Chapter 125: Old Nest, Lingering Illness

Ring ring ring, the doorbell sounded inside the room.

The delivery had arrived.

"I'm hungry."

In a gap between breaths, Meng Shutang's thin lips parted as she said with effort.

The man slowly got up. Meng Shutang straightened her disheveled skirt and rose to leave, but he grabbed her and pulled her back, causing her to fall into his lap.

He cupped the back of her head with one hand, tilted his, and kissed her.

Meng Shutang bit him—not too hard, not too soft. The man laughed and released her, but his fingers gripping her slender waist left red marks. "Truly hungry?"

Meng Shutang looked at him and gave a small nod.

The two walked out of the bedroom one after the other. By the time Meng Shutang came downstairs, Gu Yunci had already opened the door, taken the delivery from the courier's hands, and set it out on the dining table.

This dinner, rich with the aroma of garlic and spice, was the most proper meal they had shared together since their divorce.

Looking at the crayfish, Meng Shutang sighed and wished she had some beer.

Gu Yunci thought for a moment. "There's some here. Do you want a drink?"

Meng Shutang didn't want to go home smelling of alcohol—it wouldn't set a good example for Xin Xin—so she obediently shook her head. "No need."

Actually, her throat had already started bothering her a couple of days ago.

She shouldn't have eaten so much spicy food, but the spicy crayfish was too tempting. She still couldn't resist and had a few extra.

While drinking juice, she sneezed. Gu Yunci noticed something was off. "Caught a cold?"

Meng Shutang shook her head. "I'm fine."

Gu Yunci wasn't reassured. He stood up, came to her side, and reached out to feel her forehead. "You have a fever."

Meng Shutang gave a small nod. "Mm, some rest should fix it."

After dinner, while Gu Yunci cleaned up, Meng Shutang listlessly slumped on the sofa, her slender and graceful body curled up there, blending into the quiet, beautiful, and serene surroundings.

When Gu Yunci finished cleaning and returned, she had already closed her eyes and fallen asleep.

He reached out and felt her forehead—it was frighteningly hot.

He immediately picked her up and took her to the nearest hospital.

It was the emergency room at night, and there weren't many patients. They saw a doctor almost as soon as they arrived, with barely any wait.

The doctor gave Meng Shutang a brief examination. "Influenza A. I'll prescribe you two boxes of oseltamivir. Don't stop taking it even if you feel better after two days—take it continuously for five days."

"This illness is quite contagious. If there are elderly people or children at home, keep away from them."

Gu Yunci was worried. "Doctor, her fever seems very high. Does she need an IV drip?"

"That's a typical feature of Influenza A—sudden high fever with severe systemic symptoms. Oseltamivir is the specific medication. Usually, you'll see improvement after a few doses."

Gu Yunci picked up the medicine and left with Meng Shutang.

On the way back, he looked at Meng Shutang. "Come stay at Chengxi Bieshu. I'll take care of you."

Meng Shutang didn't want to pass the illness to her grandmother and Xin Xin either. "Okay."

But on the way, she called her grandmother and told her she had caught Influenza A and would stay at the apartment outside.

Her grandmother grew anxious upon hearing this. "Where are you staying? Who's taking care of you?"

Meng Shutang sneezed. "Gu Yunci."

There was a brief silence on the phone. "Alright then. I'll take good care of Xin Xin. You focus on recovering."

When they arrived at the villa and parked the car, Meng Shutang got out. She was so dizzy she had to hold onto the car to barely stand steady.

Swaying as she stood there, her fitted trench coat and lovely tulle skirt gave the impression of a frail willow swaying in the wind—enough to stir anyone's pity.

Seeing this, Gu Yunci locked the car, came to her side, scooped her up in his arms, and carried her all the way to the master bedroom on the second floor.

The air conditioning was on inside, and it was very warm.

Meng Shutang took her medicine, then burrowed into the soft bed and fell asleep.

Gu Yunci applied a cooling patch to her forehead, went to the bathroom to shower, and lay down beside her.

He was proper and courteous, separated by a layer of blanket.

Meng Shutang was sick. He would absolutely not take advantage of her vulnerability at a time like this.

In the middle of the night, Meng Shutang woke up drenched in sweat. She saw Gu Yunci holding her tightly through a layer of blanket. She first extended a hand, tilted her face to glance at him, and her forehead just barely touched his thin lips.

His lips were warm and soft, like cotton candy.

Her heart stirred slightly, but she still pushed Gu Yunci away and struggled to turn around.

In his sleep, Gu Yunci sensed her leaving and subconsciously pulled her back, holding her tightly in his arms.

Meng Shutang's head ached somewhat, but being held by Gu Yunci, the pain seemed less severe.

The two of them pressed together was too hot, after all. Once his breathing steadied, Meng Shutang still moved his arm away and shifted outward a little.

The next second, Gu Yunci pulled her back into his arms once more.

After a few times, Meng Shutang was also tired. She stopped trying to break free and slowly closed her eyes.

Early the next morning.

Gu Yunci opened his eyes and saw Meng Shutang nestled obediently in his arms.

A faint sheen of sweat covered her forehead, her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her lips were somewhat chapped from the fever.

Even so, her delicate, rosy little lips were still charmingly lovely.

He leaned in and gave them a gentle peck, then got up to order breakfast for her.

The breakfast was lavish, but Meng Shutang had no appetite because of her illness. She ate a few bites and then stopped.

She took her medicine and lay back down to sleep. Remembering how she once said that sleep was a refueling station for the immune system, he didn't wake her at noon either.

When she woke again, dusk had already fallen on all sides.

She opened her eyes and saw Gu Yunci standing by the window, one hand in his pocket, gazing at the distant mountains.

The lingering glow of the setting sun fell on him, bathing his whole body in a halo of light.

His peerlessly refined side profile, bathed in the soft light, looked even more profound and handsome.

Meng Shutang looked at him, her eyes lingering. It had been four years, and she no longer felt that Gu Yunci was so manly.

Thanks to their unspoken understanding, as she was looking at Gu Yunci in the distance, he suddenly turned, looked at her, and said, "You're awake—how do you feel?"

After sleeping a full day and sweating, Meng Shutang felt much better.

She glanced at the water on the bedside table; seeing this, Gu Yunci walked over and handed her the cup, saying, "It's at the right temperature—would you like a drink?"

Meng Shutang nodded; Gu Yunci walked over, embraced her, and fed her the water.

Meng Shutang was hungry; Gu Yunci asked what she wanted to eat, said "Just wait a moment," and then left.

Meng Shutang thought he had gone out to order takeout, but upon hearing the clinking sounds, she wondered if Gu Yunci was cooking—impossible, since he couldn't cook at all.

Yet, wrapped in a shawl, she came out and saw the tall man busily working in the kitchen, the scene ablaze with activity; her brows twitched slightly.

Hearing the movement, Gu Yunci turned around and said, "How did you get up? I'll bring it to the bedroom once it's ready in a moment."

Meng Shutang said she was tired from lying in bed, then sat down in the dining room, propping her chin on one hand, and quietly watched him.

The man's cooking looked practiced; at a glance he was no novice.

Soon, she brought the dishes over.

Stir-fried lotus slices, iron-plate tofu, steamed sea bass, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and the rice was millet pumpkin red date congee.

Meng Shutang took a bite; the taste was good.

"When did you go out to buy the vegetables?"

"After you fell asleep this morning, I saw you were sleeping deeply and wouldn't wake up soon, so I drove out.

"I bought plenty of vegetables—enough for the two of us to eat here for a week."

He had wanted to go last night, but first, the nearby mall was closed, and second, he was afraid something might happen to Meng Shutang at night, so he didn't go.

"What about the food? When did you learn to cook?"

"After you left, I often practiced making the dishes you love, always hoping that one day I could cook them for you myself."

He paused, looking at Meng Shutang's pale face, carrying a hint of regret and grievance.

"Who would have thought that after you came back, your taste would change, and you'd like spicy food? I once thought I would never have the chance to make you the light dishes you love."

Saying this, he let out a soft sigh, his voice hoarse as he raised a hand to his forehead; his tone was full of pity and also of helplessness at fate's cruelty.

"I never expected that I would cook for you under these circumstances.

"Try this congee and see if it's still the flavor you used to like."