Xia Xunqian’s fingertips clenched tightly. He looked uneasy. Even though his color had just returned a little, he still looked fragile, and with tears on his face, he looked helplessly cute.
Like a cat that had tucked in its claws.
Feng Lin’s gaze fell on Xia Xunqian’s long lashes. He reached out and gently wiped the tears from the corner of Xia Xunqian’s eyes.
Sleeping made him bold.
This time, Feng Lin didn’t call him “Sir” but said his name directly.
“Feng Lin…” The boy murmured again, his voice sticky, showing that even in his dream, Xia Xunqian felt helpless and lost.
When Feng Lin pulled his hand back from Xia Xunqian’s face, Xia Xunqian, frowning tightly, grabbed it.
“…Sir…” Xia Xunqian’s heated hand gripped harder. The familiar woody scent filled his nose, and his furrowed brows finally relaxed a little.
Feng Lin’s fingers moved slightly, and the sleeping Xia Xunqian, in a daze, tugged and wrapped his arms around Feng Lin’s wrist.
Feng Lin: “……………”
He sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, feeling Xia Xunqian’s body heat, and realized something was wrong.
Xia Xunqian’s hands and face were very hot.
Feng Lin lifted his hand and touched Xia Xunqian’s forehead.
Tsk.
He had a fever.
“Xia Xunqian?” Feng Lin called, but there was no answer.
“What kind of body is this? Got wet in the rain, got sick, and now a fever.” Feng Lin frowned, feeling annoyed.
His face darkened. He lifted Xia Xunqian’s blanket, intending to carry him out.
When the blanket was lifted, Xia Xunqian’s eyes flickered open a few times.
Seeing Feng Lin in front of him, he timidly let go of his hand.
“Sir…” Xia Xunqian bit his lip quietly, his gaze wandering and weak.
He looked so sick and fragile that anyone could take advantage of him.
Feng Lin’s dark eyes were complicated and hard to read.
Earlier at the hospital, the doctor gave medicine to fight the cold. Now he had a fever again. How weak was Xia Xunqian’s body?
Feng Lin had thought it would be easy to care for him like a lazy person in the back garden. Now he realized it wasn’t simple at all.
Xia Xunqian was very hard to take care of.
Feng Lin looked down at him coldly and, like giving an order, said, “I’ll have Lao Yuan take you to the hospital.”
Xia Xunqian murmured softly, “Why go to the hospital…”
Feng Lin’s face stayed cold. “For fever medicine.”
Xia Xunqian tugged at the blanket, half-closing his eyes in obvious refusal.
“I’ll be fine after sleeping,” he said firmly.
He wrapped himself in the blanket, but the next second Feng Lin pulled it away with one hand.
Xia Xunqian was wearing Feng Lin’s shirt. It was already big on him. The sleeves were too long, and the shirt could cover his thighs.
Because he had slept in a messy position, the shirt had slipped up, exposing his waist.
When Feng Lin lifted the blanket, the cool air made Xia Xunqian twist his waist. His pale waist was soft and delicate, like a willow branch in someone’s hand.
The sight was shocking. Feng Lin glanced sideways and emphasized, “Go get the injection.”
Xia Xunqian reached for the blanket. “I’m not going.”
Feng Lin was annoyed. His voice carried strictness as he called out Xia Xunqian’s name.
“Xia Xunqian!”
Xia Xunqian pressed his lips into a thin line, his eyes dreamy, and murmured in response, “Mm…”
Feng Lin was speechless.
He had said “mm.”
Feng Lin was not a patient man, and wasting time on trivial matters was not his way.
He exhaled deeply. “Why won’t you go?”
Xia Xunqian’s muffled voice: “I often get fevers. Before, I would just sleep and be fine.”
“No need to go to the hospital…”
Xia Xunqian’s words made Feng Lin pause for two seconds, his mind tangled and words failing.
Xia Xunqian studied Feng Lin’s expression and suddenly smiled faintly through his watery eyes.
“Sir… are you… caring about me?”
Feng Lin looked at him seriously.
“Have you always been like this?”
Xia Xunqian twisted the blanket, eyes sad.
“So Sir, you’re not caring… you’re pitying me…”
The boy’s words were soft and heavy, yet light and hard to grasp.
Feng Lin couldn’t respond. He was calm and beautiful, yet this mouth could be so sharp.
Even sick, he could speak sharply.
Xia Xunqian glanced at Feng Lin and suddenly reached out, grabbing Feng Lin’s shirt.
“…Can you stay with me?”
“I’ll be fine after a nap… really.”
He lowered his boundary. “Just… stay a little while…”
Feng Lin didn’t respond.
Xia Xunqian looked lonely as he withdrew his hand, slowly letting go of Feng Lin’s shirt.
Just as he pulled back, Feng Lin said coldly, “If your fever hasn’t gone down in two hours, you’ll go to the hospital.”
Xia Xunqian’s lips curled into a smile. He stretched his hand out again—but this time, he didn’t grab the shirt.
He grabbed Feng Lin’s hand.
Testing, inch by inch, pushing boundaries step by step.
He held two of Feng Lin’s fingers, loosely at first. Seeing that Feng Lin didn’t pull away, he quietly gripped tighter.
Xia Xunqian closed his eyes to sleep—or more accurately, pretended to sleep.
Outside, the cold wind blew. The rain started again, pattering on the pomegranate tree outside, glinting everywhere.
But in Xia Xunqian’s chest, a small warm flame grew.
Whenever he opened his eyes to look at Feng Lin, Feng Lin’s gaze turned colder.
After three times of eye contact, Feng Lin warned sharply,
“Xia Xunqian.”
Just the name. But the cold tone from Feng Lin sounded like a death sentence.
“You’re so scary…” Xia Xunqian whispered hoarsely.
He tightened his fingers, eyes sharp.
“Sir, kiss me, and I’ll be good.”