Chapter 156: Being so responsible

(1)

"He's downstairs, seems still sick—"

Before Siwei's words could finish.

Shu Shu acted faster than her thoughts and walked downstairs.

Just two flights of stairs, and she reached the first floor in a few dozen seconds.

By this time, the tired everyone had already gone back to their rooms to rest; the wooden house's whole hall was empty and quiet, and Shu Shu immediately saw the boy sitting at the table near the door.

Then.

Her whole person froze in place.

How to describe her feeling at this moment:

Astonished, bewildered.

A moment ago he was still a person in her dream; the next moment he appeared before her eyes.

So absurd that Shu Shu couldn't help but doubt.

Actually she wasn't really woken by Siwei's shouting; she must still be dreaming, otherwise why would she see Pei Du here, in a place half a map away from that villa?

""

The boy with a cold aura sat there, his posture especially proper, palms on knees, head slightly tilted, the line of his chin and neck clean and sharp.

His gaze remained fixed on the direction of the doorway.

Motionless, his appearance especially persistent.

It was as if he were guarding something precious to him, and the doorway was the only entrance/exit; he could not relax in the slightest, lest the treasure slip away unnoticed.

Shu Shu held her breath, softly called out: "Pei Du."

""

The person whose name was called didn't move at first, but then his whole body shuddered incredulously.

Then.

Like a machine that had lost power and was reactivated with new batteries, coming back to life inch by inch.

He turned his head.

He saw Shu Shu standing behind him.

At the instant their eyes met, the surrounding air seemed to fall silent for half a second.

Shortly.

Pei Du slowly rose from his seat and walked toward Shu Shu, each step steady; his gaze, upon seeing her, did not shift at all.

Until he stopped in front of Shu Shu.

Shu Shu blinked, astonished, and asked: "Pei Du, how did you come here?"

Not seen for two months.

Pei Du's appearance seemed to have changed a lot.

The slightly long bangs above his forehead had been cut short, revealing his complete black brows and eyes; his facial contours were distinct, and that gentle youthful aura seemed to have faded unconsciously, giving a stronger sense of distance.

A pair of dark pupils, icy and aloof, when fixed on someone, faintly revealed a hint of the sharpness belonging to an adult male.

Shu Shu sharply concluded: Is this, grown up?

""

She was still waiting for Pei Du's answer.

But Pei Du remained silent, not speaking.

The boy's face showed little expression; only seen, he slowly raised his right hand at his side, and in Shu Shu's surprised gaze, his distinct-knuckled palm opened and firmly grasped her wrist.

The sensation of the girl's wrist against his palm transmitted to his brain's nerves.

It was slender, it was soft, most importantly—it was warm.

And warmth represented reality.

Represented that the person he grasped truly existed.

Having confirmed this.

Pei Du's eyes almost instantly welled with heat; the lonely heart that had drifted for over two months finally found its place.

His long, neatly arranged lashes fluttered twice; when he lifted his gaze again, his look at Shu Shu changed directly.

Still cold.

But within the coldness lay resentment and accusation.

His voice low, hoarse, and dry, he tightly squeezed out two words from his lips: "Liar."

Big liar.

He lied, saying he was just resting for a week.

He lied, saying he was just going home to visit family.

He spent the whole day staring at the clock, holding their dog, counting each minute and second over seven days, but she never appeared.

Butler Zhoubo, unable to conceal it any longer, had to tell him that she would never come back.

She left completely.

Shu Shu naturally understood that her lie would eventually be exposed, but she didn't expect that after being exposed she could still be "caught" by the person involved for a face-to-face questioning.

""

A flash of unnatural expression crossed the girl's face as she chuckled: "Um, I told you before, my family went bankrupt, and then recently, uh… we made money again, so I'm not on vacation—I quit my job."

The fact had already been set.

But hearing it straight from her mouth was another indescribable feeling.

Pei Du stared fixedly at Shu Shu, speaking with difficulty:

You don't want your dog anymore?

Yinyin is responsible like that.

Huh?

Da Fu?

Shu Shu explained openly: "I think Da Fu would live better staying in the villa."

Although the dog was picked up by Shu Shu, she never thought of taking the dog away from the start.

Not only is it good for the dog, but more importantly she hopes that with the dog, handsome wood can accompany him, he can walk the dog, talk to the dog, play with the dog.

That way.

Then the handsome wood won't be so bored all day.

She hopes he can be a bit more outgoing.

Shu Shu felt the hand gripping hers suddenly tighten.

It hurt a little.

This is her fault, Shu Shu lightly shook her arm and asked: "Um, Pei Du, how long do you have to hold on? Can you loosen—"

Before she could finish speaking, Shu Shu was forced to be silent.

Only to see the person who was standing fine in front of her a second ago, the next second furrowed his brows and collapsed with a bang.

Straight, he fell onto her.

(2)

Pei Du did not collapse completely.

It was more like his body, after being in a state of extreme fatigue for a long time, suddenly relaxed and caused a fainting spell.

His forehead buried into Shu Shu's neck crook.

The temperature was alarming.

So hot!

Shu Shu jumped in fright, recalling that before going downstairs just now, Siwei had said Pei Du seemed to be sick.

Siwei always brings a crowd when she goes out to play, besides close friends, there are bodyguards and a traveling doctor.

She loves to play.

However, her family never feels at ease letting her go out alone.

At this age of loving to chase wind and love freedom, a slightly rebellious little girl occasionally mutters a couple of complaints saying she longs to be independent someday.

At that time, Shu Shu tapped her head and said she was blessed but unaware of it.

And now.

Shu Shu should thank Siwei's thoughtful parents—

In room 106, the heating was ample.

Siwei's traveling doctor stood by the bedside setting up an IV for Pei Du.

She was a young woman in her late twenties—named Laoya, who solemnly informed Shu Shu of Pei Du's condition:

"He's not acclimated to the local water and soil, severely lacks sleep, poor insulation, plus a bit of malnutrition; it looks like he hasn't eaten properly for a while."

……

And it's not just a fever.

Shu Shu looked in shock at the person lying on the bed.

The boy was wrapped in the blanket, with a fever-reducing patch on his forehead.

His eyes were tightly shut; due to the high fever, his originally pale, somewhat sickly cheeks showed a faint flush.

Even though he was asleep, his brows were furrowed, obviously uncomfortable.

He looked listless and lethargic.

And, pitiful.

Then Shu Shu lowered her head and looked at the hand on her wrist.

From grabbing hold, to entering the room, to lying down, to setting up the IV—this person had never let go of her hand.

The boy's broad, long hand emerged from under the blanket.

Gripping tightly.

Laoya's needle pricks were all on his left hand.

Because his right hand was inconvenient.

Laoya put the stethoscope back into her personal medical kit, stood up and said: "Miss Shuyin, I'm heading out first; call me when the IV is done so I can come pull the needle."

"Okay." Shu Shu nodded and replied: "Thanks."

Laoya hummed, thought a bit, then said: "If you really want to thank me, could you let me have twenty minutes of water during the later ski competition?"

Shu Shu raised an eyebrow: "OK, no problem."

Laoya closed the door and left.

Thus only Shu Shu and Pei Du remained in the room.

Shu Shu moved her wrist that was being held: "Alright, can you let go of me now?"

The culprit breathed evenly, as if he hadn't heard Shu Shu's words, utterly still.

Shu Shu said: "If you keep gripping, my hand will turn black and blue."

Almost the instant she finished speaking, the grip of that hand loosened by two degrees.

But it was only two degrees.

He grasped the timing extremely accurately, still keeping it within a range where one cannot easily break free.

Shu Shu: "???"

No.

Isn't he unable to hear her speak?

"Pei Du, stop pretending to sleep, let go."

The male lay face-up on the pillow, unmoving.

Shu Shu narrowed her eyes: "Pei Du, let me remind you, I have plenty of strength and methods; if you don't let go, I can't guarantee your hand won't break."

Quiet, still quiet.

…

In the end, Shu Shu still didn't twist off Pei Du's hand.

Forget it.

Taking into account that he's sick.

"Just this once, not to be repeated!"

Shu Shu pulled the blanket, completely covering his hand, together with her own hand that he was holding.

…

I don't know whether to be glad or not.

Shu Shu has a habit of being unable to fall back asleep for a short time after waking up in the middle of sleep.

She wasn't the least bit sleepy, propping her chin with one hand, she sat energetically on the soft chair by the bed, staring at Pei Du's medicine bottle.

When the IV drip was halfway.

Pei Du woke up, but seemed not fully awake.

The male slightly opened his eyes a slit, first curiously scanning half the surroundings, realizing he was lying on the bed, then seeing only an empty pillow placed beside him.

His gaze paused a moment, without thinking he reached out to pull.

He used the hand with the IV drip.

"Ah—"

"No!"

Shu Shu, quick-eyed and quick-handed, grabbed his arm to stop his action.

However.

Pei Du seemed feverish and muddled, his consciousness not clear, unwilling to withdraw his hand, determined to move that pillow.

Doing that would cause the needle puncture on the back of his hand to swell.

"What are you trying to do?"

"Throw, away—"

His hoarse voice uttered two words, his eyes fixed straight on that pillow, refusing to give up.

His strength was still considerable.

Shu Shu almost couldn't hold him back, which understandably annoyed her.

So she simply got up onto the bed, her hands occupied, and directly used her knees to press down on the blanket on both sides of Pei Du.

After drastically reducing Pei Du's range of movement, she jerked his arm back, pressing his palm down onto the bed surface.

Shu Shu glared: "What on earth are you messing around with?"

Pei Du, forcibly pulled back, opened his eyes fully and locked gazes with Shu Shu, who was close at hand.

His dark pupils appeared, revealing cold impatience in the depths of his eyes.

Within a few seconds.

He seemed to recognize Shu Shu; the prickly chill visibly retreated entirely, turning into a plea for help.

"Yinyin, help me throw it away, okay?"

"..."

Shu Shu's expression was quite puzzled.

"It's just an ordinary pillow, what did it ever do to you?"

"Does it bite or hit people?"

"Huh?"

Saying this, Shu Shu even turned over and deliberately lay down on that pillow.

She tried here and there, proving to Pei Du that the pillow was fine.

"Look, I'm fine, there's no problem."

Pei Du silently watched Shu Shu's actions, remained silent for a moment, then opened his mouth: "I want to sleep on a bed with one pillow."

"..." Shu Shu speechless: "You're already sleeping on one pillow; are you actually grown two brains and need to sleep on two pillows?"

Pei Du still wouldn't listen, repeating the sentence about wanting to sleep on one pillow, then adding an explanation:

"Just like in the villa."

Shu Shu remembered.

"In the villa."

Pei Du's room had a bed that was barely enough for two people but spacious for one, and indeed there was only one pillow on his bed.

Because only he sleeps there, this might be one of his habits, but this isn't the villa.

Ha.

This little brat.

He's burning up so much his head is about to smoke, yet he still has the leisure to fuss over these.

He's just tormenting.

Shu Shu took the pillow, held it in her arms, sat back down, and said angrily:

Is it okay now? Can you behave?

And sure enough, Pei Du stopped his fussing, closed his eyes, and fell asleep again.

But the aggravating thing is:

Even after all that fussing, his hand still hadn't loosened from her wrist.

……

Fuming, Shu Shu swung her left hand at Pei Du in the air.

He's really a little jerk.

Looks like I can't call him handsome wood anymore; I have to call him a little jerk.

Just like that.

Pei Du stayed well-behaved until the medicine bottle ran out.

Laoya came in just in time and finished taking the needle.

His fever has dropped a lot; as long as he rests well, then after he wakes up tomorrow, if he takes his medicine, eats properly, and dresses warmly, there shouldn't be any serious problems.

Shu Shu: "Thanks, I'll give you half an hour for the skiing competition."

"Then it's a pleasant deal."

Laoya placed the medicine that needed to be taken on the bedside table with a smile, explained the dosage to Shu Shu, then left.

Shu Shu glanced at the time.

It's late.

She yawned, her energy faded, she began to feel sleepy again, and she said to the sleeping Pei Du:

"Alright."

"This time, this time, this time I really have to let go."

"I need to go get some sleep."

As expected, she got no reply, but Shu Shu hadn't expected one either.

She lifted a corner of the blanket, gently bending Pei Du's fingers one by one, watching to see if he woke up as she pulled.

However, this bottle of medicine seems to have a sedative effect; after taking it, Pei Du's grip wasn't as firm.

Shu Shu finally freed her wrist.

No bruise.

She exhaled, left a desk lamp on, tiptoed out of room 106.

The door closed.

The person who had been sound asleep lifted his eyelids, revealing a clear, alert expression with no trace of sleepiness.

……

Pei Du watched the direction the girl had left, moved the hand that had held hers under the blanket, and then slowly pressed it to his own chest.

——Attempting to use this method to prolong the feeling of her still being by his side.

Pei Du understood.

Yinyin thought his face was handsome, but that was all; besides that, she really didn't want to do anything to him.

No.

He didn't want that.

In the dim light, the young man's dark eyes grew murky, and a faint hint of aggression quietly surfaced.