Chapter 5: Fever

Jian Mingzhou was not feeling well at all.

He thought he was getting warm due to the youthful “love” topics, but it turned out he was actually running a fever.

The next day, he woke up feeling dizzy and lightheaded.

Checking his department group chat on his phone, Xia Ye was still cheerfully greeting everyone with elderly emojis he probably stole from somewhere.

【Chief Editor】: [Wake up every day! Embrace work!]

【Chief Editor】: Deduct 1 if you’re awake!

Below were scattered messages of “1111…” mixed with sleepy gibberish.

Jian Mingzhou measured his body temperature and casually deducted 37.8.

There was work to be done today, so he had to make a trip to the office.

As soon as he entered the office, he coughed twice: “Cough, cough…”

Xia Ye looked up. “Who are you trying to attract attention from?”

Editor Xiaoyu chimed in, “I bet it’s catching the attention of our Chief Editor~”

“…” Jian Mingzhou sat down weakly. “What good does it do for me?”

His uncooperative attitude toward acting quickly attracted the attention of the entire office. Qianqian raised her glasses and, after scanning the scene, finally realized:

“Deputy Editor, are you having a cold?”

“Yeah. I went to Teacher Xiaolu’s house for manuscript review yesterday and got caught in the rain on the way back,” Jian Mingzhou said languidly while systematically organizing the files on his desk. “I’ll go to the marketing department upstairs first.”

After collecting the files, he stood up and was immediately hit by a sudden dizziness. Papers rustled as they slipped from his hands, and he clutched the edge of the desk, emitting a muffled “bang” sound!

“Oh damn! Deputy Editor—”

“Mingzhou, bro!”

Editors hurriedly rushed over, lifted Jian Mingzhou, who almost slipped, and put him back in his chair.

Jian Mingzhou lay on the desk, eyes closed, exhaling hot air.

Qianqian said affectionately, “The fragile deputy editor, so rare…”

Xia Ye waved his hand, dispersing the circle of editors who were taking the opportunity to laze around, picked up the scattered files, and said, “I’ll deliver these for you in a moment.”

He frowned and lectured, “Why didn’t you say you were running a fever?”

Jian Mingzhou exhaled a sigh. “I posted 37.8 in the group this morning…”

Xia Ye, “…”

He pushed up his glasses and said, “I thought it was just some random gibberish someone posted while half asleep.”

Jian Mingzhou suddenly opened his eyes:

“So you knew everyone was sleepy!”

The frustration pent up in Xia Ye’s chest was forcibly suppressed. Jianming Zhou recovered slightly and sat up, asking,

“How are the arrangements for the upcoming events?”

With great compassion, Xia Ye helped him jot down a note:

“Our authors will participate in ACC Comic Expo, but it’s managed by another publishing house. We’ll handle the joint signing event and your favorite special fan exhibition. We need to coordinate with the venue manager when the time comes.”

“What’s his favorite themed fan exhibition?

Talking about work with a touch of personal matters!

Xia Ye continued, ‘Oh, and one more thing. At the themed fan exhibition, there will be works by your favorite Xiao Ling and Mao Wei teachers. I’ll be in charge of that event, and you are free to go and get their autographs.’

Autographs!!! Jian Mingzhou’s spirit shook. Looking at Xia Ye gratefully, ‘… Appreciate it.’

Hooray for personal matters at work!

Xia Ye waved her hand, casual and understanding.

After work, under the instructions of the entire office, Xia Ye solemnly stuffed Jian Mingzhou into the car and drove him home.

“You should take a day off tomorrow.”

“Uh…” Jian Mingzhou closed his eyes, leaning against the seat, and his nose snorted.

Xia Ye gripped the steering wheel, glanced at him several times, and asked, “Is it really okay for you to be alone at home? Is the child at home this time?”

“You mean Xiao Jing?… I don’t know if he’s back or not.”

“If there’s no one at home and you feel uneasy, call 120 immediately.”

Jian Mingzhou looked at her in surprise and asked, “For you?”

“…”

–

When they arrived downstairs at the apartment, Jian Mingzhou got out of the car.

At this moment, his forehead was already sweaty, his face flushed, and his eyelashes drooped, looking delicate.

Afraid that he might collapse on the way, Xia Ye got out of the car too and said, “Take a day off tomorrow.”

“Uh, no need; I can walk by myself.”

“Don’t be polite.”

Xia Ye grabbed his arm and tried to hang it over her shoulder. After a couple of failed attempts, she changed the angle and said, “Let me carry you on my back.”

Jian Mingzhou resisted, “No need; I can walk on my own.”

“Politeness won’t help.”

Xia Ye lifted his arm to hang it over her shoulder, but it didn’t work. She changed the angle again and said, “It’s better if I carry you on my back.”

Jian Mingzhou, being manipulated, felt dizzy. “Xia Ye, put me down.”

“Don’t move; I’ll get it right soon.”

The two of them stood in front of the car in a stalemate. Suddenly, a voice came from the side:

“Uncle?”

They looked up, and there was Xie Jing standing there with a shoulder bag.

The backlit view made it hard to see his face clearly; only the elongated sunset cast a golden shadow in front of him.

Xia Ye’s movements stopped.

Jian Mingzhou took advantage of the opportunity to slide down, “Xiao Jing.”

His reddened face carried a hint of vulnerability. His open collar was slightly disheveled, giving him a helpless appearance.

Like someone who had been abducted.

Xie Jing remained silent for a moment, walked a few steps closer, and said, “What’s going on?”

“Oh, perfect timing,” Xia Ye said. “Mingzhou has a fever, and I’m going to carry him upstairs. Can you help?”

…No, I said he could walk by himself.

Jian Mingzhou was about to speak, but Xie Jing said, “If you’re carrying him, one person is enough.”

He said it so calmly that Jian Mingzhou’s intended refusal was stuck for a moment. In those two seconds, Xie Jing had changed the bag to the front and signaled to him.

“Uncle, come up?”

The scene in front of him was completely different from what had just happened.

Jian Mingzhou imagined the scene of Xia Ye carrying him upstairs, like two salarymen wandering around.

But the feeling when Xie Jing stood in front of him was different.

Especially campus-like.

However, the campus style did not apply to the current situation. Jian Mingzhou waved his hand. “No need…”

After thinking for a moment, he said, “Just give me a hand when you go upstairs.”

Xie Jing switched the backpack back to his shoulder and said, “Okay.”

After making sure that he wouldn’t collapse on the way, Xia Ye went back.

The two of them reached the stairs, and Xie Jing raised his hand around Jian Mingzhou, placing it on his shoulder. “Like this, Uncle?”

“…”

He wrapped his long arms around him.

This posture was actually quite normal. However, having read countless manga, Jian Mingzhou always felt that this scene… would be a hit even if it wasn’t him!

He lightly patted Xie Jing, indicating him to let go. Then he reached out and grabbed Xie Jing’s arm and said, “This is fine.”

Xie Jing readily complied, “Okay.”

The two of them walked up the stairs together.

Jian Mingzhou, who was now feverish, should be even hotter, but he felt that Xie Jing’s body temperature hadn’t dropped much. The arm he held onto was firm and powerful, and the close contact felt more direct.

He didn’t want to grip too tightly.

If he held it too tightly, it seemed impolite.

After a few steps, Xie Jing stopped.

“Uncle.” He smiled and lowered his eyes, resting his hand on his elbow. “If you don’t make an effort, it will feel like you’re escorting me.”

“…” Jian Mingzhou, “Oh.”

He let go of the politeness and shifted the weight onto him.

–

Once they got home, Jian Mingzhou couldn’t hold on anymore.

Climbing the stairs left him covered in sweat; his mind was foggy, and his back felt like it was carrying a mountain.

Xie Jing called him, “Uncle, what would you like to eat tonight?”

Jian Mingzhou just wanted to sleep. “It’s okay, don’t bother with me. Just eat yourself.”

After saying that, he went straight to the bedroom and collapsed onto the bed.

“…”

He didn’t change his clothes, and the bag wasn’t placed.

The person who fell into the bed didn’t move.

Xie Jing followed in, took the bag hanging on his shoulder, and put it on the table. A note fluttered out of the bag and fell to the ground with the back facing up.

Xie Jing picked it up without looking at it and placed it on the table.

A couple of suppressed coughs came from the pillow. He turned around and looked.

Jian Mingzhou lay facing away from him, buried in the pillow. His clothes were rolled up a bit, revealing a fair and slightly sweaty back, gently rising and falling with the muffled cough.

Xie Jing reached out, pulled out the blanket, and covered him.

After that, he walked out, closed the bedroom door, and sent a text message.

[Jing]: Uncle, does Uncle have any dietary restrictions?

[Xie Chi]:?

The next second, a phone call came directly.

Xie Chi’s voice was thunderous. “What’s wrong, what’s wrong? Why are you asking me instead of him?”

 Xie Jing held his phone away from the bedroom and walked towards the kitchen. “Uncle has a fever and is sleeping. I’ll see what’s available at home.”

“Fever? Has he taken any medicine?”

“No, and he hasn’t eaten either.”

Xie Chi understood and quickly expressed doubt: “… Are you going to cook by yourself? Have you ever cooked before?”

As far as he knew, his sister’s household had several hired helpers, so there was no need for Xie Jing to cook personally.

“No,” Xie Jing said, opening the fridge, his voice calm. “I’ll figure it out.”

“…,” A grinding sound came from the phone.

His eldest nephew was smart, excelling in everything since childhood. Perhaps because everything came too easily to him, he didn’t seem interested in anything.

Even choosing to study sports in high school was only because of the “exams are a competition with others; running is a competition with oneself” kind of pretentious and solitary reasoning.

When he said, “I’ll figure it out,” the credibility was 99%.

Xie Chi skipped over his nephew’s arrogant words.

“Just make some porridge, but Mingzhou doesn’t like plain congee. Add some salt and sugar to it.”

“Salt and sugar?” Xie Jing questioned. “Will it taste good?”

“When you’re sick, you need to replenish with sugar and saltwater! Don’t worry, Mingzhou can eat it; he has a savory-sweet palate!”

Xie Jing hung up the phone and fell silent for a while.

—

Jian Mingzhou woke up groggily after nine o’clock.

Sweating all over, his mind was surprisingly clear.

The blanket was already covering him, and his coat was placed on the table. He reached for his phone and saw two conspicuous messages:

【Xie Chi】: Xiao Jing cooked for the first time. [Picture of a face rubbing around]

【Jing】: Uncle, wake up and talk to me.

Jian Mingzhou hesitated for a moment, then replied to Xie Jing: I’m awake.

Half a minute later, there was a knock on his door: “Uncle.”

He propped himself up and said, “Come in.”

The door opened, and Xie Jing entered with a bowl of porridge.

Jian Mingzhou wiped his forehead, and his gaze brightened a bit. His thoughts were still a bit muddled: there was actually a day when he was taken care of by someone else…

And by a kid so much younger than himself.

There was no chair by the bed, so he patted the bedside for Xie Jing to sit.

“Uncle, have some porridge first, then take your medicine.”

“Did you make this? Thank you.”

Xie Jing didn’t mention it was his first time, just a simple “Hmm.”

The porridge he brought was thick, creamy, and white, with added vegetable leaves and finely chopped lean meat. It didn’t look like his first attempt at cooking; it surprisingly seemed appetizing.

As Jian Mingzhou was about to take the bowl, Xie Jing spoke up:

“The texture might be more layered.”

“?”

“But I heard you have a savory-sweet palate.”

Jian Mingzhou was momentarily confused, then thought of Xie Chi’s interference… He glanced at Xie Jing sitting in front of him; the latter held the bowl with one hand and propped himself up with the other.

He took the bowl and said, “Well, thanks.”

Jian Mingzhou scooped a spoonful of porridge under Xie Jing’s watchful eyes.

In the moment their taste buds touched, his eyes trembled, and he froze for a moment.

This illusionary texture…

As if sugar and salt were ambushing his brain when he least expected it!

“Uncle,” Xie Jing called.

Jian Mingzhou returned to his senses and saw Xie Jing looking at him with an evaluating expression. The prominent Adam’s apple moved. “How does it taste?”

He moved his lips, and the phrase popped into his mind:

Xiao Jing cooked for the first time.

After a while, he held the porridge and said, “… How do I describe you accurately?”

“…”