the New Year, Xia Yuan caught a severe cold. With her weak constitution, she lay in bed, dazed for half a month.

Her body didn’t feel too bad, but her mind was a bit muddled and unresponsive.

She remembered someone holding her hand, with clean, pale shoulders occasionally damp, as if someone had been crying.

It must be Qin Mohuai.

Such a big crybaby.

Xia Yuan wanted to wake up and tell Qin Mohuai that she was fine, but her eyelids felt heavy, and she could only manage a glance at him.

She didn’t know if he understood the comfort she tried to convey with her eyes.

A few days later, the elderly Mr. Qin, in his seventies, braved the snow to visit her at the Shenghai Mansion.

Xia Yuan struggled to lift her eyelids, wanting to tell him it wasn’t necessary to come see her. He was getting older and needed to take care of himself.

Mr. Qin didn’t just come to see Xia Yuan; he also wanted to persuade Qin Mohuai to eat.

Since Xia Yuan had a fever at night and was delirious, Qin Mohuai had stayed by her side and hadn’t had an appetite for several days, barely drinking some water.

His cheeks had become a bit thinner, and his demeanor grew increasingly intense.

Qin Mohuai wasn’t being self-destructive; he truly had no appetite. Hunger and pain had been completely overshadowed by his worry.

At night, he couldn’t sleep well, waking up periodically to check Xia Yuan’s breathing, ensuring she was still alive in this world.

One night, Qin Jingye knocked on the door to persuade Qin Mohuai to eat, only to see this scene.

Even though Qin Jingye had a strong mindset and had experienced harsher and more tragic moments, this sight still tugged at his heart.

Xia Yuan had a minor illness, yet Qin Mohuai was like this. He couldn’t imagine how Qin Mohuai would cope if Xia Yuan were to pass away at fifty.

It would probably be worse than a lifetime of suffering.

Qin Jingye said nothing, quietly closed the door, and called for Mr. Qin.

They had to persuade Qin Mohuai to eat; otherwise, when Xia Yuan recovered, he might be the one who collapsed.

After seeing Xia Yuan, Mr. Qin threatened Qin Mohuai with drastic measures, insisting he eat and take two sleeping pills.

With Qin Mohuai’s current state, he couldn’t sleep normally and needed medication to assist him.

Holding Xia Yuan’s hand, with tired, bloodshot eyes, Qin Mohuai casually glanced at his grandfather.

“I’m not being willful or self-destructive; I really can’t eat. I’ve tried, and everything I eat makes me nauseous.”

“You!” Mr. Qin sighed heavily. “Life is too short.”

He realized that if Xia Yuan were gone, Qin Mohuai wouldn’t last long either.

After leaving the bedroom, Mr. Qin whispered to Qin Jingye.

“You’ve been dealing with scientists; do you have any way to extend life by decades?”

Qin Jingye replied, “Father, everyone dies when they’re old. Qin Shi Huang didn’t find the elixir of life; this question has had an answer for thousands of years.”

Mr. Qin furrowed his brows. “Am I someone who fears death? In my youth, I experienced much more than you. I have no regrets in living. I ask about extending life because I want to help Xia Yuan.”

Qin Jingye fell silent.

“We are working on it.”

The world hadn’t changed; it was still a fertile ground, and the system would likely come again.

There had been a ten-year gap between Su Yingxue and Xia Yuan’s appearances, so in a few more years, the next book traveler and system would arrive.

But waiting felt passive; what if they didn’t wait long enough for the system?

Even Qin Jingye felt anxious thinking about this; how much more so for Qin Mohuai? He probably didn’t even dare to think about it.

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On New Year’s Eve, in the morning.

Xia Yuan opened her eyes, feeling as if she had been rejuvenated, light and full of energy, even wanting to get up and run a few laps.

As she moved her arm, she noticed her right hand was tightly gripped by Qin Mohuai, who was frowning in his sleep, looking thinner and as if he had suffered a lot.

“Mohuai.”

“Hubby?”

“Qin Mohuai!”

The man opened his dark, brooding eyes and stared at her for a moment. Then he buried his face in her neck, breathing heavily, as if he was choking back tears.

It felt like needles piercing Xia Yuan’s heart.

“Mohuai, I’ve worried you again.”

“It’s good that you’re okay.” Qin Mohuai couldn’t lift his head until his emotions calmed down, finally smiling at her with his reddened eyes.

His noble and cool demeanor was his last pride; it seemed fragile, as if it would shatter with a touch.

Xia Yuan’s eyes flickered as she suggested they take a bath together.

Qin Mohuai unguardedly agreed.

However, this playful sickly cutie reached out to him, and while he hesitated, concerned for her recovery, he ended up giving her a good time.

But they still didn’t go all the way.

Qin Mohuai didn’t want to tire Xia Yuan out; if he truly let go, the pain and anger he’d bottled up would swallow her whole.

Xia Yuan had been back for almost half a year, and Qin Mohuai had taken good care of her. This illness was something she had brought upon herself.

It all started when she attended a lecture by a child psychologist, which stirred up a lot of irrational maternal instincts in her. She returned home eager to build a snowman with Zhenbao.

Though Zhenbao was young, he was tough; but how could he withstand the icy cold for snowboarding lessons?

Xia Yuan played in the snow with him for nearly four hours.

Qin Mohuai had repeatedly forbidden her from playing in the snow, but she thought one time wouldn’t hurt.

She felt fine during dinner, but later she became feverish while sleeping.

Butler Wang saw he couldn’t hide it any longer and told Qin Mohuai everything about how his wife had disobeyed him, and they were all complicit.

Zhenbao cried nonstop as he saw the deep fatigue in his father’s eyes and his mother’s pale, weak face.

At his young age, he experienced guilt for the first time and felt helpless.

He hadn’t taken care of his mother when his father couldn’t see.

Qin Mohuai didn’t blame Zhenbao; he simply told him not to be reckless with his mother again.

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Originally, Qin Mohuai hadn’t planned to return to the old house for New Year’s Eve, but Xia Yuan saw many delicious dishes in Qin Ke and Qin Mohuai’s social media posts and insisted on going back.

Reluctantly, Qin Mohuai agreed, wrapping her tightly in a blanket and carrying her into the warm Maybach.

Xia Yuan didn’t return to the old house just for the food; she wanted Qin Mohuai to reunite with his family.

Most importantly, she had slowly realized something was off with Qin Mohuai—his calm demeanor, the veins showing in his hands, and his occasional intense glares at her; he seemed to be holding back anger.

Help!

Being alone with him felt like an easy way to get hurt!

Zhenbao carried his backpack and was lifted into the car by Qin Qi.

Hearing his mother’s stomach rumble, Zhenbao immediately dug out his favorite milk candy from his bag.

“Dad, can I give Mom some candy?”

Qin Mohuai replied, “Someone who just got over a cold shouldn’t eat candy.”

Xia Yuan reached out her hand, her delicate wrist slender and pale, and smiled awkwardly. “I’ll listen to Mohuai; I’m the good one!”

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