Xu Rong’s medicine was indeed effective. Five minutes after taking it, Luo Bai’s complexion eased significantly, and her grip on her clothes relaxed.
Qiu Wu and Xu Rong both let out sighs of relief. Xu Rong instructed, “This medicine promotes body metabolism. Considering Miss Luo rarely gets sick, she is more sensitive to medication than the average person. She may run a fever tonight, so it is best if someone keeps an eye on her. If her temperature exceeds 37.5 degrees, use a cool towel for physical cooling. If it exceeds 38.5 degrees, call me immediately.”
“Mhm, I have noted that down. Is there anything else?” Qiu Wu nodded.
“Drink plenty of water over the next two days, make sure to rest, and stick to a light diet.” Just as Xu Rong finished speaking, the doorbell rang again.
The two looked at each other. Xu Rong wore a knowing expression as she began packing her medical kit. “Go open the door. My regular client has arrived.”
“Ah?” Qiu Wu blinked in bewilderment as she opened the door.
“Oh my! My dear great-aunt! Why did you go and call for an emergency doctor?”
The moment the door opened, a figure rushed in, and Qiu Wu felt a wave of alcohol brush right past her.
The person looked frantic with worry, yet came to a steady halt half a meter away from Luo Bai, offering a rather dramatic expression of concern. “How are you feeling?”
Luo Bai: “I am already fine.”
The newcomer was none other than the president of Future Technology, Luo Cheng. The woman looked much like she did on magazine covers, vibrant and flamboyant, though slightly haggard.
Luo Cheng turned to Xu Rong, asking in a low voice, “What on earth is going on?”
Xu Rong shrugged, tapping the table. “Food intolerance. Not a major issue.”
Luo Cheng’s gaze swept over the bowl of spicy hot pot on the table and shifted to Qiu Wu.
Even though Xu Rong had intentionally tried to cover it up, Luo Cheng instantly locked onto the prime culprit.
After all, nothing could convince her that Luo Bai would cook spicy hot pot for herself.
Under Luo Cheng’s scrutiny, Qiu Wu immediately grew nervous.
Compared to Luo Bai, Luo Cheng was clearly much closer to the wealthy socialites she was familiar with.
If she comes over to slap me later, should I dodge?
Qiu Wu could not reach a conclusion in time.
Before Qiu Wu could react further, Luo Cheng strode right up to her in a single step.
Oh no!
Qiu Wu instinctively closed her eyes and cringed, but the anticipated pain never came.
She opened her eyes in confusion as an arm wrapped around her neck, and the scent of alcohol mixed with perfume from Luo Cheng enveloped her.
“Miss Qiu, I have wanted to meet you for a long time, but I have been too busy lately to spare a moment,” Luo Cheng grinned at her. “Wanna go out and chat for a bit? Let Ah Rong examine our great-aunt more thoroughly.”
Qiu Wu: “…”
She looked toward Luo Bai, whose figure was blocked by Xu Rong.
Even if she asked, Luo Bai would only respect her wishes.
And her wishes…
Qiu Wu looked at the arm around her neck, then turned her gaze back to Luo Cheng’s frivolous yet meaningful smile.
What other wishes could she possibly have?
The two walked over to a corner of the courtyard. Luo Cheng leaned against the brick wall, gazing at the deep night sky overhead, and pulled out half a pack of cigarettes, offering one to Qiu Wu. “Want one?”
Qiu Wu hurriedly waved her hands. “Sorry, I do not smoke.”
“Good kid.” Luo Cheng chuckled. With a flick of her wrist, her lighter flared to life, and the scent of mint mixed with tobacco drifted between them.
“Let me think about how I should address you. Miss Qiu, or Great-Aunt-Grandmother?” Luo Cheng took a couple of puffs, looking at the apprehensive Qiu Wu before speaking first.
“Just call me Qiu Wu. Why on earth would you call me Great-Aunt-Grandmother?” Qiu Wu was being polite halfway through before realizing something was wrong.
“Because Luo Bai is my great-aunt, and since you are her girlfriend and might even marry her in the future, wouldn’t that make you my great-aunt-grandmother?” Luo Cheng twitched her eyebrows, smiling mischievously.
“Er, I always thought your use of great-aunt was just a figure of speech.” Who would have thought it literally described a blood relation?
Purely from her appearance, although Luo Bai was past thirty, her skin and physique showed no signs of wear from the passage of time. Someone could easily claim she was eighteen. On the other hand, perhaps due to indulging in a lifestyle of wine and leisure, Luo Cheng looked haggard with dark circles under her eyes. Without makeup, she looked old enough to be Luo Bai’s mother.
“Ah, if you are not from the main Luo family, you would not understand. Everyone in the main branch has a high seniority in terms of generation. We collateral branches are basically born to be grandchildren to others.” Finding her own joke somewhat amusing, Luo Cheng laughed twice and stubbed out her cigarette in her portable ashtray. “I called you out here to give you some advice as a senior who has suffered persecution by the main family.”
The smile on her face faded into a light trace of seriousness. “Stop meddling in Luo Bai’s affairs.”
Is this a warning?
A chill ran through Qiu Wu’s heart, and an apology slipped out naturally: “I am sorry.”
“Do not be nervous. This is not a warning, just a reminder,” Luo Cheng said, giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Look, if you had not made her that meal today, wouldn’t all this trouble have been avoided? It would save everyone a headache.”
Qiu Wu hesitated. “But right now, we are…”
In a romantic relationship.
Though this relationship had been decided rather hastily, it was still a genuine fact. If she could not even do anything for her, could this really be called dating?
“I know, I know, you two are dating,” Luo Cheng said with the world-weary tone of someone who had seen it all. “But do you really think Luo Bai is a normal romantic partner? She has interacted with machines more than people since she was a child, she has zero friends, and even her marriage was arranged just to get her mother’s research results. What kind of good outcome could you possibly expect from dating someone like that?”
“But…” Shocked by Luo Bai’s past, Qiu Wu could not help but retort, thinking of how Luo Bai had accompanied her in the empty lecture hall for hours that day and even praised her spicy hot pot as delicious.
She trusted her own eyes and feelings far more than the words of others.
Luo Bai might be a bit more rigid and detached than ordinary people, but she was definitely not devoid of emotions.
“Sigh,” facing her hesitation, Luo Cheng let out a sigh. “Even leaving all that aside, she isn’t someone you can afford to entangle yourself with. She is a daughter of a wealthy family who stays far away from danger. What are we compared to that?”
To make Qiu Wu feel more comfortable accepting it, she had used the word “we.”
However, Qiu Wu knew very well what that sentence really meant: What kind of nobody do you think you are?
Luo Bai had gotten into trouble this time, and Luo Cheng was the one who showed up. Next time, it might very well be Luo Wen.
If Luo Wen decided to pursue the matter, could she bear the consequences?
Based on her relationship with Luo Bai, would the other party pull out all the stops to protect her?
That was the truly fatal question.
Human affection, under the impact of reality, appeared exceptionally thin, fragile, and even laughable.
Qiu Wu pressed her lips tightly together, and after a moment, she smiled bitterly and nodded. “I understand.”
When Qiu Wu and Luo Cheng returned, Xu Rong had already finished her second examination of Luo Bai, confirming there were no other issues.
Xu Rong instructed Luo Bai to fast for eight hours. Qiu Wu finished the remaining spicy hot pot, while the housekeeper cleaned up the mess.
After tidying up, Qiu Wu still remembered Xu Rong’s warning. “You might run a fever tonight. Should I stay by your side and watch over you?”
“No,” Luo Bai replied, holding a handheld computer with a data cable linked to the housekeeper, her fingers flying rapidly across the keyboard. “I have programmed the housekeeper. It is fully capable of handling this task. You have classes tomorrow, so you should rest now.”
“Oh.” Thinking of the glitching robotic waiter in the eternal restaurant, Qiu Wu felt a bit uneasy, but recalling Luo Cheng’s words, she nodded mutely and returned to her room.
The bed was large and the bedding soft, but her mind was restless. Tossing and turning for over half an hour, she finally managed to fall asleep.
When she opened her eyes again, the surroundings were still pitch black. She checked her phone. It was two in the morning.
She felt somewhat thirsty.
She rolled out of bed, sleepily walked out to the living room, and heard a rustling noise.
Qiu Wu glanced to the side and saw a figure sitting in a chair, startling her so much she almost hurled the teacup in her hand.
“Ah.”
“It is me.”
Luo Bai’s voice sounded, tinged with a hint of sleepiness and weakness.
Only then did Qiu Wu fully wake up. Looking closely, Luo Bai was wearing a thin white pajama set, draped in a light blue thin blanket over her shoulders, hugging her knees as she curled up in the chair.
Only a single nightlight was turned on in the living room. In the dim glow, the woman lifted her gaze indifferently, her thick eyelashes fluttering. Her exposed neck was slender, resembling boundless snow.
Qiu Wu’s breathing paused for a brief second, and she asked a rather foolish question, “You are not sleeping?”
“I cannot sleep.”
Luo Bai looked listless, pulling the blanket tighter around herself. “I am cold, yet hot.”
Perhaps because the current Luo Bai appeared excessively fragile and disordered, the little busybody part of Qiu Wu that loved to worry started chirping away. Without thinking much, she walked forward and placed her hand gently against the woman’s forehead.
Luo Bai’s forehead was covered in a thin layer of sweat, her skin feeling smooth, slick, and burning hot.
“You have a fever. You should be lying properly in bed,” Qiu Wu withdrew her hand.
“Mhm, I have never had a fever before,” Luo Bai stood up slowly. “Lying down and sweating constantly feels very strange.”
“I am sorry, it is my fault. I should not have let you eat random things.” Qiu Wu was reminded of the phrase a daughter of a wealthy family stays far away from danger.
If she had not acted on her own accord and instead followed Luo Bai’s lifestyle, the other person might never have gotten a fever in her entire life.
She felt a mix of guilt and regret, making her agree with Luo Cheng’s words even more.
Luo Bai staggered slightly, and Qiu Wu instinctively reached out to steady her, grabbing the woman’s outstretched hand.
This was her first time touching the skin beneath Luo Bai’s gloves.
The delicate palm was damp with sweat, icy yet slick.
“It is not like that.”
She heard Luo Bai’s calm and slow voice.
Raising her eyes, she looked into the woman’s moist pupils.
“I should thank you,” Luo Bai hesitated, seemingly organizing her phrasing. “I have never tasted a flavor like this.”
As if confirming it to herself, the corners of Luo Bai’s mouth curled up into a very small, faint smile. “Indeed, it was delicious.”
Qiu Wu: “…”
Luo Cheng’s words still echoed in her ears, yet she could no longer turn a blind eye to everything about Luo Bai.
The so-called daughter of a wealthy family had never enjoyed genuine, everyday food, to the point where she had to express gratitude for a bowl of spicy hot pot that made her unwell.
If she kept her distance from Luo Bai the way Luo Cheng suggested, just like everyone else had done up to this point, would Luo Bai continue down that path for the rest of her life, completely oblivious to what she was missing out on?
That was simply too unfair.